Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ben Bernanke issued a death sentence on the PBGC yesterday

If Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was trying to accelerate the collapse of public and private pension systems, it looks like he succeeded yesterday.

The Federal Reserve's 'Operation Twist' to bring down bond yields and stimulate the economy is likely to cause pain for the nation's largest pension funds, already struggling with funding shortfalls from the recent stock market decline.

Hit both by falling stock prices and falling bond yields, the 100 largest pension plans of public U.S. companies have assets covering only 79 percent of their liabilities as of the end of August, down from 86 percent at the end of 2010, according to consulting firm Milliman Inc...

...[Twist] could drive down the yields on AA-rated corporate bonds and related benchmarks used by the pension funds to calculate their liabilities.

Most private U.S. defined benefit plans, which oversee about $2 trillion, are hurt when long-term yields decline because of the way the plans must value future payouts they will make to retirees in coming decades.

Let me be the first to predict that Ben Bernanke just signed the death sentence on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). What's that you say? It's yet another masterpiece of central planning, which happens to be bankrupt. Just like Social Security, Medicare, the FDIC, the Federal Highway Trust Fund, and everything else the Statists touch.

All of this means that taxpayers -- your kids and grandkids included -- will be on the hook for yet another of the Obama Democrats' epic failures.


'Good Work, America' [Photo]

Our prestigiterious Photo o' the Day Award goes to this entry from @jtLOL (Jim Treacher):

"Show of hands... who loves me?"


Larwyn's Linx: LightSquared: Obama’s Dangerous Broadband Boondoggle

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Nation

LightSquared: Obama’s Dangerous Broadband Boondoggle: Malkin
The Worst-Kept Secret in Washington, DC: AT
Obama's announcement from his sinking ship: RWN

Photo ID Laws: Welcome Back, Jim Crow?: Barber
Palin only Five Points Behind Obama: Dossier
NYPD Is Arresting Wall Street Protesters for Wearing Masks: Atlantic

Economy

In Ohio, ObamaCare Will Increase Premiums 55 to 85%: Kesler
Harry Reid apparently doesn't love Barack Obama: Malkin
The Three Worst States to Conduct Business: CA, NY, IL: Mish

Obama donor/medical records czar gets huge fed contracts: RWN
Obama: I wear my class warfare as a badge of honor: Hot Air
The Big Labor Aroma in Tacoma: Malkin

Gunrunner & Solyndra

A Scandal Everyone Should Be Concerned About: RS
Audio: Agent killed by F&F weapons was “collateral damage”: Hot Air
A good question regarding Operation Gunrunner: Cold Fury

Climate & Energy

Even after Solyndra, Obama continues to shower money on green energy ratholes: RWN
Al Gore: 8.6M People Tuned Into My 24-Hour Global Warming Marathon--Reality: 17K: WZ
Would You Be Shocked to Discover That “Climate Funds” Have Been Abused?: RWN

Media

Bayes and Nice People: Belmont Club
Class Warfare Has Become Declasse, Won’t Save His Ass: LeatherPenguin
The Marx Brother: LaughingCon

Jerry Brown Surprised He Still has to Work with Republicans: Driscoll
Mass Moonbat Elizabeth Warren: “There Is Nobody In This Country Who Got Rich On His Own — Nobody”: WZ
Screenshots: Michelle Malkin attacked on Twitter by Alec Baldwin and his rabid followers: Scoop

World

Partner in Genocide: Palestine Logo Suggests Elimination of Israel: Bayefsky
The Shuttered White House and Its Fantasies: Ledeen
We are the ones we have been waiting for...: Green Mountains

When Muslims Are More ‘Radical’ than ‘Islamists’: Ibrahim
Pro-Israel Christians and Jews Unite at UN Rally: NoisyRm
Hatch: Defund UN if it votes for Palestinian state: Exam

US Officials: Pakistan’s ISI Intelligence Agency Directing Islamic Militants To Carry Out Attacks On Americans: WZ
Obama to World: Leave Me Alone: Dossier
Disaster-Prone Obama Promises to Clean Up the Palestinian Mess He Created Last Year: GWP

Sci-Tech

From Apple to Vudu: 8 Netflix Alternatives Compared: Wired
RIM sitting on 800,000 PlayBooks, report says: CNet
Platlas: The world's first social-platform atlas: CNet

Cornucopia

Then There's That: Sondrakistan
20 Hilarious Google Voice Transcription Bloopers, Flubs, and Fails: Technologizer
Powerful Rick Perry Ad: RickPerry.org

Image: "Adam and Eve, Muslim Edition" via R&R
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: We Stand With Gibson Guitars Rally Oct. 8

QOTD: "From 2007 through August 2011, daring to question or criticize Obama meant you were a racist. Now, though, liberals are suggesting that Obama is so toxic he should just walk away from the job. Holding them to their own standards, aren’t they being racist? I mean, really, really racist?

Please don’t scold me for pointing out Leftist hypocrisy. I couldn’t leave it unsaid, no matter how obvious it is." --Bookworm Room

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I don't ever want to hear another stinking word from you liberal drones about "infrastructure projects"!

Well, there's a couple of trillion dollars we'll never get back (not to mention our kids and grandkids).

While Obama’s out there pointing at bridges that might need repair, Orrin Hatch reveals that there were 35 states that got less stimulus money for their roads, highways, and bridges than Solyndra did in a guaranteed loan for their green jobs scam...

Here’s a chart, courtesy of PJ Tatler, that shows how much money each of these 35 states got for their ‘shovel ready’ jobs in comparison with what Solyndra got in a guaranteed loan. And notice that only three of them exceeded $500 billion.


In related news, senior Solyndra executives apparently lied to Congress when they offered to speak openly in exchange for a scheduling delay in their testimony.

The top executives at Fremont's bankrupt solar manufacturer Solyndra plan to invoke their Fifth Amendment rights and refuse to answer questions when they appear at a congressional hearing Friday.

Brian Harrison, Solyndra's CEO, and W.G. "Bill" Stover, the company's chief financial officer, have voluntarily agreed to appear before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Friday and had previously assured congressional staffers they would testify...

...The House committee plans to go forward with Friday's hearing even though Harrison and Stover will not testify.

"Both Mr. Stover and Mr. Harrison will be sworn in under oath this Friday," said a statement issued by the committee Tuesday. "We have many questions for Solyndra's executives on their dealings with the Obama administration, their efforts to secure federal support for a project that appeared doomed from the outset, and why they made certain representations to Congress regarding their dire financial situation just two months ago. We would encourage Mr. Harrison and Mr. Stover to reconsider this effort to dodge questions under oath and hide the truth from those American taxpayers who are now on the hook for their $500 million bust."

Obviously the Obama administration has already determined that infrastructure projects aren't quite as important as enriching their crony contributors.

Therefore the administration's pleas for more infrastructure spending appears about as genuine as a Hillary Clinton $3 bill.


Note: Click image above to see an artist's depiction of Solyndra's testimony.

Quick quiz: see if you can detect a theme among the standard liberal's policy prescriptions



Let me know if you detected any patterns in the comments section.


Mark Levin: I've Finally Found the Statist's Utopia

Mark Levin:

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to present to you the ultimate in Statism. Where almost everybody pays exactly the same in taxes. Almost everybody is not obese. They're very, very thin. I think I have found the place!

I think I have found the place where the Statists -- although they'll deny it! -- have achieved something memorable. The Daily Mail, England:

'Hell on earth': Detailed satellite photos show death camps North Korea still deny even exist... More than 200,000 men, women and children are held in the camps

No, I'm not saying this is America. Are you out of your mind?

I'm saying this is the reason why the Statists never tell us exactly what their philosophy is.

They always claim to be "for the people". But they hate individual liberty. They hate private property. They hate the Constitution and the rule of law.

I have quotes! Sure, challenge me on it! I have quotes from Thomas Friedman [Ed: pronounced Fry-d-man]. And Richard Stempel [Ed: pronounced Stimpy]. And Richard Cohen [Ed: pronounced Rube]. And all the rest of them. 'Get away from the Constitution and the rule of law. What we need is a more centralized, unitary, concentrated government! Yes, can't have those states' rights!'

The North Korean government may deny their existence, but photos taken from space have revealed in unprecedented detail the concentration camps that are used imprison more than 200,000 citizens.

Men, women and children are forced to work seven days a week as slaves and eat 'rats, frogs, snakes, insects' and even faeces to battle starvation in the camps.

Previously there have been blurred images taken by satellite but new detailed pictures from South Korea's Unification Ministry allow a closer look at the sites - and also prove they have grown.

No, I'm not saying America's headed for this.

What I am saying, ladies and gentlemen, is Statism in its purest form is hell on Earth.

And there it is, in North Korea: Hell on Earth.

And liberty in its purest form... it's a beautiful thing.

Larwyn's Linx: CASA de Maryland: The Illegals’ ACORN

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Nation

CASA de Maryland: The Illegals’ ACORN: Simpson
The black cloud of the Obama 3: HillBuzz
Corruption Squared: IBD

Obama waving-hand gaffe picture NOT a hoax!: Zombie
TX Tea Party to Perry: What About Our Borders?: Malkin
Sen. Sherrod Brown’s Wife Resigns after Blog Exposes Conflict: BG

No “Shovel Ready” Bureaucrats: Power Line
Ethics Complaint Against DNC Head Wasserman-Schultz: Shark
TSA Official Stabs TSA Employee To Death: SHN

Economy

DOL: Give Replacement Names, Addresses to Union Thugs: RWN
Obama’s Pleas for Civility Don’t Apply to Union Leaders: RWN
Obama math: If you earn $200K you are a millionaire: WyBlog

Obama’s plan: $11 in tax hikes for every dollar in cuts: Commentary
Fined for hiring too many people? No, this is not Atlas Shrugged.: FW
ObamaCare - Now They Tell Us (Ongoing...): JOM

Gunrunner & Solyndra

Gunwalker’s Body Count Grows, Along with the Obama Administration’s Cover-Up: Owens
Issa Says He Wants a Special Prosecutor to Probe 'Fast and Furious': CNS
Solyndra Execs Renege, Will Take the Fifth at Oversight Hearing: Foundry

Solyndra Investor, Obama Bundler George Kaiser in '09: Time to Cash in on Massive Government Handouts: VS
ATF Fast and Furious secret audio recordings: CBS
The Gunwalker Scandal: Overview and Timeline: Rinos & Rants

Climate & Energy

Obama's magical thinking on green jobs: Steyn
New peer reviewed paper: clouds have large negative cooling effect on Earth’s radiation budget: WUWT
FERC: Reliable electricity less important than climate fraud alarmism: Mackinac

Quote of the Day: “The Town is Not Regulating Gas Drilling. It is Banning It”: LoneCon
Celebrate EPA’s withdrawal of job-killing ozone standards – but prepare for more onslaughts: CFP
31,000 Scientists sign petition denying man-made global warming: Telegraph (2008)

Media

Charles Krauthammer On Solyndra: A “Toxic Combination Of Lenin Socialism and Crony Capitalism”: NiceDeb
NBC Attacks Suskind Book Critical of Obama But Promoted Bush-Bashing Book By Same Author: NB
Jesse Watters Confronts Maxine Waters: FoxNation

“FACT CHECK: Are rich taxed less than secretaries?”: ProWis
Poll: Palin Picks Up Steam Against Obama: Malkin
Twitter to launch political advertising: Politico

Fishwrap of Record’s resident sap confesses: Malkin
It's Time Democrats Pay Their Fair Share for the Mess They Created: EIB
House Judiciary chair: Justice should probe Solyndra bankruptcy: WaPo

World

Cairo, Egypt and Cairo, Illinois: Spengler
Obama’s Middle East Policy Is Naive, Arrogant, Misguided and Dangerous: Gov. Rick Perry
Israel atomic chief says Iran designing nuclear weapon: JPost

I accuse Barack Obama of Helping Destabilize the Middle East, and Putting Millions of Lives in Jeopardy: BRubin
Islam is a political system – NOT a religion: Creeping
America: The Chief Subsidizer of UN Rapists and Traffickers: Chesler

Solar Power Pollution Causes Riots in China: AmInt
The Post That Grew and Grew... The bad news is, a UK man was arrested for killing a home invader.: Arctic Patriot
Iran Will Participate in Durban III: Bayefsky

Sci-Tech

TechCrunch Review: Google Wallet: TechCrunch
Full Tilt Poker a Ponzi scheme? Like Groupon?: CNet
Childproof your smartphone or tablet: Wired

Cornucopia

Amazing speech by Bill Whittle at Beverly Hills Tea Party: Scoop
Curator Has a Sense of Humor: C&S
Hostile Fires Burning Bright Signal Return of Cardis Too Tight: MOTUS

Image: Solargate Meets Enron: Solyndra CEO And CFO To Plead The Fifth
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Senate Conservatives Fund

QOTD: "Pass this bill now, or I’ll say “Pass this bill now!” another two dozen times! With this latest inspiration, Obama has taken the post-modern phase of democratic politics to a whole new level. “Pass this jobs bill”? Simply as a matter of humdrum reality, there is no bill, it won’t “create” any jobs, and it will be paid for with money we don’t have. But the smartest president in history has calculated that, if he says the same four monosyllables over and over, a nonexistent bill to create nonexistent jobs with nonexistent money will be yet another legislative triumph in the grand tradition of his first stimulus (the original Dumb And Dumber to the sequel’s Stimulus And Stimulusser)." --Mark Steyn

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Let's tax the rich at 100%!

Say, let's raise the tax rate on "the rich" to 100%! That should fix the deficit, right?

...the short answer is: some, but not enough to make a dent in the deficit. If you put a floor at their current marginal tax rate of 35%, the government would obtain $37 billion more dollars. That might sound like a lot, but it amounts to just 2.5% of the 2009 $1.5 trillion deficit (which is the red line shown). If you increase the floor to the pre-Bush-tax-cut marginal rate of 39.6%, the additional revenue grows a bit — to $66 billion, or 4.5% of the year’s deficit.

...So this Buffet Rule is a great populist proposal if the president wants to score some political points, but it has little practical value. It might provide the government a little bit of additional revenue, but unless extremely aggressive, it wouldn’t make a dent in the nation’s deficit problem. To do that, you’ll need to cut entitlements and/or raise taxes much more broadly.

Or you'll need to unleash the private sector and grow the economy.


Hat tip: NRO.

Secret recording: ATF agent suggests digging up dirt on Sen. Chuck Grassley to help forestall Gunwalker investigations

I think this seals the deal. When Pulitzer Prizes are awarded next year, CBS News' Sharyl Attkisson should walk away with the investigative journalism award for her work exposing Eric Holder's disastrous "Gunwalker" program.

Gunwalker's fatally flawed "Operation Fast and Furious" intentionally allowed drug cartels to smuggle military grade weapons into Mexico where have they since been found at dozens of crime scenes -- including some in the United States.

Secret recordings made just weeks after CBS broke the story in legacy media (thanks to Sipsey Street Irregulars and other new media outlets) strongly suggest that Attorney General Eric Holder was fully aware of and approved the operation.

The conversations were recorded by Andre Howard who ran the Lone Wolf Trading Company. Howard's gun dealership had been cooperating with the ATF in "Fast and Furious." At least two of his weapons were sold to a straw buyer before turning up later at the murder scene of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Hope MacAllister, the ATF agent heard in the conversations, was the lead case agent.

Dealer: ...Holder has to respond to this tomorrow.

Agent: Yeah he's gonna respond.

Dealer: I know he is. And I can assure you the media isn't gonna like his response because basically it's gonna mirror what he's told Grassley.

Agent: Yeah.

Dealer: He can't deviate.

Agent: Well if, I mean I've seen a rough copy at least of what our US Attorney here has sent up. Whether or not he has the b---s to actually use it or not, I doubt it. But I mean it's pretty aggressive. Um. The way I see it our local US Attorney is extremely aggressive. When it gets to DC...

...

Dealer: What's Holders' office got to say about this?

Agent: Well like I said they're supposed to come out with little more um b----y statement than they have in the past, so...

Dealer: God they're (intell)

Agent: I mean at some point they're gonna say have to say Grassley you're just gonna have to sit your a-- down. I mean that or they're gonna have to (unintell). I mean like I said my understanding is he can't call a hearing. Somebody from the majority party has got to call a congressional hearing and as of right now...

Dealer: Patrick Leahy's an a----e, you know that. He gets ahold of something he's like a dog with a bone.

Agent: As of right now we don't have any info that's occurred. So...

...

Agent: That's kind of what my suggestion but nobody thought that was funny like if I were a P.I. I'd put him on Grassley, I'm sure there's a lot would go away. Actually my one suggestion was just tell him in a registered Republican. I'm sure if he knew that everything would be fine, they didn't like that either.

Did I just imagine this, or did an ATF agent suggest having a private investigator tail Chuck Grassley, presumably to dig up dirt on the Senator and thereby forestall further investigations through, ahem, blackmail?

Nah... that must be my imagination.

Once again: House Republicans must demand a special prosecutor in no certain terms.


Update: Report: At least 200 murders in Mexico now linked to Fast & Furious weapons


Linked by: Protein Wisdom. Thanks!

Obama: my plan will "put businesses in a further hole"

John F. Kennedy, Address to the Economic Club of New York, 14 December 1962:

...next year's tax bill should reduce personal as well as corporate income taxes: for those in the lower brackets, who are certain to spend their additional take-home pay, and for those in the middle and upper brackets, who can thereby be encouraged to undertake additional efforts and enabled to invest more capital...

...We shall, therefore, neither postpone our tax cut plans nor cut into essential national security programs. This administration is determined to protect America's security and survival, and we are also determined to step up its economic growth. And I think we must do both...

...It should also be noted that the federal debt, as a proportion of our gross national product, has been steadily reduced in the last years... Federal civilian employment, for example, is actually lower today than it was in 1952...

Ronald Reagan, signing the Economic Recovery Tax Act, 12 August 1981:

These bills that I'm about to sign represent a turnaround of almost a half a century of a course this country's been on...

...[they] mark an end to the excessive growth in government bureaucracy, government spending, government taxing...

This represents $130 billion in savings over the next 3 years...

This represents $750 billion in tax cuts over the next 5 years...

And this is only the beginning.

Barack Obama, in one of his countless speeches, 5 August 2009:

We have not proposed a tax hike for the wealthy that would take effect in the middle of a recession. Even the proposals that have come out of Congress... still wouldn't kick in until after the recession was over. The last thing you want to do is to raise taxes in the middle of a recession because that would just suck up -- take more demand out of the economy and put businesses in a further hole.

* * * * * * * * *

History, logic and reason tell us that raising taxes on the private sector -- especially America's entrepreneurs and business owners (the filthy "rich") -- will further wound the economy.

In fact, President Obama admitted as much in 2009, before he read his latest poll numbers. He is clearly panicking over deteriorating support among his crackpot, moonbat base (which is the term they prefer, I hear).

In his latest Rose Garden speech on the economy yesterday, the Demagogue-in-Chief continues to: (a) ignore the recommendations of his own deficit commission; (b) ignore his own deal extending the "Bush Tax Cuts"; and (c) reject his own counsel from 2009.

President Obama is in full campaign mode, which means that he must try to deflect blame, shape-shift, obfuscate and fabricate.

The problem is, his record is clear: he is an epic failure on every front. And there's no running away from that inconvenient truth.


Hat tip: Mark Levin.

Top 10 Demotivational Posters of All-Time












Selected from: MarcFolio.

Larwyn's Linx: The Great Obama Catharsis

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Nation

The Great Obama Catharsis: Hanson
The Usual Suspects: The ‘Kaiser’ Soze of Obamaland: BG
From ‘Scandal-Free’ to Near Scandal Fatigue in Three Weeks: Blumer

California to Ban e-Verify: JW
IL Congressman Apologizes to Muslims for 'Discrimination': RWN
Obama’s Jobs Bill Ends State Sovereignty?: NoisyRm

Economy

Art Cashin's Three Observations On The Millionaire Tax: ZH
Dumb and Dumber: the Obama Jobs Plan: IBD
CPAs celebrate as Obama proposes new Alternative Minimum Tax: BG

Let’s Call It ‘The American Class Warfare Package’: RWN
The Tax Code Is Already Steeply-Progressive: ATR
Obama Proposes $4T in Spending Cuts 'Over 120 Years': Mish

Obama's urgent jobs plan: Right now, After Another Vacation: LAT
GM/UAW negotiates $5K bonuses with itself: BlogProf
Perry: Tea Partyer in name only?: JRubin

Gunrunner & Solyndra

Soros-Backed Group Was Solyndra Cheerleader Too: IBD
Fast & Furious: Cover up of third gun found at scene of agent’s death to protect informant?: Hot Air
Triumphant Liberal Comments from 2009 on Solyndra Loan: PunditPress

Media

Filling in the blanks for Bill Keller: Patterico
Proof That Team Obama Is Panicked About Jewish Voters In 2012: Glob
Groucho Marx Saves America: AT

Chicago Editorial Writer Suggests Obama Step Down After First Term: Fox
Will Arrogant Obama Quote (‘It’s Math’) Get Relayed Widely?: BizzyBlog
Time for a little golf: Dossier

They Live, We Sleep: Cliffs of Insanity
MSDNC anchor unwittingly reminds GOP what they’re up against: Toldjah
WHD Unveils New “Report to Attackwatch” Button: Dossier

World

The End of Palestine: Knish
Iranian Ambassador: UN Vote "a Step Towards Wiping Out Israel": IPT
The Failed Policies of the West: BRubin

Europe’s Moral Decadence Fuels Spread of Islamic Fundamentalism: PJM
The AFL-CIO vs. Guatemala: Fausta
Gutsy Gals in Muslim Indonesia Hold Slut Walk Protest in Miniskirts & Leggings: GWP

Ground Zero Mosque To Open This Wednesday: WZ
Mother of 4 Terrorist Murderers Leads Procession For Palestinian Statehood: GWP
S&P Downgrades Italy; Euro, Futures Tumble : ZH

Sci-Tech

Researchers to detail hole in Web encryption: CNet
Fraud Watch – Twitter Censors Opposition to Obama from ‘Trending’ Reports: #AttackWatch: NoisyRm
Wall Street Journal to unveil app for Facebookers: CNet

Cornucopia

The Lost Solyndra Proposal: Ace
Interactive Collective Quiz: Cube
The Real Mad Men of Washington: it’s a Reality Show: MOTUS

Image: Gateway Pundit
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Stop Obama's Greek Bailout (FreedomWorks)

QOTD: "[The Millionaire’s Tax] proposal flies in the face of the lessons of history. According to the Tax Foundation, after the 1929 crash, Congress proceeded to raise the top marginal tax rate from 25% to 63% by the end of Hoover’s term (hat tip to the sharpeyed Mike Higley’s “By the Numbers”). As you may recall, hiking those rates may have made folks feel that rates were more equitable but it sure didn’t help the economy." --Art Cashin

Monday, September 19, 2011

Revenge of the Flip-Flops

Dave W. forwards this one...

When your boyfriend, husband or significant other does something that makes you angry don't give in to the temptation to argue and fight.

Just count to ten, remain calm and after he goes to bed, super-glue his flip flops to the floor.

I could watch this one over and over…. OH wait a minute…I have!!!

I only need one paragraph of Bill Keller's "writing" to fisk an entire op-ed

A little career advice for failed New York Times editor -- and current columnist -- Bill Keller: apply to SNL. They're always looking for comedy writers.

Just forward the lede on your latest brain secretion in the cover letter:

Just a few winters ago my wife and I took our daughters to witness the inauguration of a man who had campaigned on hope and embodied possibility. We are pretty immune to political euphoria, but, circulating among the footsore pilgrims, we could imagine our country had embraced the idea that we were all in this together. When the newly sworn-in president congratulated us all on choosing unity of purpose over recriminations and worn-out dogmas, we wanted to believe that we had done exactly that...


Recriminations and worn-out dogmas?

BWHAHHWHAHAHAHAHAHHA HA HA AHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHWHHWAHHAHAHAHHA HWHHAWAHHWAHHWAHHHAHWHAHHA HAWHAHWHAHWHHAHWHAHWHAWHAHNAMAHWHAHWHAHW AHWHAHWHAWHH *gasp* AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA *cough* KAJHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA *choke* HAHAHHWHWHAHAHA *wheeze*

Hold on. Gotta. Catch breath.

Wow. I think I just wrenched my clavicle.

How are these for 'Recriminations'?

• Obama Blames Arab Spring and Japan's Earthquake on Struggling Economy and Job Situation, 8/5/11.
• Obama Blames Messy Democracy for His Failed Policies, 8/3/11; the president at a DNC event.
• Obama Blames Congress for US Debt Mess; Obama news conference, 6/29/11.

• Obama Blames Republicans for Slow Pace on Immigration Reform, 7/25/11.
• Obama Blames Media for Lack of Compromise in Washington; Obama at a town hall meeting 7/22/11.
• Obama Blames Technology for Struggling Economy; 7/14/11, NBC Today interview.

• Obama Blames Oil Spectators for High Oil Prices; 4/19/11, Obama at a town hall meeting.
• Obama Blames Reagan for America's Out of Control Debt and Spending; President Obama 4/13/11, FNS.
• Obama Blames Bush and Congress for Lack of Fiscal Discipline, 4/13/11; Obama, FNS.

• Obama Blames Bush-Congress for Putting Off Tough Decisions, 8/17/10; remarks at a fundraiser for Patty Murray.
• Obama Blames Bush for Tax Cuts, Deficits; Obama town hall on the economy in Racine, WI, 6/30/10.
• Obama Blames Bush for Deficits, 6/8/10; Obama at Boxer fundraiser.

• Obama Blames GOP for Events that Led to Gulf Oil Spill; President Obama 6/3/10, FNS.
• Obama Blames Republicans for America Not Being Able to Solve Problems; President Obama 6/3/10, FNS.
• Obama Blames Corporations for Everybody's Problems, 6/3/10, FNS.

• Obama Blames Bush for Overall Standing of American Economy, 4/19/10, at Boxer fundraiser.
• Obama Blames Bush, Congress for Deficits, 2/1/10, delivering remarks on the budget.
• Obama Blames Bush for Regulatory Policies; 1/17/10, the president at Coakley event in MA.

I could continue, but I won't. There's plenty more here.

And how are these for 'Worn-Out Dogmas'?

• "I do think at a certain point you’ve made enough money."
• "I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody."
• "Our individual salvation depends on our collective salvation."

• "Well, Charlie, what I’ve said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness."
• "I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war."
• "My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody."

• "And it's not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them."
• "So we're going to provide a $4,000 tuition credit, every student, every year, but, students, you're going to have to give back something in return."
• "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK."

Don't bother reading the rest of Keller's vomitus. The first paragraph is the Cliff's Notes version, a digest of evil and stupidity. Oblivious to history, economics, facts, logic and human experience, Keller and his progressive ilk are perfectly willing to lead America into hell.

And it's our job to stop these malevolent schmucks at the ballot box before it's too late.


Top Five Reasons To Abolish the Department of Education

Obliterating the Department of Education isn't a radical idea. Consider the top five reasons to get the federal government out of the school business:

5. Spending by the Department of Education has skyrocketed with absolutely no effect on test scores. While spending at the federal level has increased at a frightening rate, "student test scores in math, reading and science have remained flat or declined over the past four decades."

4. Why? Because under this administration the Department of Education isn't interested in proven programs to help students like school choice and vouchers. In fact, it battles school choice on every front imaginable.

3. Why? Because the 2009 Stimulus was -- and the latest "Jobs" bill is -- nothing but a payoff to the teachers' unions to fuel Democrats' campaign coffers. By keeping teachers employed, even if a school district can't afford them, the Democrats ensure that union dues keep flowing, which are laundered into campaign contributions.

2. Because it's been an abysmal failure that we can't afford: the Department of Education’s 2011 budget is nearly six times its original budget. It has increased from $13.1 billion (in 2007 dollars) in 1980 to $77.8 billion in 2011. And, by every measure, it's been a horrific waste of money, which the United States simply can't tolerate in its current fiscal situation.

1. Finally, there is absolutely no Constitutional authority for the Department of Education. The 1996 GOP platform read, “the Federal government has no constitutional authority to be involved in school curricula or to control jobs in the market place. This is why we will abolish the Department of Education, end federal meddling in our schools, and promote family choice at all levels of learning.”

So I urge you to support the eradication of this useless, unconstitutional appendage of the teachers' unions.

In fact, do it for the children.


Linked by: White House Dossier. Thanks!

Larwyn's Linx: In Focus -- A Constitution

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Nation

In Focus: A Constitution: BasicsProject
The Politicized Hiring of Eric Holder’s Appellate Section: PJM
Class Warfare: Former Clinton Adviser Calls Out Obama: NB

The challenge of Constitution Day: Times
A Tree Party Rebellion: Townhall
Socialist Congressmen Compromise US Security?: Loudon (2007)

Day of FAIL: Nationwide anti-capitalist revolution flops: Zombie
Day of Rage: Occupy Wall Street: UrbInf
Anarchist Theater – Days of Stage: NoisyRm

Economy

'Pass This Jobs Bill!': Steyn
Snail Mail Spam Subsidies Stuttering Towards A Stop: Mead
Is September 20 Greek Default Day?: ZH

Obama to Seek $1.5 Trillion in Tax Hikes on Monday: GWP
Supermarket Union Striking Over... $9/week: RWN
Californians: Do not get sick later this week: Bookworm

Gunrunner & Solyndra

Obama an ‘Early Investor’ in LightSquared: LoneCon
The tale of two Obama scandals traverse risky tech, politics & money: GigaOm
Mexico still waiting for answers on Fast and Furious gun program: SacBee

Rahm Emanuel on Solyndra: ‘I don’t remember’: DC
LightSquared: Another Solyndra?: The State
Obama's 'enterprise': Serious questions: TribLive

Media

The media’s love affair with a disastrous president: Rex Murphy
What do Tom Friedman and Hamas have in common?: Elder
Visitors “profoundly shaken” by “evil” at academic pro-pedophilia conference: BeliefNet

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer on Making Our Democracy Work: Hewitt
Leading US Atheist Calls for "Eradication" of Christians: BlogProf
The Wonk Who Wasn't There: Driscoll

Holy Freaking Crap: RSM
Emanuel Cleaver: CBC Would Probably Be Marching on the White House if Obama Wasn’t President: Malkin
Breitbart: Fire the First Shot: iOTW

World

The Wages of Multiculturalism in the Democratic West: PJM
Erdogan Has Good Reason To Be Crazy: PJM
Greece Seeks Further Cuts: WSJ

Islamic Sexuality: A Survey of Evil: Barnhardt
New Saudi Fatwa Defends Pedophilia as 'Marriage': Ibrahim
Islamic Sharia Law comes to Antwerp: Creeping

Ground Zero Victory Mosque Opens “Community Space”: Creeping
Mahmoud Abbas: We Will Never Recognize Israel as a Jewish State -Are You Listening Obama?: Lid
Of course, Tom Friedman blames Bibi and his coalition government: TAB

Sci-Tech

1 Million Dead in 30 Seconds: CityJrnl
DoD’s ‘Ace In the Hole’ for Space Warfare: DefTech
Netflix CEO: 'I slid into arrogance': CNet

Cornucopia

18 lessons from 5 years around the world: Nomadic Matt
This Week in Automotivators, September 12-18: RWN
Michelle Obama: All Dada All the Time: MOTUS

Image: X-37B (DefTech)
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Help! America’s Job Creators Are About To Be Sucker Punched!

QOTD: "...the press gave the great American republic an untried, unknown and, it is becoming more and more frighteningly clear, incompetent figure as President. Under Obama, America’s foreign policies are a mixture of confusion and costly impotence. It is increasingly bypassed or derided; the great approach to the Muslim world, symbolized by the Cairo speech, is in tatters. Its debt and deficits are a weight on the entire global economy. And the office of presidency is less and less a symbol of strength.

To the degree the press neglected its function as watchdog and turned cupbearer to a styrofoam demigod, it is a partner in the flaws and failures of what is turning out to be one of the most miserable performances in the modern history of the American presidency." --Rex Murphy

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Gift Ideas for Democrats and Americans

In the spirit of bipartisanship, I've included a gift idea for Democrats on the left and one for Americans on the right.

Unicorn Meat is available here and Bacon Balm here.


Readers' Views: Objection from a former sailor


Hat tip: Jack is Back!.

Attention AFL-CIO, IBEW, Teamsters and UMW Members: Your Christmas Gift From the White House is Here... 116,000 Layoffs

CleanTechnica gleefully reports that effective January 2012, the EPA is scheduled to shut down 20 percent of all coal plants in America.

The EPA will shut down an estimated 20% of the nation’s coal plants through the ground-level ozone rule (the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) ) through cap and trade that is about to be implemented in January 2012. Opponents of the Obama administration’s “over-reaching” EPA say these are costly regulations. Financial analysts estimate that the cost of this rule will be $130 billion by 2015. But if that figure is correct, that’s good news for the US economy.

...Because there is another way of looking at that $130 billion “expense”. One industry’s expense is another industry’s sales bonanza. For the coal industry’s balance sheet, it is an expense, but think about who is going to perform this $130 billion cleanup – fairies? Hardly. This is a job for real American industries...

Consider the raw idiocy behind this line of "reasoning":

• America's coal industry employs 126,000 workers directly and another 455,000 workers whose jobs are indirectly dependent upon the coal industry.

• Closing 20% of America's coal factories will result in the immediate layoffs of about 116,000 workers, many of them union members in the mining, electrical, transportation and service industries.

Blackouts and brownouts will become commonplace: there is no way to shutter roughly 10% of America's electric generation capacity without causing shortages and rationing.

• And simple supply-and-demand will cause skyrocketing prices for electricity, which will be paid for directly by retail customers (you and I) as well as businesses, which will also pass those costs on to consumers like -- yes -- you and I.

The executive summary for you hard-working, dues-paying members of the AFL-CIO, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Teamsters and the United Mine Workers: the Democrat Party is now aligned with the hard-left Eco-Marxist movement and it is using your money to destroy your jobs.

Remember in 2012.


Europe has its own SCOAMF and it's called the Eurozone: Ex-PM Gordon Brown admits that "it's an hour to midnight"

Last week's band-aids and bailing wire are wearing away as Europe's debt problems continue to multiply.

Without another infusion of cash from the EU, the European Central Bank and the IMF, Greece is slated to run out of money by mid-October. And U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rushed to Poland last week -- to urge a resolution to the crisis -- only to be openly mocked and humiliated.

Europe is digging an ever-deeper hole as it vows to resolve the eurozone crisis, experts said Sunday as Greece prepares for a pivotal week of international debt diplomacy... Plagued by "parochialism, pettiness and procrastination," according to Sony Kapoor, head of the Re-define think tank, "kill the messenger seems to be the new strategy," he told AFP en route to New York and a frantic week at International Monetary Fund, World Bank and G20 gatherings...

European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet was more upbeat of the 17-nation eurozone's debt situation, insisting that "taken as a whole, it is probably better than other major advanced economies... The United States is in a far worse position, both in terms of its annual deficit and its runaway national debts."

...Trichet's remark was seen as a pointed rebuttal to implied criticism by Geithner, who warned during talks with EU counterparts in Wroclaw, Poland that "governments and central banks need to take out the catastrophic risk to markets."

In an eloquent put-down, Trichet said he didn't quite understand precisely, a tack echoed by former French foreign minister Michel Barnier who quipped that the EU could perhaps invite China's finance minister next time out... The European Union adopted its defiant stand towards Geithner after delaying a decision on when to release blocked bailout loans for Greece.

The price to insure one-year debt issued by Greece (i.e., the one-year CDS) is currently 110 as of this writing, which means the market is still pricing in a complete default by the socialist government.

Over the last 16 hours, the price of gold has soared $50/oz., bringing it back above the $1,800 benchmark.

Yesterday the Prime Minister of Greece canceled a planned trip to the United States "because of the gravity of his country's financial crisis."

And former Prime Minister of England Gordon Brown has as much as admitted that the entire Eurozone is a SCOAMF.

...The euro cannot survive in its present form, it’s going to have to be reformed dramatically. We are I think at an hour to midnight in the way that we look at this issue...

European banks as a whole are grossly under-capitalized... In 2008, governments could intervene to sort out the problems of banks. In 2011, banks have problems, but so too do governments... We’ve now got the interplay between banks that are not properly capitalized and sovereign debt problems that have arisen partly because we’ve socialized or accepted responsibility for the banks’ liabilities.

At some point in the very near future, the world will be forced to acknowledge the failed progressive-socialist policies of centrally-planned "fairness", unlimited welfare, open immigration policies and heavy unionization.

It's unfortunate that the lesson will be learned -- once again -- by the world's poorest souls who were led down the same catastrophic, Statist path by liberals, who have never gotten a single policy right, ever.