02.08.10

Sarah In The Spotlight

Posted in News at 3:23 pm by Frank Hogg

The Blogometer: 2/8: Sarah In The Spotlight:

On a relatively slow news weekend, the biggest topic in the blogosphere was ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin’s speech at the National Tea Party Convention, which was carried live by C-SPAN and the three major cable news networks. Not surprisingly, the rightroots loved Palin’s speech. That said, they seem to perceive her more as a movement leader than as a WH ‘12 candidate. Erick Erickson calls Palin “the best thing to happen to the tea party movement” while Hugh Hewitt writes: “Palin is now to the right what Al Gore has become to the left, and she is going to get better and better at the role of messenger from the base.” …

Career Ending Scandal for Paterson?

Posted in News at 1:11 pm by Frank Hogg

Career Ending Scandal for Paterson?:

The NY Times is reportedly working on a story that makes serious accusations against New York Governor David Paterson that could force him to resign. …

Obama approval at only 26%

Posted in News at 12:57 pm by Frank Hogg

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 26% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove which gives Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -15. …

When you consider that 25% is the strong base then Obama isn’t singing to anyone but his core choir. Even the remaining 14% of dems don’t much like him.

Mass. wind farm that Obama administration might support meets strong resistance

Posted in News at 5:58 am by Frank Hogg

Mass. wind farm that Obama administration might support meets strong resistance

This is the thing Ted Kennedy fought because he was worried it would destroy his ocean view. He’s dead and Obama doesn’t live there.

02.06.10

The great peasant revolt of 2010

Posted in News at 12:13 am by Frank Hogg

Charles Krauthammer - The great peasant revolt of 2010 - washingtonpost.com:

… This being a democracy, don’t the Democrats see that clinging to this agenda will march them over a cliff? Don’t they understand Massachusetts?

Well, they understand it through a prism of two cherished axioms: (1) The people are stupid and (2) Republicans are bad. Result? The dim, led by the malicious, vote incorrectly. …

It’s fairly easy to understand libs. They are dependent on others doing their thinking for them and they assume everyone else has the same limitations. They cannot comprehend anyone who doesn’t believe as they do. Their solution is to call them names, stupid etc. That doesn’t change the fact that they are the ones limited in their ability to understand complex things. Dem pols play into these weaknesses of their constituents with simple concepts and sound bites. Those don’t play well with conservatives who for the most part are disgusted by the koolade drinking left. That’s just the way it is. The only thing that saves us so far is that such a small minority of the country identify themselves as libs. The rest of us know what we’re talking about.

Pelosi: Where Are the Jobs, Mr. President?

Posted in News at 12:03 am by Frank Hogg

Pelosi: Where Are the Jobs, Mr. President?:

Washington, D.C. — House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ announcement that 470,000 people abandoned their job searches in July and that 3.2 million private sector jobs have been lost since President Bush took office:

“The fact is that President Bush’s misguided economic policies have failed to create jobs. Since President Bush took office, the country has lost 3.2 million jobs, the worst record since President Hoover. And today we learned that in July nearly half a million people gave up looking for a job.

“Job losses are taking a real toll on the financial security of American families. While Democrats are fighting for opportunity, jobs, and economic security for working families, Republicans continue to focus on helping those who need help the least.

“According to today’s survey, while the national unemployment rate dropped slightly, it still stands at a near record high. In addition, the unemployment rate for African Americans was still over 11 percent in July, and the unemployment rate for Hispanics was 8.2 percent in July.

“It is time for President Bush and the Republicans to get to work for all Americans, not just the elite few.”

August 1, 2003

The good old days are long past us.

02.05.10

We’re OK, You’re Far Right

Posted in News at 11:10 pm by Frank Hogg

We’re OK, You’re Far Right:

The Gallup Poll finds that 53% of Democrats and 61% of liberals have a “positive image of socialism.” That could explain a lot about the Obama administration. Meanwhile, the Tea Party is meeting in Nashville. CNN provides a primer on the Tea Partiers, and twice describes them as “far right.”

So: socialism is mainstream, but fiscal sanity and constitutionalism are “far right.”

Cat Fight: Al Franken lays into David Axelrod over health care bill

Posted in News at 5:57 am by Frank Hogg

Al Franken lays into David Axelrod over health care bill - Andy Barr and Manu Raju - POLITICO.com:

Sen. Al Franken ripped into White House senior adviser David Axelrod this week during a tense, closed-door session with Senate Democrats.

Five sources who were in the room tell POLITICO that Franken criticized Axelrod for the administration’s failure to provide clarity or direction on health care and the other big bills it wants Congress to enact.

The sources said Franken was the most outspoken senator in the meeting, which followed President Barack Obama’s question-and-answer session with Senate Democrats at the Newseum on Wednesday. But they also said the Minnesotan wasn’t the only angry Democrat in the room.

“There was a lot of frustration in there,” said a Democratic senator who declined to be identified.

“People were hot,” another Democratic senator said. …

he he he

02.04.10

EDITORIAL: Obama’s Baltimore bombast

Posted in News at 9:01 am by Frank Hogg

EDITORIAL: Obama’s Baltimore bombast - Washington Times:

Congressional Republicans were smart to invite President Obama to address them in Baltimore last Friday. And it was great that Mr. Obama accepted and was willing to take questions.

But the president told some real whoppers. …

Obama upgraded Clinton’s, “It depends what the meaning of ‘is’ is.” to new levels. Basically he’s just your run of the mill pol, and he lies. That’s why I will never listen to anything he says and just watch what he does. And what he does is spend our money and raise our taxes.

Steele weathering disaffection in RNC

Posted in News at 8:49 am by Frank Hogg

Steele weathering disaffection in RNC - Washington Times:

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele has maneuvered through a minefield of internal discontent, emerging from a critical party gathering with his authority intact and a strategy to harness the energy of the “tea party” movement to the Republican cause. …

My confidence in the reps making headway with the wind at their back is somewhat weak. But I wish them well.

02.03.10

Vulnerable Dems fake distance from Obama

Posted in News at 7:59 pm by Frank Hogg

Vulnerable Dems seek distance from Obama - baltimoresun.com:

As Congress begins picking through President Obama’s vast election year budget, many Democratic incumbents and candidates seem to be finding something they love — to campaign against.

A Democratic Senate candidate in Missouri denounced the budget’s sky-high deficit. A Florida Democrat whose district includes the Kennedy Space Center hit the roof over NASA budget cuts. And an endangered Senate Democrat denounced proposed cuts in farm subsidies.

A headline on the 2010 campaign website of Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), blares her opposition to Obama’s farm budget: “Blanche stands up for Arkansas farm families,” it says. …

Don’t buy into this. Obama deliberately loaded this thing up so his dems in trouble can rally against it and “save” the taxpayer money when things are pared back, back to more than they should be but back to what they all wanted in the first place. It’s just a big con and it’ll work, at least to those dumb enough to believe it.

Idiots arguing

Posted in News at 6:26 pm by Frank Hogg

The Blogometer: 2/1: Performance Art:

Health care reform may be “on life support”, but the netroots received a nice morale boost from Pres. Obama’s performance at the GOP House Issues Conference on Friday. Liberal bloggers think that Obama “very calmly and coolly dismantled” his interlocutors and “put the teleprompter joke to rest forever”. One lefty blogger gushes: “I’d daresay this was Barack Obama’s finest hour yet. Let’s hope that there is more of this to come.” Meanwhile, righty bloggers agree that Obama did well, although they also think that the House GOPers did themselves some good by “making it clear that they do, indeed, have ideas.” …

02.02.10

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

Posted in News at 10:34 am by Frank Hogg

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class - Yahoo! News:

The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year — effectively a tax hike by stealth.

While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases. …

Oh, come on, you didn’t really believe he wasn’t going to raise your taxes. He’s the most liberal democrat there is, that’s what they do. This is what you got when you voted for him. It may not have been what you -thought- you were going to get but I told you before the election that he was a big liberal and he would do what big liberals do. What’s the mystery. You see, this is the reason you don’t listen to these guys speeches, they just lie their asses off and tell you what you want to hear. If you want to know what they’ll do just look at what they did in the past. Democrats always, always raise taxes and spend spend spend. Kinda like republican heavy.

City threatens to turn Obama’s bad debt over to a collection agency

Posted in News at 10:28 am by Frank Hogg

City still waiting for reimbursement from Obama’s 2008 visit - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register:

The city of Springfield still hasn’t been fully repaid for costs associated with hosting then- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign stop in the fall of 2008.

Obama’s presidential campaign was sent a bill for $68,139, and still owes the city $55,457, according to Ernie Slottag, the city’s spokesman.

The city has been trying — unsuccessfully — to collect payment, Ken Crutcher, the city’s director of office of budget and management told aldermen recently.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of people and have found a lot of circles,” Crutcher said. … “We’ve been kind of bounced from place to place with respect to that particular event.”

Attempts to get a comment for this story from the Obama campaign were unsuccessful. The White House referred comments to the Democratic National Committee. A spokesman at the DNC didn’t respond to questions sent via e-mail.

“Let’s turn them over to a collection agency,” quipped Ward 3 Ald.Frank Kunz. …

VDH’s Private Papers::As Predictable as Clockwork - the Obama Three-step

Posted in News at 9:00 am by Frank Hogg

VDH’s Private Papers::As Predictable as Clockwork - the Obama Three-step:
Very good take on the first year.

The Era of BIG Government is BACK!

Posted in News at 7:31 am by Frank Hogg

Largest-ever federal payroll to hit 2.15 million - Washington Times:

The era of big government has returned with a vengeance, in the form of the largest federal work force in modern history.

The Obama administration says the government will grow to 2.15 million employees this year, topping 2 million for the first time since President Clinton declared that “the era of big government is over” and joined forces with a Republican-led Congress in the 1990s to pare back the federal work force.

Most of the increases are on the civilian side, which will grow by 153,000 workers, to 1.43 million people, in fiscal 2010.

The expansion could provide more ammunition to those arguing that the government is trying to do too much under President Obama. …

I guess this is part of his jobs program…

Obama budget calls for another stimulus package

Posted in News at 7:29 am by Frank Hogg

Obama budget calls for new spending to lower unemployment, help middle class - washingtonpost.com:

He decided not to call it another stimulus package because the last one was more payback to donors than stimulus and much of it hasn’t even been spent yet. But hey, it only increases the deficit to a record-breaking $1,560,000,000.00. Chump change, China will loan it to us… sure they will. And besides, it’s all Bush’s fault.

Leaked climate change emails scientist ‘hid’ data flaws

Posted in News at 12:42 am by Frank Hogg

Leaked climate change emails scientist ‘hid’ data flaws | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

But just because they faked the data doesn’t mean the results they came up with based on that fake data was wrong. Their reason. Because other studies came up with the same conclusion. But how do we know the other studies didn’t also use fake data. If they both agree and one was fake then I have to conclude that all of them are fake. They must think we are fools to believe this shit. We aren’t and we don’t.

02.01.10

NO SPEAKAH DE ENGLISH

Posted in News at 5:24 pm by Frank Hogg

A bus stops and 2 Italian men get on. They sit down and engage in an animated conversation…

The lady sitting next to them ignores them at first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of them say the following:

‘Emma come first.
Den I come.
Den two asses come together.
I come once-a-more!
Two asses, they come together again.
I come again and pee twice.
Then I come one lasta time.’

The lady can’t take this any more,

‘You foul-mouthed sex obsessed pig!’ she retorted indignantly. ‘In this country, we don’t speak aloud in Public places about our sex lives!’

‘Hey, coola down lady,’ said the man. ‘Who talkin’ abouta sex? I’m a justa tellin’ my frienda how to spell ‘ Mississippi .’

Via email, HT: J

Bowing Obama… Again!

Posted in News at 5:12 pm by Frank Hogg

U.S. President Barack Obama bows to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio at … - Yahoo! News Photos:

Image

U.S. President Barack Obama bows to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio at MacDill Air Force Base on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010 in Tampa, Fla.

WTF Is there anybody this guy won’t bow too?

Jon Stewart’s Obama barbs on ‘The Daily Show’ are creating buzz

Posted in News at 9:06 am by Frank Hogg

Howard Kurtz - Media Notes: Jon Stewart’s Obama barbs on ‘The Daily Show’ are creating buzz - washingtonpost.com:

… Stewart relentlessly ridiculed George W. Bush for eight years, painting the Iraq war as a giant “Mess O’ Potamia.” He went easier on John Kerry and Obama and, for a time, had trouble attracting Republican guests. That’s one reason he and Stephen Colbert became cult heroes for many younger, liberal fans. During the 2008 Democratic convention, Stewart cracked to reporters that comics were giving Obama a pass because of “liberal bias and not wanting to be racist.” …

I wouldn’t get too excited about this. The libs are just running out of bad things to say about reps. Although Stewart has a way of making jokes about reps that are funny unlike lame comedians like Letterman whose writers can’t seem to stop making cruel jokes about Palin every night. I enjoy watching Stewart because he’s funny and that’s very rare in the very liberal late night talk shows.

Troubling Democratic tremors

Posted in News at 6:45 am by Frank Hogg

LAMBRO: Troubling Democratic tremors - Washington Times:

If President Obama thinks the political earthquake that hit his party last month in Massachusetts was bad, he had better read the Congressional Budget Office’s latest economic forecasts for the next two years.

In testimony before the House Budget Committee last week, which got scant news media attention, CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf painted a bleak forecast for the nation’s economy under the White House’s no-jobs, no-growth tax and spending policies. It spells even deeper political losses for the Democrats in Congress than are presently forecast.

Mr. Elmendorf, who was appointed by Democratic congressional leaders, told the committee that economic growth will be painfully slow over the next several years and that will keep the national unemployment rate at an average of 10 percent throughout fiscal 2011, which ends in September of that year. …

While I like that it’s bad for dems and will likely help reps in November I’m not happy that we have to suffer to get to that point. Plus if the reps do do good and that causes Obama to change, which would be good for us, it would also make it easier for him to be reelected in 12. And then what? Of course all that could change if the reps could find someone worth a damn to run against him.

01.31.10

Black Hat Attendees Scrutinize Adobe Flash, Website Flaws

Posted in News at 8:30 am by Frank Hogg

Black Hat Attendees Scrutinize Adobe Flash, Website Flaws - PCWorld:

At the Black Hat Security Conference beginning this weekend in Washington, D.C., security specialists plan to show how fragile the construct of software and hardware can be as they poke holes in the sometimes delicate weave of the Web.

Foreground Security’s senior security researcher Michael Bailey, for instance, intends to perform live attacks against some of the top Web sites to show they can be compromised by exploiting what he says are design flaws in Adobe Flash. …

Preble man charged with passing fake $100 bill at Tully store

Posted in News at 12:40 am by Frank Hogg

Preble man charged with passing fake $100 bill at Tully store | News from The Post-Standard - :

Tully, NY — A Preble man was charged with a felony after he tried to pass a counterfeit $100 bill Friday night at a Tully convenience store, state police said.

Thomas A. LaForce, 20, of 70 Marybelle Road, was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument.

About 9:30 p.m., LaForce attempted to pay for an item with the fake bill at the Nice N Easy at 5755 state Route 80 in Tully, troopers said. Troopers also said the LaForce knew he was passing counterfeit money at the time.

LaForce was arraigned in Tully Town Court and was ordered held at the Onondaga County Justice Center in lieu of $1,000 cash or bond.

US Dir. of Citizen Participation Patents the News

Posted in News at 12:39 am by Frank Hogg

US Dir. of Citizen Participation Patents the News:

theodp writes

“Ex-Googler and now White House Director of Citizen Participation Katie Stanton is charged with promoting open public dialogues. Last Thursday, Stanton and Google snagged a patent on displaying financial news. Google explains that Stanton’s invention — Interactive Financial Charting and Related News Correlation — will ‘facilitate and encourage the user’s use and understanding of financial information,’ which does jibe nicely with Stanton’s appointment to Obama’s New Media Team. Too bad it’ll be encumbered by a Google patent until 2027.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.