“Americans now owe more than they are worth for the first time ever.” The guests on CNBC this morning – Jim Nussle and David Walker sound the alarm about the administration’s out of control spending to such a level that Becky and Carl, the hopelessly liberal hosts, are left practically speechless.
Find out about a Tax Day TEA Party in your area and make plans to attend. Details for Helena’s event are here.
It’s not often that there’s something so apropos…
Now, you understand what I was thinking when I named this blog. Unfortunately, I didn’t know at the time just how close it would come to reality. Damn.
From Saturday Night Live! This goes from perplexing to horrifying with short stops at bizarre and hysterical. Unfortunately the funny is overpowered by the reality.
The TEA Party movement has reached Helena. The Big Sky TEA Party will be on April 15 at noon on the Capitol grounds at the corner of 6th & Montana. This is a non-partisan, everybody is welcome event. Plans include speeches and music, and participants are encouraged to bring colorful signs and flags. More information can be found at www.outragemt.com
In the meantime – enjoy this:
“Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother.” That’s what President Barack Obama said to Rep. Peter DeFazio in a closed-door meeting of the House Democratic Caucus last week, according to the Associated Press.
Having lived in Oregon for several years and been aware of DeFazio’s liberal leanings, that remark is almost breathtaking in it’s audacity. Never in a million years would anyone ever confuse ol’ Pete with a moderate Democrat. He represents the 4th District which includes Eugene, home of the University of Oregon and the fighting Ducks. (Ok – stop giggling now – c’mon, focus). Let’s just say that DeFazio was progressive before it became “Progressive”. Anyway, even this guy apparently had some trouble swallowing Obama’s stimulus bill and voted against it, so now he finds himself smack dab in the White House crosshairs. Oops. Apparently, though, he has lots of company: “Americans United is going after Democrats who are skeptical of Mr. Obama’s plans to double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in 10. The White House is taking aim at lawmakers in 12 states, including Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad, Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor. MoveOn.Org is running ads aimed at 10 moderate Senate and House Democrats.”
It seems somewhat risky to assume the off-year election won’t follow the usual trend and erode the majority significantly, so a strategy of painting targets on your own guys is surprising at best. Usually, it’s the opposition party that tries to pick off the vulnerable candidates.
But then, we were promised that this would be a new kind of politics – and you have to admit, this is definitely a new tactic. But I’m not so sure it’s a wise one. Especially when the majority of Americans are having serious doubts about his economic plans already.
Generally speaking, it’s not a good sign when the President starts taking out members of his own party this early in the cycle. But heck – there are lots of wayward democrats on Capitol Hill these days.
Ready.
Aim.
Fire.
Boom.
This is destined to become an internet classic. And it’s okay if it makes you cry.
H/T to Michelle Malkin via HillBuzz
In the midst of all the serious stuff, there is still the lighter side… (Anyway this cracks me up.)
Evidently, during the recent launch of the space shuttle, it was determined that a little bat had attached itself to the fuel tank and was hurled into the stratosphere – or was at least sacrificed in the attempt. In what has to be one of the most charming and creative exercises in uniquely American humor, I share this:
PS – You can buy a memorial T-shirt too. That’s economic development we can believe in!
Call me naive, but I sorta have this idea that our elected officials – Senators particularly – should be at least somewhat sensitive to the relative merits of the different issues they confront. I mean, right now, when the economic situation has been described as “catastrophic” and there’s all this potential for lofty debate and serious discussion about economic philosophy and political reality, what is America’s most exclusive deliberative body focusing on?
Don’t get me wrong. I love football. Really wish it was a year-round sport even. But c’mon guys: The United States Senate needs to be involved in determining how college football champions are selected?!?!?!
How about good old-fashioned playoffs? Duh.
For eight years, Democrats never missed an opportunity to disparage George W. Bush’s international dealings. We heard endless complaints about how our reputation had suffered around the world due to Bush’s fumbling, unsophisticated handling of foreign affairs. We were promised that – along with all the Hope! and Change! – that the Obamessiah would bring a complete turnaround in how this country would be perceived by the international community.
Sure enough, in less than two months, world leaders are noticing the difference.
It started with that good ol’ boy in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, who castigated Obama for accusing him of obstructing progress in Latin America and exporting terrorism. Making great inroads in South America so far, huh?
Then we insulted the Russians: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s gift to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at their meeting in Geneva on Friday evening was meant to underscore the Obama administration’s readiness to “to press the reset button” in ties with Moscow. But instead of the Russian word for “reset” (perezagruzka) it featured a slightly different word meaning “overload” or “overcharged”. (peregruzka). Yeah – giving the Russians a red button is a real breakthrough.
And, of course, the big promises to turn US/Iran relations completely around. Let me tell you how that’s going. “They give the slogan of change but in practice no change is seen,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech. “What is the change in your policy? Did you remove the sanctions? Did you stop supporting the Zionist regime? Tell us what you have changed.” Chalk up a winner there. Well, not exactly.
By now you’ve probably heard about the real classy reception the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was given where he was treated like an insignificant third cousin. No fancy state dinner, no joint press conference – but hey – the Big O did give him a lovely parting gift of 25 DVDs of old movies. Too bad that they don’t work in the UK video players and the PM is virtually blind. Hey, how was BO supposed to know that?
And as hard as it is to believe, Obama managed to screw up his inaugural meeting with the Irish PM because he can’t seem to make any kind of public appearance without TOTUS. After an embarrassed Brian Cowen realized he was giving Obama’s speech, the President returned to the podium and promptly thanked himself for inviting everyone to the party. Smooth move that one.
He’s sure not making any inroads in Afghanistan where he’s called for a meeting with “Taliban moderates”. Their response was a sneering suggestion that complete withdrawal of foreign troops was the only acceptable solution for them. Big changes coming in that part of the world real soon.
All of the above exercises in revamping our place in the world and re-establishing the United States as the beloved leader among nations now that Barack Obama is in charge of our foreign policy pale in comparison to the recent effort to re-invigorate our relationship with France.
BHO in all his cosmopolitan wisdom, wrote to Jacques Chirac to tell him about his desire to “work with him” for the next four years. In a letter described by Chirac as “very nice,” Obama wrote, “I am certain that we will be able to work together, in the coming four years, in a spirit of peace and friendship to build a safer world.”
Unfortunately, Obama does not seem to know that in May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy was elected as the French president, succeeding Chirac who did not run for a third term. And now we learn that President Sarkozy is irritated because Obama has so far refused to arrange to meet him personally in the next few months.
So far there are still a few countries and leaders the Obama White House hasn’t managed to insult, upset, ignore, or otherwise p.o., but I’m quite sure that will be changed. With this kind of track record, the United States’ reputation in the world is most likely to be a VICTIM of Change.
Not to worry – The One has the nation’s economy under control though.
Sometimes it’s hard to come up with a new angle on a story. When I left for work this morning I was all about doing a post tonight re: the AIG bonus mess. During the past eleven hours, just about every blog in the country has had either a post or a comment about the bonuses, and who knew what when, and how outraged and SHOCKED, I tell you SHOCKED! everybody is.
For those of you who are still in the work force here’s the Readers’ Digest version: AIG disclosed the contracts covering the retention bonuses at the time of the TARP bailout last year – which was written by none other than that financial genius, Turbo Tax Tim Geithner. No secrets. Everything right there for all to see. One of the people who saw was the famous Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who just happens to be the number one beneficiary of AIG’s political largesse (slightly ahead of the President himself). Now, far be it for me to cast aspersions about possible pay-back, but the good Senator seems to have activated his ESP last month and figured that some loud-mouthed taxpayers might find out about these bonuses and get their knickers in a knot and try to cancel the bonuses. So bless his pea-pickin’ little heart, Chris stuck a little clause in last month’s stimulus bill which, as we all know passed and was signed into law by O’Bama himself with all due haste:
“(iii) The prohibition required under clause (i) shall not be construed to prohibit any bonus payment required to be paid pursuant to a written employment contract executed on or before February 11, 2009, as such valid employment contracts are determined by the Secretary or the designee of the Secretary.”
So now, not only are the bonuses contractual obligations of the United States government, but they are statutorily mandated and protected. And all that hang-wringing, frustration, and anger on display in the Halls of Congress and the West Wing? I guess there’s only one thing The One can do now: Somebody’s gonna have to pay.
Quoth the designated hatchet-man:
“President Obama is standing behind his treasury secretary and his job is safe,” White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday, despite the outrage in Washington and across the country over bonuses AIG is giving its executives.
Yeah, sure.
Sometimes a new angle just can’t be ignored…
Move over guys – here comes Timmy!
UPDATE
Today we learn that our Congressional delegation is also outraged about the AIG bonuses. Perhaps if they would have READ the damn bill they wouldn’t have to be so “outraged”! This is pure unadulterated bull-pucky. And all this righteous indignation is nothing more than theatre of the absurd. They’ll yell and scream for effect until the spotlight focuses somewhere else and then everything stays exactly the same. Horse feathers!