Wash. Post Plays Hate-The-Rich-Republicans With Graphic Chart

December 30, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Money, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston, Washington Post | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Wednesday morning the Washington Post’s Aaron Blake posted an infographic that was a perfect example of how one can use a graphic chart to influence the public in subtle ways, ways that we of the center right better start employing in our own efforts if we want to win over the public.

Blake’s post, “Why People Hate Congress,” fits in well with President Obama’s class warfare rhetoric as employed in his campaign to set different economic classes against each other in a desperate and cynically populist bid to get reelected next year. There is little of substance to Blake’s post other than to fan the flames of the sort of hatred that he wants to see grow in order to aid Obama in 2012.

The Post’s Blake also ended up having to pull the graphic off his The Fix blog post because it simply did not illustrate what he claimed it did in his story — but that is another issue that we’ll deal with at the end of this report.

Blake begins his piece asking, “Want to know why Americans hate Congress?” He then goes on to claim it is in part because our elected representatives in Washington D.C. are members of the eeeevil rich.

The fact that members of Congress are getting richer (and 57 members come from the top 1 percent, according to USA Today) confirms what Americans suspect about the people who are running this country: that they don’t empathize with normal people.

Of course, with a dispassionate application of logic, having a few dollars more than the next guy does not ipso facto make the richer guy so out of touch that he cannot empathize with anyone in a lower salary range. Only those filled with hate make this assumption. Empathy has nothing to do with class, money, or politics. It has to do with one’s character.

Further there are plenty of members of Congress with the character to understand and have empathy with others. Then there are some that don’t. People are people, rich or poor.

It is also telling that even Blake admits that Congress has always been filled with “the rich.” The founders were not groveling in poverty, after all. It often takes a person that has achieved a certain place in society to become elected. I mean, should they be elected, how can anyone expect “the poor” or even the lower middle class to afford to fund homes both in D.C. and back in their district? Who can afford to leave their family and business if half the year off more to fly off the D.C. to attend to government business? And with the costs of elections and the Byzantine election laws these days causing many candidates to self fund, it will only be natural that “the rich” end up being our representatives in Congress.

But special attention has to be paid to the graphic Blake used to illustrate his story. And what a masterwork of subtlety it is. Blake claimed that the illustration made by a well-known hate-the-rich researcher from California showed in graphic form the distribution of wealth among both chambers of Congress. The graphic depicts the “top 1%” and the “next 9%” in the color red. Then it uses blue to show the “following 10%” and the “bottom 80%.” Notice what is going on? That’s right, this graphic uses the color red to depict the eeevil rich. And what is the color red in politics these days? None other than the color the Old Media has assigned to the Republican Party.
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Democrats Playing Politics With Judges Again

December 26, 2011 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Judges, Law, Liberals, Media, New York, RightPundits.com, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

There was once a time when the courts were considered a place of staid scholarship and considered opinion. Those days have been gone for a long time as decades ago the courts became merely another avenue for Democrats to play politics not to mention a tool with which to install in America a left-wing agenda instead of a place to adjudicate the law. This week aged New Jersey Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg gives us a prime example of the former that will inevitably lead to the latter.

In a move that surprised everyone in both New York and New Jersey, the decrepit Lautenberg submitted the name of New York Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer’s brother-in-law as his nominee for a federal judgeship in the Garden State. I say it came as a surprise because no one at all was aware that Schumer’s relative was even in the running until the nomination became public knowledge.

It smacks of backroom political deal making instead of a legitimate choice for the bench….

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Senator Dick Durbin: Pants on Fire

December 23, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Dick Durbin, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Senior Senator, Democrat Dickie Durbin wants you to know that the fact that the Democrats have not passed a full, working budget in over 900 days is all because of those wascally Republicans.

Never mind that the Democrats have had the majority for over three years in the Senate, never mind that before the 2010 midterm elections they had 100% control of both Congress and the White House… it’s all them gosh darn Republican’s fault.

Never mind that they passed the boondoggle healthcare bill that will cause the U.S. to go bankrupt, never mind that Obama has gotten all his little sops to Big Labor to spite the faltering economy, never mind…. well, never mid all the things the Democrats seemed to have no problem getting done, they just can’t get that danged ld budget passed.

The fact is, Democrats are playing politics with one of the only real Constitutional duties they have, creating and passing a federal budget. Yet, the Old Media allows Obama to stand before the American people and pretend that he and his party are the ones interested in fiscal sanity? This is why our politics is so messed up. The Democrats operate on bald faced lies and the Old Media allows them get away with it.
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Contrasting World Views

December 5, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Founders, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, History, House of Representatives, Liberals, Nancy Salvato, Republicans, Senate, Socialism, Taxes | Comments Off

-By Nancy Salvato

Thomas Jefferson outlined the philosophy of our nation’s government in the Declaration of Independence with the words,

“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Make no mistake; this is the philosophy on which our fundamental law is based. The goals for our government, which are listed in the preamble to our constitution, are intended to secure these unalienable rights.

“In Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,…”

If the electors and elected officials of our country do not honor our covenant

“We the People…[who] do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America…”

And if they choose not to uphold the blessings of liberty, then

“Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new Government.”

What happens if the electorate and elected officials of our country do not understand the covenant, or what if they choose not to subscribe to the mission? What if the goals of our electorate are not aligned with the fundamental law set down by the Founders and Framers? What if the policy on which our representatives vote and implement is at odds with the philosophy on which our government was founded?

Remy: Missing You – The Incandescent Light Bulb Song

December 3, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Business, Capitalism, Climate Change, Communism, Congress, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, Environment, Ethics, Global Warming, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, Policy, President, Republicans, Senate, Socialism, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ode to the light bulb. You know. The one in its arrogance and un-Constitutional overreach that the creeps in Washington decided we are no longer “allowed” to have? Yeah that one.

There is no better example of why we need to be tearing down the power of government than this light bulb ban. None. It is totally emblematic of the arrogance of government and proof of how far astray America has gone from her founding principles.
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Direct Phone Numbers to Your U.S. Senators

December 2, 2011 | Filed Under Congress, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just a little resource I found on the web.If you’d like to know the direct phone number to your Senator, look for your state below and call away.

Alabama

Sen. Richard Shelby (R) (202) 224-5744; 224-3416
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) (202) 224-4124; 224-3149

Alaska

Sen. Mark Begich (D) (202) 224-3004; 224-2354
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) (202) 224-6665; 224-5301

Arizona

Sen. Jon Kyl (R) (202) 224-4521; 224-2207
Sen. John McCain (R) (202) 224-2235; 228-2862

Arkansas

Sen. John Boozman (R) (202) 224-4843; 228-1371
Sen. Mark Pryor (D) (202) 224-2353; 228-0908

California

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) (202) 224-3553; (202)228-2382
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) (202) 224-3841; 228-3954

Colorado

Sen. Mark Udall (D) (202) 224-5941; 224-6471
Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D) (202) 224-5852; 228-5036

Connecticut

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D) (202) 224-2823; 224-1083
Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I) (202) 224-4041; 224-9750

Delaware

Sen. Christopher Coons (D) (202) 224-5042; 224-0139
Sen. Thomas Carper (D) (202) 224-2441; 228-2190
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Chad Speaks: The Constitution is Just Like a Biscuit…

November 29, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Conservatives, Constitution, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, President, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

Illinois blogger Chad Kent has a great video explaining why even little deviations from the Constitution is a bad thing.

The Constitution is just like a biscuit… just go with me…

Sour Mash, Bitter Man: or, Hit the road, Jack Daniel’s

November 28, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Communism, Constitution, Daniel Clark, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Liberals, Massachusetts, President, Senate, Socialism, Taxes | Comments Off

-By Daniel Clark

If you read the label on a bottle of Jack Daniel’s (not that one happens to be handy), you’ll see that it’s made in “Lynchburg (Pop. 361).” Perhaps this should be updated to say, “at least one of whom is a raving Communist lunatic.” That person is Charles Rogers, a “concerned citizen” who has proposed a measure, passed by the Moore County Council (no relation to Michael), requesting permission from the Tennessee assembly for a referendum to impose a new “barrel tax” on the famous whiskey manufacturer.

Supposedly, Rogers wants the tax in order to pay for infrastructure projects, but he let the real reason slip when, according to an October 21st Fox News story, he explained, “We are entitled to more money from the only industry in the county. They created the image of this little old hamlet down here being the place where this fantastic whiskey is being made, and the people didn’t realize what was going on.” O, the exploitation!

Jack Daniel’s general manager Tommy Beam responded that the company is already heavily taxed, and that, being the county’s largest employer, it has expanded the tax base dramatically. The population of Lynchburg is now actually close to 6,000 (The 361 figure on the bottle is from the time that the label was trademarked, about 50 years ago). In addition, the distillery brings in an estimated 200,000 tourists every year. This demonstrates a point that ought to go without saying, which is that a successful industry is beneficial to the community in which it resides. Yet Rogers treats Jack Daniel’s as if it were a deadbeat, failing to pay its “fair share” to the local government.
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What Is Constitutional Conservatism?

November 27, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Congress, Conservatives, Constitution, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Federalism, Founders, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, History, Liberals, President, Republicans, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Yuval Levin, National Review

(ED: I don’t usually repost an entire article from another site but this article is too important to just excerpt. I apologize to Mr. Levin in advance, but his essay is one of the best definitions of what American conservatism truly is that I’ve seen for a long time. It is also a good explanation on why modern liberalism is as wrong as can be and anti-American to boot. It is a must read for anyone that wants a hint of the character of American conservatism and a good guide on how to think about what conservatives advocate. I just had to post it in it’s entirety, just had to have this chronicled on my site.)

This fall, liberals from the president on down have begun to grasp the scope of the political and intellectual disaster that the past three years have been for the Left. Their various responses to the calamity have tended to have one thing in common: immense frustration. But the different expressions of that frustration have been deeply revealing. They should help Americans better understand this complicated moment in our politics, and, in particular, help conservatives frame their responses.

Liberal frustration has fallen into two general categories that seem at first to flatly contradict each other: denunciations of democracy and appeals to populism. In September, Peter Orszag, President Obama’s former budget director, wrote an essay in The New Republic arguing that “we need less democracy.” To address our country’s daunting problems, Orszag suggested, we need to take some power away from Congress and give it to “automatic policies and depoliticized commissions” that will be shielded from public pressure. “Radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.” Two weeks later, North Carolina’s Democratic governor, Beverly Perdue, made a less sophisticated stab at the same general point, proposing to suspend congressional elections for a few years so members of Congress could make the difficult decisions necessary to get our country out of its deep problems.

Orszag and Perdue both seemed to channel a long and deeply held view of the Left — that the complexity of modern life and the intensity of modern politics should lead us to put more power in the hands of technical experts who have the knowledge to make objective, rational choices on our behalf. Leaving things to the political process will result only in delay and disorder. President Obama has frequently expressed this view himself — wistfully complaining to his aides earlier this year, for instance, that things would sure be easier if he were president of China.
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The House Kills the Senate’s $322 Million Climate Service

November 27, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Climate Change, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Environment, Global Warming, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last week the House killed a new Senate approved, bureaucratic boondoggle that according to the House Appropriations Committee would have cost taxpayers a minimum of $322 million buckaroos, and good on them for it.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wanted to create a new division to be called the National Climate Service. Similar to its National Weather Service the new NCS would have “streamlined delivery” for requests on the agency’s climate and weather data.

Amusingly, the NOAA tried to claim that the new service would not cost the taxpayers anything at all. They didn’t even request money to fund the new division. But this no-cost claim was doubted by the House Appropriations Committee that estimated that its killing of the idea saved taxpayers $322 million.
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Did Ezra Klein Prove that Journalism Just Another Arm of the Democrat Party?

November 25, 2011 | Filed Under Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Journalism, Liberals, Media, Media Bias, Senate, Warner Todd Huston, Washington Post | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Fishbowl DC has a startling report that seriously brings into doubt the independence and veracity of the journalistic arts. It seems that the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein appeared as a speaker at a closed door session of a gathering of Senate Democrat Chiefs of Staff last week, a move that, as Betsy Rothstein correctly notes, “blurs the lines between being a journalist and trying to sway politics.”

No one knows what Klein briefed the Democrat staffers about, but the whole episode raises eyebrows. How is it that a purported journalist is the one doing the briefing instead of the one getting briefed? As Rothstein notes, it is all very untoward.

Briefings for journalists covering Capitol Hill are usually the reverse of what transpired here. Lawmakers brief reporters. Aides brief reporters. Think tanks brief reporters. Think tanks brief aides. But reporters briefing aides? This is unheard of.
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There Isn’t More Political ‘Polarization,’ There’s More Government

November 23, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Congress, Conservatives, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, Nanny State, President, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Ron Fournier of the National Journal has committed the same mistake in political analysis that far too many others on both sides of the aisle make. He thinks, like many do, that there is somehow more “polarization” in Washington today than ever. Like all the others, he’s wrong. There isn’t any more than there’s ever been.

He then leaps to the claim that the political system is “broken.” It really isn’t.

Fournier goes on to make an even more egregious mistake assuming that this “polarization” will cause the rise of a third party.

All of this, he and others seem to think, is a result of the increased distance between Republicans and Democrats which, in turn, has caused out system to go off track. It is the extremist theory of the American political system, the idea that the far left and the far right (and by that people in the Old Media like Fournier only mean the far right) have caused Washington to self-destruct.
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Marines Over Medicaid

November 22, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Corruption, Health, Liberals, Medicaid, Obamacare, President, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

To the great surprise of nobody, another blue-ribbon panel of Washington’s A-list nabobs has failed at its task: In this case, it is the so-called supercommittee charged with nudging the federal government away from the edge of the debt abyss. Investors despaired at the news, and there was talk of a second downgrade of U.S. Treasury debt.

The failure of the supercommittee is a testament to Democrats’ tax obsession. With the supercommittee having fizzled, the next step is the automatic sequestration process, which imposes 50 percent of the cuts on a program that accounts for only 20 percent of spending (national defense) while leaving the entitlements largely untouched. But the country needs the Marines more than it needs Medicaid.
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Democrats, Sen. Schumer Shut Down Citizen’s Forum

November 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Chuck Schumer, Congress, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, Liberals, President, Republicans, Rights, Senate, Taxes, Tea Party, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

You know, it is unfortunate that the Democrat Party’s name has the word “democracy” as it root because the modern Democrat Party is 100% opposed to both democracy and our system of government. Senator Chuck “Hitman” Schumer just proved this to be true once again.

Last week Senator Mike Lee (R, Utah) had reserved a room in the Senate and invited a retinue of Tea Party representatives and the folks of Freedom Works to discuss the Tea Party Budget proposal drawn up by Freedom Works.

Dear American, Obama Says You Owe $160,545 of the Federal Debt

November 19, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, President, Senate, Taxes, Uncategorized, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

With the U.S. debt now officially over $15 trillion, to pay it off each working American would now owe more to the federal debt than they make in a year according to a new report by the U.S. Treasury Department.

The debt has now reached $15,033,607,255,920.32 and Terence Jeffery did a few calculations to see what that would mean.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that there were 93,641,000 full-time private sector workers in the United States in 2010 (and 18,073,000 full-time workers in federal, state and local government). That means the $15.0336 trillion federal debt equals approximately 160,545 per full-time private sector worker.

Calculations also show that the “federal debt equals approximately $197,579 for each American family.”

Rep. Peter Roskam (R, ILL) was saddened to learn of the mounting debt crisis.
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Illinois CAT Dealer: Illinois’ Worst Business Climate Getting Worse

November 17, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Jobs, Kirk Dillard, Liberals, Regulation, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Wednesday I attended a “government day” event at Patten Industries, a 78-year-old Illinois Caterpillar dealer situated in Elmhurst, a northwest suburb of Chicago. The event, led by current General Manager Garrett Patten, featured a discussion on the severely unfavorable business climate in Illinois and why the state is lagging so horribly behind the leading economic indicators of every surrounding state.

Patten Industries has been guided by four generations of Pattens, the company having been founded by B. C. Patten, Sr. in 1933. But Illinois has not been good to the company or its employees over the last decade or so. Unfortunately, the company has gone from employing some 700 employees in 2006 to only about 400 today due to the harsh economic climate in the Land of Lincoln.

This contraction is most certainly not something the Patten family wanted to see happen to their long-standing Illinois-based company. Patten Industries has faced a whole host of negative forces causing them to scale downward. And Patten is just one of many Illinois businesses facing the same problems — problems faced in much less severity by businesses in other nearby states.

Even as many corporations are just starting to see an upturn in their fortunes, Illinois government has set up so many hurdles to growth that other states are either taking our customers or even welcoming Illinois businesses themselves as new residents.

Garrett Patten says that at least three major problems face Illinois businesses. Workman’s comp, labor unions, and corporate taxes.
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Super Committee: Smoke And Mirrors Personified

November 15, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, Republicans, RightPundits.com, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Just as feared by conservatives, this “supercommittee” nonsense is turning into the absurd entity that was expected. The congressional group set up to decide the sticky issues of the budget has just announced a “savings” of $700 billion that is nothing but the smoke and mirrors of an accounting trick. There is NO savings.

The committee is suggesting that the $700 billion that was earmarked for the various wars in which we are engaged is a “savings” because we are not going to be spending it due to the ramping down of those military actions…

Read the rest at RightPundits.com.

Video: Urgent – Tell Your Senator to Overturn FCC’s Illicit Net Neutrality Internet Power Grab

November 8, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Barack Obama, Blogging, Business, Capitalism, Censorship, Computers, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, Ethics, FCC, Free Trade, Government, Government, Corruption, Inernet, Law, Liberals, Net Neutrality, President, Regulation, Senate, Technology, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Seton Motley

From most appearances, the Senate will this week vote on Senate Joint Resolution (S.J.Res) 6 – the Congressional Review Act Resolution of Disapproval of the Obama Administration Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s illegal Internet Net Neutrality power grab.

Only 51 votes are required for passage – which means only 4 Democrats are needed. There are 23 Democrat Senate seats up for reelection next year. A few of these folks aren’t running. The rest are – many in center or center-right states. Additionally, there are a few other Senators that should also be subject to Constitutional reason, and thusly contacted.
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One Chance That a President Mitt Romney Wouldn’t Be So Bad

November 7, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Congress, Conservatives, Economy/Finances, Elections, GOP, Government, House of Representatives, John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

I cannot support Mitt Romney in this coming GOP primary. The one reason why can be summed up simply as this: he flip flops. Romney has more flip flops than a California beachfront. Mitt has been proven a man without anchor adrift in a sea of issues that push him and pull him with the tides. Even worse, maybe, is that he jumps from one ship to the other on those political tides with the sole purpose of scoring a political win. So, how could I say that such a rudderless sailor could be an OK president?

Well, there is one way that a shiftless Mitt Romney might be good for both the country and the conservative cause but it certainly isn’t because he cares at all about conservative issues. It isn’t that he’ll champion them himself, either. But think about this. What does an unmoored boat do but drift with the tide? This is where, if played correctly, Romney could actually work for conservatives.

In fact, a President Romney could be good for Congress no matter which side of the political divide is in control. And control is the word, too.

For far too long Congress has been slowly giving away its Constitutional powers to legislate. Through sloth and selfish re-election needs Congressmen have been allowing the courts to take an unconstitutional role in determining our legislation as well as standing aside as one president after another grabs power unto the executive branch that he wasn’t supposed to have — the latter of which both left and right have complained about for decades.
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New York Billboard Campaign: ‘Congress Must Cut $1.5 Trillion’

November 5, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Liberals, New York, New York City, President, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston, Washington D.C. | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Bankrupting America has started a new billboard campaign in both New York City and Washington DC urging the so-called “Super Committee” to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget this November.

As the supercommittee continues to meet behind closed doors, it’s important they remember what is at stake. Millions of Americans sit out of work, cost of living is rising, and uncertainty continues to hamstring a recovery. They must keep in mind that they’re not working in a vacuum. The policies enacted within the halls of Congress send ripples throughout the country and the world.

So we decided to place some high-profile reminders for the the members of the supercommittee – that Americans are still watching. We placed billboards in Times Square in New York City and in Washington D.C. telling the supercommittee we remember your promises of fiscal responsibility and commitment to place the federal government’s spending back on a sustainable path.

Keep your promise. Check out the billboards below.

Reject the Occupy Wall Street Haters!

November 4, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Anti-Semitism, Budget, Business, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Freedom Works, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Jobs, Liberals, President, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

As each day passes we see more of the violence, theft, property destruction and anti-Semitism of these Occupy-Whatevers. We are learning that these Occupy events are run by ACORN, big labor and various anti-American groups such as communists, socialists, and what have you.

Worse there are instances of rape going on at these events and the Occupiers refuse to help the victims find justice by involving the police.

So, why are Democrats and the Old Media still falling all over themselves in love with these haters at the Occupy events?

Well, one group tired of the hate is Freedom Works.
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Business Roundtable: Regulations Are Killing Business

October 28, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Banks, Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Democracy, Democrats/Leftists, Economy/Finances, Elections, EPA, Ethics, Financial Reform, Free Trade, Freedom, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Government, Ill. County, House of Representatives, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Jobs, Liberals, Policy, President, Public Employees Unions, Regulation, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, The Law, Unemployment, Unions, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

On Friday I attended an informative business roundtable meeting of Chicago-area small businessmen who came together to discuss how government intervention and its avalanche of regulations are killing jobs and businesses not only in Illinois, but nation wide. Some of the stories were chilling, to say the least. These trials go to show how anti-business the most famously capitalist country in the world has become. No wonder we can’t get out of this second great depression!

The event was held at the headquarters of The Rabine Group in Schaumburg, Illinois. The Rabine Group is a group of nationwide companies that specializes in driveway paving, roofing, and other contracting work. The company is headed by owner and CEO Gary Rabine.

Filling out the panel was Moderator, Brian Kelly of Bulk Lift International; Gary Rabine, The Rabine Group; Garrett Patten, Patten Industries; Randy Truckenbrodt, Randall Industries, Inc, and Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger, Rauschenberger Partners.

The panel began with some of the regulatory horror stories experienced by the panel. Each story illustrated how government stands in the way of job creation, small business, and expansion, and how government is not working hand-in-hand with small business but actually fosters an inimical relationship. The panel showed how the oppressiveness of these regulations actually tempts business to break laws just to be able to carry on with business.
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Arie Friedman Comments on Disappointing Illinois Jobs Report

October 22, 2011 | Filed Under Budget, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Conservatives, Elections, GOP, Government, Illinois, Jobs, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

From the Friedman for State Senate campaign…

“Illinois continues to lead the nation in jobs lost since Springfield Democrats raised the state income tax in January,” Dr. Arie Friedman, said Friday, commenting on the latest statistics released by the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Friedman is seeking the Republican nomination for the State Senate in the 29th District, which extends through southeast Lake County and takes in parts of Northfield and Wheeling Townships and a small section of Palatine in Cook County. The district’s senator, Susan Garrett, announced her retirement this summer.

“From the time those tax hikes on families and employers passed in January,” Friedman said, “Illinois’s employment picture has demonstrated shocking weakness. We led the nation with 24,900 job losses in the month of July and continue to lead in the overall number of jobs lost this year. Illinois has lost 92,785 jobs during the first nine months of 2011,” he noted.
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Immigration, Migration, Politics and Policies

October 21, 2011 | Filed Under Alan Caruba, Democrats/Leftists, Elections, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Immigration/Immigrants, Liberals, President, Republicans, Senate | Comments Off

-By Alan Caruba

When early humans got the hang of walking upright, the first thing many did was to walk out of Africa and, eventually, to all parts of the Earth from Asia to Europe, to North and South America, proliferating into different races.

Always restless to see what was over the horizon, they populated continents. There will shortly be seven billion of us on planet Earth, an extraordinary number and one with considerable consequences regarding issues of food, water, housing, transportation, trade, and energy.

In terms of our DNA, we are all one big family, closely and uncomfortably related to chimpanzees. A look back at the past five thousand years we call civilization reveals that, in addition to developing agriculture, building cities, and establishing trade, we have never stopped engaging in wars great and small.

In good times we reproduced like rabbits. In bad times, we gathered around the fire and hoped the food would hold out. Many packed up and went someplace else, anywhere else.
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We Need Rules for Cyberwarfare Before a President Steals That Power, Too

October 19, 2011 | Filed Under Computers, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, Foreign Policy, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, House of Representatives, Inernet, Liberals, Military, Patriot Act, President, Republicans, Rights, Security/Safety, Senate, State Department, Technology, Terrorism, Transparency, War on Terror, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

A recent New York Times article revealed that the Pentagon briefly considered engaging in cyberwarfare at the outset of the actions in Libya, but decided against it for a variety of reasons. This reminds us all that as a nation we really need to discuss the use of cyberwarfare. The first question asked must be: should a president be able to simply order such an attack on his own hook?

The Times noted that one of the concerns about the use of cyberwarfare is how it would be justified under the War Powers Resolution of 1973?

One unresolved concern was whether ordering a cyberattack on Libya might create domestic legal restrictions on war-making by the executive branch without Congressional permission. One question was whether the War Powers Resolution — which requires the executive to formally report to lawmakers when it has introduced forces into “hostilities” and sets a 60-day limit on such deployments if Congress does not authorize them to continue — would be required for an attack purely in cyberspace.

One would think that the answer to this would be somewhat obvious — though nothing seems obvious in Constitution-based discussions, sadly.

We know that the Founders vested in Congress the power to declare war not in the president. They wanted to avoid a repeat of the historical outrage of a King’s untrammeled powers to declare wars without the consent of the people and their duly elected representatives.
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President Continues to Play Politics With the Economy

October 19, 2011 | Filed Under Anti-Americanism, Business, Capitalism, Congress, Democrats/Leftists, Government, Government, Corruption, Jobs, Liberals, President, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | 1 Comment

The GOP Senate’s video this week is about the bipartisan opposition to President Obama’s most recent stimulus proposal (#Stimulus2). Senate Republicans believe Congress should follow the bipartisan path it recently pursued when it passed the Colombia, South Korea, and Panama free trade agreements (#TradeMeansJobs) and focus on passing other measures that will free businesses to grow and create jobs.

Citing Elmhurst Dillard Calls for Pressure on ComEd

October 19, 2011 | Filed Under Business, Chicago, DuPage County, Electric, Energy, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Kirk Dillard, Republicans, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Ill. State Senator Kirk Dillard (24th District)…

In a Friday, October 14, 2011 interview on WLS radio’s Don Wade and Roma Show, Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont) outlined his concerns about the SmartGrid legislation being pushed by Commonwealth Edison.

Voicing concerns relayed to him by local citizens and elected officials, Dillard said on the radio station that the SmartGrid legislation needs improvement. “The status quo is not enough,” Dillard said. “Cities like Elmhurst, which is right in my area, have had severe power outages. We need reliability. We’ve got to do something and we need to look at our electrical grid. In some places it’s old and decaying, so the status quo is not acceptable.”

In response to a question about how Quinn thinks raising electric rates are bad for businesses but thinks a 66% increase in income tax is okay, Dillard said, “I don’t believe in guaranteed rate increases [for utilities] by the Commerce Commission.”

Downers Grove Republicans Endorse Dillard

October 18, 2011 | Filed Under DuPage County, Elections, GOP, Government, Illinois, Illinois State Government, Republicans, Senate, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

From the office of Rep. Tom Cross, Ill GOP House Leader…

After tallying the ballots, the Downers Grove Township Republican Organization (DGTRO) voted to endorse Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Westmont) in his bid for re-election to the 24th Senatorial District.

Held at Ashyana Banquets on 75th Street in Downers Grove, the vote took place after extensive presentations by Dillard and his opponent. Citing his opponent’s lack of experience and inability to work within the Republican caucus and with Democrats across the aisle, Dillard called for Republicans to unite to bring Illinois back to fiscal responsibility. There were almost 100 Precinct Committeemen from throughout the township voting, and over 30 elected officials from around DuPage County attending. To endorse, the DGTRO required an extraordinary75% of committeemen to agree.
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William J. Kelly Forms Exploratory Committee for Illinois State Senate

October 17, 2011 | Filed Under Congress, Dick Durbin, Elections, GOP, Illinois, Republicans, Senate, Warner Todd Huston, William J. Kelly | Comments Off

William J. Kelly announces today that he will form an exploratory committee in a bid for Illinois State Senate in Chicago. “2012 is too important to just stand on the sidelines. We have to get in the ring and fight back – whether than means in the media or in the political arena,” said Kelly, who ran for Illinois Comptroller in 2010.

In that statewide race, Kelly came in second in the GOP primary with 157,000 votes, more than any Republican candidate for Illinois governor (Proft, 59,000; Andrzejewski, 111,000; McKenna, 148,000; and Brady, 155,300).

Political commentator and columnist William J. Kelly pens the “Kelly Truth Squad” and “The Tea Party Report” for the Washington Times Communities and is a contributor to publications such as the American Spectator and Breitbart.com. He is a producer of Emmy award-winning TV and received an Emmy nomination for outstanding achievement on-camera. Kelly was previously the Executive Director of the National Taxpayers United of Illinois, a taxpayer watchdog group. A native Southsider, he currently resides in Chicago with his wife, Laura.

For more information, visit the website at www.williamjkelly4senate.com.

(Originally posted at Chicago Republican Party)

Did a Big Dem Donor Turned Obama Medical Records Czar Hoodwink Members of Congress?

October 17, 2011 | Filed Under Barack Obama, Budget, Business, Congress, Conservatives, Democrats/Leftists, Ethics, GOP, Government, Government, Corruption, Health, House of Representatives, Liberals, Obamacare, Paul Ryan, President, Republicans, Senate, Taxes, Warner Todd Huston | Comments Off

-By Warner Todd Huston

Did Obama’s medical record czar, Judy Faulkner, hoodwink five members of Congress into pushing her own medical records company as the solution for the problem of electronic medical records for all government contracts? That’s what some wonder as Obama’s search for an electronic medical records solution evolves.

In a likely earnest effort to bring jobs to Wisconsin and help improve the fortunes of a home state company, five members of Congress signed onto a letter urging the Department of Defense to seriously consider EPIC Systems medical records computer architecture. (Download PDF of letter)

The letter, signed by Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl (D) and Ron Johnson (R), as well as Representatives Paul Ryan (R), Tammy Baldwin (D), and Ron Kind (D), was written some two years after EPIC Systems CEO, Judith Faulkner was appointed (April 3, 2009) to Obama’s Health Information Technology Policy Committee. This is a committee established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will, “make recommendations on creating a policy framework for the development and adoption of a nationwide health information technology infrastructure,” for electronic medical records.
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