Victory Lip (Blackwell on the REAL reason behind ObamaCare)

Byron York of The Washington Examiner has done us all a great service. His column draws on the unguarded statements of Sen. Max Baucus and former Gov. Howard Dean. (Well, Baucus, maybe. It’s hard to say whether Howlin’ Howard has ever made a guarded statement.)

Both of these men’s statements might have been lost in the clamor following the passage of President Obama’s historic healthcare bill. What York has done is to dash into the fire and pluck out some of these red-hot quotes. “Health reform is ‘an income shift. It is a shift, a leveling, to help lower income, middle income Americans.’” Baucus, normally seen as a Democratic centrist, let the Marxist cat out of the liberal bag.

http://townhall.com/columnists/KenBlackwell/2010/04/10/victory_lip

Transportation Bill: Could cost up to $500 billion...

Hubsmith Speaks at DOT Meeting on the 2010 Federal Transportation Bill: Improving Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

Can Create Safe and Livable Communities All Across America

Los Angeles: Today, Deb Hubsmith, Director of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, is a panelist at the safety session at the US DOT transportation bill reauthorization outreach session in Los Angeles. Read her comments here.

The outreach meeting is being hosted by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Senator Boxer, Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee which is charged with drafting the Senate version of the transportation bill. The federal government is holding these outreach sessions to help craft the next big federal transportation bill, which could cost up to $500 billion and provides funding to states for highways, transit, bikeways and bridges.

In her panelist remarks which will be given in the afternoon, Deb points out that issues with bicycle and pedestrian safety are rooted in how we allocate transportation dollars at the national level. Nationwide, just 1.2 percent of funds authorized under the federal transportation law, SAFETEA-LU, have been allocated for projects to improve the safety of walking and bicycling, even though pedestrians and bicyclists comprise 13 percent of all traffic deaths and 12 percent of total trips. This safety issue has become so extreme because in the United States, the design of streets and roads has largely ignored human factors, including considerations for how pedestrians and bicyclists can cross the street and travel to designations like schools, shopping, and work places. Now there is an increasing recognition that we need a sea of change in how our roadways are designed – we need to create complete streets and safe routes to school.

Deb calls for increased investment in Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements, and Active Transportation Networks, and makes policy recommendations about the need for a fair share for safety, access to transit and complete streets. She points out the need for improved design guidelines, reduced speeds, and increased leadership at national, state and local levels. She also shows how investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure have increased use of these modes while also vastly improving safety and livability of communities.

Hubsmith says, “The cornerstone to livability in America is creating safe communities where people can walk and bicycle. An indicator for livability is – can our children can walk or bicycle to schools? Active transportation is critical to increasing levels of healthy exercise and reducing obesity and heart disease. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership looks forward to working with the US DOT, Congress, the President and the First Lady on developing a transportation agenda that will create a safe and healthy America.”

Freedom Works: Stop ObamaCare: Important Update!

Earlier this week, the Finance Committee filed their version of ObamaCare. Clocking in at 1,502 pages, the bill contains cuts to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, fines on those who do not purchase their own insurance, taxes on many private insurance plans, taxes on medical devices and drugs, and new taxes on employers. This is a far cry from the campaign promise President Obama made when he said he would not raise taxes on those earning less than $250,000.

And that’s just the beginning. Visit our Virtual War-Room to Take Action!

ObamaCare supporters in the House and Senate are working on their strategies to include a public option and other heavy-handed, big government regulations into their final bills. In the end, it all adds up to the same thing…government-run health care.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid is attempting to hide the enormous costs of ObamaCare by breaking-out some of the more expensive measures like the Medicare Doctor Fix into separate legislation. The Congressional Budget Office has already estimated the bare-bones version of the bill will cost $800 billion, but the real cost is actually much higher when you add up all the things they are trying to move separately. Reid has also indicated he will circumvent the U.S. Constitution, which requires bills like this to begin in the House, by stripping the text of another unrelated bill already passed by the House and inserting the health care overhaul as an amendment. As Obama and his cronies on the Left inch closer to bringing ObamaCare to a vote, Congress needs to hear from you now more than ever. We’ve updated and improved our virtual war-room where you can call your Congressmen, Senators, as well as specific targets we feel will be critical to the final outcome. They all need to know that far from giving up and accepting their watered-down policies – we’ve only just begun.

Representatives and Senators need to hear from you not only on the phone, and via email and traditional mail – but in their own backyards. A district office visit doesn’t take long, and is a very important step that shows you are serious about preserving our freedoms. Many folks are having trouble getting through to their Congressmen on the phone – some offices are no longer answering, other lines are jammed. If they won’t listen when we call, then you need to show up on their doorsteps!

Take action and look at all the ways you can have an impact on this issue in our virtual war room.

Sincerely,
Dick Armey
Chairman
FreedomWorks.org

Herman Cain: We Can Read! Give Us 72 Hours To Do So!

Hello Intelligent Thinkers,

Nancy Pelosi is at it again! Now, she and the Democrat leaders in the House do not want the public to have at least 72 hours to read a bill before they take a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

A "Discharge Petition" would require that non-emergency bills be posted on the internet for at least 72 hours before a House vote. House Resolution 554 would do just that but it needs 218 Congressmen to sign it and the Resolution does not have enough signatures yet.

"We the People Can Read" shows who has signed it and who has not. Please go to the site and scroll down to your state and see if your Member of Congress has signed the Resolution. If they have not, PLEASE call them and ask them to sign it, and if they say no then ask them WHY NOT.

It is an insult to the public for Members of Congress to NOT read bills before they vote for them, and a double insult for Nancy Pelosi and others to deny the public the right to read the bills.

My Congressman has already signed the Resolution, PLEASE check and follow-up with your Congressman today.

THANKS for lending your voice!

Herman Cain - Head Coach
Intelligent Thinkers Movement
(Nearly 45,000 members)

Write to all of your federal officials at once!

Go to www.congress.org, enter your zip and select "Federal" under the "Write Your Elected Officials" heading. (Unselect the check box of those who you do not want to receive your note.)

Media Bias Continues...

Here are the latest outrages to be aware of...

CNN's Sanchez: Is Palin Quitting Because She's Pregnant Again?
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/07/03/cnns-sanchez-palin-quitting-because-shes-pregnant-again

Olbermann: We Have To 'Legally Stop' Glenn Beck
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2009/07/08/olbermann-we-have-legally-stop-glen-beck

YouTube Applies Unequal Standards in Censoring Pro-Life Video
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://liveaction.org/monalisa/tucson/pp_says_not_real.htm

HuffPoster: 'Palin Will Run In '12 On More Retardation Platform'
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/07/03/huffposter-palin-will-run-12-more-retardation-platform

From Facebook group: Say No to CNN & Biased Reporter Susan Roesgen

Ask NBC, What Does Jay Leno Have Against Pregnant Women?

As the king of late night comedy, Jay Leno has few living peers. He is watched and beloved by millions of American viewers, which makes it difficult to understand his support for an organization that seeks to shut down facilities that have as their sole purpose to give a home and guidance to young ladies who find themselves pregnant with nowhere else to go.

On April 29th Jay Leno and his wife are hosting a fundraiser for the Feminist Majority Foundation, a radical pro-abortion group that not only advocates for abortion on demand, but also for the closing of pro-life pregnancy centers.

This month the Feminist Majority Foundation sent an e-mail to its 400 campus affiliates planning a nationwide protest against facilities that dare to offer women alternatives to abortion and the support they need to choose life.

Please let NBC know that is unacceptable and that you will not watch any show that stars Jay Leno until he apologizes to the hundreds of thousands of people who have been helped by pregnancy care centers and the hundreds of thousands of people who staff those centers.

Please contact Jeff Zucker, NBC Chief Executive, and ask him why his star, Jay Leno, is raising money for an organization that attacks pregnancy care centers.

Sincerely,
Tony Perkins
President

In support of Jim Tedisco

We're in a race for the life of our country. Where's the race? New York. But, just because it's not in your state doesn't mean it's not important. Oh no, this one is critically important to every freedom loving person in the United States.

Right now in Congress we are woefully outnumbered and are being out maneuvered with the help of the media and Obama's civilian army. We need every single seat we can get and this one is critical. It's huge. It's important. So, so very important. I can't stress how important.

Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, the Democratic Party, Obama and every liberal lefty from ACORN to Soros are trying to win this seat.

We can win it but not without the help of patriots across the country. If you can man the phones and call potential voters, volunteer. If all you can do is send a $10 donation, send it. If you have relatives in New York, call them.

Go to his website and sign up to volunteer or donate. Here's a link to make a donation (doesn't matter how small, although $1 won't cover the cost of processing the donation so try for a bit more please): https://www.icontribute.us/jimtedisco/initiative/lipstick

http://www.jimtedisco.com/

Sarah Palin and Jim Tedisco

Many of you received today a message from "sarahPAC" (www.sarahpac.com), Sarah Palin's political action committee. (If you didn't, you can sign up there to receive e-mail alerts.)

Today's e-mail outlined the PAC's purpose: to provide financial (and other) support for candidates who share Gov. Palin's values of smaller government, individual liberty, respect for our nation's diversity, and economic opportunity. It also indicated that Gov. Palin will be campaigning in the lower-48 soon.

One important race Gov. Palin presumably will be focusing on is the effort by Republican Assembly leader Jim Tedisco to win the open seat in NY's 20th congressional district. This is the seat formerly held by Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Clinton's old Senate seat.

The 20th CD is in the Albany-Saratoga Springs-Hudson Valley area, and Tedisco is ahead in independent polls. He gained national recognition when he led the fight against former Gov. Spitzer's bizarre plan to give drivers licenses to illegal alines. The election will be on March 31.

If Tedisco wins this formerly Democratic seat, it will be seen as a defeat for Barack Obama and his far-left policies. Thus, it's a contest that matters to all of us. Find out about Jim at his web site (http://jimtedisco.com).

If you can make a small contribution, please do so.

As I suggested earlier, Sarah's interests dovetail with Jim's. There's a strong possibility she will campaign for him soon in the 20th. I hope everyone will visit sarahpac.com and the Tedisco web site. The process of taking back the country and of making the American Dream a reality (instead of a fading vision) has begun. The congressional race in NY's 20th District, far away for most of us, is one that will help determine our nation's future.

(Please pass this on to your political allies. Thanks for your help.)

- Steve Maloney

Don't let e-verify go down the tubes!!! Expires TODAY.

Request From our friends at WAM

CONGRESS EXPIRES CRITICAL TOOL FOR SCREENING ILLEGAL EMPLOYMENT!

The E-Verify Program, on which businesses across the country rely to screen employment of illegal aliens expires this Friday, March 6.

E-Verify has been in use since 1997 by businesses nationwide - but Congress appears to be 'hoping' Americans won't notice that they removed the extension of this regulation from the "Stimulus Plan" and the issue has been ignored and screened out of Mass Media news coverage.

LET'S SHOW WASHINGTON WE ARE PAYING ATTENTION and we are opposed to the hiring of illegal aliens.

SIGN the Urgent E-VERIFY PETITION Now - and send this link to your friends to sign on in support of this "Smart Business Practice."http://www.wam08.org/TakeaStand

Wake Up America Movement

If you'd like to get involved, go sign up at www.wam08.org! This is a great active group with lots of excellent help for members (free).

W.A.M. (www.wam08.org) appreciates your interest in Truth in Media. Here is a brief summary from last Monday night and what you can do to assist this cause.

Last Monday's TELEVENT focused on W.A.M. network participants becoming the Media - in other words, informing the public on what's really happening in Washington in place of the hype, information black-outs and propaganda on MSM.

W.A.M. TELEVENT revealed MainstreamMedia techniques for impressing the public via one common lie - told at the same time across major airwaves and press - to spread its story fast through multiple channels and outlets, simultaneously, thus making it's message most credible and impressed on the public - by repetitive use of common phrases, keywords and shared taglines.

This W.A.M. TELEVENT revealed, in particular, some of the biggest lies packaged in the current HR1 legislation AND the fact that, though it is NOT revealed to the public, this spending-spree package is actually ONLY THE FIRST of several bills yet to come - and laying in wait - all designed to break our US economy and social structure, NOT really to save it!

If you were in this TELEVENT - or had wished to do so - then we ask you to join us for this follow-up TSUNAMI MEDIA Conference this coming Monday at 8:30 PM. - provided you are willing to actively assist in outreach to the public with the real facts - in 1 of these ways:

- A BLOG
- A LARGE EMAIL LIST which you have
- An internet FORUM to which you belong
- network outreach to a like-minded GROUP in which you are a member

OR: if you don't have access to an expanded readership in 1 of the ways listed above, you can still help this REFORM cause - in a significant way - by assisting W.A.M. with outreach into MAINSTREAM MEDIA itself by:

*Sending Letters to Editors; Sending Press Releases to Local Media in your state; Calling in to TalkRadio shows;

-Help TSUNAMI MEDIA break through into National Media

If you want to actively assist in this TRUTH IN MEDIA outreach - then you should be in on this MONDAY's TSUNAMI MEDIA CONFERENCE from 8:30 - 9:30 PM/ET (Note: At 9:30 this conference will close with an (optional) 30 minutes of added discussion exclusively for interested BLOGGERS.

(You already had been sent the call-in # for last Monday's TELEVENT. This TSUNAMI MEDIA conference will use that #- if you don't have the #, send an RSVP reply email here for the # to call. Please include your name and what type of outreach you want to do.)

Thanks for participating in this grass roots Truth in Media effort,

Jacquerie
Wake Up America movement

Obama's half brother arrested on charge of marijuana possession

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- George Obama, the half brother of U.S. President Barack Obama, has been arrested by Kenyan police on a charge of possession of marijuana, police said Saturday.

Inspector Augustine Mutembei, the officer in charge, said Obama was arrested on charges of possession of cannabis, known in Kenya as Bhang, and resisting arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court Monday, Mutembei said.

He is being held at Huruma police post in the capital of Nairobi.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/01/31/george.obama.arrest/?iref=mpstoryview

For some reason this made me think of Jimmy Carter and his brother troubles... that was before my time so I'll have to go do a search and see why I connected the two.

Inauguration Prayer-Giver with Ties to Radical Islamist Group

The National Prayer Service and the Wahhabi Lobby
By Winfield Myers

Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), will deliver a prayer at the National Cathedral during the National Prayer Service on January 21st. The event is part of the festivities for the inauguration of Barack Obama, which occurs January 20. A convert to Islam, Mattson directs the Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Hartford Seminary.

ISNA has close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamist group, and was named an un-indicted co-conspirator in U.S. v Holy Land Foundation, a case that uncovered covert financing of the terrorist group Hamas. Since her election as ISNA president in 2006, Mattson's apologias for the radical Wahhabi sect of Islam have gained a much wider audience.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/01/the_national_prayer_service_an.html

Google Truths re Obama?

I have set up Google alerts on various topics, Obama being one. In today's compilation of stories on Obama the following were listed in the order I've printed and when I read the titles one after the other, found it funny and possibly closer to the true state of things than I'd like.

Latin America leaders tell Obama to end Cuba embargo
Washington Post - United States
By Raymond Colitt COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil (Reuters) - Latin American leaders called on President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday to lift the 46-year-old US ...

Russia Plans to Test Obama, US Diplomat Says
New York Times - United States... a missile shield in Europe, and it looks ready to test the administration of President-elect Barack Obama, a senior American diplomat said Wednesday. ...

Obama focuses on alternative energy and environment
Reuters - USA
By Deborah Charles CHICAGO (Reuters) - Insisting on the need to develop new forms of energy, US President-elect Barack Obama on Monday chose as his energy ...

Interesting Comments on the Call to Boycott Alabama Due to Bailout Stance

In Response To BoycottAlabamaNow.com Part 1
Dec 11th, 2008
by Bradley Hankins.
BoycottAlabamaNow.com was developed in response to Alabama Senator Richard Shelby response to the Big 3 Automakers (Chrysler, GM, and Ford) asking for the United States government to bail them out of the current mess they have gotten themselves in. They state that their mission is “to demonstrate Senator Shelby what the result will be by not supporting the state of Alabama and its industries.”
http://kayloo.com/2008/12/11/in-response-to-boycottalabamanowcom-part-1/#comment-528

The Big Divide

I saw the post on the Read My Lipstick Network blog about the liberal on-line pub writing about Steve Maloney, Team Sarah and our Network. I clicked the link and went wandering around the website. (http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_fundamentalist_120308)

A few things really jumped out at me as I read some of the headlines and bits of the articles.

There are some mean, mean people in this world.

I just don't find that on the "right". Maybe it's there on the extreme fringes with some of the more radical groups. I haven't found any of those sites and haven't gone looking for them so may never come across them! On occasion I'll find a comment from someone on "our" side of the divide that I think crosses the line, but they are so obviously kooks that it's hard to take them seriously.

However, when I hit the Daily Koz, this new one that I've never heard of that RMLN was mentioned in, the Huffington Post and similar they seethe with hatred, snobbery, irritation and nastiness.

It's my way or the rocky highway with a boot to your butt to make you go faster.

The other thing that struck me is just how divided our country has become. There is no middle ground.

I'm not giving up my religion and I'm not going to deny it just to make happy with the libs.

I'm not going to say it's OK to kill babies just to make happy with the lib left.

They're not going to give in when it comes to trying to shut me up about God and my beliefs.

They're not going to be happy until everyone believes that it's OK to kill babies in the womb to make life easier for some women.

Most of us believe like Reagan that it's best to come from a position of strength not weakness.

Most of us know it's impossible to negotiate with terrorists and extremists.

We also know that spewing hatred at those who disagree with us isn't going to build any bridges. So why don't they understand that?

I don't know how to fix this one. I have many friends who are libs and we get along just fine. We agree to disagree. However, they don't have a problem with my belief system and they don't feel the need to make me deny God. They wouldn't dream of putting up a sign denying God next to a Nativity scene (like they're doing in the state of Washington). We don't talk about abortion as we know neither of us is going to convince the other to change their mind. No vitriol, no hatred. We've found a middle ground and I think of them as "true" liberals, not the hate mongers that wear that label as a badge of dishonor.

However, we're in a small town and the vast majority, including the libs, still cling to their guns and religion. Most have a respect for other points of view and don't see the need to slash and burn.

We're an aberration I think, based on what I see in the media, what I read on the self-designated liberal blogs and websites and what I see on television.

The divide is reaching into middle America, too, I think. It's probably just a matter of time before my liberal and conservative friends and I are sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch commiserating about the good old days when people could disagree with honesty and respect.

The New Capitol Visitor's Center, God and the Constitution

I saw the bit that Fox News Sunday did about the new visitor's center in our Capitol. It looked really cool and I thought it looked like a great place to visit. I was appalled at the cost ($621 million). Can you imagine what could be done with $621 million? Then I thought, well, if they're preserving history and teaching children and adults something they might not otherwise learn in school or elsewhere, if it might get someone interested in finding out more about our country and its' workings, maybe there was some justification (still not $621 million worth, but some).

Now I'm hearing what they've included and what has NOT been included. There will be a time in our world where God is no longer a part of our history or our present day if we don't stop this kind of revisionist history. The Godless are winning without ever having to fight simply because we don't pay attention. We have let so much already slide. If we were standing completely outside this world looking at a long timeline, would we be able to see how our freedom of religion is being eroded? Someday will someone be able to point the decisions that resulted in this country's downfall? How do we get past the apathy?

I received this earlier today from the Heritage Foundation. I've also seen some other things floating around these past few days about it. It's downright scary.

A Capitol Travesty

Like everything else that comes out of Congress, the initial intentions were good: to build a visitors center that shields citizens from extreme heat and humidity and provides greater security for people working in or visiting the U.S. Capitol. But what began as a $265 million project in 2000 ballooned into a $621 million boondoggle that finally opens today . Like far too many legislative proposals that pass through its chambers, Congress could not help but add its own priorities. Even though not included in the original design, the structure now features new offices for lawmakers, a theater, media studios and even a tunnel to the Library of Congress. This all-too-familiar runaway Washington spending is not even the worst part of the final product. That honor goes to the violence the center's "educational" exhibits do to the Constitution.

Article I of the Constitution begins: "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States." Section 8 of Article I then goes on to enumerate those powers, of which James Madison wrote: "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the General Welfare, the Government is no longer a limited one, possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one, subject to particular exceptions."

But according to the Capitol Visitors Center, the Constitution is not about limiting powers. Instead, it created six "aspirations" that Congress is charged to realize. The explanation for the first aspiration listed, "Unity," falsely identified "E Pluribus Unum" as our nation's motto. Wrong. "In God We Trust" is our nation's motto. But do not expect to find any discussion of God in the new visitors center. "Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and righteous war" gets a mention, but any other indication that the Founding Fathers believed that all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," like it says in the Declaration of Independence, has been safely sanitized by the political correctness thought police.

The liberal bias does not end there. The sixth aspiration, "General Welfare," celebrates the creation of Medicare in 1965. We can debate whether Medicare is, or is not, good public policy. But it is a travesty of history to pretend the Constitution requires it. Summarizing his thoughts after an early tour of the center, Heritage constitutional scholar Matthew Spalding wrote:

This exhibit is Congress' temple to liberals' "living Constitution," the eternal font of lawmakers' evolving mandate to achieve the nation's ideals. No fixed meanings here, only open-ended "aspirations." In this distorted view, the Constitution is an empty vessel, to be adapted to the times, as change requires. It means nothing -- or anything.

The center opens to the public today at 1 p.m. if you'd like to have a look at this travesty with your own eyes.

QUICK HITS

It appears increasingly likely that Al Franken will ask the Democrat-controlled Senate to intervene on his behalf in his recount fight with Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN).

When the 2008 campaign books are closed, President-elect Barack Obama will probably be the first billion-dollar candidate.

On top of $90 billion for mayors, Democrats are planning to give away another $500 billion to states.

The CEOs of Detroit's Big Three automakers are back in front of Congress with their hands out today.

The head of the congressional panel monitoring the gigantic federal bailout says the government still does not have a coherent strategy for easing the financial crisis despite having already spent billions of dollars.

Obamadummies...

(Thanks Steve M. for send via email!)

This is from Jack Kelly's column in last Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It makes some critical points, and I hope you'll forward it widely. (http://post-gazette.com/forum/)

A Zogby poll released last week casts doubt on the notion it's conservatives who reflect stupidity and ignorance. Mr. Zogby asked a dozen questions of 512 Obama supporters, 55 percent of whom have college degrees.

.• 94 percent correctly identified Sarah Palin as the candidate with a pregnant teenage daughter;
• 87 percent identified Ms. Palin as the candidate who said she "could see Russia from her house;"

• 86 percent identified Ms. Palin as the candidate associated with a $150,000 wardrobe purchased by her political party;

• 81 percent chose John McCain as the candidate who was unable to identify the number of houses he owned;

• 81 percent knew it was Barack Obama who said the government should redistribute the wealth;

• 53 percent knew it was Joe Biden who predicted that Mr. Obama would be tested by a generated international crisis during his first six months as president;

• 44 percent knew that it was Mr. Obama who started his political career in the home of two former members of the Weather Underground;

• 43 percent knew that Democrats controlled both the House and Senate

;• 28 percent knew it was Mr. Biden who had to quit an earlier campaign for president because he plagiarized a speech;

• 23 percent knew it was Mr. Obama who claimed to have campaigned in 57 states;

• 17 percent knew that it was Mr. Obama who won his first election by getting all of his opponents removed from the ballot

;• 12 percent knew it was Mr. Obama who said his energy policies likely would bankrupt the coal industry.

Only 46 percent of the Obama supporters were able to answer half or more of the questions correctly.

Apart from the appallingly low percentage of Obama supporters who could answer the basic civics question of which party controls Congress, the results reflect more what the news media chose to emphasize in their reporting than the awareness of respondents.

What the news media chose to emphasize was trivia, slanted against the Republicans in general, Ms. Palin in particular, not all of which was true. (Ms. Palin never said she "could see Russia from her house." That quote came from Tina Fey, who impersonated her on "Saturday Night Live.")

That Sen. Obama said his energy policy would bankrupt the coal industry is rather more important than Ms. Palin's wardrobe, but if the news media chose not to report it (and most did not), then the Obama supporters polled can't be blamed for not knowing it.

The poll was commissioned by conservative documentary filmmaker John Ziegler ("The Path to 9/11"). Random post-election interviews he'd done with a dozen Obama supporters indicated a deplorable lack of knowledge, and he wanted to see how widespread it was.

Liberals assert that if McCain-Palin supporters were asked the same questions, they'd display a comparable level of ignorance. Mr. Ziegler has a wager for them. If a liberal commissions the same poll of McCain supporters and they do not score significantly better than the Obama supporters did, then Mr. Ziegler will pay the cost of the poll.

But if McCain-Palin supporters do significantly better, then the liberal must reimburse Mr. Ziegler for the cost of the original poll. I doubt Mr. Ziegler will get any takers.

Jack Kelly is a columnist for the Post-Gazette (jkelly@post-gazette.com, 412-263-1476).

The Heritage Foundation --- Love this site!

I read about this on someone else's blog and had to go sign up for their "morning bell". Loads of good insights and info. I think this is the one Sean Hannity talks about all the time. I understand why!

The Perpetual Bailout Machine

Failure is a part of U.S. business culture. That is why Americans feel extremely comfortable buying tickets from bankrupt airlines, electronics from bankrupt retailers, and apartments from bankrupt builders. To paraphrase a popular bumper sticker: bankruptcy happens. Bankruptcy does not have to be the end for any business. Instead bankruptcy, under Chapter 11, offers court-supervised protection from creditors so that a business can reorganize itself into a new successful form. The larger and more complicated a company is, however, the more preparation it must do before it can enter Chapter 11. In fact the executives of businesses facing tough economic times have a fiduciary duty to their shareholders and creditors to develop a bankruptcy plan. Only the most irresponsible executives would shirk this duty, and only the most conniving would do so knowingly as part of an effort to blackmail the American taxpayer. Enter General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner.

Testifying before Congress yesterday, Wagoner admitted that GM has "put virtually all effort into avoiding" bankruptcy and has not worked out a detailed contingency plan. By contrast, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli said his company has "looked at all aspects" of a potential bankruptcy filing and has "gone through advisers to help us think this through."

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Because of its refusal to make plans for a bankruptcy, GM is "courting a Lehman-like situation," said a person familiar with the matter. Lehman Brothers, the storied investment bank, collapsed into a court-protected reorganization unprepared to remain in business. "They are on the train tracks and won't get off them," the person said.

Moral hazard is the prospect that a party insulated from risk may behave differently from the way it would behave if it were fully exposed to the risk. By granting GM its desired bailout, the federal government would only encourage other CEOs to act as irresponsibly as Wagoner.

must also submit a working model for examination. If Congress, or the Obama Administration, grants GM its bailout, they will have created a perpetual bailout machine, one that prompts every troubled industry in the country to abandon their fiduciary duty to plan for the worst and, instead, come to Washington demanding their hand-out.

QUICK HITS

All three auto executives opted to fly their company jets to the capital for their hearings this week.

The NYPD is pressuring the Justice Department for a faster turnaround for getting warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The first independent investigation of the suspected nuclear site in Syria that Israel destroyed last year has bolstered U.S. claims that Damascus was building a secret nuclear reactor.

Federal employee unions see a huge opportunity to push their agenda with Obama as president.
Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb.

Nothing at all to do with politics... just cute and had to share

OK, it doesn't appear that the embed code works... so, here's a link: http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/PerthPurplePenguin/vids/?action=view&current=cvUMHvLZ.flv

It's cure. It'll make you smile. Unless you hate animals.

Four years of Egobama

It would be front page headlines on every newspaper and the leading story on the news for days and maybe weeks if President Bush had cracked a joke about Hillary Clinton talking to Eleanore Roosevelt.

Our "President Elect" has a first ever of its kind address to the nation BEFORE he takes the oath of office, complete with his little presidential placard, a cast of suits around him and flags in the background and he disses Mrs. Reagan.

Then he talks about his dog.

He shuts out the media he doesn't like (portends of things to come I'd venture to guess). He doesn't answer the question about higher taxes on the so-called rich. He runs away just as soon as he can after saying he was going to skip a question from a CNN reporter. He's twenty minutes late for the talk.

Everything out of his mouth seemed to start with "I".

This is a man who doesn't need people blowing smoke up his you-know-what, he's already there. Egobama is what I'm going to call him from now one.

I just saw that he'd called Nancy Reagan to apologize on the Fox scroll. I'm glad he did that, but what a way to start his Presidency. You'd have thought Joe Biden had taken the podium.