Tag Archives: Politics

Economy, Media, Politics

Stimulus Day, Friday 13th

History is made today, Friday the 13th, when two houses of congress vote on a ‘stimulus’ bill that they have not read. And what they have not read, will guarantee that the next couple generations will still be paying our bill.

How’s this for ‘change?’ President Obama’s campaign promises include transparency. Does that include enough time to read what is in the 1,100 page bill? The bill that Republican input was not allowed. The ‘agreement’ was 48 hours to review the bill before voting on it. Turns out to be around 8 hours.

Today also marks the official death of the media’s role as a government watchdog. The media has so powerful a responsibility that they have the constitutional protection in the 1st Amendment to be one. That dog died today.

Democrats in Washington don’t want the people to know what is in the bill before they vote on it. A lot of what is in it this ‘stimulus’ bill  are things that, if put to a vote on their own, would not pass. So the less you know about it, the better.

It is obvious why the Democrat-controlled congress wants to rush this bill sight unseen, to the President’s desk. But what is the media’s excuse? That dog died.

Look how the watchdog AP, or make that the lapdog AP, covers the events of today. Not one mention of the fact that Democrats reneged on the deal to have 48 hours to read it. No mention of the fact that there was not enough time for anyone to read the bill. The rush to the vote is called muscling the bill through, virtually on their own. Sounds like a good thing doesn’t it. In the article, look for a mention that no one, including the media, knew what was in the bill when they voted on it. Who would have thought that the media would be satisfied with the voting and passage of a bill, the contents of which are not known?  AP doesn’t know what is in it. What is worse, AP doesn’t care to find out what is in it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a major victory for President Barack Obama, Democrats muscled a huge, $787 billion stimulus bill through Congress late Friday night in hopes of combating the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Republican opposition was nearly unanimous.

Quick survey here. Everyone who thinks the media would be just as lax if McCain/Palin were in The White House, please raise your hand.

link:  Democrats muscle huge stimulus through Congress

Originally posted 2/13/2009

UPDATE 2/14/2009:

Survey results from yesterday are borne out of today’s headlines. From O-AP.

Savoring win, Obama celebrates `major milestone’

Savoring his first big victory in Congress, President Barack Obama on Saturday celebrated the newly passed $787 billion economic stimulus bill as a “major milestone on our road to recovery. ” Officials said he would sign the measure on Tuesday in Denver.

Economy, Politics

The Change We Got

Being guided by rule one, ‘Never allow a crisis to go to waste, they are opportunities to do big things,’ as explained by President Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual, Rush Limbaugh sums up the first twenty days of the Obama administration and its cast of characters and what is actually in the Stimulus Porkulus bill. It’s no accident that Obama chose Limbaugh to be the target, instead of  ‘his’ so-called stimulus bill. To single him out, it shows how effective Limbaugh must be.

Limbaugh Video HERE

As an aside to the Porkulus Bill itself, did you hear what RINO Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA), one of three RINO’s that voted FOR this big government spending bill, had to say about what’s in the bill? He admitted today on Fox News that he was unaware of all the health care-related items in the bill. He said too that he was a proponent for having more (try any) debate and input from Republicans because more time was needed to find out what is in the bill, and asked Obama why the rush to judgement? This, after he voted for it.

Essentially, in one sentence, the man who voted for the bill is admitting that he didn’t know himself what was in it, and needed more time to find out all of what is in the bill. I know, this doesn’t make any sense. Is it dementia,  medication, or an uncontrollable urge to be ‘loved’ that causes him to act this way? Pick one.

Media, Pensacola, Politics

Blogs, They're Out There

Article in today’s Pensacola News Journal touches on political blogs in Pensacola, and then some. The Lunch Counter got some print. Syndicated columnist Mark O’Brien said . . .

“The Lunch Counter,” https://rosscalloway.com, offers daily blasts at liberals. President Obama “doesn’t have the class to show a modicum of respect for his predecessor,” writes Calloway, who makes a living by selling excellent sandwiches at Philly’s Cheesesteaks on Creighton Road.

It is a matter of record, you know, that the cheesesteak is a non-political sandwich, which is enjoyed by the folks on both sides of the aisle. The plug for Philly’s is much appreciated.

link: Blogs offer Pensacola new views

Economy, Politics

Gingrich Video On Stimulus Bill

Newt Gingrich on the so-called stimulus bill, the video. Graciously lifted from .BlogRead.

Call your Senators today at 202-224-3121 and tell them to oppose the stimulus package. And for good measure, send them an email too.

Let’s be honest, it’s not really a stimulus bill. It’s a big government, pork-laden spending bill filled with wasteful projects.

In this new video, Newt outlines in stark terms exactly why this bill, as currently written, is not worthy of our support.

H/T Dan Kotman @ American Solutions

Economy, Energy, Iran, Media, Politics, Russia, Venezuela

The Language Of Politics, Can We Talk?

Ever wondered why we haven’t already achieved energy independence? There is no one you can find in Washington, from any party, that won’t say they are for energy independence. Everyone is for energy independence. So what’s the problem?

The problem is the political language barrier. Probably first invented by President Clinton when his Lewinsky defense was, ‘it depends on what the definition of IS is.’ The political parties today are not speaking the same language and the media is speaking the dialect of the Left. It presumes that the other side is just stupid and there is no common ground to be found.

Energy Independence, the Right– The whole point of energy independence as far as conservatives and most Republicans are concerned is primarily a security issue. The fact that we are buying 70 percent of the oil what we currently use from foreign sources, most of which don’t like us very much, is a point not forgotten by those on the political right. Conservatives are reminded of the gas lines and rationing that went on here under the Carter administration after Iran started using their oil as a weapon against us. Like Russia, btw, is doing to its neighbors today and Chaves has threatened to do to us. To mitigate this concern, to become energy independent means to develop enough of our own resources to protect our own national security should the middle east one day shut off the valves. Or, if Iran blows them up.

There would be two other benefits to becoming energy independent. One would be a private sector, high paying, job creation project in states all over the country that wouldn’t increase our national debt one thin dime. It would also stop the annual flow of $700 billion to countries that would just as easily cut us off and sell to China or any other country, and keep that money right here in our own country, and putting it to work in our own economy.

Unfortunately, you will be hard pressed to find a liberal speaking to the national security aspect of oil resources in the United States.

Energy Independence, the Left– to the left it means energy replacement. That is to say, not to use fossil fuels. To be energy independent does not mean to have and use our own resources as opposed to someone else’s. It means to not use our own resources in favor of some technology of the future that has yet to be developed. The ‘green’ lobby, high on the list of political allies to Democrats, is leading the agenda to this definition of energy independence. This is fine and dandy in a perfect world. But it totally ignores the security aspect of not having enough of our own resources if, say tomorrow, OPEC or an oil producing State decides to cut production or worse, cut us off, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

A fact that can’t be ignored is the fact that fossil fuels are the fuel for the worlds’ economic engine and will stay that way unless and until some other source can be brought to market. To not exploit our own resources, as a bridge to some technology of the future and our own national security, is just as irresponsible as forcing us to limit the use of fossil fuels, no matter where they come from, to the detriment of our economy.

While developing this post, other terms and words have come to light that play a major role in inhibiting economic, social, and political progress. Here is a list of some that came out of the news in just the last 3 days. It is what we, as conservatives, are up against.

  • Spending / Investing
  • Bipartisan / the political right ignoring their principles and voting with Democrats.
  • Shovel Ready / Shovel ready in a few years
  • Economic Stimulus/ big government stimulus
  • Opening up the airways / Restricting the airways
  • Tax Cuts / Income redistribution
  • Tax Incentives / Tax Increase ($18b on Oil Companies)
  • Employee Free Choice Act / Employee No Choice Act
Economy, Politics

Obama 'Reaches Out' On 'Stimulus' Bill

President Obama deserves an academy award for this line . . .

“I’ve done extraordinary outreach to Republicans because they have some good ideas and I want to make sure those ideas are incorporated,” Obama said.

He is talking about the so-called economic stimulus plan that passed the House and goes to the Senate tomorrow. This is the very same bill that Nancy Pelosi made sure that Republicans would have no input on.

The House vote showed bi-partisan support for not supporting the bill. It included all the Republicans and 11 Democrats. Obama doesn’t need Republicans to pass this Democrat-created bill.  What he needs to pass this bill is Democrats.

link: Obama to meet Congressional leaders again on stimulus

Economy, Media, Politics

NYT, More Than Just Economic Stimulus

Isn’t it odd that the media is not talking about what is in this so-called $825 billion economic stimulus plan? You know why. It’s because the bill contains way more pork than economic stimulus. Breaking another of his campaign promises to cut pork out of every bill he signs, the New York Times is making a feign attempt of real journalism by pointing out Obama’s real plan. But only after it already passed in the House.

As President Obama and Congress barrel toward the latest emergency program to resuscitate the American economy, one question is looming over their search for a cure: Can the government fashion a fast and efficient economic stimulus while also seizing the moment to remake America?

For now, Mr. Obama and his aides are insisting they can accomplish both goals, following their mantra of using the urgency of the economic crisis to accomplish larger – and long-delayed – reforms that never garnered sufficient votes in ordinary times.

What’s this ‘remake America’ crap? It’s simple, and it also explains why all the pork is in the bill, including support for his wacko base in the name of ACORN, which was already rejected last year when the Obama campaign first suggested the $700 billion ‘stimulus’ package.

Pushing this bill through Congress is Obama’s attempt of following Rahm Emanual’s advice. What he calls ‘rule one.’

“Rule one: Never allow a crisis to go to waste,” Mr. Emanuel said in an interview on Sunday. “They are opportunities to do big things.”

Key point in the Times’ article regarding the plan is their analysis that much of the pork in the bill contains ‘reforms that never garnered sufficient votes in ordinary times.’ This is exactly what Rahm Emanual means in not letting our current economic crisis to ‘go to waste.’

The AP calls the stimulus plan as a ‘bill to fuel Obama’s priorities.’ It ‘makes quick work possible.’ They don’t have the courage to say that the plan is not an economic stimulus plan.

Says al-AP Jan 18, 2009:

The economic crisis that will dominate Barack Obama’s first 100 days as president, and beyond, will give him a rare chance to enact big portions of his agenda that otherwise might have languished for months or years.

Not since Franklin D. Roosevelt has a new president been poised to pack so many ambitious, costly – and, under more normal circumstances, highly contentious – projects into one fast-moving bill.

Touting this plan as an ‘economic stimulus’ is fraudulent on its face. It represents more a big government stimulus than an economic one. Write your senators and tell them not to approve this plan as it is currently written. Remove the pork and instead, put the Democrats’ wish list for America into separate bills and let Congress vote on them individually. Make them live up to their claim of openness and transparency.

link: NYT, A Stimulus Plan With Dual Goals: Reform and Recovery | Stimulus bill to fuel Obama’s priorities | Contact Your Senators

Politics, War On Terror

Obama Praises Iraqis On Elections

No criticism from here on this. Election day in Iraq goes peacefully in the first election under total Iraqi control.  This is part of ‘the plan’ you know.  President Obama rightly praises the Iraqi people. What? He forgot to mention  his troops and their families and Gen. Betraeus, all of whom also made this day in Iraq possible. Whether it was a tactical omission (so as not to offend Iraqis his base) or one born of inexperience remains to be seen. If we don’t soon see some praise for our troops for this then we will know which it was.

Obama said . . .

“Millions of Iraqi citizens from every ethnic and religious group went peacefully to the polls across the country to choose new provincial councils,” Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “It is important that the councils get seated, select new governors and begin work on behalf of the Iraqi people who elected them.”

Obama also noted that the U.S. provided technical assistance to the Iraqi electoral commission, as did the U.N. and other international groups.

Gen. David Petraeus . . .

who heads the U.S. Central Command, praised the Iraqi government for its efforts in making the elections “an event of which all Iraqis should be proud and an effort the world should applaud.”

Not only should the world (I’d settle for the UN) applaud Iraq’s election day, but a free Iraq will serve as an example of what a free people can do for themselves and their economy. Also part of the plan.

link: Obama praises Iraqis on provincial elections

Politics

No-Class Obama At White House Website

I guess I’ve been spoiled in expecting The White House website to be an accurate and civil presentation of content. The website now isn’t much different from other left-wing websites. He did win the election. To continue to bring up his predecessor in the way that he does shows that this president is not going to stop campaigning, and doesn’t have the class to show a modicum of respect for his predecessor.

For example, under the Additional Issues page titled Katrina, this is what follows:

President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.

President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration’s “unconscionable ineptitude” in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims. Obama visited thousands of Hurricane survivors in the Houston Convention Center and later took three more trips to the region. He worked with members of the Congressional Black Caucus to introduce legislation to address the immediate income, employment, business, and housing needs of Gulf Coast communities.

President Barack Obama will partner with the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild now, stronger than ever.

The Katrina affected people want to know what you are going to do for them. Could you answer that without rewinding a few years? I expect more from my president. Behaving like an adult would be a good start.

related link: New White House site slams Bush

UPDATE 03/08/09: The website has been revised. Don’t know when it happened, but it finally did happen. They still talk about the past, with nothing substantive as to what the administration is going to do for or about Katrina victims beyond the unchanged last line.

Fairness Doctrine, Politics

Fairness Doctrine Sleight Of Hand

Referring to the little war going on over the Fairness Doctrine. Why is it that only Republicans seem to favor free speech nowadays? I can say that because there is not one Democrat that is a co-sponsor of the Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009. And Democrats’ opinions are all over the place. Some agree that regulating free speech, including and especially political speech, is necessary and should be content-neutral, like Barack Obama, and some are, oh, I’ll call them deniers, like Craig Aaron, who think that Republicans’ concern that the Fairness Doctrine will find its way back under an Obama administration ‘is completely imaginary.’ That, and that he says there are no bills pending to reinstate it, so there’s nothing to worry about.

And then there’s this guy (girl?), NewsCorpse, who must be a superdenier when he says . . .

Conservatives fear that Liberals want to destroy talk radio. Oh please! They can have talk radio. It’s last century’s broadcasting platform.

Aaron says . . .

Let’s review: It wasn’t in the Democratic Party platform. No bill has been introduced in the Democrat-controlled Congress. No FCC rules are pending. And President-elect Barack Obama has stated unequivocally that he “does not support re-imposing” the Fairness Doctrine.

See if you can spot a reason for concern here. A denier will say that Obama does not support the Fairness Doctrine.

And Obama’s position is . . .

‘He considers this debate to be a distraction from the conversation we should be having about opening up the airwaves and modern communications to as many diverse viewpoints as possible. That is why Sen. Obama supports media-ownership caps, network neutrality, public broadcasting, as well as increasing minority ownership of broadcasting and print outlets.’

I like the part where he defines restricting the airways as opening up the airwaves. Now that you know Obama’s position on the Fairness Doctrine, did he not make that perfectly clear? He isn’t in favor of the Fairness Doctrine. He is in favor of ‘network neutrality.’ Know what that is? That’s Democrat-speak for the Fairness Doctrine.

Where in the First Amendment does it say that the government should make speech content neutral? If the government MAKES anything about speech, or makes any law regarding the content of political speech (the very kind of speech that the 1st Amendment was drawn up to protect), then IT ISN’T FREE is it? It is regulated.

I don’t know what Aaron was doing when he said that no FCC rules are pending. Is that supposed to make you feel complacent, and satisfied that there isn’t anything coming out of the FCC to cause concern? He is either not informed on WHY there is nothing coming out of the FCC, or he knows why and is being deceptive about it. You make the call.

So, if the Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009 is so trivial and even unnecessary, then what is the problem with allowing it to come to the Senate floor for a vote? If it is so inconsequential, that nobody really wants to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, then there shouldn’t be any opposition to INSURING that it won’t be reinstated, either in its original form or in some other form.

links: Huffington Post | News Corpse | The First Amendment Needs Protecting