Doing America Proud

This is what 100,000 American soldiers, sailors and marines died for in the Pacific theater.

I Can Feel It

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.), who was recently appointed to the Senate Energy Committee, can "feel" global warming;

"Climate change is very real," she confessed as she embraced cap and trade's
massive tax increase on Michigan industry - at the same time claiming, against
all the evidence, that it would not lead to an increase in manufacturing costs
or energy prices. "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying.
The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and
tornadoes."

"We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes."

Let's check on hurricane and tornado activity, shall we?

Let's...

On tornadoes;

Tepid tornado season disappoints some

By Melanie S. Welte
The Associated Press
Monday, Aug 03, 2009 - 10:03:45 am CDT

DES MOINES -- This has been an unusually mild year in Tornado Alley,
which is good news, of course, for the people who live here, but a little
frustrating to scientists who planned to chase twisters as part of a $10 million
research project.

“You’re out there to do the experiment and you’re geared up every day and
ready. And when there isn’t anything happening, that is frustrating,” said Don
Burgess, a scientist at the University of Oklahoma. But he was quick to add that
he is pleased the relative quiet has meant fewer injuries and less damage.

Nationwide, there were 826 tornadoes this year through June 30, compared
with an average of 934 for the same period during the previous three years,
according to the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Okla.

"[A]n unusually mild year[.]"

11.6% [i]fewer[/i] tornadoes than the previous three years.

So much for "[i]more[/i]" tornadoes. Now, let's look at hurricanes;

Experts predict quieter Atlantic hurricane season

AFPAugust 5, 2009, 6:00 am

MIAMI (AFP) - Weather experts on Wednesday reduced the number of projected
hurricanes in the north Atlantic this season to four, two of them major
hurricanes with winds above 178 kilometers (111 miles) per hour.

After one of the calmest starts to the hurricane season in a decade, the
experts from Colorado State University said the development of an El Nino effect
in the Pacific had caused them to scale back their projections for the
Atlantic.

"[O]ne of the calmest starts to the hurricane season in a decade[.]"

So much for "more" hurricanes.

I wonder what it is that Stabenow is feeling?

Given Obama's recent decision to correct misinformation, maybe he will correct Stabenow's claim.

Nah, doubt it...

But, But, But - It Was The PATRIOT Act!

In 2004, Obama criticized passing legislation without reading it, without "clear debate."

But, now that it's 2009, he has to have healthcare reform rushed through - no time to stop and read it, not time for debate, it has to be done now!

BARACK OBAMA: ...When you rush these budgets that are a foot high and nobody
has any idea what's in them and nobody has read them.

RANDI RHODES: 14 pounds it was!

BARACK OBAMA: Yeah. And it gets rushed through without any clear
deliberation or debate then these kinds of things happen. And I think that
this is in some ways what happened to the PATRIOT Act.

So.

Now that it's healthcare, why, that's different.

Don't read those 1,000+ pages! Just pass it!

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 -

0...all engines running...lift-off, we have a lift-off, 32 minutes past the hour, lift-off on Apollo 11...

Tower cleared...

She's lifting beautifully into the sky, a typically beautiful Saturn V launch.

If I timed this right, 40 years ago, around the time of this posting, we sent men to the moon.

This was an historic and milestone event in Man's existence; to travel to another world and return safely.

Nothing before or since can compare to this achievement.

Yet, for some reason, as of this posting, Google - a site that commemorates everything else by changing their logo - has taken no notice of this momentous event.

That is shameful.

But, their ignorance aside, this is a glorius day and, in just four days, we will have the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's first steps on a surface beyond Earth's.

Those are US flags on the Moon.

So, How Do They Know?

Supposedly, Obama's "stimulus" has "saved or created" 150,000 jobs so far and he plans to "save or create" 600,000 jobs by summertime. Since the Bureau of Labor and Statistics maintains no record - nor are they able to maintain - on jobs "saved," just what metric does Obama plan to use to demonstrate the success or failure of this plan?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics;

June 09, 2009

The number of unemployed persons increased by 787,000 to 14.5 million in May, and the unemployment rate rose to 9.4 percent.

We are already down 14.5 million jobs. Going by Obama's 600,000 by summer goal, that means he should already have saved about 150,000. Yet, we're down 14.5 million, ten times more than what he has "saved" at this point?

Oh! I guess he can say, "Were it not for my initiative, our unemployment would be 14.65 million unemployed, rather than a mere 14.5 million."

But, how does he prove this? How does he prove that the 150,000 jobs wouldn't've been "saved" anyway?

Seems he's given himself quite the safety net. If the unemployed rate rockets by summer, he can always say that it would've been worse by 600,000.

So, why isn't the press picking up on this? Why isn't this chicanery by the Obama administration being examined by the media? We all know that the silly claims about the press being in Obama's hip pocket are false, so why aren't they calling him on this, instead of touting it as success?

If we were on a boat that was taking on 10 times more water than the captain was bailing out, would the captain be justified in claiming that his bail-out plan was successful?

Had Bush made this sort of claim, the press would have keel-hauled him, but Obama?

Nah...

No, No Power Grab At All

Not content to settle for control over US companies, the wonderful, change is good Obama administration has decided that the time has come for the federal government to control the entire US financial system.

Geithner to Propose Vast Expansion Of U.S. Oversight of Financial System

By Binyamin Appelbaum and David Cho
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, March 26, 2009; Page A01

Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner plans to propose today a sweeping expansion of federal authority over the financial system, breaking from an era in which the government stood back from financial markets and allowed participants to decide how much risk to take in the pursuit of profit.

The Obama administration's plan, described by several sources, would extend federal regulation for the first time to all trading in financial derivatives and to companies including large hedge funds and major insurers such as American International Group. The administration also will seek to impose uniform standards on all large financial firms, including banks, an unprecedented step that would place significant limits on the scope and risk of their activities.

"Significant limits on the scope and risk of their activities."

Not only does the federal government want the power to seize companies and break contracts, they also want the power to dictate to them what level of risk they may assume.

So, in what way will these financial companies be private companies? In what ways will they not be mere extensions of federal power?

How short will the federal leash need to be, before the People of this nation realize the great danger of this administration?

Will they wait until there is no leash at all?

Oh, Dear Lord, What Fools Have Been Placed Over Us?

China put forth a proposal to drop the dollar as the global currency and who hitches his wagon to that Chinese horse?

Why, our own tax-cheat, Geithner!

Geithner 'open' to China proposal

Geithner, at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the U.S. is "open" to a headline-grabbing proposal by the governor of the China's central bank, which was widely reported as being a call for a new global currency to replace the dollar, but which Geithner described as more modest and "evolutionary."

Even Obama has the good sense to not support China's proposal;

President Barack Obama described China's proposal as unnecessary during a prime-time news conference Tuesday.

"I don't believe that there's a need for a global currency," Obama said.

But, shall we delve a little deeper into Geithner's idiocy?

"I haven’t read the governor’s proposal. He’s a very thoughtful, very careful distinguished central banker. I generally find him sensible on every issue," Geithner said, saying that however his interpretation of the proposal was to increase the use of International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights -- shares in the body held by its members -- not creating a new currency in the literal sense.

He hasn't even read it, yet! He is making statements about what the US is "open" to, and hasn't a clue what it is. He is going entirely by his opinion of the governor of China's central bank.

Maybe this explains his tax problems; he never read the forms.

Let Them Compete Or Sink

Newspapers are finding themselves faltering in a world where electronic news is far preferable; where headlines can be read within minutes of a newsworthy event, rather than being forced to wait until the next morning.

Some newspapers are adapting by dropping their print editions and going 100% online. They see what they need to do to compete and do it.

So, what does the US government do, instead of letting the market dictate their fate?

U.S. bill seeks to rescue faltering newspapers

Tue Mar 24, 20093:05pm EDT

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With many U.S. newspapers struggling to survive, a Democratic senator on Tuesday introduced a bill to help them by allowing newspaper companies to restructure as nonprofits with a variety of tax
breaks.

"This may not be the optimal choice for some major newspapers or corporate media chains but it should be an option for many newspapers that are struggling to stay afloat," said Senator Benjamin Cardin.

Well, Senator Cardin, you're not doing enough! Where's your bill to rescue Town Criers? When will you address the plight of the buggy whip industry? The daguerreotype companies need your help, Senator; why don't you aid them?

Could Wipe Out His Cabinet

From the mouth of the tax-cheat who is now Secretary of the Treasury;

Geithner: Obama to crack down on tax evaders

(NECN: Washington) - Over the next several months, the president will propose a series of legislative and enforcement actions to reduce tax avoidance," this afternoon said Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee.

Can the hypocrisy be any more clear?

Obama needs to watch out, though. Cracking down on tax cheats might leave him with no cabinet.

Tom Daschle had to pay back taxes, Nancy Killefer pulled because of tax issues and now, Ron Kirk, former mayor of Dallas, owes back taxes. Oh, but Ron has agreed to pay those back taxes. Isn't that big of him? He agreed.

And, we have Mr. Big, Tim Geithner, SecTreas, who didn't pay taxes.

How many more in this misbegotten administration are - lax - on tax isues?

Well, maybe "cracking down" is subjective...