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The list of recent news headline links below selectively highlights recent headlines and the stories behind them, such as AP stories as published at www.breitbart.com, where readers can comment on the content.  This empowers individuals to easily find recent news again.  We share our own brief comments on the stories.  An explanation of our news highlights and archive feature follows at the end of this page.

Most news on this page relates to U.S. politics and the economy.  See also global issues.  There are also special pages for news and comments related to some topics of common interest, such as

bulletTea Party Plans - links to coverage of past events, and multiple sources for future event plans
bulletHealth care debate (Department of Unhealthy and Inhumane Services)
bulletCap and trade (A solution for political party climate change)
bulletValue-added Tax - VAT (A National Sales Tax = Buyer Beware) - it's not dead yet
bullet CIA allegations by Democrats in Congress.  (A threat to human intelligence)
bulletSocial Insecurity (Government Ponzi Schemes - conning the masses)
bullet Stimulus Bill: Know their names.  "You will know their names.  I will make them famous".

Our Links page provides many other information sources, while our Conservative Search tool makes it easy to find what various conservative commentators are saying on any news topic.  We have also set up a special Tea Party Search Tool for websites related to the Tea Party movement.

Make 2010 the year Americans will remember for generations to come

I'm sick and tired of people telling us we have to be reasonable and negotiate away what we believe. It's time to stand and fight for what we believe. The Democrats chose this brinksmanship game, thinking that they had overwhelming, unchecked power to do as they please. It's time to remind them in 2010 that they don't.

We need to stop talking about whether the 2010 election will change things, and start doing the hard work to make sure that it does. That means getting engaged in volunteer work and fundraising to support better candidates early in the primary process, and to make sure between now and August that they have such a commanding lead through widespread and enthusiastic popular support that we flip the balance of power in both the House and Senate in November - and so that the Dems already see it coming by July 4 like an unstoppable train that is going to blow them off the rails in a truly horrific, unprecedented, crushing election defeat.. We need to make sure that the comparisons are not to 1980 or 1994, but rather that future generations will remember 2010 as the turning point.

Stop talking about it, and go for it in your own district! Make it your job to ensure their defeat.

Sarah Palin has now been confirmed by Tea Party Nation as the featured speaker at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville, TN - Feb 4-6, 2010.  We have also added a new page about her Going Rogue book launch tour.
Archives of prior news in 2009 - Feb  March  April  May  June  July  Aug  Sept
These archives of links to prior news articles and our comments at the time empower individuals to easily research the background to current events, such as to see how key political decisions evolved or to discover news which some of our visitors may not have noticed or recognized as important at the time.
Cap and Trade: A solution for political climate change - Let the Democrats hang themselves.  See this Sept 9 press release:  Pelosi Remarks Before Meeting With Chairman Wu Bangguo of the National People's Congress of China  Note the preparations for the Copenhagen summit.

September 9, 2009 - US House Speaker: World can learn from China on climate - AFP version of the above story.  She's clueless. Watch out for what happens in Copenhagen this December. They will be telling many more fairy tales as that approaches. Some may believe them, but many Americans are waking up to the threat. Pay attention to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh this month. Our liberty can be eroded by stealth through informal agreements between governments and regulatory revisions which don't require Senate review and consent. Watch for regulations to be tweaked quietly behind the scenes to push the environmental agenda if it attracts public resistance.

September 10, 2009 - Top US official: Climate bill urgently needed - Comment: Pay attention to what is being done to replace the Kyoto agreement in the Copenhagen summit this December.  Special envoy Todd Stern (bio here) has been leading the State Department discussions with China and India behind the scenes in recent months.

We tabulated a nationwide estimate of the 800+ Tax Day Tea Party crowds after the events, and are doing the same for the July 4 Tea Parties.  Please e-mail your most reliable crowd estimates for whatever event you attended.  Links to published photos or videos which substantiate the crowd estimates are welcome - but please do not email the actual photos or videos to us.  Just help us to share the image links.

Our Tea Party News page links to relevant videos, photos, news reports, websites and blog coverage.   Please send us relevant links to share, and help us to spread the word about SurgeUSA too.

Don't miss Mark Levin's excellent new #1 bestselling book, Liberty and Tyranny.  The link has some interviews about it.  It has reportedly sold well over 1,000,000 copies already.
Thank you, Daniel Hannan, MEP for the South East of England.  His stinging rebuke to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the European Parliament has justifiably gone viral.

September 2, 2009 - If you doubt what Daniel Hannan has been saying about the British health care system, have a look at this article - Sentenced to Death on the NHS in the Daily Telegraph (UK).  Note the hundreds of comments, such as personal examples of end of life care by the NHS / NICE bureaucrats.

See the videos, including various interviews on Fox News (Sean Hannity, Neil Cavuto, Glenn Beck) since his conservative comments also resonate here, especially with the "tea party" revolt

Use our Conservative Search tool to see what others have been saying about Daniel Hannan.  For example, Rush Limbaugh commented on March 27 and earlier on his March 25 program

Were our veterans being played for suckers?  Political games to push nationalized health care?  After insisting again that the administration respects veterans, it then proceeded to issue a security threat assessment through the Department of Homeland security which considered returning veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to be a potential security threat for right-wing extremist violence, along with similar unsubstantiated allegations against other groups of conservatives.  Outrageous.
DIS Organizing for America - the drones were sent out to lobby for Obama's budget and social agenda.  They e-mailed millions of his former campaign supporters and sent out former campaign workers and community activists to seek pledges of support for their lobbying efforts in Congress, without bothering to read the 2010 Budget (summary .pdf) they are endorsing. 

End result?  More people turned out for Tax Day Tea Parties than signed their simplistic pledges to support Obama's plans.  Make sure that your member of Congress knows that !

For an entertaining look at recent news bias, try NewsBusters from the Media Research Center.
Hundreds of people showed up for the Chicago Tea Party taxpayer revolt on February 27.  See our photos and videos, news and event links.  Nationwide, 45 events attracted 15,000+ people.  This was organized by online networking among local volunteers in less than one week.

There were 800+ Tax Day Tea Party protests on April 15, with a 600,000 - 800,000+ turnout.   See our Chicago Tax Day Tea Party photos.  They did it again in many cities on July 4, and plans are in progress for large 9/12/09 Tea Party protests in Washington, DC.

Karl Rove published an interesting chart based on the dismal June 2009 job growth numbers.
August 18, 2009 - Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling - Comment: Wall Street Journal article about White House support for Petrobras.  What a remarkable coincidence - just a few days after George Soros made some changes to his large investment stake in Petrobras, as Bloomberg reported August 14.  Try looking up other stories on this with our Conservative Search tool - look for references to Petrobras or Soros.
July 11, 2009 Obama speech in Ghana, with comments (like his June speech in Cairo).
News Headlines, Stories, and Comments in recent weeks
Archives of prior news in 2009 - Feb  March  April  May  June  July  Aug  Sept
Read the speech at West Point by Obama about his latest strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, with commentary and related news.  We can only pray that our troops will be successful despite him.
November 6, 2009 - Dick Morris - Obamacare endorsements: What the bribe was
Sarah Palin news - book tour, our page for Palin supporters - and join us in Nashville
December 2, 2009 Tea Party documentary premiere in D.C. - FreedomWorks movie information.  The DVD will be available soon.  A trailer is available at The Conservative Revolution blog.  For more details, see www.TeaPartyMovie.com
Iran news - see separate page about the recent Iranian election protests

Afghanistan, Pakistan, North Korea, China, Honduras  and other global news - see Global Issues

"Damn it Feels Good to Be a Victim" - entertaining video by AlfonZo Rachel on Big Hollywood blog
November 22, 2009 - Shock: SNL takes on Obama in earnest - entertaining video, plus a 2012 spoof of Palin
June 25, 2010 - Immigration back on front burner due to Ariz. law
June 25, 2010 - Leaders differ on how to nurture a global recovery - but they seem to be agreed about not accepting lectures from Obama about economic policy and "stimulus" spending
June 25, 2010 - Obama claims victory in financial overhaul deal
June 25, 2010 - Stymied by GOP, Democrats at loss on jobs agenda - Political games - trying to blame Republicans rather than help the unemployed by fixing the bill so it could pass
June 17, 2010 - Court: 2-person labor board can't make decisions
NOTE: Many news links for May and June are temporarily on the home page
May 8, 2010 - Obama says health care law already helps millions - We see already that this holds nobody accountable for the predictable failure, while it gives government growing control.
May 8, 2010 - US officials: New focus on striking US, the West - This is new?  Hello?
May 6, 2010 - House takes up Cash for Caulkers stimulus bill - more lunacy in the House
May 6, 2010 - Courting Latinos, Dems angle to keep issue alive

May 5, 2010 - Obama: Begin work this year on immigration reform

May 3, 2010 - Establishment choices vs. upstarts in 3 primaries in NC, OH, IN this week
May 3, 2010 - United States to show some of its nuclear hand - Does transparency now mean revealing national security secrets to anybody?  Why are we doing this at the United Nations?

US says it has 5,113 nuclear warheads

May 3, 2010 - Gates suggests big changes coming for Navy - Minimizing the strategic threats we face by citing only small threats to rationalize defense cuts.
April 22, 2010 - Obama aides neither back nor bury value-added tax     VAT is not dead yet.
April 22, 2010 - Senate panel adopts Democratic budget plan
April 21, 2010 - Perot: Time will show impact of tea party effort - Does the Tea Party movement need more pie charts?  Did Glenn Beck's recent "Plan" create any sense of deja vu?
April 14, 2010 - Obama, GOP wrangle over Wall Street regulations - This basically empowers Treasury to wipe out shareholders and bondholders, dismiss management, and liquidate a company without any judicial review or normal bankruptcy processes to protect either the company management or investors and other creditors. In effect, on the basis of murky criteria, any financial company which is deemed to be in trouble can be destroyed overnight without any recourse. Does that sound like a political blackmail tool for fundraising? Take a look at how much money from financial institutions has been flowing recently into the 2010 campaigns of the Democrats who have been crafting this legislation.
April 14, 2010 - Tax Day rhetoric aside, Americans' bills are lower - Great.  Did anybody at the AP consider that Americans may owe less in taxes because they have had less work?  Many dual income families may be lucky if they still have one income, and even that may have declined.  It's also obvious that Congress is going to raise taxes in many ways other than by the income tax, thereby maintaining the illusion that they have cut taxes for clueless supporters while they actually raise them.  That includes some illusory cuts for small businesses which rarely apply in practice.
April 14, 2010 - Palin rallies tea partiers with anti-tax message - later version of the story

Tea party movement gathers near site of original

Palin rallies tea partiers with anti-tax message

April 14, 2010 - US officials say Iran could get bomb in year - A modest proposal: if we're going to get rid of hundreds of old nuclear weapons anyway, why not promise to use them in Iran if Iran develops and tests a bomb after insisting for years that it has only peaceful energy intentions?

If Ahmedinejad wants to risk Armageddon so that he can threaten us and Israel, make it clear that he will get it - so that anyone with brains in Iran will want to stop him before their country is obliterated. Target every site of potential military significance in Iran. If they test one bomb, of any scale, we take out the top priority site with the largest nuclear weapon in our arsenal just to show that we are serious, and then demand that their nuclear program be completely dismantled immediately or else the bombs keep coming. If Russia or China don't like this idea, then let them weigh in now with Iran to stop their ambitions.

April 8, 2010 - Gingrich: Obama is 'most radical president ever'
April 8, 2010 - It's a Republican Party like it's 2012  and later version  Republican Party sizing up incumbent Obama
April 8, 2010 - Tea partiers push GOP's 2012 hopefuls to the right - More AP babble in which the writer seems determined to make the story fit the template through a few pundit quotes.
April 8, 2010 - Nuke treaty signed, but menacing arms issues lurk

 Senate OK is next hurdle for arms control deal

Nuclear treaty would cut only long-range arms

April 8, 2010 - Vulnerable Democrats are tiptoeing on health care - ducking public forums
April 5, 2010 - Nearly half of US households escape fed income tax
April 5, 2010 - New U.S. strategy to narrow use of nuclear arms: Obama - Reuters

US to adopt narrower policy on using nuclear arms - AP version

April 5, 2010 - Tea party: Much noise, but an impact in November?
April 4, 2010 - Top GOP lawmakers want accountability at RNC - The key point here is for the Tea Party folks to mobilize donors and voters for individual candidates, rather than for the RNC, other party organizations, or PACs which want to play kingmaker in Washington.

If we are ever going to restore respect for individual voters, we need to make our elected officials far more dependent on the support of individual constituents and less subject to monetary pressure from a handful of party and PAC officials.

Instead of consolidating donations in the hands of others who want to influence candidates to do their own will, donors should focus on individual candidates and hold them accountable for their performance in office. No deal with party leaders or PACs should save them if their constituents turn on them - unlike the present situation in which a lot of money can be steered by party "leaders" and lobbyists to perpetuate the political careers of harmful losers - just like the Dems.

April 4, 2010 - White House braces unemployed for slow job rebound - Still blaming Bush, rather than accepting that their policies have been making a bad situation even worse.  Does anybody remember Carter's many excuses for the severe economic "malaise"?  Deja vu.
April 3, 2010 - Republicans dispute course of financial overhaul
April 1, 2010 - Obama to promote health bill's business benefits - In Maine on April Fools Day.  What an appropriate way to pretend that he is trying to help business.
March 31, 2010 - GOP wary of health law repeal push in fall races - Note how selectively the AP created this story.  The same local ABC 7 Chicago news interview in which Mark Kirk waffled about repeal included an unwavering repeal commitment by GOP candidate Joe Walsh (IL 8th).  Moral of the story: support Joe Walsh and other principled conservatives who won't just stick their finger in the air and try to figure out which way the political winds are blowing today.
March 31, 2010 - Obama clears way for oil drilling off US coasts - Surprising move, somewhat like recent nuclear energy decisions. The intent behind this is not yet clear. One has to wonder whether he is trying to clear some potential reasons for election year criticism off the table because these matters are not really central to his agenda.  They can deflect criticism while he pushes forward with other matters which really interest him, even if he may get some criticism from the hard left in the process. Now that he delivered on healthcare for them, they may cut him some slack.
March 30, 2010 - Obama: Tea Party features 'core group' against him - Another failed attempt to marginalize the Tea Party protests as a small group of fringe radical opponents of Obama, rather than a growing movement of many principled Americans who oppose his radical expansion of government and want to restore limited government, reduce federal spending, and create real jobs.

Later spin, larger version of the story: Obama takes care in sizing up 'tea party' movement

March 28, 2010 - Analysis: It's the economy again come fall vote - Remarkably dim-witted analysis, as though the economy and unemployment could be expected to improve this year just because that might help to save some Democrats in November if it happened.  It won't happen.  They will lose.
March 28, 2010 - Obama announces 15 recess appointments, scolds GOP - More reason, if any were needed, to focus on the 2010 and 2012 election work to reverse the damage he is doing.  He keeps mocking any Americans who disagree with him.  It's time for voters to scold his party in November.
March 28, 2010 - Palin to tea party rally: Don't sit down, shut up - Get organized for November.  Note that there is no mention of the Tea Party Express bus being attacked by Reid supporters, nor about attendees being misdirected away from the rally location by his supporters.  Instead, the AP only mentions an alleged fistfight for which no evidence was given, just as the AP has accepted the lies about racist epithets at the Capitol protest even though no video has been found as evidence to prove them.  AP reporting has proven to be as unprofessional as CNN at the 2009 Tax Day Tea Party rally in Chicago.
March 28, 2010 - Obama: Loan changes overcome 'politics of moment' - This creates enduring college student dependency on the federal government. It also provides a way out of debt by doing the bidding of the government for a number of years. That is clearly intended to appeal to a younger generation trained to expect benefits from government as a matter of "social justice" entitlements rather than from their own efforts.  Support the Hillsdale College alternative. Reject all federal funding of education, at any level. Stand up for liberty - especially in education.
March 28, 2010 - STIMULUS WATCH: Weatherizing program slow to start - Hopefully it will be quick to end.  Unfortunately, most government failures just attract more funding to keep failing.
March 27, 2010 - GOP's health care strategy: Repeal and replace
March 24, 2010 - Feisty administration pushes new Wall Street rules - Tyrannical would be a more accurate choice of words than feisty.  Note that the wizards who created the debacle at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which contributed greatly to the financial market disaster, are now the ones who are designing a new system.  Meanwhile, new home sales just hit their lowest level - again - and existing home sales are also dismal.  Unemployment remains high, new job creation is minimal (other than in government), and the government continues to grow and impose more unsustainable costs on business and individuals.  Should we entrust our financial security to corrupt politicians, lobbyists, thieves, and liars as well as bureaucrats who have demonstrably failed to protect our interests in the past?  Isn't it insane to trust the same fools to keep imposing their failed ideas on us and expect a better outcome?
March 24, 2010 - Housing market's recovery appears at risk - with more foreclosures on the way
March 24, 2010 - House passes bill to fund infrastructure, tax cuts - another local government payoff program under the guise of stimulus, funded by more tax increases and fictional tax breaks (such as cuts on capital gains taxes for small businesses which don't generally have such gains to tax anyway).  Meanwhile, the tax increases on the foreign operations of US multinationals will hurt their global competitiveness. That's sure going to promote more job creation and investment here, isn't it?
March 24, 2010 - Hurled bricks, threats surround health overhaul - Would anyone care to go back and research left-wing radical threats and attacks against Republicans during the Bush years?  Did the Democratic leadership renounce such actions, or encourage them in their quest for power?  Hypocrites.  We will defeat them in the primaries, and in November. Then, we will not be satisfied with reversing their most recent damage. We will roll back every progressive initiative of the last 100 years as best we can. We will cut back the federal government so that private sector growth can resume.
March 23, 2010 - Tea partiers vow revenge over health overhaul - and another version of the same story.  This is not a time to make threats.  It is time to organize and work hard for victory in November.  We have not yet adequately demonstrated the capacity to swing elections.  It's time to do it - massively.
March 23, 2010 - Debate on the future of Fannie, Freddie heats up - Comment:  Great.  Now the people who were behind creating the financial crisis are going to redesign the system completely.
March 21, 2010 - Thousands rally to pull troops from 2 war zones - Comment: What a remarkable coincidence.  The AP says that only "hundreds" showed up for the healthcare protest at the Capitol, and claims that it lacks official crowd estimates as the excuse for such vague low estimates, but proudly touts "thousands" of anti-war protesters and less than credible claims of 10,000 by their organizers.  Why can they estimate crowds, or use unofficial estimates by organizers, when it suits their agenda?

Hypocrites. They deserve the epithets of protesters even more than the politicians. We expect many politicians to be specious, unscrupulous liars who are pushing their own agenda at any cost. Journalists should at least pretend to still have some professional objectivity and honor.

March 20, 2010 - Raucous, ugly buildup to House health care vote - Comment:  There were only "hundreds" of protesters today just because the Capitol Police and Park Service have an official policy of not providing crowd estimates?  Come on, AP, even ignorant reporters can open their eyes and guess crowd size better than this.  As for the emphasis on a few angry protesters and nasty epithets, where have you been when the paid HCN / SEIU / Organizing for America astroturf demonstrators have called us Nazis and worse?  They can't win an argument on facts, because they are just there to collect their paychecks for showing up as counter-protesters, so they just smear us with epithets.  It happens all the time, but you never report it.  These stupid drones even have to sign in with their OFA organizers so that the turnout can be reported back to their masters in Washington to justify the payments for their time as demonstrators.  Why don't you do a little research and see how many conservatives were paid to be at the Capitol today?  A few may have crossed the line by insulting members of Congress, but the AP deserves worse insults.
March 20, 2010 - Obama close to health law success that eluded past - We need to reverse the mentality of entitlements by rolling this back - and then rolling back other costly federal programs as well. The Republicans need to stand for rolling back the growth of government, rather than simply limiting or better managing the relentlessly unchecked growth of it until it causes a predictable economic disaster. This isn't about coming up with better ideas for big government programs, such as to make them work better. It needs to be about rolling back government as the key to prosperity.
March 19, 2010 - Will US lose its triple-A ranking? Investors yawn - They also yawned during the real estate bubble before the financial markets collapsed.  That sure worked out well, didn't it?
March 19, 2010 - PROMISES, PROMISES: Obama in immigration dance - buying off the Hispanic caucus again with empty promises?  He just wants to try to position Republicans as blocking reforms in order to seek their votes again for 2010.  Note the pro-amnesty rally for illegal aliens in DC on Sunday.
March 17, 2010 - Obama's health care plan picks up support - Kucinich and other losers
March 17, 2010 - Senate OKs jobs bill for Obama's signature - with 11 Republicans
March 17, 2010 - Late-innings hardball in health care push
March 16, 2010 - PROMISES, PROMISES: Records not so open with Obama
March 16, 2010 - Senate rejects freeze on earmarks
March 16, 2010 - Dodd’s Main Street Punishment Bill - by John Berlau - note the issue about "proxy access" as a way for progressive activist groups to pressure corporate boards for their agenda
March 16, 2010 - Chamber, Wall Street lobby seek to alter Dodd bill
March 15, 2010 - Dodd unveils sweeping financial regulation plan
March 15, 2010 - Dems start countdown toward health care vote
March 15, 2010 - Bipartisan jobs bill advances past GOP filibuster
March 15, 2010 - Obama seeks to reassure seniors on health care
March 15, 2010 - US lawmakers attack China ahead of Nov. elections
March 15, 2010 - Dodd seeks difficult consensus on financial rules
March 15, 2010 - ACORN branches rename, rebrand after video scandal
March 10, 2010 - Britain confronts debt of Greek proportions - Comment:  Deja vu.  We need a Reagan again, and they need a Thatcher.  Things will likely get much worse before they get better.
March 10, 2010 - It's Only Money: Democrats Prepare $100 Billion Jobs Bill for Local Governments - Comment: How about an agreement, in spirit with the recent "pay-go" charade, to help save or create 1 million local government jobs by eliminating 1 million federal and state jobs, or at least by eliminating $100 billion in federal spending to pay for this? In this manner, SEIU and AFSCME would not be rewarded by protecting a million members from the same risks of unemployment which all other Americans face. Instead, there would be less power and money in Washington and more control of the government spending at the local level.  Otherwise, the net result of this bill would be to make local governments even more subservient to a growing federal government to sustain their programs.
March 10, 2010 - House Democrats ban earmarks to corporations - Comment:  OK, so they won't call them "earmarks" by tacking them onto legislation, but watch for them to be done in other ways.  This also doesn't preclude steering money to favored non-profits, such as those which provide a base of "volunteer" campaign workers.  Don't be suckered into thinking that the Democrats are suddenly going to repent just because they are facing a disastrous election defeat this November.  It's another charade.

House GOP leaders press earmark moratorium - The GOP response.  Don't forget that Congress pushed through over 5000 earmarks in December.

March 10, 2010 - Obama pushing on health care end game - Comment:  Push back, urgently.
March 10, 2010 - Senate to pass jobless aid, business tax breaks - Comment:  If they think this is such a priority, why don't they pay for it through cuts in other areas?  Maybe cut federal jobs?
March 10, 2010 - AP-GfK Poll: Obama more popular than Congress - Comment:  Independents are swinging against the Democrats, even if not yet very enthusiastically in favor of Republican candidates.
March 10, 2010 - Record 237 nominations for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize - Comment: After all, if Obama can win as a political celebrity without accomplishing anything useful, anybody can do it.
March 6, 2010 - Report: Afghan 'civilian surge' is struggling - Comment:  No surprise.  This never made as much sense on the ground in Afghanistan as it did for politicians and bureaucrats in Washington.
March 4, 2010 - US sees 'explosion' of extremist groups, militias: report - Comment: Pure BS.
March 4, 2010 - Is a voting machine merger too big to stand? - Comment:  Let's summarize, now.  Congress increased regulations to such an extent that competition was discouraged.  Now that one company has emerged as the leader, it is under attack as too big to fail and a threat to fair elections?  What is their proposed solution?  Will they will favor nationalizing this for "national security", or to regulate it further so that it essentially becomes a government-controlled, privately-owned business?  (like other government-sponsored entities like the Postal Service, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc.)  There is no talk about rolling back any of the regulations which are barriers to competition.  Do you trust the integrity of Holder's Justice Department to impartially look out for voters' interests in this matter?
March 4, 2010 - House leaders push toward health vote by Easter - Comment:  Keep fighting this.
March 4, 2010 - Let the bribes begin: Obama offering judgeships to secure health care votes - Comment:   blog post on BigGovernment.  Mark Levin talked about this on his March 3 radio show.
March 4, 2010 - 15 states, DC named 'Race to the Top' finalists - Comment:  This is a further step toward pushing the progressive federal education agenda to which parents objected last September.
March 4, 2010 - Levin is acting chair of Ways and Means panel - Comment:  Well, that didn't take long, even for Pelosi to figure out.  Aren't you glad to follow Detroit's lead, rather than New York's?
March 3, 2010 - Rangel stepping down from tax-writing chairmanship - Comment: Will Pelosi choose the stark raving looney party replacement, or find somebody else for political cover this year?

The talk by some of jail for Rangel is over the top. He needs to stay right where he is in Congress, serving as the poster child for those in his party who would throw anyone under the bus and do anything to preserve their own political power. Let him stay there as a reminder to everyone about the ethics of his party.  If he were to go away, people might incorrectly assume that the problem has been solved.

March 3, 2010 - Unwelcome spotlight falls on Obama chief of staff - Comment:  Sure sounds like a fast-approaching bus to me.  Let's see if Rahm Emanuel is thrown under it before Memorial Day.
March 3, 2010 - Dodd, Corker regulatory offer gets cool reception - Comment:  Don't rush to create a new financial industry regulatory system now.  Wait until after November.  Otherwise, the new rules are being written by the same people who created the financial disaster in the first place.

See also The Bob Corker Bailout Sellout

February 25, 2010 - Ethics panel finds Rangel broke rules - Comment:  Interesting timing.
February 23, 2010 - Bipartisan jobs bill advances past GOP filibuster - Comment:  Scott Brown (MA) helped to break the filibuster, as did Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), Kit Bond (MO), and George Voinovich (OH).  Now that they passed it, other Republicans seem likely to show a similar lack of backbone on the final vote, apparently for fear of being portrayed as voting "against jobs".  This is a good example of why we need to replace so many Republican incumbents who still don't get it.  It is not the job of the federal government to pretend to "create or save jobs" by wasting more money.
February 22, 2010 - Obama puts forward last-ditch health care plan - Comment:  Ditch it. How well has government price-fixing worked in the past? It just breeds corruption by making it necessary to have more influence in Washington in order to be profitable. This is an absolutely insane policy.
February 22, 2010 - Obama prods states to raise academic standards - Comment:  Why don't the governors prod Obama to stay out of their business?  What has Obama done to demonstrate that he is capable of telling every school district in the country how to run their own schools better, even if we were to accept the premise that it is not unconstitutional for the federal government to even meddle in this?  He has been pushing his education agenda at the states since before September by dangling a lot of money in front of them at a time of tight budgets.  Will governors now do anything for money?
February 21, 2010 - Democrats worried about Obama track record - Comment: They seem to be more concerned about his attack record than his track record, as though his primary responsibility is to lead the party to election victory through partisan attacks on Republicans.  Don't forget to blame Bush.
February 18, 2010 - Study: States must fill $1 trillion pension gap - Comment:  Illinois was rated one of the worst.  Could there be a correlation to Democratic legislatures and government union deals?  Note that this just estimates state problems - not county and local - before the market collapsed.
February 17, 2010 - EU president pushes for economic power - Comment:  Never let a good crisis go to waste.  Another transparent power-grab for more economic control by the statists in Europe.
February 15, 2010 - Obama's challenge: Anger is replacing hope - Comment:  Obama still thinks that he just has a communications problem.  He seems pathologically incapable of recognizing that his agenda is being firmly rejected by the American people, and no amount of spin will save it.

White House revamps communications strategy - Going back to 2008 campaign mode.  The fluff strategy isn't going to work this time.  Obama wants to be "driving the narrative" again.  Good.  Let him take full ownership of the mess which he has created, and drive his party to irrelevance this November.

February 13, 2010 - What's worse than health care overhaul? No changes - Comment:  Nice try by the AP to sell the new White House talking points that something is better than nothing.  It completely ignores the fact that state governments can address this issue, as Massachusetts already attempted to do without great results despite any alleged good intentions.  It is outside the scope of what the federal government should be doing, other than perhaps to promote more competition across state lines and encourage (not mandate) states to be more consistent in their insurance regulation and tort reform.
February 12, 2010 - Senate Dems ax bipartisan jobs bill - Comment:  Republicans: Just Say NO!  Do not accept this trap of political gamesmanship.  Trust the American people to be smart enough to see through it.  If you want to "reach across the aisle" this year, do it to slap Reid and Pelosi and tell them to wake up and start paying attention to voters instead of trying to frame Republicans into votes which can be used for deceptive attack ads in their next election campaign.  That game is over.

February 12, 2010 - House Dems offer mixed signals on Senate jobs bill - later version of the above story, suggesting that Senate Republicans will vote to block cloture.

February 10, 2010 - Fox News - Anti-Tea Party website part of scheme to funnel funds - Comment: As exposed recently when it tried to target some Republican candidates unsuccessfully in the Illinois primary, there's a new attack website which is funded by Democratic lawyers and unions, as well as a group previously supported in 2008 by money from the Democratic Governors Association.  This is just another "astroturf" initiative by progressives who see their illusory power quickly falling apart.
February 7, 2010 - Obama adviser: Stop criticizing anti-terror effort - Comment:  What effort?
February 7, 2010 - Sarah Palin assails Obama at 'tea party' gathering - Comment:  AP version of the Palin speech at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville.  Liz Sidoti (one of the more biased AP political reporters) strikes again.  Try rearranging the letters of her last name.  Then go listen to the speech for yourself and see what you think of this report about it.
February 3, 2010 - Newsweek column online about the Tea Party movement.  Note the insulting photo caption which accompanies the story, and quotes of critics of the Tea Party Convention this week.  For a different perspective, see Why I'm speaking at Tea Party convention, by Sarah Palin - column in USA Today - Thank you, Sarah Palin, for speaking out in response to the uninformed criticism of this event.  There's a related comment on her Facebook page - plus many comments by her fans.

See the Setting the Record Straight message from the Tea Party Convention organizers in Nashville.   Jennifer Harper covered this in her Feb 1 "Inside the Beltway" column in the Washington Times. Thanks!

February 3, 2010 - Obama prescribes election plan to Democrats: Lead - Comment:  "Just keep pushing, he said."  We obviously have to push back in every primary this year to get their attention.

Obama to Democrats: We must lead   Obama's words fail to bridge health care divide

February 3, 2010 - Officials: Ex-Ind. Sen. Coats to take on Dem Bayh - and later version of the same story with more details
February 1, 2010 - Obama budget would impose host of tax increases - Comment:  Did anybody notice that the budget assumes passage of cap and trade, and thus hundreds of billions of new taxes from that?  Remember that "not one dime" promise about taxes? How many trillions of dimes are we talking about in new taxes?  Guess what - they won't just hit the rich or the groups of corporations which they like to demonize (if they aren't willing to be bribed into supporting their statist agenda).
February 1, 2010 - Obama unveils 2011 budget with $3.83T in spending - Comment:  Doesn't this budget plan need a better name?  How about "No Dollar Left Behind" or "The China Syndrome"?  The economic meltdown continues.
February 1, 2010 - Obama would overhaul No Child Left Behind - Comment:  He's still pushing his education agenda, as in September and behind the scenes for the last year.  Note that the "Race to the Top" competitive grants are basically bribing states to change laws to do his bidding and become more dependent on federal government oversight and mandates for education programs.  Beware!  This will expand the ability of the teacher unions to push their agenda through such power in Washington.

When Republicans gain power again, the first item on the agenda should be to completely eliminate the Department of Education which Carter created, and which Reagan failed to abolish as intended.  Let the bureaucrats there know right now that there is a big target on their backs.  The fact that parents want their children to have a better education doesn't equate to wanting the federal government to run it.

February 1, 2010 - Jobless rate said likely to stay high through 2010 - Comment: or 2012
January 28, 2010 - GOP panel backs flexible candidate litmus test - Comment:  Be careful what you wish for.  Is this litmus test just a way for party leaders to play kingmaker with funding?
January 28, 2010 - Senate permits gov't to borrow an additional $1.9T - Comment:  This is supposed to avoid the need to raise the debt limit again until after the election in November.
January 28, 2010 - Obama pleads for civility, cooperation in politics - Comment:  Smile and tell him why we don't trust him, and that we are determined to defeat his agenda - just like Reagan to Gorbachev.  We have already proven that we can be civil, unlike the SEIU thugs and leftist radicals.  He even tries to lecture Supreme Court justices.  Obama needs to shut up and listen for a change.
January 28, 2010 - Obama picked odd time and place to jab high court - Comment:  One can only hope that the Court will take his arrogance and contempt into full consideration whenever there are other cases which require careful adherence to the limits on power imposed by the Constitution.
January 28, 2010 - Can Obama get any other Democrats elected? - Comment:  No.  Don't be too arrogant, however. The Democratic party machine in Chicago has been in power for decades. One or two setbacks just cause them to get tough and push back even harder - not to relent or reform.

That's the environment out of which Obama and his team have emerged. They will not give up power easily. It is up to us to get better organized and defeat them in November. If we don't, no matter how much harm they may be doing to America, they will fight hard and win power again.

January 28, 2010 - Senate Dem: Health care bill 'on life support' - Comment:  Pull the plug.
January 28, 2010 - Officials voice opposition to 9/11 trials in NYC - Comment:  Finally.
January 27, 2010 - The Marxist roots of Obama's economic 'pivot' - Comment:  Interesting blog post on BigGovernment.com by Joel B. Pollak, Republican candidate for Congress in the IL 9th District.

Republicans should laugh like a sitcom laugh-track, rather than shout "You lie!", during the State of Delusion address tonight. Get Obama off script and angry by showing that nobody is taking his rhetoric seriously now. Don't be the "party of no". Be the party of "Are you kidding?" Laugh at the insanity of his proposals.  Then, pull a classic Reagan move, as with Gorbachev.  Smile and say, "Let me tell you why we don't trust you."

January 27, 2010 - Dems vow to resurrect health care bill - Comment:  Let it flatline.

Backroom health care deals fuel voter anger - Comment:  Really?  This is news to whom?  It is hard to believe that this would still come as a surprise to anyone after the town hall meetings of last August, or the rise of the Tea Party movement. It just shows how completely out of touch party "leaders" have become, thinking themselves to be statist rulers now who can simply tell us to sit down, shut up, and let them to do whatever they want. The Republicans should laugh at the State of Delusion address tonight.

January 27, 2010 - GOP leaders: Obama should change course - Comment:  Instead of "You lied!", the Republicans need to laugh out loud at the appropriate moments when Obama tells them another whopper. The speech would be much more entertaining with an old sitcom laugh track rather than the obligatory applause from the statist side of the aisle. Get him off script by showing the American people how entertaining his "State of Delusion" rhetoric can be as a way to divert us from the harsh reality of his performance.
January 27, 2010 - Appeals court skeptical of campaign finance rules - Comment:  The various tactics for limiting political speech in federal elections seem to be falling apart - but that still leaves a lot of room for mischief in state and local elections as the foundation on which all elections are built.
January 27, 2010 - Soros: Obama too quick on bank regulation call - Comment:  There will be many stories out of the leaders meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week.
bullet Sarkozy calls for tighter regulation at Davos
bullet Davos debates financial reform vs. over-regulation
bullet Followers good, dollars better for social media - Twitter, Facebook face how to make money.
bullet Social forum activists talk of 'green' conspiracy - The annual leftist response to Davos in Brazil.
January 24, 2010 - AP Exclusive: Feds detail Christmas Day attack - Comment:  This is even more outrageous, as the administration now tries to rationalize failure and stupidity by trying to insist that other terrorists have been prosecuted in the past.  The fact that senior intelligence officials were not even consulted, and the military was not even seriously considered as an option for the handling and questioning of such a terrorist, shows how completely incompetent the leadership has become.  What if he had succeeded, and the plane had crashed into Detroit?  How would they have explained that?  What if there had been a second attacker who could have been thwarted?  We have absolutely no assurance that there aren't other leaders, trainers, or attackers who could have been exposed.

"There was no effort to call in the elite federal High-Value Interrogation Group, a special unit of terror specialists that the Obama administration said early last year it would create to deal with terror suspects captured abroad. "

Hello? Is there some reason why it takes the Obama administration six months to do nothing about this alleged priority, while it focuses so much attention on alleged "crises" such as taking over our health care system or saving the planet from the perils of carbon dioxide in future centuries?

January 24, 2010 - White House says no reset button for Obama - Comment:  Good.  Stay the course, as the statists are now demanding.  Drive the Democratic party off the cliff.
January 24, 2010 - Adviser says Obama is pursuing health care changes - Comment:  That's OK.  We'll keep pursuing him until he is completely defeated in the 2010 and 2012 elections, and then steadily roll back whatever damage he has done.  Let him keep blaming Bush for his problems.  The problem is that he really thinks that he knows what is best for all of us, if we would just shut up.  That puts him in the same league as other petty socialist tyrants, like Chavez or Castro.
January 24, 2010 - Axelrod: No White House shake-up in the works - Comment:  Really?  So why is he reaching out to the guy who organized his campaign and set up Organizing for America?  He's trying to go back to his populist campaign image as the champion of the oppressed, rather than as the most clueless president of all time, including Carter, which is no small challenge.  Obama should start over by ditching Axelrod, Emanuel, and Gibbs as the brilliant architects of this debacle.  Bring in a fresh crop of radicals to double down on his bet to transform America against our will.
January 24, 2010 - Obama facing huge economic challenges ahead - Comment:  "It took four full years for employment to regain its peak after the mild 2001 recession."  Really?  That was mild?  Maybe it is just remembered as "mild" because Bush actually did something to end the recession, instead of making it worse.  Meanwhile, "Taxes are going to have to go up".  Surprise, surprise.  The ability to turn a recession into a full-blown economic crisis seems to be Obama's only real talent.
January 24, 2010 - Obama endorses deficit task force - Comment:  When in doubt, create a panel and kick the problem into the future - beyond the next election - while creating the illusion that something useful is being done.  Typical Washington political strategy for endless failure.
January 24, 2010 - Axelrod: Obama's State of Union to focus on jobs - Comment:  He may talk about it, but he is obviously clueless and has no capability or real intention to do anything about it.
January 24, 2010 - Obama calls on campaign architect after lousy week - Comment:  No, he didn't turn to Karl Rove.  He's looking to "Organizing for America" again, and David Plouffe, to try to rally the masses to a new populist message, such as his latest attacks on Wall Street bankers.
January 23, 2010 - Obama's State of the Union agenda: Yes, I get it - Comment:  "Get it?"  Not yet. He is still just trying to find a way to talk himself out of the hole which he has been digging for a year. This is a chance for him to dig himself in even deeper, and thus assure that his delusions of power get buried by voters in November.
January 23, 2010 - 1 year in, Obama facing perilous economic choice - Comment:  What ever happened to all the liberals who ridiculed the "stay the course" approach by insisting that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?  Who is acting insanely now?
January 23, 2010 - After a lousy week, Democrats hope to recover - Comment: They can hope for a change, but like angry customers who have received lousy service and tell all their friends about it, it's going to be really hard for them to win the support of Americans again.  They lost it already.  Arrogantly treating voters as though they have been making ignorant choices lately isn't going to help.
January 23, 2010 - Dems mum on how to keep pushing health overhaul - Comment: Obama - "I am not going to walk away just because it's hard".  No, he is going to walk away in defeat in 2012 because he proved himself to be a more naive and incompetent president than Carter.
January 23, 2010 - Obama hunkers down as health care falters - Comment: The Illinois primary affords voters another chance, on Feb 2, to kick the Democratic leaders again while they are down.   It is also an opportunity to remind Republican leaders to stop trying to play kingmaker by picking candidates from Washington (or Springfield) through their own secret backroom deals according to who they think will help them to regain power. We need candidates who voters can enthusiastically support and trust to represent their interests in Washington (and Springfield, IL).
January 23, 2010 - Obama scrambles to revive economic optimism - Comment: Obama - "I can promise you there will be more fights in the days ahead."  Losing gracefully?  His latest tactic seems to be to try to distract people from his failures by attacking Wall Street bankers again.  There isn't even talk of reform at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were the root cause of the financial debacle thanks to absurd Democratic social policies which caused them to take excessive risks.
January 22, 2010 - CEOs to Hill: Quit calling us for campaign cash - Comment:  Watch out for legislative attempts to reverse or circumvent the intended effect of this Supreme Court decision.  Note that some of the CEOs cited in this article have been major Democratic donors in the past.  Maybe they are tired of being pressured to "pay to play" and then getting vilified when it is politically useful.

Biz, unions freed to spend big on elections - equally free to spend less, if they so choose.  Why should there be public funding of campaigns?  That will just promote more corrupt power deals at the expense of all taxpayers, or at least those who are in the taxed group.  That is a progressive dream.  Let politicians continue to struggle and compete to raise the money which they need for campaigns.  They have no right to expect taxpayers to fund their campaigns.  They must seek our support.

January 22, 2010 - Private sector union membership shrinks - Comment:  The Department of Organized Labor thinks that everyone should join a union.  What a "solution"!  If we weren't supporting so many SEIU and AFSCME jobs, maybe Americans could earn more.  The average worker today supports roughly 100 times more federal bureaucrats than a century ago, and they all waste far more resources than the direct cost of their own salaries and overhead through needless federal programs. Add to that all the waste in state and local governments, and it's amazing that we can compete in the world at all.
January 22, 2010 - Defiant Obama urges Congress to pass jobs bill - Comment:  Defiant public prepares to vote these arrogant tyrants out of office faster than any of the experts thought possible.  As they push more destructive legislative atrocities at us, we'll focus on voting them out of power.  It is pointless to protest, because they refuse to listen.  We just have to end their political careers.
January 22, 2010 - Obama acknowledges health overhaul hit 'buzz saw' - Comment:  Clueless.  It's not the special interest groups who stopped this atrocity.  He had bought them off.  The American people have been standing up to defend their own interests for a change.
January 21, 2010 - Candidates rethink nationally after Mass. results - Comment:  The key now isn't to get too excited about the NRSC or other party leaders in Washington trying to broker deals to pick candidates.  Instead, voters need to get organized locally and drive the process by finding and carefully vetting principled representatives who they can support and trust to send to Washington.

Note that Scott Brown even won in Barney Frank's district.  Every district is in play this year if the incumbents are too arrogant to listen to voters and respect them, regardless of party affiliation.

January 21, 2010 - Obama health plan in doubt as Dems reject fast fix - Comment:  It's far too early to declare victory in this fight.
January 21, 2010 - Field Marshal Andy Stern: ‘Dammit, I Said March Off That Cliff’ - blog post on BigGovernment.com by Kyle Olson.  Andy Stern is in denial, and still doesn't "get it", obviously.

It’s The Center, Sucka -by Bob Parks - Don't be fooled by words.  It's time to keep the pressure on.

January 21, 2010 - Obama gets voters' message: It's jobs, jobs, jobs - Comment:  It has been intuitively obvious since before his election that "It's the economy, stupid!".  He chose to push his job destruction agenda anyway, and is apparently clueless about how productive jobs (rather than more wasteful government spending programs) are actually created.  There is no evidence that he has the slightest idea, capability, or intention to improve the economy.  It's just more empty rhetoric.
January 21, 2010 - Obama steps up campaign against Wall Street banks - Comment:  Going on the offensive again as a diversion to distract from obvious Democratic failures.  After all, one of the main architects of the financial disaster, Chris Dodd, has been forced to retire to try to save that seat, and Barney Frank just watched a Republican US Senator win his district in Massachusetts.
January 21, 2010 - Pelosi: House lacks votes to OK Senate health bill - Comment: Are they just making a tactical retreat on healthcare while still pushing other legislative atrocities?  We shall soon see in the State of Delusion Address.
January 21, 2010 - Supreme Court rolls back campaign spending limits

Court eases business, union election spending rule - just in time for the 2010 elections

Split court eases limits on biz election spending - later version of the same story

Obama blasts Court decision on campaign finance

January 21, 2010 - Democrats begin discussing smaller health bill
January 20, 2010 - Transforming the US Department of Labor into the Department of Organized Labor - Comment:  Very informative blog post on BigGovernment.com
January 20, 2010 - Obama to Dems: Don't jam through health care bill - Comment:  Always watch the other hand ... as the health care agenda draws fire, other initiatives quietly move ahead.

Obama urges Dems not to 'jam' health care past GOP

January 20, 2010 - Intel chief faults questioning of bomb suspect - Comment:  Note that the new "interrogation group" set up by  the White House was not even consulted about this bomber.  This is an absolutely atrocious failure by Obama to treat terrorism as a serious threat to our country.

Intel chief says Christmas bomb case mishandled - further details from the testimony

January 20, 2010 - Jobless rates seen high for many more years - Comment: The US Conference of Mayors and a Global Insight research report suggest that unemployment will remain very high in some areas, such as above 10%, through 2013.
January 19, 2010 - The top 4 things Congressional Republicans must do in 2010 - Comment: interesting blog entry on BigGovernment.com .  The suggestion to shift the focus away from talking to reporters in Washington in favor of regional and local events and media nationwide is still missing the point.  The new leadership needs to truly come from the local level up - not by dragging the career politicians in Washington out to the hinterlands beyond the Beltway to better market their big ideas.  The party needs to be rebuilt from the precinct committeeman level up - very quickly.
January 19, 2010 - Massachusetts election could unhinge health care - Comment: "One way or another", Pelosi is still determined to get her way on health care.  Isn't she already unhinged?
January 19. 2010 - Obama to seek $1.35 billion more for education - Comment:  Even more money is being pushed into the Obama "Race to the Top" education agenda to control local schools and coerce states which need money into changing their laws to comply with his plans.  Remember what he was trying to do already on September 8?  The drive for statist control of education goes on.
January 18, 2010 - Obama to give State of the Union speech Jan. 27 - Comment:  How about a Tea Party rebuttal?
January 18, 2010 - CAPITAL CULTURE: Obama emphasizes volunteerism - Comment: Instead of joining government-funded programs which reinforce dependency on government social programs, do volunteer work with truly independent non-profit charities and community organizations.  Better yet, do volunteer work for political candidates who will defeat the progressives in 2010 and 2012.
January 15, 2010 - Obama to campaign in late Kennedy seat - Comment:  The fact that the Democrats may lose this seat in the Senate is a pretty stunning development in Massachusetts.

Health bill at stake, Obama to stump in Bay State and Obama, congressional Dems near health care accord - still trying to ram the health care bill through despite public opposition.

January 11, 2010 - AP IMPACT: Road projects don't help unemployment - Comment:   Even the AP is starting to notice this?  Look more closely at where the money goes.  Cross-check that against FEC donor records and how local political leaders can steer such projects to their friends.
January 11, 2010 - Republicans cite Lott in calling for Reid to quit - Comment:  The difference is that Republicans are held accountable, rather than promoted, for doing and saying stupid things.
January 6, 2010 - Obama prods Congress to pass health bill quickly - Comment:  Watch for them to try to ram this through before January 19 - not because of the first anniversary of Obama's inauguration, but because there is a growing risk that Scott Brown could win the former Senate seat of Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts that day in a special election.  That would be humiliating after the Democrats in the Senate portrayed this legislation as a tribute to Kennedy.

Scott Brown for US Senator (R - MA) - http://www.brownforussenate.com 

January 6, 2010 - Dodd, D-Conn., retiring from Senate; AG to run - Comment:  Now, if the GOP could just win Kennedy's former Senate seat in Massachusetts in a couple of weeks ...

Departure of ND Sen. Dorgan unsettles Democrats

3 Democrats _ 2 senators, 1 governor _ to retire - plus one freshman "Blue Dog" in Congress who recently switched to the GOP.   This is just the start.  Voters can still take our country back.

January 5, 2010 - GOP chief: Post-Reagan Republicans compromised - Comment: Michael Steele launches his new book, "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda"  Another version of the same story - Republicans "screwed up" after Reagan

GOP chairman doubts Republicans can retake House - I've got a news flash for you, AP.  It's not the NRCC or the RNC which are going to drive victory in 2010.  It's local leadership - not necessarily within the GOP party bureaucracy, which has become part of the problem, rather than the solution..

January 5, 2010 - Israeli officers cancel UK trip for fear of arrest - Comment:  It is worth noting that Obama quietly signed an obscure executive order on December 17 extending unchecked authority for Interpol agents in the United States to act beyond the usual constraints of American law.  In effect, although the United States has persistently refused to recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court or the "universal jurisdiction" as claimed by Britain in this story, creeping authority potentially exposes American citizens to similar legal intimidation tactics.  For example, can American officials, soldiers, or CIA officers be arrested here by Interpol for alleged "war crimes"?  Think of this as authorizing the rendition of American citizens to foreign courts for trial without the legal protections of the extradition process or even "discovery" access to the alleged evidence.

Some respected observers think this executive order is much ado about nothing, even though some conservative bloggers fear that nefarious intentions are behind any such unexplained Obama move.

January 2, 2010 - 2010 situation grows more difficult for Democrats - Comment:  This AP reporter should get outside the Beltway more often, but even she seems to be starting to recognize that the Democrats are facing defeat in many places this year.  It's just absurd that the AP staff in Washington keeps talking about Mark Kirk as though he were the only serious Senate candidate in Illinois, rather than nearly the worst option among many.  Perhaps they should send somebody to cover Patrick Hughes on January 5?
January 1, 2010 - Bad year for biofuel ends on a dour note - Comment:  A preview of how well the government can manipulate the energy market to waste billions, all with good intentions, of course.  Follow the money trail to see which politicians benefit from this.  How much did state and local governments also spend on incentives for biofuel plants?

Let's see - how many "green" jobs did they "save or create" which are now at risk?  Why did they subsidize new plants here and limit competition, such as biofuel from Brazil?  Let Europe subsidize their own biofuel industry.  Their tariffs offset unfair US subsidies.

January 1, 2010 - Labor moves quickly on job safety, workers' rights - Comment:  It may not be making headlines, but watch what the growing Labor Department is doing.
December 29, 2009 - The Deficit Commission Trap - Wall Street Journal opinion piece about Republicans in Congress being suckered into sharing the blame for tax increases to fund the outrageous spending by Democrats.  Let the Democrats fund their own atrocities.
December 27, 2009 - US condemns violence in Iran - Comment:  Not Obama, mind you.  He's on holiday.  Mike Hammer got sent out to remind the press that this action by Iran goes against the spirit of Obama's Nobel Prize acceptance speech about ruling through intimidation.  The vague statement is in the passive voice, as though this violence just happened, without anyone to blame.
December 24, 2009 - Iran bans memorials for cleric in wake of violence - Comment:  Will Obama ever take a decision about Iran?  He remains silent about the atrocities.
December 24, 2009 - Obama hails Senate passage of health care bill - Comment: Yes, this is a historic moment.  It will be remembered as the turning point in defeating the Democrats in a 2010 election landslide, and the start of work to reverse the damage they have done.
December 24, 2009 - Senate OKs health care measure, reaching milestone  - Comment:  It is time to start the volunteer work and fundraising to defeat everyone who voted for this legislation. We need solid primary challengers in every district, and the organization to ensure their victory in November. That is the new mission of the Tea Party movement for 2010, since the Republican Party seems to be incapable of getting organized and keeps pushing RINOs at us.
December 24, 2009 - A comparison of House, Senate health care bills - Comment:  If you still had any doubts, read the summary of the atrocities in this legislation, and use our "Conservative Search" tool to look up what other commentators are saying about it .
December 24, 2009 - Abortion looms as possible block to health bill
December 24, 2009 - Congress raises debt ceiling to $12.4 trillion - Comment:  One step on the path to $14 trillion or more in 2010. Wait until inflation raises interest rates ...
December 17, 2009 - WSJ - Democrats' blues grow deeper in new poll - Comment:  The "Tea Party" movement is now outpolling both political parties - higher "favorables" and lower "unfavorables".  That is no reason for complacency or arrogance.  It just means the base is forming for 2010 blowback.
December 17, 2009 - UN Climate talks: US, China edge toward each other - Comment:  Read this story carefully.  Hillary Clinton is talking about giving $100 billion per year to developing countries by 2020.  Others just refer to that as a "good first step" toward expectations of $300 to $600 billion per year.  Let the socialists of the world fund their own wealth transfer schemes and destroy their own economies.  Keep us out of it - completely.  Start cutting the funding to any such UN programs.
December 17, 2009 - Union frustrated with Obama on Senate health bill - Comment:  Once again, watch for surprises out of the reconciliation process once a bill gets rammed through the Senate.
December 16, 2009 - Single-payer health care plan dies in Senate - Comment:  Don't assume that it won't come back from the dead in the conference bill, with fewer votes needed for passage.
December 16, 2009 - Obama: Tax hikes, spending cuts wrong for economy
December 16, 2009 - House narrowly approves year-end jobs  - later version Dec 17
December 16, 2009 - House approves $290 billion increase in debt limit
December 16, 2009 - House passes defense bill, rushes to adjournment
December 16, 2009 - Climate talks deadlocked as clashes erupt outside - Comment:  Don't you miss gridlock in Congress?  Let's hope that this summit produces nothing more than a lot of hot air.
December 16, 2009 - Pakistan court kills amnesty covering president
December 15, 2009 - The two faces of O - Comment: New York Post article about the Obama meeting with Wall Street bankers as yet another PR stunt while the easy "carry trade" goes on, enabling those who supported Obama to get rich without risk at the expense of the Fed and Treasury while the dollar gets devalued.  So much for his populist rhetoric about standing up to the "fat cats".  You Lie!!!!
December 15, 2009 - Outcome unclear as leaders arrive at climate talks - Comment:  Cloudy with a chance of screwballs.
December 15, 2009 - Democrats propose $50B for jobs-boosting projects - Comment: Stimulus 2.  Note that the total is $150 billion, including yet another $2 billion related to AmeriCorps and local youth programs, as already excessively funded earlier this year to help buy more urban votes in 2010.
December 15, 2009 - Congress rushes to finish work for year - Comment:  Haven't they done more than enough damage for one year already?  Hurry, 2010 - so we can start to vote them all out of power.
December 15, 2009 - House Dem: Short-term debt limit hike will pass - Comment:  The attempt to ram through a $1.9 trillion increase may have failed.  We shall see.   - later version
December 14, 2009 - Congress readies defense budget
December 14, 2009 - Gore: Polar ice may vanish in 5-7 years - Comment:  Too bad that he won't melt away into history faster than that. He so richly deserves the obscurity which former Vice Presidents are usually given.
December 14, 2009 - Dems mull dropping Medicare expansion in overhaul
December 14, 2009 - Obama pushing banking execs on protection agency - Comment:  Why should the bankers strike a "conciliatory" tone with the White House?  It's time for brinksmanship.
December 13, 2009 - Medicare buy-in plan runs into Senate resistance - Comment:  Who is going to get bought off with even more of our money to reach 60 votes again?  That's the only question now.
December 13, 2009 - Obama advisers: Jobs key focus, deficit comes next - Comment:  Clueless about how to create jobs, while demonstrating no commitment at all about reducing the deficit.  Instead, there's another red herring attack on Wall Street to divert attention, while starting to claim that there will be growth by the spring.  Of course, they said that there would be growth by this fall ... or year-end ... so it looks as though hope springs eternal even though all their changes just keep making matters worse.
December 13, 2009 - Senate sends $1.1 trillion spending bill to Obama - Comment:  Porkulus 2.
December 13, 2009 - Obama has no power to make climate deal: US lawmaker - Comment:  He does, however, have the power to try to reinterpret vague past environmental laws in new ways.
December 12, 2009 - Obama blasts banks for opposing financial overhaul - Comment:  Once again, attacking the banks to distract from the culpability of Democrats in Congress for the crisis.
December 12, 2009 - Senate GOP denied on spending filibuster attempt - Comment:  Another $1.1 trillion in spending for major increases in government spending programs, including 5,224 pet projects costing $3.9 billion.  Lots of earmarks for Christmas!  Remember this in 2010 elections!

later version of the story

December 11, 2009 - Dem leader urges debt limit increase of $1.8-1.9T - Comment:  Pretending once again that the "blue dogs" are fiscal conservatives while setting the stage to ram through this huge debt limit increase now so that it won't be necessary to raise it again just before the 2010 election.
December 11, 2009 - US health care tab to keep growing under overhaul - Comment:  Health care costs are predicted to go up more with the proposed bill than without it. Leave it to government to figure out how to make a bad situation even worse - and that's just the initial projection of the damage. Imagine how bad the eventual reality could be.  Kill the bill - before it kills us.
December 11, 2009 - Health care loophole would allow coverage limits - Comment:  Sneaking a cap on insurance benefits back into the bill.  Who will define "reasonable" limits?  Death panels?

later version of the same story

December 10, 2009 - US senators show path forward on climate - Comment:  Lindsey Graham still doesn't get it.  Let the climate change, if it is doing so.  Focus on the proven immediate problems, such as the need to stop destroying our economy and jobs with excessive government spending programs.

Why am I reminded of Professor Harold Hill of "The Music Man"? Remember the scene about the new pool table in town being serious, serious trouble? This has the same feel - that we are all being stirred up to have irrational fears so that we can be conned and then fleeced.

December 10, 2009 - Senate Dems may change health care compromise - Comment:  Is this some sort of legislative shell game, in which we are being conned by various sleight of hand moves until they finally reveal their actual intentions in the reconciliation process when it is too late to change it?
December 10, 2009 - House approves $1.1 trillion spending measure - Comment:  Complete with 5000+ pet projects - everything except a partridge in a pear tree to try to buy votes in 2010.
December 10, 2009 - Geithner defends extension of bank bailout - Comment:  Irresponsible.  It needs to be terminated, and the funds paid back rather than used as a new slush fund for Congress.
December 10, 2009 - House adopts spending measure over GOP protests - Outrageous.
December 10, 2009 - After walkout, black caucus gets what it wanted - Comment: - A payoff of billions.  This is just the start of the TARP slush fund atrocities as they prepare for 2010 elections.

Black lawmakers grow impatient with White House - Waiting impatiently to cash in.

December 10, 2009 - Stolen e-mails embolden climate change skeptics - Comment:  At least now there is finally some recognition that the "science" is not really settled enough to justify imposing economic suicide on the US economy without serious debate about the proposed policies, which won't necessarily even do anything material to solve the alleged problem, even if it turns out to be real.  This was never about saving the planet.  It's about paying off all the failed socialists.
December 10, 2009 - Unions pressure Democrats on health insurance tax - Comment:  Watch for them to get their way - if not now, then in the "reconciliation" process for the final bill.  Likewise, don't assume that the "public option" is dead just because the Senate is coming up with some new ideas in order to get 60 votes.  They can still bring it back in reconciliation, and then ram it through with 51 votes.
December 9, 2009 - There'll be a price for new health care benefits -  Comment:  Wake up, everybody who thought they were going to see their costs go down, or get something for nothing.  If you thought that you were safe or likely to benefit just because you aren't "rich", think again.  You lose.

There'll be a price to pay in November 2010, too.  Political career death panels.

December 9, 2009 - EPA head: US must make up for lost time on climate - Comment:  Trying to pretend that the EPA will be reasonable (i.e., not blackmailing Congress) while at the same time insisting on moving forward quickly without legislative authority.  It's time for Republicans to push hard to kill off the EPA, and let voters give their verdict in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

Let states and local governments deal with their own environmental concerns without this growing federal bureaucracy.  Do we really want to keep supporting 18,000 employees at the EPA, and grow that further?  If the federal bureaucracy had grown at the same pace as the US population over the last century, that would be roughly the total number of federal employees today - rather than well over 1 million.  We pay for 40 times more federal workers per capita than we did after the Civil War.  It's time to just say no - and cut many government jobs, rather than just private sector jobs.

December 9, 2009 - Obama to note conflict of peace prize in wartime - Comment:  Since he obviously knows nothing about achieving peace, he may as well change the subject to something else which he knows nothing about - war.  Another "straw man" construct to set up and knock down?

Why can't he do the honorable thing, and refuse to accept the prize?  It is, after all, gross interference in the internal political affairs of another nation - by a committee of legislators in Norway trying to make a statement about American foreign policy.  He should tell them to stay out of American politics.

December 9, 2009 - Democratic health care coalition survives deal - Comment:  Is anybody really surprised that the Democrats seem to have worked out a deal with other Democrats about how to take over our health care system after the political theater of pretending that they were reluctant to do so?

Meanwhile, nobody has listened to the Republicans, or to the many angry voters who will have no voice until the 2010 midterm election.

December 9, 2009 - US extends bailout authority to October 2010 - Comment:  By a remarkable coincidence, that gives them a big pot of money to manipulate right up to the midterm election.
December 9, 2009 - Support down for Obama's handling of economy: poll - Comment:  Poll numbers keep falling, especially among independent voters.  Will Democrats in Congress still walk the plank by pushing his policies at the risk of 2010 defeats, or prefer to go down with the ship?
December 8, 2009 - Obama proposes tax incentive to hire workers - Comment:  Using a 1970's tax break scheme as a model?  Hello?  Does anybody else remember how that turned out?

Obama urges major new stimulus, jobs spending - Now the talk is of spending $150 billion, rather than $75 billion, even though none of the TARP funds should be redirected to spending programs.  The only new jobs which this will create will be for the volunteer work to help defeat every Democrat who votes for this legislative atrocity in 2010. The "stimulus" bill in February was outrageous enough, but this is truly insane - doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

December 8, 2009 - AP FACT CHECK: Obama likes both sides of an argument - Comment:  The AP is finally starting to challenge some of his misleading assertions.  Will this story get buried?

Maybe he likes to employ the "straw man" argument so much because he suffers from the same problem as that character in the Wizard of Oz.

December 8, 2009 -  Students, militia clash in second day of Iran protests - Iran warns of tougher action against protesters as opposition chief harassed by hard-liners - Comment:  Is the Iranian government already starting to worry about Moharram rallies in December, and the February anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution?  Meanwhile, still not a word out of Obama about it.
December 8, 2009 - Obama outlines new stimulus and jobs plan, says US must still 'spend our way out' of recession - Comment:  Stimulus 2 = more federal waste to pay off favored groups and try to defend power in the 2010 election cycle by pretending to do something about job creation.  Note that he is still blaming Bush for all of the problems, even though Congress created most of them.
December 8, 2009 - Questions and answers about EPA action on warming - Comment:  The latest AP spin on this attempt to blackmail Congress into action on cap and trade legislation.
December 8, 2009 - Dems weigh transitional Medicare expansion -  Comment:  If it's broke, expand it.  Ditto for the stimulus plan - now being expanded despite failure, all for mythical "job creation".
December 8, 2009 - Afghan leader: Afghanistan will need international military aid for at least 15 years - Comment:  If you can't keep the troops, at least keep the money.
December 7, 2009 - Pearl Harbor attack remembered 68 years later - Comment:  Never forget the price of complacency as tyranny spreads.  We are the enemy of tyrants, even if we choose to ignore them.
December 7, 2009 - Senate Dems seek expansion of Medicare, Medicaid - Comment:  Meanwhile, Harry Reid tries to distract everyone by comparing opposition to this legislation to making excuses for slavery or the delay of civil rights legislation.  Playing the race card again in desperation.  The bottom line is that they fully intend to ram this through, even if it costs some seats in 2010 elections.  They still think they can buy off enough voters in special interest groups to stay in power.
December 7, 2009 - Obama: Bailout package cheaper than expected, 'selective' use of that money for jobs possible - Comment:  Stimulus 2 - by another name, in Tuesday speech.  The myth that government creates productive jobs by paying off their friends, unions, and academics goes on.
December 7, 2009 - Jobs, not Taliban, are the worry in Afghan town - Comment:  Reality check.  Government is not the solution.  It can't sustainably replace the trade activity in this region.  In case anyone hasn't noticed yet, Obama can't even create or save jobs in this country.  Maybe he could bring a Chicago-style patronage system to Afghanistan through local community organizing work, but the money for it will soon run out because they don't have a large tax base to fleece.
December 7, 2009 - EPA: Greenhouse gases endanger human health - Comment: Of course, it is just a remarkable coincidence that this announcement took place as the Copenhagen summit fails.  If they can't get a treaty and the cap and trade legislation they want, the environmental zealots will just find a way to reinterpret existing regulations to impose their power over us in other ways.  It is time to put a stop to the unchecked power of the EPA to interfere in our lives by bureaucratic fiat.  They have declared war on American business and the public.  When the revolution comes - and the radicals are removed from Congress in the 2010 and 2012 elections - the first order of business should be to reduce the carbon footprint of the EPA by making it extinct.
December 7, 2009 - UN climate conference opens with pressure on US - Comment:  Note that the AP is doing Copenhagen summit pool reporting on Facebook and Twitter.  Once again, note the part at the end of the article about transferring hundreds of billions of dollars from developed countries to developing ones, particularly through UN organizations.  Why not cut UN budgets?  We should reduce their carbon footprint in New York by moving the entire UN Secretariat to a poor developing country.  My vote would be for Zimbabwe.  They could clearly use some "fresh money" these days.

Stop meeting in places like New York, Geneva, Rome, Copenhagen, Brussels, etc. to discuss the problems of the world. Go live and meet in the places where daily life is most miserable or dangerous.

December 7, 2009 - Head of UN panel blasts 'Climategate' affair - Comment:  The exposure of the e-mails is the problem?  They really are this clueless in the UN global bureaucratic fantasy world.  We should commit to restoring the United States to pre-1945 levels of UN funding as our contribution to making the world safer, with reduced hot air emissions.

December 6, 2009 - UN climate chief: Hacked e-mails are damaging - Comment: earlier version

December 7, 2009 - Dubai World looks to sell assets in quest for cash - Comment:  No bailout by the government.  So much for the "too big to fail" premise on which many bankers and property investors were counting.  Bursting this speculative bubble will hurt many in the short term, but in the long run, a bailout would do even more damage.  A reality check was already long overdue.

An interesting twist is the high level of Iranian investment in Dubai, and how that may play out.

December 7, 2009 - Obama sending envoy to communist North Korea - Comment:  Is there any reason to believe that this is anything more than an attempt to exploit Obama's obvious weakness?  It's another chance for North Korea to get something for pretending to be willing to negotiate seriously.
December 7, 2009 - Iran protesters stage new demonstrations - Comment: AFP report. - also Iran police fire tear gas at protesters
December 7, 2009 - ACORN prober finds no illegal pattern on videos - Comment:  Since the ACORN reps in the videos didn't actually go ahead and do what they said they were willing to do, this "probe" asserts that there was no illegal act by ACORN or the employees.  What about conspiracy or RICO?  Are "sting" operations meaningless unless the criminal goes ahead and commits the crime?

It may be enough to escape prosecution (especially when friends of ACORN rule at the Justice Dept), but in the court of public opinion, they're "Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!" - to borrow a popular phrase from the Watergate era.

December 6, 2009 - Obama tries to rally Senate Dems on health care - Comment:   Memo to Durbin and Feinstein: If you pass this, you're in trouble.  You may please your most liberal base of perhaps 25 - 30% of the public, plus a few favorite special interest groups which support your power, but you'll alienate almost everybody else in America and unite them against you in the process.
December 6, 2009 - PROMISES, PROMISES: A closed meeting on openness - Comment:  Even the AP can see the irony of talking about transparency in government behind closed doors.
December 6, 2009 - No one escapes barbs as Palin pokes fun at herself, journalists, politicians from both parties  - Palin pokes fun at herself at journalists' dinner
December 5, 2009 - In Tuesday speech, Obama to promote new job ideas - Comment:  Now he's going to do yet another speech.  Of course, cash transfers to states makes them even more dependent on the federal government, and helps his SEIU and AFSCME friends. This is just another "stimulus" plan which will only stimulate his political friends.  Same story - on the road to nowhere.
December 5, 2009 - Obama: Efforts aimed at economy's long-term health - Comment: No, he's not going to kick our problems down the road. He's going to make them even worse, and destroy the economy's long-term health.  Whether or not he intended to do this much damage when he ran for office is open to debate. He seems oblivious to the damage he is doing, however, and clueless about how to reverse it - if that is his intention.
December 5, 2009 - Obama shifts Copenhagen trip as prospects brighten - Comment: Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.

Pay no attention to the smoke and mirrors as this elaborate hoax moves forward. It has little to do with science or the climate. It's about government power and the transfer of wealth. This is just a new variation on the old North-South concept of reparations by developed countries to the poor ones for being developed. Willy Brandt and all the old socialists who lost power in the 1980s must be smiling.
December 5, 2009 - Baucus: Girlfriend merited US attorney nomination - Comment:  What a remarkable timeline.  February nomination.  March withdrawal.  April divorce agreement.  June job in the Justice Department to be able to stay in Washington DC with him.  Nothing to see here, folks.  Move along, move along.  Just another Senator pretending to be honorable.  No news in this.

Baucus isn't up for election again until 2014. By then, he will be irrelevant in the minority party again after pushing the health care legislation this year.  Maybe he can retire then and work with Daschle.

December 5, 2009 - Lawmakers get little reaction to Obama's war plan -  Comment:  Useful reminder that Barbara Lee (D-CA) voted against the war in Afghanistan in 2001.  Maybe people aren't calling because they are too busy preparing to vote these members of Congress out of office.  For example, Paul Hare (D-IL) reports only 3 calls so far.  Maybe his constituents have finally figured out that it doesn't really matter what they say to him.  Waste of time.  They just have to get rid of him.  We may want to support the troops, but that doesn't extend to Obama and members of Congress.
December 5, 2009 - AP sources: US eyes January for new Iran sanctions - Comment:  Which year?  The leaders of Iran have faced idle threats like this for thirty years.  Why should they care?
December 5, 2009 - At war, honored for peace: Obama's tricky moment - Comment: It's not tricky at all.  He just has to accept recognition which he clearly doesn't deserve.  That should be easy.  It's the story of his political career.  It's just another chance to put his audience to sleep.  More on his Nobel peace prize.
December 5, 2009 - AP FACT CHECK: Unprovable claims stoke health debate - Comment:  This really isn't so complicated.  This legislation has huge flaws.  Either we kill it, or it will kill us.  If it passes, we must work hard to defeat everyone who voted for it in their next election.   That may not reverse the damage, but it will stop further abuses of power by these same arrogant politicians and send a clear warning message to all others.
December 5, 2009 - Study: Slowdown in warming last year not permanent - Comment:  Pay no attention to the snow in Houston this week.  The real snow job by academics is in Copenhagen, because huge research grants are at stake.  Entire academic careers and departments are at stake.  Note the many comments by readers.
December 5, 2009 - Climate pledges made by key countries - Summary of commitments.
December 5, 2009 - Long-running climate drama nears Copenhagen climax; 'continued next year' likely outcome - Comment:  Note the opening premise: "For 20 years, as this crowded planet grew warmer ..."  This doesn't even pretend to be unbiased journalism.  It's advocacy by the AP.

Obama shifts visit to Copenhagen climate event to build on China, India moves toward deal

Obama shifts Copenhagen trip as prospects brighten

December 4, 2009 - Obama shifts Copenhagen visit to boost deal

December 4, 2009 - US Marines launch large offensive in Afghanistan
December 4, 2009 - Pelosi: Bailout money to fund jobs initiative - and Obama, lawmakers target bailout fund for jobs bill - Comment:  A "jobs-boosting bill" for $70 billion out of TARP money at the same time as they are playing games with Afghan war funding by proposing a special "war tax"?  Do they really think voters are that stupid?  This is another plan for failure, like the stimulus package, put together by a bunch of people who know nothing about real job creation.  They suckered a few CEO's to attend their "jobs summit" as political cover for all the academics and union leaders and career government officials who clearly have no idea how to improve the economy.
December 4, 2009 - Congress worries about Obama's plan for Pakistan - Comment:  Insult our friends and apologize to our enemies.  What a plan!  Pakistan has actually been making good progress against the insurgents this year under their new leadership, in case nobody in Congress has noticed.  They have been taking tough, unpopular decisions and fighting the enemy despite the bloody consequences.  Meanwhile, it took Obama over 3 months to make a speech which really said nothing new, and was mainly focused on domestic politics rather than defeating the enemy.  This article gives you a good idea why some members of Congress really need to be targeted for defeat in 2010.
December 3, 2009 - Pakistan: We need more clarity on US plan - Comment:  Don't we all?  Note that the Pakistani government has made a lot of progress against the insurgents this year.
December 3, 2009 - India unveils target to slow carbon emissions - "India will never accept a legally binding emissions reduction target".  Will Obama?
December 3, 2009 - UK University to probe integrity of climate data - Comment:  By spring 2010, will the damage have already been done by the politicians and bureaucrats in Copenhagen?

It's time to put all cap and trade plans and other climate change regulatory actions on hold. The science should not just be reviewed by this UK panel if the whole world is going to be transformed by government actions. There needs to be a truly independent US research effort which challenges the science models before we vastly expand government taxes, spending, and transfer of wealth initiatives.

December 3, 2009 - Obama rejoining economic debate with jobs summit - Comment:  More smoke and mirrors to create the illusion that there is a plan, and that something useful is being done.

US services sector survey drags world stocks down - reality check - double dip recession ahead?

December 3, 2009 - US Congress worries over Obama's plan for Pakistan  and another version Congress worries about Obama's plan for Pakistan - Comment:  More posturing by Kerry.

Congress, Obama spar over paying for Afghan plan - Murtha and others can play to their anti-war base, knowing that Republicans will support the necessary funding for the troops.

AP Analysis: Afghanistan pullout date not definite - Dare we say dithering again?  If the goal is to put pressure on the Afghan government to step up to the plate in the expectation that we will start to leave in 2011, then it doesn't sound like much pressure at all.  More like wishful thinking or political cover for domestic purposes.  The exit strategy is to be ready to weasel out of whatever happens for domestic political purposes.  Take credit if it goes well, and change strategy again if it doesn't.

December 2, 2009 - Struggling media will need government help: US congressman - Comment:  A news media bailout for failing newspapers?  Let them fail.  Do you really want members of Congress like Waxman interfering in the independent competitive operations of news media, just like banks, auto companies, and others once they get their political tentacles into them? 

FTC explores future of journalism in Internet age  By what Constitutional authority does either the FTC or Congress regulate freedom of the press, or freedom of speech on the Internet?

December 2, 2009 - Obama science officials defend warming research - and later version  Obama science advisers grilled over hacked e-mails -  Comment:  Nice try at damage control.
December 2, 2009 - UN says global economy will bounce back in 2010 - Comment:  Wow, I guess we should all feel reassured because some UN economists think that the US economy will grow again in 2010 if we keep doing more deficit spending and "stimulus" programs, and also give more global regulatory power over financial markets to UN agencies.  Did any journalists bother to go back and check the accuracy of their prior annual forecasts in recent years?  Like most such reports, the language includes enough caveats to be able to claim that virtually any scenario was either predicted or could not possibly have been foreseen.
December 2, 2009 - Rumsfeld Cries Foul on Obama Claim Troop Requests for Afghanistan Were Denied - Comment:  Too polite to shout "You lie!"  He's just calling for Congress to check the facts since Obama asserted that troop requests by commanders had been repeatedly denied.

The West Point cadets had to applaud politely on cue and try to stay awake or stifle yawns and appear respectful during the speech, but Rumsfeld is under no such constraints now - like Cheney.

December 2, 2009 - Gates, Mullen & Clinton argue for new Afghan plan - Comment: Note that the next strategy review and discussion of exit plans is planned for December 2010 - which by a remarkable coincidence is right after the 2010 elections.  Why not start 3 months earlier to allow time for thorough consideration of his strategy by voters?  Does anybody else notice the irony of Albania being the first country to pledge support?  It used to be one of the most hard-line communist regimes.

Sec'y Clinton: Obama's Afghan policy right for US

Gates: 'Severe consequences' for Afghan failure

AP FACT CHECK: Obama skims over some Afghan realities - update: tough realities

Joint Chiefs head: War strategy refines US focus

Gates: US cannot cede Afghanistan to Taliban

December 2, 2009 - Analysis: A war strategy with echoes of Bush - Comment:  This might be a good time to go back and take another look at this Foreign Policy magazine article from Jan/Feb 2009 which addressed the thoughts of Admiral Michael Mullen and General David Petraeus about the war in Afghanistan at that time, and how it differed from the surge strategy in Iraq as elaborated in the 2006 update to the Army Field Manual.   Counterinsurgency Field Manual: Afghanistan Edition  If you want to read the 2006 manual, the Federation of American Scientists website has published a copy.
December 2, 2009 - AARP backs Democrats in Senate health care fight

earlier version - Seniors' lobby backs Dems on Medicare cuts - Comment:  Wake up, seniors!  AARP is not protecting your interests - they're advancing their own insurance sales interests.  Cut up your membership cards and send them back.  Join a different seniors group which actually defends you.  Check out American Seniors Association, as mentioned in this August 18 Fox News story about the AARP losing 60,000 members already.  Another option is the 60 Plus Association   Welcome to market competition, AARP!

December 2, 2009 - Not HHS secretary, but in health care fight anyway - Comment:  Why can't Tom Daschle just go away and get a more harmless real job if he wants to serve the public interest?  Maybe as a door greeter at a WalMart in South Dakota?  Now he's an "adviser to lobbying firms" - since Obama vowed to limit the influence of lobbyists.  How's that working out so far?
December 2, 2009 - White House Skips Chamber of Commerce, Business Federation Invites to Jobs Forum - Comment:  Among the 133 invited guests, the White House apparently found no room for the US Chamber of Commerce or NFIB - National Federation of Independent Business.  Perhaps that's because they have recently expressed opposition of his health "reform" atrocity?
December 1, 2009 - Union Executives and Academics at Jobs Summit Were Hefty Obama Donors - Comment:  These may be experts at job destruction, but what about job creation?
December 1, 2009 - Afghan official: US target for Afghan army too low
December 1, 2009 - President Obama telephones Pakistan's Zardari: statement
December 1, 2009 - Gibbs: Deployment to Afghan will be accelerated - Comment:  The fewer troops than requested would be deployed within six months rather than spread over 2 years, but there is no clarity yet about the conditions which could stall the actual deployments.  If the troops were requested urgently 3 months ago for action to avert the risk of losing within a year, does the fact that Obama has backed off a decision to spread out deployments over a 2 year period represent progress?   This would seem to just be more political posturing after facing criticism about it.
December 1, 2009 - Obama speech: More troops, no endless commitment
December 1, 2009 - PERSPECTIVE: Ohio light bulb fight offers lessons - Comment:  Perhaps consumers as free individuals are getting tired of being forced to pay for expensive new mandates.  It is one thing to be encouraged to make a choice, and another matter to be give no choice at all.  The latter is an abuse of power, regardless of alleged good intentions. 
December 1, 2009 - NKorea revalues money, causing black market chaos - Comment:  Further evidence, if any was needed, of the economic chaos.  Note the delusion of achieving prosperity by 2012, and the gap between the former official exchange rate (145) and the black market rate (3000).  The 100:1 change in the currency may shake out hidden savings which are being wiped out by finally recognizing the compound costs of many years of real inflation and economic failure.  It may, however, trigger a flight to hard currencies despite the high black market prices.
December 1, 2009 - New $100 billion safety net for jobless in works - Comment:  Financing the growing cost of failed policies which are killing jobs.  Will they pretend that this is for "job creation"?
December 1, 2009 - AP PROMISES, PROMISES: Friday is still White House 'trash day' - Comment:  This Friday's attraction - the next jobless numbers, and what else will be slipped out later that afternoon?  That will follow his Thursday "jobs summit" drama and a visit to Allentown, PA to express his concern about the economy and unemployment.
December 1, 2009 - Official: Obama ready to suggest Afghan endgame
December 1, 2009 - Official: Afghan buildup involves 30,000 troops
November 30, 2009 - After Afghanistan, Obama to launch jobs push - Comment:  Is Obama trying to deflect attention from the jobs report on Friday with his Thursday "jobs summit" and another photo op to pretend that he "wants to hear from the private sector" after trashing business relentlessly?
November 30, 2009 - US: Honduras' election important but not last step - Comment: Wait a minute!  Don't elections have consequences?  Lobo won, fair and square. Why is Obama now trying to compel him to set up a "truth commission" or a "government of national unity". Has Obama done anything to create national unity here lately? He should stop interfering in Honduran affairs. He backed the leftists, and the leftists lost - decisively. Obama lost face in the process by making this stupid move against a "coup" by which their Supreme Court defended their Constitution against an usurper who was trying to change it. Now he's still trying to find some way to keep defending his leftist friends after they lost decisively in the polls.

New Honduran leader, bolstered by US, seeks unity  With a stronger voter turnout (60%), Lobo is ahead 56% to 38% over the party of the leftist Zelaya who was trying to change the Constitution to perpetuate his own rule, as regimes in Venezuela and elsewhere have done after getting elected.  "The United States made a mistake", according to the AP quote of Zelaya about the election, because he still believes that he should be reinstated, and these election results rejected.  It would be more accurate to say that Obama made a big mistake by ever expressing support for Zelaya.

US recognizes Honduras president-elect's 'ample' victory

November 30, 2009 - Obama facing tough selling job on Afghan policy - Comment:  Americans aren't opposed to the war.  They're opposed to defeat - sacrificing soldiers without even having a clear commitment and plan for victory, while the priority in Congress seems to be the political exit strategy.
November 30, 2009 - Honduras hopes to move past coup with election - updated - Initial reports suggest that Porfirio Lobo will win with a larger voter turnout than the last election.  The voters in Honduras don't seem to agree with Obama's policy to try to reinstate the leftist Zelaya, even if just temporarily until January 27 so that Obama can try to save face for this foreign policy debacle. He has nobody to blame but himself for this mistake. He reflexively backed the wrong side.
November 29, 2009 - Senator says Afghan forces, not US, key to success - Comment:  Carl Levin test markets the Obama talking points for the Tuesday night speech at West Point. What a disgrace.

Douglas MacArthur must be rolling in his grave. No more "Duty, Honor, Country" at West Point.
Shirk your duty, dishonor your office, and apologize for your country.  That's the Obama doctrine.

updated version of the same story on November 30

November 29, 2009 - Iran Lawmakers Earmark $20M for Militants - CBS News - Comment:  Why can't Congress appropriate a few billion in response to help opposition groups against this regime?  If they can give away $300 million just to bribe Mary Landrieu to vote for the health care bill, and billions to pay off the Congressional Black Caucus, surely we can outspend and outsmart Iran at this deadly game.
November 29, 2009 - Iran plans enrichment sites in defiance of UN - Comment:  It may just be a bluff for negotiation purposes, but who will have the nerve to call their bluff?  Certainly not Obama.  They already perceive him to be weaker than Carter.  Why shouldn't they be defiant?  It worked before.

Watch for more public demonstrations in Iran on December 7.  This regime is on the defensive.  It remains ruthless and dangerous, and will probably continue the crackdown on dissent.  Tyrants can be most dangerous as their power collapses, because they will stop at nothing to keep their power.

November 29, 2009 - China tries to fix crumbling health care system -  Comment: Incredibly, this story seems to have, as a premise, the idea that the rise of free market capitalism in China destroyed a universal health care system, and that now the government can fix it. 

Hello? The government has remained in charge of it all along. It presided over the collapse. They still think that they can fix it - by investing as much as they can afford through government, and by trying to ration care, force down wages for doctors and the costs of medicine and medical supplies, and by artificially subsidizing care for favored groups in order to contain dissent and defend the power of the government bureaucracy over all health care again.

Am I missing something?  Is this where we want to go in America?

November 29, 2009 - Upfront money needed to ease UN climate deal - Comment:  This proposed $10 billion per year "kick start" is just the start of what is expected to be a $75 - $100 billion per year cost, or even more.  Obama is OK with this - he wants to help start the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the world, and destroy our economy in the process by not only dramatically expanding our own government, but also by supporting an unaccountable international bureaucracy which can perpetuate and expand the damage to our economic climate and liberty.
November 29, 2009 - Few signposts mark the road to economic recovery - Comment:  How about "Dead End"?  Note that the primary concern of Democrats is whether this might cause a loss of seats in the House and Senate in the 2010 midterm election, and thus jeopardize their power to keep imposing their agenda regardless of the disastrous consequences of their policies.

Even horses with blinders on can see where they are going, and won't run off a cliff.  For those who are too clueless to get it, 1982 - 1984 is not comparable unless Obama is prepared to follow Reagan's solution.  Would Reagan do another "stimulus plan" at this point?  Aren't these the same fools who kept quoting Einstein's definition of insanity all the time in the Bush years to pretend that Bush was stupid whenever he "stayed the course" with a policy which worked, but which they didn't like?  Now they are "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results".  Insane.  The evidence is staring them in the face.  Their policies are failing.  They need to reverse course now.

November 29, 2009 - GOP senator says health care bill can't be fixed - Comment:  Kill the bill, before it kills us.
November 29, 2009 - Senator: Delay health care to focus on Afghan war - Comment:  Delay into the 2010 election year might kill the bill.  Nice idea, Senator Lugar, but it's not likely to happen.
November 29, 2009 - Turbulence ahead: Senate opens health care debate - Comment:  Who will get bought off with our money to pass it this time?  That's one of the few serious questions facing Reid.
November 29, 2009 - Pakistan's president told to give up powers - Comment:  It would be a serious mistake to think that Nawaz Sharif would be a better friend in Pakistan than he was in the past, when his government helped to create the Taliban nightmare which Zardari is fighting today.
November 29, 2009 - Senator: Troop hike must help boost Afghan forces - Comment:  Note the bit at the end - Carl Levin picking up on Kerry's talking points about blaming Bush.  Why not blame Clinton for not taking Osama bin Laden seriously as a threat and going after him for eight years, despite having the intelligence in hand to recognize the danger?  He may not have specifically known about their 9/11 plans, but what about the first World Trade Center bombing on his watch?  Why was that just treated as a law enforcement issue, when it was clearly intended to be an act of war against us from the perspective of the terrorists? 

Wait - maybe it's Reagan's fault for not letting the Soviets win in Afghanistan!  That's right!  That would have solved all our problems there!  The Soviets could have massacred all the Islamist radicals, and we could have just expressed our "serious concern", like Obama - or like Clinton did with the Taliban, or Carter did when the Soviets invaded.

No wait!  Maybe it's Mortimer Durand's fault!  If he hadn't split the Pashtun tribal area when setting up the modern border between Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1893, maybe none of this would have ever happened.  That's right!  It's the fault of those scheming British imperialists!  It's not Obama's problem!

November 29, 2009 - Senate report: Bin Laden was 'within our grasp' - and update

Over Tora Bora - blog entry in Mudville Gazette is a nice reality check for perspective on this story

Comment:  Let me make sure that I understand this weasel Kerry correctly.  It took Obama over three months to decide whether to agree to add forces in Afghanistan after his commander urged him that action this year is essential to achieve victory.  It has been over 10 months since he was elected - during which time he kept saying how important the war in Afghanistan was.  He then decided to provide fewer troops than requested, and drag out their deployment over two years.

Now Kerry is choosing this moment to release a partisan staff report alleging that Bush failed to deploy enough troops into Afghanistan before December 2001, even though before September there were no forces in place or scheduled to support any such deployment.  Kerry and his friends have fought consistently against military spending and deployments at almost every opportunity, and he lost the election for very good reasons to Bush.  No politics in the timing of this report, of course.

Afghanistan was a sovereign state in 2001 under the Taliban rule. Kerry obviously thinks we should have invaded quickly with more forces to get Osama bin Laden, despite the predictable condemnation among his friends in Europe, the UN, and elsewhere of any such invasion. Perhaps, by this logic, he would now favor Obama sending massive forces over the border into Pakistan to try to hunt down OBL and others there? No - he's reluctant to see our forces increased at all. He wants the Afghans and Pakistanis to solve this problem somehow, so that he can go back to ignoring it. Hypocrite! Weasel!

November 28, 2009 - Obama prepares to announce Afghan surge - Comment:  Shouldn't this be called something other than a surge, since it will reportedly be dragged out slowly over two years, with many caveats to stall the deployment if there are more "surprises", such as pervasive corruption?

US eyes Afghan drawdown starting by 2013: report - Giving the Taliban a chance to plan ahead.

November 28, 2009 - Afghanistan, Iraq: different wars - Comment:  Anybody with even very superficial knowledge of the region should have known this many years ago.  Afghanistan is different, as pointed out in response to a February 1, 2009 piece in the Weekly Standard about the surge idea.
November 28, 2009 - Big challenge for Obama: retain Hispanic support - Comment:  It should be an even bigger challenge, if Hispanics and other immigrant groups wake up and realize that they didn't come here to look for greater dependency on government social programs, but rather to seek better opportunities for themselves and their families through their own individual efforts.  It is not in their interest to remain mired in failed cities where corruption and political favors sustain the illusion of being heard and respected while actually promoting failure rather than success. 

That's the failed approach which immigrants tried to leave behind when they came here.  For example, many Tea Party supporters are immigrants who fled tyranny and economic failure elsewhere.  You don't see a Statue of Liberty in Havana, or immigrants flocking there to pursue the Cuban Dream.  Statists only care about immigrants as a way to perpetuate their own political power, as reflected by this article if you think carefully about it.  How are their policies actually helping immigrants?

November 28, 2009 - Health overhaul: Understanding the pros and cons - Comment:  It's really quite simple.  Everybody will pay dearly for this, sooner or later.  Some just don't realize it yet.  They should figure it out by the time of the 2010 primaries and general election if this bill gets passed.  Then they can vote these cons out of office, but it will be hard to ever get rid of the legislation (veto, etc.).  updated version
November 27, 2009 - US buildup seen as helpful in 2 Afghan provinces - Comment:  Some progress is being made through local tribal leadership channels.  Will Obama's policy reflect any recognition that Afghans don't trust or want a strong central government?  He seems to be incapable of understanding that.  It is completely foreign to his big government ideology and his view of local "community organizing" as the solution for all of his "social justice" priorities.  Afghans don't need or want to be more subservient to a stronger government in Kabul.  They know where tyranny leads, because they have endured almost nothing else for a very long time.  It's not just about corruption.
November 27, 2009 - Insuring young key to health care overhaul plans - Comment:  Translation - they're looking to fleece the young, not just soak the rich and cut benefits for the elderly.  How is that hope and change working out for you?  Are you ready to go to jail for not buying health insurance?
November 27, 2009 - Filipino candidate files to run despite slaughter - Comment:  Updated
November 27, 2009 - Dubai debt fears stalk world markets - Comment:  It could get worse.
November 26, 2009 - Filipino who lost wife in massacre files candidacy - Comment: There are still people in the world who are willing to risk their lives to stand up to tyranny, despite the dangers.  If you want to read an interesting history book sometime, try to find "Benevolent Assimilation" - about the role of the Progressive movement in the conquest of the Philippines a little over a century ago.
November 26, 2009 - Dubai debt move 'carefully planned': top official - Comment:  Watch for more news on this Dubai World situation.

Asia markets slide on Dubai debt fears

November 26, 2009 - Obama faces delicate balancing act on climate - Comment:  Some of the Democrats in Congress may be willing to walk the plank and risk future election defeats to win their health care agenda against public opposition, but will they do so again on cap and trade?   Both are really about trying to secure greater power in Washington for a long time. Just say no.
November 26, 2009 - Putin in France to further energy and military goals - Comment:  Note the gas pipeline deal, rather than just the naval deal.  Russia and China are investing in military, energy, and other international power at the same time as Obama is making apologies for America.
November 26, 2009 - Iran seizes rights lawyer's Nobel Peace medal - Comment:  Maybe Obama could offer his as a replacement.
November 26, 2009 - IAEA chief: Iran investigation at 'dead end' - Comment:  That's awkward timing for Obama's Nobel prize-winning efforts to reach out to these dangerous liars.  The outgoing IAEA chief may be trying to save face by admitting the obvious after ignoring Iran's lies for so long.

UN atomic watchdog chief 'disappointed' by Iran - deeply disappointed, just like Obama.

November 26, 2009 - Karzai renews call on Taliban to lay down weapons - Comment: Reaching out to the Taliban while Obama gives them less reason to stop fighting against Karzai.  If Mullah Omar were really smart, he would cut a deal quickly with Karzai, thereby giving Obama an excuse to declare victory and leave quickly. Then they could fight it out for power after we are gone - just like the way that we screwed up the endgame after the Soviets pulled out.  Would Obama or Congress do anything to help the people of Afghanistan after pulling out, especially since there would be plenty of excuses to rationalize doing nothing for them?  Luckily, Mullah Omar is not that smart.
November 26, 2009 - AP INSIDE WASHINGTON: Stream of WH health care visits - update - Comment:  I love a parade. One lobbyist after another. Still hoping for a positive change to come out of all this? 2012 campaign slogan: "Lobbyists First".  Remember, when hundreds of thousands of patriotic Americans went to Washington DC on 9/12 to express their concerns, Obama rushed out of town to a staged event by supporters of his agenda in Minnesota.  That already told us what we needed to know.
November 26, 2009 - Obama and GOP differ over recipe for jobs, economy - Comment: US Rep Mike Pence (R-IN) responds in the weekly radio address at Thanksgiving.  Obama's plan is to have another photo op - the "jobs summit" this week - to pretend that he is doing something useful.
November 26, 2009 - Car insurance scofflaws raise health mandate doubt - Comment:  Does this mean that you go to jail if you don't buy health insurance for your kids, too?  Or does it just force you to put them into a government-run health care program for kids, and then stay there for life, perhaps through state insurance programs?  Remember SCHIP from February?  See the Wikipedia entry on SCHIP
November 26, 2009 - Immigration reform activists diversifying ranks - Comment:  Would this shift the demographics in favor of the Democrats at election time, perhaps?  What a coincidence.  This issues gets left for an election year again so that they can demagogue the issue as usual.
November 25, 2009 - Corporate America prepares, and braces, for emission rules - Comment: NY Times story commenting on new emission rules by Obama.
November 25, 2009 - Obama to vow greenhouse emissions cuts in Denmark - Comment:  See the White House press release about his plans for a series of presentations by his advisors
November 25, 2009 - Obama will unveil Afghan troops move at West Point - Comment: He just can't resist the opportunity as narcissist in chief to do a photo op in front of the troops again after taking over three months to make a decision that he could have made 10 months ago - and in all probability he will probably still get it wrong.  At least it will give him a nice photo op and prime time TV coverage, however, to try to explain why he isn't really worse than Carter.  Don't believe it.
November 25, 2009 - AP IMPACT: A stream of WH health care visits - Comment: January to August.  The list of visitors after that will reportedly be disclosed in December, after they try to pass the bill.
November 25, 2009 - Obama to attend major climate summit - Comment: It's not over yet.  See also Action on climate change 'also averts health crisis' - now alleging that global warming will cause more malaria, cholera, malnutrition, etc.  Of course, the environmentalists still won't admit that their elimination of DDT has condemned millions of people in developing countries to die from malaria.

Curbing global warming saves lives, studies say - Do you trust these British doctors?

November 25, 2009 - Pentagon official on Guantanamo closure resigns - Comment:  Curious timing.  The decision was last week, but it was announced just before Thanksgiving, when it would predictably attract less attention.  Note that lawyer Greg Craig, portrayed here as a supporter of the plan, resigned November 13 - just before Holder announced his plan for  trials in New York right after Obama left on his trip to Asia.
November 24, 2009 - AP SPIN METER: 'War and Peace' in 209 pages? - Comment:  The AP fact check wizards are now spinning the story that the health care bill is only 209 pages in the fine print version as published in the Congressional Record, rather than the usual format for legislation which adds up to 2074 pages.  It now also compares that to the word count in War and Peace.  Why not spend more effort investigating and exposing the many costly and harmful atrocities buried in this legislation?  It may be a 2000+ sheet roll of toilet paper, but it was already soiled behind closed doors.
November 24, 2009 - Obama promises to 'finish the job' in Afghanistan - Comment:  Just as decisively as Carter finished the job in Afghanistan and Iran, no doubt.  Afghans recognize weakness.
November 24, 2009 - Strong banks, weak credit: Treasury rethinks TARP - Comment:  Failure is evidently no reason to back off and reconsider the flawed premise, instead of doing even more harm through new initiatives.  This is like pushing on a piece of string - trying to get businesses to borrow and expand while the government keeps imposing new burdens on them as a disincentive to invest.
November 24, 2009 - Texas GOP primary a 2010 test of themes - Comment:  Note that Sarah Palin and Haley Barbour are reported to have personally endorsed Rick Perry, while Dick Cheney is backing the March primary campaign of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison as the challenger.
November 24, 2009 - Icebergs head from Antarctica for New Zealand - Comment: Note that it is not attributed to global climate change, although some zealots will predictably seize on this news.  It would make as much scientific sense to attribute the 1931 ice floes to the changing economic impact of mankind during the Great Depression, and the lack of later ice floes to Roosevelt's New Deal.
November 24, 2009 - France shows off cutting-edge navy ship in Russia - Comment:  Note the explanation about how long it took them to land forces in Georgia.  Nothing for Obama to worry about?  He's got to focus on his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech about making the world safe for narcissists.
November 24, 2009 - Obama to unveil plan to add troops in Afghanistan - Comment:  As predicted, the process of test-marketing the domestic political reaction to the policy begins.  Note that this may also be used now as an excuse for a new war tax in order to try to drive up opposition to the war at the same time as he leaves the door open to not deploy forces very rapidly.  Instead of a surge strategy, this seems to be a bleed to death strategy for defeat with a focus on how to exit ASAP.  Deja vu. The Democrats had the same Iraq strategy.
November 23, 2009 - China activist who spoke out on quake gets 3 years - Comment:  At least they were polite enough not to announce this during Obama's visit, as he tried to avoid embarrassing them by not saying much about human rights issues. So much for his speech about being more open to criticism (which was given to a rigged audience of party supporters, and then censored in China)
November 23, 2009 - Obama could lock in Afghanistan decision Monday - Comment:  No decision will be announced until after the Thanksgiving recess in Congress.  They'll just keep leaking these sorts of trial balloons about their intentions to test how much political push-back they face, because the real focus is on domestic politics and the "exit strategy" so that he can declare the slow plan to be in progress, and thereby try to deflect criticism of it for many months, even if it is a failure.
November 23, 2009 - Schumer says failure not an option on health care - Comment:  Failure is not only an option - it is preferable. The real failure would be to ram this legislation through just because they have enough votes to do whatever they please, despite the gamesmanship by which they pretend to need to buy each other off with other people's money in order to agree to do what they have intended all along, as if they had serious objections instead of simply arguing over how to divide the loot now that they are free to plunder.  Their only concern now is how to get some political cover for this atrocity to limit their 2010 losses of power in the House and Senate. That's all that matters to them now.

There is more honor among thieves.  They ALL have to go - not just "moderate" pawns.

November 23, 2009 - For Reid, Dodd, clout on big issues cuts both ways - Comment:  Time to work on their end of political career care by Political Death Panels - primary by primary in 2010.
November 23, 2009 - Schumer: Dems ready to go-it-alone on health care - Comment:  Voters also have a nuclear option - to work hard on Political Death Panels, primary by primary, to provide end of political career care in 2010 for all of the Democrats who have supported this legislative atrocity.

Schumer and Hutchison argue over health care bill

November 22, 2009 - Mammogram guidelines spark debate over health bill - Comment:  This is just another wake-up call for those who still think government should have more power over their lives.

For an interesting perspective, check out Sarah Palin's Facebook notes page. Like her original warning about government "death panels", she isn't afraid to call it as she sees it. This is just one example of the potential abuses of power which will inevitably flow from this legislation and the bureaucratic nightmare it creates. It's not just about cost. This is tyranny, and continues to grow the sort of unlimited federal government that our Constitution was supposed to prevent if these people respected their oath of office.

Since they obviously don't, we have to organize and vote ALL of them out, starting in 2010 - not just the few so-called "moderates" who pretended to have principles before they were proven by their vote to have no more than the rest of their party colleagues. It may take us 6 years to be completely rid of them, but we will be the death panels for their political careers through each election before they finish the job of destroying our lives and our families.

November 22, 2009 - Senate moderates frustrate other Democrats on bill - Comment:  Not as much as they have ALL frustrated American voters by refusing to listen.  Hurry, 2010 primaries.
November 22, 2009 - Nelson might not back next step for health bill - Comment:  Nebraska voters might not back Nelson in his next election in 2010, either.  Time for political career "death panels"  to show the same level of concern for his future welfare as he has demonstrated for ours..
November 22, 2009 - Senate Democrats at odds over health care bill - Comment:   Pure fiction.  They are just at odds about how to find political cover to escape the consequences of their actions in the next election cycle, and who is going to have to give up their career for the "greater good" of the party and then be rewarded later for their sacrifice.  Who will be the sacrificial pawns in their game plan?  Do you really think that the zealots care about how many so-called "moderates" lose their jobs in 2010?
November 22, 2009 - Democrats: Health care bill saves money and jobs - Comment: Delusional.  Does anybody really believe that this legislative atrocity will save money and jobs?
November 22, 2009 - Durbin says deadline looming for health care bill - Comment:  No mention of the fact that they just let his colleague Roland Burris off the hook for the ethics probe, just in time for this vote. Blagojevich must be laughing.  Note that public opposition is just a "complication" to be overcome by year-end.  Then they will pretend to care about budget savings and jobs in 2010.
November 22, 2009 - Biden says Senate handed Obama a big victory - Comment:  Pyrrhic.  There are no real "moderate" Democrats in this Senate, or House who are still looking out for traditional American principles and values, such as the limited role of the federal government in our lives.  Our founders trusted that we would have the common sense to use our Constitutional powers to vote such miscreants, tyrants, and fools out of office again, and thereby limit the damage of their abuses of power.
November 22, 2009 - Warming's impacts sped up, worsened since Kyoto - Comment:  Trying to rebut the criticism that the science has been manipulated or misrepresented to push their agenda.
November 22, 2009 - Denmark: 65 world leaders for UN climate summit - Comment:  There is some ambiguity about whether Obama will go to Copenhagen after all, since it might be seen as politically embarrassing at this point to reach no deal and have to face sharp public criticism.  Don't assume that this fight is over, however.  These zealots are still determined to prevail at any cost to us.
November 21, 2009 - Hackers leak e-mails, stoke climate debate - Comment:  AP version which focuses on quoting those who now claim that, although valid, the emails and other documents were mischievously and selectively taken out of context in order to discredit the scientists involved.  There is no mention of instructions about how to circumvent Freedom of Information Act disclosure requests.
November 21, 2009 - New documentary challenges Gore's "Inconvenient Truth" on global warming - Comment:  See October 12 news below, as well as the Lord Moncton interview.  Then go back to our earlier warnings about this - such as February 24 as well as Feb 19 and 14 news.
November 21, 2009 -  Climate Skeptics See "Smoking Gun" in Researchers' Leaked E-mails - Comment:  Just in time for Copenhagen.  Let's see them twist in the wind trying to spin out of this.
November 21, 2009 - Historic health care bill clears Senate hurdle - Comment:  No surprise.  There was no real drama in this.  It was entirely predictable that they would sell out their constituents.
November 21, 2009 - Dems snare 60 votes to move ahead on health care - Comment:  They had the votes all along - since last November.  The only drama was what deals they would make among themselves to reward each other with other people's money for pretending to still have principles.
November 21, 2009 - Dems have 60 for health care; Lincoln a 'yes' - Comment:  OK, voters, if you hadn't figured it out already, we need to work on defeating every Senator who voted for this.  They can pretend to have principles and to care about what voters think, but they obviously don't.  Vote them ALL out.  Don't think that it was just 3 or 4 "moderates" who betrayed your trust.  It was ALL of them.
November 21, 2009 - Russia president criticizes ruling party over vote - Comment:  Meanwhile, Putin launches the Russian version of "cash for clunkers".  In a time of economic crisis, he can't afford to be perceived as less socialist than Obama.  They need to go back to buying loyalty the old way, through payoffs and intimidation of opposition, rather than by overtly rigging election results.
November 21, 2009 - Levin: could be more e-mails from Ft. Hood suspect - Comment:  Levin is planning to hold a Senate investigation soon into whether somebody should have locked the barn door before the horses were gone.  Meanwhile, Obama has set up a special investigation to pretend that he is doing something useful, too.  By remarkable coincidence, they have been given 45 days to make their report - just long enough to try to punt past the holidays this obvious leadership failure to prevent a major terrorist attack on our troops.  That delays it beyond the attempts to ram through the health care legislation and the climate change agenda in Copenhagen as much higher priorities for Obama.
November 21, 2009 - Obama trumpets Asia trip as boost to US economy - Comment: Try not to laugh hysterically or scream too loudly at this ludicrous spin job.  "I will not let up until businesses start hiring again, unemployed Americans start working again, and we rebuild this economy stronger and more prosperous than it was before."  True enough.  He promises to not let up or wise up while he destroys our economy and national security until we vote him out of office in 2012, just like Carter.
November 21, 2009 - Afghan road builder's dream thwarted by violence - Comment:  A good example of the challenges posed by trying to invest in infrastructure projects without better security to defend the projects as well as the people who are behind them.  The bureaucrats who come up with these project ideas and plans aren't the ones whose lives are on the line to make them a reality.  There needs to be local support, rather than just technocrats telling the locals that they know best.
November 20, 2009 - ResistNet blog - Climate Research Center Hacked - Thousands of Damning Docs Hit the Net: Global Warming Cancelled? - Comment: Alleges that evidence has now been uncovered to prove that the "settled science" about climate change was fraudulent all along.
November 20, 2009 - Ethics committee: No punishment for Burris - Comment: Of course, the timing of this decision is unrelated to getting his vote on the health care legislation this Saturday.  Mary Landrieu got $300 million for Louisiana.  What did others get?  Burris got off the hook in another Friday night surprise while attention was elsewhere.  As Glenn Beck says, watch the other hand ...
November 19, 2009 - Clinton asks Karzai to bring technocrats into government - Comment: She still thinks that a stronger central government is always the solution to any problem - just like the technocracies which other statists have imposed to repeatedly make a bad situation even worse.  Is it possible that Afghans don't want a stronger central government, whether by warlords or bureaucrats?   Is it really better to have an unaccountable bureaucrat who pretends not to be a tyrant, rather than somebody who is at least honest about his intentions?
November 19, 2009 - Republicans blast 'bait and switch' health bill - Comment:  In addition to the new taxes, it will also impose new unfunded mandates on states which are already facing budget crises.
November 19, 2009 - GOP governors push for 2010 party rebirth - Comment:  What's the plan?
November 19, 2009 - AP NewsBreak: Army keeping media from Palin event - Comment:  Who needs the "lamestream media" to be there, anyway?  Palin fans will spread the word.

I've got a news flash for you in the AP (in case you and all of your "fact checkers" don't get it yet).  She's not looking for your approval. She's not going to play the "gotcha" game with the liberal media, as though they were the custodians of truth and in control of public opinion. She's taking her own message straight to the public - and reaching millions by various channels because there is actually a lot of market demand for knowing more about her and her point of view, whether the news media or politicians like it or not.

November 19, 2009 - AP Analysis: US works with and around Afghan leader - Comment:  Pot calling the kettle black?  "I'm less concerned about any individual than I am with a government as a whole that is having difficulty providing basic services to its people".  Of course, there is no such failure or any corruption in this administration or in our Congress or state and local governments.  Pay no attention to the corruption in Illinois, as shown by a few political suicides and prosecutions.  There was never corruption in Arkansas or New York politics either, as Hillary can readily assure Karzai.
November 19, 2009 - US woos skeptical Pakistanis on Afghan strategy - Comment:  Why should anyone in Pakistan be skeptical about America's strategic commitment under Obama?  After all, it's like deja vu from the Carter era, or the rapid collapse of US support after the Soviets withdrew.  While Pakistan is fighting the insurgents, Obama can't even decide yet when to make a decision.
November 19, 2009 - Obama says US, allies discussing Iran sanctions - Comment:  Deja vu.  He has now set a year-end deadline, replacing his September deadline.  Why not be honest and save time by setting a December 2012 deadline, or an Iranian nuclear bomb test, whichever comes first?
November 18, 2009 - Obama says talks under way on Iran sanctions - Comment:  Still suggesting that he plans to actually decide to do something someday.  Meanwhile, he is offering yet another "grand bargain" bribe to North Korea through bilateral talks next month (like the Clinton era promises?), and says that he expects to take a decision on Afghanistan - "certainly before year's end".  Carter was as credible.
November 18, 2009 - UN: Fight climate change with free condoms - Comment:  Clueless.
November 18, 2009 - Iran rejects UN-proposed nuclear deal - Comment: Is Obama still hoping for change? How do you say "sucker" in Farsi?  Meanwhile, Carter is under the delusion that his presidency would have been remembered as successful and that he would have defeated Reagan in 1980 if the Iran hostage situation hadn't developed.  It must be hard for Iranians to decide who is more clueless, but Americans are figuring it out much faster - even before the 300 day mark rather than after several years.
November 18, 2009 - Sebelius: Women should get mammograms by age 40 - Comment:  Another disingenuous spin attempt at damage control.  The recommendations of the political task force may have little impact on private insurers or patients at the moment, but if the health care legislation passes, the recommendations of this panel will be of primary importance for coverage, especially in the "public option".

The rationing of care by politically motivated bureaucratic "death panels" is ready to begin, all in the name of cost efficiency and standardization of care.  The policy may be a success, even if the patient dies, because it will help contain high health care costs such as cancer treatment by avoiding diagnosis.  Our mortality rates for cancer patients can rise to the more sustainable levels of other national health systems which defer diagnosis and treatment long enough to be rid of the problem.

November 18, 2009 - Reid sets markers for historic health care debate
November 18, 2009 - Violence at Tea Party rally: bare-knuckle politics in the streets - Comment:  Note the pattern in who is attacking whom.  The violent thugs are on the left, not the right.  They keep trying to provoke confrontations with peaceful protesters - and aren't getting prosecuted yet for assault and battery, as in the St. Louis incident, where political bias seems to be stalling the case.
November 18, 2009 - AP Poll: Public favors gov't health plan - Comment:  New spin of the poll announced yesterday - just in time for the Senate efforts to ram the legislation through.  Instead of the "tax the rich" message, it now creates the illusion of public support through a misleading headline.

Note that recent polls may be deliberately sampling more Democrats.  See this Hot Air blog entry.  Do you doubt this?  Look at page 38 of this AP poll data - 45% Democrats, 38% Republicans.  If you break out the "independents", whether they lean one way or the other, that leaves 30% as strong or moderate identification as Democrats, versus 21% as Republicans.  Either way, that's a 7 - 9% gap between the two parties (favoring Democrats).  The independents add up to 44% (significantly more than either party).

By the way, don't miss the data on page 39.  In short, 31% have either lost their own job, or have a family member who has lost their job, within the last 6 months.  Would that perhaps shape their opinions?  Is that consistent with the alleged 10.2% unemployment rate?  Are they oversampling the unemployed?

November 18, 2009 - Black power has arrived - with some new challenges - Comment:  Maybe some of their constituents will finally realize that these "leaders" are making their lives worse, not better.  Too bad that few of them probably watched Glenn Beck on November 13 for a conservative perspective.  Go look up the "Time to be heard" videos of that show on Fox News.  It's not about "black power", but rather about their own political power. There is a way out, but it's not through more government social programs to sustain failure.  Regardless of good intentions, their policies have clearly failed.

Why not rename this the Failed Urban Congressional Radicals (FUCR)? That would be less racist, since it could include white or other minority failures too.  That would give them more "power" through more votes, right?  They could community organize a whole rainbow coalition of victims as a community to seek "reparations" and more government handouts.  Who would like to push that social justice idea?

While they're at it, shouldn't Mexican and Cuban immigrants seek reparations from the governments of Mexico and Cuba for the economic hardships which drove them to leave those countries?  What about all the other immigrants who sought better opportunities here?  Shouldn't their countries have to pay them something for having given them few opportunities, instead of simply spreading the wealth of others? Why should they be limited to the wealth of other Americans? Why not fleece every country from which immigrants have come to American cities?  Don't those countries all owe reparations to any emigrants who ever faced hardship or abuse, even if that was a few generations ago?

November 18, 2009 - Obama: Professed 9/11 mastermind will be convicted - Comment:  That's not going to taint a jury pool or perceptions of fairness, of course.  If a conviction is such a slam dunk, why not do it by the military tribunal so that there isn't more risk of harm or needless disclosure of secrets?
November 17, 2009 - Goldman Sachs, Buffett to help small businesses - Comment: Goldman bows to SEIU pressure led by Andy Stern?  Another version of the AP story included this paragraph:

"Goldman set aside $16.71 billion through the first nine months of the year for compensation, including salaries, bonuses and other benefits. The potential payouts its workers may receive for 2009 have drawn criticism from lawmakers and others. Andy Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, on Monday led a protest in front of Goldman's Washington, D.C., offices to try to sway the bank to redirect part of its anticipated $23 billion bonus pool to families facing foreclosure."

November 17, 2009 - Urban League and partner to offer small biz loans - Comment: Such a deal - 18% to 36% interest rates as an alternative to banks which are borrowing fed funds at near zero percent but won't lend to these borrowers.  Loan sharks should be so lucky. Does this remind anyone of the subprime mortgage business?
November 17, 2009 - Obama: Rally the world for climate deal next month - Comment:  This zealot is not going to be deterred by public opinion.  He is determined to ram through his agenda by any means.  We must change Congress dramatically before the December 2010 climate meeting in Mexico City.
November 17, 2009 - Pakistan army shows off gains near Afghan border - Comment:  Maybe the Taliban have a sense of humor after all - if they're reading Douglas Adams' "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" in their spare time in South Waziristan.  Ah, the interconnectedness of all things ...
November 17, 2009 - AP sources: Senate weighs long-term care program - Comment: Has anybody looked into the actual daily cost of nursing home or hospice care beyond what Medicare covers temporarily?  This proposal will hardly make a dent in the cost - but will create an opportunity for groups like AARP to have Americans pushed by government into the purchase of supplemental insurance plans.
November 17, 2009 - Democrats promise jobs bill - Comment: These idiots have already proven to even the most casual observer that they are completely clueless about how productive jobs are actually created in this country.  As Obama talks about a "jobs summit" to create the illusion that he cares about this problem and is actually doing something about it (other than persistently making a bad situation far worse), Congress is now rushing to take the lead at wasting even more money in the name of jobs - before they lose the power in 2010 elections to pay off their favored interest groups again, as in the "stimulus".
November 17, 2009 - AP POLL: Paying for health overhaul? Tax the rich - Comment:  That's the way to make any program popular - pretend that somebody else will somehow pay for all of your benefits.  Why not propose that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny redistribute more of their wealth to pay for this?
November 17, 2009 - AP Analysis: Obama's China trip shows power shifting - Comment:  At least there is a little recognition that leaders in China may have a different perception of the way forward.
November 17, 2009 - Obama, Hu vow cooperation but produce few deals - Comment:   Why is the reporting all about Obama, with very little insight into Hu's objectives and what Chinese leaders wanted?  Note the comments at the end about their plans for Copenhagen summit.
November 17, 2009 - Denmark seeks specific pledges at climate talks - Comment:  Not dead yet.
November 17, 2009 - Hoffman 'unconcedes' in NY 23 US House race - Comment:  Unlike Franken or Gore, he doesn't seem to have unleashed an onslaught of lawyers to change the election outcome.  He seems to just be waiting to see what the final count may be, even though Pelosi quickly swore in Owens.
November 17, 2009 - Iran sentences 5 to death in postelection turmoil - Comment:  Meanwhile, Obama is still talking about unspecified consequences someday for their defiant nuclear program.
November 17, 2009 - Czechs celebrate fall of communism 20 years ago - Comment:  Note that it did not fall quietly.  The initial response, as usual, was brutal repression to try to intimidate the protesters.  The people won, but the transition from statist rule has not satisfied everyone's expectations.
November 17, 2009 - Business foes of health care revamp ramp up effort - Comment:  Show time.
November 17, 2009 - AP SPIN METER: Did Obama grovel? - Comment:  As a former Foreign Service Officer, the State Department guidance for basic etiquette or diplomatic protocol when meeting their peers in other countries does not necessarily apply to a President when meeting a foreign leader.  Diplomats are commissioned as personal representatives of the President, and as such, are expected to display cultural sensitivity and avoid unintentional offense to foreign leaders in the country to which they have been assigned. 

Sometimes, as in a demarche, it may be appropriate to reflect that the President has been offended, displeased, or strongly disagrees with something which is harming the relationship between the governments.  While a diplomat may follow some local customs as a sign of respect and friendship, that should not include actions which would be interpreted as American subservience or weakness.  Working level contacts with government officials may be less sensitive in this regard than an Ambassador or the President who is meeting a head of state or top official, and the same logic applies to visiting members of Congress.  It is one thing to show mutual respect and friendship when warranted by the relationship, and quite another matter to bow to foreign leaders.

One would think that Obama would have learned that lesson by now.  He is evidently a slow learner in this regard, or is simply willing to appear naive, obsequious and weak as he continues his global apology tour.  As President, he is free to bow to whoever he pleases, whether or not his diplomats do so or recommend it.  That may have adverse consequences among American voters, and reinforce an image of weakness among foreign observers, but the President is free to appear as weak and naive as he pleases.  The same is true of Congressional delegations, which are also free to make harmful protocol gaffes against all advice.

November 16, 2009 - Chinese censors block Obama's call to free the Web - Comment: Remember in 2010 what Obama said about our freedom to criticize him on the Internet, even when it irks him.
November 16, 2009 - Outrage in Washington over Obama's Japan bow - Comment:  It is customary for subjects to bow to their rulers in many countries as a sign of respect in those cultures.  It is not customary for American leaders to bow to foreign leaders.  There are better ways to show mutual respect than to subordinate our own cultural traditions as free individuals who don't bow to rulers, even though we may treat them with dignity and respect if their actions have shown that they deserve it.  In this case, there was no reason to insult the emperor, but no need to bow either.  It was a protocol gaffe.
November 16, 2009 - Obama prods China to take global role on climate - Comment:  Is this really the most important issue in our relationship with China?  It's the economy, stupid.  China knows that.
November 16, 2009 - AP Poll: Americans fret over health overhaul costs - Comment:  Duh.  The original campaign promise (now rarely even mentioned) was that "reform" was going to dramatically cut costs for consumers.  Now voters are realizing that the actual plan will severely drive up their costs.
November 16, 2009 - Millions will have to repay part of tax credit - Comment:  It wasn't very much to begin with - and now millions of Americans will have to figure out whether they were overpaid.  Later version of the same story.
November 16, 2009 - Australia apologizes to Brit kids sent to colonies - Comment:  Outrageous.
November 15, 2009 - Apology for kids shipped from Britain to colonies - Comment:  Do you want to see where the "nanny-state" mentality of a "caring" bureaucracy leads?  Look at what Britain did to kids for centuries as their final solution - rendition of children to other countries, even if it led to abuse.  The greatest tyranny and "social justice" problems are created by politicians and bureaucrats who may try to rationalize extraordinary abuses of power by pretending that it is all being done for the common good.  Cooperation by charities can provide political cover for outrageous policies.

Think about China, where family planning policies drive unwanted girls to be exported for adoption.  It has been a standard practice for so long that we have become numb to the tyranny which drives the process.

Why don't the leftists here protest the coercive rendition of unwanted babies from China, and the statist policies which drive Chinese mothers to choose to give up their girls?  Would their "pro-choice" solution be to have them all aborted, rather than exported?  Why not accept that failed statist government policies are what drives mothers to even give up their children, whether by choice or coercion, in the hope that they may find a better life elsewhere?

November 15, 2009 - Dozens of Gitmo detainees finally get day in court - Comment: Once again, the application of strict evidence standards for criminal trials of US citizens necessarily leads to acquittals of potential terrorists whose guilt cannot be proven beyond any reasonable doubt.  This is madness.  We may as well simply adopt a catch and release policy for all suspected terrorists in the future, or simply kill them on the battlefield rather than capture, interrogate, detain, and turn them over to judges at needless expense.  NATO forces already follow a catch and release policy for Somali pirates just because there is ambiguity about their authority to arrest and prosecute them even if they are caught during an attack.
November 15, 2009 - In first visit to China, Obama walks a tightrope - Comment:  Pity Obama's dilemma.  Should he dare to voice any criticism, even in private, rather than just bow low and apologize?
November 14, 2009 - State Finance Directors Warn of More Trouble Ahead - Comment:  Watch how dependent the states will become as the stimulus money runs out without economic recovery yet.  Meanwhile, new federal mandates (health care, education, etc.) will create even more budget pressures, as will unfunded liabilities for state employee benefits.
November 14, 2009 - New study says costs rise under health bill - Comment:  When he promised to "bend the cost curve", did anybody really think that more government intervention could bend it downward?
November 14, 2009 - In Asia, Obama pushing arms control with Russians

November 14, 2009 - US sees progress on arms control talks with Russia - Comment:  Why is the December 10 deadline so important? Just because of the Nobel prize? This is an extremely important negotiation - they need to take the time to do it right, and not cave in just to get another photo op for Obama to pretend that he is doing something good.

November 14, 2009 - Iran policing Internet in new attack on opposition - Comment: Net neutrality, Iran style.  Send secret police after anybody who posts anything offensive to the regime on the Internet.  Of course, Obama will not comment or criticize this. He and his advisors are probably just envious.
November 14, 2009 - A risky setting for NYC trial of 9/11 suspects - Comment: Similar story, with some absurd comments by people who are still in denial about terrorism and how to deal with it.

This is a political show trial - not to go after these terrorists or their friends, but rather to expose through the court process as many allegations as possible during the "discovery" process, leaks, and defense arguments to attack what the Bush administration did in response to the war declared by terrorists on us.

This is timed to appeal to the leftist base in the 2010 election cycle. That will not save this administration or members of Congress in that election.

November 13, 2009 - NYC trial of 9/11 suspects poses legal risks - Comment:  The lengthy "discovery" and pre-trial process, including leaks of anything controversial about how the prisoners were treated, should please Obama's left-wing base in preparation for the 2010 election cycle.  Like the recent show trial in Milan about rendition, they can try to put Bush policies on public trial instead of the terrorists.  Meanwhile, this predictably creates a series of distractions for conservative critics while Obama and friends keep pushing their social agenda on health care, cap and trade, education, immigration, etc.  It creates another needless crisis to exploit while Obama pretends to not be responsible for the outcome.
November 13, 2009 - Obama wants domestic spending cuts in next budget - Comment:  This is like an alcoholic promising to give up drinking when faced with arrest for DUI.  Don't let him off the hook. Stop him before his irresponsible conduct harms others. He clearly should not be trusted to drive this economy at all.
November 13, 2009 - Napolitano pronounces US border more secure now - Comment:  Ready to push the Obama "immigration reform" agenda.  Is success when the economy gets so bad here under Obama that Mexicans and others will choose to go home again to seek greater economic opportunities?
November 10, 2009 - Obama says he wants to visit Hiroshima in future - Comment: He can't make it on this trip to Asia, but it is high on the agenda for his next world apology tour.  The real crime against humanity was his election.  That's what Americans really need to apologize to the whole world for doing.
November 9, 2009 - Advice for Obama: 'Start knocking heads' on health - Comment:  If he knocks on Conyers' head, he may just get a hollow sound.  Obama's going to get out of town fast - for Asia.  Watch for the next exciting chapter of the world apology tour as he tries to divert attention from the Senate debate and push forward with the climate change agenda in Copenhagen in December, as well as initiatives to blackmail state legislators to change their education laws to suit his agenda in order to attract discretionary federal funding.  He found time to go to Wisconsin last week to push that agenda - but still hasn't figured out what to do about Afghanistan after months of excuses and delays.
November 9, 2009 - House health bill unacceptable to many in Senate - Comment:  If they were more representative of American opinion these days, it wouldn't get more than 40 votes. Instead, they'll tweak it a bit and try to ram it through after trying to wear down or buy off the opposition to it.
November 9, 2009 - Merkel thanks Gorbachev on Berlin Wall anniversary - Comment: Never forget how fortunate we are that this had a happy ending.  This was a very dangerous transition period for Europe.  They thanked Gorbachev, but what about Yeltsin?  What about Reagan and George HW Bush?

Meanwhile, Obama chose to skip the 20th anniversary celebration, and Hillary Clinton tried to suggest that there needed to be greater European and global unity on current issues such as climate change.  Always pushing the Obama agenda - despite the obvious failure of statist rule which is right in front of her face.  Clinton praises Germany on Berlin Wall tour 

November 9, 2009 - Obama confronts an Asia reshaped by China's rise - Comment:  The global apology tour heads to Japan, China, Singapore and South Korea. 
November 9, 2009 - China executes 9 suspects over July ethnic riots - Comment:  The European Union and United States have evidently decided that repression in China is just an internal matter - and not even something about which they should express serious concern or seek any changes by the government.  If this is the policy, then we should send all of the Uighur prisoners at Guantanamo back to China, and not worry about what China may do to them.  Why are those Uighurs more worthy of protection?
November 8, 2009 - House health care bill has nowhere to go in Senate - Comment:  Dead on arrival?  We can't become complacent and assume that it will stay dead.  It may yet be revived.
November 8, 2009 - GOP officials say Dems put agenda ahead of country - Comment:  Note how many of the Democrats sought political cover by voting against the bill despite past support of this agenda.  They realize that their political careers may soon be over, despite such transparent efforts to deceive voters.  Political unemployment among Democrats will rise in late 2010 and beyond.
November 6, 2009 - Obama says don't jump to conclusions on shooting - Comment: See the many comments, including the irony of how quickly he jumped to conclusions before staging his "beer summit".
November 6, 2009 - Delegates discuss way forward in UN climate talks - Comment:  Note that the chief US delegate "said President Barack Obama has the authority to make a commitment without congressional approval, "but a decision on whether or not we will do it has not yet been made." ".  How's that for audacity?  Let's figure out how to get around those troublesome constraints in the Constitution.
November 6, 2009 - Obama will push health bill in Saturday Hill visit - Comment:  Too bad that the thousands of protesters from Thursday can't stick around to line the motorcade route for his benefit.

Perhaps the media will at least cover some of the "pink slip" rallies on Saturday, such as the one in Nashville, which are giving "one year notice" to members of Congress. www.OneYearNotice.com

November 6, 2009 - House Dems say Saturday vote on health care may slip - Comment:  Perhaps some Democrats are waking up to the growing risk of their own unemployment in 2010 if they do this.

Later version of the same story

November 6, 2009 - G20 officials seek support for future growth - Comment:  Since when is it in our interest to participate in an international "collectivist" peer review process among developed countries to coordinate economic policies?  They tried that in the USSR - and it failed miserably.   The solution to achieve growth isn't for governments to try to manipulate global markets.  It's robust competition, rather than a rigged market in which unaccountable international bureaucrats try to pick the winners and losers, thereby making subservience and corruption the key to success rather than performance.

G20 officials to wrestle over economic imbalances - Wouldn't you buy tickets to see them actually wrestle against serious opponents?  Throw them out of the ring and stomp on them a few times.

Incidentally, note that the mere 20 protesters at St. Andrews got media attention, but the thousands of protesters at the US Capitol yesterday were largely ignored by AP reports and other news media, while a few Code Pink nuts at Sen. Lieberman's office got full news coverage because they had to be arrested.

November 5, 2009 - Southern Dems cast wary eye at election results - Comment: Pelosi may remain in denial, but many other Democrats are starting to worry about joining the unemployed soon.
November 5, 2009 - The Madness of Queen Nancy - Wall St. Journal opinion piece by John Fund, commenting on Nancy Pelosi's "delusional" response to the election results and health care debate.  He compares it to the madness of building the "Bridge on the River Kwai": a monumental folly driven by ego.
November 5, 2009 - Obama, House Dems press for health care votes
November 5, 2009 - Speaker Pelosi's government-run health plan will require a monthly abortion premium - from Republican Leader John Boehner's blog.  Look it up.  Crazy, hard to believe, but it's true.
November 5, 2009 - Rebooting the Democrats - Wall St. Journal editorial - Give them the boot in 2010.
November 5, 2009 - Health care reform assumes millions would pay fine rather than get coverage - Comment:  Another $167 billion surprise buried in the bill.  Rather than helping millions of Americans to get coverage, it will tax millions of Americans who don't want it - or else the revenue projections are false.
November 5, 2009 - Who built Berlin Wall?  Most Russians don't know - Comment:  All the history education that fits the party line (see other stories below).  On the other hand, how many Americans know the history of the Berlin Wall today?  Obama has even declined to go to the ceremony for the 30th anniversary of the end of the Berlin Wall - even though he was glad to visit adoring German crowds back in his election campaign.  Maybe he doesn't want to celebrate the end of statist tyranny while his own ambitious agenda is falling apart under the pressure of citizens despite any deals among political leaders.
November 5, 2009 - Negotiators scale back UN climate pact ambitions - Comment:  It's not dead yet.  They may just try to not push it as a legally binding treaty right away.  Instead, they'll reach an agreement and then try to turn that into a creeping political mandate and eventual treaty, as in the EU.

Angry words as timetable for climate deal starts to slip - The wackos were so confident of victory in Copenhagen that they will make a lot of angry noise now.  That's OK - it's better than giving them power.

November 5, 2009 - Majority leader: House will pass US health bill - Comment:  Still not listening, even after the election results on Tuesday, and with thousands of protesters at the Capitol today.
November 5, 2009 - Democrats' plan to help 'uninsurables' questioned - Comment: They give you six months to die or reach a terminal stage before offering coverage.  Whose plan is to "Die Quickly"?
November 5, 2009 - Obama welcomes AARP backing of health care bill - Comment: Wake up, seniors.  AARP is not looking out for you.  They just want to sell you insurance and other services.
November 5, 2009 - Doctors' group supports House health care bill - Comment: Despite the fact that they didn't get the payoff they expected in the "Medicare fix", they're still helping Obama to push this.
November 5, 2009 - Senate Democrats advance climate bill without GOP - Comment:  There's still time to stop this economic suicide pact.  Later version of the story
November 5, 2009 - Senate blocks census citizenship question -  Comment:  Why should a high local concentration of non-citizens skew such things as Congressional districts and federal funding?
November 4, 2009 - The Permanent Tea Party - opinion by Daniel Henninger in the Wall St. Journal
November 4, 2009 - AP sources: Dem Health bill to get AARP backing - Comment:  A reminder to cancel your AARP membership - chop up your card, mail it back, and demand removal from their mailings.
November 4, 2009 - AP sources: Obama plans trip to Capitol on Friday - Comment:  But he will probably make himself scarce again on Thursday, when many protesters arrive at the Capitol at noon.  Remember when he fled to Minnesota on 9/12 to speak to an adoring crowd of supporters while vastly more protesters filled the Mall by the Capitol?
November 4, 2009 - Democrats say elections won't stop health care - Comment:  Political suicide.  Do you feel lucky, Nancy Pelosi?  Well, do you, punk?  Make our day.  Keep up your arrogant defiance.
November 4, 2009 - House GOP plan would cover relatively few - Comment:  And cost a lot less.
November 4, 2009 - AP Analysis: Election lessons will shape '10 campaign - Comment:  Starting to recognize that principled independent voters can swing elections to either party.
November 4, 2009 - Election results show Obama's political coalition unraveling - Comment:  Fairly objective analysis in the Christian Science Monitor.  What a difference a year of audacity makes.
November 4, 2009 - Israel: commandos seize Hezbollah-bound arms ship - Comment:  Exposing what the Iranian and Syrian leadership have been doing to stir up trouble in the Middle East.
November 4, 2009 - AP IMPACT: Clunker pickups traded for new pickups - Comment:  Smart move by pickup truck owners to upgrade at government expense.  Remember, this was touted as a success - by members of Congress who probably don't regard pickup truck owners as their target voter base.
November 4, 2009 - House Democrats clear the way for health care vote - Comment: Slipping in some even more damaging provisions - such as regulatory power over premium increases by insurers.   That basically serves to enforce subservience to their agenda.  Join Michele Bachman on Thursday at the US Capitol to remind members of Congress to vote against this, or join the unemployed in 2010.
November 4, 2009 - STIMULUS WATCH: Salary raise counted as saved job - Comment:  I told you so - back in January.  "Jobs saved" is a common myth in economic development to rationalize spending.
November 4, 2009 - Former HP CEO Fiorina announces bid for US Senate - Comment:  Since Barbara Boxer is so proud of earning her title as Senator, let's see her try to defend it in 2010.  Let's see how may jobs Pelosi and Reid can save in 2010 - in Congress.  Those are the only ones they care about.
November 4, 2009 - Iran opposition protesters return to streets - Comment:  Since Obama still can't even decide what to do about troops in Afghanistan after all these months, and his alleged deadline for firm action such as sanctions on Iran passed quietly in September without incident, clearly it is up to the people of Iran to deal with the tyrants in power on their own.  Obama is no friend of the Iranian people.  He's even worse than Carter - which is no small accomplishment in so few months.
November 4, 2009 - White House monitoring crackdown in Iran - Comment:  The White House expresses deep concern, as usual, and hopes the violence will not spread.  Great - then why not actually do something for a change to put some real pressure on those tyrants who are cracking heads?

Follow #IranElection on Twitter for news directly out of Tehran and protests in other cities in Iran.  For background about the post-election protests in Iran, see our special page about Iran.

November 4, 2009 - Iran police, protesters clash at US Embassy rally - Comment:  Perfect timing - the 30th anniversary of the attack on the US Embassy is now celebrated with "death to the dictator" chants, and "death to Russia" by some reports.

Meanwhile, Obama declined to show up at the 20th anniversary ceremony commemorating the destruction of the Berlin Wall despite a personal invitation from Angela Merkel.  He probably didn't want to remember that Reagan and Bush contributed to that success over authoritarian statist tyranny, socialism, and communism.  Maybe he will go celebrate Carter's failure in Iran by meeting with Ahmedinejad soon.

November 4, 2009 - White House: Tuesday's GOP wins not about Obama - Comment:  Go ahead.  Keep ignoring voters and ramming your agenda down our throats, and see where it gets you in 2010.
November 4, 2009 - SPIN METER: Rankings unfair to US higher ed? - Comment: Interesting story.  Once again, you need to create the perception of a crisis in order to ram through policy changes.
November 3, 2009 - GOP sweep: Big governor victories in Virginia, NJ - Comment:  "Blue dogs" should be running for political cover.  If they vote for the health legislation and cap and trade or some of the other legislative atrocities of the radical left, they will be victims of political climate change in 2010.

November 4 - later version of the same story with more comments.  Note that the health care legislation isn't dead yet, even though it may yet get stalled into early 2010 as Democrats try to regroup.

November 3, 2009 - GOP wins Virginia governor race a year after Obama won state - Comment:  McDonnell also won by large margins in some Congressional districts which had gone to Democrats along with the Obama campaign in 2008.  Their political careers could also come to a quick end in 2010.
November 3, 2009 - Republican Christie captures NJ governor's seat - Comment:  Big win.
November 3, 2009 - Democrat wins House seat in heavily GOP area in NY - Comment:  Next time, Republican voters will get to pick a viable candidate in a primary, instead of party leaders.  It is unfortunate that conservative Doug Hoffman - almost unknown a few weeks ago - missed by a tight margin.
November 3, 2009 - Merkel calls for strong deal on climate change - Comment:  No time to lose?  Where have we heard that before?  Never let a good illusory crisis go to waste as an opportunity to grow government spending, taxes, and regulatory power over our lives.  We don't want to follow Germany's lead.
November 3, 2009 - Climate debate has rocky start for US Senate panel - Comment:  Not yet rocky enough.  Kill the bill.  Stop the Obama administration efforts to sign a treaty in Copenhagen in December.
November 3, 2009 - Climate talks face difficult road ahead of meeting - Comment:  Good.  If any agreement can be stalled until 2010, Obama will never have the political support he needs to advance it.   The real global climate catastrophe that we are facing is the economic suicide of the developed countries, destroying our successful economic climate in the name of UN wealth transfers to the rest of the world.
November 3, 2009 - House GOP pens 230 page health bill draft - Comment:  First, kill the harmful bill that is already in progress.  We can worry later about whether an alternative bill would merit support.
November 2, 2009 - 2 hopefuls duel in upstate NY after surprise turn - Comment:  Go Hoffman!  Then, let's mobilize the Tea Party movement for impact in 2010 primaries.  www.TeaMoney.ning.com
November 2, 2009 - GOP victory Tuesday won't erase party's problems - Comment:  Quick, as with previous stories by this AP writer, who seems to just parrot the latest White House spin:  What's an anagram for the last name Sidoti?  Hint: Glenn Beck's latest book addresses arguing with ...

October 31, 2009 - It's the follow-through that matters in New York's special race - opinion piece in the Washington Examiner by Glenn Reynolds (InstaPundit) about the future of the Tea Party movement

November 2, 2009 - New business coalition opposes House health bill - Comment: Eleven large business groups have united to fight this together as Employers for a Healthy Economy.  See also the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and their American Free Enterprise initiative, as well as Campaign for Responsible Health Reform.  Refer also to NFIB - National Federation of Independent Business
November 2, 2009 - AP sources: House health bill totals $1.2 trillion - Comment:  That still assumes 10 years of tax revenues and fees, but not 10 years of benefits.  The real cost is much higher - and it's not just the rich who will get soaked by this massive expansion of government bureaucracy and power.
November 2, 2009 - GAO: Full recovery of auto investment unlikely - Comment: Surprise, surprise.
November 1, 2009 - As jobs vanish, factory towns slow to see stimulus - Comment:  See the interesting chart of alleged jobs created or saved by the stimulus bill by county, and then compare that to the 2008 "Electoral Explorer" map by county to see the political connections at a glance.
November 1, 2009 - Geithner: Economy rebounding, but job growth lags - Comment:  He still won't admit that their plans are failing, and that sooner or later they will have to raise taxes or monetize the debt through inflation.  The alleged ability to grow our way out of this is not supported by any evidence.  Even if the economy achieved extraordinary growth, it wouldn't keep pace with this increased spending and debt.
November 1, 2009 - Future of GOP and moderate Republicans uncertain - Comment:  What is uncertain is simply whether Republican Party leaders are ever going to listen to their base again.  Instead of trying to rationalize specious candidate just because they might have a chance to win, there needs to be a return to fundamental principles and values so voters have a choice other than the lesser of evils.
November 1, 2009 - GOP ex-candidate endorses Democrat in NY race - Comment:  So much for the party loyalty which Michael Steele and Newt Gingrich were so worried about when they supported her.  We shall soon see whose endorsement carries more weight with voters in the NY 23rd district.
November 1, 2009 - AP Analysis: With few options, US accepts Karzai - Comment:  Efforts by Democratic strategists to help boost Abdullah's candidacy during the election process have failed.

Afghan's Karzai effectively handed 2nd term

November 1, 2009 - White House: Afghan troop decision with weeks - Comment:  Still trying to decide when to decide to decide.  As predicted, it won't come before the US elections as his main focus.
November 1, 2009 - Flex spending accounts face hit in health overhaul - Comment:  What problem is this solving?  It just reduces the freedom of individuals to save for their own health care needs.  These programs are successful and should be expanded and improved, such as with rollovers to keep growing for critical care needs over time.  Instead, they are being cut back to enforce greater reliance on government.
October 23, 2009 - Washington Examiner - GOP on health care: In 568 words, what's wrong with 1,990 pages - Comment:  Yes, there are better alternatives if anybody would listen to them.
October 31, 2009 - Republican Scozzafava drops out of New York congressional race - Comment:  This is a wake-up call for Republican Party leaders across the country as 2010 primaries approach.
October 30, 2009 - Path clears for House to OK compromise health bill - Comment: Just in time for Halloween.  If this expansion of government intrusion into our lives doesn't scare you, nothing will.  Note that new ads are referring to it as the "consensus" health care plan - as though negotiating agreement behind closed doors among Democrats now constituted a "consensus" in America.  What a farce.  Kill this bill.

Path clearing for House to pass health bill - another version of the same story

October 29, 2009 - Taxpayer-funded research helps congressmen become more popular - blog post on the Tea Party page at BigGovernment.com  Comment: Your tax dollars at work - to ignore you.  Did you really expect the National Science Foundation to be funding this sort of "political science" work?
October 29, 2009 - Obama extols new GDP figures as 'welcome news' - Comment:  For a different perspective, see the Q3 CEO Survey results from the Business Roundtable, and compare them to the last recession and recovery period.  There's very little reason for optimism about jobs and investment yet.

The sales may be starting to pick up from the worst recession levels, but that's still not saying much.  We're still seeing a level of pessimism about job creation and capital investment that is more like early 2002, except that now the policies which are in place or in progress seem designed to make matters worse rather than better.  Don't bet on things getting much better in 2010 - until after November 2010.

October 29, 2009 - AP IMPACT: Stimulus jobs overstated by thousands - Comment:  Fuzzy math or willful deception?  I warned at the time of the stimulus about the myth of government job creation and how states play games with the numbers when counting jobs "created or saved".  The story here is not really a few mistakes in reporting the jobs data, because that would create the idea that the problem is the need for more government bureaucrats to do a better job of counting all the new or saved jobs - who in turn would have to find some evidence of job creation to justify their own existence.
October 29, 2009 - Obama to lay out plans to help small businesses - Comment:  Don't buy into this latest myth that the government is here to help.  He's just trying to placate his growing critics.
October 29, 2009 - Obama considering scaled-down Afghan war plan - Comment:   This shows that his real focus is domestic politics rather than Afghanistan.  He's test-marketing his "strategy".
October 28, 2009 - Afghan strategy to focus on major population centers: report - Comment:  Leaking military strategy ideas for political reaction before  taking a decision is yet another mistake.
October 28, 2009 - US diplomat resigns over Afghan war - Comment:  Worth a closer look.
October 28, 2009 - Obama launches climate push with December goal - Comment: Push back.
October 28, 2009 - Envoy: No China-US climate pact from Obama visit - Comment: Still trying to get a deal with China as a stick to beat Congress with in the effort to pass cap and trade.
October 28, 2009 - AP THE INFLUENCE GAME: Doctors' lobby in tricky spot - Comment:  "The AMA has spent more than $32 million lobbying Congress in the last two years."  What if principled Americans collaborated to help elect better politicians in 2010?
October 27, 2009 - Obama on Virginia governor's race: It's not over yet - Comment:  Voters for the Republican candidate shouldn't be complacent, but the Democrat should lose decisively.
October 27, 2009 - Obama team: US needs bill to lead in clean energy - Comment: This has little to do with climate change or clean energy. It won't give us clean power. It will give us more corrupt power through government at a very high price. Let other countries bankrupt themselves by going down this path. We should not lead them over the precipice to economic ruin.
October 27, 2009 - Kerry: US leadership at stake in climate debate - Comment:  "America's leadership is on the line here".  Absolutely.  If we do this, we'll lose our global economic leadership.
October 27, 2009 - AP IMPACT: Troops already outnumber Taliban 12-1 - Comment:  Superficial  paralysis by analysis. This decision should have been taken months ago, in which case the additional troops would already be there rather than not available until sometime in 2010 now, if ever.  Gibbs: Obama closer to decision on Afghanistan  Not until after the US election next week.
October 26, 2009 - Pelosi: Health care 'public option' needs new name - Comment:  How about "Dead on Arrival"?  Kill the bill, instead of tweaking it to temporarily conceal the damage, or rebranding it.  They already tried renaming it "health insurance reform" and "competition".  It won't fool us.
October 26, 2009 - Pakistan arrests 11 Iranian guards close to border - Comment:  This is a serious provocation of Pakistan by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.  In effect, these Guard members have simply invaded Pakistan like spies after Iran had already said it wanted to send IRG into Pakistan in search of those who killed some IRG leaders last week, which Pakistan properly rejected.
October 26, 2009 - Engage and criticize: Obama's split media strategy - Comment:  Media strategy?  He should focus on his job, such as a strategy for economic recovery and national security.  He has invested far too much time on political fundraising and media appearances to push his agenda.

Carrots and Sticks - later version of the same story.  Did WH spin-masters talk to the AP?

October 25, 2009 - AP FACT CHECK: Health insurer profits not so fat - Comment:  The tyrants who are trying to impose this change on us don't really care about inconvenient facts.  We already knew that.
October 25, 2009 - Nuclear energy becomes pivotal in climate debate - Comment: Note how the climate models are distorted by projections of far more nuclear plants than anyone is planning.  When those rosy projections of reduced emissions based on a technology which they refuse to approve eventually fail, what will be rammed down our throats as an alternative to try to hit emission targets?  By that time the damage will already be done to our economy, because the new political power structure created by cap and trade legislation will already be firmly entrenched.
October 25, 2009 - From ecological Soviet-era ruin, a sea is reborn - Comment:  The destruction of the Aral Sea is a timely reminder of the damage which statists can do, and how hard it can be to reverse what they impose. Why don't they talk about this in Copenhagen before they unite to make the world much worse for the alleged greater good?
October 25, 2009 - AP - THE INFLUENCE GAME: Bill Gates sways govt dollars - Comment:  As with the Annenberg Project in Chicago, philanthropists with good intentions can expand the ability of politicians to impose changes by providing both money and political cover for their actions.  Whether those changes will eventually prove to be good or bad may be open to debate, but it is a slippery slope for private foundations to try to use government power and influence to impose their own ideas.

Once again, go back and look at the "Get Schooled" initiative as launched in September by Viacom and the Gates Foundation at the time of Obama's speech to children in schools. Think about the "Race to the Top" initiative.

October 23, 2009 - Obama offers millions in Muslim technology fund - Comment:  Is there no limit to his bad ideas?  Meanwhile - CAIR Banquet Sold Out, Congressional Coalition Blasts Anti-Muslim Reps  Try looking up CAIR through our "Conservative Search" tool for background.
October 23, 2009 - Sarah Palin has endorsed Doug Hoffman for Congress in the NY 23rd District race on her Facebook page.  This is a bold move to back an independent Reagan conservative who is running as an independent after the Republican Party backed a controversial candidate.  It will be very interesting to see whether this gives Hoffman a bigger boost than the large recent campaign contributions by the national Republican Party to back their favored candidate, and the endorsement of Newt Gingrich.

Palin backs 3rd-party candidate in NY House race - Good move.  Going rogue, as she says.  Note that little attention was paid to the other endorsements Hoffman picked up - Fred Thompson, Steve Forbes, Dick Armey, Rick Santorum, etc. It's the principled stance of Palin which scares the heck out of the Democrats as well as the Republican leadership in Washington.

October 23, 2009 - Dems scrambling for support for public health plan - Comment:  Will they risk a voter backlash by taking action prior to the few elections this November?  The "Blue Dogs" should think very carefully about how the White House just distanced itself from an expected defeat in Virginia.  Even the Washington Post, which endorsed Deeds for governor in VA, now shares commentaries recognizing that Obama is quickly ditching those who haven't shown unwavering loyalty and adoration.

Politics at play as Obama helps anemic Democrats - All campaigning, all about him, all the time.

October 22, 2009 - Poll: US belief in global warming is cooling - Just in time for the Senate to try to revive and push the cap and trade legislation next week while voter attention is distracted by other issues.
October 22, 2009 - Treasury to order bailed-out firms to slash pay - Comment:  Nice sense of timing, releasing this story after midnight, a day after Obama's big fundraising dinner with Wall Street bankers.
October 22, 2009 - Congress moves to expand financial oversight - Comment:  Note the tie to the story of yesterday (below) about state oversight of banks.
October 22, 2009 - White House nixes Cheney's charges on Afghanistan - Comment:  They're still trying to deflect or denigrate his criticism without really responding to it.  Thank you, Dick Cheney - and to Liz Cheney and Weekly Standard editor William Kristol for launching www.KeepAmericaSafe.com
October 21, 2009 - Dick Cheney's remarks to the Center for Security Policy - Comment:  "The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger."  My own choice of words - back on September 30, when a decision was already long overdue.  Then there was the news flash on October 13 that Obama might actually decide to make a decision within a few weeks.  There are similar stories being floated today about whether to make and announce a decision prior to the outcome of the Afghan runoff election on November 7, knowing that such election results won't be available right away.

This is beyond waffling.  This seems to be a firm commitment to failure, now reinforced by lies from Rahm Emanuel alleging no prior strategic review of Afghan policy since 2001, even though Bush quietly did one for the transition team.  The point is that the Obama team seems clueless about how to handle Afghanistan at a time when they just want to focus on quickly pushing their domestic policy agenda through Congress.

Cheney: Obama's Afghan War Strategy 'Bears Striking Resemblance' to Bush's  When the Obama staff persists in telling lies and blaming Bush, the gloves come off - even if many in the media will ignore it.

October 21, 2009 - Education chief calls for teacher prep overhaul - Comment: Beware of greater federal control over teacher education.  This encroaches on state and local authority in a crucial area.  It is one thing to encourage states to consider such matters, and quite another to use federal budget resources to impose changes nationally which will make all new teachers have to comply with federal standards at some point.
October 21, 2009 - Afghan coalition government is an option, US says - Comment:  Why on earth would the US government get involved in trying to promote the negotiation of a power-sharing deal or coalition government in Afghanistan?  Instead of creating legitimacy as a truly independent government chosen by the free will of the Afghan people, that will make it look as though it was a deal brokered by the U.S. to install a new regime which suits our interests, even if they have to ignore the Afghan constitution to do it.

That would be a gift to the Taliban, and turn many Afghans against us.  The Obama administration is either clueless, or is deliberately promoting a path to early failure in Afghanistan with plausible deniability of accountability for that outcome.  In short, simply let Afghanistan fall apart, and then walk away from it.  Betray the eight years of sacrifices by our military there.

US signals Afghan coalition government is possible - Later version of the White House talking points.  There is nothing subtle about this. It is direct interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, just like Obama meddling in Honduras. Every nation should denounce it. This will be perceived as a ploy to set up a weak puppet regime as the Soviets did, and Afghans will rightly resent it and fight against it.

It is hard to imagine a more misguided policy, because the blowback will extend beyond Afghanistan to convince skeptics in other countries that America no longer promotes democracy, but rather just does deals behind closed doors to serve the American political agenda.

Afghan ambassador comes out swinging against election critics - points out that a coalition is illegal.

October 21, 2009 - Kerry becomes all-around adviser to Obama - Comment:  Proving once again the wisdom of the American public to have rejected Kerry as president, even if Obama may be worse.
October 21, 2009 - 23 states report higher unemployment in September - Comment:  The only surprise is that the AP didn't headline that 27 states didn't report higher unemployment - although some of the declines in the statistics were because people gave up and stopped looking actively for work.
October 21, 2009 - House panel ensures state oversight of big banks - Comment:  Watch out for H.R. 3639 as a potentially costly regulatory nightmare for the banking industry.  In short, it creates what is effectively a federal protection racket, by which banks will need to individually seek federal exemptions from state regulations according to a highly subjective judgment of what would "significantly interfere" with their ability to do interstate business.  That should be a boon for lobbyists and campaign fundraising.
October 21, 2009 - Obama trying to boost party money, morale - Comment:  Invest directly in the campaigns of candidates who you can enthusiastically support - not the party or PACs.  If you really dislike a candidate, invest in the better one.  If not money, volunteer time and effort for the campaign.
October 21, 2009 - Dems go after anti-trust exemption for insurers - Comment:  When challenged, threaten and intimidate the opposition. Chicago-style politics comes to Washington. Told you so.
October 21, 2009 - AP - THE INFLUENCE GAME: Firms resist new health rules - Comment:  If it ain't broke yet, government can fix that.
October 21, 2009 - Obama refocuses bailout on small businesses -  Comment:  It only took him 9 months to recognize that he had ignored small businesses while he concentrated on paying back those who had bankrolled his rise to power.  Now that he's facing defeat in 2010 elections, which could clearly jeopardize much of his agenda, he's looking for political cover by pretending to support small businesses.  Read carefully to the end.  This "plan" would only last until the end of this year unless the TARP program is extended, which is probably just a political excuse to continue TARP for other reasons.
October 19, 2009 - White House Boasts: We 'Control' Media, Reports Aaron Klein - Comment: PR piece from WorldNetDaily with a link to an article about what Anita Dunn (White House communications director) said about their manipulative media strategy.  See the video of her January 12, 2009 speech about putting out controlled propaganda videos instead of actually meeting with reporters.  Note that the guy behind it was put in charge of developing "Organizing for America" with the DNC after the election.
October 19, 2009 - Fed boss says US should cut budget deficit - Comment: Duh.  The question is how to cut the deficit while Congress keeps expanding it.
October 19, 2009 - AP Analysis: Washington's overplayed hand on Russia - Comment:  That's putting it very charitably.  How about "Obama and Clinton both conned by Russian leaders"
October 19, 2009 - Health care bill makes Sen. Roland Burris relevant - Comment:  Pushing the "public option".  Is he being set up to be the excuse / useful scapegoat for including it in the final bill?  Since he won't face election again, he can stubbornly push the party line as usual, with impunity.
October 19, 2009 - UK's Brown urges progress on climate pact - Comment:  What would really be catastrophic is for the United States to surrender sovereignty to this global governance nightmare.  Note that they already estimate that this will cost hundreds of billions of dollars per year - and that's positive thinking by the proponents of such a regulatory bureaucracy.  The good news is that leaders are starting to doubt that they can reach a deal in Copenhagen this December, especially as Obama is weakened and there is little evidence of economic recovery.  It will be even harder to push this forward in 2010 as voters in America wake up to the cost (and maybe even voters in Europe).
October 18, 2009 - Biggest economies try again to strike climate deal - Comment:  Let me get this straight. A failing UK government which is facing imminent electoral defeat is going to try to exert pressure on a failing US government which is facing defeat next year to agree on how to save the world from a problem which is not certain to even exist sometime in the distant future.

Am I missing something? Perhaps there should be higher priorities than listening to people like Al Gore, who American voters properly rejected many years ago. Somebody, please save the world from the most imminent threat of harmful hot air - cut his mic.

See reviews of the timely new movie - Not evil, just wrong Jeremy D. Boreing  Christian Toto

October 18, 2009 - White House advisers say Fox News is not news - Comment:  Yes, Fox News is making money, and that's not evil.  They do good reporting and commentary.  Thank you, Fox News!  The blowback from these arrogant, clueless attacks on Fox News will be to draw even more loyal viewers.  Even observers at the New York Times had already figured out that this is a very dumb move.

Later version of the same story with additional comments.

October 18, 2009 - NY House race seen as test for GOP, Obama - Comment:  The Republican Party may lose this normally secure House seat because of the controversial candidate it selected.  One can only hope that the independent Republican, Doug Hoffman, will win or finish second as a warning shot across the bow of the Republican Party leadership nationally prior to the more vital 2010 elections.
October 18, 2009 - House, Senate Dems at odds on health care overhaul - Comment:  They will ram through as much as they think they can safely do now without losing power in 2010, and then they will keep adding whatever gets left out over the years ahead.  The time to stop them completely is now.
October 18, 2009 - White House says stimulus money still kicking in - Comment: Right ... and you know where it keeps kicking us.  That's where we will kick them in 2010.

Meanwhile, they're back to their old populist narrative of trying to vilify the greedy bankers.

Guess what. Americans soon figure out when they are being conned by specious politicians. They may have been fooled again last November, but they're not going to be so easily manipulated by these White House advisors now. It was a nice try today to provide some political cover for Democrats in Congress as they continue to push the health care legislation behind closed doors despite public resistance. If they push this legislation through, the blowback from voters will soon end everything else on the Obama agenda. The "party of no" may not have the votes to stop them, but the voters detest this arrogance in Washington, and will blow them out of power in 2010.

Obama looking at all options for creating jobs - Later version of the same story.  Some AP editor or spin master must have figured out that the original title as above wasn't the best choice of words.

"The systemic risk today is the Congress of the United States" . Nice Quote.  Judd Gregg is finally starting to get it, after almost joining Obama's team.  What was he thinking?

October 17, 2009 - Biden visits Reno to tout stimulus, support Reid - Comment: Helping Reid raise $25 million to save his job - while destroying millions of others.  No amount of money should save him.
October 15, 2009 - Anita Dunn: A corruptocrat flack and a Mao cheerleader - Michelle Malkin blog - Comment: background on the White House communications director who had the audacity to hope that she could attack Fox News with impunity.  Maybe she can rejoin Tom Daschle now.  Chalk up another one for Glenn Beck in exposing her praise of Chairman Mao in a recent high school speech.
October 14, 2009 - AP fact check: Health insurers cherry-pick facts - Comment:  Truth is often a casualty of war.  Where's the rigorous scrutiny of the facts on the other side of the debate?  Oh, that's right - despite promises of transparency, they're keeping all the details secret in negotiations behind closed doors, and are releasing nothing but spin and misleading talking points while they try to intimidate or buy off opponents as fast as they can.  Americans are smart enough to figure out who is more trustworthy.
October 14, 2009 - Senate Dems seek higher doctor payments - Comment: Trying to buy off the doctors by promising higher Medicare payments without having the money to pay for it.  Another con.
October 14, 2009 - Obama calls for $250 payments for seniors -  Comment:  Trying to distract from the $500 million cuts to Medicare.  Still treating seniors like suckers who can be bought off - cheap.
October 14, 2009 - AP sources: Afghan corruption worries McChrystal - Comment:  How much would it cost us to buy off enough corrupt Afghans to prevail?  Surely we have deeper pockets than the Taliban and Al Qaeda or even the drug lords. We just have to get over our reluctance to pay local or national leaders off (other than here).

Think of it as inflating the price of corruption until the enemy can't compete.  Pay to play, as they call it here in Illinois politics.  Compare that Democratic political strategy to the cost of war, or of losing.

October 14, 2009 - Democrats favor repealing exemption for insurers - Comment:  Blackmail.  Intimidation.   Hardball Chicago-style politics.  Enemies list.  Summary: arrogant abuse of power.
October 14, 2009 - Another GOP senator open to health care overhaul  Surprise, surprise - like the prior AP story, The real female maverick in GOP: Olympia Snowe  Maine voters - please fix this.
October 14, 2009 - Ageing Europe's pension bill to 'dwarf' crisis debts: EU - Comment:  Social Security is a failing Ponzi scheme in Europe, too.  What's their solution?  Work longer to qualify.
October 13, 2009 - Obama: Afghanistan decision in 'coming weeks' - Comment:  A real news flash.  Obama may actually decide to make a decision to change his previous decision within a few weeks.
October 13, 2009 - Fallen Marine's father wants change in Afghanistan - Comment:  I questioned these new rules of engagement as soon as they were made public.  They are almost as crazy as the NATO catch-and-release policy for Somali pirates, which keeps setting them free.

Could we perhaps get Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins to agree to go there and spend a few weeks with the troops on the front lines under these rules of engagement, with no special protection other than perhaps a burqa to avoid offending the local Taliban?

October 13, 2009 - Unions will oppose Baucus bill unless it's changed - Comment:  They are determined to make the bad proposals even worse for our country.  Union leaders are really good at that.

Senate committee approves health care plan - Another Snowe job.  Why doesn't she join Specter?

October 13, 2009 - AP CAPITAL CULTURE: In a word, they are Obama's faves - Comment:  Even the AP seems to be getting tired of the same empty Obama rhetoric.  Let me be clear - we are working hard to solve that problem in 2010 and 2012.

In a skeptical age, Obama is government's face - No, he's just the mouthpiece or seemingly nice and harmless front man for his radical friends. He has done nothing but campaign - even after winning - just as he did little else as an Illinois Senator or by being "present" in the Illinois General Assembly. He personifies the problem of too much government in our lives. Rapidly rising costs, and few benefits to show for it.

October 12, 2009 - White House hits health insurers ahead of key vote  How dare they object now, at such an inconvenient time, after Obama thought that they had been intimidated or bought off already?

Seniors lobby challenges health insurance report - If any seniors still believe that the AARP is looking out for their interests, that's a problem.  Cut up your membership cards and mail them in.

Insurers mount attack against health reform - Comment:  Finally.  They were backing it until now because they wrongly believed that their interests would be served by the changes.

October 12, 2009 - Confronting Al Gore with an inconvenient question - cut the mic, quickly, when a well-informed critic dares to question their hero with something as inconvenient as facts

Senate panel to pass climate bill by December - Comment:  The loons in Congress aren't extinct yet.  We have a lot of work ahead to at least drive them out of Washington DC in the 2010 elections.

Energy Secretary Chu hopeful about climate bill - but the fight to stop it isn't hopeless yet

October 12, 2009 - Job losses mar recovery, create woes for Dems - Comment: How telling that the main concern about all the job losses and the effective 17 percent unemployment rate (and rising) is about the impact on Democratic political power and their ability to ram through their agenda as planned.  It may "create woes for Dems" in Washington, but what about the effect on American families?  The problem isn't that the Dems may lose some seats in Congress.  It's that they won too many last time, and put a naive populist radical into the White House who is making a bad situation much worse.
October 12, 2009 - Cities lag in preparations for high-stakes census - Comment:  Maybe the cities were counting on ACORN being paid by the feds to do this, instead of having to budget for it locally.

Why is the more accurate counting of illegal immigrants part of the plan? It should not be difficult to document the legal ones, since they have nothing to hide and are used to dealing with the government after going through all the red tape involved in the immigration process. In fact, some of the legal ones (especially those who have fled tyranny in their home countries within their own lifetime) are very conservative, and don't like the idea that the illegals have been able to break the law with impunity while they worked hard to respect it.

Pew report examines Census preparations in Philadelphia and other major cities  Original PR.  "Boston, Chicago and Detroit--already are lined up to receive considerable financial and organizing support from local and statewide donor networks established specifically for the Census."  Do you think that we should be worried about private donor networks wanting to influence the Census outcome?

October 12, 2009 - AP Analysis: Vitriol, invective at the speed of light - Comment:  Where is the criticism of the relentless online attacks by leftists over the last decade, and the provocative and highly insulting comments by Democratic politicians, including the leadership rather than just a few obscure ones like the nitwit in Florida? 

Where is the criticism of Daily Kos, MoveOn, Huffington Post, etc.?  What about Nancy Pelosi and others calling Tea Party participants Nazis or "teabaggers", or trying to portray any grassroots opposition such as the health care town halls as "astroturf" rather than genuine?  How about the AP's choice to virtually ignore the huge 9/12 march on Washington, but to give plenty of coverage to the gay rights folks last weekend and other liberal groups, even when their gatherings are small and not news?

As for Obama leaving "the doomsayers with red faces" about resistance to his school speech, the point is that the quick criticism of it limited the damage even though his radical education agenda is still being pushed behind the scenes.  Wake up and check out the "Get Schooled" initiative launched that day.

October 11, 2009 - What did I tell ya?  Lindsey Graham signs on to cap-and-tax - Michelle Malkin blog.  Includes links to other recent stories about Republicans buying into this cap and trade nightmare.
October 10, 2009 - An Iraqi's trek from Sadr City to Monterey, Calif. - Comment:  Great story.  Welcome to America, and thanks for your service!  While in California, don't miss the Reagan Library.

Frankly, I'm just a bit surprised that the AP even covered this. The point which is missed is that there are many foreigners who risk their lives to work closely with Americans - whether with our diplomats, military, intelligence agencies, or even just private businesses - in places where they may be hated just for being associated with us. They may just be standing up for liberty in their own countries and in their own lives and families, but that makes them a target. We can go home to our liberty. They often remain in great danger. We really need to show more appreciation for their valuable contributions.
October 10, 2009 - Wait for benefits is 3 years if health care passes - Comment:  Pay now, and hope for change to work out OK later - after the 2012 election.  Note that the CBO scoring of the estimated cost is skewed by having the tax revenue up front while deferring the benefit costs until 2013.

Once the bureaucracy is set up, it will never go away - and the real costs will grow (or care will be rationed).  This is a deliberate investment in failure.  They're just trying to fudge the numbers, like another ponzi scheme.  October 11 - later version of the same AP story.

Even Bernie Madoff was more convincing to his victims. Americans won't be so easily fooled again after the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac subprime loan debacle and all of the so-called "stimulus" spending. How's that working out for you?  Would you trust these people with your health and life as well as your money?

So, Nancy Pelosi, you've got to to ask yourself a question. Do you feel lucky? Do you?

October 10, 2009 - Obama: Consensus and obstructionism on health care - Comment:  Delusional. The willingness of a few moderate Republicans to consider a few changes to try to achieve common ground and improvements doesn't equate to bipartisan endorsement of every big government program idea he has. They should be obstructionist, because he is pushing a very harmful agenda. The Republicans are actually being responsive to the public opposition, while Obama is clearly talking too much and not listening. Hubris. Arrogance.
October 9, 2009 - Read the health bill! Not as easy as you think - Comment:  That's the point.  Legislation needs to be written clearly, without all the efforts to obfuscate what is being slipped into it.
October 9, 2009 -  Further reaction to the news of Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
bullet GOP, even some liberals, dismiss Obama peace prize -  - Comment:  The Nobel Prize for narcissistic rhetoric and appeasement, and little else, is now given to Obama as for Carter and Gore in the past.  Why not call it the award for promoting state socialism?  The good news is that Carter lost to Reagan, Gore lost to Bush, and Obama is now on track to lose decisively in 2012.
bullet Obama says he'll accept Nobel as 'call to action'  Republicans should also take this as a "call to action".  Get organized ASAP to defeat the Obama agenda and win in 2010 - 2012.
bullet Obama to give $1.4 million Nobel prize to charity.  The Tides Foundation, perhaps?  ACORN?  Let me venture a wild guess - it won't go to charities which support our veterans.
bullet Obama's daughters excited about dad's Nobel prize   What about Bo?  Did he soil the carpet?  How do Bill and Hillary feel about this, given the Clinton Global Initiative?
bullet Gore calls Obama's Nobel Prize win well deserved  Look where he was talking. Watch out for the Copenhagen summit on climate change this December.
bullet GOP chairman scoffs at Obama winning Peace prize  Maybe an award for wealth transfer?   Attempted destruction of American capitalism and global leadership?
bullet AP Analysis: Obama's Nobel honors promise, not action  Remember, the deadline for the nominations was in February, shortly after he took office - and before the Tea Party revolt here.
bullet Obama sharply shifts US policy but peace elusive: analysts  Failure is now an option. The irony is that the news came at about the same time as NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into the Moon while looking for evidence of ice.  Let's search for intelligent life in Washington DC.  We can now safely rule out the need to look for it in Norway.
bullet From right and left, questions about peace prize  Like Carter, he should feel humbled and undeserving, because he is undeserving and should be humbled by the 2010 elections.
bullet AP Analysis: A great prize, but will it help goals?
bullet Gasps as Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize   http://www.nobelpeaceprize.org 
bullet Obama wins shock Nobel Peace Prize
bullet Membership has its privileges - Satire by Iowahawk blogger on Big Hollywood
bullet Nobel Peace Prize citation for Obama  The official rationalization of this absurd choice.
bullet List of Nobel Peace Prize winners since 1980  Some good choices, but definitely an odd mix
October 7, 2009 - Fired up? The grass-roots health care battle - Comment:  Organizing for America is trying to explain why they are losing the debate after arrogantly thinking that they would be invincible.  Their "astroturf" PR blitzes for media consumption are no match for determined grassroots opposition.
October 7, 2009 - CBO says health care bill costs $829B over decade - Comment: That's just a first rough estimate, without having the final language of the bill yet.  How often are such estimates reliable?  Remember cash for clunkers? They couldn't even reliably predict the outcome of a new program for more than a few weeks - and yet we are asked to believe their forecast for the next decade?
October 7, 2009 - Iran FM accuses US in nuke scientist disappearance - Comment:  Interesting.  Did an Iranian scientist defect in Saudi Arabia, and disclose some of the Iranian plans in recent months?  That might explain why the Iranians recently revealed a hidden facility after realizing that it had been exposed.
October 7, 2009 - Pakistan's military concerned over US aid bill - Comment:  Domestic politics.
October 6, 2009 - AP Poll: Obama's job approval rises amid concerns - Comment:  Compare this to the Rasmussen daily tracking poll - which showed a slight stabilization or bounce in September.  Meanwhile, Republicans have taken a lead in the generic Congressional ballot poll.

It's somewhat like the arguments that the unemployment picture is getting better because the number of new job losses has declined somewhat. Maybe companies are simply running out of jobs which can be easily shed without serious harm to their future viability as a business, or without permanently closing down operations at significant expense. Meanwhile, where are the cuts in federal employment or non-essential spending to live within their resources?

October 6, 2009 - Al-Qaida showing smaller presence in Afghanistan - Comment:  Starting to make thin excuses for Obama's reluctance to fight the war which he pretended to support during the campaign.
October 1, 2009 - Pelosi: Hot rhetoric interferes with Hill's work - Comment: Ironic. Of course, Pelosi never says anything inflammatory, insulting, or highly partisan, right?

Watch for the Democratic leaders to try to shift tactics and pretend to be more reasonable, while leaving their more expendable junior members to lead the ridiculous attacks, from which the leaders can then pretend to distance themselves.

That's like issuing a highly publicized statement to attract attention through the news media, regardless of truth, and then letting any retraction or apology get buried in obscurity after the damage is already done. This is a common tactic among third world despots, who can defile their opponents without serious media scrutiny and thereby create the illusion through relentless repetition that their lies and smears are somehow valid.  A lie is still a lie, the liar is still a liar, and Pelosi is a disgrace to her office.

October 1, 2009 - Jobless benefits extension hits snag in Senate - Comment:  The failed states get more benefits, while those with lower unemployment levels get left out.  Rewarding state policy failures?   Redistribution of wealth from successful states to others?
October 1, 2009 - Baucus hopes to wrap health bill Thursday - Comment:  Don't assume that they got the message in August.  What will be done in conference to reconcile the House and Senate bills?  What surprises will be negotiated at the last minute, and rammed through without any serious debate?
News Headlines, Links, and Comments for September 2009
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Note that at www.Breitbart.com you can see reader comments about the articles by following the "Show Comments" link which is found at the bottom of each article.  Since most articles no longer show up for visitors there within 24 hours, many articles have few comments unless they were very hot topics that day.  The AP often releases multiple versions of the same story, even with very minor revisions, in which case a new page is created for each version.  That causes reader comments to be scattered across multiple versions of the story.  We do not attempt to link to every version of the story.
At some point links may no longer work because the other websites involved will purge their content, but a Google search for the same headline may still find them through other sources for reference.
This tool was created to make it easier for conservative voters to go back and find relevant political stories long after they have disappeared from the current headlines.  In some cases these stories were hardly even mentioned at the time in the liberal news media, or quickly disappeared from the news, so many voters may be completely unaware of them.  Some of the stories display obvious bias by the reporters, but readers can be the judge of that.  The comments reflect our own editorial opinion on these stories.
 

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