Infant Tyro: Obama’s One-Upmanship of GOP Debates Clearly a Power Play

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Harry Reid, House of Representatives, Jobs, John Boehner, Liberals, President, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Unemployment, Warner Todd Huston | 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

President Obama wants to give us his jobs plan. Yeah, three years after he got elected saying he was all about jobs. It isn’t the speech that is important, here, though — he won’t say anything new or important in it. It is the fact that he’s trying to bury the GOP debate that is being held on the same night he suddenly wants to issue his speech. This is childish, one-upmanship of the highest order.

Worse, when his press mouth, White House Press Sec. Jay Carney, was asked about the date question, Carny haughtily told the GOP to go ahead and change the timing of the debate they had scheduled months ago.

Obama suddenly announced today that he wants to appear at a joint session of congress so that he can present his jobs plan. He then announced, without fully confirming the date with congress, that the date of the speech would be September. Sept. 7, of course, is the date that the next GOP debate had been scheduled for, a date that had been announced many months ago.
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Finally: Gov’t Official Resigns Over Obama’s Arming of Mexican Narco-Terrorists

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under 2nd Amendment, Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Eric Holder, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Mexico, President, RightPundits.com, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

There is more on the story of Obama’s woefully murderous program of selling guns to Mexican narco-terrorists, the operation called Fast and Furious (also called Gun Walker). We’ve been reporting on this widening scandal for months, now and the latest is that two officials are either removed from their high place of influence or have resigned over the disastrous policy.

We already saw BATF agent Vince Cefalu was fired after he blew the whistle on Obama’s gun running program. But now U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke has offered his resignation…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Illinois Ranks Bottom of States With Worst Government Unions Accountability

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Public Employees Unions, Socialism, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

A new study finds that Illinois ranks at the bottom of states with the worst climate of government union accountability in the nation. The Land of Lincoln ranks 47th in the nation of out of control, unaccountable government unions says the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s new “Big Labor vs. Taxpayers Index.”

The index ranks every state on “23 individual aspects to determine the degree to which states favor organized labor and which favor taxpayers.”

The Index provides a national narrative on labor policy. Analyzing 1,150 labor laws and regulations throughout the country, it allows state-level policy makers to learn from the successes and mistakes of their neighbors, and therefore adopt labor policies that are in the best interest of their citizens.

CEI ranks the top most taxpayer friendly states as Tennessee, Utah, Idaho, Texas and Florida. The worst states, areas where unions control the debate and constantly push legislators for ever more favorable laws and rules favoring government unions at the expense of taxpayers and good government are Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York.

The study looks at such things as the strength of collective bargaining, the lack of or strength of secret ballot protection laws, the adherence to open meetings laws, project labor agreement laws and the like to determine how the states measure up against each other.
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GE Stabs the US in the Back

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under Alan Caruba, Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Stimulus, Taxes | Comments Off

-By Alan Caruba

In 1876 Thomas Alva Edison opened a laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey for the purposes of exploring how to produce and distribute electricity. History records that he invented the incandescent electric light bulb there. By 1890, he had established the Edison General Electric Company, now know simply as GE.

In 2011, Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO of GE and the chairman of President Obama’s “Jobs Council” is eliminating jobs for American employees of GE at a furious pace. To add insult to injury, in 2010 GE paid no federal taxes at all despite worldwide profits of $14.2 billion. GE claimed a tax benefit of $2.3 billion.

From an America corporate icon to an American disgrace, GE epitomizes how federal policies, cronyism, and rent seeking is destroying America from within by avoiding taxes and shipping jobs overseas. Keep in mind, none of this is illegal. It is, however, unconscionable.
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Hultgren, Illinois Representatives, Call On Illinois Legislature To Enact Concealed-Carry Legislation

August 31, 2011 | Filed Under 2nd Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Chicago, Constitution, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Freedom, Government, Government, Corruption, Guns, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Law, Liberals, Liberty, Property Rights, Randy Hultgren, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (Ill. 14th)…

Geneva, IL – U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today released the following statement regarding a letter he recently sent to Illinois leaders, including Governor Quinn, Attorney General Madigan, and legislative leaders from both parties, calling on them to join every other state in the nation and enact concealed-carry legislation.

“I was dismayed to learn that Illinois is now the only state in the nation that does not recognize its citizens’ Second Amendment right to concealed carry,” said Rep. Hultgren. “The Supreme Court has twice affirmed self-defense as a fundamental right in recent years, and it past time that Illinoisans enjoy that right as every other American does. I hope Governor Quinn and the legislature will pass concealed carry legislation in a timely manner so that Illinoisans can enjoy the legal right to protect themselves.”

In the letter, Hultgren detailed recent Supreme Court decisions from The District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) and McDonald v. Chicago (2010). In the case from 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual’s right to possess a firearm. In the second case, from 2010, they ruled that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self defense in one’s home is fully applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
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Colin Powell: Big Fat Liar

August 30, 2011 | Filed Under CIA, Crime, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Republicans, RightPundits.com, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Colin Powell’s reply to what he called a “cheap shot” in former Vice President Dick Cheney’s new book, “In My Time,” is little but an example of “dishonesty” that is “quite stunning,” as far as Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post is concerned.

Powell was upset over the way Cheney described the supposed leak of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative. The former Sec. of State said that the former VP delivered a “cheap shot” to say that the outing of Plame was Powell’s fault and the fault of his underling at the State Dept., Richard Armitage.

Then Powell goes on to offer his own version of the incident. Sadly, what he proffered is filled with inaccuracies. Truthfully, there is no other way to characterize Colin Powell’s version of the Valerie Plame affair but as an outright lie…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Illinois GOP Powerbrokers Taking Even More Power from GOP Voters

August 30, 2011 | Filed Under Congress, Elections, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Regulation, Republicans, State Central Committee, Vote Fraud, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Recently, an anonymous piece at BigJournalism.com was posted attacking Ill. State Treasurer Dan Rutherford for objecting to proposed changes in the state’s process of choosing delegates to the GOP nomination convention. This article is misguided and misses some important facts.

Rutherford released an open letter urging the GOP State Central Committee, the party’s governing body, not to change the way Illinois arrives at delegates to the national party convention. BigGovernment.com claims that Rutherford is only taking this action because he is a Romney man. I’ll not speculate on Rutherford’s motives re the candidates as it really is irrelevant to the point in this particular case. In other words, BigGovernment.com is wrong in its attack not to mention in its support for the rules change.

Before I get into who said what and who is doing what, we need to describe the rules change, of course. Call this the “fine print” part of the story.
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Warren Buffet Tax Shirker and Hypocrite

August 30, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Media Bias, President, Regulation, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Why is it that every time we meet yet another socialist-loving, left-winger he ends up being an utter hypocrite? This time it’s tax-whiner — and now known tax shirker — Warren Buffet, the investment giant that has been telling anyone that will listen that “the rich” don’t pay enough in taxes.

Well, apparently, he’s right, the rich don’t pay enough in taxes. Well, not in general, just in his specific case, anyway. The New York Post has discovered that his famous company, Berkshire Hathaway, has unpaid back taxes going back to 2002 and have even more recent taxes left unpaid.

This cretin has been going around in his Obama-infused stupor insisting that “the rich” need to be destroyed because they don’t pay enough taxes, and he, himself hasn’t even paid what he owes?

That takes a lot of gall, doesn’t it? Whining for more of Obama’s onerous tax schemes when he hasn’t even paid what he owes in the first place!
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Children Better Behaved Than Union Thugs in Wisconsin

August 30, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Children, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Education, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, NEA, Public Employees Unions, Scott Walker, Taxes, Teachers Unions, Unions, Warner Todd Huston, Wisconsin | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The MacIver Institute of Wisconsin has been doing stellar work on the situation between the unions and the rest of Wisconsin since Governor Scott Walker first entered the Governor’s mansion. The Institute has really shown the thuggery that is the unions again and again, revealing them for what they are.

Well, MacIver has done it again… or rather the unions have done it again.

Governor Walker had planned a visit to the Messmer Preparatory School in Milwaukee, a school that exemplifies what good education is. After all, 85% of the students that graduate from Messmer end up graduating from college.
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A Blueprint for Maintaining the Status Quo

August 30, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, California, Economy/Finances, Education, Larry Sand, Public Employees Unions, Taxes, Teachers Unions, Unions | Comments Off

-By Larry Sand

Tom Torlakson’s panel comes up with edubabble and little else in an attempt to turn around a troubled California public school system.

Just when we thought we were safe from yet another “master plan for educational improvement,” A Blueprint for State Schools is bestowed on us. This 31 page monstrosity was unleashed by State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tom Torlakson’s Transition Advisory Team. While the Teacher Quality Roadmap I wrote about in June had specific ideas about fixing Los Angeles schools, the “blueprint” is supposed to identify and address areas that are “vexing to the state’s K-12 system.”

The LA roadmap includes interviews with teachers and principals and can be summarized:

“Among other things, the report, which included interviews with over 1,500 teachers and principals, recommended changes to the current union contract and to state laws regulating staffing, evaluations, tenure, compensation and work schedules. Some of the prescriptions include using criteria other than seniority if layoffs are necessary and utilizing standardized test scores as part of a teacher’s evaluation and when making staffing decisions. Additionally, it was suggested that teachers be denied permanent status until they have been in the classroom for four years instead of the current two.”

In my June post, I commented that while the roadmap was full of good common sense prescriptions from teachers and principals, they were really nothing new and, in any event, would be blocked by the teachers unions because they are happy with the status quo, ugly warts and all.
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A Way to Temporarily Stop Obama’s Union-Helping Regulations

August 29, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, NLRB, President, Regulation, RightPundits.com, Taxes, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The folks at LaborUnionReport.com have an interesting proposal on a way to stop the destructive power of Obama’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This is the regulatory agency best known for attacking Boeing for trying to open a manufacturing line in North Carolina, the agency trying to stop it so that Big Labor can get a win in Washington State.

The idea is to convince one of the remaining board members of the NLRB to resign so that the board won’t have enough members to conduct business. This would make the NLRB’s destructive powers lie fallow at least until next year.

Any abeyance of Obama’s ability to pay off his patrons in Big Labor and his desire to destroy the U.S. business sector is a good thing…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Obama’s Illegal Alien Uncle Busted for Drunk Driving, Hits Police Car, Media Silent

August 29, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Immigration/Immigrants, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, President, Regulation, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Kerry Picket had an interesting report in the Washington Times on the 28th. Apparently President Obama’s uncle Omar, an illegal alien living in Massachusetts, was arrested for drunk driving after smashing into a police car in Framingham.

Picket also reports that the 67-year-old uncle Omar tried to, or at least wanted to, call the White House to get Barack’s help with the charges after he was arrested.

Picket writes, “I spoke to Framingham Public Information Officer Lieutenant Delaney who told me that when Onyango Obama was asked at booking if he wanted to make a telephone call to arrange for bail, the Kenyan immigrant replied: ‘I think I will call the White House.’”

The president’s uncle, O. Onyango Obama, was mentioned in his book “Dreams From My Father” where Barack says that uncle Omar moved to the USA “25 years ago and never came back.” He’s been here for decades, living illegally the whole time.

It seems that uncle Omar’s time has run out, though. He’s now being held on an ICE warrant. Let’s see if he gets deported.
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CBS’ Norah O’Donnell: Dan Rather Was One of ‘The Very Best Journalists in American History’

August 29, 2011 | Filed Under ABC, Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, CBS, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, MSNBC, NBC, News, President, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

The latest issue of Capitol File magazine has a glowing feature on CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Norah O’Donnell. In it she claims that past journalists that have filled the role of chief White House correspondent for a major network have been “legendary” and “the very best” in the field. Of this “very best” she laughably elevates discredited CBS News anchor Dan Rather into that pantheon.

Capitol File is a magazine that focuses on D.C. elites, the movers and shakers, the bight lights in the City On The Hill. In it’s pages you will see all the beautiful people of Washington D.C. It is, we are told, “a place for power and politics, CAPITOL FILE chronicles and celebrates the most influential players, cultural connoisseurs, fashion sophisticates, and philanthropic leaders in the Washington, DC metropolitan region.”

Apparently Norah O’Donnell is an “influential player” now that she’s been raised up to the role of chief WH correspondent of a major network… even as those same networks have lost so much of their once all encompassing national influence.
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Did Hedge Funds Throw the 2008 Election?

August 29, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, Ethics, Government, Jeff Lukens, Liberals | Comments Off

- By Jeff Lukens

Hedge fund traders had a great year in 2008. That year, hedge fund short sellers were instrumental in the spike in fuel prices, the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the banking crisis, and the stock market collapse. While extremely wealthy hedge fund traders engineered each of these calamities, and made billions of more dollars short selling each one, the American people collectively lost trillions of dollars in the value of their homes and savings.

And, as amazing as it is, no one went to jail. Why? Well, perhaps it is because in 2007 the perpetrators had some laws changed to their liking. And perhaps it is because these people are politically connected to the Obama Administration and Congressional liberals. Our government is protecting them, and there needs to be a public investigation into this matter.

The hedge fund short sellers who were at the root of the mayhem are found primarily at the Managed Funds Association (MFA), the so-called “voice of global alternative investment community.” MFA members include George Soros, John Paulson, Jim Chanos, James Harris Simons, and others.

Rep. Randy Hultgren News: The Hultgren Huddle

August 29, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Congress, GOP, Government, Ill. County, House of Representatives, Illinois, Randy Hultgren, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Rep. Randy Hultgren (ILL, 14th District)…

It’s been a great month so far back in the 14th District. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out to my town hall meetings this month. We may not agree on all of the issues, but it means so much to me that you are willing to be engaged in the process and have your opinions heard on the issues most important to you.

Please remember that I am holding another town hall meeting on Monday, August 29, in the Yorkville City Council Chambers at 6:00pm. Hope to see you there.

I’ve always said that some of my most important work is done back home in Illinois, and that’s absolutely been the case this August. While I’ve been home, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of constituents through one-on-one meetings, speeches to different groups and organizations, and local business tours.
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New Mexico Officials Arrested, Likely Part of Obama’s Gun Running to Mexican Narco-Terrorists

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Crime, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Mexico, New Mexico, President, Republicans, RightPundits.com, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Recently the town Mayor, the Police Chief and a Town Trustee of Columbus, New Mexico pleaded guilty to running guns to the Juarez drug cartel using city vehicles and police cars to do so. But now it looks like some of those guns illegally transferred to Mexico by these lawless city officials were connected to Obama’s gun running operation, Operation Fast and Furious.

In March, federal agents arrested former Columbus Mayor Eddie Espinoza, 51, for supplying guns to drug dealers in Mexico. In July he pleaded guilty to three counts of making false statements and three counts of smuggling firearms across the border…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

You Need ID in D.C. to Get Sandbags for Irene, But No ID to Vote?

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Vote Fraud, Warner Todd Huston | 3 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

My friend over at Alexa Shrugged (www.alexashrugged.com A great blog you should visit) made a hilarious observation about what is going on in Washington D.C. during preparations for the oncoming hurricane named Irene.

On her Twitter feed Alexa joked about a story on Fox about D.C. residents being told where and how to get sandbags for the storm.

Alexa noted this specific part:
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A Weather Newsgasm

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Alan Caruba, Entertainment, Journalism, Media, Media Bias, TV | Comments Off

-By Alan Caruba

What major weather events and especially earthquakes tell us is that we live on planet Earth on its terms, not ours. Put another way, we don’t “control” the weather or climate and, despite decades of global warming lies, compared to the sun and oceans, we don’t even influence it.

The best definition of the weather is “chaos.” It will do whatever it wants to do.

By Friday on Fox News and other television news outlets, it was non-stop coverage of Hurricane Irene even though it was barely beginning to touch the North Carolina coast. If there is one thing the news media loves it is a really big potential disaster.

By Saturday afternoon as Irene passed over North Carolina, Anthony Watts, a veteran meteorologist and commentator on WattsUpWithThat.com, was reporting, “What we have here at this point appears to be a tropical storm. By the time it reaches New York, it may very well just be a tropical depression on par with a Nor’easter in intensity.” But not a hurricane.
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I’m Calling Out the New Atheist God Haters to Put Up or Shut Up!

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Atheism, Catholicism, Christianity, Democrats/Leftists, Liberals, PCism, Religion, Society/Culture, Warner Todd Huston, Western Civilization | Comments Off

-By Don Boys, Ph.D.

The New Atheists or New Barbarians as I describe them in my new book, The God Haters, have had a good run of best selling books, televisions talk shows and generally very positive media coverage. Their goal is clear: legally prohibit any parent, pastor, or teacher from teaching that Hell is real and the exclusive way of personal salvation based on Christ’s death and resurrection. I would not obey such a state or federal law–not even if pigs learn to fly and shrimp learn to whistle!

I have no problem with atheists in general, many whom are kind, gracious, sincere gentleman–who happen to be wrong about the existence of God. I do have problems with New Atheists who are angry and asinine and arrogant who want to control what pastors, teachers, and parents teach children. The media should come to our defense in this instance since the same First Amendment that protects our rights also protects their right to publish newspapers and other forms of media. Will I receive any positive response to my book or this challenge as have all the New Atheist authors? We shall see.
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Ill. Policy Institute: John Tillman Wins the Roe Award‏

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Government, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois State Government, Liberals, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Illinois Policy Institute…

Last week in Seattle, I had the pleasure of watching John Tillman accept the Roe Award at the State Policy Networks’s annual meeting. The Roe Award pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced the free market philosophy.

The activities and impact recognized by the Roe Award were truly a team effort. That team is made up not only of our top-notch staff but also the donors who underwrite our work and the liberty leaders who champion the changes that will lead to a better Illinois.

That team includes you. Thank you for helping the Institute’s work take flight by reading our research, forwarding innovative ideas to friends and family and demanding that elected leaders embrace policies built upon liberty and respect for the individual.

Together, we can keep changing hearts, minds and laws.
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Biden Gaffe: Condones Atrocities Against Women, Lake Co. Group Supports House Bill HR 2121 in Response

August 28, 2011 | Filed Under Abortion, Barack Obama, China, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Joe Biden, Lake County, Liberals, President, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From Lake County Right to Life…

(Grayslake, IL – August 24, 2011) Speaking before an audience in Chengdu, China on Sunday, August 21, Joe Biden said he “fully understands” China’s One-child Policy and would “not second guess” it. Biden’s comments produced an immediate firestorm of criticism from other elected officials, women’s rights advocates, and pro-life groups, because the policy is widely considered one of the greatest human rights abuses in modern times. Biden spoke about the policy’s drawbacks only in demographic terms, comparing it to the US problem of too few younger workers to provide a safety net for retirees.

Instituted by the Chinese government in 1979 to deal with population growth, the policy has been widely condemned. Punishments include forced abortions and sterilizations, fines, and beatings. Both violators and those who help them are sent to prison and forced labor camps.

Reggie Littlejohn of Women’s Rights Without Frontiers (WRWF) states that “Chinese women are literally dragged out of their homes, strapped to tables and forced to abort.” She adds that the policy promotes gendercide—since the 400 million “prevented” births are mostly girls, “this gendercide gives rise to human trafficking and sexual slavery.”

Media’s Obama Sell-Out is ‘Unexpectedly’ Pervasive

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, President, RightPundits.com, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Friday, Jim Geraghty voiced the “joke” that is the Old Media news coverage of the era of Obama, the joke that we conservatives have been guffawing over for about a year now. That is the employment of the word “unexpectedly” in news coverage of disaster after Obama disaster. Every new instance of Obama’s economic failure just amazes and perplexes these left-leaning media types.

Every time the purveyors of the “news” are forced to admit that we have yet another Obama downgrade, another spate of economic backsliding, or yet one more report of always rising unemployment numbers, the “news” media finds these facts “unexpectedly” shocking. Geraghty notes several instances of the shock that the media keeps finding in itself that it expresses day in and day out.

But, as Geraghty notes, there are hundreds of examples of the media finding it “unexpected” that the economy and jobs situation keep getting worse. It is no late phenomenon. Geraghty also notes that the same faux shock is evinced by all the so-called economic experts — leftist, Keynesians all — that the media turns to for analysis…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Obama: The Kingpin of Broken Promises

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, President, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, let’s get the ball rolling on another broken promise from The One, Barack Hussein Obama, shall we? I mean, every time we think we are done chronicling his broken promises we have to do a reset. He’s had so many gutter balls on this that it is hard to keep them straight. His record has had strike after strike in the lies column. He’s the veritable kingpin of broken promises.

Let’s take this one from 2008:

I have sworn that we’re taking out the bowling alley in the White House and we’re putting in a basketball court.

Three years later, he hasn’t. More on that below.

The anti-bowler in chief, you might recall, has had a few bowling problems both in his march to the White House, not to mention once he got fairly in office.
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Expanding Number of People Saying ELEnin a Dwarf Star

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Climate Change, Kevin Roeten, Science | Comments Off

-By Kevin Roeten

Coming up in September, we might see a faint comet (called ELEnin), or, a rogue brown dwarf star. The first possibility is a comet, which is a normal occurrence. The second possibility, a brown dwarf star, would be a major scientific anomaly. The first possibility is barely perceptible visibly, and not headed for any earth collision (36,000 miles distance at nearest approach).

Exact locations can be determined at http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=ELENIN&orb=1. The second possibility, a brown dwarf star, can be seen on the exact same path.

Strange, but both are almost invisible to the telescope’s eye. The comet is far enough away from the sun now, so it would seem almost invisible. A dwarf star would be equally hard to see, because it retains all its star mass without fusion occurring. This particular comet/dwarf star has gotten more than its share of publicity. In fact, ELEnin has been observed 2218 times by NASA since June [http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-135]. Only comets Hale-Bopp and Halley have been observed more times.
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Chigo Tea Party: Tea Party Presidential Debate‏

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chicago, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Florida, GOP, Government, Illinois, President, Republicans, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the Chicago Tea Party…

Chicago Tea Party Patriots Co-Sponsor first Tea Party Presidential Debate

The Tea Party Express is partnering with CNN for the first ever Tea Party Presidential debate. We’re honored to have been selected as a co-sponsor of the debate. This is a huge victory for the movement because before last year’s mid-term election victories no news network would have partnered with any tea party group to do anything like this. Two years ago, Kathy Barkulis challenged CNN reporter Susan Roesgen at the first Chicago Tax Day Tea Party and now CNN is partnering with the tea party. This shows how far the movement has come. The debate will be held on September 12, 2011 in Tampa, FL, the location of the 2012 Republican convention.
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Black America’s Gains and Losses

August 27, 2011 | Filed Under Alan Caruba, Anti-Americanism, Budget, Democrats/Leftists, Education, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, PCism, President, Race, Society/Culture, Taxes | Comments Off

-By Alan Caruba

You know that Barack Obama is in trouble when even the Congressional Black Caucus begins to criticize him.

Maxine Waters (D-CA) recently told a gathering that the CBC is “frustrated” with regard to unemployment, a problem that has hit blacks harder than whites. The only thing holding the CBC back from being more vocal, said Waters, was its fear they will lose the support of the black community.

It says something about Congress and politics in America that the only race-based caucus is the Black Caucus.

Like many Americans, I watched the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s unfold with the feeling that, a century passed the Civil War, it was long overdue.
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Brave Obama To Rid World of the Dangerous… Guitars?

August 26, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Entertainment, Environment, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, Music, Nanny State, President, Regulation, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

You know, I am so glad that we have a President Obama, a president with enough backbone to make the world safe from evil… uh… guitars. Yes, that’s right, President Obama has sent his envirostormtroopers on a nation-wide hunt for evil guitars whether they are 100-year-old pickers or strummers still in the earliest stages of manufacture. That’s right, Obama is on a campaign to abort guitars in the womb!

He’s sooooo brave.

The latest in Obama’s anti-musical crusade is occurring in Memphis, Tennessee at the Gibson guitar plant where Obama’s stormtroopers have knocked down doors and quashed production of new guitars because… well, because there is wood in them. Illegal wood, at that…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Idiot Ohio Congressman Bans, Confiscates Devices at Townhall

August 26, 2011 | Filed Under 1st Amendment, Anti-Americanism, Congress, Constitution, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Ohio, Republicans, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

I go after the left all the time for opposing free speech and for doing its best to shut down citizens, especially at townhall events. Well here is an example of a Republican doing the same thing. His actions are those I’d instantly condemn were it a left-wing Democrat (but I repeat myself) perpetrating it. And so, I similarly condemn Rep. Steve Chabot (R, OH 1st District) for acting the jackbooted authoritarian at his recent townhall.

In fact, it’s such an outrage that I am going to reference a ThinkProgress.org report on the matter and, shock of shocks, agree with their basic point! Chabot was wrong to do this.

Fearing pushback on issues like ending Medicare and corporate tax dodging, Chabot took an extraordinary step in order to prevent a possible “Youtube moment”: he banned constituents from filming the town hall. Outside the town hall were multiple signs reading, “For Security Purposes, Cameras Are NOT Permitted.” In fact, on at least two separate occasions, middle-aged constituents who tried to record the public event had their cameras confiscated and were asked to leave.

Even worse, it was members of the Cincinnati Police that Chabot impressed to do the confiscating. Shades of jackboots, eh?

Chabot had “reasons,” though.
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Chicago’s Marilyn Monroe Stature: From the Windy City to the Tacky City

August 26, 2011 | Filed Under Art, Chicago, Cities, Entertainment, Hollywood, Illinois, Movies, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

I finally made it downtown to see the absurd Marilyn Monroe statue that sits in Pioneer Court, the public mall area next to Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue near the Chicago River. I have to say it is as tacky in person as it seems in photos. Moreso, maybe.

The paean to Marilyn Monroe’s famous sewer grate scene in the movie “The Seven Year Itch” went up in early July. It was created by New Jersey artist Seward Johnson and portrays Monroe as she stood above the sewer grate, dress flying in the air, face in that patented Monroe look of ecstasy.

To me, however, it resembles not so much a sculpture as it does a cheap kewpie doll-like, carnival prize. Unfortunately, it isn’t kewpie doll sized but is so big at 26-feet-tall that you can’t simply dismiss it as mere kitsch.
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Reform Unionism: A Wolf by Any Other Name…

August 26, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, California, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Education, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Larry Sand, Liberals, Los Angeles, Taxes | Comments Off

-By Larry Sand

Despite good intentions, efforts to reform teachers unions and make them partners in education reform will not work.

Last week, the typically sane and sage Andrew Rotherham wrote a provocative article for Time Magazine entitled “Quiet Riot: Insurgents Take On Teachers Unions.” The main thrust of the piece is this:

“But perhaps the biggest strategic pressure for reform is starting to come from teachers themselves, many of whom are trying to change their unions and, by extension, their profession. These renegade groups, composed generally of younger teachers, are trying to accomplish what a generation of education reformers, activists and think tanks have not: forcing the unions to genuinely mend their ways.”

He spotlights three organizations he claims are leading a movement to reform teachers unions and make them partners in an attempt to improve the quality of public education — NewTLA, a dissident faction in the United Teachers of Los Angeles, Educators for Excellence, a reform group in New York started by two young Teach For America graduates, and Teach Plus, an organization that has gained traction in several states, whose goal is to “engage early career teachers in rebuilding their profession to better meet the needs of students and the incoming generation of teachers.”