SOTU & O munism
Re-branding the government: Obama, TMP, and logo-mania
February 24, 2010 10:56 AM by Michelle Malkin
Ah, sorry to bother you Mr. Obama, Sir.. . 1. Occidental College records — Not released 13. Why your wife, Michelle, can no longer practice law as an attorney? (Insurance Fraud?_ 14. Why your wife has 22 assistants, when other First Ladies had one? 15. Why were you getting “foreign student aid” as a college student? 16. Which countries “passport” did you have when you visited Pakistan in 1981? Oh and one more thing Mr. President, I can’t seem to find any articles you published as editor of the Harvard Law Review, or as a Professor at the University of Chicago. Can you explain that to me, Sir?
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Van Jones an ‘American Treasure’?
Obama’s disgraced former ‘green jobs czar’, an outed communist, will receive a NAACP Image Award, despite his controversial resignation.
• FOX FORUM: Speech May Be Start of Comeback Tour; on March 8, Jones will again appear at a Democratic “green jobs” event, in New York with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Trains, Pains, and a Whole Lot of Subsidies
From Robert Clemmer on Friday, January 29, 2010 12:39 PMIn his State of the Union Address, Obama mentioned that “there’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture clean energy products.” After his speech he and Joe Biden went to Florida, pitching their idea for high-speed rail. However is this something we really need?
SOTU State Of The Union ANALYSIS
State of the Union Myth/Fact: Obama’s Taxes on Energy & Families
From Brian M Johnson on Friday, January 29, 2010 12:12 PM
MYTH: “But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, investment fund managers, and those making over $250,000 a year. We just can’t afford it.”
FACT: Obama’s “tax cuts for oil companies” refers to International Revenue Code Section 199, the Domestic Production Activities Deduction that applies to every company in the US. The president wants to single out energy companies and repeal their income tax deduction which will raise the price of energy, passing a $13.3 billion tax onto every American family.
MYTH: “…we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. That means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country.”
FACT: The President has never once endorsed any of the alternative pieces of energy legislation that address the need for additional nuclear plants in America and has never allocated any resources for their construction in his budget. He has instead, focused on raising the cost of energy.
Click “read more” for to view the entire list of click here for the PDF.
SOTU: The President’s Misguided Take on Spending
From Sandra Fabry on Friday, January 29, 2010 10:06 AM
In his State of the Union speech, President Obama gave a verbal nod to the need for spending restraint. However, his calls for restraint and his proposed solutions ring hollow against the record of fiscal recklessness of his first year in office and his largely unchanged, costly agenda.
Obama’s Spending Freeze:
The President proposed a three-year non-defense, non-homeland security discretionary spending freeze beginning in 2011. While we do not yet have the details as to whether his freeze would apply to actual outlays or budget authority, his proposal falls short either way. After a massive spending spree of unprecedented proportions, the goal should not be to “freeze” spending, the goal has to be to cut spending.
What is needed is an across-the-board roll back of Federal spending to pre-binge levels, not locking in increased levels. And there is no reason such a spending cut could not occur immediately rather than in 2011. Leaving “stimulus” and TARP aside, the FY2010 appropriations bills signed by President Obama have increased non-defense, discretionary spending by 12% over last year.
Rescinding remaining “stimulus” funds and immediately ending the TARP program, as well as a comprehensive rescissions package along the lines of Sen. Coburn’s amendment to the debt ceiling increase bill would have been a first good step in the right direction.
Hit “read more” for the full post.
State of the Union Myth/Fact:
Government-Run Healthcare
From Ryan Ellis on Thursday, January 28, 2010 3:42 PM
MYTH: “[My health plan] would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market.”
FACT: The Obama-Reid-Pelosi plan would actually increase health premium costs for the uninsured. The average individual health insurance premium today is $2985 for singles and $6328 for families. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the average premium will increase to $5800 for singles and $15,200 for families under the Obama plan by 2016. This is 10 to 13 percent higher than they would be under current law. Only those individuals earning less than about $40,000 and families earning less than about $85,000 would receive any tax or spending benefits to even partially-offset this increased cost. Those earning more than this get no help whatsoever.
For small businesses (“small group plans”), today’s average premium is $4155 for singles and $10,956 for families. Under the Obama-Reid-Pelosi plan, this increases to $7800 for singles and $19,200 for families by 2016, a 1-2 percent increase over current law. Only about 12 percent of people receiving coverage from their small business employer would benefit from the small business health tax credit.
Read more myth/fact after the jump…
State of the Union Myth/Fact:
Obama’s New Taxes on Your 401(k)
From Ryan Ellis on Thursday, January 28, 2010 11:40 AM
MYTH: “To help working families, we will extend our middle-class tax cuts. But at a time of record deficits, we will not continue tax cuts for oil companies, investment fund managers, and those making over $250,000 a year. We just can’t afford it.”
FACT: Let’s lay out exactly what tax increases he is proposing here (leaving aside the fact that “we” are the ones who can’t afford his taxes, not the other way around):
The top two tax rates (which two-thirds of small business profits face) would rise from 33 and 35 percent today to 36 and 39.6 percent in 2010. The return of the itemized deduction and personal exemption phase-outs would take the mathematical effective top marginal tax rate to 41.6 percent.
The top capital gains rate would rise from 15 to 20 percent. The top dividends rate would skyrocket from 15 to 39.6 percent. This would be a body blow to everyone’s IRA and 401(k) as the stock market priced in this new tax wedge.
Obama-Pelosi-Reid wants to raise the capital gains tax rate for managers of investment partnerships from 15 percent to 39.6 percent. This will leave universities, charities, and pension plans holding the bag as partnership managers understandably demand a greater profit share to make them whole after-tax.
Finally, Obama is referring to repealing the “Section 199” domestic production activities deduction—but only for energy companies. This is a targeted tax hike on one industry. It will result in higher energy costs for all of us (companies don’t pay higher taxes—they pass them along to us as higher prices). It’s shortsighted and counter-productive.
More myths and facts after the jump…Read More
State of the Union: Obama v. Constitution
“The duty imposed upon him to take care, that the laws be faithfully executed, follows out the strong injunctions of his oath of office, that he will ‘preserve, protect, and defend the constitution.’ The great object of the executive department is to accomplish this purpose; and without it, be the form of government whatever it may, it will be utterly worthless for offence, or defence; for the redress of grievances, or the protection of rights; for the happiness, or good order, or safety of the people.” –Justice Joseph Story
The ObamaPrompterIn the wake of Barack Hussein Obama’s first State of the Union address, much of the critical analysis from Republicans posited that he should do “this” instead of “that.”
Unfortunately, when there is no more constitutional authority for a president to do this rather than that, Republicans fail to distinguish themselves from Democrats since both parties are then advocating unlawful extra-constitutional policies.
Obama’s SOTU teleprompters fed him a steady stream of poll-tested rhetoric, none of which comports with the authority granted the Executive Branch, unless, of course, one subscribes to the adulterated “living constitution” as amended by judicial diktat.
Predictably, Obama offered only Socialist solutions to all ills, and not a single suggestion that individual responsibility or the private sector economy should shoulder that burden, at least not without government “incentives,” a.k.a. centralized social and economic planning.
In 7,400 words (second longest SOTU after Bill Clinton — two narcissists who just can’t hear enough of themselves), Obama referred to himself repeatedly, and alleged that he was the anointed spokesman for “we,” the American people, more than 100 times.
On the other hand, he mentioned the Constitution only twice.
First, in his opening remarks Obama said, “Our Constitution declares that from time to time the president shall give to Congress information about the state of our union.”
Correct.
Second, he asserted, “We find unity in our incredible diversity, drawing on the promise enshrined in our Constitution, the notion that we’re all created equal…”
FAIL! That “notion” was enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, third paragraph, first sentence. One would think that this alleged expert on “Constitutional Law” would know better.
Our Constitution is devoted to clearly delineating the limited role of the central government from the unlimited rights of the states and the people.
To that end, James Madison, author of our Constitution, wrote, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite.”
Accordingly, Obama mentions freedom only once, and made absolutely no reference to liberty.
Nowhere in our Constitution is there any authority or provision for these key proposals from Obama’s SOTU:
1. The power to further centralize regulation of our economy.
2. The power to completely regulate our national health care system. Obama even repeated his claim that the American people are just not smart enough to get on board: “I take my share of the blame for not explaining it more clearly to the American people.”
3. The power to further regulate and tax the production of CO2.
Obama reiterated his claims that the current recession was caused by “Wall Street,” and then went on to insist that the only hope for ending the recession was government “investment,” a euphemism for taxing money out of the private sector, taking bureaucratic handling fees out, then giving it to political constituencies.
To correctly interpret Obama’s SOTU, you need only filter everything he says through his foremost pledge that the his administration’s charge is the “fundamental transformation of the United States of America.”
That is a line Obama lifted from the primary architect of his Socialist platform, Robert Creamer, who had earlier proclaimed, “If Barack Obama is elected president, then we have the opportunity to fundamentally transform American politics and the economy.”
It’s likely that you’ve never heard of Bob Creamer, because Barack Obama is very adept at concealing his association with his Marxist patrons.
In his younger days, Obama was not concerned about such associations: “I chose my friends carefully,” he wrote. “The more politically active black students; the foreign students; the Chicanos; the Marxist professors and structural feminists and punk-rock performance poets.”
But when he announced his aspirations to become a U.S. senator in 2004, Obama began to cover his tracks. He stopped associating publicly with Leftist colleagues and mentors such as Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleger, William Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Khalid al-Mansour, Rashid Khalidi, Bob Creamer and others.
Creamer is a member of Obama’s Chicago mob, a fellow “community organizer” and disciple of Saul Alinsky. Like all of Obama’s Chicago benefactors, Creamer believes that he is above the law, or, more appropriately, that he is the law in today’s age of the rule of men. But like Tony Rezko, another of Obama’s slick Chicago political backers, Creamer was caught with his hand in the till and was convicted of a felony (bank fraud) back in 2004 when Obama was a state senator. Creamer got a softball sentence, though: five months in a minimum-security facility for white-collar criminals and another 11 months of house arrest.
With all that time on his hands, Creamer authored a book, “How Progressives Can Win,” which, along with Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals,” serves as the template for Obama’s campaign to “fundamentally transform” America.
Obama didn’t use the word “transform” in his SOTU, but he did insist that government must “lay a new foundation for long-term economic growth,” under the pretense of “reform,” in order to “give our people the government they deserve.”
“I campaigned on the promise of change, change we can believe in. I know there are many Americans who aren’t sure if they still believe that I can deliver it. I never suggested that change would be easy … and when you try to do big things and make big changes, it stirs passions and controversy.”
And well, it should.
Though Obama’s efforts to nationalize the nation’s health care sector have been temporarily stalled, he has no intention of giving up, announcing that he is redoubling his efforts to expand central government controls over the private sector under cover of “economic crisis.” As White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.”
Leading up to his SOTU, Obama endeavored to portray himself as a fiscal conservative: “We can’t continue to spend as if deficits don’t have consequences, as if waste doesn’t matter, as if the hard earned tax dollars of the American people can be treated like monopoly money, that’s what we’ve seen time and time again, Washington has become more concerned about the next election than the next generation.”
This is subterfuge.
Obama endeavors to portray himself as a constitutional conservative: “We will lead in the observance of … the rule of law. … Don’t mock the Constitution. Don’t make fun of it. Don’t suggest that it’s not American to abide by what the Founding Fathers set up. It’s worked pretty well for over 200 years.”
This is deception.
Obama endeavors to portray himself as a resolute commander in chief. Regarding Operation Iraqi Freedom he decreed, “Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31st, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end.” On Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, he declared, “After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home.” On the treatment of captive terrorists, he says, “I will restore America’s moral standing.” On the Long War with Jihadistan, Obama claims, “The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam.”
This is farce.
Obama is a dangerous neophyte in matters of national security, and he shows no signs of improving.
If Republicans really want to defeat Obama’s Leftist agenda, they need to adopt the tried and true conservative message founded on Essential Liberty. Only then can they truly take control of the debate.
And while Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell’s response to Obama’s SOTU address was encouraging, the current crop of Republican leaders continues to play by Democrat rules, attempting to sell a dangerous and debilitating elixir: “We don’t offend the Constitution as bad as they do.”
Bottom line: Republicans must refocus on First Principles and govern accordingly.
Republicans can best distinguish themselves from Democrats by, first and foremost, honoring their sacred oath to “support and defend” our Constitution.
To that end, Obama declared, “If you abide by the law, you should be protected by it.”
True, but on the other hand, if you are not going to abide by the law, you should be impeached.
P.S. If you are going to seat two police officers next to your wife in the gallery, the two who brought down the Ft. Hood jihadi terrorist, you might at least acknowledge them, or invite them to the White House for a beer.
By Mark Alexander · Thursday, January 21, 2010
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” –Article II, Section I, U.S. Constitution
Barack Hussein Obama is preparing to deliver his first “State of the Union” speech, a self evaluation of his first year’s achievements.
Sprinkled between his infamous “let me be clear” or “make no mistake” introduction to his prevarications, he will, characteristically, attempt to spin a plethora of failures into something good using these phony fallback phrases: back from the brink; signs of recovery; restored our reputation; achieved some successes; more work yet to do; fiscal restraint; greed on Wall Street; affordable health care; relief for working families; jobs created or saved, and, of course, investing in America, a euphemism for taxing and spending.
He’ll also use the word “inherited,” as in “I inherited this mess.” He’ll speak of “unprecedented” reforms or achievements or challenges. And he’ll mention “those who seek to do us harm,” but he won’t dare utter the term “Islamic terrorists.”
All of this will be sandwiched between lots of “I” and “me.”
In advance of his teleprompted propaganda, then, let’s take a reality check on Obama and his first year.
Never before in the history of our great nation has any sitting president held so much disregard and outright contempt for our Constitution and Rule of Law.
Perhaps the operative words in his oath were, “to the best of my ability”?
Of course, what were we to expect from a Marxist, whose views on government and economy were shaped by his surrogate father and communist mentor, Frank Marshall Davis; whose first campaign for political office was launched by Maoist anarchists William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn; whose political career has been stewarded by the likes of Leftists Richard Daley, Michael Pfleger, Khalid al-Mansour, Rashid Khalidi, et al.
And don’t forget his religious mentor, Jeremiah Wright, who married Barack and Michelle and baptized their children.
Wright preached hate, plain and simple: “The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. The government gives [black people] drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strikes law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no, g-d d— America. G-d d— America for treating our citizens as less than human. G-d d— America.”
Wright sermonized that our great nation is in fact the “U.S. of KKK-A” and is “controlled by and run by rich white people. Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run. We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in god. And god has got to be sick of this sh-t!”
How did Obama respond when asked about his pastor’s perennial anti-American tirades? “It sounds like he was trying to be provocative,” concludes Obama.
At a foundational level, Obama’s ability and his agenda have been shaped first and foremost by his condition as a pathological narcissist, a young man driven by a blinding need for acceptance and its coefficient, power — the result of a childhood characterized by his father’s, and then stepfather’s, rejection.
It should be noted that the young Barry Obama did not ask for or deserve the hardship he suffered as a child any more than millions of other children abandoned by their fathers today. In that respect, he deserves our compassion.
However, Obama’s insatiable pathological need for power renders him a very dangerous person in power.
He was elected on a promise that should have served as a warning sign: “This is our moment, this is our time to turn the page on the policies of the past, to offer a new direction. We are fundamentally transforming the United States of America.“
He ran his charismatic campaign on a promise of “hope,” but in the words of Patrick Henry, “It is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth — and listen to the song of that siren, till she transforms us into beasts.”
As for “fundamentally transforming” our nation, that is a thinly veiled reference to an outright assault on our Constitution and our Essential Liberty, one that thrusts an ever more powerful central government upon us.
Not since 1860 has the Union been at such odds with the fundamental rights of the States and the People.
Obama’s effort to endow the central government with absolute authority follows his Socialist political playbook, Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals.”
Obama was elected just weeks after an economic collapse which can be tied directly to Leftist economic policies.
His effort to “Reclaim America” involves taxing and borrowing more than a trillion dollars from the private sector, sifting it through the bureaucracies of his political appointees, then “investing” it into the public sector to grow government and pay off his special interest constituencies and other benefactors.
He is plundering private sector resources under the pretense of private sector “job creation.”
He has attempted, with some success, to nationalize, by way of regulation, coercion or “investment,” the major industrial and service segments of the economy — including energy, banking, investment, education, insurance, automotive and real estate — and he has supplanted free enterprise with Socialism.
He is endeavoring to nationalize our nation’s largest single economic sector, health care, and he laughs off any suggestion that there is no constitutional authority for such folly. Moreover, the House version creates 111 new oversight bureaucracies. (1)
He has attempted to advance his domestic agenda on a global scale under the guise of “climate change.”
Further, Obama’s national security failures present even greater peril to life and liberty.
Coddling Islamic extremists, bowing to Saudi kings, apologizing to the world, politicizing terrorist interrogation methods at Gitmo, treating terrorism as “criminal activity” and moving the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to New York, using Operation Enduring Freedom as campaign fodder and setting a timeframe for withdrawal from Afghanistan — these and many more grossly errant policy decisions served only to hinder and demoralize us and our allies while empowering and emboldening our enemies, thus enabling jihadi attacks against our uniformed Patriots abroad, and even domestically, such as the murder of 12 soldiers, one civilian, and an unborn baby at Ft. Hood.
Of course, there were other ridiculous gaffes, like the one at his last public press conference (six months ago), when he offered his impromptu assessment of the arrest of his friend, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, by claiming that the Cambridge Police “acted stupidly.” His subsequent “beer summit” was a forced and feeble attempt at damage control.
And then there was the Nobel Peace Prize, a ridiculous Euro-leftist albatross of an award that was bestowed upon Obama just days after he ascended to the presidency.
Were it not for the threat of unbridled laughter, Obama’s SOTU address might also reflect on some of the most egregious prevarications from his brief tenure.
On his plans for massive government expansion: “Not because I believe in bigger government — I don’t.”
On his grand Socialist schemes: “I’ve never bought into these Malthusian, woe, Chicken Little, the earth is falling — I tend to be pretty optimistic.”
On the so-called “stimulus package” (i.e., record debt): “Less than one month after taking office, we enacted the most sweeping recovery package in history, and we did so without any of the earmarks, pork-barrel projects that are usually accompanying these big — these big bills.”
On bailouts for behemoth auto producers: “Let me be clear. The United States government has no interest in running GM. We have no intention of running GM.”
On his friends at ACORN: “You know, it’s — frankly, it’s not really something I’ve followed closely. I didn’t even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.”
On blame shifting: “You haven’t seen me out there blaming the Republicans.”
On taxes: “I will tax just the rich. I want to give a tax cut to the middle class.”
On the cost of ObamaCare: “It won’t add to the deficit. And I mean it! … It’s designed to lower it!” And how about this one: “I have not said I am in favor of a single-payer system.”
On the transparency of his health care “reform” deliberations: “It’s going to be on C-SPAN.”
On jobs (record unemployment): “My administration has created or saved… [ad nauseam].” (2)
On the political influence of grassroots Tea Party participants: “Those people waving their little tea bags around…”
Clearly, Obama has underestimated the influence of those who support America’s First Principles. In addition, he has also grossly misread his mandate as the heir of the once-noble Democratic Party.
These miscalculations were manifest in the recent Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections, and again this week in Massachusetts.
Who woulda thunk it — that in the most liberal state of the union, whose legislature hastily amended laws so the governor could immediately appoint a Demo replacement for the seat vacated by the U.S. Senate’s most liberal member, Ted Kennedy, who had occupied the seat for 47 years since the departure of his brother, JFK, and whose life ambition was to nationalize health care, whose designated replacement, Martha Coakley ran on his platform — who woulda thunk that a Democrat who just weeks ago held a 30-point lead in the polls would be defeated by Scott Brown, a moderate Republican state legislator of the Mitt Romney variety, who ran on a platform against nationalized health care?
Clearly, the loss of a Senate seat in Massachusetts is a major reality check for Obama. When asked about the rising rejection of his “vision” for America, Obama responded, “I think the assumption was if I just focus on policy, if I just focus on this provision or that law or if we’re making a good rational decision here, then people will get it.”
In other words, “The people are just too dumb to get it.”
And speaking of “the people,” when Scott Brown was asked in his last debate with Coakley if he would be willing to “sit in Teddy Kennedy’s seat” and vote against the health care bill, he responded, “Well, with all due respect, it’s not the Kennedy seat, and it’s not the Democrats’ seat, it’s the people’s seat.”
Every Republican and Independent running for election or re-election in 2010 should, first, take that cue from Brown — the seats they seek belong to the people. Second, they should take a cue from Ronald Reagan, who left a timeless template for success: Run on a platform that, first and foremost, insists on the re-establishment of constitutional Rule of Law, and then governs accordingly.
For too long, too many Americans have been complacent about liberty, believing it to be their birthright and the birthright of generations to come. They have enjoyed the fruit of liberty defended by others, taking rights for granted and knowing nothing of the obligations for maintaining that blessing.
Most Americans have never had to fight for liberty and, thus, have little concept of its value or any sense of gratitude for its accumulated cost — a cost paid by generations of Patriots who have pledged their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor.
The election of Barack Hussein Obama was an egregious affront to our legacy of Essential Liberty, and a clarion call to action for the many good citizens who honor the rights and obligations of citizenship.
As was the case with the first American Revolution, we now face a crucial battle for liberty. The upcoming elections, more than any other in recent history, are about the restoration of constitutional integrity.
Fellow Patriots, this is our time. The road to recovery is long, but the momentum is with us.
Footnotes: 1. With the election of Brown, ObamaCare in its present form is dead, but expect Obama to call for passage of revised legislation, which has support of both Republicans and Democrats. Once passed, it can then be readily amended.
2. Credit where credit due — Obama’s recovery plan has not created any real jobs, but it did secure new employment for at least three Republicans: One in Virginia, one in New Jersey and now one in Massachusetts.
Obama’s Nuclear Lie
Brian Sussman
The president’s pants were smoldering during his State of the Union address. More
Obama Talks, Ahmadinejad Laughs
Joel J. Sprayregen
Iranian President Ahmadinejad must have had a good laugh when he read the scant foreign policy section of President Obama’s State of the Union speech. More
Obama Gets Real with Republicans, Without His Teleprompter
Andy Wickersham
The appearance of the president at the Republicans’ retreat in Baltimore on Friday was yet another illustration of the indispensability of the Obama teleprompter. More
Degenerate Democracy
Mark W. Hendrickson
Aristotle considered the adjective “degenerate” redundant when coupled with “democracy,” and America’s founding fathers shared his disapprobation. More
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Reading and Watching SOTU Reactions …
While I’m on round 2 of antibiotics to fight strep:
VIDEO: During Obama’s hyper partisan attack last night John McCain was seen mouthing “Blame it on Bush.” Obama may want to study up on fact.
SOTU Fact Check: Obama and a Toothless Commission. Additionally:
Obama repeatedly insisted that he inherited massive budgetary problems from George Bush, but the Con Law professor may want to retake his high-school civics class. Congress passes budgets, not the President, and the last three budgets came from Democrats. In three years, they increased annual federal spending by $900 billion, while the admittedly profligate and irresponsible Republican Congresses under George Bush increased annual federal spending by $800 billion — in six years. And during the last three years before taking office as President, Obama served in the Senate that passed those bills, and he voted for every Democratic budget put in front of him.
My emphasis.
VIDEO: The President’s major and egregiously illogical diss of the Supreme Court and Justice Alito’s quiet little Joe Wilson moment.
“He [Alito] deserved to be criticized, if he didn’t like it he can mouth whatever they want,” Weiner [Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)] said. “These Supreme Court justices sometimes forget that we live in the real world. They got a real world reminder tonight, if you make a boneheaded decision, someone’s going to call you out on it.”
Ahem:
Indeed, Mr. Obama’s description of the holding of the case was imprecise. He said the court had “reversed a century of law.”
The law that Congress enacted in the populist days of the early 20th century prohibited direct corporate contributions to political campaigns. That law was not at issue in the Citizens United case, and is still on the books. Rather, the court struck down a more complicated statute that barred corporations and unions from spending money directly from their treasuries — as opposed to their political action committees — on television advertising to urge a vote for or against a federal candidate in the period immediately before the election. It is true, though, that the majority wrote so broadly about corporate free speech rights as to call into question other limitations as well — although not necessarily the existing ban on direct contributions.
Maybe I expected to much in the way of scope from Obama, but he was advertised as a Constitutional law scholar, was he not?
Althouse: It’s not how much or how loud you speak that counts, is it?
Jay Stewart: Reflections On Obama Before SOTU:
He declared that he would not allow policies to help the fortunate few, then took vouchers away from low-income black students in Washington DC.
He made promises on improving education, as I remarked in last night’s liveblog:
If he really wants to improve education and equalize access for students, one word: VOUCHERS.
There were only two things I liked out of his entire speech: the removal of capital gains taxes on small business investment which is hugely important to the engine of our economy, and his promise on offshore drilling and nuclear plants.
However, he disappointed his base with unfulfilled promises on Iraq, DADT, jobs, health care, and more, which makes me think that he’ll be twice as likely to break promises on the aforementioned.
Poll: Majority of Missourians Wished McCain Would’ve Won http://thedanashow.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/poll-majority-of-missourians-wished-mccain-wouldve-won/
St. Louis Tea Party http://stlouisteaparty.com/
Lech Walsea Rallies for Illinois for Adam Andrzejewski
Andrew Marcus has photos from the rally at which the former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Lech Walsea endorsed Republican Illinois gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski.
ABC7:
Lech Walesa, the former polish president, is endorsing Polish-American Adam Andrzejewski in the Republican race for governor.
Walesa an iconic figure of Poland’s rise from communism but today Lech Walesa is hoping to give Adam Andrzejewski a lift in the race for governor. he two men joined together for an event at the Union League Club of Chicago.
“I have good political nose,” told ABC7 through an interpreter.
Walesa says his endorsement is about more than merely sharing Polish heritage. He believes the Hinsdale businessman would bring a new honest approach to Illinois government.
“Because he has no baggage. He is open. He can put things in order. Clean house,” said Walesa
Ryan Ellis Talks Bank Tax, TARP, Health Care and Excessive Government Spending on Glenn Beck (ASA Site ») http://americanshareholders.org/ryan-ellis-talks-bank-tax-tarp-a2877
Back by popular demand: Obama Bingo!Americans for Tax Reform once again presents this handy(BINGO CARD 1 of 4)“Freeze” –Two Step Diet Plan: 1. Gorge at an all-you-can-eat buffet 2. Repeat for the next three years“Unprecedented levels” –The current level of government spending, the highest since WW II“Children and grandchildren”– The people picking up the tab“Crisis”– Excuse to hike taxes and grow the government per Rahm Emmanuel’s theory: “Never waste a crisis”“There are those who…” –[INSERT STRAW MAN HERE]“Banks” –Recipients of bailout funding not named Government Motors, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac“Wall Street” –Place where your 401(k) and IRA live and where the bank tax would be collected from“Main Street” –Place where you live and where the rest of Obama’s tax hikes would be collected from“Middle Class” –Those who make less than $250,000 a year and yet are the target of seven tax hikes in Obamacare“Hope”– Home town of a former President who could teach Obama a lot about listening to voters when his leftist policies prove“Change”– Take-home pay of future generations due to massive spending increases and government expansion“Bipartisan”– Democrat efforts to get Republican fingerprints on bad pieces of legislation“Investment”– The government spending your tax dollars“As I’ve said before”– Prepare for a poll-tested line from stump speeches“Washington special interests”– Lobbyists who comply with the law, unlike the SEIU’s Andy Stern“Status quo”– A $100 billion hike in domestic spending which Obama wants to “freeze”“Let me be clear”– Prepare yourself for meaningless truism“Tax cuts to 95% of working families” –Don’t ask about the $2.1 trillion in tax hikes proposed or endorsed during my first year“Executive pay” –A serious problem because large cash awards are only appropriate when politicians dole out taxpayer money to.“Trillion-dollar deficit” –The new definition of fiscal austerity in the Obama era, which he wants to “freeze”.“Sacrifice” –Tax hikes“Bailout” or “TARP funding” –Monies issued by the federal government, most of which has been returned except from“Recovery Package” –Politically correct term for “stimulus package”“Too big to fail” –Definition of a company favored by Obama allies and/or Federal Reserve technocrats
Bingo card you may use to check off terms and phrases likely to be used during President Obama’s State of the
Union address. As a bonus, print out the different versions of the card and watch the speech with your friends or
family. Cards may be found at ATR.org
KEY:
to be unpopular
the pet projects of their sons, brothers, wives, or campaign contributors
Government Motors and other Obama allies
