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... << MORE >>

General Motors on Wednesday priced its initial public offering shares at $33 each, the high end of its revised range.

If everything falls into place for the iconic Detroit car maker, it could be the largest IPO in history and a stunning reversal for a company on life-support less than two years ago.

Earlier Wednesday, GM said it was raising the number of shares it will offer by 31%, to 478 million from the originally planned 365 million. GM also increased the offering of its preferred shares to as much as $4.6 billion, up from its previous offering of $3 billion.

Including preferred shares and the exercise of the over-allotment, GM could sell 550 million shares. With the common and preferred shares pricing at the top of their expected range, the IPO could raise nearly $23 billion, making it the largest ever, topping Agricultural Bank of China's $22.1 billion deal earlier this year.

GM is returning to ...

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House Democrats elected Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday to lead their party in the minority next year, after a symbolic rebuke from a third of her caucus that suggests she no longer has as firm a grip on her party.

Ms. Pelosi, of California, beat North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler by 150-43, in an internal election that exposed fissures inside the party after Democrats lost more than 60 congressional seats, and their House majority, in this month's midterm elections.

That result followed an earlier roll call in which 68 Democrats voted to delay the leadership elections until after Thanksgiving, so lawmakers who survived the midterms could have more time to digest the results. Democrats will gather again on Thursday to decide whether to strip Ms. Pelosi of some of her power, including her ability to name the head of the party's campaign arm in the House.

After a closed-door meeting of more than five hours Wednesday, ...

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As if you had not expected it, the claims of voting fraud have already come to light in the “early voting” that many states have instituted over the last few years.

In North Carolina, a voter says he had attempted to vote straight Republican party lines in all races at the polls last Thursday. He reported that 4 times (even with assistance) when an electronic voting machine completed his straight-party ticket for the Republican's, his choices showd up as Democrat. He noted that on the 5th time, the machine operated in a way that secured his votes for Republicans and he then finished his vote.

In Los Vegas, a voter claims that she intended to vote for Sharron Angle, the Republican in that Congressional Senate battle, but when they went to vote for Angle; Sen. Harry Reid's name was already checked.  The voter claimed that she wasn't alone in her voting experience, and that her husband and several others voting at the same time all had the same thing happen. ...

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Barack Obama’s whining again. Being the leader of the greatest nation on Earth is HARD, dammit. He says he needs yet ANOTHER vacation. This time in the Tuscan sun… with pasta.

Because the vacation that Barack took in April to North Carolina, and the one he took in July to Maine, and the one he took in August to Florida’s gulf, and the one he took (also in August) to Martha’s Vineyard were, well, ages ago.

He’ll likely take his Christmas/New Year’s “lavish mansion” vacation in Hawaii again like he and the First Family did last year and the year before that, but what about now, what about OCTOBER? His record-number breaking times out on the golf course don’t count.

Geez, give this guy some Geritol. Or a reality-check slap… how many taxpayer-funded vacations a year do most ACORN community organizers get? Or junior senators who always vote “present”? Or millions of Americans who are unemployed because ...

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Contract With America

Wisdom from Dick Morris:  My observations from the campaign trail are that this year’s elections will be a total and complete disaster for the Democratic Party. In fact, it will amount to the obliteration of an entire generation of Democratic officeholders. It will become very rare to find a youngish baby boomer white Democrat in elective office in the United States. I believe that almost half of the white Democratic congressmen who are seeking reelection will lose!

A wipeout of this magnitude cannot be explained, alone, by Obama’s ratings or his policies. He has fallen sharply since he took office, but even ratings in the 40s do not explain this type of result. It is increasingly obvious that Congress has earned much of this disaster by itself, quite unrelated to Obama. The vision of the deal-making that accompanied healthcare was too disgusting for the average American to ...

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As we weather a financial crisis, sit on more than $13 trillion in public debt, and stare unsustainable entitlements in the face, it’s no secret that a resurgent movement for lower debt and smaller government has made its presence felt. There are a myriad of ideas out there on how to corral the debt. H.R. 4646, a 1% tax on all transactions using a payment instrument, is one such idea.

During the recession, the Obama administration has mostly focused on stimulating consumer spending and filling in the short-run hole of a contracting/flat economy with government spending. As their ten-year budget indicates, the Obama administration is betting on the American economy growing its way out of the substantial debt they’re prepared to tack on over the next few years:

•Fiscal 2011 budgeted deficit: $1.56 trillion
•Fiscal 2012 budgeted deficit: $1.27 trillion
•Fiscal 2013 budgeted deficit: $727 billion
•Fiscal 2014 budgeted deficit: $706 billion
...

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As our daily interactions and transactions have become increasingly “wired,” we have yet to see any truly comprehensive attempts at securing online identities.

Our complex system of usernames and passwords is astoundingly outdated and increasingly prone to security breaches and theft. Yet, so far it has been mostly up to the individual to protect himself against various forms of identity fraud—with larger corporations taking relatively little responsibility.

But this could change in a big way. Right now the federal government is proposing a new system being referred to as the “Identity Ecosystem”—which was highlighted in the recently-released draft paper, “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace” [NSTIC].

The Identity Ecosystem would allow Americans to choose to obtain a single authenticated ID for online transactions. Like a passport, this single ID could travel with them online and be used to access everything from e-mail, to online health records and banking information. Furthermore, the Identity Ecosystem would only reveal the least amount of information necessary for each transaction.

... << MORE >>

The so-called Bush tax cuts (from legislation enacted in 2001 and 2003) are scheduled to expire at the end of this year. But you may not understand the full extent of what is in store if Congress simply sits back and allows the expirations to occur without making any changes.

Here are some highlights:

Higher income tax rates

Some of you may believe that only individuals in the top two federal income tax brackets will face higher rates when the Bush cuts go bye-bye. Not true! Unless Congress takes action and President Obama goes along, rates will automatically go up for everyone who pays taxes — not just “the rich.”

Specifically, the existing 10% bracket will go away, and the lowest “new” bracket will be 15%. The existing 25% bracket will be replaced by the “new” 28% bracket; the existing 28% bracket will be replaced by the “new” 31% bracket; the existing 33% bracket will be replaced by ...

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Caught in a disaster? You'd better hope you're wearing the Emergency Bra. Simply unsnap the bright red bra, separate the cups, and slip it over your head -- one cup for you, and one for your friend.

Dr. Elena Bodnar won an Ignoble Award for the invention last year, an annual tribute to scientific research that on the surface seems goofy but is often surprisingly practical. And now Bodnar has brought the eBra to the public; purchase one online for just $29.95.

"The goal of any emergency respiratory device is to achieve tight fixation and full coverage. Luckily, the wonderful design of the bra is already in the shape of a face mask and so with the addition of a few design features, the Emergency Bra enhances the efficiency of minimizing contaminated bypass air flow," explains the eBra website.

It sounds silly, but Bodnar, a Ukraine native who now ...

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The dead mice were laced with a common pain reliever — about one quarter of a child’s dose of acetaminophen each — and dropped Wednesday from a helicopter into the jungle canopy around Naval Base Guam.

The airdrop was a test of the newest weapon against one of the island’s most stubborn enemies — the invasive brown tree snake.

If the test goes well, the laced mice could prove to be one of the few effective ways to kill an unwanted and elusive predator that has laid waste to Guam’s ecology over the past three decades.

“The discovery that snakes will die when they eat acetaminophen was a huge step forward,” Anne Brooke, conservation resources program manager for Naval Facilities Command Marianas, said Thursday. “The problem was how you get the snakes to eat it.”

The brown tree snake was introduced onto Guam — which has no native snakes — by military transports following World War II. By the 1980s, the species had “eaten its way from one ...

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Coloring books aren't just about Disney princesses and Dora the Explorer anymore.

"The Tea Party Coloring Book for Kids," published by the St. Louis-based Really Big Coloring Books Inc. and sold online for around $4 at coloringbook.com, has been a big seller - and is causing a stir.

Some are claiming that the book wasn't made for children at all, but for right-leaning adults, as KSDK notes. Critics say passages in the books are overly political.

"When taxes are too high, the high tax takes away jobs and freedom," reads one passage. "In 1773 we had a Tea Party and this led to freedom from high taxes. Today we are having another Tea Party and this will lead to freedom from high taxes again!"

According to Wayne Bell, the publisher at Really Big Coloring Books Inc. the purpose of the book is not political.

"We're not really making a political statement," he told Hotsheet, noting that his company publishes books on a range of topics, ...

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While taxpayers are footing the bill to keep America's auto industry off life support, an undercover investigation shows illegal activities by Chrysler employees who have enjoyed nearly $15 billion in government money.

Dozens of autoworkers in Detroit were caught on camera drinking beer and smoking marijuana before heading to work at the Chrysler plant that President Obama praised in a speech just two months ago.

An exclusive investigation by MyFoxDetroit showed workers at Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit, Mich., drinking beer and smoking joints while on a half-hour lunch break at a nearby park.

The investigation -- conducted over several weeks and based on tips from workers at the plant -- outraged the auto giant's top executives who reportedly called the behavior "totally unacceptable."

Obama spoke July 30 at the plant, where he lauded the American worker, saying, "It's workers like you that built this country into the greatest economic power the world has ever known."

"I want all of you to know, I will bet on the American worker any day of the week." he told the crowd.

"I wish they could see what I'm seeing in this plant and talk to the workers who are here, taking pride in building a world-class vehicle," Obama said, referring to opponents of the multibillion-dollar government auto bailout. "I don't think they'd be willing to look you in the eye and say that you were a bad investment."

Chrysler took $14.3 billion in government bailout money, which includes pre-bankruptcy loans. The company has repaid  $3.7 billion.

The plant -- taking up more than 3 million square feet of factory -- employs 2,833 union auto workers. The station's report did not say how many workers were involved in the incident.

Scott Garberding, senior vice president of manufacturing, told MyFoxDetroit that he was "very disturbed" by what he saw in the video.

"I want to make it clear that we at Chrysler take this very seriously," he said in an interview with the station. "For us, this behavior is totally unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly." 

 

Source: FoxNews.com
9/23/2010

Times are tough right now: the housing market is still weak, unemployment remains high and the stock market is stuck in neutral.

But things could be worse if you live in one of these 10 cities, which face the highest unemployment in the country, corrupt city officials and sky-high foreclosure rates.

Check out WalletPop’s list of the 10 worst cities to live.

Source: FoxNews.com
9/8/2010
... << MORE >>

Six months after President Barack Obama's signature health care bill passed, major insurance companies are dropping child-only policies just days before the new law requires them to cover sick children, enraging health care advocates who accuse the insurers of abandoning society's most vulnerable.

But the insurers say the new requirement would lead to unexpected and massive costs because parents can wait to buy coverage until their children are sick -- the mandate requiring all Americans to carry insurance doesn't kick in until 2014.

Under the new law, families can appeal decisions by insurers to an independent arbiter regardless of which state they live in or what type of coverage they have. They can also contact their state insurance commissioner.

"Today, if your health plan tells you it won't cover a treatment your doctor recommends, or it refuses to pay the bill for your child's last trip to the emergency room, you may not know where to turn," Kathleen ...

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House Republicans on Thursday rolled out their "Pledge to America," a sweeping conservative agenda that calls for reining in federal spending, permanently extending all of the Bush tax cuts, and repealing President Obama's signature health care law.

Republicans are hoping the agenda, released just five weeks before crucial midterm elections, will help power them back into the majority in the House.

"Across America, the people see a government in Washington that isn't listening, doesn't get it, and doesn't care," House Minority Leader John Boehner said as he and other Republican leaders released the 21-page document at a news conference at a hardware story and lumber yard in Sterling, Va. 

"This new governing agenda, built by listening to the people, offers plans to create jobs, cut spending, and put power where it belongs: in the hands of the people," he said. "'A Pledge to America' offers a new way forward  that hasn't been tried in Washington: an approach focused ...

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The head of the Ohio Democratic Party is brushing off his description of Tea Partiers and other opponents of President Obama's health care law as "f--kers," saying he shares a penchant for blurting with Vice President Biden.

"It is what it is," Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern told Fox News regarding his Monday appearance at an endorsement event by the United Steelworkers for several Ohio Democrats, including Gov. Ted Strickland.

"Vice President Biden and I have a way with words," Redfern said, conjuring up the vice president's description this spring of the signing of the health care law as a "big f---ing deal."

He also suggested the audience could handle it.

"Look, I was speaking to 40 grizzled steelworkers," Redfern said.

Redfern said during his remarks he was lamenting "people in this state who look at health care as a privilege, not a right."

"If your kids are going to graduate from college, now he ...

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It's not unusual for political races to turn nasty. But one congressional race in Florida is reaching a new low as Lt. Col. Allen West, the GOP challenger to Rep. Ron Klein, accuses state Democrats of intentionally including his Social Security number in a mailer to hundreds of thousands of voters.

The Florida Democratic Party says it was a mistake, apologized and offered up to two years of identity theft protection to West.

But the West campaign rejected the offer, calling it a "backhanded apology," and released a 30- second ad highlighting the incident, which it describes as a "desperate act."

"When my family and I first committed to continuing our lives of service to our country over three years ago, we fully expected a tough fight based upon ideological principles – I expected a real and tough debate about the direction of our country," West said in a press release announcing the ad. "Unfortunately for the voters of the ...

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Learn to build your own solar panels today with this step-by-step guide!

As the cost of energy skyrockets people are left with no choice but to pay the burdensome costs. We all know the alternatives and so-far none of them are very pretty. The government is doing their best to force pricey alternatives upon us, even though they are more costly than paying the utillities.

Solar energy has been on the table since the first oil crisis back in the 70’s. We knew then that it was only a matter of time before our oil dependence was going to cause major problems. Nevertheless, as many times happens, the cost of oil went back down and programs that were started in solar energy development were scrapped because of the negative aspects of green energy - mainly "COST". Today residential solar panels average $20,000 USD!

Fast forward to present day and we are again faced with huge spikes in the cost of oil and at the mercy of the giants who run the fuel companies. Everyone is asking for a better way.

Even though professional solar ...

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Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats' efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections.

Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators.

These and other insurers say Congress's landmark refashioning of U.S. health coverage, which passed in March after a brutal fight, is causing them to pass on more costs to consumers than Democrats predicted.

The rate increases largely apply to policies for individuals and small businesses and don't include people covered by a big employer or Medicare.

About 9% of Americans buy coverage through the individual market, according to the Census Bureau, and roughly one-fifth of people who get coverage through their employer work at companies with ...

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WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama earned his lowest marks ever on his handling of the economy in a new Associated Press-GfK poll, which also found that an overwhelming majority of Americans now describe the nation's financial outlook as poor.

A frustrated electorate could take it out on the party in power -- Obama's Democrats -- in the November elections.

Eleven weeks before the Nov. 2 balloting, just 41 percent of those surveyed approve of the president's performance on the economy, down from 44 percent in April, while 56 percent disapprove. And 61 percent say the economy has gotten worse or stayed the same on Obama's watch.

Still, three-quarters also say it's unrealistic to expect noticeable economic improvements in the first 18 months of the president's term. And Obama's overall approval rating was unaffected; it remained at 49 percent, in part because most Americans still like him personally.

Americans' dim view of the economy ...

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Insight From Dick Morris:

During the early Clinton years — 1993 and 1994 — the first couple vacationed in Martha’s Vineyard hobnobbing with celebrities and cruising on Ted Kennedy’s yacht. The result was that during each of the two summers, as they into the surf, so they dived in the polls. The last drop, after the summer of 1994, played a role in their loss of their Congressional majorities a few months later. Now Michelle Obama is making the same mistake…and at a worse time.

Voters are highly sensitive to where their elected officials vacation, especially when they themselves cannot afford a vacation and have to take a “stay-cation” instead. Now, with unemployment at almost ten percent and underemployment reaching nearly twenty, voters are not likely to take any vicarious pleasure from the recreation of the first family — particularly since they are paying for it.

Not much goes on ...

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An advocacy group fighting the so-called Ground Zero Mosque has called on the State Department to back off plans to sponsor the imam of that controversial mosque on an upcoming trip to the Middle East.

The State Department confirmed Tuesday that the administration is sponsoring Feisal Abdul Rauf's trip to Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, which is described as part of a program to send Muslims abroad to educate other countries about the role of religion in the United States. Rauf made similar trips during the Bush administration.

Rauf and his partners are preparing to build a $100 million Islamic center and mosque near Ground Zero, the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that left nearly 3,000 dead.

The American Center for Law and Justice objected after learning about the plans to sponsor Rauf's upcoming trip. The group said it will file a protest letter with the State Department demanding the government halt ...

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Today the House of Representatives is expected to approve yet another bailout  for those states that have proved incapable of controlling their spending on government worker pay, benefits and pensions. The $26.1 billion price tag will be funded in part by $11 billion in tax hikes on U.S. companies that compete internationally. From his trillion dollar economic stimulus to his $3 trillion tax hike it has become clear that President Barack Obama views the private sector the same way the Huns viewed a city – as something to be sacked and plundered for the benefit of public sector workers.

The effect of President Obama’s policies is becoming clear. The Wall Street Journal reports that personal incomes fell across the U.S. last year except in areas with a high concentration of federal government jobs. Washington D.C. was one of just three metro areas that saw both net earnings and personal income rise. And those gains were due entirely to the growth ...

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Whomever President Barack Obama taps to head the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection could find it difficult to keep ahead of the credit-card industry.

The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, known as the Card Act, was intended to reshape the contours of consumer finance. Among other things, it forces card issuers to give customers more notice about interest-rate increases and restricts certain controversial billing practices such as inactivity fees.
 
Yet some of the biggest card issuers in the U.S., including Citigroup Inc., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and Discover Financial Services, are already rolling out a slew of fees designed to recapture some of their lost income, in part by skirting the new rules. Some banks may even be violating the law outright, say consumer advocates.

"Card companies are figuring out how to replace old fees with new ones," says Victor Stango, an associate economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of ...

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WASHINGTON -- Congressional Democrats may water down or repeal new tax-reporting rules that are supposed to raise $16 billion for health-care legislation, facing a chorus of criticism about the rules.

House Democrats were forced to postpone a vote late Thursday on a GOP motion calling for repeal of the reporting requirement. That, in turn, delayed action on an $11 billion bill that expands federally-subsidized bonds for infrastructure projects. House lawmakers may add language to the infrastructure bill to weaken or repeal the IRS reporting regime, Democratic aides said.

"This is an issue we want to address and now we have an opportunity to do so," said Kristie Greco, a spokeswoman for House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D., S.C.).

A vote on a revised infrastructure package could come as early as Friday, but House Democratic aides said no final decisions have been made.

In the Senate, Sen. Mike Johanns (R., Neb.) is seeking to add language repealing ...

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Health Care Reform: The latest on the healthcare revolt

Two items of note on the grass-roots revolt against the Obamacare power grab:

A federal judge in Virginia has allowed the state’s lawsuit challenging the federal individual health care mandate to proceed:

"A judge on Monday refused to dismiss the state of Virginia’s challenge to President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare law, a setback that will force his administration to mount a lengthy legal defense of the overhaul effort.

U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson refused to dismiss the state’s lawsuit which argues the law’s requirement that its residents have health insurance was unconstitutional, allowing the challenge to go forward."

It’s good news for the Obamacare backlash by state attorneys general across the country — as well as for those sponsoring opt-out initiatives.

In Colorado, Independence Institute president Jon Caldara has spearheaded a referendum to provide citizens here with health care choice. ...

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Gulf Of Mexico Oil: 106 Days and Still Counting.

The Obama administration claims it has been on top of the Gulf oil spill disaster since "day one." Here's a look at what the president and administration have been doing every day since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, triggering the massive spill. The following daily updates are based on a review of White House schedules, news releases and news coverage and do not cover every activity in the Gulf or in Washington:

Aug. 3

In the Gulf: Crews prepared to pump mud into the blown-out well, provided a test on the process is successful. Meanwhile, BP announced it had created a new team to accelerate compensation to Gulf businesses.

At the White House: President Obama signed a law reducing disparities between crack and cocaine prison sentences. He was hosting a meeting with "young African leaders" in the East Room of ...

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It's a case of right vs. right.


That's the position of the Anti-Defamation League on the construction of a 15-story, $100 million mosque and community center scheduled near New York City's Ground Zero.

The sponsors of the construction project have "every right to build at the site," the ADL said, noting the "bigotry that some have expressed in attacking” the building’s proprietors.

But the ADL said the decision to build ultimately is not a matter of rights, but of what is the right thing to do.

"The controversy which has emerged regarding the building of an Islamic Center at this location is counterproductive to the healing process. Therefore, under these unique circumstances, we believe the City of New York would be better served if an alternative location could be found," the ADL said.

That got the Council of American-Islamic Relations ... << MORE >>

The White House Correspondents’ Association on Sunday announced that Fox News will get a coveted front-row seat in the White House briefing room.


The Associated Press will take Helen Thomas' old seat, while Fox News will now occupy AP's former seat. NPR and Bloomberg also applied for the position.

"It was a very difficult decision," the White House Correspondents' Association said in a statement. "The board received requests from Bloomberg and NPR in addition to Fox for relocation to the front row and felt all three made compelling cases. But the board ultimately was persuaded by Fox's length of service and commitment to the White House television pool."

Fox News' vice president of news and Washington managing editor Bill Sammon said in a statement: "We are pleased with the decision of the White House Correspondents’ Association and look forward to working with our colleagues in the front row and ... << MORE >>

Seven months ago, the conventional wisdom was that, while the Republicans would score impressive gains in both houses of Congress in the elections of 2010, the Democrats would keep control. Now, it is that the Republicans may, indeed, capture the House, but never the Senate. Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs admitted that the loss of the House was a possibility.

The conventional wisdom is still wrong. The Republicans will take the Senate and the House.

Here’s the Senate rundown:

Retiring Republicans

The GOP has six retiring incumbents. Kentucky and Kansas are no problem. In Missouri, Republican Roy Blunt is ahead and, in Ohio, Republican Ron Portman is slightly ahead. In New Hampshire, the Republicans have a fierce primary, but, trust us, if even Massachusetts went Republican, New Hampshire won’t go Democrat. In Florida, Republican Rubio is in a tough race against turncoat former Republican Crist, but he will eventually pull through.

Easy Pickups: ...

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Throughout the Obama Administration, the president has been able to count on the solid support of Democrats. Not anymore.

According to the FOX News/Opinion Dynamics poll, Obama’s job approval among Democrats has dropped from 84% two weeks ago (June 29-30) to 76% on July 13-14. At 76%, this level of job approval is below any the Fox News poll has ever recorded.

Why the collapse? Most likely it is due to liberal disappointment with the continuation of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the continued use of Guantanamo, Obama’s inability to cope with the oil spill, and his refusal to push immigration reform when he could have passed it before he lost his 60 vote majority. Undoubtedly, the renewed sluggishness in the economy is also playing its part.

Nothing could be worse news for Obama as he enters the 2010 Congressional campaign. Democratic dissatisfaction saps turnout and undermines the president’s efforts to keep his majorities in ...

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This just in: Virginia federal judge Henry Hudson on Monday ruled that he’ll let the state of Virginia’s challenge to the landmark health care law passed in March go forward, at least for the time being.


The Department of Health and Human Services had moved to dismiss the lawsuit, which was filed in March, shortly after the passage of the law. But Judge Hudson on Monday denied the motion.

The ruling represents a setback that will force the Obama administration to mount a lengthy legal defense of the law. The suit, filed by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, alleges that the law’s requirement that its residents have health insurance violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution.

Virginia’s lawsuit is one of several trying to undo the health-care law. Another large one was filed in a Florida federal court by a handful of state attorneys general.
... << MORE >>

President Barack Obama has kept mum on the fate of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) for days -- but he tells CBS News that it's time for the embattled 80-year-old former Ways and Means Chairman to end his career "with dignity."

"I think Charlie Rangel served a very long time and served-- his constituents very well. But these-- allegations are very troubling," Obama told Harry Smith in an interview to be aired on the "Early Show." and first broadcast on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

"And he'll-- he's somebody who's at the end of his career. Eighty years old. I'm sure that-- what he wants is to be able to-- end his career with dignity. And my hope is that-- it happens. "

Source: Politico.com

7/30/2010

... << MORE >>

The United Kingdom, the mother of all democracies, is about to change its political system in fundamental ways – changes which will spell disaster for the nation and for its politics. For those who love Britain, the news of these impending alterations can only cause angst and distress.

As a result of the inability of either the Conservatives or Labor to win a majority in Parliament in the recent elections, both parties had to bid for support from the Liberal/Social Democratic Party. The price the Conservatives ultimately paid was to agree to some of these changes and to refer others to the electorate for a referendum.

The changes that the parties have agreed to will transform the British government from a decisive decision-making machine into a morass of compromise, half-measures, and deadlock. Gridlock will be exported across the ocean to the UK.

Right now, the Prime Minister can dissolve Parliament anytime he wants forcing new ...

<< MORE >>

Virginia Attorney General Rules Police Can Check Immigration Status ... << MORE >>

The increasing consensus that we are entering a “double dip”recession is seeping into the conventional wisdom, posing a further obstacle to Obama’s attempts to keep control of Congress. Even when the conventional wisdom was that the economy was slowly emerging from recession, the president was having his problems keeping Congress. But now that all indicators – from employment to housing to consumer confidence to the Dow – are trending downward, the task is likely to become even harder.

The days are fading when Bush could be blamed for the economic problems we are facing as a nation. The passage of time and,interestingly, the very perception that things had been getting better earlier in the year both make this second dip the Obama dip rather than just a continuation of the “Bush recession.”

The facts are that we have likely never emerged from the recession at all. The Economic Conference Board has never declared the recession over since ...

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Do Americans want reform?
 

Eight Republican senators and an independent group that supports tighter limits on immigration are warning that the Obama administration is drafting a plan to "unilaterally" issue blanket amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants as it struggles to win support in Congress for an overhaul of immigration laws.

The senators who wrote the White House on Monday say they are concerned that the administration is readying a "Plan B" in case a comprehensive reform bill cannot win enough support to clear Congress.

"It seems more real than just bullying (Republicans) into a bill -- that it's a plan that they can actually put forward ... circumventing Congress," an aide told FoxNews.com on Wednesday.

In their letter, the senators -- Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Orrin Hatch, R-Utah; David Vitter, R-La.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; Saxby Chambliss, Ga.; Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.; James Inhofe, R-Okla.; and Thad Cochran, R-Miss. -- urge the president to "abandon" what they say is a move to "unilaterally extend either deferred action or parole to millions of illegal aliens in the United States."

"Such a move would further erode the American public's confidence in the federal government and its commitment to ...

<< MORE >>

Michigan is joining other states fighting Obama’s health insurance purchase mandate. The local news here in Michigan is covering the lawsuit filed by a Christian group alleging that President Obama’s plan to mandate the purchase of health insurance premiums is unconstitutional. Lawsuits against the federal government were filed, in some cases, just seven minutes after Obama signed the bill into law.

The lawsuit was filed in Pensacola after the Democratic president signed the 10-year, $938 billion bill the House passed Sunday night. “The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage,” the lawsuit says. Legal experts say it has little chance of succeeding because, under the Constitution, federal laws trump state laws.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is taking the lead and is joined by attorneys general from South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Idaho, Washington, Colorado and Louisiana. All are Republicans except James “Buddy” Caldwell of Louisiana, a Democrat. Some states are considering separate lawsuits — Virginia filed its own Tuesday — and still others may join ...

<< MORE >>

Top legal officials from 14 states across the country on Tuesday filed lawsuits challenging an overhaul of the U.S.’ $2.5 trillion healthcare system, minutes after President Barack Obama signed the landmark legislation.

One joint lawsuit by a dozen Republican attorneys general and a Democrat claims the sweeping reforms violate state-government rights in the U.S. Constitution and will force massive new spending on hard-pressed state governments.

Virginia went to court separately, while Missouri Republican Lieutenant Gov. Peter Kinder said he would like to join the suit.

The joint suit, led by Florida, was filed with a federal court in Pensacola, according to the office of Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum.

The lawsuit says the law — which expands government health plans for the poor, imposes new taxes on the wealthy and requires insurers to cover people with preexisting medical conditions — violates the Constitution’s commerce clause by requiring nearly all Americans to buy health insurance.

“It forces people to do something — in the sense of buying a healthcare policy or paying a penalty, a tax or a fine — that simply the Constitution does not allow Congress ...

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After the Senate passed a "fix-it" bill Thursday to make changes to the new health care law, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the influential Finance Committee, said the overhaul was an "income shift" to help the poor.

As Democrats tout the moral underpinnings of the federal health care system overhaul -- ensuring health care coverage for nearly all Americans -- one senator appeared to go off message when he said the legislation would address the "mal-distribution of income in America."

After the Senate passed a "fix-it" bill Thursday to make changes to the new health care law, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the influential Finance Committee, said the overhaul was an "income shift" to help the poor.

"Too often, much of late, the last couple three years, the mal-distribution of income in American is gone up way too much, the wealthy are getting way, way too wealthy and the middle income class is left behind," he said. "Wages have not kept up with increased income of the highest income in America. This legislation will have the effect of addressing that mal-distribution of income in America."

That contrasted with the arguments Democrats have been making in the past year for reinventing the health care system: to expand health care coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans and tighten regulations on  insurance companies while reducing the federal deficit.

But some Republican critics have suggested the overhaul is taking the country down the path to socialism. The nearly $1 trillion legislation pays for itself in large part through new taxes on the wealthy -- Americans who make $250,000 and more.

A spokeswoman for Baucus did not respond to an e-mail seeking more information on the statement.

Baucus' statement could give Republicans ammunition as they seek to repeal the law and regain control of Congress in the November elections.

Democrats have rejected Republican charges that they are trying to take over the health care system.

In Iowa this week to trumpet the benefits of the legislation, President Obama said, "We made a promise. That promise has been kept."

"From this day forward, all of the cynics, all the naysayers -- they're going to have to confront the reality of what this reform is and what it isn't," the president said. "They'll have to finally acknowledge this isn't a government takeover of our health care system."

GOP strategist Matt Schlapp, the White House director to former President George. W. Bush, told FoxNews.com that Baucus' statement reflected the "duality" of a responsible Democrat who understands the ramifications of tax policy on Americans but has a "foot in the camp of the most radical and rabid big government activists that are advocating for some breathtaking policies."

"It's interesting," he said. "He's not the senator I would use as the poster boy for radical and misunderstanding of market dynamics."

But Schlapp said he's not surprised by anything said by a member of a political party that, he said, seeks "to take money away from people who are achieving and give it those who aren’t."

Source: FoxNews.com
3/27/2010

The House of Representatives voted 219 to 212 to pass historic health care reform legislation late Sunday night, with House Democrats heralding the victory with cries of “Yes We Can.”

The legislation, which is the version initially passed in the Senate in December, lacks several key factors sought by House Democrats. A vote on a set of amendments, or a reconciliation bill, is scheduled for later Sunday night.

After the bill is signed into law by president Barack Obama, the Senate will vote to approve the reconciliation bill. Although the Senate has yet to take on numerous pieces of legislations taken on by the House, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) assured House Democrats Saturday that the Senate will act promptly to pass the bill.

When the House originally voted on health care reform legislation in November, it passed by 220 to 215, surpassing the 218 needed. A number of those in the House have since resigned bringing the minimum needed to 216.

Source: TalkRadioNews.com
3/21/2010

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The printing and giving of government money is truly a inept way of trying to fix our economic problems. If you as an individual were to borrow money from your credit card company and put it in a drawer or buy some goods, would you really be any better off financially?  I think we can all agree that you would not. Even though, you just traded "future" cash for goods or cash in the drawer, you have ultimately added the interest payments to your outgoing expenses. The same goes for government spending. Moving assets around in a way that adds to total expenses will never solve the problem. President Obama's crazy notion that businesses should borrow money to meet payroll, shows how ignorant he and other Democrats are about the nature of business and the nature of the economy.

So what to do? Well, as an individual it is likely that you would exchange some expendable assets to stay afloat. Whether it be your time (taking a second job), selling off extra jewelry or furniture, downsizing to a smaller home, we all have to do the tough thing in our personal lives or ...

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If Team Obama could send their ACORN foot soldiers into taxpayer-funded schools to collect Census data, they would.

Instead, they’re turning your own children into proxy Census collectors. Specifically targeted: Bilingual children whom the government is relying on to reach non-English-speaking parents. (See my April 3, 2009 column: Obama Census - No Illegal Alien Left Behind.)

The White House is also joining with Sesame Street to help preschoolers evangelize about the Census to their parents.

Via USA Today:

Anyone tempted to ignore the 2010 Census will have a tough time doing it — especially if they have kids in school.

The government has launched Census in Schools, an all-out campaign targeting superintendents, principals, teachers, students and, indirectly, parents, as schools open across the nation this month and next. The message: The Census is coming and here’s why everyone should care.

The goal is to send posters, teaching guides, maps and lesson plans to every school in the nation, Puerto Rico and U.S. island territories to encourage everyone to participate in the national count. The materials will land in more than 118,000 schools and reach 56 million students.

“It’s great to reach the children because children are such ...<< MORE >>

In case you missed it yesterday, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck spotlighted Team Obama’s direct and indirect threats to free speech — and how the Fairness Doctrine (or some stealthier form of it) might be reinstituted.

Watch the whole thing.

Rush has the full transcript. An excerpt:

BECK: Now joining me on the phone is radio talk show host Mr. Rush Limbaugh. Rush?

RUSH: Glenn Beck. How are you, sir?

BECK: Very good, sir. I want to play something for you. I don’t know if you just saw it, but I want to play it again. This is the new diversity officer for the FCC, a newly created position. This is what he said at a speech or talk he was giving about Chavez’s Venezuela and how the media work down there. Watch this.

MARK LLOYD: In Venezuela, with Chavez, you really had an incredible revolution — democratic revolution — to begin to put in place things that were going to have impact on the people of Venezuela. The property owners and the folks who were then controlling the media in Venezuela rebelled — worked, frankly, with folks here in the US government — worked to oust ...<< MORE >>

Two of President Barack Obama's economic heavyweights said middle-class taxes might have to go up to pare budget deficits or to pay for the proposed overhaul of the nation's health care system.

The tough talk from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Summers on Sunday capped a week that brought rare good news for the economy: The worst recession in the United States since World War II could be on the verge of ending. Even so, officials appeared willing to extend unemployment benefits.

Geithner and Summers both sidestepped questions on Obama's intentions about taxes. Geithner said the White House was not ready to rule out a tax hike to reduce the federal deficit; Summers said Obama's proposed health care overhaul needs funding from somewhere.

"There is a lot that can happen over time," Summers said, adding that the administration believes "it is never a good idea to absolutely rule things out, no matter what."

During his presidential campaign, Obama repeatedly pledged "you will not see any of your taxes increase one single dime." But the simple reality remains that his ambitious overhaul of how Americans receive health care -- promised without increasing the federal deficit ...<< MORE >>

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Arlen Specter got a preview Sunday of the tough sell lawmakers will face over health care as audience members booed and jeered them during a town hall meeting in Philadelphia.

Among those at odds with the officials touting the $1 trillion, 10-year plan was a woman who earned loud applause when she said she doesn't want Washington interfering with her health care choices.

"I look at this health care plan and I see nothing that is about health or about care. What I see is a bureaucratic nightmare, senator. Medicaid is broke, Medicare is broke, Social Security is broke and you want us to believe that a government that can't even run a cash for clunkers program is going to run one-seventh of our U.S. economy? No sir, no," she said. 

Click here to see the video of the town hall meeting.

While supporters offered courteous applause to the officials, Sebelius didn't earn any fans when she said that if lawmakers say they don't understand the legislation voters should urge them to go back and read it. 

Specter was shouted down when he said that lawmakers divide up ...<< MORE >>