Without Murtha, Dems now one vote short of passing ObamaCare in House
posted: 2010-02-08 22:01:00    0 Comments.

Didn't realize the implication's of Murtha's passing today, which include the following...

Back in November, the House passed its health care bill by a narrow 220 to 215 margin, with 39 Democrats voting against it. Since then, the one Republican who voted for it — Joseph Cao — has indicated that he would not support the bill a second time around given the weaker language on abortion in the Senate version. In addition, Florida Rep. Robert Wexler already retired prematurely. Factor in Murtha’s death today, and Pelosi is down to 217 votes — one short of passage. To pass the bill at some point in the next few months, she’ll need to flip a Democrat who is already on record voting against the bill.

Republicans and the Populist Temptation could Tank the Market
posted: 2010-02-08 21:06:00    3 Comments.

A warning from my favorite economic analyst, Donald Luskin.

Don't think that Republicans can't be sucked in when an anti-Wall Street lynch mob gets its blood up. Recall that Sarbanes-Oxley, the devastating antigrowth response in 2002 to the Enron and Worldcom scandals, was passed with virtually unanimous support by Republicans in Congress, and signed by a Republican president. Recall that last year 85 House Republicans voted for a 90% tax on bonuses for any employee of any bank that took more than $5 billion in TARP money.

Investors got some good news last Friday. Stocks resisted following through on Thursday's sharp plunge after (Congress) reached an impasse on bank re-regulation. That's a nice down payment on what investors need a lot more of now: proof that the GOP won't join Democrats in a populist rush to seek revenge against Wall Street.

GOP Leadership's Response to Health Care Summit Invite

by: Scott Martin   posted: 2010-02-08 20:32:00
Viewed 265 times. 1 Comments.

This is excellent. Obama isn't going to get his dog and pony show at the GOP's expense. Start over or take a walk.

Mr. Emanuel:

We welcome President Obama’s announcement of forthcoming bipartisan health care talks. In fact, you may remember that last May, Republicans asked President Obama to hold bipartisan discussions on health care in an attempt to find common ground on health care, but he declined and instead chose to work with only Democrats. Since then, the President has given dozens of speeches on health care reform, operating under the premise that the more the American people learn about his plan, the more they will come to like it. Just the opposite has occurred: a majority of Americans oppose the House and Senate health care bills and want them scrapped so we can start over with a step-by-step approach focused on lowering costs for families and small businesses.

Full article...

Message to Democrats: Wall St. Sends Cash to GOP
posted: 2010-02-08 20:24:00    2 Comments.

Great news, but these guys were a little late in realizing that Obama wants to destroy all their corporations and confiscate their money. Not quite sure how they missed that.

Just two years after Mr. Obama helped his party pull in record Wall Street contributions — $89 million from the securities and investment business, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics — some of his biggest supporters, like Mr. Dimon, have become the industry’s chief lobbyists against his regulatory agenda.

Republicans are rushing to capitalize on what they call Wall Street’s “buyer’s remorse” with the Democrats. And industry executives and lobbyists are warning Democrats that if Mr. Obama keeps attacking Wall Street “fat cats,” they may fight back by withholding their cash.

Dow closes below 10,000 for first time in 3 months
posted: 2010-02-08 20:22:00    2 Comments.

The Dow sinks below a major psychological threshold.

The Dow, down almost 104 points, had its 10th triple-digit move in 16 trading days. Shares of big banks pulled the market lower, extending a slump that has led to four straight weekly losses.

I can't, for the life of me, understand why bank stocks would be dropping. Inexplicable.

Poll: Special interests more influential under Obama
posted: 2010-02-08 20:19:00    1 Comments.

Voters are now categorically rejecting every claim or promise made by this guy.... including democrats:

Contrary to President Obama's promises, voters say special interests have more influence on the political process now than they did a year ago, according to a new poll.

The poll, paid for by groups looking to curb the Supreme Court's recent campaign finance ruling, found that majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say special interests have increased their influence since the president took office, and they say Mr. Obama has not done enough to fight back.

GOP leaders: Don't use current health bills for summit starting point
posted: 2010-02-08 20:15:00    2 Comments.

Boehner and Cantor say the Pubs aren't going to be a part of any Presidential photo-op/dog-and-pony show:

If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate,” the pair explained in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

They also said President Barack Obama should remove reconciliation from the table. Using budget reconciliation rules to move healthcare reform in the Senate would mean Democrats would only need 51 votes on procedural measures instead of 60...

On Sunday afternoon however, Obama refused to say he would start from scratch.

Jack Murtha (D-PA) Dead at Age 77
posted: 2010-02-08 14:44:00    5 Comments.

Sad news. Prayers and well wishes to his family and loved ones.

An announcement from his office said Murtha died at 1:18 p.m. at the Virginia Hospital Center, where he had been admitted last week after having his gallbladder removed at Bethesda Naval Hospital.

I thought of killing myself, says climate scandal professor Phil Jones
posted: 2010-02-07 13:06:00    3 Comments.

He doesn't need to go that far. But a lengthy jail sentence for the fraud-of-the-century would go a long way.

The scientist at the centre of the “climategate” email scandal has revealed that he was so traumatised by the global backlash against him that he contemplated suicide.

Jones, 57, said he was unprepared for the scandal: “I am just a scientist. I have no training in PR or dealing with crises.”

Actually, he's using the term "scientist" loosely there, given that real scientists don't do what he did. And while he may not have any training dealing with crises, he sure was good at generating one: it was called the global warming crisis.

Poll: Believers in man-made global warming rapidly dwindling

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 12:06:00
Viewed 601 times. 7 Comments.

What a great story. The Warmers are going the way of the flat-earthers. In our search for the reasons why that might be, we can start with the 24 inches of snow that fell in my backyard in Virginia yesterday. That was the 2nd largest snowfall ever measured in Washington. We can add the Christmas week storm, which was the largest amount of snow ever recorded in Washington in December, and the 7th largest overall, and we start to see why the ...

Full article...

Obama's never-before-seen 2010 strategy

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 10:51:00
Viewed 585 times. 4 Comments.

This master plan was clearly hatched in super-secret, high-level, eyes-only briefings. But the wait is finally over. The plan to prevent every single last Democrat from being bodily thrown into the Capitol fountain on November 2, is, wait for it . . . to be more bipartisan. Obama is going to offer to include Republicans in the governing process, and if they don't vote for his legislation, he'll call them obstructionists.

U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign strategy for Democrats in the November elections is taking shape -- appeal to Republicans to make compromises and if they do not, accuse them of obstruction. Obama is basically angling to call the bluff of Republicans who he believes have done nothing but stand in opposition to his proposals on revamping the U.S. healthcare system and stimulating the economy. . . . ...

Full article...

Classic liberal headline: New Orleans elects first white mayor since 1978

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 09:57:00
Viewed 139 times. 0 Comments.

So what? Who cares that the guy is white? Was this some kind of repudiation of his predecessor, the black guy, Ray Negin? If is was a repudiation, was it because Negin is black? Or was it because he was incompetent in handling the Katrina distaster? Incidentally, New Orleans, as Reuters reminds us in a race-centric write-up, is still a majority black city.

Landrieu, a Democrat and Louisiana's lieutenant governor, won more than 50 percent of the vote, defeating a field of 10 other competitors and avoiding a run-off election. Democrat Troy Henry, a black businessman, came in second. Landrieu, 49, the son of New Orleans' last white mayor, Moon Landrieu, rode a wave of discontent over the slow pace of the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and rampant crime. ...

Full article...

In Full: Palin's Tea Party Speech

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 08:10:00
Viewed 232 times. 4 Comments.

With her quip, "America is ready for another revolution," Palin wins the understatement of the year award. The revolution has already begun; just ask Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), and Bob McDonnell (R-Va.).

Patriot Room Radio 2/5/10 barack: verb (African), "to burgle"

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-06 12:14:00
Viewed 159 times. 1 Comments.

The February 5, 2010, podcast is up for your listening pleasure! This week Clyde and Bill talk about: Debt ceiling raises the roof, dems drop their prize bone, a rat update, Illinois election and 2010 update, plus lots of snarky red meat. Every episode of our podcasts is here and on iTunes (start iTunes on your computer, in the iTunes Store, Power Search title Patriot Room). You can subscribe on either site. You can also hear us on Take That! Radio (on demand) and on Radio for Conservatives (Weekday edition broadcast 8:00PM ET Tuesdays and 10:00AM Wednesdays; Weekend edition at 9:30AM-11:00AM ET Saturdays and Sundays). If you're looking to jump right in, click the play button here: ...

Full article...

Yet again: China Renews Opposition to Iran Sanctions
posted: 2010-02-05 08:07:00    3 Comments.

And for Obama's next act, he will, um, wait for it ...

>> Reflecting a growing catalog of disputes between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official said Thursday that pressure for tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could block chances of a diplomatic settlement on the issue.

The official, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, was speaking in Paris less than a week after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rebuked China over its opposition to stronger measures against Tehran, saying Beijing’s position was shortsighted. <<

Franken feeling his oats: Rips into Axelrod over HC
posted: 2010-02-05 08:04:00    3 Comments.

Smile. Gnawing on each others' legs:

>> 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. <<

300 terrorists tried and convicted? Who? Holder's not saying
posted: 2010-02-05 07:58:00    2 Comments.

>> Kyl sent a letter to Holder asking for the names and crimes of the terrorists held in federal prisons. ... The senator got no response. Then, on June 17, Holder appeared at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Kyl is a senior member. Kyl asked again. Holder didn't have the information at hand, so Kyl sent another written request.

Weeks passed, and then months, with no response. Then, last October, Kyl got an answer, of sorts, from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich. Citing federal regulations, Weich said he "cannot provide ... a list of Bureau of Prisons inmates," although he said the department could give Kyl "briefings about terrorism suspects housed in federal prisons generally." <<

Senate Doctors Show 02/4/10 Lowering HC cost, continued

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 19:09:00
Viewed 108 times. 2 Comments.

Now that Senator Scott Brown has been sworn in as the newest Republican Senator, Senators Tom Coburn, M.D., and John Barrasso, M.D., continue offering Republican ideas for a step-by-step approach to lowering health care costs. Check out the latest episode of “The Senate Doctors Show”:

Sen. Bond calls out Obama on improper disclosures of national security info

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 19:05:00
Viewed 356 times. 2 Comments.

Sen. Bond did not mince words: February 4, 2010 The Honorable Barack H. Obama President of the United States White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, During my tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have worked with the Executive Branch to stem the disclosure of sensitive information. In 2006, for example, I introduced legislation that would aid the Executive Branch in prosecuting individuals engaged in leaks of classified information. In the realm of national security, sometimes it is necessary to withhold critical information from the public that may be used by our enemies to harm the American people. Accordingly, I am deeply disturbed with the official handling of vital national security information regarding the ...

Full article...

Video: Dems cheer after raising Americans' debt limit to $14,294,000,000,000

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 17:01:00
Viewed 382 times. 2 Comments.

Looks like a great campaign ad with which to cudgel these fools into retirement.

The bill passed by a 217-212 vote, with no Republicans voting in support. Today's increase of $1.9 trillion is the largest in American history, and adds $6,500 in debt for every man, woman, and child in the country.

All this debt and absolutely nothing to show for it. They are robbing us blind.

Operation Gratitude Twin 500,000th Packages Delivered

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 13:35:00
Viewed 140 times. 0 Comments.

These people are simply amazing! Based on reporting by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Susan Wilt Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Two deployed 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers got a nice surprise when they opened up boxes from Operation Gratitude and each found a set of keys to a new motorcycle in his care package. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Fullerton, a squad leader with Company B, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion, and U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Herne, an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were lucky recipients of the Operation Gratitude Milestone 500,000th Twin Care Packages shipped on December 19, 2009. A new Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle will be waiting for each Paratrooper upon his redeployment from Afghanistan. ...

Full article...

Mark Kirk puts Blago front and center in new campaign ad

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 12:41:00
Viewed 129 times. 0 Comments.

This is like shooting fish in a barrel . . . with unlimited, belt-fed ammo. Strap yourselves in, this race is going to be lots of fun.

And the ad doesn't even bring up Kirk's actual opponent, whom the GOP is quickly turning into Tony Soprano.

H/T to Jim Geraghty for the vid.

Scott Brown's 41st vote already giving Reid fits

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 12:05:00
Viewed 276 times. 0 Comments.

Scott Brown (R, that's right R - Mass.) will be sworn in today at 5:00 p.m. EST as the newest member of the Senate, thereby officially loosening the death-grip the Democrat Party has on our country. And while 41 votes in the Senate only loosens the grip slightly (it will be fully released in November), it is, nevertheless, already paying dividends. Remember that Porkulus IV Jobs bill the Dems need to pass to show how serious they are about the economy they have neglected for a year? Yeah, well, last month Harry Reid wouldn't have needed any Republican support to pass it. Today, he's gonna need to play nice if he wants his slush money.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said that as of Thursday morning no Republican had signed on as a supporter. ...

Full article...

Obama jokes about his citizenship at Prayer Breakfast

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 11:42:00
Viewed 204 times. 2 Comments.

As he delivers it, it almost looks like he doesn't think it will be a laugh line. Only after the audience laughs does he crack a wry smile.

Full article...

House faces tough vote on $1.9 trillion more debt
posted: 2010-02-04 11:08:00    1 Comments.

The only thing tough about House Dems allowing themselves to spend another $1.9 trillion is hiding it from the voters. Question for Democrats: Did you forget that Al Gore invented the internet and that WE CAN SEE YOU?

White House Prepares for Two SCOTUS Nominees
posted: 2010-02-04 09:12:00    1 Comments.

Stevens and Ginsburg may be out. Ironically, if they were to retire, it may actually be tough for Obama to keep the exact same balance of power on the Court; it will be a tall order to find two replacement justices as far to the looney left as those two.

UN umasked: Arabs to block Australia UNSC seat bid over Israel
posted: 2010-02-04 08:28:00    1 Comments.

>> Hashem Yousseff, chief of cabinet for Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa, told The Australian Canberra kept "bad company" at the UN, where it often opposes anti-Israel resolutions in alliance with the US, Canada and small Pacific island states.

Australia's support for Israel, he said, was "one of the elements that will be taken into consideration" by the 22-member Arab League in deciding whether to support Australia's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term. <<

"Bad company"? Terrorist-loving a-holes ...

Another IPCC hit: Netherlands 20%, not 50%, below sea level
posted: 2010-02-04 08:25:00    0 Comments.

These people can't get anything right:

>> A United Nations report wrongly claimed that more than half of the Netherlands is currently below sea level.

In fact, just twenty percent of the country consists of polders that are pumped dry, and which are at risk of flooding if global warming causes rising sea levels. Dutch Environment Minister Jacqueline Cramer has ordered a thorough investigation into the quality of the climate reports which she uses to base her policies on.

Climate-sceptic MPs were quick to react. Conservative MP Helma Neppérus and Richard de Mos from the right-wing Freedom Party want the minister to explain to parliament how these figures were used to decide on national climate policy. "This may invalidate all claims that the last decades were the hottest ever," Mr De Mos said. <<

Good analysis of Congress' options post-United Citizens
posted: 2010-02-04 08:12:00    0 Comments.

>> Because the Supreme Court has the final word on whether a law violates the Constitution, Congress cannot simply undo Citizens United. Only a future Supreme Court, or a new constitutional amendment, can take political speech rights back from corporations. It is difficult to predict how much of an effect Citizens United will truly have on campaigns, but Congress does have a variety of options for proactively responding to the case. Specifically, Congress could:

Strengthen disclosure; Require new disclaimers; Address coordinated spending; Guard against foreign influence; Enact shareholder protections; Loosen political party campaign spending laws; Provide public financing for elections <<

Each option is examined at the link.

Will Crist run as an Independent in FL's Senate Race?
posted: 2010-02-04 08:09:00    0 Comments.

It would improve his position, albeit polls still show him losing. Splitting the vote, however, can only help - unless, of course, there's a voter backlash against such a underhanded move:

"In a three-way race among Rubio, the Republican, Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democrat, and Crist running as an independent, Rubio takes 31 percent to 26 percent for Crist and 24 percent for Meek. Crist wins roughly one-quarter of the votes of both self-identified Democrats and Republicans, and takes 41 percent among independents."

Republican leads by 12 points in race for Obama’s Senate seat?
posted: 2010-02-03 18:42:00    0 Comments.

That pretty much sums up all of the change we've seen in the past year. It is a GOP poll, but wow.

Based on the current numbers 885,268 voters were cast in the Democratic primary for Senate compared to 736,137 on the Republican side. Those numbers are awfully close to each other for a state that’s overwhelmingly Democratic.

For sake of comparison the last time there were competitive Senate primaries on both sides in Illinois, in 2004 when Barack Obama was nominated, there were nearly twice as many votes cast in the Democratic primary as the Republican one. 1,242,996 voted in the Democratic race to 661, 804 for the Republicans.

Rep. Hoyer (D) pimps PAYGO - forgets $1.9T debt increase

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-03 15:13:00
Viewed 180 times. 1 Comments.

Steny is a pretty funny guy. He issues a press release pimping the dems "fiscal responsibility," full of digs at pubs. Somehow, he FORGOT to mention that on the same day, the dems will be authorizing a $1.9 trillion increase to the debt ceiling. What planet did these clowns come from, and can they go back?

Full article...

GOP Senators Weekly Policy Lunch Video

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-03 14:12:00
Viewed 133 times. 1 Comments.

This video was shown to GOP Senators during their weekly policy lunch. It’s a response to President Obama’s State of the Union address - President's Rhetoric Doesn't Match Reality

Raw audio & Notes: Conference Call with Sen. Bond - Obama's jihad to close Gitmo

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-03 13:07:00
Viewed 194 times. 1 Comments.

Just completed a conference call with Senator Bond (R-MO). The raw audio runs about 25 minutes. Click below to listen. My notes (unedited!) are below the embedded audio.

Full article...

Obama will be shamed into trying terrorists at Gitmo

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-03 09:41:00
Viewed 303 times. 4 Comments.

The bipartisan blowback against our junior-varsity president's decision to try terrorists in federal court is reaching gale force.

New York politicians were able to kick the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial out of Manhattan, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that not a single member of Congress wants the trial held in their home town either. A growing coalition of lawmakers are saying “not in my back yard” to the terrorism trial, as even the most loyal Democrats are moving to block funding for any civilian trials. The pushback may represent yet another congressional rebellion against a high profile Obama White House terrorism decision, proving that even a persuasive president can’t overcome the power of local politics.

Full article...

80 To 90(!) Democratic House Seats In Play?
posted: 2010-02-03 08:42:00    3 Comments.

'Blood-bath' may end up being the understatement of the year.

All told, 126 House Republican challengers — that’s those running in open seats or against Democratic incumbents — reported having at least $100,000 in their campaign accounts. Forty-two of those have at least $200,000, and 10 have at least $500,000.

There’s some overlap in competitive primaries. But the numbers generally support the view voiced by Republicans that they expect to put between 80 and 90 Democratic-held seats in play. They need to pick up 40 seats this year to take back control of the House.

One guy we really like, Col. Allen West in Florida, has over $700,000 in the bank and no debt. Can't wait to see him on the House floor.

Coats Will Challenge Bayh
posted: 2010-02-03 08:32:00    0 Comments.

Are there any safe Democrats this year? Watch for Bayh to start talking a like a conservative. This new-found philosophy will, of course, will sound ridiculous in light of his vote for Obamacare. Coats, a former Senator, should have no trouble knocking off this phony.

Warning Sign for Democrats in Illinois
posted: 2010-02-03 08:06:00    1 Comments.

Big enthusiasm gap continues. Conservatives, Independents, and Republicans are champing at the bit to throw every single Democrat out of office.

From PPP via Taegan Goddard

I think last night's Illinois primary results indicate some difficulties ahead in the state for Democrats that have nothing to do with who the winners and losers were.

Based on the current numbers 885,268 voters were cast in the Democratic primary for Senate compared to 736,137 on the Republican side. Those numbers are awfully close to each other for a state that's overwhelmingly Democratic.

Last night's turnout is yet another data point on the enthusiasm gap, showing that Republicans are much more excited about this year's elections than Democrats, even in a deep blue state.

New GOP ad: Alexi Giannoulias: He'd Make Tony Soprano Proud

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-02 23:56:00
Viewed 279 times. 8 Comments.

Man, they are still sweeping the floor after the Giannoulias victory party tonight in the Democrat primary for Obama's old Senate seat, and the GOP releases a humdinger of an ad. Pretty funny stuff. Frankly the guy looks like an easy target.

RINO Mark Kirk trounced conservative Patrick Hughes 57-19 on the GOP side. The better man lost that fight tonight.

Canadian Premier Flees Canadian Health Care Paradise, Heading for America to Save his Life
posted: 2010-02-02 20:11:00    1 Comments.

The health care system is better in Canada. Sure it is... as long as you can afford to opt out and come to the country that has only partially socialized medicine (so far). An option his subjects are not often allowed.

Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams is set to undergo heart surgery this week in the United States.

CBC News confirmed Monday that Williams, 60, left the province earlier in the day and will have surgery later in the week.

The premier's office provided few details, beyond confirming that he would have heart surgery and saying that it was not necessarily a routine procedure.