Showing posts with label Reid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reid. Show all posts

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Obama's Posse o' Change


Well, this seems an inauspicious start. No, not the oath of office (that appeared to be a gaffe by the Chief Justice). It's the crew that President Obama assembled to serve as his Cabinet.

A Secretary of State whose personal coffers are overflowing with foreign money. If you look up "conflict of interest", you'll see a picture of Hillary being sworn in as Secretary of State. The Clinton Foundation has raised more than half a billion dollars including more than $40 million from foreign sources including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Taiwan. Put simply, "The Clinton Foundation exists as a temptation for any foreign entity or government that believes it could curry favor." To make matters worse, Hillary has refused to temporarily halt foreign contributions during her service or even to disclose donations in a timely fashion. Change!


A Treasury Secretary who cheats on his taxes doesn't know the tax code worth a damn. And who had a pathetic performance at the New York Fed, not to mention his de-orchestration related to the TARP debacle. And the double standard is appalling: as Tom Blumer points out, "Zoe Baird (Clinton, 1993), Kimba Wood (Clinton, 1993), and Linda Chavez (Bush, 2001) all had relatively minor or potential issues with self-employment taxes on household help... Geithner’s unpaid amounts were exponentially larger. Is there a whiff of male chauvinism in the air?"


A sleazebag Attorney General who appears to be the worst breed of political hack. In 1995 U.S. Attorney Eric Holder declined to prosecute a top aide of President Clinton. Shortly thereafter, he was named Deputy Attorney General. In that role, Holder sanctioned two of the most outrageous pardons in Presidential history. When Holder blessed the pardon of fugitive Marc Rich, at least one congressional report alleged that Holder was seeking an endorsement by Rich’s attorney for the role of “attorney general in a potential (Al) Gore administration.” And Holder's blessing of Clinton's pardon of the FALN terrorists has been criticized by scores of law enforcement officials. The COO of the LEAA stated that Holder's "involvement with FALN terrorists is not so much political as a significant sign of disregard for law enforcement." Gee, that's precisely what we need in an AG!


A proposed Commerce Secretary forced to withdraw because of an ongoing federal "pay-to-play" investigation. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson withrew from consideration for the Cabinet post when the investigation was disclosed. The probe centers on whether a campaign donor, CDR Financial Products, received millions in state contracts in exchange for the contributions. The word is that federal investigators "are zeroing in on two of his close advisers."


For the love of... Is it really that tough to find qualified Democrats who don't live full-time under an ethical cloud?

It gets worse. Consider those Democrats who currently occupy positions of significant power in Washington. On the other hand, maybe Obama was trying to level the ethical playing field between branches of government.

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), head of the Senate Banking Committee, played a major role in the mortgage meltdown that precipitated our current financial crisis. Not only did he take more money from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac than any other politician, but NBC News reports that Dodd received a sweetheart mortgage deal from Countrywide Financial. To this day, Dodd refuses to release the HUD statement for the mortgage, despite promising to do so months ago.


A Democratic Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel (D-NY), who is currently the subject of four separate ethics investigations. Rangel is alleged to have: violated rent-control laws; preserved a tax break for an oil company in exchange for a $1 million contribution; failed to pay taxes on $75,000 in unreported income; and solicited donations on his office letterhead.


House Banking Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) also played a significant role in the mortgage meltdown. Not only did he take numerous contributions from those affiliated with the GSEs (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), but he repeatedly fought oversight and audit controls that could have saved the country from their catastrophic meltdown. Best quote? "I think it is clear that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are sufficiently secure so they are in no great danger... I don't think we face a crisis; I don't think that we have an impending disaster. ...Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do very good work, and they are not endangering the fiscal health of this country.." That was Frank defending the GSEs' loose accounting standards in 2004 and he continued to do so through the summer of 2008.


Disgraced ex-Congressman William "Freezer-burn" Jefferson (D-LA) was found with $90,000 in marked bills stuck in his freezer at home. Federal agents told a judge the money was part of a $100,000 payoff delivered to Jefferson by an informant in a bribery probe. That probe has already led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former Jefferson aide. The Justice Department is investigating Jefferson's relationship to various international telecommunications agreements.


Allan "Jed Clampett" Mollohan (D-WV), who is a former chair of the House Ethics Committee under federal investigation after the National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the department regarding a bizarre increase in Mollohan's net worth. For 2005, Mollohan and his wife reported assets worth $6.8 million to $25.7 million, up from $116,000 to $315,000 in 1999. His financial disclosure restatements came only after the group's complaint.


John "Porky" Murtha (D-PA), the famed chair of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee; a charity founded by a longtime Murtha aide has become a "funnel for money" to his campaigns from defense contractors and lobbyists who directly benefit from his decisions. A Taxpayers for Common Sense spokesman noted, "It's a real tangled web between the congressman, the nonprofit, the defense contractors and the lobbyists." Oh, as an added bonus, Porky's one of the infamous unindicted co-conspirators caught during the Abscam round-up.


Harry "Land Deal" Reid (D-NV), the Senate Democratic Leader who collected a $1.1 million windfall profit on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't owned the property for at least three years. Reid also did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company. The AP learned of the land deal from a former Reid aide concerned that the deal had been "hidden from Congress."


And, lest we forget, let's not omit Caroline Kennedy, who dropped out of contention for the New York Senate seat amidst reports of tax and nanny problems.


This is a world-class collection of losers, punks and crooks.

Culture of corruption? This isn't just a culture, it's an influenza-like epidemic.

But that's today's Democratic Party. They are among the sleaziest group assembled in Washington since the Teapot Dome.

Linked by: Vocal Minority and Curmudgeonisms. Thanks!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

The Pelosi Congress: Before and After


Behold the economic transformation...

$165 Billion: Budget deficit, fiscal 2007
$1000 Billion: Budget deficit, fiscal 2009 (estimated)

4.5%: Unemployment rate: November 2006
6.7%: Unemployment rate: Today.

$50 Trillion: Net worth of the United States, November 2006
$44 Trillion: Net worth of the United States: Today.

12,157: Dow, November 2006
 8,600: Dow, Today.


Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the Democratic-controlled Congress have been a total, unmitigated disaster for Americans. Worst. Congress. Ever.

Based on: The Pelosi Record (WSJ). Linked by: Gateway Pundit, Conservative Grapevine, Right Wing Sparkle and SondraK. Thanks!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Democrats have a plan to stimulize the economy


The. Best. Congress. Ever. Just laid out a clear picture of their agenda.

Adding in the Citi bailout, the total cost of the bailout is roughly $4.6 trillion dollars. Or, as Barry Ritzholtz has calculated, more than what the country spent on the Marshall Plan, the Louisiana Purchase, the Race to the Moon, the Savings and Loan debacle, the Korean War, the New Deal, the Invasion of Iraq, the Vietnam War and NASA... combined... and all adjusted for inflation.

But don't worry, Robert Rubin -- senior transition adviser to president-elect Obama -- is on the case.

Wait a second... isn't that the same Robert Rubin who works for Citibank? And who would benefit from the bailout dough? The same Robert Rubin who mentored Treasury secretary designate Tim Geithner? No problem, Rahm Emmanuel -- former head of Freddie Mac -- is a senior staffer for Obama so I'm pretty sure nothing can go wrong.

Remember those 68 million acres of land Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the oil companies had to "use or lose"? The oil companies just lost 'em -- because some eco-Nazis just blocked a major drilling operation, presumably in order to save a plankton from going homeless. In other words, Democrats lied.

So far, Democrats have also blocked: the development of new sources of petroleum, exploration in ANWR, exploration off the coast of Florida, exploration off of the east coast, exploration off of the west coast, exploration off of the Alaskan coast, building new refineries, building clean coal plants, and clean nuclear energy production. They are, however, in favor of harnessing wind power and unicorn farts, which should make up for the shortfall.

How about legalizing illegal immigration? Harry Reid (D-NV) says there's another monumentally craptastic program on the way: "I don't expect much of a fight at all [on immigration this time]." Legalizing illegal stuff seems like a good way to go for Congress.

As for freeing terrorists - Democrats can do! As a precursor to closing Gitmo Salim Hamdan, Osama's driver and bodyguard, is being dispatched to his native country of Yemen. I heard Dick Durbin (D-IL) insisted we return the surface-to-air missiles he was transporting when he was illegally captured.

Bringing back Franklin Raines to run Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, along with the Federal Reserve? Yup.

Just kidding about that last one.

Wouldn't surprise me though.

All of this stuff courtesy of Larwyn. Linked by: Jules Crittenden. Thanks!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Harry Reid's greatest hits


Remember this?

Odd how the mainstream media let that egregious morale-killer drop down the memory hole, ain't it?

But I'm betting The New York Times will feature Reid's despicable information warfare campaign against our own troops any day now.

Oh, and also his very public apology.

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Judgment & Leadership: Barack Obama Quotes from the Mortgage Crisis (Bumped & Updated)


Barack Obama, 9/3/07: "Subprime lending started off as a good idea -- helping Americans buy homes who previously couldn't afford to."

And, based upon current events, still can't afford to.

Barack Obama, 9/23/08: "If they [Congress] need me, they’ll call me."

Barack Obama, 9/24/08: "I believe that we should continue to have the debate... It's going to be part of the president's job to deal with more than one thing at once."

Note: In asking to delay the debate, McCain said: "It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal... I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time."

Barack Obama, 9/30/08: After offering only "tepid" support for the bailout bill, and after his most ardent backers voted against the bailout, Obama bravely took a stand: "...now is the moment for us to come together and put the fire out."

Courage!

Barack Obama, 9/30/08: ""There will be time to punish those who set this fire, but now is the moment for us to come together and put the fire out."

Note: Democratic Congressional leaders calmly took the helm and led the country out of this debilitating crisis.

Senator Majority Harry Reid: "No one knows what to do."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "...the costs of the Bush Administration's failed economic policies-policies built on budgetary recklessness, on an anything goes mentality, with no regulation, no supervision, and no discipline in the system... we must act now, with the bipartisan spirit of cooperation which allowed us to fashion this legislation..."

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Worst Congress Ever. Donate now.


These past two years we've seen the most disfunctional, unpopular and irresponsible Congress in our lifetime. The Worst. Congress. Ever.

For the first time in US history this Democratic-led bunch abandoned our men and women in uniform on the battlefield by voting against funding war operations. They voted to lose a war.... Damn the consequences.

We've also seen gas prices more than double and the economy collapse as Democrats continue to offer no answers and no relief! We've seen Democratic politicians caught in scandal after scandal. We've also seen the Democratic leaders turn their heads the other way.

And, just this week we heard the most vile speech by a House Speaker we have ever witnessed in our country's history...

Therefore, I'm joining Ace of Spades HQ, Atlas Shrugs, Conservatives With Attitude, Gateway Pundit, Moonbattery, PoliPundit, Power Line, Redstate, Right Wing News, & Wizbang! to help raise money for worthy candidates in the last month of the campaign.


Gateway Pundit has more on the rationale and the slate we're supporting. Suffice it to say that you can make a difference. Any donation, no matter how small (even a dollar), can help kick the assclown to the curb.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Atlanta Gas Lines, Fuel Shortages cheered by Democrats


Atlanta drivers -- and many others throughout the South -- are suffering through fuel shortages resulting in long waits at gas stations. Linda Gregg of Virginia Highlands waited two hours to gas up her Toyota Prius.


"It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. What is this, Haiti?" Other drivers agreed, some of whom had driven dozens of miles trying to find a gas station with fuel.


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) applauded the waits as "necessary conservation measures that are moving America closer to a green economy." *


The Democratic leaders pointed out that their 30 year track record speaks for itself.

Democrats have blocked the development of new sources of petroleum.
Democrats have blocked drilling in ANWR.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the coast of Florida.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the east coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off of the west coast.
Democrats have blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast.
Democrats have blocked building oil refineries.
Democrats have blocked clean nuclear energy production.
Democrats have blocked clean coal production.

A proud tradition, to be sure, and one certain to get more Democrats elected in the fall.

* I'm pretty sure this is what they said, but the dog was barking when they were talking, so I won't guarantee the transcription.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Gasoline: the real price-gougers


Hurricane Ike threatens our largest oil refineries...

Gas prices hit all-time highs...

...and the Democrat-controlled Congress continues to prohibit drilling for energy around 93% of the U.S. In fact, they even prohibit exploration!

It's nothing new. In 1994 Democrat Bill Clinton vetoed exploration in Alaska

In 2008 Democrat Nancy Pelosi claimed that drilling for oil is a "hoax".

And in July of this year Democrat Ken Salazar refused to consider drilling even if gas hit $10 a gallon!

Ten dollar gas? Vote for Energy. Vote McCain-Palin.

Update: Larwyn adds:

Look at the Dems' "No Zones" and realize that if drilling and refinery sites were spread out, a hurricane in the Gulf would not have such a dire effect on our economy and on your pocketbook.

Common sense folks! If your banked cash exceeds the FDIC insurance limits, you use more than one bank. Time we create more than ONE ENERGY BANK for this country....

Well said.

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Rangel found floating in Pelosi's swamp


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi swept into power with a promise to "drain the swamp" and combat a "culture of corruption."

It turns out that the swamp has in fact not been drained; it instead continues to rise and new floaters seem to surface every day.

Yesterday Bloomberg reported on the latest turd to pop to the surface of the cesspool.

He goes by the name of Charlie Rangel.

Oh, and there are some income tax violations as well.

New York Representative Charles Rangel received an interest-free loan from the developer of his Dominican Republic vacation villa, a resort official said.

...The assertion that Rangel didn't know about the interest- free loan is one of several unusual aspects of his financial and real estate dealings. He said yesterday he failed to report more than $75,000 in rental income from the villa on his federal or state tax returns. The units rent for $500 to $1,000 a night, according to the New York Times.

The revelations come on the heels of a report that Rangel occupies four different rent-controlled apartments -- including one as a campaign office -- and has violated New York City regulations in doing so.

It turns out Rangel just hit the ethics investigation trifecta; his use of congressional stationary to solicit donors for a university center that would carry the Rangel name is also under review.

With that, Rangel joins other Pelosi floaters including:

William "Freezer-burn" Jefferson (D-LA), who was found with $90,000 in marked bills stuck in his freezer at home. Federal agents told a judge the money was part of a $100,000 payoff delivered to Jefferson by an informant in a bribery probe. That probe has already led to guilty pleas by a Kentucky businessman and a former Jefferson aide. The Justice Department been investigating Jefferson's relationship to various international telecommunications agreements.


Allan "Jed Clampett" Mollohan (D-WV), who is a former chair of the House Ethics Committee under federal investigation after the National Legal and Policy Center filed a complaint with the department regarding a bizarre increase in Mollohan's net worth. For 2005, Mollohan and his wife reported assets worth $6.8 million to $25.7 million, up from $116,000 to $315,000 in 1999. His financial disclosure restatements came only after the group's complaint.


John "Porky" Murtha (D-PA), the famed chair of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee; a charity founded by a longtime Murtha aide has become a "funnel for money" to his campaigns from defense contractors and lobbyists who directly benefit from his decisions. A Taxpayers for Common Sense spokesman noted, "It's a real tangled web between the congressman, the nonprofit, the defense contractors and the lobbyists."


Harry "Land Deal" Reid (D-NV), the Senate Democratic Leader who collected a $1.1 million windfall profit on a Las Vegas land sale even though he hadn't owned the property for at least three years. Reid also did not disclose to Congress an earlier sale in which he transferred his land to a company created by a friend and took a financial stake in that company. The AP learned of the land deal from a former Reid aide concerned that the deal had been "hidden from Congress."

Linked by: One Big Dog. Thanks!

Monday, July 21, 2008

Get Your New Gas Pump Stickers Here!


BUMPED AND UPDATED: I'm keeping this on the top o' the list for the evening. Email it to your friends if you get the chance.

After seeing the last batch of gas pump stickers, Larwyn suggested a few modifications.

Here's how they look on the pump.*

Click to zoom on this "four-pack" to print your own copies.

And here's a closeup.

* Remember: only affix these to gas pumps if you have the owner's permission.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

History Lesson: How Democrats doubled down on defeat


A brief tour:

• Democrat Joe Biden, Jan. 2007: "If he surges another 20, 30 [thousand], or whatever number he's going to, into Baghdad, it'll be a tragic mistake."

• Democrat Barack Obama, Jan. 2007: "I am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraqis going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse."

• Democrat Hillary Clinton, Jan. 2007: "I cannot support [the] proposed escalation of the war in Iraq."

• Democrat Barack Obama, Jan 2007: "I don't think the president's [surge] strategy is going to work."

• Democrat John Kerry, Feb. 2007: "The simple fact is that sending in over 20,000 additional troops isn't the answer--in fact, it's a tragic mistake. It won't end the violence; it won't provide security; ...it won't turn back the clock and avoid the civil war that is already underway; it won't deter terrorists, who have a completely different agenda; it won't rein in the militias."

• Democrat Dennis Kucinich, Feb. 2007: "It has been proven time and time again that troop surges don't work."

• Democrat Harry Reid, Apr. 2007: "The war is lost... This surge is not accomplishing anything."

• Democrat Christopher Dodd, Apr. 2007: "We don't need a surge of troops in Iraq... there is no military solution in Iraq. To insist upon a surge is wrong."

• Democrat Barack Obama, Jul. 2007: "My assessment is that the surge has not worked."

• Democrat Dick Durbin, Aug. 2007: "By carefully manipulating the statistics, the Bush-Petraeus report will try to persuade us that violence in Iraq is decreasing and thus the surge is working. Even if the figures were right, the conclusion is wrong."

• Democrat Jan Schakowsky, Aug. 2007: "I believe overall the surge is a failure. ...It’s clear to me we cannot win..."

• Democrat Joe Biden, Sep. 2007: "We should stop the surge and start bringing our troops home... [When asked whether Iraq closer to political reconciliation than before the surge began, and would continuing the operation stop the killing between Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds?] ...The answer to both those questions is no."

• Democrat John Kerry, Sep. 2007: ""The president's escalation ... has failed to achieve its goal of bringing about a resolution of the fundamental conflict between Sunni and Shi'ite."

• Democrat Chris Dodd, Sep. 2007: "It pains me to say that ... the surge tactic is a failure — and that failure is reconfirmed everyday by unfolding events in Iraq."

• Democrat Barack Obama, Oct. 2007: "[The surge is a] complete failure... Iraq’s leaders are not reconciling. They are not achieving political benchmarks."

• Democrat Harry Reid, Nov. 2007: "It is indisputable that the goals of the surge have failed."

• Democrat Joe Biden, Nov. 2007: "This whole notion that the surge is working is fantasy."

• Democrat Nancy Pelosi, Feb. 2008: "There haven't been gains [in Iraq]... The gains have not produced the desired effect, which is the reconciliation of Iraq. This is a failure. This is a failure."

• Democrat Carl Levin, Apr. 2008: "...the purpose of the surge as announced by President Bush last year... has not been achieved"

• Democrat Joe Biden, Apr. 2008: "The purpose of the surge was to bring violence in Iraq down so that its leaders could come together politically. Violence has come down, but the Iraqis have not come together... We Democrats understand that this war must end..."

• Democrat Bill Richardson, Jun. 2008: "[when asked if he was ready to concede that John McCain had been right in proposing the surge, said] "Absolutely not."

Peter Wehner concludes:

Democrats, then, have compounded their initial bad judgment about the surge with reckless obstinacy. As ethno-sectarian violence in Iraq rapidly declined, as al Qaeda absorbed tremendous military blows, and as political accommodation and legislative achievements have emerged, Democrats, rather than welcoming the progress, grew agitated. They embraced with religious zeal the belief that the Iraq war was lost; they therefore viewed the success of the surge as a terribly inconvenient development, one they sought to deny to the point that they looked silly and out of touch. Worse, Democrats acted as if they had a vested interest in an American defeat.

Rarely has a political party been so uniformly wrong, in such an obvious way, on such an important matter. And when Americans cast their vote on November 4, they should carefully consider how Barack Obama and the entire Democratic party fought ferociously and relentlessly to undermine a policy that has worked extraordinarily well...

Democrats called General Petraeus a liar. They said the war was lost. They claimed our troops were barbaric, killing innocent civilians with impunity.

They were wrong. They were unbelievably partisan, putting their interests before those of the United States and the safety of its military.

No party has been more wrong, more often, on serious issues of national import than the Democratic party since 1864.

As for Iraq? Well, let's just say that the Democrats' track record as the Party of Weakness and Defeat remains unblemished.

Update: Even preventing a holocaust wasn't a good enough reason for Obama to keep troops in Iraq:

Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn't a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there...


Linked by: Gateway Pundit and Wolf Howling. Thanks! Sources: Peter Wehner, Stephen Collinson, Democrats.org, New York Times, Think Progress, Democrats.org, Reuters, Carl Levin's Official Website, Chris Dodd's Official Website.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Free Gas Pump Stickers!


Mark Levin gave one of Atlas' readers an idea. He taped some pictures to the local gas pump.

The illustrations depict Congressional Democrats who've forced Americans to buy oil from the Middle East by criminalizing oil exploration in the U.S.

Need some to call your own? Click to zoom and then print away.

Here are closeups of all three versions (regular, extra, and premium).






Remember: only tape these to gas pumps if you have the owner's permission.


Linked by: Gateway Pundit. Thanks!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

An underreported story from July 4th


Gateway Pundit highlighted an underreported story on July 4th.

But... But... They're broken and worn out.

Didn't they listen to Barack?... There's no military solution!
This can't be happening.
They're just depressed. They're medicated.
They're too stupid and ended up in Iraq. And, now they're too stupid to know they're fighting a lost war.
Don't they know it's a failure?

The stress has made them cold-blooded killers .

Today 1,200 US troops reenlisted in Iraq- at a former Saddam Hussein palace


This was one for the record books... More than 1,200 US troops serving in Iraq signed up for extended service in the military to mark America's Independence day on Friday.

General David Petraeus led the airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Soldiers in their oath to defend their country against all enemies both foreign and domestic.

Democrats were wrong.

Well, they were wrong about Communism; wrong about welfare reform; wrong about how to fight terrorism; wrong about charter schools; wrong about trial lawyers; wrong about energy policy; wrong about global warming "climate change" (noticed those rising sea levels Al Gore promised?), to name but a few.

So this doesn't exactly come as a surprise.

Oh, and Harry Reid could not be reached for comment.

The video is here, courtesy Bob Krumm.