Thursday, February 26, 2009

Breaking: Burris' son got state job from Blago


Late-breaking news from The Chicago Sun-Times:

The son of embattled Sen. Roland Burris is a federal tax deadbeat who landed a $75,000-a-year state job under former Gov. Rod Blagojevich five months ago, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.

Five months ago?


Must have been a coincidence.

Blagojevich's administration hired Roland W. Burris II as a senior counsel for the state's housing authority Sept. 10 -- about six weeks after the Internal Revenue Service slapped a $34,163 tax lien on Burris II and three weeks after a mortgage company filed a foreclosure suit on his South Side house.

I'm betting the check is in the mail.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois Housing Development Authority indicated Wednesday there was nothing improper about Burris II's employment by the agency, whose mission includes overseeing mortgage programs for low-income home buyers and anti-foreclosure initiatives.

Nothing improper for a Chicago Democrat, that is.

Burris II's hiring, however, raises more questions about Sen. Burris' interactions with Blagojevich and his inner circle at a time when the governor was soliciting Sen. Burris for campaign contributions and Burris was angling to have Blagojevich appoint him to the Senate seat once held by President Obama.

What questions? It's Blago and Obama, for heaven's sake!

...Burris II had resolved two federal tax liens in 2005 before being hit with the $34,163 lien in July. That lien against his property seeks unpaid taxes for 2004, 2005 and 2007.

A month after the IRS filed the lien, Burris II's lender filed its foreclosure suit. Since Burris II and his wife got the $372,000 mortgage on July 18, 2006, they've paid less than $3,000 on it, the suit alleges. The balance due is $406,685, including interest and penalties.

The fact that Burris II faces foreclosure but is working at a housing-related state agency "reeks of hypocrisy," said state Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), who was the first to call on Sen. Burris to testify before the impeachment panel.

These Chicago politicians are truly fascinating creatures. I'm thinking of pitching a reality show. It would consist of a crafty sting operation in Skokie, $50 grand in unmarked bills, a smoking hot blonde, a SWAT team and Morley Safer.

Talk about a ratings bonanza.

Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "He just doesn't get it"

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Another $410 billion and 9,000 earmarks: Gateway
Words ‘ring hollow’ in Obama’s error filled speech: Red State
Times: He'll "redistribute wealth": TAB

The Obama budget's attack on the Second Amendment: JWF
Climate Czar Will Reign Like Caesar Of Old: IBD
2010 GOP ad preview: Patriot Room

Dow 6000: He just doesn't get it: Spectator
The Magic of Obanomics: STACLU
Obama's Straw Men: WSJ (Rove)

Paranoid Zeitgeist: Dr. Sanity
Nuclear Raid: Surber
Robert Byrd: Obama in power grab: Politico

New Republic's Peretz Baffled By Obama: Riehl
Temporary peace trumps freedom of speech: GOV
Eric Holder's Tragic Prison: AT (Kaitz)

The latest from Banker Guy: Hugh Hewitt
The Madoff Plan for Government Health Care: AT (O'Brien)
Illegals raid dismays Obama backers: Times

George Phillips fights for free speech: Mitchell Langbert
$1 Trillion "Downpayment" For Health Insurance: Legal Insurrection
Can Newspapers Survive?: RCP

Shocka : Negative Return-on-Investment for Plug-In Hybrids:Snapped Shot
Obama's cousin meets with crazed Iranian dictator: Big Feed
Carol Browner's Socialist Revolution Begins: SBVOR

Danier Leather Commercial: YouTube
Jurassic Web: Slate
What wealth redistribution looks like: TAB

"Terrorism": the word the new DHS Secretary dare not utter: AP
'Reagan-esque:' Obama Wins Over Skeptics with Optimism, Leadership on Banks: Yahoo!
The American Tea Party Happens Today!: Patriot Room

Photoshop credit Leo Alberti via Michelle Malkin

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

American small businesses erupt over Obama's Stimulus plan


Christopher Gunn of the American Small Business League points out that the Union-only stipulations of the "Stimulus" package actually prevent 27 million small businesses from receiving funds!

As predicted by the [ASBL], President Barack Obama failed to make any reference of his plans to fix existing federal programs designed to direct federal infrastructure spending to America's 27 million small businesses during his address to Congress and the nation Tuesday night.

Top economic experts like Dr. Laura Tyson and Carly Fiorina have both acknowledged that directing federal infrastructure funds to small businesses would be the most effective way to stimulate our nation's failing economy and create jobs. Tyson is the former Chair of the U.S. President's Council of Economic Advisers during the Clinton Administration and is currently an economic adviser to President Obama. Fiorina is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard and a former McCain campaign economic advisor.

According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, 98 percent of all American firms have less than 100 employees, 90 percent of all firms in the U.S. have less than 20 employees and those firms are responsible for over 97 percent of all new jobs in America... The stimulus bill signed last week by President Obama was designed primarily to create and preserve jobs. Yet not one line of the bill contains specific language to direct any of the stimulus bill's spending to the 98 percent of American firms that create over 97 percent of all new jobs.

In the absence of legislative language to specifically direct the billions of dollars in stimulus bill spending to small businesses, over 90 percent of all prime contracts from the stimulus bill will likely go to the top 2 percent of U.S. firms. This would seem to run contrary to the bill's stated mission of creating jobs.

Precisely.

And since Union bigwigs control the modern Democrat Party, it's counsel that's certain to be ignored.

Just like the Democratic Congress ignored the pleas of small businesses when the Porkies crafted the "Stimulus" package.

National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, is calling on Congress to pass a six-month payroll tax holiday as part of any economic stimulus package considered by Congress in the upcoming weeks...

Tax cuts? Simply because they worked for JFK, Reagan and Bush 43?

That's just crazy talk.



The semi-website of "Senator" Roland Burris


Better visit the website of "Senator" Rollo Burris while you can.

The webmaster might want to reword the caption:

* Permanent Web site currently under construction.

to:

* Current Web site permanently under construction.

Because I get the feeling there ain't a team of designers and developers workin' on his new site.

This is when you know she's pi**ed


Papa B sent this one in.







Do the Math: An Investors Graph



Click to zoom

• November 1992: Clinton elected President, Dow = 3240

• November 1994: Republicans retake control of the House and Senate, Dow = 3807

• June 2001: Jim Jeffords gives control of the Senate to the Democrats, Dow = 10,990

• November 2002: Republicans retake Senate, Dow = 8537

• November 2006: Democrats retake control of House & Senate, Dow = 12,342

• November 2008: Obama elected President, Dow = 8943

• Today, little more than three months since Obama was elected President, Dow = 7350.

Let's review. During the first two years of Clinton, while the Democrats retained control of the House and Senate, the Dow increased slightly.

In 1994, the Republicans took control of the House and Senate. The Dow exploded, increasing at an annual rate of almost 18% per year for the next six-and-one-half years, the entire period while the Republicans remained in control.

In June 2001, the Democrats regained control of the Senate. The Dow then plunged at an annual rate of almost -16% until November 2002, when the GOP retook the Senate.

From November 2002 until November 2006, the Dow increased at a rate of over 20% per year, until the Democrats regained control of both the House and the Senate.

In November 2006, the Democrats regained control of both the House and Senate. During the first two years of Democrat control (from November 2006 to November 2008), the Dow plunged at an annual rate of almost -15% annually. Since the Democrats gained control of the House and Senate in November 2006, the Dow has dropped -40% or a total of almost 4500 points.

Since Obama was elected President, the Dow has continued to plunge, and is down over 17% in the three months since election day.

Anyone else notice a pattern?

• Republican Control = Bull Market and Prosperity

• Democrat Control = Bear Market and Depression


One hopes the drones can understand the chart.


Update: The Wisdom of Crowds and Obamanomics.


Hat tips: KennedyLaw and Yahoo! Finance. Linked by: Digg's front page. Thanks!

Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "A bold new plan to wreck the economy"

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Obama unveils bold new plan to wreck economy: Treacher
Taxpayers Clearinghouse Prize Patrol: JWF
Buying an army of local voters: Red Planet

Coach Obama: SC&A
Porkulus bill details: Kickin' and Screamin'
Iran adopts Starfleet insignia: JudeoPundit

Biden family linked to billion dollar fraudster: Gateway
Whatever it takes: VIMH
Lesson plans for 'Change': AT (Spivey)

Congress spikes emails from outside their districts: Ace
How much do newspapers matter?: Instapundit
More election-day shenanigans in IL: New Editor

Duking it out on Air America: PJM (Simon)
The skeletons in Gary Locke's closet: Malkin
Getting the space shuttle out in an emergency: American Digest

The Coming Battle of Reapportionment and Redistricting: AT (Walker)
AP hack Jennifer Loven travels through time to report on Obama speech: Ace
Obama's New Spy Chief Publishes a Vicious Anti-Israel Journal: AT (Benoit)

Political Lexicon: 2009 Edition: AJacksonian
Gibbs: anti-war Socialist to give Reagan-esque speech: Gateway
Second amendment under fire in age of Obama: PJM (Owens)

A tiny wall plug computer!: CNet
If women were in charge: Margo's Maid
MSNBC says "Oh God" before GOP response: RCP

Ice age... or global warming?: Reuters

Sun and Flag


Contrairimairi sent this one in.

This is a beautiful photo of a giant American flag in Arizona The photo is authentic, UN-Touched and was taken on regular Kodak 35mm film. The person who took the picture couldn't believe the image created by the suns rays.

Nice of them to share it with the world!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The economic crisis Barack Obama "inherited"


Five years ago, Republicans proposed "the most significant regulatory overhaul in the housing finance industry [in a decade]." (Source: New York Times)

Democrats on the House Financial Services Committee blocked efforts at fixing Fannie and Freddie. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) said, "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... are not facing any kind of financial crisis,"

At least 18 times since 2001 Democrats blocked efforts at overhauling Fannie and Freddie even as accounting scandals and executive ripoffs became public.

Why? For starters, the top two recipients of Fannie and Freddie campaign donations were Democrat fatcats Chris Dodd ($165K) and Barack Obama ($126K) (Source: Open Secrets)

And Fannie Mae paid well. Clinton-era Democrats, serving as the CEO, CFO and Vice Chairman, paid themselves $200 million in only six years even while a $10 billion accounting scandal was exposed. (Source: Wall Street Journal)

And Democrats like Chris Dodd also got favorable loans under a "VIP program." Dodd alone saved over $75,000 on his mortgage payments. (Source: Conde Nast Portfolio)

So where are former Fannie Mae CEOs like Franklin Raines ($90 million in salary) and Jim Johnson ($21 million in salary in one year)? As you might expect, they've served as Barack Obama's key economic advisers. (Source: Washington Post)

With a track record like that, it should have been easy to predict the spectacular economic success of the Democratic Congress and the Obama administration.


The money faucet: it's for the children


The Minority Report asks: is this an acceptable outcome?

Funding:


Test scores:

But by all means, let's keep slathering the NEA and AFT bosses with our hard-earned money.

It's for the children, after all.

ComputerWorld Intrusive Advertising Fail


Can I read the article please, sir?

Best of all, the malfunctioning Javascript-based ad locked the page up tight as a drum.

Guess I didn't need to read the article after all.

Rick Santelli shreds Mortgage Plan on Kudlow


A must-watch video.

As Larry Kudlow points out, the direct criticism of Santelli by the White House is nearly unprecedented. It points to an insecure administration with a weak case, and which is hemorhagging popular support on a daily basis.

Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "Jumper cables for the economy"

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email!

Our battered American: Hanson
Hey, lady, your $800,000 house is NOT my problem: Malkin
Obama Levitates: Kristol

Fair Tax: Jumper Cables for the Economy: BMW
James Madison: Stimulus Unconstitutional: CopDis
Lessons from Plato: Dogfight

A disconnect on a beheading: Riehl
FBI: MN man likely first US citizen suicide bomber: KSTP
The devil made me do it: Spectator (Flynn)

Dodd's cozy cottage deal in Ireland: Courant
Coulter: Mortgage plan sparks outrage: Breitbart TV
Silence of the Dems: Soccer Dad

Obama's auto team drives imports: DetNews
Stimulus Protest in Denver: Harbinger of Protests to Come: DBKP
Obama plans a billion dollars for Hamas in Gaza: Ha'aretz

This post brought to you by the Green movement: IowaHawk
"I apologize to the rest of the U.S. that we're even a part of this country": CCP
Media Malpractice: How Obama got Elected: New Film

Al Jazeera: the network that glorifies child killers: LGF
California's budget crisis solved with the stroke of a pen: NBF
Winners in life's lottery: Charlie Foxtrot

"Asses that desperately need whipping": Asmunch (via Bubba)
Jim Calhoun rips reporter a new one: JWF
Who got the most tweets on Oscar night?: NMS

St. Louis Tea Party: Friday Morning 2/27 11:00AM: BMW

Monday, February 23, 2009

Boston Globe executes quick headline change


Four hours ago, the The Boston Globe's headline on its story covering the Obama "Fiscal Responsibility Summit" was:

Obama urges spending curbs, hands out $15 billion

After the laughter reached the office windows of the Globe, some enterprising editor changed the headline to avoid the painful itch of embarrassment.

Obama pledges to slash deficit -- after increase


Change!

An ATM card theft videotaped in Barclays Bank


















Hat tip: Jan.

In order to repair the bruised economy, President Obama plans a $1 billion stimulus package for Hamas


It's wouldn't be a real economic crisis without dozens of hare-brained schemes hatched by our Democratic rocket-scientist leaders. Never mind a mind-numbingly large Porkulus package and Harry Reid's Mag-Lev train to nowhere. Barack Obama has a truly winning idea:

Let's send $1 billion of the taxpayers' money to Hamas! After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The United States plans to pledge more than $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after Israel's offensive against Hamas and strengthen the Palestinian Authority, a U.S. official said on Monday. The money will be channeled through UN and other bodies and will not be distributed via the militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to make the announcement next week at a Gaza donors conference in Egypt...

Someone -- I can't remember who -- likened the first few weeks of the Obama administration to some twisted version of Dante's inferno.

You think you've reached the lowest level of stupidity and -- Ka-Blam! -- the President unleashes another witless method of torching the taxpayers' hard-earned dough.

In this case, the plan is -- seriously -- feeding $900 million or so to the Palestinians via the utterly corrupt "UNRWA".

In other words, look for your money to materialize in the form of AK-47s, suicide belts, ambulances rigged as truck bombs and other enlightened tools of the trade for the enemies of civilization.

This just keeps getting better and better.

Update: "On a day when the markets hit a 12-year low, it's probably not a good idea to suggest we're going to pour nearly another billion dollars into Gaza..."


Transparency lost: White House demands DOD budget secrecy


I've lost count of the number of tall tales (a lesser man would call them "lies") candidate Obama told during his multi-year campaign for the presidency. Now the Department of Defense budget will be opaque to taxpayers, presumably just another step towards "transparency" and "openness" in the enlightened Obama administration. Defense News reports:

The Obama administration has directed defense officials to sign a pledge stating they will not share 2010 budget data with individuals outside the federal government... In an undated non-disclosure agreement obtained by Defense News, the administration tells defense officials that "strict confidentiality" must be practiced to ensure a "successful" and "proper" 2010 defense budget process.

...The Pentagon and Office of Management and Budget have agreed on a fiscal 2010 defense budget top line figure of $537 billion. That level is nearly $50 billion lower than the $585 billion defense plan created during the final months of the Bush administration...

The pledge covers any data about the 2010 budget, including: "planning, programming and budgeting system documents and databases, and any other information" that concerns the administration's internal discussions about "the nature and amounts of the president's budget for fiscal year 2010, and any supplemental budget request during the current fiscal year..."

I don't know about you, but I've about reached my four-year quota of hope and change.


Hat tips: Atlas and Gary.

How TARP works -- in pictures







Hat tip: Legal Insurrection.