Pelosi Grants Family Access to Military Jets

Un-frickin-believable: U.S. Military Serving as Chauffeurs, Babysitters for the Pelosi Kids: Receipts That Will Blow Your Mind

Just For Fun

And Now Some Opinions on the State of the Union Address

A few of the pundits giving their Monday morning quarterback opinions of The Presidents State of the Union address.

"President Obama's State of the Union address should unnerve Democrats in Congress and throughout the country. It was one of the worst State of the Union addresses in modern times – a stunning thing for a man who won the presidency in large measure based on the power and uplift of his rhetoric.

For those who hoped the president would use this speech as a pivot to the center, a la Bill Clinton in the aftermath of the 1994 mid-term elections, the speech was a major letdown. Much of what he offered up last night was symbolic. His budget freeze on a subset of domestic discretionary spending – which might amount to $15 billion – will hardly put a dent into our $1.35 trillion deficit. His budget commission, which will have no real power or authority, is worthless. His proposal to cut the capital gains tax for small business investment is a step in the right direction – but it will fall far short of what is needed to generate jobs and economic growth." - Peter Wehner, Politics Daily

"Haven’t we heard that speech before, practically every word of it? Maybe it was a year ago when President Obama first addressed Congress. Maybe it was during the campaign. Maybe it was at one of those town halls? Maybe Obama can’t help himself. His speeches just insist on sounding the same.

In any case, Obama delivered the least fresh State of the Union address I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard more than 30 of them. It was filled with old ideas, campaign cliches, and frequent use of personal pronoun, “I.” That’s the Obama pattern." - Fred Barnes, Weekly Standard

It was a confident performance, more defiant than contrite, more conversational than soaring. He appealed to and scolded both parties, threatened vetoes, blamed his predecessor and poked fun at lawmakers. The agenda was largely the same, dressed up in fresh packaging, as he offered point-by-point rebuttals to the litany of critiques he hears with increasing frequency. He acknowledged only a failure to explain his policies without retreating an inch on the policies themselves. His main message: “I don’t quit.” - Peter Baker, New York Times

"Acknowledging that the longer the public has looked at the legislation the less the public has liked it, he blamed himself for not "explaining it more clearly." But his faux contrition actually blames the public: The problem is not the legislation's substance but the presentation of it to slow learners. He urged them to take "another look at the plan we've proposed." The plan? The differences between the House and Senate plans are not trivial; they concern how to pay for the enormous new entitlement.

Obama seems to regret the existence in Washington of ... everyone else. He seems to feel entitled to have his way without tiresome interventions in the political process by the many interests affected by his agenda for radical expansion of the regulatory state."

Lamenting Washington's "deficit of trust," Obama gave an example of the reason for it when he brassily declared: "We are prepared to freeze government spending for three years." This flagrant falsehood enlarges Washington's deficit of truth: He proposes freezing somediscretionary spending -- about one-eighth of government spending.

Obama's leitmotif is: Washington is disappointing, Washington is annoying, Washington is dysfunctional, Washington is corrupt, verily Washington is toxic -- yet Washington should conscript a substantially larger share of GDP, and Washington should exercise vast new controls over health care, energy, K-12 education, etc. Talk about a divided brain. - George Will, Real Clear Politics

And of course Chris Matthews at MSNBC, who somehow makes it about race.

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Maybe it's just me but it seems that the rich white liberals have more guilt to deal with then us middle age, middle class, white, Chevy truck driving red-necks. Chris Matthews has to be the worse political commentator on the air. I don't believe that anyone takes Keith Olbermann seriously. I don't even believe Keith Olbermann really believes most of the stuff he says. But Matthews comes from social class that just seems to be out of sync with middle America.

And a few people are getting tired of President Obama blaming Bush for his ability to be the "change" agent he promoted.

The Party of "No".

"So tick off the top three points of the Republican plan for, for healthcare reform." - David Gregory, Host of Meet the Press.

"You start with junk lawsuits against doctors and hospitals, interstate competition among insurance companies... equalizing the tax code. Right now if you're a corporation and you provide insurance for your employees, you get to deduct it on your corporate tax return. But if you're an individual on the individual market, you don't. Step-by-step to work on the cost problem. That's what Republicans are willing to do."

"Expanding coverage is a good idea. But even under this $2.5 trillion monstrosity, they still didn't end up covering everybody. That is easier said than done. But if you equalize the tax code, you make it more possible for more people who are currently uninsured to, to purchase insurance. Right now they have no tax incentive to do it." - Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY

So I support health care reform. I just don't support this bill.

Stupid Is as Stupid Does

“The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office. People are angry and they’re frustrated, not just because of what’s happened in the last year or two years but what’s happened over the last eight years.” - President Barrack Obama

"Got it. People are so angry and frustrated at George W. Bush that they’re voting for Republicans. In Massachusetts....Presumably, the president isn’t stupid enough actually to believe what he said. But it’s dispiriting to discover he’s stupid enough to think we’re stupid enough to believe it." - Mark Steyn

Pretty Good Week For Republicans

Massachusetts Has a Racist Issue

For the two people that actually read this blog, this will make a perfect bookend to my last post. It was just a matter of time, but Olbermann came out with this even before all the votes had been counted. The citizens of Massachusetts that voted for Scott Brown are racist. Doesn't matter that Obama carried that state by about 27 points a year ago. The only logically conclusion that can be drawn from this sudden turn of events is that the Massachusetts voters have some hidden racial bias.

I'm familiar with the whole 'burning a cross on the front yard' thing that the clan has. But I never knew that driving a pick-up truck was the secret signal to identify each other. I guess it makes sense because you'd need a truck to carry the cross and gasoline in.

Watching Olbermann explain the Democrat loss in Massachusetts is like watching one of those really terrible contestants on American Idol. They are so convinced they are a great singer and are in such utter denial that upon hearing they aren't going to Hollywood, they insist on singing the song again and again until they are escorted out. Wouldn't that be a fitting end to "Countdown"? Having Keith Olbermann escorted out, live on the air, met by Ryan Seacrest for a tearful exit interview.

His first statement is very true, this is not pretty. How far out of touch with mainstream America does the Obama/Peolsi policies need to get before it's not about race?

Hate Crime in America

On New Year's Day in Costa Mesa California a partially burnt Qur'an was found in a parking lot. The Orange County Register is reporting that Costa Mesa Police have ruled it is a 'hate crime', and are investigating it as such.

So would the same response forthcoming if the burned book were a Bible, or a Torah? Is the litmus test religion based, racial, or just what's offensive to a specific group of people?

Would that make burning the American flag a hate crime? Of course not. That's protected as freedom of speech. You have to be a minority to be protected by hate crime laws. If it's offensive and you're Muslim, it's a hate crime. If it's offensive and you're a white Christian, well then you're intolerant, and perhaps a racist.

I'm sure very few political junkies watched the Chris Matthews special on MSNBC last night, "Obama's America". Actually I'm pretty sure very few people watched it in general because very few people watch MSNBC, and true political junkies are prone to get their information from elsewhere. The highlight for me comes in the first 3:30 of this clip:

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So if you openly object to the massive expansion of our government, with massive increases in out deficit in a down economy to go along with it, if you've actually read the bill and can't find any real "reform" to the health care system, but more government handouts and plenty of pork...you are a racist. BUT, if you are black and you voted for then Senator Obama for President of the United States because he's black, without any knowledge of his views and policies, well that's "problematic".

I believe that offends me. Would that make voting for Obama a hate crime?

Common Sense From a Democrat...Finally

“There’s going to be a tendency on the part of our people to be in denial about all this...if you lose Massachusetts and that’s not a wake-up call, there’s no hope of waking up.”

“It’s why moderates and independents even in a state as Democratic as Massachusetts just aren’t buying our message. They just don’t believe the answers we are currently proposing are solving their problems. That’s something that has to be corrected.”

“The only way we are able to govern successfully in this country is by liberals and progressives making common cause with independents and moderates. Whenever you have just the furthest left elements of the Democrat party attempting to impose their will on the rest of the country -- that’s not going to work too well.” Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Democrat

When The Going Gets Tough, Its Time for Obermann!

You know that things are looking desperate for the Democrats in Massachusetts when Keith Obermann feels the need to step up to the plate:

“Brown has run on the core Tea Party issues of fiscal responsibility, limited government, and a strong national defense, while appealing to a broader swath of voters by emphasizing integrity, independence, and willingness to stand up to machine politics. After a year’s worth of Obama’s phony fruits and congressional foxes guarding the henhouse, voters have had enough of the enablers and water-carriers.. Brown is channeling the energies of taxpayers of all stripes who are disgusted and angry — yes, ANGRY! – with the culture of corruption in Washington. That is how Brown has struck common ground with his insurgent center-right-indie coalition: By stepping up to oppose the Dems’ plans to rig the game and undermine representative government, instead of sneering at angry taxpayers’ ‘ideological extremism’/'paranoia’ and instead of trashing the talk radio networks through which those angry taxpayers communicate, commiserate, and organize." - Michelle Malkin

Justice Under Sharia Law, and Other Islamic Fun!

Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, age 13, was stoned to death on Monday 27 October, 2008 in a stadium in the southern port of Kismayu Somalia. Amnesty International said it had learned she and father had said she was gang raped by three men. The girl was accused of adultery in a Sharia court.

A witness who spoke to the BBC's 'Today' programme said she had been crying and had to be forced into a hole before the stoning. The Islamic administration in Kismayo brought the girl to the soccer stadium and when she came out she cried, "I'm not going, I'm not going. Don't kill me, don't kill me." Numerous eye-witnesses say she was forced into a hole, buried up to her neck then pelted with stones by more than 50 men. According to Amnesty International, nurses were sent to check during the stoning whether the victim was still alive. They removed her from the ground and declared that she was'nt dead yet. So, she was replaced in the hole so the stoning could continue.

None of men she accused of rape were arrested.

In more recent news, the Saudi newspaper al-Riyadh is reporting the Saudi National Human Rights Commission has formed a committee to investigate the marriage between a 80 year old man and an 11 year old girl. The girl's father, who is also a cousin to the groom, accepted 85,000 riyals (about $22,000) in dowry. When questioned, the father was quoted as saying, "I don't care about her age. Her health and her body build make her fit for marriage. I also don't think what her mother thinks" (The report indicated mom wasn't too thrilled about the marriage). The girl will join the grooms other 3 wives.

But of course your thinking that REAL Muslims don't condone this practice. Read the Qur'an.

If you believe that this type of Islam is only in Eastern counties, and the West has little to fear from contemporary Islam:

Never happen in America, right? Radical Islamic agendas would never take root in America.

Never assume someone else will stand up for your rights. And never assume it's someone else's responsibility to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. A Christian is a follower of Jesus, and truly living a life under the example of Christ means Christian is a verb.

Halloween Comes Early!

I'll sleep better tonight knowing that Nancy is keeping her eye on the ball! Seriously, do the people in California seek out the most superficial and narcissistic people they can find to elect into office? For some reason when she says she's been too busy traveling, I keep thinking about the hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money she spent flying to Copenhagen with her staff and spouses.

More Bribes for ObamaCare

The most "open and transparent" administration EVER continues the process of pushing toward a health "reform" bill that will be accepted by both the house and the senate. As reported in the Washington Post, President Obama personally lead the negotiations behind closed doors:

"Obama led the negotiations himself, cajoling, wheedling and prodding House and Senate leaders to make compromises that will result in one bill that can pass both chambers, even if by the narrowest of margins and with no help from Republicans."

Of course only those in attendance have the full details of what compromises and deals are being made. No republicans, no C-SPAN. Although some details have leaked out. When the powerful unions that supported the President in the election backed away from supporting the bill due to proposed taxes on their existing premium health insurance coverage, also known as the "Cadillac Plan Tax," the President made sure there was an $60 billion exemption for his friends. The tax is still there, he just created a exemption for union members.

From Philip Klein of The American Spectator:

"If this policy is adopted, it would mean that there could be two Americans receiving the exact same benefits, but one American may be taxed and one wouldn't, and the only difference would be one of them being a member of a union. This is unseemly and unfair, even by the standards of Obamacare. It has nothing to do with policy-making. It's simply an outright bribe to a constituency that has contributed handily to Democratic campaigns."

Lower taxes for those that support the President and his agenda. Where is the outrage from those who said the Republican "Party of No" is creating a divide in American politics?

One heath care bill for two different Americas.

Change you can believe in.

"You Know What, I'm Wrong on This One"

More style then substance, but still fun. With support for his health care "reform" continuing to fade, one wonders if he'll take his own advice.

A net loss of 85,000 jobs in December. 6.1 million Americans have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more, the highest since WW II. The Department of Labor calculates the "U-6" unemployment rate, which includes people who are working part time while seeking full time employment and those who have stopped looking for work at 17.6%. Robert Reich, Labor secretary under President Clinton has stated that the "chances of unemployment being 10% next November are overwhelmingly high".

And still President Obama's primary objective is to "reform" 1/6 of the US economy.

I Like the Way This Guy Thinks

"He’s approached domestic policy with the bitter frustration of an academic who refuses to accept that his theories don’t work in the real world, coupled with a reckless determination to force the world to fit his theories." - Doctor Zero

If George Bush was an idiot...

Got this one forward to me from a friend:

If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?

If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had stated that there were 57 states in the United States, would you have said that he is clueless.

If George W. Bush would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in Texas, would you have thought he was a self important, conceded, egotistical idiot.

If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?

If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word "advice" would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as proof of what a dunce he is?

If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?

If George W. Bush's administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?

If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America, would you have approved.

If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

If George W Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?

If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?

So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive?

Most Transparent Administration EVER!!!