◼ Sarah Palin: “this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque re-writing of history” - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
◼ Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left - Sarah Palin
And I question whether the GOP establishment would ever employ the same harsh tactics they used on Newt against Obama. I didn’t see it in 2008. Many of these same characters sat on their thumbs in ‘08 and let Obama escape unvetted. Oddly, they’re now using every available microscope and endoscope – along with rewriting history – in attempts to character assassinate anyone challenging their chosen one in their own party’s primary. So, one must ask, who are they really running against?
Friday, January 27, 2012
That excuse always seemed preposterous. Solicitor General Kagan was kept totally out of the loop on the most important legal defense her Administration would ever mount, in order to keep her unsullied for the chance that she might sit on one of the most important cases the Supreme Court would ever hear?
◼ Kagan Defended ObamaCare As Solicitor General - John Hayward at Human Events
Well, the Kagan firewall just went up in smoke. ◼ Fox News reports:
Well, the Kagan firewall just went up in smoke. ◼ Fox News reports:
With just weeks until the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of President Obama's health care law, there are new calls for Justice Elena Kagan to recuse herself from the case.
Her critics point to a 2010 case regarding a San Francisco health measure, in which then-Solicitor General Kagan's office filed an amicus brief touting the newly passed health care law.
In May 2010, after Kagan had been nominated to the nation's highest court, Principal Deputy Solicitor General Neal Katyal sent her a memo outlining the cases in which she had "substantially participated." Kaytal specifically referenced the Golden Gate case, noting that it had been "discussed with Elena several times."
That's enough to convince Heritage Foundation Senior Legal Fellow Hans von Spakovsky that Kagan shouldn't take part in the current health care case before the high court.
"I don't see how any ethical lawyer adhering to professional codes of conduct could not consider that they need to recuse themselves from this case," he said.
Obama: I Want An Economy "Where We're Making Stuff And Selling Stuff And Moving It Around"
◼ "On Tuesday at the State of the Union, I laid out my vision for how we move forward," President Obama said at a campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada. - Real Clear Politics (video)
◼ Obama’s Misleading 3 Million Jobs Created Claim - Net Right Daily
There is a distinction between the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) measurement of private sector jobs in the establishment survey and the overall jobs picture in the household survey. For obvious reasons, the narrower establishment survey does not catch everything. But most Americans who heard the speech probably thought Obama was saying the economy had created 3 million jobs overall since Feb. 2010.
It was a distinction Obama again failed to make on Jan. 25, a day later, on the campaign trail in Iowa. Then, he said, “We have created 3 million jobs over the last 22 months.” Again, implying the economy has created more jobs than it actually has. However?
According to BLS, since Feb. 2010, when Obama starts measuring his claim that 3 million jobs were created, the amount of people employed has only increased from 138.66 million to 140.79 million, a net increase of only 2.13 million. While that sounds nice, that is a pace of just 96,000 a month, which does not even keep up with the growth of the population — which grew at a pace of 163,000 a month — let alone replace the 8 million jobs that were lost in the recession.
◼ Obama’s Misleading 3 Million Jobs Created Claim - Net Right Daily
There is a distinction between the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) measurement of private sector jobs in the establishment survey and the overall jobs picture in the household survey. For obvious reasons, the narrower establishment survey does not catch everything. But most Americans who heard the speech probably thought Obama was saying the economy had created 3 million jobs overall since Feb. 2010.
It was a distinction Obama again failed to make on Jan. 25, a day later, on the campaign trail in Iowa. Then, he said, “We have created 3 million jobs over the last 22 months.” Again, implying the economy has created more jobs than it actually has. However?
According to BLS, since Feb. 2010, when Obama starts measuring his claim that 3 million jobs were created, the amount of people employed has only increased from 138.66 million to 140.79 million, a net increase of only 2.13 million. While that sounds nice, that is a pace of just 96,000 a month, which does not even keep up with the growth of the population — which grew at a pace of 163,000 a month — let alone replace the 8 million jobs that were lost in the recession.
Evidence is mounting that this election will be like none before it, both in terms of the role of the media and the specter of legal and political maneuvering being undertaken to help ensure victory for Obama.
◼ (I)t is highly questionable if this November’s election is really going to come down to a simple matter of competing visions. - Trevor Loudon
There are numerous other factors—and potential factors—already at work, with still others being planned that could play a major role in the outcome of the election....
Team Obama is not taking any chances, and they are attempting to create enough havoc and diversions that they can win the election, regardless of the state of the economy, the overwhelming sentiment to repeal ObamaCare, and the widely held belief that Obama prefers to ignore Congress, and the Constitution, and run the country through a series of unaccountable “czars,” bureaucratic regulations and executive orders.
A recent attempt to end-run Congress and the Constitution was the recess appointments of Richard Cordray to head up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a creation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and three members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), at a time when the Senate was not actually in recess....
But in this report I will focus on the role the media will likely play, and another factor with potentially great significance that could match the impact of the media and should really be keeping Republicans up at night. It is a scheme, maybe a scam, called Americans Elect....
The apparent desire by an overwhelming majority in the mainstream media to see a president reelected has never been as obvious as it is today....
Perhaps most offensive is the constant use of the race card by the leftist media to demean conservatives in general, such as the Tea Party activists, but even more so the Republican presidential candidates. It is a regular refrain by the hosts on MSNBC, particularly Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Martin Bashir, to call, or imply, that these people are racists.... read the rest
There are numerous other factors—and potential factors—already at work, with still others being planned that could play a major role in the outcome of the election....
Team Obama is not taking any chances, and they are attempting to create enough havoc and diversions that they can win the election, regardless of the state of the economy, the overwhelming sentiment to repeal ObamaCare, and the widely held belief that Obama prefers to ignore Congress, and the Constitution, and run the country through a series of unaccountable “czars,” bureaucratic regulations and executive orders.
A recent attempt to end-run Congress and the Constitution was the recess appointments of Richard Cordray to head up the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a creation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and three members of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), at a time when the Senate was not actually in recess....
But in this report I will focus on the role the media will likely play, and another factor with potentially great significance that could match the impact of the media and should really be keeping Republicans up at night. It is a scheme, maybe a scam, called Americans Elect....
The apparent desire by an overwhelming majority in the mainstream media to see a president reelected has never been as obvious as it is today....
Perhaps most offensive is the constant use of the race card by the leftist media to demean conservatives in general, such as the Tea Party activists, but even more so the Republican presidential candidates. It is a regular refrain by the hosts on MSNBC, particularly Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Martin Bashir, to call, or imply, that these people are racists.... read the rest
Indiana: Right-to-work advances
◼ Hoosier State prepares to eliminate mandatory unionization - Washington Times
It looks like the Hoosier State may no longer force employees to pay tribute to union bosses if they want to keep their jobs. The Indiana House adopted a landmark right-to-work bill Tuesday that’s on track to breeze through a GOP-dominated Senate toward the willing signature of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Twenty-three other states have similar statutes that say employees cannot be forced to join a union or pay union dues as a precondition of employment. It’s no coincidence that the states playing by these rules are some of the economy’s best performers, such as Texas, Tennessee and even Alabama.
It looks like the Hoosier State may no longer force employees to pay tribute to union bosses if they want to keep their jobs. The Indiana House adopted a landmark right-to-work bill Tuesday that’s on track to breeze through a GOP-dominated Senate toward the willing signature of Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Twenty-three other states have similar statutes that say employees cannot be forced to join a union or pay union dues as a precondition of employment. It’s no coincidence that the states playing by these rules are some of the economy’s best performers, such as Texas, Tennessee and even Alabama.
Egyptian authorities are barring several U.S. citizens — including Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood’s son — from leaving the country after Egyptian government forces raided the offices of Washington-backed groups monitoring recent parliamentary elections there
◼ These Americans now find themselves caught in a power struggle between the United States and Egyptian governments over the country’s future direction. - Politico
Direct intervention by President Barack Obama and other top administration officials has failed to resolve the NGO dispute, although U.S. officials are hopeful it can be defused soon.
The no-fly order for Americans is a new wrinkle — and ups the ante politically.
And adding a Washington twist to the tense situation, three high-powered K Street lobbyists — Bob Livingston, Toby Moffett and Tony Podesta — have been doing work on behalf of the Egyptian government by trying to shift the blame for the standoff on to the NGOs, POLITICO reported earlier this week.
Direct intervention by President Barack Obama and other top administration officials has failed to resolve the NGO dispute, although U.S. officials are hopeful it can be defused soon.
The no-fly order for Americans is a new wrinkle — and ups the ante politically.
And adding a Washington twist to the tense situation, three high-powered K Street lobbyists — Bob Livingston, Toby Moffett and Tony Podesta — have been doing work on behalf of the Egyptian government by trying to shift the blame for the standoff on to the NGOs, POLITICO reported earlier this week.
Why Is the RNC Sabotaging Its Own Candidates?
◼ It’s the most important election of our lifetime. Now, more than ever before, it is important to understand what the Presidential candidates believe, what their policies are, and the differences between themselves and the current administration. The Republican National Committee knows this, yet they have decided to turn over the entire process of informing the populace to the Democrat Media Complex. - Meredith Dake/Big Government
◼ GOP Infighting May Help Obama in General Election - THOMAS SOWELL/IBD
◼ That Was Quick: The Entire Conservative Establishment Has United To Kill Gingrich's Campaign - Michael Brendan Dougherty /Business Insider
◼ GOP Infighting May Help Obama in General Election - THOMAS SOWELL/IBD
◼ That Was Quick: The Entire Conservative Establishment Has United To Kill Gingrich's Campaign - Michael Brendan Dougherty /Business Insider
House Judiciary letter warns Holder not to redistribute $335M Countrywide settlement to ACORN affiliates
◼ House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Lamar Smith warned Attorney General Eric Holder not to permit the transfer of funds from a recent $335 million Department of Justice settlement to organizations associated with the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, more commonly known as ACORN, or other advocacy groups allied with President Obama. - Daily Caller
“I am concerned that the terms of the Justice Department’s recent settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation and certain affiliates (collectively, ‘Countrywide’) will allow the Department to give large sums of money to individuals and organizations with questionable backgrounds or close political ties to the White House without any guidelines or oversight,” Smith wrote.
“I am concerned that the terms of the Justice Department’s recent settlement with Countrywide Financial Corporation and certain affiliates (collectively, ‘Countrywide’) will allow the Department to give large sums of money to individuals and organizations with questionable backgrounds or close political ties to the White House without any guidelines or oversight,” Smith wrote.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
President Obama, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer Share Tense Tarmac Moment
◼ Longstanding tension between Republican Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and Democratic President Barack Obama flared into the public spotlight today just after Air Force One touched down in Phoenix. - ABC (image source)
◼ McCain backs Brewer in tarmac tiff, calls Obama 'prickly' - Chicago Tribune
"Apparently Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana, had a similar exchange with the president," McCain said Thursday morning. "It is very well-known he has a prickly personality and I think it has been displayed in both of those cases."
◼ Gov. Jan Brewer Doubles Down On President Obama: ‘I Thought He Was Pretty Thin-Skinned’
◼ UPDATE: Ranking Of Jan Brewer’s Book Up Over 1,350,000% On Amazon.com - Mediaite
Warren Buffett's Secretary Likely Makes Between $200,000 And $500,000/Year
◼ Warren Buffett’s secretary, Debbie Bosanek, served as a stage prop for President Obama’s State of the Union speech.
◼ Obama's Hypocrisy: Making Warren Buffett Richer - IBD
Bosanek’s prominent role in Obama’s “fairness” campaign piqued my curiosity, and I imagine the curiosity of others. How much does her boss pay this downtrodden woman? So far, no one has volunteered this information.
We can get an approximate answer by consulting IRS data on tax rates by adjusted gross income, which would approximate her salary, assuming she does not have significant dividend, interest or capital-gains income (like her boss). I assume Buffett keeps her too busy for her to hold a second job. I also do not know if she is married and filing jointly. If so, it is deceptive for Obama to use her as an example. The higher rate may be due to her husband’s income. So I assume the tax rate Obama refers to is from her own earnings....
Taxpayers earning adjusted gross incomes of $200,000 to $500,000, pay an average tax rate of nineteen percent. Therefore Buffett must pay Debbie Bosanke a salary above two hundred thousand.
We must wait for further details to learn how much more than $200,000 she earns. The tax tables tell us about average ranges. For all we know she earns closer to a half million each year, but that is pure speculation.
...Buffett is a major player in the world economy. His secretary deserves good compensation. At her income, however, she is scarcely the symbol of injustice that Obama wishes her to project.
◼ Obama's Hypocrisy: Making Warren Buffett Richer - IBD
Some 20,000 middle-class jobs could have immediately come from Obama's approval of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, with hundreds of thousands more created over the project's lifetime. Yet he shut it down, even while he claimed in his address that he supported an "all of the above" energy strategy.
As Bosanek might be aware, her boss stands to benefit handsomely from that decision, much as other Obama supporters, like the campaign donors who owned Solyndra and other green enterprises, cleaned up from the diversion of tax dollars from the middle class into green boondoggles.
Clinton ready to step off 'high wire' of politics
◼ Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she's ready to step off "the high wire of American politics." - Politico
Clinton, who's already made it clear that she won't be serving in a second Obama term if there is one, told State Department employees that she's ready to be out of the public eye."I think after 20 years -- and it will be 20 years -- of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am."
Clinton finds it "a little odd for me to be totally out of an election season" after being involved as a presidential and senatorial candidate, and as a key surrogate for her husband's White House campaigns.
Clinton, who's already made it clear that she won't be serving in a second Obama term if there is one, told State Department employees that she's ready to be out of the public eye."I think after 20 years -- and it will be 20 years -- of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am."
Clinton finds it "a little odd for me to be totally out of an election season" after being involved as a presidential and senatorial candidate, and as a key surrogate for her husband's White House campaigns.
The president plays small ball
◼ Once upon a time, small ball was not Barack Obama’s game. Tuesday, it was the essence of his State of the Union address. - Charles Krauthammer/Washington Post
The visionary of 2008 — purveyor of hope and change, healer of the earth, tamer of the rising seas — offered an hour of little things: tax-code tweaks to encourage this or that kind of behavior (manufacturing being the flavor of the day), little watchdog agencies to round up Wall Street miscreants and Chinese DVD pirates, even a presidential demand “that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.” Under penalty of what? Jail? The self-proclaimed transformer of America is now playing truant officer?
It sounded like the Clinton years with their presidentially proclaimed initiatives on midnight basketball and school uniforms. These are the marks of a shrunken presidency, thoroughly flummoxed by high unemployment, economic stagnation, crushing debt — and a glaring absence of ideas.
The visionary of 2008 — purveyor of hope and change, healer of the earth, tamer of the rising seas — offered an hour of little things: tax-code tweaks to encourage this or that kind of behavior (manufacturing being the flavor of the day), little watchdog agencies to round up Wall Street miscreants and Chinese DVD pirates, even a presidential demand “that all students stay in high school until they graduate or turn 18.” Under penalty of what? Jail? The self-proclaimed transformer of America is now playing truant officer?
It sounded like the Clinton years with their presidentially proclaimed initiatives on midnight basketball and school uniforms. These are the marks of a shrunken presidency, thoroughly flummoxed by high unemployment, economic stagnation, crushing debt — and a glaring absence of ideas.
Jacksonville Debate: Two Winners, One Loser
◼ link - Guy Benson/Townhall
◼ Analysis: Mitt Romney Wins Florida Debate, Newt Gingrich Looks Rattled And - Amy Walter and Michael Falcone/ABC News
◼ Gingrich hints at making Marco Rubio VP - CBS
◼ Newt pulls punches in Fla. - Alexander Burns/Politico
We had two winners tonight: From a 'micro' perspective, Rick Santorum was terrific and narrowly won the evening. On a macro level, Mitt Romney came awfully close to winning the debate outright, and just owned Newt Gingrich during three dramatic exchanges. Because Newt didn't have a particularly strong showing, the political inertia stays in Romney's favor heading into Tuesday.◼ Ron Paul calls for diplomatic relations with Cuba - Alana Semuels/LA Times
◼ Analysis: Mitt Romney Wins Florida Debate, Newt Gingrich Looks Rattled And - Amy Walter and Michael Falcone/ABC News
◼ Gingrich hints at making Marco Rubio VP - CBS
◼ Newt pulls punches in Fla. - Alexander Burns/Politico
Michael Reagan reiterates endorsement of Newt Gingrich
◼ Michael Reagan reiterates endorsement of Newt Gingrich - HotAir
On Thursday, Mike Reagan, a respected conservative commentator, responded to the Gingrich critics with this statement to Newsmax:
“I am deeply disturbed that supporters of Mitt Romney are claiming that Newt Gingrich is not a true Reaganite and are even claiming that Newt was a strong critic of my father.
“Recently I endorsed Newt Gingrich for president because I believe that Newt is the only Republican candidate who has both consistently backed the conservative policies that my father championed and the only Republican that will continue to implement his vision.
“It surprises me that Mitt Romney and his supporters would raise this issue — when Mitt by his own admission voted for Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale who opposed my father, and later supported liberal Democrat Paul Tsongas for president.
“As governor of Massachusetts, Romney’s achievement was the most socialistic healthcare plan in the nation up until that time.
“Say what you want about Newt Gingrich but when he was speaker of the House he surrounded himself with Reagan conservatives and implemented a Ronald Reagan program of low taxes and restrained federal spending.
“Newt’s conservative program created a huge economic boom and balanced the budget for the first time in more than a generation.”
On Thursday, Mike Reagan, a respected conservative commentator, responded to the Gingrich critics with this statement to Newsmax:
“I am deeply disturbed that supporters of Mitt Romney are claiming that Newt Gingrich is not a true Reaganite and are even claiming that Newt was a strong critic of my father.
“Recently I endorsed Newt Gingrich for president because I believe that Newt is the only Republican candidate who has both consistently backed the conservative policies that my father championed and the only Republican that will continue to implement his vision.
“It surprises me that Mitt Romney and his supporters would raise this issue — when Mitt by his own admission voted for Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale who opposed my father, and later supported liberal Democrat Paul Tsongas for president.
“As governor of Massachusetts, Romney’s achievement was the most socialistic healthcare plan in the nation up until that time.
“Say what you want about Newt Gingrich but when he was speaker of the House he surrounded himself with Reagan conservatives and implemented a Ronald Reagan program of low taxes and restrained federal spending.
“Newt’s conservative program created a huge economic boom and balanced the budget for the first time in more than a generation.”
California GOP chief eyes statewide election strategy to boost initiatives, candidates
◼ While blue California is almost certain to go for President Barack Obama come November, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro sees opportunity for the GOP to be a major force from the presidential race down. - Torey Van Oot/Sacramento Bee
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