Friday, July 08, 2011

Quote o' the Month: Messrs. Boehner and McConnell -- Just Say No

John Hinderaker:

Many traditions have gone by the wayside during the last few years of Democratic control, none more important than the legislative process itself. The idea that major legislation affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of Americans and the future prosperity of our children and grandchildren should be rushed through Congress without being read, without being debated, without being amended, without being made known to voters, is an outrage. With respect to the budget, it is an illegal outrage.

Republicans should have nothing to do with such banana republic proceedings. There should be no eleventh-hour cosmic bipartisan deal on the budget. The nation’s fiscal future should be debated and legislated on in an organized, transparent, legal, public manner. First choice: Republicans vote against an increase in the debt limit. Contrary to hysterical pronouncements from the likes of the discredited Tim Geithner, this would not cause the federal government to default on its bonds. Rather, the government would continue to pay principal and interest as it comes due, and would be forced to cut spending in other areas.

As they say on the real blogs, read the whole damn thing.


Hat tip: Verum Serum. Related: An Open Letter to @SpeakerBoehner and Sen. McConnell: You Blow This and You Are Political Toast.

"Millionaires and Billionaires"

The committee calls Thomas Edison to testify. Please swear him in.

Mr. Edison, describe for the committee the nature of your "light bulb" invention.

Distinguished representatives and guests, while the idea of electric lighting is not a new one, neither had it been a practical matter until we produced our new incandescent light bulb.

It uses a lower current of electricity and is both safe and economical.

So this electric light bulb that your firm invented: do you agree that demand for affordable lighting will skyrocket and that more and more electricity will need to be produced? Have you considered the impact on carbon emissions into the atmosphere -- the inevitable result of lighting all of these "bulbs"?

No, sir. We were simply trying to create a useful product for consumers, one that enhances safety and society as a whole.

Have you considered alternative lighting mechanisms that would consume less electricity? How many "green collar" scientists are working in your laboratories? Have you considered the impact of your invention on climate change?

No, sir -- I'll admit we were simply trying to create a functional light bulb.

And this phonograph you've invented, Mr. Edison, have you evaluated how its production could skyrocket due to high demand for musical recordings? Have you produced an assessment for the EPA and state regulators as to its impact on the environment? Production of tin, vinyl and other substances could explode!

Ah, never mind.

The committee calls Henry Ford.

Here.

Please explain this "invention" of yours: this "mass-produced" automobile.

Ladies and gentlemen, one day it struck me. We could produce cheaper goods, without compromising quality, by standardizing designs and assembly processes. We created an "assembly line" that helps us mass-produce vehicles...

These "cars" of yours are reproducing like locusts! Virtually everyone is driving them! And where do you think you'll get the fuel, the gas for these --

Distinguished Representative, America's natural resources are plentiful and there is no shortage of oil. Furthermore, our new processes are a significant improvement because automobiles can be produced more efficiently and consistently.

Mr. Ford. Mr. Edison. The conclusions of this committee are clear. The U.S. government cannot tolerate out-of-control corporate entities run by super-wealthy individuals such as yourselves. We must confiscate your factories and laboratories until they can be unionized; vetted by federal, state and local regulators; and certified as "green".

In short, we must call a halt to your outrageous activities. You and Mr. Edison are dismissed.


An Open Letter to @SpeakerBoehner and Sen. McConnell: You Blow This and You Are Political Toast

You cave on the debt ceiling without meaningful spending cuts -- not Social Security, not Medicare, not some far-off, mystical trillion dollars a decade in the future -- but cuts now in the massive discretionary spending programs that exploded under the 111th Congress, well, then you are both political toast.

President Obama has publicly vilified you, has equated you with terrorists ("holding a gun to the American people's head") and has now gone 800 days without a budget. He spent this money. He knew it would blow past the debt ceiling. This is his fault And now he demands something "balanced"?

This is the real deal, since you or your staffers haven't figured it out yet: Obama is prepared to slash Social Security, Medicare, Defense--in fact, anything except the bloated public sector unions.

As always with Obama, it's about the unions. There can be no negotiation with the ideologues who have blown trillions in borrowed money to no avail.

The bloated government bureaucracies are the Democrat Party and vice versa. One can't exist without the other.

If you -- Senator McConnell -- and you -- Speaker Boehner -- blow your advantage, you can stick the old political forks in you. You're done.

Your starting position -- non-negotiable -- should be the Cut, Cap, Balance Pledge.

Period.

No secret, back-room deals. No bullcrap "trillion-dollar spending deals for 2020 with non-tax revenue increases".

This is Obama and the 111th Congress' fault. They didn't pass a budget. They spent like drunken liberals. And, as we speak, they are destroying the full faith and credit of the United States Treasury.

If you are too wedded to your status on the Beltway cocktail and press circuit -- rather than as representatives of a pissed-off electorate -- there will be hell to pay.

Hell.

To.

Pay.


P.S., How's "Speaker West" sound to you?

4 brutal graphs: how President Obama and the Democrats rewarded sloth and unemployment and got... more sloth and unemployment

With the release of the latest horrible jobs report, liberals continue to wonder why the employment situation remains so dire.

To explore the answer, we'll visit the Department of Labor's website, which houses several useful databases. Among the most important measures the agency tracks is Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR). This is the percentage of the working-age population that are either employed or unemployed but seeking a job. The remainder are either not looking for employment, are discouraged workers, or otherwise completely out of the workforce.

Looking over the last 30 years, this is the worst environment for employment since Jimmy Carter's recession. President Ronald Reagan attacked the malaise by slashing tax rates, reducing regulation and -- basically -- getting government out of the way of the private sector. In addition, the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 had a markedly positive effect on the LFPR.

After the dot-com bubble collapsed and the after-effects of the 9/11 attacks rippled through the economy, the LFPR stayed stable for years. From the summer of 2003 until the Fannie Mae housing meltdown of late 2008, the rate hovered around 66%.

Even after the housing meltdown, the LFPR stayed basically the same until the inauguration of President Barack Obama. Why?

Basically, President Obama and his Democrat super-majorities in the 111th Congress incentivized sloth, fraud and unemployment. Why are many Americans out of the workforce?

Consider the major milestones in the Democrats' job-destroying policies:

03-01-2009: SNAP (Food Stamp) Participation Rates Leap
11-06-2009: Unemployment Extension Adds Up to 99 Weeks of Benefits
03-23-2010: Obama Signs Health Care Bill Today as GOP Challenges Constitutionality
04-02-2010: Census hiring expected to reach peak in next several months
05-27-2010: Obama Extends Moratorium; Agency Chief Resigns
09-16-2010: New PPACA [Obamacare] Provisions Take Effect in September – But Do Your Clients Know?
02-03-2011: U.S. in Contempt Over Gulf Drill Ban, Judge Rules
06-11-2011: Utility threat to shutter coal plants fuels EPA battle
07-08-2011: Report: Obama’s oil company tax proposal would jeopardize thousands of jobs

These are but a few of the employment-crushing steps embarked upon by Obama and the Democrats. And, as you can see, more are on the way.

They have yet to figure out that if you reward sloth, you get more sloth. And the worst is yet to come.

Remember in 2012.


Unexpectedly: Unemployment rises to 9.2% and U.S. adds only 18,000 jobs in June -- on predictions of 125,000

Feeling stimulated yet?

U.S. employers added 18,000 workers in June, less than forecast and the fewest in nine months, while the unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed, indicating a struggling labor market.

The increase in payrolls followed a 25,000 gain that was less than half the rise initially estimated, Labor Department data showed today in Washington. The median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey called for a June gain of 105,000. The unemployment rate rose to 9.2 percent, the highest level this year. Hiring by companies, which excludes government agencies, was the weakest since May 2010.

...The jobless rate rose even as the participation rate declined to 64.1 percent, the lowest since March 1984. The household survey showed a 445,000 decrease in employment and a 173,000 increase in unemployment.

Average hourly earnings fell 1 cent to $22.99, today’s report showed. The average work week for all workers dropped to 34.3 hours, from 34.4 hours the prior month...

The so-called underemployment rate -- which includes part- time workers who’d prefer a full-time position and people who want work but have given up looking -- increased to 16.2 percent from 15.8 percent.

Tyler Durden puts it in simple terms -- hopefully sufficiently simple for the liberal drones who might be reading along: "Absolute disaster. ...There is no sugarcoating this report. Absolutely abysmal." and:

This chart needs no commentary. At 64.1%, the Labor Force Paritipcation rate just dropped to a fresh 25 year low: the civilian labor force declined by 272K from 153,693 to 153,421. And tangentially, the employment to population ratio also slumped to a multi decade low of 58.2%.


Gee, this "jobs reports" is pretty much of an epic fail all the way around.

Can we get our trillion dollars back?


Larwyn's Linx: Obama Official Lied To Congress on Clandestine Amnesty

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Nation

Obama Official Lied To Congress About Clandestine Amnesty: Lid
Beware of Dr. Jihad: Malkin
$50,000 Reward: ProWis

Obama: Our Immigration Laws are "Too Hard": SIGIS
Judiciary Committee Probes Kagan’s Obamacare Involvement: CNS
Dick Durbin's relationship with bogus foundation exposed: Sidebar

SCOTUS to POTUS: You're really not very good at this law thing: Ace
Who paid the Fleabaggers' expenses?: Hot Air
Dem. Congressional candidate tied to LA drug gangs: ProWis

Gunrunner

Fast-and-Furious-Gate: IBD
The New Untouchables: Mudville
Who inserted Gunrunner funding into the Stimulus package?: Tatler

DOJ Inspector General Can't Be Trusted to Investigate: PJM
Gunwalker – Laying It All Out: Barnhardt
43 Weapons in Phoenix Traffic Stop Linked to Gunrunner: BlogProf

Economy

U.S. debt crisis might be on fast track: Pethokoukis
[Fill In Blank] Industry Furious At Obama: Driscoll
Abandon all hope ye who enter Newark, NJ: WyBlog

Have the NLRB and the NMB Outlived Their Purpose?: Hideout
Former White House Economic Adviser: the Economy is Horrible: VS
Senate Dems Fuming Over Obama's Social Security Cuts: Hill

GOP plans blocking Obama's recess appointments to NLRB: Exam
Burning down the house: Will
Report: Widespread Cheating in Atlanta Schools — by Teachers: NewAm

Climate & Energy

Follow the Money: The EPA, ATF, DOJ and POTUS Under The Radar : Babalu
Record highs? – NOAA staffers are beginning to doubt accuracy of measurements: WUWT
Report: Obama’s oil company tax proposal would jeopardize thousands of jobs: Hot Air

Media

Jack Dorsey's Twitter Town Hall: By Obama, for Obama: sisu
Too Hot for Holder: AT
Father spoke of having Obama adopted: RWN

The 14th Amendment Coup d’Etat: PJM
Update: Arrest made in case of missing Seattle-area teen Kathy Chou: Malkin
NEW TONE…Top Democrat Indicted For St. Louis BOMBING: BG

Exclusive: ‘The Undefeated’ Trailer – Daughter. Wife. Mother. Warrior.: BG
Leadership: ProWis
Newsweek: White House Intimidation of NBC ‘Reprehensible’: RWN

World

Texecuted: Surber
Mexican Government Helps Illegal Colonists Get Free Healthcare at Our Expense: RWN
BBC produces series on life of a seventh-century pedophilic psychopath warlord, Iran threatens revenge: WZ

Economic Freedom and Quality of Life: EconFree
Obama, the Taliban, and the Muslim Brotherhood Vs. America, Israel, and Freedom: Zilla
First Women Deployed on Spec Ops Teams: Military

SciTech

Top 10 Web apps: SocMed
Google+ gap keeps me on Facebook: CNet
Google Docs for mobile screens: CNet

Cornucopia

Field of Dreams 2: NFL Lockout: FoD
After That Townhall, I’m All A’Twitter: MOTUS
Recognizing the Enemy: Laser Beams

Image: iOwnTheWorld
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Project Valour-IT Fundraiser Update


Thursday, July 07, 2011

Pass the popcorn, Nahanni: Democrats explode in rage that they weren't consulted on Obama's planned cuts to Social Security

And hold the butter.

Senate Democrats reacted angrily Thursday to a report that President Obama has proposed significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security in closed-door talks with GOP leaders.

Democratic lawmakers said they were dismayed to read about Obama’s offer in the press rather than hearing it from the president himself. Their frustration is exacerbated by Obama’s snub of their invitation to speak to the Senate Democratic caucus Wednesday...

...“We would have preferred to hear it from the president instead of from the press,” said Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Md.), a senior member of the Senate Democratic conference. “We first have to go after tax earmarks.” [Ed: WTF?]...

* * * * * * * * *

The debt-ceiling talks seem to be occurring in “a parallel universe,” Mikulski said. “The base is quite cheerless right now,” she added.

The White House appears to be gambling that Democrats, even if they gripe, will ultimately rally around the deal the president cuts, as they did last year on a tax package and this year on a continuing resolution funding the government through October... But any deal will still need votes from Senate Democrats and likely some House Democrats. And Democrats worked Thursday to suggest limits to what they will accept.

...But Democrats signaled they may not accept a deal that pairs immediate entitlement cuts with the prospect of future revenue increases.

In a statement, David Krone, Reid’s chief of staff, said spending and revenue should be balanced “in terms of timing, specificity and dollars.”

Balanced. Kind of like how the Democrats crammed Obamacare down the throats of the American people. And the Frank-Dodd "financial reform" bill. And the "Stimulus", which was -- of course -- "shovel-ready".

Republicans: hold the line. No hiking the debt ceiling without a balanced budget amendment.

Sign the pledge -- and tell your representatives to sign it too

As an aside, that Barbara Mikulski is quite the hottie.


Ramirez and Issa weigh in on Eric Holder and Project #Gunrunner

Tonight on Fox News' Special Report, Rep. Darrell Issa -- Chairman of the House Oversight Committee -- pilloried the Justice Department and expressed extreme skepticism that Attorney General Holder was unaware of Operation "Fast and Furious".

Unbeknown to the ATF, the DEA and FBI were using paid informants as middlemen. Which means U.S. dollars were used to buy weapons... [there was almost no] physical tracking of weapons... one shipment was observed going into Mexico and then just disappeared.

[This operation] goes to the highest levels of Justice... we want answers. The ATF was kept in the dark by Justice.

We have our doubts [that Holder didn't know]... we will continue the investigation and follow it wherever it goes.

As Issa wrote earlier this week about ATF director Melson's secret testimony:

If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand. That approach distorted the truth and obstructed our investigation.

Which means that the acting ATF director believes: Holder's DOJ lied to Congress and obstructed its investigation. Both of which, let me check -- why... yes, are crimes.

The Arizona Daily Star recently reported that the family of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry -- killed by one of Holder's Gunrunner weapons -- is considering a lawsuit. Let me be the first to suggest that one of the civil targets is Eric Holder.


So this is the deal: Obama prepared to slash Social Security, Medicare, Defense--in fact, anything except the bloated public sector unions

With the nation's Treasury poised to hit its debt ceiling, President Obama has little choice but to pay lip service to spending cuts.

And that is how, today, we find ourselves reading this delightful bit of reporting in The Washington Post:

In debt talks, Obama offers Social Security cuts


President Obama is pressing congressional leaders to consider a far-reaching debt-reduction plan that would force Democrats to accept major changes to Social Security and Medicare in exchange for Republican support for fresh tax revenue...

...As part of his pitch, Obama is proposing significant reductions in Medicare spending and for the first time is offering to tackle the rising cost of Social Security, according to people in both parties with knowledge of the proposal. The move marks a major shift for the White House and could present a direct challenge to Democratic lawmakers who have vowed to protect health and retirement benefits from the assault on government spending.

Consider what Obama has already committed to -- or is proposing to -- cut:

• The Obamacare takeover of the health care industry slashed $500 billlion from Medicare to help pay for the new entitlement.

• The states will be forced to find about $400 billion in Medicaid funding in 2011, this time without the "shovel-ready Stimulus" package which picked up about $100 billion of the tab.

• And now the President proposes additional cuts for seniors, this time in the form of reductions in Social Security.

Notice who doesn't have to sacrifice: the public sector unions, whose support is crucial to Obama's 2012 relection campaign.

Even though the size and power of the federal bureaucracy has soared under President Obama; even though federal workers earn double their private-sector worker counterparts and even though the number of federal employees making $150,000 (and even over $180,000) salaries has skyrocketed in recent years, President O'Trumka can't find any bureaucracy to cut.

Seniors, beware: Obama is prepared to slash and burn your benefits -- earned by you over your entire working careers -- in order to give your money to the unions. And he does so because much of that money will inevitably find its way back into his campaign coffers.

Unless the GOP stands firm on the Cut, Cap and Balance pledge, the unions will be kept whole while everyone else will be thrown to the wolves.

Sign the pledge -- and tell your representatives to sign it too


Chart: Heritage Foundation.

Don't Fire Until You See the Whites of Their Mushroom Cloud! [Dan from New York]

Dan from New York:

Hey Iran, we’re on to you now. Did you really think you could get one past our eagle-eyed “Western analysts”?

Analysis - Iran's nuclear steps deepen Western suspicions


Wed Jul 6, 2011
By Fredrik Dahl

VIENNA (Reuters) - Expanding uranium enrichment, a new atomic energy chief said to have military expertise, missile tests -- Western analysts see fresh signs that Iran may be seeking to develop the means to build nuclear warheads. Iran's determination to press ahead with a nuclear programme it says is for purely peaceful purposes suggests that tougher Western sanctions are so far failing to force the Islamic state to back down in the long-running dispute over its atomic aims.

...But even if Tehran decided to make such weapons it could still be years away from having nuclear-armed missiles, possibly giving diplomacy more opportunities to resolve a row which has the potential to spark a Middle East conflict.

...[However,] Britain last week said Iran had carried out covert tests of a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, an allegation which Tehran swiftly denied.

During a military exercise last week, Iran test-fired 14 missiles on one day alone, including some it says are capable of hitting its arch foe Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East.

...Tehran says its missiles cannot carry nuclear payloads and insists it is enriching uranium for electricity production and medical purposes. Making atomic bombs would be a "strategic mistake" and would also not be allowed under Islam, it adds.

But in a defiant move that further fuelled Western unease about its intentions, Iran announced last month it would shift its production of higher-grade uranium to an underground bunker and triple output capacity.

...A nuclear scientist, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani was named head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation in February, after he was wounded in a 2010 bomb attack which Tehran blamed on Israel... The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S.-based think tank, said Abbasi-Davani's extensive scientific background was "more suited to researching nuclear weapons" than building nuclear power reactors.

Not to worry, folks. With our current administration's approach of treating warfare as law enforcement, all we have to do is prepare for a radioactive crime scene.


Why are Eric Holder and Barack Obama trying an Illegal Enemy Combatant in a Civilian Court? [Allen West]

By Rep. Allen West (R-FL):

...a Somali man accused of having ties to two terrorist groups — who was secretly interrogated for months aboard a U.S. Navy ship — will be prosecuted in civilian court in New York by the Justice Department, the Obama administration said... The indictment, unsealed in the Southern District of New York, charged Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame with nine counts related to supporting Al Qaeda in Yemen and the Shabab in Somalia terror groups — but the White House didn’t reveal his capture until after he had already been brought onto American soil... [Source]

This suspected terrorist, Ahmed Abdulkadir Warsame, should be tried at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an illegal enemy combatant, following the Geneva Convention's clear instruction on the manner in which individuals accused of such actions against the United States are to be prosecuted.

The fact that President Obama continues to ignore the Authorization for Use of Military Force(AUMF) law, and the will of the American people, when it comes to this issue is unacceptable.

This suspect is accused of supplying weapons, money and training to Al qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a known enemy of the United States. We are fighting on a 21st Century Battlefield against a non-state, non-uniform belligerent enemy who has no regard for international borders or boundaries, and therefore does not deserve constitutional rights as would ordinary criminals. The laws are clear about this.

Further, it is unacceptable that the Obama administration notified Congress only after it unilaterally transferred this detainee to New York City despite multiple requests for consultation.

I visited Guantanamo Bay in March, and witnessed a state of the art courtroom, built for these very kinds of cases, that continues to sit empty and unused. I want to know why this administration believes a civilian court is better suited for prosecuting enemy hostile terrorist actions, instead of a military tribunal system. Bringing Warsame to the states, giving him representation and clogging up American courts is a waste of taxpayer resources and sends a confusing message to Americans, as well as our enemies.

To be fair, waging a war as if it were a criminal affair makes about as much sense as anything else Obama and Holder have done -- so I can't say I'm surprised by this particular debacle.


LulzSec doc drop: Arizona Officials Say Hezbollah Operating in Mexico

A document drop by LulzSec has revealed an ominous bulletin from police officials in Tucson, Arizona. In short, law enforcement is advised to be on the lookout for Hezbollah terrorists operating in the traditional smuggling corridors on our (wide-open) southern border with Mexico.

Presence in the Tri-Border Region

Made up of Puerto Iguazu, Argentina; Foz do Iguazu, Brazil; and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, the area in South America known as the Tri-Border area (TBA), has long been considered a safe haven for organized crime and Islamic terrorist networks, including Hezbollah. As of 2002, the population of the TBA reached 630,000 of which approximately 25,000 were Arab or of Arab descent. Illegal activity in the region includes counterfeiting, money laundering, and the easy acquisition of false documents. The recent arrest of Moussa Ali Hamdan [arrested in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay, for conspiring to provide material support to Hezbollah] confirms Hezbollah’s continued presence in the region.

Presence in Mexico

Based on a study done by Georgetown University, the number of immigrants from Lebanon and Syria living in Mexico exceeds 200,000. Along with Iran, Syria is one of Hezbollah’s strongest financial and political supporters, and Lebanon is its country of origin.

In July of this year, Mexican authorities arrested Jameel Nasr in Tijuana, Baja California. Nasr was alleged to be tasked with establishing the Hezbollah network in Mexico and throughout South America.

In April of last year, the arrest of Jamal Yousef – in New York City - exposed a weapons cache of 100 M-16 assault rifles, 100 AR-15 rifles, 2,500 hand grenades, C4 explosives and antitank munitions. According to Yousef, the weapons, which were being stored in Mexico, had been stolen from Iraq with the help of his cousin who was a member of Hezbollah.

With the arrest of Jameel Nasr and Jamal Yousef, obvious concerns have arisen concerning Hezbollah’s presence in Mexico and possible ties to Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTO’s) operating along the U.S. – Mexico border. The potential partnership bares alarming implications due to Hezbollah’s long established capabilities, specifically their expertise in the making of vehicle borne improvised explosive devises (VBIED’s).

Recent incidents involving the use of VBIED’s in Mexico mark a significant change in tactics employed by DTO’s and conjures images expected to be seen in the Middle East. While no connection has been made, Hezbollah’s extensive use of VBIED’s raises strong suspicion concerning a possible relation to Mexico’s DTO’s.


Wonderful.

But, by all means, Democrats: let's not build a secure border fence on our southern border.

Because what could possibly go wrong with Hezbollah terrorists, who are assisting Mexican drug cartels, which have been armed and equipped by Eric Holder's Department of Justice?


Related:
25 Apr 2011: Officials now finding IEDs on bridges in 'safe as it's ever been' border area
27 Aug 2010: Car Bombs -- With Texas License Plates
17 Jul 2010: Hezbollah-style Car Bomb Kills Four Near Texas Border

Linked by: The Tatler, The Jawa Report, Atlas Shrugs, JihadWatch and Memeorandum. Thanks!

Larwyn's Linx: The Audacity of Independence

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

The Audacity of Independence: Ricochet
Democrats Unveil the Weapon of the Future: AT
Rep. Tim Scott floats impeachment if Obama usurps Congress on debt: WZ

A New Declaration of Independence for a New Revolution: RWN
WH tweeting at gnats; Update: White House responds: Hot Air
Whoa! Democrats Pass Strict Voter ID Law In Rhode Island: FoxNation

Gunwalker

"Fast and Furious" Blows Sky High: Power Line
Gunwalker: ATF Chief Blows Whistle on Holder DOJ: PJM
Email Confirms ‘Gunwalker’ Known Throughout DOJ: Owens

El Mamito: "All our weapons are bought in the U.S.": Borderland
Which Was Worse: Watergate or Operation ‘Fast and Furious’?: BG
Justice Dept. outed on cover up of Fast and Furious: Scoop

Economy

Adding a Constitutional crisis to our economic crisis: Foundry
Beyond wasteful: Obama made economy worse: Pundette
Why Pensions Are Grossly Underfunded: CIV FI

Shake, Rattle, and DOOM!: Ace
Calif. Hospitals Spend $1.25 Bil On Illegal Immigrants: JW
Ending Tax Break for Union Dues Could Save $25B: WS

Why Won't the GOP Agree to a Tax Increase?: Cost
WTF: Obama's Stimulus Spent Up to $7 Million Per House For Broadband : Ace
Medicaid payments go under the knife: USA Today

Climate & Energy

California’s long-term cooling trend cited as evidence FOR global warming: Zombie
Coal Stops Global Warming?: IBD
Think It's Getting Hotter? Think Again: IBD

Media

Why does the media keep downplaying the violence at left-wing protests?: Reason
Brit Hume: Obama In "As Full a Political Retreat As This Town Has Seen In Many Years": Ace
Los Angeles Times Shills for Communists on Business Section Front Page: AmPower

Obama’s “Neo-Racist” Society: White and a Victim of Crime? You Deserve It: RWN
Oh my: Bachmann within single digits of Romney in New Hampshire?: Hot Air
Let's Talk About Cults...: Glob

Transcript & Videos: President Obama's Remarks At Twitter Town Hall : Obama Foodarama
Obama Refers To The Internet As "The Internets" -- Media Silent: RCP
The College Scam: Stossel

World

Muslim Brotherhood Website: Implement Shari'a in Phases: MEMRI
Why is the U.S. in Libya? Good Question.: BRubin
Europeans Against Multiculturalism: BosRev

Good news: Secular Egyptian leader a Truther and Holocaust denier: Hot Air
Al-Qaeda has used surgically implanted explosives before: Mirror
Saudi Arms Sales Elicit Outcry in Germany, Peep in U.S.: Wire

Whoops! DHS Now Says Putting Israel on Terrorist Watch List Was A Mistake: Lid
UN Human Rights Special Rapporteur Caught Running Anti-Semitic Cartoon On His Blog: Lid
U.S. Navy, Northrop Grumman Successfully Test Systems Required to Operate X-47B Unmanned System From an Aircraft Carrier: Murdoc Online

SciTech

Facebook, Google, and the war to lock you in: Register
'Technology wildcatter' sees boom ahead: Chron
Magazine With Ad For "Zookeeper" Digitally Inserted Into "How I Met Your Mother" Rerun: Consumerist

Cornucopia

Coming Soon: The Royal Tweets: MOTUS
Questions, So Many Question: IowaHawk
Dexter on the case?: iOTW

Image: So Ann, why do you always carry a gun?
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Got $5 to spare for Michele Bachmann?

QOTD: "...the [actual] results [of the Stimulus] are horrifying. The two-year-old recovery’s terrible tale of the tape: A 9.1 percent unemployment rate that’s probably closer to 16 percent counting the discouraged and underemployed, the worst income growth and weakest GDP growth of any upturn since World War II, a still-weakening housing market. Oh, and a trillion bucks down the tube. Oh, and two-and-a-half years … and counting … wasted during which time the skills of unemployed workers continue to erode and the careers of younger Americans suffer long-term income damage. Losing the future." --James Pethokoukis

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Top 20 Censored #AskObama Questions

If anyone can find the complete list of #AskObama questions that were posed to the President, please let me know in the comments. In the mean time, here are my top 20 questions that "curators" (i.e., censors) didn't ask -- for obvious reasons.

20. @uschamber: Will you help businesses and free enterprise create #jobs by getting government out of the way? #AskObama

19. @jimgeraghty: Under 8 years of George W. Bush, the unemployment rate was never above 7.3%. When will it be that low again? #AskObama

18. @mrmichaelwilt: What is an acceptable level of debt, and why? #AskObama

17. @SpeakerBoehner: Will you take tax hikes off the table, or tell the American people how raising taxes will create jobs?

16. @jimmiebjr: I have Jewish friends who lack devil horns & pointed tails. Are they hiding them or are your "partners for peace" wrong? #AskObama

15. @jltho: #AskObama: Can you name states 51-57?

14. @GOPoversight: #AskObama: how are your job-crushing #regulations helping #smallbiz owners like Neil?

13. @iowahawkblog: #askobama When you're visiting his volcano lair, does George Soros let you feed the laser sharks?

12. @DarrellIssa: #AskObama: who authorized your administration's operation #fastandfurious?

11. @ToddRokita: Your budget was rejected by Senate 97-0 & Dems haven’t produced budget in 700+ days. Where is your economic plan? #AskObama

10. @jimgeraghty: When long-term unemployment is higher than during the Great Depression, why do you insist we are "headed in the right direction"? #AskObama

9. @SpielzOnWheels: #AskObama How do you explain your administrations continued antagonism toward Israel our most important ally in the Middle East?

8. @IngrahamAngle: #AskObama Have you spoken to the families of the border agents slain as a result of fast and furious?

7. @jimgeraghty: Why did your Department of Housing and Urban Development just give a $78K grant to ACORN? http://mwne.ws/pdjTpq #AskObama

6. @keder: Have you noticed a spike in the price of arugula thanks to the inflation caused by your spending addiction? #AskObama

5. @corrinalea: How much has your golf game improved since you took office? #AskObama

4. @Doc_0: Under what conditions would you pronounce a gov't program a "failure" that should be terminated? Name one such program. #AskObama

3. @iowahawkblog: #askobama if Eric Holder gets indicted in the Operation Fast & Furious, should he get a civilian trial?

2. @CFHeather: Before you raise taxes on hardworking Americans, why not get rid of the special interest loopholes that allow $GE to pay no taxes? #AskObama

1. @iowahawkblog: #askobama Who are these "those who say"?

It's a tough job serving as one of Twitter's Q&A censors curators. Think about it: you've got to find a topic that doesn't touch upon the president's epic failures on both the domestic and foreign policy fronts.

As @amandacarpenter noted on Twitter: the "saddest part about #AskObama are all the good, hard-hitting questions that will never actually get asked."

Indeed.


Graphics: SimplyMeasured. Linked by: Weasel Zippers and Linkiest. Thanks!

Laughter heard throughout the 57 states: Obama tells GOP to drop political rhetoric -- and to stop holding a gun to America's head on debt ceiling

This is the sort of thing that happens when President Alinsky Obama goes off the teleprompter:

President Obama, yesterday: “I’ve asked leaders of both parties and both houses of Congress to come here to the White House on Thursday so we can build on the work that’s already been done and drive towards a final agreement. It’s my hope that everybody is going to leave their ultimatums at the door, that we’ll all leave our political rhetoric at the door.”

President Obama, today: “The debt ceiling should not be something that is used as a gun against the heads of the American people to extract tax breaks for corporate jet owners, for oil and gas companies that are making billions of dollars because the price of gasoline has gone up so high.”

Somewhere, David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett are fuming.


Hat tip: TrendingRight.

Gunrunner Bombshell: ATF Director Secretly Testifies That DOJ Lied to Congress and Obstructed Its Investigation

ATF Director Ken Melson secretly testified Monday before the House Oversight Committee concerning Project Gunwalker -- without the knowledge of either the Justice Department or the ATF. Most importantly, he directly refuted the official "party line" coming from Washington regarding "Operation Fast and Furious":

• Contrary to denials by the DOJ, Melson said agents had witnessed transfers of weapons from straw purchasers to third parties without following the guns further

• The team executing Operation Fast and Furious had been placed under the direction of the Arizona U.S. Attorney’s office

• The DOJ is reported to have intentionally withheld documents from Congress that Melson has now provided to the Committee

As a result of that meeting, the Committee issued a scathing open letter to Attorney General Eric Holder accusing him of stonewalling the investigation into "Operation Gunrunner", the disastrous effort to smuggle weapons to Mexican drug cartels for reasons not yet fully understood.

Dear Attorney General Holder:

Yesterday, Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson participated in a transcribed interview regarding Operation Fast and Furious and related matters with both Republican and Democratic staff. He appeared with his personal counsel, Richard Cullen of McGuire Woods LLP. His interview had originally been scheduled through the Justice Department to occur on July 13 in the presence of DOJ and ATF counsel. As you know, however, under our agreement Department witnesses who choose to attend a voluntary interview with their own lawyer are free to exercise that right rather than participate with counsel representing the Department's interests.

After being made aware of that provision of our agreement, Acting Director Melson chose to exercise that right and appeared with his own lawyer. We are disappointed that no one had previously informed him of that provision of the agreement. Instead, Justice Department officials sought to limit and control his communications with Congress. This is yet another example of why direct communications with Congress are so important and are protected by law.

Acting Director Melson's cooperation was extremely helpful to our investigation. He was candid in admitting mistakes that his agency made and described various ways he says that he tried to remedy the problems. According to Mr. Melson, it was not until after the public controversy that he personally reviewed hundreds of documents relating to the case, including wiretap applications and Reports of Investigation (ROIs). By his account, he was sick to his stomach when he obtained those documents and learned the full story. Mr. Melson said that he told the Office of the Deputy Attorney General (ODAG) at the end of March that the Department needed to reexamine how it was responding to the requests for information from Congress.

According to Mr. Melson, he and ATF's senior leadership team moved to reassign every manager involved in Fast and Furious, from the Deputy Assistant Director for Field Operations down to the Group Supervisor, after learning the facts in those documents. Mr. Melson also said he was not allowed to communicate to Congress the reasons for the reassignments. He claimed that ATF's senior leadership would have preferred to be more cooperative with our inquiry much earlier in the process.

However, he said that Justice Department officials directed them not to respond and took full control of replying to briefing and document requests from Congress. The result is that Congress only got the parts of the story that the Department wanted us to hear. If his account is accurate, then ATF leadership appears to have been effectively muzzled while the DOJ sent over false denials and buried its head in the sand. That approach distorted the truth and obstructed our investigation. The Department's inability or unwillingness to be more forthcoming served to conceal critical information that we are now learning about the involvement of other agencies, including the DEA and the FBI.

The Role of DEA, FBI, and Other Agencies


When confronted with information about serious issues involving lack of information sharing by other agencies, which Committee staff had originally learned from other witnesses, Mr. Melson's responses tended to corroborate what others had said.

Specifically, we have very real indications from several sources that some of the gun trafficking "higher-ups" that the ATF sought to identify were already known to other agencies and may even have been paid as informants. The Acting Director said that ATF was kept in the dark about certain activities of other agencies, including DEA and FBI. Mr. Melson said that he learned from ATF agents in the field that information obtained by these agencies could have had a material impact on the Fast and Furious Government Accountability Office, "Department of Health and Human Services-Chief Actuary's Communications with Congress," B-302911 (Sep. 7, 2004) (discussing the history and background in support of the government-wide prohibition on attempts to prevent direct communications with Congress). As you know, obstructing or impeding a Congressional inquiry is also a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. § 1505. investigation as far back as late 2009 or early 2010. After learning about the possible role of DEA and FBI, he testified that he reported this information in April 2011 to the Acting Inspector General and directly to then-Acting Deputy Attorney General James Cole on June 16, 2011.

The evidence we have gathered raises the disturbing possibility that the Justice Department not only allowed criminals to smuggle weapons but that taxpayer dollars from other agencies may have financed those engaging in such activities. While this is preliminary information, we must find out if there is any truth to it. According to Acting Director Melson, he became aware of this startling possibility only after the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and the indictments of the straw purchasers, which we now know were substantially delayed by the u.s. Attorney's Office and Main Justice. Mr. Melson provided documents months ago supporting his concerns to the official in the ODAG responsible for document production to the Committees, but those documents have not been provided to us.

It is one thing to argue that the ends justify the means in an attempt to defend a policy that puts building a big case ahead of stopping known criminals from getting guns. Yet it is a much more serious matter to conceal from Congress the possible involvement of other agencies in identifying and maybe even working with the same criminals that Operation Fast and Furious was trying to identify. If this information is accurate, then the whole misguided operation might have been cut short if not for catastrophic failures to share key information. If agencies within the same Department, co-located at the same facilities, had simply communicated with one another, then ATF might have known that gun trafficking "higher-ups" had been already identified. This raises new and serious questions about the role of DEA, FBI, the United States Attorney's Office in Arizona, and Main Justice in coordinating this effort. Nearly a decade after the September 11th attacks, the stovepipes of information within our government may still be causing tragic mistakes long after they should have been broken down.

Efforts to Oust Melson


In the last few weeks, unnamed administration officials have indicated to the press that Acting Director Melson would be forced to resign. According to Mr. Melson, those initial reports were untrue. Regardless of what we might have thought before about how he should handle a request to resign, we now know he has not been asked to resign. We also now have the benefit of hearing his side of the story and will have a chance to examine what he said and compare it to the other evidence we are gathering. However, that will take some time.

Mr. Melson served as the First Assistant to the U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia for 21 years, from 1986 to 2007. That is a career position. After the controversy over the firing of the U.S. Attorneys, he took over the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA). He indicated that he was asked to convert to a non-career Senior Executive Service (SES), a politically appointed position, in order to speed the hiring process, and he agreed. However, his former position at EOUSA is currently filled by a career SES employee, Marshall Jarrett. As you know, for civil servants, the distinction between career and non-career status is significant. In 2009, he said he was asked to take over as Acting Director of the ATF. Acting Director of the ATF is by its nature a temporary job. According to Mr. Melson, he was willing to serve the Department with the understanding that after a short tenure as Acting Director, he would return to a position as a career senior executive elsewhere within the Department.

However, two days after he told Acting Deputy Attorney General Cole about serious issues involving lack of information sharing, the Wall Street Journal reported that unnamed sources said that Melson was about to be ousted. The revelations about Operation Fast and Furious have focused intense scrutiny on the ATF. It has no doubt taken a toll on the agency and the good people who work there. Much of that damage has occurred because the Department prevented ATF from being more forthcoming and responsive to questions from Congress. This is the context in which Mr. Melson decided to submit to an on-the-record interview with private counsel, pursuant to our agreement with the Department.

Technically, Mr. Melson no longer enjoys the due process protections afforded to career officials. Given his testimony, unless a permanent director is confirmed, it would be inappropriate for the Justice Department to take action against him that could have the effect of intimidating others who might want to provide additional information to the Committees.

We hope that the Department will take a much more candid and forthcoming approach in addressing these very serious matters with the Committees. If other important fact witnesses like Mr. Melson have a desire to communicate directly with the Committees they should be informed that they are free to do so. They should also be notified that if they are represented by personal counsel, they may appear with personal counsel rather than with Department lawyers. Any decision about Mr. Melson's future with the Department would need to be justified solely on the basis of the facts and the needs of the agency, rather than on his decision to speak to us. We encourage you to communicate to us any additional significant information about any such decision so that we can work together to ensure that it would not impede our investigation. For now, the Office of Inspector General is still conducting its review, and we are still conducting ours. Knowing what we know so far, we believe it would be inappropriate to make Mr. Melson the fall guy in an attempt to prevent further congressional oversight.

Sincerely,

Darrell Issa, Chairman
Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives

Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Mmember
Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate

This story keeps expanding -- it is far, far worse than Iran-Contra ever was. And even legacy media -- ABC, Bloomberg, NPR, Reuters, US News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, etc. -- are now reporting on the story.

Of course, if you read The New York Times, you'd have no idea any of this had occurred.

Obstructing a Congressional investigation is a crime. It's clear that Gunrunner goes to the very top of the DOJ and, perhaps, even beyond it.


Linked by: TrendingRight (hit #1!). Thanks!

Larwyn's Linx: Illegal Alien’s Guide - Top Five Places To Live In America

Have a great link you'd like me to review? Drop me an email. Bloggers: you can install a Larwyn's Linx blog widget!

Nation

Illegal Alien’s Guide: Top Five Places To Live In America: SHN
Resolved: Congress is a Joke: Pundette
DREAM: On Immigration, Dem Promises Become Lies: Navarrette

The Future of Obama’s Stealth Gun Control: PJM
The Once and Future Assault Weapons Ban: Owens
Letting Obama Be Obama: AmSpec

All the President’s High-Paid “Engagers”: Malkin
Dearbornistan: Christian preacher harrassed and bullied: BlogProf
Former Pawlenty colleagues don't recognize candidate: HuffPo

Economy

The NEA Prepares for War: Greenroom
No recession for Obama's 454 White House aides: LAT
Inside the Disappointing Economic Recovery: WSJ

Finally: New York passes Sippy Cup Legislation: JWF
California to Require Public Schools to Teach Gay History: WZ
Wyoming first in federal dollars per capita: Stateline

Climate & Energy

Why Climate Change Has Become the “Dead Parrot Sketch” of American Politics: Power Line
Hooray! China’s Pollution Saved Us From Climate Change (Hoax): RWN
Al Gore, laughingstock: A look back at his hurricane predictions: IHTM

Media

Levin: If Obama seizes congressional power to borrow and spend, he should be impeached: TRS
Campaign Finance Law Can’t Take a Joke: PJM
Kill the snake. VIPR Searches and the American Citizen: "Dominate. Intimidate. Control.": Sipsey

‘Like Losing Your Virginity …’: RSM
7 Million Down, Only 33 Million to Go...: AmPower
Media Matters’ David Brock’s Questionable Credibility: Breitbart

Why Gallup's Analysis of Jewish Voters is Dishonest: Lid
USA: The Jewish promised land: GTJ
Dick Morris: Obama losing Jewish voters: Hill

White House Uses Twitter to Bully Critics: TheDC
Gallup: In No Month of Obama Presidency Has Majority Believed Economy Improving: CNS
Jake Tapper Concedes Media's Bias on Obama Medal of Honor Gaffe, Double Standard on Bachmann: NB

World

The Case of the Missing Ambassador: AT
Democrats, Vogue Magazine WhiteWash Genocidal Syrian President Assad: RWN
Mosques Recruiting 8 And 10 Year Olds As Suicide Bombers: BigPeace

The victims of nationalized health care: Malkin
The Peculiar Warsame Case: AmSpec
Good News: ATF's Bungled 'Fast and Furious' Operation Now Full-Blown International Incident: Fox

New Obama “Executive Order” Puts 25 Federal Agencies in Charge of “Rural” America: RWN
Lessons of Argentina Crisis Ignored in Handling of Greece?: Instapundit
Portuguese Bonds In Melt Down – Euro Gold Rises To 3% From Record Nominal High On Contagion Risk: ZH

SciTech

Waterproof Case for Apple iPad with Padding... Less Than $25: Amazon
Brush, floss if you want to get pregnant: Telegraph
Google to Retire Blogger! (Brand Name, That Is): AmPower

Cornucopia

An AmEx member no more: BuzzMachine
What Frank Said: PRS
Casey Anthony acquitted of murder, convicted only of lying to cops: Post

Image: 2011 Storm Chasing - Phoenix Dust Storm
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Michele Bachmann for President

[Given reports that Joe Biden will be dropped from Obama's 2012 ticket] "How does the phrase 'Vice President Trumka' sound?" --Me, just now.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Caution: Fecal matter hitting the fan in Europe

Here are a few troubling facts for the drones* to ruminate on:

Greece wants another $173 billion handout; this comes a day after it agreed to faux austerity measures that allowed it to receive a separate $156 billion loan tranche from the IMF.

Portugal's bond rating was just slashed to 'junk' status with negative outlook. Roughly translated, this means that Portugal has joined Greece in Delta Tau Chi, Europe's worst fraternity.

The "rescues, guarantees and bailouts" of Greece have thus far totaled $394 billion -- 120% of its entire gross domestic product!

Knowledgeable insiders say that the only solution for Greece is to leave the Eurozone.

When Greece inevitably defaults, the impact will, in my opinion, be severe. Its credit default swaps (basically, bets that Greece will fail to pay its debts, abbreviated as "CDS") will suddenly explode in value. The issuers of said CDS contracts must find ways to pay those bets off. Think of AIG, only with pissed-off Arab Sheikhs, Russian mobsters, African ganglords and Mel Gibson in Road Warrior. And who is exposed to such a default? Fact is, no one really knows.

Mark my words: after Greece and Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Italy will be next to fall. French banking exposure will be revealed along the way. And Germany -- the financial powerhouse of the Eurozone -- will be left gasping because its banks hold much of this toxic waste.

In the mean time, President Obama and the Democrat Party are busy pursuing the same failed, socialist welfare state policies that are about to topple Europe. Endless wealth redistribution, socialized medicine, powerful unions, massive deficit spending, and corrupt, power-hungry politicians -- these are the characteristics that define the modern Democrat Party and President Obama, specifically.

Tell me: what do you call the pursuit of policies that are today failing, have in fact never worked, can never work, and are always guaranteed to fail?

"Change".

Remember in 2012.


* "Drones" - a term coined by Mark Levin to denote zombie-like Obama supporters for whom facts, logic, reason, history and experience mean nothing.