That was fast. The hope and optimism that washed over the country in the opening months of Barack Obama’s presidency are giving way to harsh realities. An Associated Press-GfK Poll shows that a majority of Americans are back to thinking that the country is headed in the wrong direction after a fleeting period in which more thought it was on the right track. (SNIP) Perhaps most troubling for Obama may be where he is losing ground. His approval rating was down 9 points among Americans overall but 20 percent among independents. Similarly, the increase in those who think the country is headed in the wrong direction came mostly from independents and Democrats.
Douglas Elmendorf is hardly a household name. He’s just a smart, honest, non-partisan public servant currently telling unpleasant truths that could save the nation if enough people listen and take his message to heart. Truth number one coming from this director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is that the “federal budget is on an unsustainable path “ – debt is going to grow faster than the economy and the only answer is to cut spending, to do it dramatically, and to focus on the areas causing most of the problem: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Deficits won’t rescue us. Tax increases won’t rescue us. The two in combination won’t do the trick, and here comes truth number two: The foremost proposals so far trotted out by the Democrats to reform health care delivery will not decrease costs, thereby lessening our peril. They will increase costs, worsening it.
Republicans on Wednesday criticized as inappropriate a meeting President Obama held Monday with the director of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf. Elmendorf, a Democratic appointee, has been a thorn in the side of President Obama and congressional Democrats for the way he has analyzed health care reform legislation. In their view, Elmendorf hasn’t sufficiently given their health care reform proposals enough credit for cutting costs – which has caused them political problems in getting the legislation passed. Last week, frustrated at one analysis by Elmendorf, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., snapped, “what he should do is maybe run for Congress.”
With Obama’s Muslim background all I can say is good luck with this one Israel.
A group of Israeli rabbis, headed by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, have sent a letter to U.S. rabbis and the President’s Conference, urging them to exert political leverage in Israel’s favor, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday. “The American government pressures Israel to prevent Jews from building houses in extensive areas in the Land of Israel, which is very unfortunate,” the rabbis wrote. “We ask you to make use of your political power to lobby the American authorities to reconsider this policy in the spirit of truly democratic justice, and give weight to halakhic considerations that are binding for the Jews.”
Maybe everyone in the White House and Congress can lead the way on this one.
The government called Wednesday for several thousand volunteers to start rolling up their sleeves for the first swine flu shots, in a race to test whether a new vaccine really will protect against this novel virus before its expected rebound in the fall. Eight medical centers around the country are enrolling for a series of studies directed by the National Institutes of Health, and the first shots should go into volunteers’ arms by the second week of August.
Michigan Democrats hell bent on driving the last few nails into the state’s coffin.
The Michigan Democratic Party is considering asking voters to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour. The minimum wage currently is $7.40 an hour. The potential 2010 ballot initiative was among a few discussed Wednesday by party chairman Mark Brewer.
Sponsors... article continues below...
State police in full riot gear broke up a tense standoff in this northeastern Texas town Tuesday between hundreds of black and white protesters. A skinhead carrying a Nazi flag and a shirtless white man were arrested on a misdemeanor charge of suspicion of disorderly conduct before the protesters separated, Paris police spokesman Lt. Danny Huff said.
Walking gaffe line Joe Biden pops a mondo chubby over Ukrainian women.
Vice President Biden says the women in the Ukraine are definitely babe-ushkas. After a two-day diplomatic visit to the former Soviet state, the too-talkative veep told President Viktor Yushchenko he was blown away by the gorgeous women. “[They’re] the most beautiful women in the world. That’s my observation,” Biden said.
President Obama campaigned as someone who wouldn’t use signing statements to get around provisions of new laws. But on Tuesday, four House Democrats accused him of doing exactly that, and warned that he might not get any more money for some of his priorities unless he stops. The letter from Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey of Wisconsin, and Reps. Nita M. Lowey and Gregory W. Meeks of New York — who chair the two subcommittees that deal with international financial institutions — is a strongly worded rebuke of Obama’s continued use of the signing statements after he criticized President George W. Bush for using them to thwart the will of Congress.
A Denver Police Officer is charged in Arapahoe County with allegedly pulling out a gun after getting angry at fast food workers in Aurora. Officer Derrick Curtis Saunders, 29, has been suspended from the Denver Police Department without pay. He now faces four charges related to the incident, in which he allegedly menaced employees of an Aurora McDonald’s. Saunders was off duty when the incident took place about 3:20am on May 21st. Saunders allegedly became agitated while waiting with another off duty officer for their fast food order in the drive up lane of the McDonald’s on East Hampden Avenue.
CA budget deal calls for release of 27,000 inmates back into society.
Less than 24 hours after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders announced a plan to close California’s massive budget deficit, Los Angeles County officials moved to sue the state, a union for government workers said it might strike, and Republicans threatened to back out of the deal over a provision to cut the number of prison inmates by 27,000. The governor largely stayed out of sight, except for posting a brief video on Twitter in which he played with a big knife and talked about autographing state property to be sold at auction to raise extra money.
Hey Al Gore, hows that global warming crap workin’ for ya in your hometown?
Cool weather has broken a previous low temperature for July 21 in Nashville that was set when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. When the temperature at the National Weather Service station dipped to 58 degrees at 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday, it wiped out the previous record low for the date of 60 degrees, which was set in 1877.
ACORN, ACLU sue state of PA over law being used to prosecute several of those ‘CORN workers.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to strike down a state law used to prosecute voter-registration workers who allegedly employed a quota system in the Pittsburgh area. Wednesday’s lawsuit names Attorney General Tom Corbett and county District Attorney Stephen Zappala Jr. as defendants. Zappala in May charged five fired ACORN workers and two other people with collecting or submitting bogus forms so workers could meet an alleged daily quota of 20 forms. All seven defendants are awaiting trial.
Quote of the day.
Americans aren’t being fooled and are discovering the truth about his plan which includes rationed care, trillions in new costs, high taxes and penalties that will destroy jobs, and even government-funded abortions.
-Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) commenting about Obamacare