Al Gore could become world’s first carbon billionaire
Last year Mr Gore’s venture capital firm loaned a small California firm $75m to develop energy-saving technology. The company, Silver Spring Networks, produces hardware and software to make the electricity grid more efficient. The deal appeared to pay off in a big way last week, when the Energy Department announced $3.4 billion in smart grid grants, the New York Times reports. Of the total, more than $560 million went to utilities with which Silver Spring has contracts. The move means that venture capital company Kleiner Perkins and its partners, including Mr Gore, could recoup their investment many times over in coming years. Few people have been as vocal about the urgency of global warming and the need to reinvent the way the world produces and consumes energy as Mr Gore. And few have put as much money behind their advocacy and are as well positioned to profit from this green transformation, if and when it comes. [This article is posted in case you were wondering why this guy who got a D in his college science class keeps vigorously pushing this climate change nonsense. It’s all about the money with Al Bore who burns more energy in his Tennessee mansion every month than the average American family does in about eight years ..ed]
Clinton wishes he had left White House “in a coffin”
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said on Monday he would have preferred to leave the White House in a coffin because he loved being commander in chief, but signaled his political life was over. “It’s good that we have a (term) limit. Otherwise I would have stayed until I was carried away in a coffin. Or defeated in an election,” Clinton said at a conference in Istanbul. “I loved doing the job.” [But then we would have been stuck with that blithering idiot Al Gore until Bush was elected! Oh wait, I guess there’s more to this story…ed]
Is ‘Barack n Bones’ Obama thin as a rail because he’s skipping too many meals to run the country?
The weight of the world may be on his shoulders but there’s not much around President Barack Obama’s middle. The U.S. president has invoked the concern in America after walking out of a gym looking skinnier than ever. Clutching an energy drink, Mr Obama is pictured looking cheerful as he left the gym at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. But the influential U.S. website, The Drudge Report, which described him as ‘thin as a rail’, quoted an insider who said the president was working so hard that ‘yes he does occasionally skip meals’. [The headline alone is good for a laugh. Skipping meals because he is too busy “running the country?” Spare me the BS. This guy has golfed more in nine months than Bush did in three years. He has had more “date nights” since his inauguration with his wife James Brown than Bill Clinton has had with Hillary since their college years. All Obama has done is screw around ever since he was handed the keys to our White House so if he is getting skinny it sure as hell isn’t because he’s working too hard…ed]
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs said today that he does not know if White House lawyers have reviewed whether it is constitutional for the federal government to order individuals to buy health insurance and said that the White House is not seriously considering the concerns of people such as Sen. Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah) who believe the mandate is not constitutionally justified. This was the second time in two weeks that Gibbs had dismissed concerns that the Constitution does not give the federal government the power to force individuals to purchase items the government wants them to purchase. [Just goes to show you how this administration feels about our Constitution…ed]
House Republicans Find 111 New ‘Bureaucracies’ in Health Care Bill
House Republicans claimed Monday that the health care reform bill pushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi would create a whopping 111 new “federal bureaucracies.” In its latest attempt to portray the Democrats’ reform package as an unwieldy expansion of federal government in the health care sector, the House Republican Conference circulated what it called a list of “new boards, bureaucracies, commissions and programs” created in the House health care bill. Among some off the new agencies, the list cites a Health Insurance Exchange; the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation; the Public Health Investment Fund; the Public Health Workforce Corps; an Assistant Secretary for Health Information; the Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health; grant programs for alternative medical liability laws, infant mortality programs and other issues; and about 100 other government-sponsored creations. “That ought to tell you all that we need to know, that we’re going to have 1,990 pages of legislation,” House Minority Leader John Boehner said in an interview Sunday. “The word ‘shall’ exists in this bill 3,345 times.” [Not all that surprising considering the Democrats are all about government interference in our lives from before we are born til the day we get the thumbs down from a death panel…ed]
Last week the Congressional Budget Office “scored” the House of Representatives’ revised health insurance “public option” and found it would charge premiums higher than those of private insurance and attract only six million buyers. Thus, the growing worry that a public option would undercut private policies and soon drive them out of business seemed to evaporate. Speaker Pelosi, cheerleader for a “public option,” gloated that the consolidated House bill came in under President Obama’s declared ceiling cost of $900 billion and would not add to the deficit. The case for passage seemed airtight — for the moment. House liberals had wheeled in a Trojan Pony (too small to be a horse and, unlike the Trojan Horse, it couldn’t hold enough soldiers to rout the enemy). [Pass this article on to those who are on the fence over this Democrat plan for the government takeover of our healthcare system…ed]
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Reid indicates timetable for health care may slip
In a blow to the White House, the Senate’s top Democrat signaled Tuesday that Congress may fail to meet a year-end deadline for passing health care legislation, leaving the measure’s fate to the uncertainties of the 2010 election season. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., spoke as Democratic officials said it could be December before Senate debate begins in earnest on the legislation atop President Barack Obama’s domestic agenda, months after senior lawmakers and the White House had hoped. [Hey, that’s plenty of time for the country to rally together and put unprecedented pressure on their representatives to dump this POS. After all election day 2010 will be here before we know it…ed]
Pollsters From Both Parties: Republicans Headed for a Good Election Day
Two leading pollsters from opposite parties agreed Monday that Republicans could sweep big elections Tuesday for governor in both Virginia and New Jersey and a congressional seat in upstate New York. Democrat Mark Mellman said only 12 governors that have run for re-election in the past have had numbers as bad as those of New Jersey Democrat Jon Corzine, whose unfavorable rating tops 50 percent in many polls. Only two of them have won — Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and now-disgraced Rod Blagojevich of Illinois. “It’s a very tough thing to do,” Mellman said at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. Corzine is in a tight three-way race against Republican Chris Christie and independent Chris Daggett. In Virginia, Republican Bob McDonnell is expected to defeat Democrat Creigh Deeds. The race in New York’s 23rd congressional district is in disarray after the Republican nominee quit over the weekend, leaving Democrat Bill Owens and Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman to slug it out in the final hours. [The Democrats and their allies in the state run media have said these ass kickings are not a referendum on how voters feel about the party and the president. Sure they aren’t. In fact I hope Obama and the Dems just keep plowing ahead with their far left agenda that the majority of Americans have said time and again they don’t want. It’ll only help the GOP that much more come election day in 2010…ed]
GOP senators talk of boycotting climate bill
A threatened Republican boycott of a Senate committee’s consideration of climate legislation is exposing the sharp partisan divide over a Democratic proposal to combat global warming. Republicans for the most part plan to stay away from a meeting of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Tuesday as the panel begins deliberations over legislation that would cap greenhouse gases from power and industrial plants and curb the use of fossil fuels. Democrats have a 12-7 majority in the committee and enough votes to advance the measure to the full Senate. But GOP members are demanding additional studies on the cost and job impact of the bill, arguing that an analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency was inadequate. The EPA study projected it would cost average households no more than $111 a year. [GOOD! It’s about time these pansy ass Republicans used the same bullshit tactics that the Democrats have employed for years. Screw this nice guy, go along to get along crap…ed]
Geithner “Burned Billions,” Shafted Taxpayers on CIT Loan, Prof. Bill Black Says
Another one of the nation’s largest lenders has filed for bankruptcy. On the brink for months, CIT filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sunday. The prepackaged plan allows CIT to restructure its debt while trying to keep badly needed loans flowing to thousands of mid-sized and small businesses. The plan keeps CIT’s operations alive and makes it possible for the company to exit bankruptcy by year’s end. But here’s the bad news: While senior debt holders will only lose 30% of their investment, we, the U.S. taxpayer, will lose the entire $2.3 billion we lent the company this summer. William Black, professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law is dumbfounded. “We put ourselves on the hook in a completely inept way where we lose first. We lose entirely as the taxpayers.” Black, a former top federal banking regulator, blames Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for negotiating such a bad deal on behalf of the American public. [Hey, it’s only money right? This is the same administration that takes private businesses and their management to task when things don’t work out so well but when it comes to Timmy, the knucklehead who couldn’t manage to figure out his Turbo Tax program and pay his taxes on time like the rest of us have to, 2.3 BILLION of our tax dollars pissed away is apparently no big deal…ed]
Obama Warns Karzai to Focus on Tackling Corruption
President Obama on Monday admonished President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan that he must take on what American officials have said he avoided during his first term: the rampant corruption and drug trade that have fueled the resurgence of the Taliban. As Mr. Karzai was officially declared the winner of the much-disputed presidential election, Mr. Obama placed a congratulatory call in which he asked for a “new chapter” in the legitimacy of the Afghan government. (SNIP) The administration wants Mr. Karzai and the Afghan government to put into place an anticorruption commission to establish strict accountability for government officials at the national and provincial levels, senior administration officials said Monday. [Is this some kind of joke? Michelle Malkin has a great new book, “Culture of Corruption” revealing the sleaze going on within the OBAMA ADMINISTRATION! And of course we all know about the Mexican drug cartels setting up shop in our country with their efforts made even easier considering our WIDE OPEN BORDERS…ed]
Response to Vice President Biden’s Comments Today About My Position On Energy Independence
As the vice president knows, I have always advocated an all-of-the-above approach to American energy independence. Among other things, my alternative energy goal for Alaska sits at 50 percent because Alaska reached more than 20 percent during my term in office. The Obama-Biden administration, on the other hand, recently announced a renewable goal of only 25 percent. However, domestic drilling should remain a top priority in order to meet America’s consumption and security needs. The vice president’s extreme opposition to domestic energy development goes all the way back to 1973 when he opposed the Alaska pipeline bill. As Ann Coulter pointed out, “Biden cast one of only five votes against the pipeline that has produced more than 15 billion barrels of oil, supplied nearly 20 percent of this nation’s oil, created tens of thousands of jobs, added hundreds of billions of dollars to the U.S. economy and reduced money transfers to the nation’s enemies by about the same amount.” [She kicked his ass in their only debate and continues to make the current veep look like a fool every time he attempts to engage her in a battle of wits…ed]
N.J. governor election includes thousands more mail-in ballots with new law
Thousands more mail-in ballots will be counted today than in the 2005 general election, thanks to new legislation that says voters can use the vote-by-mail for any reason. But election officials say they have been pacing their count throughout the day so it won’t take any longer than usual to tally results after polls close tonight. The ease of using the ballots encourages more residents to vote, said Susan Evans, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Division of Elections. “It’s convenient for people who have busy schedules, long commuting hours or family obligations and find it difficult to get to the polls,” she said. “There was some effort to promote this opportunity.” [Just last week we heard about all of the phony mail in ballots up in New England where people found out their names were on these types of ballots but they weren’t the ones submitting them. Naturally it was the Democrats who benefited from this fraudulent scam…ed]
Can the 10th Amendment save us?
Does the U.S. Constitution stand for anything in an era of government excess? Can that founding document, which is supposed to restrain the power and reach of a centralized federal government, slow down the juggernaut of czars, health insurance overhaul and anything else this administration and Congress wish to do that is not in the Constitution? The Framers created a limited government, thus ensuring that individuals would have the opportunity to become all that their talents and persistence would allow. The left has put aside the original Constitution in favor of a “living document” that they believe allows them to do whatever they want and demand more tax dollars with which to do it. Can they be stopped? Some constitutional scholars think the 10th Amendment offers the best opportunity. The 10th Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” [Well yeah the 10th Amendment COULD save this country if it wasn’t for all of the left wingers who have infested our state governments and all of the bums who have made feeding at the public trough a generational career choice…ed]
High School student in danger for disagreeing with Obama
A high percentage of Americans believed race relations would improve with the election of America’s first black president. Today, that percentage has dropped dramatically. Could it be because the Obama administration, at every turn, has shamelessly exploited race to further its agenda? The message of the liberal media/Obama administration tag team comes across loud and clear. If you disagree with Obama, we will brand you a racist and we will hurt you. If this administration was made into a movie it should be titled, “Mr. Chicago Thug Goes to Washington”. Bullying (banks, the auto industry, insurance companies, national Chamber of Commerce, doctors, Fox News and more) appears to come quite naturally to the Obama administration. [The must read Americanthinker.com post of the day…ed]
Reid reassures left Lieberman on board
Sen. Joe Lieberman has reached a private understanding with Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on healthcare reform, according to two sources briefed on the matter. The unpredictable Democrat-turned-Independent last week publicly stated he would join Republicans in filibustering the Democratic legislation after Reid (D-Nev.) announced he had included a government-run health insurance plan in the bill. But sources said Reid’s staff is telling liberal interest groups that Lieberman (Conn.) has assured Reid he will vote with Democrats in the necessary procedural vote to end debate, perhaps with intentions to change the bill. “Lieberman keeps assuring Reid that he’s OK,” said one source. “But he’s one of those characters — you never know with Joe. [Really Harry Reid? Read the next article…ed]
Lieberman Denies Report of Secret Deal With Reid on Health Care Bill
A spokesman for Sen. Joe Lieberman refuted a report Tuesday that the Connecticut senator struck a secret deal with Majority Leader Harry Reid in which he promised not to block a final vote on health care reform. The Hill newspaper reported Tuesday that Reid’s staff told liberal interest groups that Lieberman had assured Reid that he will vote with Democrats in the procedural vote to end debate on the Senate’s health care bill. Lieberman, a Democrat-turned-Independent, announced last week that he would support a Republican filibuster of a health care bill that includes a government-run insurance plan, raising fears among Democrats that they will not have the 60 votes they need to move forward on the bill Reid unveiled last week. Lieberman spokesman Marshall Wittmann vehemently denied reports of a clandestine understanding between the two lawmakers, telling Fox News, “If you believe this story is true, you will also believe that I am replacing A-Rod in game six of the series.” [I’d take Lieberman’s word on this over Dingy Harry’s any day of the week…ed]
Today’s Big Political Earthquake Could Be In California
While press and pundits focus almost ad nauseum on what will happen Tuesday in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, as well as the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, everyone has forgotten the battle being waged for the California congressional seat vacated by Ellen Tauscher when she resigned to become a member of President Obama’s State Department. To be sure, the 10th Congressional District of the Golden State is a Democratic stronghold, especially after some recent gerrymandering. The latest poll shows Democratic candidate and current Lt. Gov. John Garamendi with a commanding 10-point lead over Republican challenger David Harmer, which is certainly not surprising in a district with 18 percent more registered Democrats than Republicans. But Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal opened the door for a possible upset in the making. [This one has pretty much been flying under the radar what with all the fireworks on the east coast…ed]
Ian McKellen ‘Proudly’ Rips Leviticus 18:22 Out of All Bibles
Note to hotel managers: unless you want it to be altered forever, remove that Bible from Sir Ian McKellen’s bedside drawer before he shows up. In a Q&A with Details magazine, the openly gay ‘Lord of the Rings’ star admits to a habit of tearing out the Bible passage that condemns homosexuality — Leviticus 18:22 — every time he finds one in his hotel room. The passage: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” “I’m not proudly defacing the book,” he asserts, “but it’s a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible.” McKellen says his actions have inspired others to do the same. “I got delivered a package of 40 of those pages that had been torn out by a married couple I know. They put them on a bit of string so that I could hang it up in the bathroom.” [Tolerance goes both ways but if these clowns really want to make a statement let’s see them do the same to a grip of Korans. Last time I checked muslims openly revile homosexuals…ed]
Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli found himself in the middle of an altercation Friday evening between Style reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia and editor Henry Allen, but will not say whether the two have been reprimanded by the paper. “We take this incident seriously and will address it appropriately,” Brauchli told POLITICO, declining to comment further. Reports that Allen punched Roig-Franzia surfaced Monday morning on FishbowlDC, Washingtonian and City Paper (which reported Brauchli was traveling). Multiple Post sources independently confirmed to POLITICO that Roig-Franzia got hit while defending colleague Monica Hesse from harsh criticism leveled by her editor, Allen. [I have to say it must have been quite amusing watching a couple of pansy ass Washington Compost lefties bitch slap each other. Cheap entertainment…ed]
Consignment shop owner can keep American flag painted on North Palm Beach location
Elena Johnson can keep her flag. “Justice was done tonight. I didn’t doubt it for a moment,” said Johnson, 80, wearing an American flag on her lapel. “I had incredible support from the community.” Johnson had been informed in September she was in violation of the village code for painting a 13-by-40 American flag on the outside wall of True Treasures, her Northlake Boulevard consignment store. She had painted the sign without the required village permission after her request to paint stripes on the building was denied, records show. Johnson said she needed the sign to attract business. She also said she was showing her patriotism. “I’m very proud of the flag. It represents liberty and entrepreneurship,” she said. [Good for Mrs. Johnson! I’m growing weary of all the assaults against our flag I’ve been reading about lately…ed]
Quote of the day.
I am a Republican, a black, dyed in the wool Republican, and I never intend to belong to any other party than the party of freedom and progress.