Without Murtha, Dems now one vote short of passing ObamaCare in House
posted: 2010-02-08 22:01:00    1 Comments.

Didn't realize the implications 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.

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    6 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.

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." <<

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.

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.

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.

Obama: Death to Las Vegas
posted: 2010-02-02 19:40:00    5 Comments.

Someone tell me the last time that an American president openly encouraged Americans to cause harm to the people of one city... This has to irk those union workers who thrive off Las Vegas' tourism industry. Oh yeah, screw you to boat manufacturers, too.

Obama said that people should not "blow a bunch of cash in Vegas" during a tough recession. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman called for Obama to apologize after he made comparable comments last February.

"When times are tough, you tighten your belts," he said at the forum." You don’t go buying a boat when you can barely pay your mortgage. You don’t blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you’re trying to save for college."

Meanwhile, Obama doubles down on the largest budget in history. Do what I say, not as I do.

A Nation of Racist Dwarfs: Kim Jong-il's regime weirder and more despicable than you thought
posted: 2010-02-02 19:33:00    0 Comments.

Wow. From Christopher Hitchens, noted radical atheist leftist. Interesting piece, but combine Hitchens' radical atheism with his radical leftism, and it makes you worry about what he's thinking we should do about it. I'm guessing it's not "teach morality-based freedom." Probably something a lot more explosive than that.

Unlike previous racist dictatorships, the North Korean one has actually succeeded in producing a sort of new species. Starving and stunted dwarves, living in the dark, kept in perpetual ignorance and fear, brainwashed into the hatred of others, regimented and coerced and inculcated with a death cult: This horror show is in our future, and is so ghastly that our own darling leaders dare not face it and can only peep through their fingers at what is coming.

Study Finds Abstinence-Only Programs May Work
posted: 2010-02-02 17:43:00    1 Comments.

Excellent commentary on youth and sex, by Ace of all people. Read the rest at the link.

I know liberals and, as people, they're just as alarmed about this as anyone -- well, the ones with kids are, anyway...

I just think that they don't see themselves as pro-sex-for-kids (and most aren't, of course). It's just they have it stuck in their heads that conservatives are anti-sex, and who wants to be anti-sex? So they run away from that position, just automatically reject anything a conservative might say on such issues, and go 180 degrees in the opposite direction without even thinking much about what they're doing... and find themselves, on a group political level, at least, supporting a position that they find horrifying on a personal level.