Thursday, March 19, 2009

Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "It's a record! $11 trillion in debt!"

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

The knock on the door: AT (Manning)
It's a record: $11 trillion in debt: Bachmann
The Obama Pledge: AT (Lifson)

The Prosperity Killers: Kudlow
Spare us your fake fury, DC hypocrites: Malkin
Slamming Obama's Cap-and-Trade Scheme: BMW

Census: officially hijacked by the left: Liberal Heretic
ACORN's Federal Judge: Spectator
Geithner vs. Dodd?: Instapundit

Fed's balance sheet now 25% of GDP: PJM (Fernandez)
Will Dodd and Obama return their AIG bonuses?: LGF
Obama & co. theater: chaos and cajolery: Anchoress

Team Obama: Incompetent or Dishonest?: MoneyRunner
Wishing Well: S, C & A
Pelosi: enforcement of immigration laws is "un-American": Fox

Dodd slaps forehead, recalls he did approve AIG bonuses: JWF
Talking with the Mullahs: it's been tried: Ledeen
4 Fannie execs get $1.6MM in bonuses: WaPo

Obama's teleprompter claims another victim: Ace ("Diplomatic Immunity!", it cried)
Obama climate plan tab could run $2 trillion: Times
MO police given chilling instructions: AT (Birdnow)

Unveiling the "Sixth Sense," game-changing wearable tech: TED
A Modest Proposal to Prevent the Pernicious Warming of our Fair Globe: Jonathan Swift
Newspaper Generator: Fodey

No Longer Just Paranoia: Shooting Wire ()

For months, anyone who's proffered the position that the Obama Administration was anti-gun has been dismissed as being a variety of things, from sore loser to rampant paranoid. Nonetheless, since assuming office, members of the Obama administration have steadily- and stealthily- moved against firearms and ammunition.

Their only public blunder was Attorney General Holder's saying the "assault weapons ban" needed to be reinstated. Quickly, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi - no friend of gun owners - went on record as opposing Holder's suggestion. She went as far as to parrot the words of pro-gun groups, saying the government should enforce the laws on the books today, rather than introducing new laws...

Last Friday, the anglers and hunters were notified that the National Park Service planned to make all lands under their control totally lead-free by 2010. No lead in ammo or fishing tackle...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Delicious Irony: Obama's favorite union engaged in a labor dispute with its own (separately unionized) employees


Even before Barack Obama was elected President, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was one of the most powerful labor groups in the land. Its two million members were levied taxes in the form of dues, most of which were then funneled into Democratic campaign coffers. Nearly half of its members are government employees.

Some reports indicate that the SEIU contributed $27 million to Barack Obama's campaign. Other media outlets describe the SEIU's $80 million overall stimulus package for Democratic candidates in 2008 with additional plans to spend tens of millions more in support of socialized medicine and "card check" instant unionization proposals.

Since Obama's election, the SEIU's power has grown stronger and its antics more outrageous. SEIU President Andy Stern is reported to have been the "SEIU official" who attempted to broker a deal between Rod Blagojevich and the White House over Obama's Senate seat. In the transcript released by federal law enforcement officials, the "SEIU official" offered to "send up a flare" to determine whether an SEIU 501(c)(4) group could be used to reward Blagojevich.

The Los Angeles Times also reports that the SEIU is embroiled in a series of financial scandals that may or may not be related to Obama. And it appears to be scrapping with other labor groups, presumably attempting to peel off their membership dues.

The most delicious irony, however, was described earlier today by The Washington Post. The SEIU is engaged in a fierce labor dispute with its own employees that it is seeking to to lay off.

The SEIU recently notified the union that represents about 220 of its national field staff and community organizers that a third of them will be laid off. That's right, some of the SEIU's employees have themselves unionized. And they belong to a union called The Union of Union Representatives (I am not making this up).

The UUR has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the SEIU with the National Labor Relations Board. It claims that the SEIU is acting like the businesses it battles on a daily basis: laying off workers without appropriate notice, using temporary workers, banning union activities, and reclassifying workers to reduce union members.

Again, I am not making this up.

SEIU President Stern says that the moves will help establish their power base in Washington: "We need to respond to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity our members created by helping elect President Obama."

Of course, this dispute completely undermines the SEIU's end-game, the ill-named "Employee Free Choice Act" (also known as "Card Check" or the "Instant Unionization Bill"). The bill removes the secret ballot requirement for a union formation vote. It thereby sets the stage for worker intimidation because all votes are public.

And joining a union is, in general, a poor choice for a worker. Dozens of studies have confirmed that higher unionization rates result in higher unemployment and lower wages. The math is simple: make it tougher and less flexible for businesses to employ people and they will employ less.

Furthermore, several industry groups have written to Congress claiming that the Instant Unionization Bill violates international labor law. These groups state that Card Check contravenes the International Labor Organization (ILO) standards, for which unions pressed for decades.

The ILO standards stress secret ballot elections, since workers face significantly less risk of reprisals. And the UN body also "discourages compulsory arbitration schemes, saying they interfere with voluntary collective bargaining and freedom of association."

But all of that matters not for President Ideologue, who appears eager to shove the United States down a socialist glide=path no matter what it does to the Constitution or, for that matter, the economy.



Why women should not take men shopping against their will


Dave writes: "After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Wal-Mart.

Dear Mrs. Samsel,

Over the past six months, your husband has been caused a series of disturbances in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban you and your husband from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Samsel are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1) June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2) July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3) July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.

4) July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

5) August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

6) August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7) August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

8) August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

9) September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

10) September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

11) October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while wearing sunglasses and loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme.

12) October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna 2.0 look' by using different sizes of funnels.

13) October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through yelled, 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

14) October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least...

15) October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here!'

Sincerely, Wal-Mart Customer Service.

Top 10 Demotivational Posters of All-Time













Selected from: MarcFolio.

Stickerwars


Best illustrations from the live EIB thread.




Contractor Award Nominee for the month of March


G sent in the March nominee.

This is a pic of a pedestrian tunnel going to a parkade. What was "supposed" to happen was that the water would get shut off, the pipe then re-routed under the tunnel and finally the water turned back on.

Instead the contractor built around the pipe. How are pedestrians to get over it? Jump? What about the handicapped?

Best of all: the tunnel was built under a street and there is another parkade exit also over this tunnel. Now the street will have to be re-closed, the parkade exit re-routed "again" so that this pipe can be dug up and run where it was supposed to have been....

Delay time??? unknown...

Well done, mystery contractor!


Also see: The 2008 Contractor Awards.


Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: Obama to Vets - Drop Dead

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

Rasmussen: 81% of US wants no part of unions: HyScience
Vote-fraud group ACORN will "assist" with Census: Gateway
Obama sets off trade war with Mexico: FT

Tax my products, please: WSJ
Quagmire: Crittenden
Verizon's new privacy policy: DequalsS

White House: Carbon Tax In Trillions: FoxForum
Contributions to Obama track bailout funds: PJM (Owens)
Alec Baldwin, Supply-Sider: Ed Morrissey

Obama appoints hard-core leftist to Seventh Circuit: Power Line
A tale of two conferences on climate change: AT (Young)
Rob Simmons challenges Chris Dodd in CT: Courant

Palestinians at sea in a rudderless polity divided against itself: AT (Rennert)
Why is Holder embarrassed about enforcing civil rights in Noxubee County?: NRO
Nobody listens to the real climate change experts: Telegraph (UK)

It's not so bad!: S, C & A
Geithner's unheralded role in the Bear Stearns collapse: AT (Lasky)
Obama Keeps His Heartbreakingly Gorgeous Brown Eyes Focused Laser-Like on the Economy: Ace

Nuclear option back on the table! Obama goes after filibusters: Morrissey
A Compelling Message Of Personal Responsibility: JOM
Obama to Vets: Drop Dead: Wizbang

The wheels are falling off the administration: LegalIns
Barney Frank, give back the money: Free Frank Warner
Rewarding Incompetence: Citigroup Economist Gets Treasury Gig : JWF

JournoList: Inside the left-wing echo chamber: Politico
The new age of Obama politics: Cramdown: Flopping Aces
DHS head Napolitano avoids mention of terrorism or 9/11 ("man-made disasters"): AP

Bomber Bill Ayers seeks police protection (again): Kincaid
It's American for Insolvent: Margo's Maid
Spin-meter: Shocked, shocked! Obama adminstration knew AIG details for months: Newsday

Kutiman mixes YouTube: Thru You
Photos from Alhambra: Gateway
The Churchill Crocodile Flamethrowing Tank: LiveLeak

AIG bonus protections were added to Stimulus Bill by Sen. ChrisDodd: InsuranceLife

...While the Senate was constructing the $787 billion stimulus last month, Dodd added an executive-compensation restriction to the bill. The provision, now called “the Dodd Amendment” by the Obama Administration provides an “exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009” -- which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are now seeking to tax...

Illustration: Jim N.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Behold the genius of the Chevrolet Corvmaro!


AutoBlog has the scandalous details.

It looks about as good as the name rolls off the tongue. From what we can tell, this is the front clip of a '73 Camaro grafted onto the chassis and running gear of a C4 Corvette of unknown vintage.

Thrown in for good measure are a generic '70s-era power dome hood and fender vents that appear to have been lifted from a second-gen Pontiac Trans Am...

I gotta get me some of that!



Barney's Frank says he'll fix Fannie Mae; breaks irony-meter


A headline in this evening's Wall Street Journal reads "Frank Prepares Bill to Revamp Fannie, Freddie".

Rep. Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said he hopes to introduce legislation later this year to restructure government-backed mortgage investors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... "The current model is broken," the Massachusetts Democrat said in an interview Tuesday...

...Federal regulators seized management control of Fannie and Freddie in September as heavy losses stemming largely from mortgage defaults ate through their thin layers of capital. For 2008, Fannie and Freddie reported combined losses of about $108 billion, forcing the Treasury to pump in capital to keep them operating...

Anthony Sanders, a finance professor at Arizona State University, recommends leaving Fannie and Freddie intact but subjecting them to better regulation and requiring them to hold more capital. He also suggests barring them from holding large amounts of mortgages and related securities. That would leave the companies to focus on creating and guaranteeing mortgage securities that would be held by others.

Better regulation and more capital?

Better regulation and more capital??

Better regulation and more capital???

In hearing after hearing, Frank and his Democratic cronies blocked "better regulation" and higher capital requirements for the GSEs. Time after time, month after month, year after year.

Here's Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) in 2003, helping to block a GOP bill ("H.R. 2575—THE SECONDARY MORTGAGE MARKET ENTERPRISES REGULATORY IMPROVEMENT ACT") that would require -- you guessed it -- enhanced regulatory oversight and higher capital-to-asset thresholds.

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.

Here's Rep. Barney Frank testifying later:

I don't see any financial crisis.

And now, Barney Frank, the same crustacean that helped cause the mortgage meltdown in the first place, suggests the kind of oversight that he helped block. Brilliant.

Can someone explain to me why Barney Frank isn't in prison?

Linked by: Just One Minute. Thanks!



Obama Golf Handicap System Update


THE USGA WOULD LIKE TO INFORM ALL GOLFERS

There is a possibility of major rule changes to the game of golf, which are scheduled to occur during the first 100 days of the Obama Administration. This message is a preview of the complete rulebook, which is in the process of being rewritten now. An overview of the basic rule changes follow.

A. Golfers with handicaps:
- below 10 will have their green fees increased by 35%
- between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees
- above 18 will play for free and even get a check from
the club/course played

B. The amount of money put in for bets will be as follows:
- for handicaps below 10 an additional $10
- between 11 and 18 no additional amount
- above 18 you will receive the total amount in the pot and you do not even have to play.

C. The term "gimme" putt will be changed to "entitlement" and will be used as follows:
- handicaps below 10, no entitlements
- handicaps above 11 to 17, entitlements for putter length putts
- handicaps above 18, if on green, no need to ever putt, just pick it up, it’s good.

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness in scoring so that the final scores of all players will be about the same.

In addition, a player will be limited to a max of one birdie and/or six pars, after which any excess strokes must be given to those fellow players who have not yet scored a birdie or par.

Only after all players have received a birdie or par from the player making the birdie or par, can that Player begin to count his score again.

The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes but the term 'net score' will be available only for scoring those players with handicaps 18 and above. This is intended to 'redistribute' the success of winning by making sure that in every competition the above 18 handicap players will post only 'net score' against every other player's gross score.

Remember that under the new administration, golf must be about fairness. The goal of the new rulebook should help players of all ability levels to enjoy a level playing field.

Hat tip: Stuart.

AIG execs demand Senators "resign or commit suicide"


After reading this story, I fell asleep and had the following dream...

AIG Vice Chairman and Chief Marketing Officer Robert G. Krebs suggested that Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT), Charles Grassley (D-IA) and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) take a "Japanese approach" toward accepting responsibility for the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by resigning or killing themselves.

"In all candor, I don't know why they're so exercised by some bonuses. These pathetic excuses for politicians cost the taxpayers trillions of dollars and, worst of all, they're still in power."

"I suggest they ought to be removed," Krebs said. "But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they'd follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I'm sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide. And in the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology."

"And, frankly, suicide would appear to be the only way to get these recidivists out of office," Krebs added.

"From my standpoint, it's irresponsible for unaccountable bureaucrats to allow themselves to receive raises when they're sucking at the teat of the taxpayer," AIG Senior Vice President James Sullivan explained.

Krebs noted that Frank, Dodd, Maxine Waters (D-CA) and a host of other Democrats were largely responsible for the entire mortgage meltdown through their decade-long fight against regulation of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"Recall that in 2004, Alan Greenspan warned of a systemic risk to the economy and, even earlier, the White House tried repeatedly to rein the GSEs in. But, no, B-B-B-arneys Fwank and Kwistopha Dudd were protecting their donors," Krebs said, mocking the portly Frank.

Sullivan continued to express his displeasure with the federal government that is adding trillions of dollars to the national debt for "non-stimulating stimulus, better known as pork projects."

He said Senators and Congress in general should not be rewarded for "running the country into the ground."

The executives' remarks added to a chorus of public outrage over the disclosure that Congress continues to rape the American people with pork projects and massive unfunded liabilities that are bankrupting the country.


Linked by: Instapundit, Protein Wisdom, The Anchoress, Transterrial, Power & Control, CitizenDain, Word Around the Net and Independent Sources. Thanks!



Tax my products, please!


Ben sends us a link entitled "Spot on Analysis from Today's WSJ", which paraphrases some excellent insights.

The U.S. government mandates fuel-economy standards that force Detroit to make cars Americans don't want to drive.

Detroit loses money on those cars.

Washington is now forced to throw taxpayer dollars at its mistake.

The car makers demand a tax increase [a tax that guarantees a gas-price floor of $4 a gallon] that would prod Americans to buy the unpopular cars that Washington mandates.

As for what the American consumer or taxpayer wants -- or can afford in today's economy -- who cares? Welcome to government-run energy policy.

Kind of like government-run housing policy, starring Barney Frank and Chris Dodd.




Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: "Buh-bye to the P.I."

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

Formerly useful idiots: AT (Thier)
Buh-bye to the P.I.: American Digest
When 'Freedom' and 'Choice' are neither: Big Hollywood

2002: Bailout and 'Too Big To Fail' Predicted: Anchoress
Sheriff Joe tells Conyers to pound sand: STACLU
Another bang-up job by the Treasury Dept.: Instapundit

China tests Obama: PJM (Chang)
While Obama played his campaign fiddle...: LegalIns
Iran, Hezbollah set to buy Lebanon elections: Timmerman

Blago could have national fallout: NewGeo
If there were no Israel: OregonLive
When newspapers fold: FT

Terror "dry run" on campus?: BMW
Iran's push into Nicaragua: PJM (Bensman)
President: wounded vets will be forced to buy insurance: This ain't Hell

An evening (wasted) at the Improv -- Teleprompter Fail: PJM (Vodka)
American Legion: oppose Obama's plan to charge wounded heroes for treatment: BMW
"Falsification of the Atmospheric CO2 Greenhouse Effects Within the Frame of Physics.": Gerhlich & Tscheuschner

Google Street Views catches Ferraris in natural habitat: Autoblog
Nude Swiss hikers could rescue Gray Lady: LegalIns
New study 'could turn the climate change world upside down!': WISN

Scientists Claim Earth Is Undergoing Natural Climate Shift

“I don't think we can say much about what the humans are doing,” Dr. Anastasios Tsonis said. - A new study by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee could turn the climate change world upside down. […] Scientists said that the air and ocean systems of the earth are now showing signs of synchronizing with each other. Eventually, the systems begin to couple and the synchronous state is destroyed, leading to a climate shift. "In climate, when this happens, the climate state changes. You go from a cooling regime to a warming regime or a warming regime to a cooling regime. This way we were able to explain all the fluctuations in the global temperature trend in the past century," Tsonis said.

"The research team has found the warming trend of the past 30 years has stopped and in fact global temperatures have leveled off since 2001." The most recent climate shift probably occurred at about the year 2000. Now the question is how has warming slowed and how much influence does human activity have? "But if we don't understand what is natural, I don't think we can say much about what the humans are doing. So our interest is to understand -- first the natural variability of climate -- and then take it from there. So we were very excited when we realized a lot of changes in the past century from warmer to cooler and then back to warmer were all natural," Tsonis said. Tsonis said he thinks the current trend of steady or even cooling earth temps may last a couple of decades or until the next climate shift occurs.

Monday, March 16, 2009

The 9/11 monument in New Jersey you never heard about


Gee, our crack mainstream media must have accidentally dropped this story behind the vending machine.

Politics or Poppycock has a series of photos depicting a monument to the victims of 9/11 in Bayonne, New Jersey. He writes, "I'm stunned. I have never heard, seen or read anything about this. Isn't it wonderful to live in a country where the media controls what we should know?"

The monument is a gift to the people of America from the citizens of Russia signifying the importance of the war against global terrorism.

Oops. That face may be one of the reasons our beloved mainstream media "forgot" to report the story.

The impressive teardrop monument is truly striking.

The victims of 9/11 are inscribed on a memorial wall.

Perhaps some enterprising reporter could let us know exactly what year this monument was installed.

They'll just have to remember not to call the hijackers "terrorists" or "enemy combatants", because President Obama doesn't permit that.


Linked by: Anchoress, Clark County, Paul Ibrahim and Wizbang. Thanks!

Hat tip: Contrairimairi.



Letter From a Nam Vet: Democrats attack the Church


A friend of a friend, who shall remain nameless, writes:

As you know, I am blessed to know and be connected to two great religions, sharing Judaism and Catholicism from my maternal Grandmother and paternal Grandmother, respectively. My sense of connection to both runs within me, and I know your beliefs run deep within you. I am writing to you today to tell you about a sermon delivered today by our Priest. He has all but named the president as the anti-Christ. Whatever your beliefs, this is significant, for I think he is correct. Biblical references aside, the Democrats and through their agents in government are attacking the very fundamental principles of America.

Specifically cited today was the recent attempt by the Connecticut state legislature to force the Catholic Church to be re-organized. See the attached article.

Although the bill was been "put aside", there will be other attempts by the democrats at every level of government to silence dissent. What is the next step after silencing religion, the freedom of speech, and right to bear arms, to gather?

Please share this with others, we need alert those who are asleep, we must keep alert and raise a loud voice of discontent, or our last stop will be into the showers, following a train ride. We can't afford to be a Chamberlain, we need to be Jeffersonian.

The article to which the Captain refers is, indeed, a disturbing one.

Conn. Legislature Moves to Regulate Catholic Church in Suspected "Payback" for Marriage Stance

The Connecticut Judiciary committee Thursday proposed a bill stripping Roman Catholic bishops of their authority to govern fiscal and administrative diocesan affairs - an unprecedented attempt to regulate the Catholic Church, that critics are calling "payback" for the Church's efforts to prevent the legalization of same-sex "marriage" in the state.

The explicit intent of S.B. 1098 is, "To revise the corporate governance provisions applicable to the Roman Catholic Church and provide for the investigation of the misappropriation of funds by religious corporations."

Referring specifically to structures of the Roman Catholic Church, the bill states: "The corporation shall have a board of directors consisting of not less than seven nor more than thirteen lay members. The archbishop or bishop of the diocese or his designee shall serve as an ex-officio member of the board of directors without the right to vote."

According to the bill, members of the board are to be elected from among the congregation, and the authority of the bishop and pastor limited to "matters pertaining exclusively to religious tenets and practices."

(To view the legislation, go to: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/TOB/S/2009SB-01098-R00-SB.htm)

Andrew McDonald and Michael Lawlor, co-chairs of the Judiciary committee, say the bill was proposed as a response to an incident in which a priest was convicted of stealing 1.4 million dollars from a parish in Darien...

Lawlor, in an email posted by American Papist blogger Thomas Peters, justified the bill by claiming it changed "current state statutes governing Roman Catholic corporations" as "suggested by parishioners who were the victims of theft of their funds in several parishes, who felt existing laws 'prevented them from dealing with the misuse and theft of funds.'"

"I agree with you that the whole notion of having a statute governing the church seems like an intrusion on the separation of church and state, but the current law does that already," Lawlor wrote, who emphasized that corporate law "probably should make sure there cannot be deception of parishioners."

...Many have raised concerns of the bill's constitutionality. Attorney Philip Lacovara, a Bridgeport Catholic, told the committee: "In more than forty years as a constitutional law teacher and practitioner, I cannot recall a single piece of proposed legislation at any level of government that more patently runs afoul of [the First Amendment]" than the bill in question. U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops general counsel Anthony Picarello also expressed shock at legislation "so blatantly unconstitutional," according to the National Catholic Register.

The Knights of Columbus, the Family Institute of Connecticut, and Connecticut Catholic Conference as well as individual bishops are calling on Catholics and non-Catholics alike to intercept the bill, which is being denounced as a dire and unprecedented threat to religious groups' right to self-government.

Peter Wolfgang of the Family Institute of Connecticut explained the need for an interfaith presence at the Wednesday hearing. "As Ben Franklin told the Founders while they were signing the Declaration of Independence, 'either we hang together or we will all hang separately,'" said Wolfgang. "Legislators need to understand that this bill is an attack on everyone's religious liberty."

..."Our church in the state of Connecticut is facing an unprecedented intrusion by the state legislature into its own internal affairs," Bridgeport's Bishop William Lori told parishioners Friday. "If this bill were to be enacted, your bishop would have virtually no real relationship with the 87 parishes.

"You have to understand how radically this departs from the teaching of the Church and the discipline of the Church, and how gravely unconstitutional it is for a state to move in and try to reorganize the internal structure of the Church. It is a violation, a grave violation of religious liberty."

Lori scoffed at the notion that the state, which now has a billion-dollar deficit, proposed the bill out of a need for greater regulation of Church finances.

"This bill was dropped into the hopper the day before the same-sex 'marriage' bill was to be heard," said Lori. "This is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Church on important issues of the day - but especially with regard to marriage."

Both committee co-chairs McDonald and Lawler are outspoken same-sex "marriage" advocates, and have been critical of the Catholic Church's opposition to laws dismantling the legal definition of marriage.

"The real purpose of this bill is payback to the bishops and pastors of the Roman Catholic Church in Connecticut for opposing gay marriage," State Sen. Michael McLachlan of Danbury wrote in his blog...

What is it with these Democrats? Did they skip school on the days that the the Constitution was being taught?

The Anchoress, Hot Air's Ed Morrissey and Wizbang were on this story from the get go. The bill may have been tabled for the moment, but continued vigilance is the watchword.

This attempt certainly won't be the last by Democrats bent on silencing dissent.

I seem to remember that there's a word for National Socialist Democrats. From the history books. But it's escaping me for the moment.



Why Charles Johnson would never have been taken in by Madoff


Charles Johnson is the legendary blogger who has uncovered a series of media scams, most notably Dan Rather's career-ending "smoking gun" memo.

Correspondent Papa B writes in, asserting Johnson would never have been taken in by Madoff.

"I am sickened by Madoff’s conduct and baffled as to the behavior of his investors. I’m not saying that anyone could not get caught in a scam but look at the statement that Madoff sent to his investors. Aside from the fact that it looks like it was prepared on a 1980's printer, there is no indication of any involvement of any 2nd or 3rd party. Here's one of his statements."



"Compare my SEP statement as an example. My CFP, [name redacted] is with [firm name redacted]. The account is administered by FSC and the monies are managed by Pershing and they are in a Dreyfus account. I’m not saying that the four parties could not operate in collusion... but it’s unlikely. I’m sure that you know this but how could so many intelligent people receive a statement like his and not question it? Was it the “guaranteed return” or the trust factor? It was probably both. It’s an unbelievable tragedy!"


Papa B has a point.

I would contend that had Charles Johnson been a Madoff client, he would have smoked out the scam on day one.

But, in some cases, there were third parties involved. In those instances, you've got to wonder about the culpability of those players. Consider a firm named Fairfield Greenwich, which lost $7.5 billion of its investors' funds to the Madoff scam. This was roughly half of the total that they managed.

So what, exactly, was Fairfield Greenwich doing for its management fees? Did it perform any due diligence? Did it audit Madoff? What knowledge of Madoff's peculiarities did it have? Did it have knowledge of Madoff's clearing operations?

As Papa B alludes to, the imprimatur of a third party gives a cretin like Madoff an aura of respectability. It will be intriguing to discover how much Fairfield knew.



Larwyn's Link Kerplosion: Is the Stimulus Unconstitutional?

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

Cincinnati Tea Party: Instapundit
Aid trap in Africa: Prairie
Chuck Norris vs. the Moonbats: PJM (Owens)

Newspapers, hail and farewell: PJM (Malone)
Is the Stimulus Bill Unconstitutional?: Power Line
Huge: Thousands Converge for Tea Party: Malkin

In Memoriam: Ron Silver: PJM (Simon)
Dodd's real estate deals among friends: Courant
Who's the next victim of the Left's smear campaign?: JWF

The joke's on them: the Brokest Generation: Dinocrat
Ruh roh. Reich goes to war with Geithner: ABC
The O and the I word: Surber

Porkialism under assault: Crittenden
Operation Rush failed: Surber
Clock starts ticking on Geithner: Whig

Something wicked this way comes: AT (Smith)
Global warming's no longer happening: So why are eco types ignoring record lows?: Edmonton
Nebraska Sets the Standard on Government Accountability: WSJ

How to destroy civilization with nanotechnology: LGF
David Frum: Greedy Limbaugh Stole My Crown Of Evil: Cube
How modern liberals think: Evan Sayet

Obama open to taxing health benefits, average tax cost for each family: $5K annually: Political Class

Barack “tax cut for 95%” Obama now wants to tax your health benefits. Yet another great way to take money away from the people that use it to buy things and thus create jobs. Oh wait – Obama doesn’t believe in such things. As such he is now ready to take away more money from your family...

Now for those of you that have any memory left of the presidential campaign last year it was Obama that made fun of John McCain for supporting this idea...

The average salary in the United States is about $39,200. Therefore taxing health benefits would cost the average two income household about $5,000 per year or $416 per month. So just sell one of your cars. Maybe just stop saving for your kids to go to college. Put that IRA contribution on hold you greedy capitalists...

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Oklahoma is okay


Fun.


Twoface: the trailer



What do you call yourself?
Barry Milhaus Obama. But you can call me TwoFace.

A film by

We gotta get money. We get money, then we get power. We get power...

David Axelrod

You stay loyal to me, Tony Rezko, and the sky's the limit.

Me, I want what's coming to me.
Well... what's coming to you?
The world, Rahm-o. And everything in it.

I always tell the truth, Barry, even when I lie.

You gotta look in your eye, like you haven't had sex in years.

Tee hee!

You're a small-timer, Rezko. I'm big-time. I'm moving on.

Look, I helped you buy your house. I supported your first campaign... please, can't we come to some arrangement??? Please?

Rahm-o, you keep your eyes and hands away from Michelle...

Stay away from her!

My nightclub...

*** RATTATTATTATT ***

*** RATTATTATTATT ***

I told you, Barry -- don't f*** me. Don't you ever try to f** me.

You think I'm scared of Bill Clinton? Well, f*** Bill Clinton! And f*** James Carville!

He's won the nomination? Running to the left of Hillary? Why that son-of-a-...

It's Wednesday night. Party night. And no one's coming to me.

To the f***ing White House!

I'm BARRY OBAMA!!! SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE IDEOLOGY!!

It's Tea Party Time, Obama! We're comin' for you!

Twoface. Coming soon to theaters everywhere.



Linked by: Gateway Pundit. Thanks!