Doug Ross @ Journal: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Democrat's secret rationale for their crushing new 1099 reporting regulations: they set the stage for implementation of the VAT tax

A little-documented byproduct of ObamaCare kicks in on January 1, 2012. Every business will be hit with new regulations that require any person, company or organization to document their purchases of goods or services. If you transact business exceeding $600, you will be required to fill out an IRS 1099 form and send a copy both to the business partner and the IRS.

On average, small businesses will now have to complete more than 200 1099-forms (a 20-fold increase) per year.

In total, the new regulations will suck tens of billions of dollars out of the private sector. It will kill hiring by small businesses and destroy investment in capital equipment. In other words, it's a socialist's dream.

A caller to Mark Levin's show last night described a possible rationale for the onerous new regulations: they set the stage for the Democrats' new VAT tax, which will levy a toll on each and every level of production.

In short, the 1099 regulations will allow the Democrats to implement crushing new VAT taxes.

Thus -- not only will income taxes increase across the board on January 1... not only are state taxes rising... not only are energy prices rising due to the Obama drilling moratorium and possible new energy taxes... not only are new environmental regulations certain to increase the cost of food... not only are health insurance premiums rising even now to compensate for ObamaCare's bizarre dictates... but the VAT tax puts the icing on the cake.

Who's to blame?

Harry Reid is directly responsible for both the 1099 provision and the increased penalties for 40 million small-business owners in America... Harry Reid [also] supported every tax increase that President Obama has signed into law...

...Why would any Nevada resident who is experiencing a 14.9 percent unemployment rate vote for a senator who is voting to reduce cash flow by billions from his own state? Why would any small-business owner vote for a senator who not only voted for a historical regulation of massive proportions but was instrumental in creating this regulation? Why would any Nevada mayor, city councilperson, educator, or other government worker vote for a senator who created legislation to reduce sales tax revenue from their citizens, further exasperating the fiscal problems of their budgets?

The Democrats jammed thousands of pages of health care 'law' down the American people's throats without even taking the time to read the bill.

The ramifications -- like the 1099 debacle -- will be complex, unpredictable and inevitably, like all other central planning exercises, disastrous.

Are you motivated for November yet?

Related: Health Care Bill Mandates Tracking of Your Gold and Silver Coin Purchases.

Cheat Sheet for Undecided Voters

Please print out a few copies and hand 'em to any undecided voters you know.

Create Your Own 'October Surprise' Hit Piece for The New York Times!

It's easy -- even your kids can do it! Just make your selections and *poof* you're ready to submit your very own hit-piece to the fish wrap of record.

Special to The New York Times - The timing could not have been worse for Republican contender who was already trailing the Democrat candidate by according to the latest New York Times/Politico/CNN/MSNBC/Olbermann poll.

Earlier today anonymous sources revealed to the Times that the GOP candidate had once .

"This sort of shocking behavior is what we've come to expect from the party of Wall Street, Fannie Mae, ACORN, high taxes, and massive deficits," said Melvin Trotsky, the Democrat spokesman. After Trotsky was reminded that it was actually the Democrat Party that had taken the vast majority of contributions from Wall Street; orchestrated the subprime crisis and Fannie Mae's meltdown; supported hundreds of thousands of fraudulent voter registrations, absentee ballots, and stolen elections; and quadrupled the deficit, he apologized for the gaffes and blamed the misstatements on .

The revelations capped a bad week for the Republican, the third in a series of shocking, anonymously sourced Times exclusive reports. On Monday, reports surfaced that the GOP candidate had allegedly .

Even worse, on Tuesday the Times reported that the candidate had once .

When reached for comment, a Republican spokesperson denied the accusations, claiming that all of the allegations had been fabricated by "Bill Keller's disgusting band of - Continued on Page C-12

Harry Reid or Sharron Angle: Who's the Extremist?

Harry Reid likes to paint his opponent in this year's Senate race -- conservative Republican Sharron Angle -- as some sort of extremist because she believes in the Constitution. But Sharron Angle didn't nationalize the health care system against the will of the people. She didn't put America on a trajectory of economic ruin with unprecedented "Stimulus" spending. She doesn't favor open borders like Reid. And, best I can tell, Sharron Angle isn't involved in the shady, sleazy deals that Reid's been entangled with for decades.

From 2002 to 2005, Senator Reid was exceedingly generous with Christmas gifts for service workers at his luxury condo. He gave away $3,000 in gifts and gratuities for elevator and cleaning personnel. Unfortunately, the money came from campaign contributions and not his own bank account. It was only after the Associated Press' John Solomon discovered the sleazy behavior that Reid claimed it was a clerical issue and a Republican smear campaign.

In 2004, for example, after Reid made a profit of $1.1 million on a real estate deal, he failed to fully disclose the details as required by the Senate. And his partner was reported to have extremely odd ties to the casino business and reportedly surfaced in investigations into organized crime and bribery.

In 2005, Sen. Reid sponsored an $18 million earmark to build a bridge over the Colorado River. Coincidentally, a few miles from the bridge's location is a 160-acre parcel of land owned by one Senator Harry Reid. So, yes, Reid's own earmark greatly increases the value of his huge swath of land.

Curiously, Reid had received 60 of the acres from an oil magnate friend -- the owner of Haycock Petroleum -- for a total of $10,000 in 2002, though its assessed value was $120,000. And Reid continues to underreport the value of the land, though nearby sales put its real value at nearly half a million.

Harry Reid's three sons and his son-in-law are also concerned with serving the people. All have served as lobbyists and have blurred the line between family connections and special interests. In fact, his son-in-law helped increase lobbying fees at DC's Holland & Hart from $100K to $2 million in only one year. A series of LA Times investigative reports suggested that Reid had introduced legislation and pressured regulators to unblock a huge real estate deal fronted a heavy Reid contributor who also happened to be the employer of Reid's son Leif.

At the same time, Reid was vice-chair of the Senate Ethics Committee. When asked specifically about conflicts of interest involving family member-slash-lobbyists, he insisted there were none. Yet the Senate's rules have since changed to prohibit lobbying by family members, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

The Times' story found that mining companies paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to lobbying firms, and the payments just happened to follow around Reid's son-in-law from firm to firm. Rory Reid's services were also sought out by mining firm Placer Dome, according to the Times.

Reid's son-in-law was also engaged by the American Gaming Association, a helicopter tour company fighting restrictions near the Grand Canyon, chemical companies seeking deals in Nevada and the Hughes Corporation as it looked for land near Vegas. Sen. Reid helpfully advanced all of their agendas -- purely for altruistic reasons -- and even helped a partner in the law firm that employed all of Reid's sons get a right-of-way moved off his property.

"Reid never told his Senate colleagues or the public that the provisions he authored, some of which were technically and not apparently beneficial to anyone, were, in fact, introduced on behalf of clients who paid his sons and son-in-law over $2 million."

But Harry Reid's public service wasn't yet complete. In running the Senate, Harry's "spread the wealth" -- using the taxpayers' money to jam through socialized medicine with various bribes, payoffs and "incentives".

When Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana was undecided about DemCare, Reid ensured she received a $300 million "bonus" for her state. Chris Dodd received a $100 million medical facility in Connecticut (any guess as to what it might be called?).

In short, Harry Reid is a menace to this country. His opponent, Sharron Angle, is not.

Remember in November. And support Sharron Angle now -- before it's too late.

Based upon: ELECTION YEAR: Defeating Harry Reid, an excerpt of the new book 2010: Take Back America: A Battle Plan

Larwyn's Linx: GOP House Contenders Flying Under the Radar

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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Compare and Contrast: Karl Marx' 10 Point Program of Communism and the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Agenda

According to Karl Marx, the following ten elements were requisite conditions for "a transition from capitalism to communism."

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. Washington Examiner: The great Obama land grab: "White House officials have been meeting quietly with environmental groups to map out government plans for acquiring untold millions of acres of both public and private land... The federal government, as the memo boasted, is the nation's 'largest land manager.' It already owns roughly one of every three acres in the United States... This is apparently not enough."

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. National Taxpayer Union: The top 1% of taxpayers already pay 40% of all income taxes. The top 5% pay 61% of all income taxes. And the top 25% pay 87%. The bottom 50% pay 3% of all income taxes.

3. Abolition of all right of inheritance. USA Today: "Estate tax to return in 2011, and it could hurt ordinary folks."

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants [those leaving the country] and rebels. New York Post: The President's new jobs-killer: "...President Obama explicitly targeted the industry for two massive tax hikes. First, he'd ban oil and gas companies from using the 'Section 199' tax credit, a measure for domestic manufacturers enacted in 2004 to boost US employment... Second, he wants to end 'dual capacity' protection for US energy firms... Without this shield against double taxation on foreign revenues, American companies would be competing on an uneven global playing field... Yet, by the federal government's own economic model, these tax hikes would lead to huge, immediate job losses."

5. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. New York Post: Democrats, Fannie Mae still issuing subprime loans, even after meltdown. And CNS News: Obama to Nationalize Student Lending with Pending Budget Bill.

6. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State. Tom's Hardware: "Bill Allows Obama Power to Shut Down Internet." And "Advertisers on talk radio targeted by Congressional investigations." And "In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, President Obama made the extraordinary claim that Fox News is 'destructive to [America's] long-term growth.'."

7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. National Legal and Policy Center: "Obama Arranges Takeover of GM and Chrysler; Auto Workers Union Gets Huge Stake." And Discover: "New EPA Rules Clamp Down on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining." And News 9 Oklahoma: "EPA to Crack Down on Farm Dust."

8. Equal liability of all to labour. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture. Wall Street Journal: "SEIU’s Stern Tops White House Visitor List." And The Blaze: "Obama’s OFA, Churches Join Democratic Socialists for Saturday March in Washington."

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of the population over the country. Heritage: "The Clean Water Restoration Act Means Troubled Waters For Property Owners": "...The Waxman-Markey global warming bill is far and away the most worrisome environmental measure currently working its way through Congress, but it is certainly not the only cause for concern... S. 787, the Clean Water Restoration Act (CWRA)... would do much more harm than good, especially for farmers, ranchers, developers, energy producers, and other property owners."

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.: New York Sun: "Obama Tells Teachers Union He Opposes Vouchers." And Big Hollywood: "[Teachers' Union] NEA: Obama’s Ministry of Propaganda."

* * * * * * * * *
No federal government has damaged the American free market more than this one. No federal government has stolen more employment, more freedom, more private property -- from this and future generations -- than this one. No government has created more regulations, more unconstitutional dictates, more -- dare I say it -- slavery than this one.

Now, given all of these facts: can there be any doubt what Barack Obama meant when he twice proposed, "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as our military?

The Obama-Democrat Left has mounted the first successful counter-revolution -- against the American Revolution -- in our history. Using an incessant series of attacks by a fifth column, the intent of the counter-revolution is to eradicate the effects of the American Revolution. The most magnificent society ever created hangs in the balance.

The midterm elections in November represent our last chance to salvage the American experiment.

Marshal your parents, your children, your siblings, your neighbors, your coworkers -- marshal everyone you know, because the stakes could not be higher.

Update:
• The Obama Temptation by Mark R. Levin: Corner (11/3/2008)
• Barack Obama, Fabian Socialist: Forbes (11/3/2008)

Hat tip: Mark Levin. Linked by: Michelle Malkin, Protein Wisdom, Flopping Aces and Memeorandum. Thanks!

The Democrats' Deficit Lies

On September 8th 2010, 22 months after his election, Barack Obama blamed George W. Bush for a series of record-setting deficits: "When I walked into office, there wrapped in a nice bow was a $1.3 trillion deficit."

In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), that statement is a lie. Nancy Pelosi and an overwhelming Democrat majority have now controlled Congressional spending for four long years. And, in fact, then-Senator Barack Obama voted for every budget put before him by Congressional Democrats.

When President Bush left office, the CBO projected the total 10-year budget deficit at $4 trillion. That projected deficit has essentially doubled under Barack Obama -- to $7.68 trillion.

When Pelosi and Reid took control of congress nearly four years ago, the annual deficit was a measly $161 billion. It is now $1.2 trillion. On the day Pelosi took over as Speaker of the House, she promised, "Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt."

Pelosi is a bald-faced liar.

Democrats love to talk about how President Bush 'ruined' a $200 billion Clinton 'surplus' (let's ignore Social Security, Medicare and other 'off-the-books' entitlement deficits). But the architect of the surplus was a Republican Congressman named John Kasich, now a candidate for Governor in Ohio. Republicans forced budget austerity upon Clinton, whose big government agenda had been repudiated in the '94 midterm elections.

And the Democrats casually ignore the toll of 9/11 -- from the 3,000 souls lost that day to the trillion-dollar economic impact. The airline industry was decimated by the terrorist attacks and have not, in fact, recovered yet. Hundreds of billions were spent on counter-terrorism, homeland security, smashing the Taliban and deposing the Iraqi despot who acted as a clearinghouse for terrorism.

In January 2007, when the Pelosi-Reid Congress took control, the 10-year CBO estimate was a $379 billion surplus. Four years later -- after unchecked Democrat control -- the 10-year estimate is a $7.2 trillion deficit.

Steve Moore writes, "This deterioration of the nation's fiscal situation is arguably the worst in United States history, and it was brought to us courtesy of a congressional leadership that pledged 'pay as you go' budgeting to bring the budget into balance."

* * * * * * * * *
Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and the Democrats have now controlled the purse-strings of Congress for four long years. In 2010 you will have to make a choice.

Can you and your family survive two more years of Pelosi and Reid?

Based upon: The Pelosi-Reid Deficits

Obituary: Mr. Donald Charles Unsworth

From the DCU Guestbook, via Spring-Loaded:

September 21, 2010

As many others I have found my way here via the widespread sharing of Mr Unsworth's obituary... I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends for their loss.

As a proud American I am thankful for the service Mr Unsworth provided to our great nation, both in the military and as a police officer.

Godspeed, sir.

I will be exercising the rights you helped secure for me and both donate in your honor and cast my vote for Obama's opponent in 2012

~ Marty G, Chicago, Illinois

September 20, 2010

Dear Family of Mr Unsworth

I am sorry I did not personally know your loved one. He sounds like a real character. I am putting his obituary beside my bed and casting my CONSERVATIVE vote in November in his honor. I will contribute to the campaign of the person running against B.O. with great pleasure!!

May GOD bless and keep all of you, Sincerely

~ Tamara Sides, Mooresville, North Carolina

September 15, 2010

I am very sorry for your loss. I remember him as the man that taught my poor widowed mother how to drive. She was over 45 and never drove. And I know he made it to where she would pass, because he knew that she as the sole parent for 5 children, HAD to be able to drive. He helped someone who truly needed it, and I will never forget him for that act of kindness.

~ Debby Brown, Rome, Georgia

September 11, 2010

Dear Bobbie, Carter and family,

I was so sorry to hear about Don. I always loved being around him and Bobbie. He was so funny and caring. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. Much love to all the family. Love you, Laura Hitchcock

~ Laura Hitchcock, Rome, Georgia

September 12, 2010

I never got to meet Mr. Unsworth, but his record of service to his community, state, and nation are commendable and the direction of memorial gifts tells me that he was my kind of guy! May God's grace comfort all of you at this time.

~ The Rev'd Charles A. Collins, Jr., Goose Creek, South Carolina

Juxtaposed Iranian Headlines o' the Day

'No virus hit Iran's nuclear systems'

[The] Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi says enemy efforts to infect Iranian nuclear systems with a computer virus have failed...

"We began taking computer security and safety measures since last year and over the past two months these safety measures have been intensified. Fortunately, we succeeded in preventing the enemy from achieving it objectives," IRNA quoted Salehi as saying on Wednesday.

He added that all efforts to infect Iranian computers had failed as the country's experts were capable in countering all threats...

Iran nuclear plant hit by two-month delay: official

Iran's atomic chief said on Wednesday that the country's first nuclear power plant will be ready to generate electricity by January -- two months later than announced... Salehi, in an interview with Al-Alam television on August 31, blamed the delays on Bushehr's "severe hot weather" and safety concerns, adding that the loading was being done during the night...

Iran has not hinted at any other reasons for the delay, but officials have acknowledged that a computer worm is mutating and wreaking havoc on computerised industrial equipment in the country, where an official said on Monday that about 30,000 IP addresses had already been infected...

Larwyn's Linx: Obama activist linked to group accused of vote fraud

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Nation

Obama activists linked to group accused of vote fraud: Patterico
One Party Washington? No-Party Insurgency.: ProWis
How to Alienate Voters: Pundette

Revese Midas Touch: Feingold, Students Avoid Obama in WI: Malkin
The Pigford Pig-Out and the Election: AT
In IL Congressional Race, Questions About 'Charity': Medill

Terror Suspects were Active in Obama's Socialist 'New Party': NewZeal
Let’s Attack Christine O’Donnell’s LinkedIn Page!: RedState
A Fly in Rahm's Ointment: Malkin

Economy

Thanks, Dems: 22K Mass. Seniors Losing Health Coverage: Patterico
The Coming Chris Coons Housing Bubble: Blue Hen
Quantitative Short Squeezing: AT

One Nation Working Together Rally – Socialists Unite: SHN
Stop Printing Money!: IBD
ObamaCare's Hotel California: WSJ

Climate & Energy

Obama jobs death toll: EPA wreckage and drilling moratorium aftermath: Malkin
Green Money: the Perpetual Lawsuit Motion Machine: PJM
Proposed EPA Rules on Lead Paint: AT

Media

Rolling Stone’s tongue-bath interview with President Obama: Hot Air
I love the smell of socialist desperation in the morning: Cold Fury
Scapegoating Progressive Bloggers for the Obama Administration’s Failures?: RWN

Coates Exposes Intellectual Bankruptcy of Legacy Media, Obama Administration Defenders: PJM
Comrade Obama is Not a Muslim: Moonbattery
Race Map of Detroit: BlogProf

Paul Krugman: Two Columnists in One: RWN
McMahon and O'Donnell Madden Media Mudslingers: AT
MSNBC calls out Grayson: Babalu

World

Is an attack imminent? Connecting the dots...: TAB
FBI Terror Sweep in Chicago Involves FARC and Palestinian Connections--and Ties To Obama: Babalublog
Woodward: Obama threatened to send only 11,000 trainers to Afghanistan: HNN

A Terrorist Attack That America Cannot Absorb: CJ

SciTech

Stuxnet attack hits Iran nuclear plant: Secure Computing
Better Boost Your Stats: Gild Turns Hunting For A Tech Job Into A Game: TechCrunch
A question in light of Stuxnet: LegalIns

Cornucopia

A Matter of Loaf and Death: C&S
This is Your Brain on Cuccinelli: Doswell
Why gold was legislated in 'health care reform': Cold Fury

Images: Barking Crayon.
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Boot Harry Reid Out of Office!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Yet Another Democrat Bunko Scam: The 'Ticking Time Bomb' Inside the Illinois State Budget

The Decatur Herald-Review doesn't mince any words in its report on the imminent fiscal destruction of the Illinois taxpayer.

Illinois’ nightmarish budget situation could get even scarier in the not-too-distant future... Amid the huge backlog of bills and unpaid pension obligations, the state also has borrowed more than $2.2 billion from the federal government to pay unemployment benefits to laid-off workers.

And now, the bill for that borrowing — an estimated $250 million in interest — is about to come due.

In the next few months, Illinois and other states will have to figure out how to repay the money to the feds, while also attempting to craft a plan to replenish their depleted unemployment insurance trust funds.

..."It really is the ticking time bomb," says Mark Denzler, government relations chief for the Illinois Manufacturers Association, which represents large business interests in the Capitol.

So far, the Democrats in Congress have used a leaf-blower to dispense cash to the most irresponsible states -- like Illinois and California -- with money borrowed from taxpayers in more prudent areas. But the laws of economics can't be ignored for long.

Trick question: what do you get when you tolerate decade after decade of unchecked Democrat rule?

Ponzi scheme after Ponzi scheme -- like Social Security, Medicare, "Great Society" and lesser versions like this one at the state, county and city levels as well.

Oh -- but it's for the children.

Illinois voters better turn the tables on the Chicago 'machine' and its ilk, before it's too late.

Related: A History of Corruption in Chicago, Featuring Your Favorite Union Hacks, Trial Lawyers, Petty Bureaucrats and Democrats. But I Repeat Myself.

Every road is an on-ramp to fun with the startlingly new, surprisingly sexy Dodge Deflation™"

Karl at Hot Air: "Big Media's Biggest Failure."

ThinkProgress crackpots lament DeMint's 'obstructionism', somehow forget about the 20 new laws Democrats want to pass in lame-duck session

The end always justifies the means with the leftist cranks who control the modern Democrat Party. The preposterous loons at ThinkProgress -- who actually appear to long for the days of the old Soviet Union -- are shrieking in agony over Sen. Jim DeMint's 'obstructionism'.

Two weeks ago, the Progress Report warned of a nightmare scenario where a single senator decides to object to virtually every measure being considered by the Senate, a maneuver could effectively bring the entire body to a screeching halt. Now, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) has come close to turning this nightmare into a reality...

...DeMint can get away with this stunt because the Senate’s rules are ripe for abuse. Unless all 100 senators agree to begin and end debate on a bill without objection, the dissenting senators can force up to 60 hours of uninterrupted debate before a final vote can take place...

Oh, the humanity. In truth, the less Congress meets, the better off the American people are, based upon the unconscionable actions of the 111th Congress.

Never once does the insipid Ian Millhiser nor his crack band of dimwit commenters mention the reason for DeMint's action. Namely, he is trying to turn back the Democrats' unprecedented threats to spurn representative government and transform the lame-duck session into a Marxist wish-list.

Even if the American people repudiate Democrat policy by tossing 30, 40, 50 or 100 Democrats out of Congress, The Hill reports that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senator Majority leader Harry Reid will try to stuff 20 pieces of climate change, pro-union, anti-freedom legislation down the American people's throats.

So who started this war of obstructionism? Who do you think?

• Who filibustered judicial candidates for the first time in American history? Democrats.

• Who threatens on an almost daily basis to change the Senate rules -- to kill the filibuster -- when it no longer suits their needs? Democrats.

• Who keeps trying to silence the opposition by hauling their advertisers before Congress? Democrats.

So when the morons at ThinkProgress open their mouths to complain about 'obstructionism', remind them that it is they who despise free speech and the marketplace of ideas.

Because they don't care what the American people think.

Jim DeMint for President, b****es.

Barack Chavez Obama doesn't want you watching America's most trusted cable news channel, according to polling by Politico and GWU

Last May, Mark Levin -- the President of Landmark Legal Foundation -- stated that President Barack Obama was the "closest thing to a dictator" this country had ever seen.

The list of horribles included his naked attempts to silence critics, his encouragement of voter intimidation, his support of rampant vote fraud, the implicit campaign to encourage illegal immigration, and his blatant abrogation of contract law (e.g., the GM and Chrysler bailouts).

Now Obama is at it again, demonizing the most popular and trusted cable news outlet in the United States. In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Obama made the extraordinarily un-presidential claim that Fox is "destructive to [America's] long-term growth."

Consider that a recent Politico-George Washington University poll recently determined that Fox News is trusted by 42% of the American public versus 30% for CNN and a puny 12% for MSNBC.

Officials in the Obama White House have long made Fox News a punching bag, launching a full blown offensive last year when aides declared the network to be "opinion journalism masquerading as news." Then-White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said the cable outlet "operates almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party," and top aide Valerie Jarret called Fox "clearly biased."

But the new comments from Obama constitute the president's most direct attack yet on the network owned by business mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Fox News pushes "a point of view that I disagree with. It's a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world," Obama said.

"But as an economic enterprise, it's been wildly successful. And I suspect that if you ask Mr. Murdoch what his number one concern is, it's that Fox is very successful."

Fox has yet to respond to the president. But during the administration offensive against the network last year, network spokesman Michael Clemente slammed the White House for continuing "to declare war on a news organization instead of focusing on the critical issues that Americans are concerned about."

What the President is saying is simple: you can't be trusted to figure out which news shows are reliable.

Let me repeat: Barack Obama does not trust the American people. He apparently doesn't believe in freedom of speech. Freedom to dissent. Liberty. The First Amendment. Or the American Constitution, best I can tell.

This kind of behavior is beyond the pale. Especially for a man who took a solemn oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

Remember in November.

Linked by: Michelle Malkin and Memeorandum. Thanks!