Friday, September 23, 2011

It's Unanimous: "The Irvine 11" All Found Guilty

CAIR and other terror apologists hardest hit:

After more than two days of deliberation, an Orange County jury on Friday found 10 Muslim students guilty of two misdemeanors to conspire and then disrupt a February 2010 speech at UC Irvine last year by the Israeli ambassador to the United States.

There was crying as the verdict was read in Superior Court Judge Peter J. Wilson’s courtroom. The students showed no visible emotion, although they hugged each afterward. Some also stormed out.

In a case that garnered national attention over free-speech rights, the trial centered on conflicting views of who was being censored. Prosecutors argued that Ambassador Michael Oren was “shut down” when his speech was interrupted by students who took turns shouting preplanned phrases in a crowded UC Irvine ballroom.

U.C. Irvine is a hotbed of Muslim extremism.

The United States Department of Education has investigated more than a dozen incidents of harassment at UC-Irvine in the last decade:

• Rocks thrown at Jewish students;
• The destruction of Holocaust memorial displays;
• Threats and harassment of Jewish students;
• Recurring swastikas painted on campus;
• Official events including "Zionist Awareness Week", which promoted antisemitism;
• Exclusion of Jews during "anti-hate" rallies;
• Graduation apparel that offered support for Hamas and other terrorist groups;
• And five other "isolated acts" that could not be addressed because they were reported more than 180 days after they occurred.

But at long last, school officials appear to be fighting back against the extremists: the administration officially proposed suspending the MSU for its litany of intolerant behavior.

UC-Irvine is infamous as one of the most antisemitic campuses in the country. A series of incidents involving harassment and abuse of Jews -- over many years -- has cemented its notoriety. The unrest culminated in the arrest of 11 MSU members last February, who had verbally abused and continually interrupted a speech by Israel's Ambassador to the U.S.

Tensions are high at the University of California-Irvine after the school recommended suspending a Muslim student group for its role in the disruption of an Israeli ambassador's speech earlier this year.

Doesn't it go without saying? Tensions are always high when Jihadists don't get to express their "feelings" towards Jews, Christians, Buddhists and other infidels.

...the proposed suspension of the Muslim Student Union for at least a year has made an already hostile situation worse... The school revealed this week that it had recommended suspending the Muslim group after 11 students were arrested in February for repeatedly disrupting a speech by Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, who was repeatedly interrupted and called "murderer" and "war criminal" by pro-Palestinian students as he gave a talk on the Middle East peace process...

Oh, plus they roughed up a few cops for good measure, but we can leave that out of the story.

But these idiots must be outliers, because we all know that Islam is a "Religion of Peace."


Hat tip: Memeorandum.

Health care premiums to leap as much as 85% in Ohio; HHS response: spend $100MM investigating insurers

In states like Ohio -- "the heart of it all", if its license plate is to be believed -- health care premiums are slated to leap by as much as eighty-freaking-five percent:

At the request of the Ohio Department of Insurance, benefit consultants Milliman, Inc. prepared an estimate of the impact on coverage and rates of ObamaCare when major provisions take effect in 2014... 660,000 are forecast to lose their group coverage from employers... The percentage of all covered with some type of government coverage is forecast to increase to 31% from 20% in 2010.

Although the percentage of residents with coverage could rise by about 7.9%, the price of individual health insurance coverage might rise about 55% to 85%, excluding the impact of medical inflation, the Milliman consultants predict.

Just in time to combat the negative publicity, our beloved Department of Health and Human Services has cut checks worth $109 million (thankfully, only one-fifth of what the feds spent on Solyndra) to help states "fight unreasonable premium increases and protect consumers."

As of Sept. 1, the Affordable Care Act requires health insurers seeking rate hikes of 10% or more in the individual and small group market to submit their request to experts to determine whether the rates are unreasonable... ACA also requires insurance companies to publicly justify unreasonable premium rate increases...

...Another provision of ACA requires health insurers to spend at least 80% of premium dollars on healthcare and quality-improvement activities as opposed to overhead, advertising, and executive bonuses. If they don't they must reduce premiums or pay rebates to consumers and employers.... Also in 2014, insurance exchanges created by ACA supposedly will use competition and transparency, including information on unjustified premium increases, to help make insurance more affordable, HHS said.

I can save them some money. The root cause of these massive premium increases is a bunch of Statist, totalitarian masterminds trying to centrally plan a full one-sixth of the economy.

This is akin to the task of the Soviet Politburo, circa the sixties, announcing yet another successful wheat-growing season when, in fact, a large portion of the population was starving to death.

• When they said, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it" -- they lied.

• When they said, "On average, families will see their health care premiums drop by $2,500 a year" -- they lied.

• When they said, "My health care plan will be one of the greatest job-creating programs ever" -- they lied.

Everyone rational citizen -- which excludes you drones and other irregular Americans -- knew the Democrats were lying and said so at the time.

Central planning can't work, won't work and, in fact, has never worked in all of world history. That is why we need a GOP candidate with the backbone and drive to repeal Obamacare, soup to nuts. And a personal aside: Mitt Romney doesn't strike me as that person.


Related: Good news: 83% of Obamacare Grants Awarded to Local Health Centers In States That Supported Obama in 2008

Larwyn's Linx: Would Romney Repeal ObamaCare?

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

Would Romney Repeal ObamaCare?: Ace
Debate Analysis: Winners And Losers Of The Fox/Google Debate: RWN
Perry’s cringe-worthiest debate moment: Malkin

Florida Debate: the Score: Tatler
West: "We Need Black Fathers, Not Washington D.C.": RCP
The Truth About the Booing at the Debate: Sunshine

Economy

The Federal Debt Mess - Tea Party Perspective: Ace
Panic?: Mead
Driven Mad: Trucking Industry Collapsing Under Regulation: PJM

Malaise in Michigan: TheDaily
Phoenix taxpayers foot the bill for union work: Goldwater
America Will Return to the Gold Standard within 5 Years: GldStdNow

Hey GM: How about paying back the $15 billion first?: Kaus
How We Pay $3,700 Per Passenger to Subsidize Airline Tickets: PJM
HHS Gives States $109M to Bolster Premium Hike Oversight: HLO

Gunrunner & Solyndra

Issa: Fast And Furious Has Seriously Damaged Our Relationship With Mexico: NiceDeb
Holder's Hell Week: Post
Solyndra hearing to go on, despite execs' silence: Boston

Climate & Energy

IPCC, models, HadCRUT, and cherrymandering: WUWT
List of scientists opposing the mainstream scientific assessment of global warming: Wikipedia
EPA’s Jackson Says She Respects Obama’s Decision on Ozone: Bloomberg

Media

Obama's Got a Problem With Women, and Men Have A Problem With Obama: Ace
"I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm a warrior for the middle class!": RCP
‘When It Comes to Beating the Corrupt Media, Romney Shows Real Promise’: Driscoll

Anti-Palin ‘Doonesbury’ Comics Result of Collaboration Between Trudeau, Disgraced McGinniss: BigJourn
Explosive Email Shows Anti-Palin Author McGinniss, Random House Likely Published Literary Hoax: BG
Democracy Corps (D): Obama 41/55: RS

Why Do Liberals Have Such a Soft Spot for Cop Killers Like Troy Davis?: RWN
Head of Al Jazeera resigns (prediction: New boss coming to MSNBC): Powers
Trojan Horses, Obamacare And A Single-Payer Health System: HayRide

World

Bill Clinton: Netanyahu killed the peace process: ForPol
“Palestine” to Deny Citizenship to 45 Percent of its Palestinian Residents: Commentary
The United Nations Should Not Recognize an Apartheid, Judenrein, Islamic Palestine: Dershowitz

The Great Euro Swindle: Driscoll
Southwest Airlines calls Arabic-type markings on jet underbellies “internal vandalism”: Creeping
Air Force Tests Electronics-Frying Missile: DefTech

Sci-Tech

Speed-of-light experiments give baffling result at Cern: BBC
'Stingray' Phone Tracker Fuels Constitutional Clash : WSJ
RHT: Microsoft’s Ship Has Sailed In ‘Cloud Computing’: Barron's

Cornucopia

Homemade Robot Has a Minor Flaw: FailBlog
First Chevy Camaro ZL1 advertisements hit the web - 580HP: TorqueNews
Get Away From That Campaign Sign!: Dale Peterson

Image: Phlegn
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Allen West for Congress

QOTD: "When the government came for my illegal shower-heads, I couldn't even flush them down the toilet because those are low-flow too." --Me, just now.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

As America Struggles to Survive, Michelle Obama Models a $42K Bracelet

Empathy: that's what I see when I look admiringly at Michelle Obama:

That was no ordinary bling on the wrist of First Lady Michelle Obama at the DNC fundraiser in New York Tuesday night. Those fancy diamond cuffs were the creation of 23-year-old Katie Decker, whose namesake jewelry line has been making a serious splash since her graduation from Texas A&M two years ago.

...If you've been saving your nickels and dimes, the cuffs are available locally at Judith Ann Jewels. The First Lady wore Katie's Lotus cuff priced at $15,000 with 2.9 carats of diamonds, her Gothic cuff at $15,350 with 2.17 carats in diamonds and the Quatrefoil bracelet at $11,800 with 1.73 carats in diamonds.

As one wag headlined the news: Barack "Middle Class Warrior" Obama brings Michelle to fundraiser wearing $42,398 worth of jewelry.

In unrelated news, a global meltdown is underway.

Thank heavens we can watch FLOTUS from our hovels and dream of better days.


Hat tip: Dan Riehl.

Fox-Google Debate: Top 10 Questions, By Number of Votes Received

At the time of the debate (roughly 8:37P ET), these were the top 10 questions based upon number of votes received:

10 [Govt. Spending & Debt] Our Founding Fathers created a limited federal government to protect the citizens from a large bureaucracy. What are you going to do, specifically,to downsize the federal government and help reduce the deficit? Gerry, Mount Laurel, New Jersey

9 [Immigration] With so many people waiting years if not decades to enter this country legally, why do we give illegals so many benefits, like free health care, schooling, and in-state-tution while denying these things to American citizens and legal residents? John, Bronx, New York

8 [Immigration] Barack Obama decreed without congressional approval that hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens will receive a reprieve from deportation. Many members of Congress say this is a backdoor Amnesty. As President, will you rescind this order? William, Raleigh, North Carolina

7 [Social Issues] Why does America give away our citizenship? When a child is born here it should have to have a least one parent that is here legally or a US citizen before citizenship is just automatically given. Do you agree? Cypress, Texas

6 [Other] Americans are concerned about the size of the fed government and its infringement on state rights. How will you restore the 10th Amend., hold the fed gov’t only to those enumerated powers in the Constitution, and allow states to govern themselves? Spencer, Spencer, Indiana

5 [Jobs & Economy] In the last debate a young man asked the question, "of every dollar that I earn, how much do you think that I deserve to keep?" That question was never answered. Can any of you directly answer that question? Craig, Holmesville, Beatrice

4 [Govt. Spending & Debt] Members of Congress get paid 15,000 a month after only one term for the rest of their life. Wouldn't it be just and save the US a lot of money if we cut the Congress's paychecks? Jessica, Ventura, California

3 [Govt. Spending & Debt] On 10/8/10, IBM offered the President, at no charge, their services to uncover $900 billion in waste and fraud in Medicare. President Obama turned them down. How would you have reacted? Wayne, Iron Springs, Prescott

2 [Govt. Spending & Debt] Would you favor repealing the golden parachute retirement benefits that Congress now enjoys and make them subject to Social Security and Medicare just like everyone else? Anyone, Flowery Branch, Georgia

1 [Immigration] With so many people waiting years if not decades to enter this country legally, why do we give illegals so many benefits, like free health care, schooling, and in-state-tution while denying these things to American citizens and legal residents? John, Bronx, New York

Actually, I'm a bit surprised by these questions. I'd have thought that concerns with the economy would have dominated the Q&A.


Dave Chappelle as Barack Obama in "Solyndra Testimony"

Mr. President, what about people who say that you gave Solyndra half-a-billion dollars -- more than the amount 35 states received for infrastructure under your Stimulus program -- as a reward to one of your top contributors? And, worse still, that everyone knew Solyndra was doomed from the start?

What?

Huh? Solyndra?

Who said something about Solyndra, b****?

Solyndra?

Sol--...

===---SMAAASSHHH!!!---===

Get the hell out of here.........


Hat tip: Dave Chappelle Show

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.