Political Digest for September 19, 2011

I post articles because I think they are of interest. Doing so doesn’t mean that I necessarily agree (or disagree) with every—or any—opinion in the posted article. Help your friends and relatives stay informed by passing the digest on.

The Statist Dictionary

http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/09/the_statist_dictionary.html

In case you missed this. ~Bob

Resources

For those who want further information about the topics covered in this blog, I recommend the following sites. I will add to this as I find additional good sources.

http://tartanmarine.blogspot.com/2011/03/resources-for-opinion-leaders-who.html

Short review of Collapse

Saturday, we were at a luncheon for a Marine veterans group in Wisconsin. When I checked in and paid the treasurer, a WWII Marine vet, who is over 80, he looked at me and said, "That f---ing book you wrote is frightening...but it's true." He's a gentleman in the old school sense--I've known the guy for about eight years, and can't recall ever hearing him swear before.

Great John Kass Column: Obama's Solyndra scandal reeks of the

Chicago Way

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0918-20110918,0,3951633.column

Excerpt: So forget optics. What about smell? It smells bad, and it's going to smell worse. Or, did you really believe it when the White House mouthpieces — who are also Chicago City Hall mouthpieces — promised they were bringing a new kind of politics to Washington? This is not a new kind of politics. It's the old kind. The Chicago kind. And now the Tribune Washington Bureau has reported that the U.S. Department of Energy employee who helped monitor the Solyndra loan guarantee was one of Obama's top fundraisers. Fundraising? Contracts? Imagine that.

More Kass: Before Palin, remember those classic Doonesbury strips on Obama and Rezko? No?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0916-20110916,0,2509837.column

Excerpt: Doesn't the controversy over those Sarah Palin hit pieces in "Doonesbury" — the comic strip serving as publicity shill for that vicious anti-Palin biography — remind you of something? Yes, a few newspapers, including this one, have temporarily suspended the "Doonesbury" strip. But surely all the noise must remind you of some great "Doonesburys" of the past. "Doonesbury" series about President Barack Obama and how his personal real estate fairy, the convicted Chicago political fixer Tony Rezko, helped him buy his dream house. Obama eagerly hops to attention every time Boss Daley grunts and snaps those stubby little fingers. ... What? You don't remember those classic "Doonesbury" strips? No? Me neither. Because they were never written.

Taliban, Pakistani troops fight over downed US drone in South Waziristan

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/taliban_pakistani_tr_2.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29

Excerpt: Pakistani soldiers and Taliban fighters clashed over the wreckage of an unmanned US strike aircraft that crashed in the lawless tribal agency of South Waziristan. The Predator or the more heavily armed Reaper crashed last night in the town of Zangara in the Ladha area of South Waziristan. According to reports from the region, Taliban forces under the command of Azmatullah Diwana seized the wreckage of the drone after it crashed. Although Azmatullah claimed the Taliban shot the aircraft down, the cause of the crash is not yet known. The Pakistani military dispatched troops to take control of the wreckage after intercepting Taliban radio transmissions. Three Taliban fighters and a Pakistani solider were reported killed in the ensuing clash. Pakistani troops also deployed helicopter gunships to strafe Taliban positions during the fight. It is unclear whether the drone debris is in the possession of the Pakistani military or the Taliban. Azmatullah claimed his forces repelled the military, while Pakistani security officials claimed they took control of the wreckage.

Courtesy Of Obama - The Drums Of War Are Beating

http://www.galganov.com/editorials.asp?id=1376

Excerpt: On October 30, 2008 . . . prior to the Presidential election, I wrote the following: “PRESIDENT Barack Obama will be the worst thing for the USA and the entire world. And he will be poison for Israel”. ... I wrote a great deal more about my fears for an Obama victory prior to and just after the November 2008 election, which you can find in my Archives, but this one statement is enough to establish how far back I REALLY worried for Israel’s safety under this Narcissistic Demagogue, whose most important past associations screamed Israel-Hater. (Anyone who unconditionally supports all the policies of any nation is not a thinking person. And that goes for Israel. You may be chagrined and frustrated at the things Israel has done, but their very existence is at stake. There is a strain of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment that is not conducive to the well being of our Western world. There are people who, when they hear anyone warning of war in the Middle East, reflexively go into a diatribe about all the awful things the Jews have done and, in a roundabout but unmistakable way, make it clear they hope Israel is defeated thoroughly in the next war and every last Jew, men, women and children, annihilated—as if the people who flew planes into the Twin Towers were the kindest, noblest, most gentle souls who ever walked the earth and are therefore entitled to annihilate the Jews with impunity. The thing is, the Arabs surrounding Israel generally do not see Jews as humans. They see them as vermin to be totally exterminated. Iran and Saudi Arabia, for example, forbid any Jew to set foot on their soil. If a Jew were elected president of the US, he would, under current Sharia law, not be allowed to travel there. Meanwhile, Israel, for all the missteps if may have made and all the evil it may have perpetrated, does in fact allow Muslims not only to visit Israel but in fact to settle there. They are at least tolerant -- perhaps to a fault. A Palestinian state would deny Jews even entry into their country, once occupied by Jews. Why? Because their religion is a throwback to the Dark Ages and because the politicians there are no less fascist and mindlessly racist than Adolf. That's why. The author of the article shown below is absolutely correct in his assessment. With a few exceptions, the Jews of America have, as a group, foolishly supported the man who, if they had removed their blinders, they would have known was the most dangerous enemy they have ever had! What they did was tantamount to Hitler winning in a landslide thanks to the Jewish vote in Germany (of course, common sense still existed then and they did not support Hitler as they do his modern counterparts).But modern man -- or more accurately, post-modern (and hence, post-Christian) man -- has fallen to levels of lemming like mindlessness never before seen in humankind. Primitive man at least knew his enemy when he saw him and took steps to avoid or overcome him. Throughout history, all nations have to some extent or other been capable of defending, and willing to defend -- whether successfully or not -- against enemies from within and without. But nations today can see the enemy loading the gun, pointing it to their heads --figuratively speaking -- and unflinchingly embrace the enemy, shake his hand as though he were a long lost brother, and even punish those who sound the alarm against the enemy, even as he pulls the trigger to blow their brains out. The attitude and mindset that create this disastrous situation are vastly more dangerous than simple ignorance or miscalculation. There is an unmistakable death wish behind this scenario. On the other hand, people are slowly waking up. But at the rate we are going, Armageddon may well be our very last history lesson. --Don Hank

11% Say Economy Getting Better, 65% Say Worse

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/indexes/rasmussen_consumer_index/rasmussen_consumer_index

The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures the economic confidence of consumers on a daily basis, gained another two points on Sunday to 67.9. Consumer confidence is up six points from a week ago and up two points from a month ago. However, it is still down seven points from three months ago. Looking at all of 2011, the Consumer Index is 25 points off its peak and just eight points above the year-to-date low. Just 11% of adults think the economy is getting better, while 65% believe it is getting worse. The Rasmussen Investor Index gained five more points on Sunday, capping a gain of 13 points in three days. Still, despite the surge, the Investor Index is up just three points from a week ago and seven points from a month ago. It is down four points from three months ago. (The 11% must be government union employees who got raises for supporting Obama. ~Bob.)

On the lighter, non-political side

http://youtu.be/PqviCx3BsrQ

I Don't Like President Obama

http://dennismillerradio.com/b/I-Dont-Like-President-Obama/563088672577454969.html

Dennis Miller on a roll. ~Bob

Obama says 'Pass this jobs bill.' But what's actually in the bill?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0917/Obama-says-Pass-this-jobs-bill.-But-what-s-actually-in-the-bill

Excerpt: President Obama used his weekly address to the nation to pound the same terse message that he's been repeating all week -- that Congress should act quickly on his recent proposals for job creation. "It’s a jobs bill that does two simple things: put more people back to work, and more money back in the pockets of people who are working," Mr. Obama said in his Saturday address. "You can help make it happen by telling your congressperson to pass this jobs bill right away." But there's a lot in this 200-page bill for Congress and the public to chew over. The plan's main features, which Obama sketched in his Saturday remarks, are payroll tax cuts and investments in things like roads and schools. Less-publicized steps include everything from experiments in job training to a provision designed to prevent discrimination against the unemployed.

White House mouthpiece all but admits jobs bill passage not important

http://www​.nypost.co​m/p/blogs/​capitol/wh​ite_house_​6TG3aOtn31​Dp63hF37Qe​MK#ixzz1YI​vuEYzP

Excerpt: After an amazing back and forth with White House Spokesman Jay Carney the honchos at ABC News ought to give Tapper a raise because he actually proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that President Obama could care less about Congress passing his jobs bill. How so? Just read the transcript of Tapper and Carney's back and forth over an essential detail Obama has ignored, namely speaking directly with the man who can call a vote on the legislation. TAPPER: OK. And then lastly, on the jobs plan, the Speaker’s office says there has not been any outreach to them ... from the White House on the jobs bill.... Is that true and if so, why hasn’t there been? CARNEY: Well, ... There will be ample time going forward for continued consultations with leadership and rank-and-file members of Congress as Congress takes up the American Jobs Act and hopefully passes it, so that we can do the things we need to do to grow the economy and create jobs. TAPPER: The president said, “Pass this bill now” more than a hundred times in the last week. CARNEY: Yeah. Well, that’s because it’s so urgent... TAPPER: Not urgent enough to call the Speaker, though.

The Difference Between Chicken Salad and Chicken Shit

http://activitypit.ning.com/forum/topics/difference-between-chicken-salad-and-chicken-shit

The point is the number of times "I" appears in the second speech, versus the number of credits to the troops in the first speech. Rather telling. ~Bob.

Finland terror suspects are Somalis

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=458938&version=1&template_id=39&parent_id=21

Stunning. And them members of a Religion of Peace--who could have guessed? And I've been keeping an eye on the Swedish Bikini Team, just in case. ~Bob. Excerpt: Two people arrested in Helsinki on suspicion of funding terrorism and recruitment had foreign links but planned no attacks in Finland, police and intelligence officials said yesterday.

Your Rights (According to the National Labor Relations Board)

http://www.nfib.com/insight/Default.aspx?roi=echo4-15492952588-12909344-a90a323949db3a1ab18ffda707c52500&cmsid=58246&utm_campaign=Insight0915&utm_source=Insight&utm_medium=Email

Excerpt: As an American small-business owner, you have many rights. You have the right to start a new business from scratch, spend countless hours and lots of money getting it up and running, and devote all your energy to make it succeed. But the federal government has a different view of your rights. For example, Washington believes that you have not only the right, but the obligation, to pay ever-rising and increasingly complex taxes, comply with expensive regulations, and, as directed by the National Labor Relations Board, encourage your employees to unionize your company. Starting Nov. 14, most American employers must begin to display an 11-by-17 inch poster that notifies employees of their unionization rights. Failure to put up the poster will be treated as an “unfair labor practice” and could lead to an investigation of your business. While the NLRB claims that it is being helpful by providing free copies and downloads of the new posters, it’s hard to get past the fact that this new requirement is yet another example of the anti-business stance that has become standard practice for the Obama administration. And to add insult to injury, the poster rule was rolled out the same week the administration announced plans to reduce burdensome rules on small businesses.

Breaking--​taxpayers bilked out of a billion in tax refund scam

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/breaking-taxpayers-bilked-out-of-a-billion-tax-refund-scam#ixzz1YGU28CuO

Excerpt: Two weeks ago on September 1, a little-publicized story in The Tampa Tribune reported a major tax refund scam in which drug dealers in the Tampa, Florida area bilked American taxpayers out of upwards of a billion dollars. In spite of the fact that the scam appears to be but the tip of the iceberg, so far no other mainstream media outlet in the country has reported the story. If fraudulent activity of this nature could be conducted on such a broad scale in Tampa, the question becomes, is this only one small piece of a nationwide scam in which taxpayers are perhaps being bilked out of tens of billions of dollars? (Breaking? Business as usual. ~Bob.)

Solyndra, Obama’s Enron, or Worse? A Forensic Viewpoint

http://www.unifiedpatriots.com/2011/09/16/solyndra-obamas-enron-or-worse-a-forensic-viewpoint/vassarbushmills

Excerpt: When Enron collapsed, if you recall, the media attempted to lay its collapse, and the loss of hundred of millions in employee 401Ks, at the feet of George W Bush. You see, Bush and Ken Lay, Enron’s founder, were pals. Cronyism. Case closed. Yes, it is true, they were pals, but it was also true that Enron had been as active if not more so during the Clinton Administration, doing the lobbying necessary to get special favors from the World’s Greatest Crony. But you could only find these facts on the back page of the New Delhi Times. Not in America. (The facts are always out there, the Right just has to work harder to find out where the Left has buried them.) Ken Lay, because he was a pal of GWB, had to become the corporate poster boy for thievery. Much like Nixon in Watergate, Lay was the getaway driver in one of the biggest heists in American corporate history, destroying the retirements of all Enron’s employees. The courts have their rules of evidence but the media had theirs. They would have exonerated all the thieves at Enron just to get to Bush. But the courts hung with the evidence and decided Skilling and Fastow had pulled off this heist and sent them up for it. They also punished Ken Lay, mind you, but for a much lesser charge, only he died before he could be sentenced. But everyone in America knew who Ken Lay was, and they believed “he did it.” No one had any idea who Skillings and Fastow were.

The Solyndra Fraud: The solar-energy company was a con game.

http://www.ruthfullyyours.com/2011/09/17/the-solyndra-fraud-andrew-mccarthy/

Excerpt: The Solyndra debacle is not just Obama-style crony socialism as usual. It is a criminal fraud. That is the theory that would be guiding any competent prosecutor’s office in the investigation of a scheme that cost victims — in this case, American taxpayers — a fortune. Fraud against the United States is one of the most serious felony offenses in the federal penal law. It is even more serious than another apparent Solyndra violation that has captured congressional attention: the Obama administration’s flouting of a statute designed to protect taxpayers. Homing in on one of the several shocking aspects of the Solyndra scandal, lawmakers noted that, a few months before the “clean energy” enterprise went belly-up last week, the Obama Energy Department signed off on a sweetheart deal. In the event of bankruptcy — the destination to which it was screamingly obvious Solyndra was headed despite the president’s injection of $535 million in federal loans — the cozily connected private investors would be given priority over American taxpayers. In other words, when the busted company’s assets were sold off, Obama pals would recoup some of their losses, while you would be left holding the half-billion-dollar bag.

Not all Islams are Equal

http://amilimani.com/2011/09/not-all-islam%E2%80%99s-sects-are-equal/#more-1438

Excerpt: There is no such a thing as one Islam. There are hundreds of Islamic sects in the same way that there are hundreds of diseases. In the same way that there are no good diseases, there are no good Islamic sects. And in order to deal with an illness, correct diagnosis is essential to prescribe the right medication. Hence, dealing with various sects of Islam effectively, demands correct understanding of what they are, what they aim to do and their methods of spreading their psychosocial disease. Some Islamic sects are extremely virulent and deadly. They must be dealt with accordingly. Others are less violent and work their agenda in more subtle ways. Even the latter types are far from harmless. One and all keep to the Quran and pursue the same goal of dominating the world.

This past week has seen President Barack Obama under increasing fire not from Republicans – but from his own Democratic Party.

http://socyberty.com/history/democrat-congressman-on-obama-never-seen-anything-this-irresponsible/#ixzz1YFOklpCd

Excerpt: Certainly that very thought has to be on the mind of Barack Obama as he struggles to find anything remotely resembling political footing as his poll numbers continue to decline, the economy continues to stagnate, and now his own Democratic Party has begun repeated attacks on the ineptitude that is the Obama White House. “In my entire political career, I’ve never seen anything this irresponsible.” So says California Congressman Dennis Cardoza after learning little to nothing was actually to be found within the just-proposed Obama jobs plan to combat the still troubling housing crisis. Cardoza’s strongly worded complaint comes after President Obama assured the Congressman and others the he would soon be unveiling a “new and exciting” housing recovery plan. This promise from Obama came at the start of June. Since that time the Obama administration has indicated no such plan exists, and they appear to have little concern in formulating one any time soon.

Barack Obama’s Solyndra Spending Spree Scandal

http://newsflavor.com/politics/us-politics/barack-obamas-solyndra-spending-spree-scandal/

Excerpt: Nearly 40 billion dollars for "green jobs investment" was made part of the Barack Obama 2009 Stimulus Bill. This money then went to companies and investors who supported Barack Obama and the Democratic Party -Crony capitalism at its very worst.

Afghan, ISAF forces kill more than 70 Taliban in Nuristan

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/09/afghan_isaf_forces_k.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LongWarJournalSiteWide+%28The+Long+War+Journal+%28Site-Wide%29%29

Excerpt: Afghan commandos and Coalition special operations forces killed more than 70 "insurgents" during an operation in the remote, mountainous province of Nuristan yesterday. Much of the province is under the control of the Taliban and other allied insurgent groups. The combined forces launched a clearing operation in the villages of Pol-e Rostam and Alwagal in Barg-e-Matal district, the International Security Assistance Forces stated in a press release. Barg-e-Matal is one of six of the eight districts in Nuristan that are under the control of the Taliban, Governor Mohammad Tamim Nuristani said on Sept. 4

And Now, Capital Flight US-Style

http://www.fedupusa.org/2011/09/and-now-capital-flight-us-style/

Excerpt: In sum, the net foreign acquisitions of long-term securities, the change in foreign holdings of short-term U.S. securities, and banking flows yielded monthly net TIC outflows of $51.8 billion. Of this, net foreign private outflows were $44.4 billion, and net foreign official outflows were $7.4 billion. Uh, that’s a problem folks, and one that is directly caused by government ponzi economic policy. It’s one we better address too – and quickly.

California educated illegal alien charged with rape in Pennsylvania

http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/california-educated-illegal-alien-charged-with-rape-pennsylvania?CID=examiner_alerts_article

Excerpt: On Wednesday, Middlesex Township police arrested Melvin Ernesto Mercado, 18, after he allegedly raped a woman outside a business on the Harrisburg Pike on Monday night. Mercado worked and lived at the business where the alleged assault took place. The 19-year-old victim immediately reported the crime to police, but Mercado fled by the time police arrived. He was taken into custody when he returned to work for his scheduled shift two day later, according to Detective Gerald Stiegelman. At the time of his arrest, Mercado had a California-issued high school identification in his possession. Mercado has been charged with multiple crimes including sexual assault. He is currently being held in the Cumberland County Prison on an immigration detainer. (Is rape now one of those jobs Americans won't do? ~Bob.)

Unelected, Unaccountable, Unrepentant: The Federal Reserve Is Using Your Money To Bail Out European Commercial Banks Once Again

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/unelected-unaccountable-unrepentant-the-federal-reserve-is-using-your-money-to-bail-out-european-commercial-banks-once-again

Excerpt: For a moment, imagine that there is a privately-owned organization in the United States that can create U.S. dollars out of thin air whenever it wants and can loan that money to whoever it wants to. Imagine that this organization is able to act with the full power of the U.S. government behind it, but that nobody in the organization is ever elected by the American people, and that for all practical purposes the organization is not accountable to the president or to Congress. Imagine that the organization is able to make trillions of dollars of secret loans to banks, to foreign governments and even to their close friends without ever having to face a comprehensive audit. Does that sound preposterous? Well, such an organization actually exists. It is called the Federal Reserve, and today we found out that once again the Fed is going to be taking huge piles of your money and loaning it to commercial banks in Europe. The Congress cannot overrule this decision. Neither can Barack Obama. Because it has so much power, many refer to the Federal Reserve as "the fourth branch of government", but unlike the other three branches of government, there are basically no significant "checks and balances" on the Federal Reserve. If you don't like the fact that the Federal Reserve is racing in to help big foreign banks survive the European debt crisis that is just too bad. The Federal Reserve pretty much gets to do whatever it wants to do, and the folks over at the Fed simply do not care whether you like that or not.

How campus thugs defend racism

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/how_campus_thugs_defend_racism_brG0MSM58Vj2LHmTwCegtM#ixzz1YD5ciASQ

Excerpt: The campus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison erupted this week after the release of two studies documenting the heavy use of race in deciding which students to admit to the undergraduate and law schools. The evidence of discrimination is undeniable, and the reaction by critics was undeniably dishonest and thuggish. The Center for Equal Opportunity, which I founded in 1995 to expose and challenge misguided race-based public policies, conducted the studies based on an analysis of the university’s own admissions data. CEO got the data only via Freedom of Information Act requests -- plus a legal challenge went all the way to the state supreme court. It’s no wonder the university wanted to keep the information secret. The studies show that a black or Hispanic undergraduate applicant was more than 500 times likelier to be admitted to Wisconsin-Madison than a similarly qualified white or Asian applicant. The odds favoring black law school applicants over similarly qualified white applicants was 61 to 1. The median SAT scores of black undergrads who were admitted were 150 points lower than whites or Asians, while the median Hispanic scores were roughly 100 points lower. CEO has published studies of racial double standards in admissions at scores of public colleges and universities across the country with similar findings, but none has caused such a violent reaction. Instead of addressing the findings of the study, the university’s vice provost for diversity, Damon A. Williams, dishonestly told students that “CEO has one mission and one mission only: dismantle the gains that were achieved by the civil-rights movement.” In fact, CEO’s only mission is to promote color-blind equal opportunity so that, in Martin Luther King’s vision, no one will be judged by the color of his or her skin.

Air Force General blows whistle on Obama, but media deaf

http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement-in-national/air-force-general-blows-whistle-on-obama-but-media-deaf

Excerpt: General Shelton told lawmakers that he was pressured to be less than honest by the White House when he gives testimony before Congress. A United State Air Force general is blowing the whistle on another alleged White House scandal, but few in the news media seem to be listening. According to General William Shelton, the commanding officer of U.S. Air Force's space command, he was told to alter his testimony before the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Strategic Forces regarding an Obama White House attempt to award a defense contract to the Lightsquared firm. Lightsquared is a high-tech company doing business in Virginia that's owned by billionaire Philip Falcone, an Obama friend and campaign contributor. According to the National Legal and Policy Center, Phil Falcone had visited the White House and made large cash contributions to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Soon after, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted his LightSquared a highly unusual waiver that allows the company to build out a national 4G wireless network on the cheap.

Obama’s ‘Jobs Bill’ Makes ACORN Eligible for $15 Billion in Taxpayer Money

http://patriotupdate.com/12253/obamas-jobs-bill-makes-acorn-eligible-for-15-billion-in-taxpayer-money

Excerpt: ACORN and other radical left-wing groups would be eligible for up to $15 billion in federal funding if President Obama’s new economic stimulus package becomes law. Section 261 of the bill provides $15 billion for “Project Rebuild.” Grants would be given to “qualified nonprofit organizations, businesses or consortia of eligible entities for the redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed-upon properties and for the stabilization of affected neighborhoods.” Radical groups like ACORN won’t get the whole $15 billion, though, because they will have to compete with state and local governments for the money. In March of this year, Obama’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gave a $79,819 grant to the Miami branch of the massive conglomerate known as ACORN Housing Corp. (AHC). AHC filed papers in 2010 legally changing its name to Affordable Housing Centers of America (AHCOA). The nonprofit corporation owed $162,813 in back taxes to the IRS, states, and cities as of this past July. Despite the new name, AHCOA is the same old corrupt organization. It even uses AHC’s federal Employer Identification Number (72-1048321). AHCOA operates out of the same office address (

209 W. Jackson Blvd.

, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60606) and uses the same telephone number (312-939-1611).

Worth Reading: Top Five Myths about Reducing Our $14 Trillion National Debt http://www.fedupusa.org/2011/09/top-five-myths-about-reducing-our-14-trillion-national-debt/

Excerpt: 1. We Can Use Income Taxes Alone to Reduce the Debt. No less an authority than Erskine Bowles, the co-chair of the President’s Fiscal Commission and chief of staff to former President Clinton, has admitted that the US cannot tax its way out of debt. Some have suggested that we should raise taxes on the richest Americans, which–using taxes alone–could mean creating a top tax rate as high as 91 percent, according to an analysis by the Tax Policy Center. Although it seems counter-intuitive, a tax rate as high as 91 percent could decrease government revenue, as wealthy Americans choose to work less and find creative ways to bypass the top tax rate. Ask yourself: Would you work hard to earn an extra dollar if politicians required you to give them 91 cents of it in taxes? That brings up another problem with “soaking the rich:” there aren’t enough of them. One-point-four million Americans make up the top 1 percent of taxpayers in this country; close to 139 million make up the remaining 99 percent. One percent of the country can’t realistically pay for the needs of remaining 99 percent—especially when they’re already paying nearly 40 percent of all income taxes. If we’re going to pay for our debt through higher taxes, tax rates at all levels will have to increase and those who currently pay no income tax (over 51 million people in 2008, according to the Tax Foundation) may have to pay a modest rate as well.

New Mexico's Driver's license bill gaining support from Deems

http://www.homeland1.com/homeland-security-news/1124000-New-Mexicos-Drivers-license-bill-gaining-support-from-Dems/

Excerpt: For the first time, Gov. Susana Martinez may be the favorite in the furious fight over driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants. Martinez, a Republican, wants to repeal the law allowing people to obtain New Mexico driver's licenses without proof of immigration status.

Democrats in the state Senate closed ranks last winter to thwart her attempt to eliminate the law. But now, during a special session, Martinez may have enough support to win, state Sen. George Mucus said Thursday. Mucus, D-Gallup, stood against Martinez earlier this year and said he is inclined to side with her this time. He also said a half-dozen other Democrats in the Senate could join him in shifting to her camp. That would be just enough for Martinez to carry the day on the issue in which she has invested enormous time and energy.

Why Is Arizona in the Jim Crow Penalty Box?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904060604576571032377668632.html?mod=djemITP_h

Excerpt: Last week Arizona became the first state to challenge a particularly egregious overreach of federal power: Washington's current interpretation of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Enacted in 1965, the Voting Rights Act ensures equal access to the ballot regardless of race. Section 5 was meant to deal with a handful of jurisdictions, mainly deep-South states, that resisted equal rights. Jurisdictions covered by Section 5 would have to ask the U.S. Justice Department for permission to make any changes in voting procedures—literally anything from one municipality annexing another to changes in polling-place locations. Those special burdens were justified as temporary measures aimed only at the most recalcitrant states, and initially Arizona was not among them. But in 1975, the act was amended to protect "language minorities," even though such groups never had been subjected to the systematic deprivation of voting rights to the same extent as blacks.

Asia Bib was sentenced to death by a court "influenced by Islamic extremists" and "without a lawyer"

http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=29853&lan=eng

Excerpt: There is more than a shadow on the case of Asia Bib, a 40-year old Christian woman, who was sentenced to death for blasphemy. Asia was judged by a court "under the obvious pressure of Islamic extremists", and "for personal vendetta". In addition there is an obvious procedural irregularity: during the investigations and preliminary interrogations, conducted by the police after the complaint, Asia did not have a lawyer: for this reason the whole trial could be invalidated. This is what is stated in a note sent to Fides by the influential Muslim study Centre "Jinnah Institute" in Karachi. Named after the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the institute is a "think tank" composed of Muslim intellectuals and chaired by the parliamentary Sherry Redman. She carries out her research in the field of law, human rights, rule of law and promotes the establishment of a democratic and secular Pakistan, as desired by Ali Jinnah.

An everyday tale of anti-Semitism in Cairo

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14911786

Excerpt: While walking in the street someone pushed me from behind with such force that I nearly fell over. Turning around, I found myself surrounded by five men, one of whom tried to punch me in the face. I stopped the attack by pointing out how shameful it was for a Muslim to assault a guest in his country, especially during Ramadan. Relieved that a seemingly random assault was over, I was appalled by the apology offered by one of my assailants. "Sorry," he said contritely, offering his hand, "we thought you were a Jew." Shaking his head in disbelief on hearing the news, an Egyptian friend sympathised: "That's stupid, you are obviously not a Jew." The chilling implication I was left with was that, had I been Jewish, the assault would have apparently been justified.

New Day, a New White House Scandal: First Solyndra, Now LightSquared

http://finance.townhall.com/columnists/bobbeauprez/2011/09/17/new_day,_a_new_white_house_scandal_first_solyndra,_now_lightsquared

Excerpt: It must feel like SSDD at the White House – same stuff, different day. While the stink from the Solyndra political corruption scandal continues to grow, a new one involving a 4-star Air Force General and military intelligence erupted yesterday from Capitol Hill.

City shuts down cancer patient's garage sales: Cheap shot?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20094653-10391704.html

Government bureaucrats at work. Rules are rules, comrade. ~Bob. Excerpt: How do you pay your medical bills when you're out of work and battling terminal cancer? A Salem, Ore. woman in that predicament set up garage sales in her backyard - but the local government shut her down, saying they violated city ordinances. City officials shut down 64-year-old Jan Cline's backyard garage sales because rules limit residents to three yard sales per year to prevent permanent flea-market-type sales on residential properties, according to a report by KATU-TV. Cline lost her job and was looking to raise money for treatment costs after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an illness that causes holes in her bones that leave them vulnerable to fractures.

Cost Of Obama's Jobs Bill 20 Times Greece's Deficit

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=585084&p=1

Excerpt: The president has taken to the campaign trail to promote his "American Jobs Act." That's a good name for it: an act. "Pass this bill now!" he declared 24 times at a stop in Raleigh, N.C., and another 18 in Columbus, Ohio, and the act is sufficiently effective that, three years into the Vapidity of Hope, the president can still find crowds of true believers willing to chant along with him: "Pass this bill now!" Not all supporters are content merely to sing along with the prompter-in-chief. In North Carolina, a still devoted hopeychanger cried out, "I love you!" "I love you, too," said the president. "But ... ." Oh, no, here it comes: conditional love. "But, if you love me, you've got to help me pass this bill!" You'd be surprised how effective this line is: I tried it on Darlene in the back of my Ford Edsel when I was 17, and we didn't get home till two in the morning. Pass this bill now, or I'll say "Pass this bill now!" another two dozen times! With this latest inspiration, Obama has taken the post-modern phase of democratic politics to a whole new level. "Pass this jobs bill"?

SOLYNDRA among 5 stimulus firms to go under

http://patriotupdate.com/12206/solyndra-among-5-stimulus-firms-to-go-under

Solyndra, the solar panel company whose highly publicized failure and consequent investigation by federal authorities has flashed across headlines recently, isn’t the only business to go belly up after benefiting from a piece of the $800 billion economic stimulus package passed in 2009. At least four other companies have received stimulus funding only to later file for bankruptcy, and two of those were working on alternative energy. Evergreen Solar Inc., indirectly received $5.3 million through a state grant to open a $450 million facility in 2007 that employed roughly 800 people. SpectraWatt, based in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., is also a solar cell company that was spun out of Intel in 2008. In June 2009, SpectraWatt received a $500,000 grant from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the stimulus package. Mountain Plaza and Olsen’s Crop Service/Olsen’s Mills Acquisition Co. Have also failed despite 2 million and 10 million respectively to increase employment and add equipment and machinery. “Solar panels have been subsidized by the federal government. States’ governments are also subsidizing or giving taxpayers write-off on their tax return. And yet, these solar panels cannot make it in the competitive world without all these subsidies. And even with them, China is flooding the market with this cheap labor and the solar panels just don’t make sense,” House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns R-Fla., told Fox News.

Attackwatch Tee Shirts

http://www.cafepress.com/attackwatchbrownshirt

Capitalism Strikes!!! --Jim

PLO Official Protested Israeli Presence at Anti-Semitism Conference

http://www.investigativeproject.org/3187/plo-official-protested-israeli-presence-at-anti

Excerpt: PLO Ambassador to Washington Maen Areikat drew unwanted attention by suggesting earlier this week that a new Palestinian state would be Jew-free. Asked about the rights of minorities in a future Palestinian state, Areikat told reporters Tuesday that Palestinians and Jews should be "totally separated" in a new Palestinian state. After decades of conflict and friction, "I think it would be in the best interest of the two peoples to be separated," he told reporters in the Nation's Capitol. At a House hearing Wednesday, former presidential advisor Elliott Abrams called Areikat's remarks "a despicable form of anti-Semitism" and told lawmakers that the PLO office should be closed if the group continues trying to circumvent negotiations with Israel by getting the United Nations to declare Palestinian statehood. Areikat later denied calling for a Palestinian state without Jews and said his remarks had been taken out of context. But Tuesday's comments were not the first time he had stirred controversy with comments about Israelis and Jews.

The Great Social Security Debate: Of course it’s a Ponzi scheme

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/277376/great-social-security-debate-charles-krauthammer

Excerpt: Proposition 1: In a Ponzi scheme, the people who invest early get their money out with dividends. But these dividends don’t come from any profitable or productive activity — they consist entirely of money paid in by later participants. This cannot go on forever because at some point there just aren’t enough new investors to support the earlier entrants. Word gets around that there are no profits, just money transferred from new to old. The merry-go-round stops, the scheme collapses, and the remaining investors lose everything.

This Cartoon Seemed Far-Fetched In 1948

http://nationaljuggernaut.blogspot.com/2009/09/this-cartoon-seemed-far-fetched-in-1948.html

In South China Sea, a dispute over energy

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific/in-south-china-sea-a-dispute-over-energy/2011/09/07/gIQA0PrQaK_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines

Excerpt: When China’s largest offshore petroleum producer launched this summer from Shanghai, Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the commander of Philippine military forces 1,500 miles away in the South China Sea, began preparing for trouble. The drilling platform, said China, would soon be heading in the general’s direction — southward into waters rich in oil and natural gas, and also in volatile fuel for potential conflict. In “We started war-gaming what we could do,” said Sabban, a barrel-chested, American-trained marine who, as chief of the Philippines’ Western Command, is responsible for keeping out intruders from a wide swath of sea that Manila views as its own but that is also claimed by Beijing. (With our power declining and China's growing, the PI will have to bow to China's wishes eventually. ~Bob.)

Book portrays dysfunction in Obama White House

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/book-portrays-dysfunction-in-obama-white-house/2011/09/16/gIQAdxloYK_story.html

Excerpt: Obama administration officials scrambled Friday to hunt down copies of a new book scheduled to be released next week that paints an unflattering portrait of a dysfunctional and acrimonious White House that sometimes stymied President Obama’s effort to rescue the country’s economy. The book, “Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington and the Education of a President,” by journalist Ron Suskind, comes at an inconvenient time for an administration that increasingly finds itself on the defensive over questions of effectiveness. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the book Friday.

DSK Says Greece Is Done

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/dsk-says-greece-done?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29

Excerpt: Funny how all it takes for people to tell the truth is to no longer be part of the status quo. Yesterday, former UK PM and gold trader extraordinaire Gordon Brown said the 2011 financial crisis is worse than that of 2008, and now we have the man who until 5 months ago was head (it just never gets old) of the IMF, saying that Greece is finished.

The Complete History Of The Fannie & Freddie Disaster

http://dailybail.com/home/the-complete-history-of-the-fannie-freddie-disaster.html?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

German Catholicism Welcomes the Barracks and the Bayonets

http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2011/09/german-catholicism-welcomes-barracks.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Excerpt: As Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan famously said, “The mosques are our barracks, the domes our helmets, the minarets our bayonets and the faithful our soldiers.” The German Catholic hierarchy has decided to help the Turkish invaders build their barracks, affix their bayonets, and bring their faithful soldiers into Germany. (If they are giving gifts at the opening of mosques, an AK-47 or some C-4 is always thoughtful. ~Bob.)

Infanticide, Canadian Style

http://www.christianpost.com/news/infanticide-canadian-style-55828/

Excerpt: Mark Steyn hit the nail on the head when he accused a Canadian appeals court of allowing for a “fourth-trimester abortion” - that’s right, the killing of a baby that is already born.

The case emerged from the Court of Queen’s Bench in Alberta, where a judge faced the fact that a woman had been convicted of strangling her newborn son and then throwing the baby’s body over the fence into her neighbor’s yard. As CBC News reported, the woman was given a three-year suspended sentence and will spend no time in jail for the killing of her baby. Katrina Efferts “will have to abide by conditions for the next three years but she won’t spend time behind bars for strangling her own son.” Justice Joanne Veit, whose name should now go down in legal and moral infamy, tied this woman’s act of infanticide to Canada’s lack of legal restrictions on abortion. The judge’s decision stated that “while many Canadians undoubtedly view abortion as a less than ideal solution to unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancy, they generally understand, accept and sympathize with the onerous demands pregnancy and childbirth exact from mothers, especially mothers without support.”

Solyndra Investor admits: we wanted the loan so we could 'go public and cash out'

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/09/solyndra_investor_admits_we_wanted_the_loan_so_we_could_go_public_and_cash_out.html

Excerpt: A clearer picture of the underlying insider scheme at Solyndra is beginning to emerge.

Yuliya Chernova of the Wall Street Journal writes a superb column today regarding all the business problems that beset the scandal plagued Solyndra. There were a litany of engineering and business problems that were very apparent to everyone except, apparently, the White House politicos that pressured career officials in the government to extend a 500 million dollar loan guarantee. The crony investors were given an unusually low interest rate for such a venture.  Solyndra was first in line to get loan guarantees under the Obama program to promote solar energy ventures. Solyndra private investors were given priority in case of bankruptcy that placed their claims above those of taxpayers -- a highly unusual occurrence, according to the Wall Street Journal. So who were the type of people granted such favorable treatment? Yes, Obama donors and bundlers. That has been widely publicized. But beyond that, what type of character did they possess? One investor behind Solyndra blurted out the truth. The loan was needed and needed urgently to fatten up the company and show a going concern (with a factory, etc). Why? From the column: There was another motivator -- Solyndra's management and investors had an eye on an initial public offering. "There was a perceived halo around the loan," said an investor with knowledge of the company. "If we get the loan, then we can definitely go public and cash out." The huge loan would be a selling point in an initial public offering. The company promoters could point out that the loan gave them credibility -- that the government had vouched for their viability and prospects.

Did Obama’s former investment play role in pressuring 4-star general to change testimony?

http://hotair.com/archives/2011/09/17/did-obamas-former-investment-play-role-in-pressuring-4-star-general-to-change-testimony/Earlier this week, Eli Lake reported that the four-star Air Force general in charge of US Space Command told a Congressional panel that the White House pressured him to change his testimony to favor a company that shelled out donations for Democrats.  LightSquared wants to press forward on a project that the military fears will create serious interference with GPS systems, and General William Shelton was going to address those concerns with Congress before the White House tried to push him into saying a few nice words on behalf of their sponsor.  A reminder: The four-star Air Force general who oversees U.S. Space Command walked into a highly secured room on Capitol Hill a week ago to give a classified briefing to lawmakers and staff, and dropped a surprise. Pressed by members, Gen. William Shelton said the White House tried to pressure him to change his testimony to make it more favorable to a company tied to a large Democratic donor. …According to officials familiar with the situation, Shelton’s prepared testimony was leaked in advance to the company. And the White House asked the general to alter the testimony to add two points: that the general supported the White House policy to add more broadband for commercial use; and that the Pentagon would try to resolve the questions around LightSquared with testing in just 90 days. Shelton chafed at the intervention, which seemed to soften the Pentagon’s position and might be viewed as helping the company as it tries to get the project launched, the officials said.As it turns out, LightSquared is more than just a Democratic donor.  The Lonely Conservative points us to a July 2011 article at The Huffington Post, in which it seems that Barack Obama himself has a personal interest in LightSquared:When the Federal Communications Commission granted LightSquared Inc. expedited approval to launch a new wireless Internet service, some powerful voices in Washington expressed alarm, including the Pentagon and one-third of the U.S. Senate .LightSquared’s bold $14 billion plan, its detractors said, could cripple GPS systems and threaten aviation safety, disrupt military and rescue operations and interfere with high-tech farming equipment and the everyday navigation devices used by millions. …Several major Democratic campaign contributors and longtime Obama supporters have held investments in the company and its affiliates during its tangled decade of existence. They include Obama’s good friend and political donor Donald Gips, his former White House personnel chief, who now serves as U.S. ambassador to South Africa. Records show that Gips maintained an interest, worth as much as $500,000, as the FCC was weighing LightSquared’s request. Obama himself was an early investor and came to the presidency a firm believer in expanding broadband. He remains close to other early investors, like Gips and investment manager George W. Haywood, inviting some to luxe social events at the White House and more intimate gatherings like a night of poker and beer.