Uncovering the bull under the bailout
Congress put American taxpayers on the hook for $700 billion last year when it approved the massive bailout to paper over the imprudent lending decisions of nine Wall Street giants: Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, State Street and the Bank of NY Mellon. The bailout was essential to save the nation from a complete economic meltdown. Or so insisted President George W. Bush, Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. One year later, however, a little-noted report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office questions whether the bailout — known officially as the Troubled Asset Relief Program — saved anything other than the jobs of greedy Wall Street executives and the political hides of their protectors in government. (SNIP) The madness in Washington won’t stop until the people completely clean house at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. [This should really make your weekend. Oh and BTW, the banks were FORCED by Paulson to take these funds, they didn’t come to the government begging for taxpayer assistance. We were robbed, bent over and screwed hard by Wall Street and Washington DC back in late ’08 and Obama is ready to whip out a big jar of vaseline and do us all dirty again. The 2010 election can’t get here quick enough, that’s if we’re allowed to still vote in this country next year…ed]
U.S. Existing-home Sales Rise 9.4% To 5.57 Million
Resales of U.S. houses jumped 9.4% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million, the highest in more than two years, the National Association of Realtors estimated Friday. Sales as tracked by the NAR are up 24% from January’s bottom, and are up 9.2% compared with a year ago. The median forecast by economists surveyed by MarketWatch looked for a smaller gain to a 5.38 million annual rate from a downwardly revised 5.09 million in August. [I suspect the vast majority of these sales were folks snapping up the 8K federal government handout just before the program “ends” in November (there is already talk of extending this thing on Capitol Hill) and investors grabbing foreclosures selling at rock bottom prices to convert into rental units. It has been reported that there are potentially millions more homes ready to go into foreclosure come 2010…ed]
Four-year-olds got homeowner tax credit, U.S. says
Children as young as 4 years old received first-time homebuyer tax credits as the U.S. failed to adequately screen filings, a Treasury inspector general told lawmakers today. “Some key controls were missing to prevent an individual from erroneously or fraudulently claiming the credit and receiving an erroneous refund of up to $8,000,” Treasury’s J. Russell George told the House Ways and Means Committee’s oversight panel. More than 1.2 million borrowers through Oct. 9 have claimed almost $8.5 billion of the $13.6 billion set aside for “first-time” homebuyer tax credits this year, George said. The program is aimed at easing the worst housing slump since the Great Depression. “Every time Congress creates a new refundable credit, meaning that individuals can get a check from the government whether or not they have actual tax liability, the incentive for fraud is magnified,” Louisiana Representative Charles Boustany, the subcommittee’s top-ranking Republican, said during the hearing. [The crooks living among us just love it when the federal government comes up with these taxpayer funded handouts! Damn, I wish I could bring myself to think like these people sometimes…ed]
White House attacks worry moderate Democrats
A White House effort to undermine conservative critics is generating a backlash on Capitol Hill — and not just from Republicans. “It’s a mistake,” said Rep. Jason Altmire, a moderate Democrat from western Pennsylvania. “I think it’s beneath the White House to get into a tit for tat with news organizations.” Altmire was talking about the Obama administration’s efforts to undercut Fox News. But he said his remarks applied just the same to White House efforts to marginalize the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful business lobby targeted for its opposition to climate change legislation. “There’s no reason to gratuitously piss off all those companies,” added another Democrat, Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia. “The Chamber isn’t an opponent.” [A small expression of sanity escapes from a few Democrats but don’t get too excited, these people will fall back in line just as soon as they are threatened and punished for speaking out…ed]
Poll: Hopes buoyed on race relations
While some of the soaring optimism of Election Day has tempered, more than six in 10 Americans predict in a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll that Barack Obama’s presidency will improve race relations in the United States in the years ahead. Four in 10 say it already has. As the anniversary of his election approaches, the mood of the recession-battered nation continues to be generally glum: By 3-1, those surveyed say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country, and Obama’s job-approval rating is a middling 50%. [I just scared the crap out of my dog when I burst out laughing after reading this article. Who did these clowns poll, the terminally stupid inhabitants of Washington DC? What a joke, this thing should be reprinted over at the onion.com…ed]
Hating Whitey Makes Unexpected Comeback
Here we are only nine months into the ubiquitously proclaimed “post-racial presidency,” and all that promised harmony among the races has disappeared faster than a Chicago minute. All it took for addled minds to conjure shadows of racism behind every whitey tree in the whole American forest were voices raised in dissent over the President’s far-left policies. No sooner had congress’ summer recess begun — without the President’s hoped-for passage of Obamacare — than the racist cries began their assent. Nancy Pelosi threw down the “swastika” gauntlet aimed at townhall attendees, which essentially tarred those citizens with white-supremacy slander. In early August an African-American MSNBC newsman actually declared that the word, “socialist,” being used to define Obama policies, was a new “code word” for “N**ger.” [Nearly 97% of blacks in America voted for Obama based solely on the color of his skin. Race prejudice is a two way street and I’m thinking there are a whole lotta people growing weary of Democrats using this issue for political gain at the expense of our country…ed]
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Scozzafava Feeling the Heat in NY-23
At least a dozen conservative organizations have called for the resignation of Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava in the scorching New York-23 Congressional race, throwing the contest further into the national spotlight and solidifying it as a key litmus test for a Republican Party on the rebound. The coordinated attack came on the heels of a curveball thrown by Dede Scozzafava herself, after she called the cops on Weekly Standard reporter John McCormack when he repeatedly asked her about her stance on pro-union card check legislation. Scozzafaza has supported card check in addition to the Obama stimulus package, same-sex marriage, cap-and-trade, and abortion rights. “To call Scozzafava a RINO is an insult to RINOs,” wrote Matthew Cunningham of Red County in a post titled “The NRCC Should Drop-Kick Scozzafava.” [Leftists have infiltrated every aspect of life in this country and this broad is nothing more than a Democrat Party plant. No wonder true conservatives are up in arms over this scam…ed]
Sarah Palin: Support Doug Hoffman
The people of the 23rd Congressional District of New York are ready to shake things up, and Doug Hoffman is coming on strong as Election Day approaches! He needs our help now. The votes of every member of Congress affect every American, so it’s important for all of us to pay attention to this important Congressional campaign in upstate New York. I am very pleased to announce my support for Doug Hoffman in his fight to be the next Representative from New York’s 23rd Congressional district. (SNIP) And best of all, Doug Hoffman has not been anointed by any political machine. Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty. [Speaking of a true conservative fed up with the status quo and willing to buck the basically useless Republican party….ed]
What Civility is Lost if It Was Never Found?
There is much gnashing of teeth and rending of cloth these days about the death of civility. Apparently, like Cupid with his arrow or a pixie with fairy dust, some magical sprite used to enchant America’s political combatants, ensuring that all public discourse was full of beg-your-pardons and please-and-thank-yous. But we have offended our little leprechaun. He’s taken his Lucky Charms and gone home, leaving Americans angry, cranky and rude. Or at least that’s what I gather from all this talk of lost civility. Personally, I’m not sure I know what people are talking about. When was this Golden Age of civility? Was this glorious era of politeness during George W. Bush’s presidency? Funny, that’s not how I remember it. [All this “civility” bullshit is nothing more than the leftists trying to silence anyone who is against their agenda with all methods possible. The rudest nastiest most verbally vicious punks walking the planet are the left wingers in this country and what they aren’t liking these days is some of their own tactics thrown back in their faces. Conservatives by their very nature are respectful, thoughtful, rational and generally don’t get too riled up but times are a-changin’ thanks to the great divider, the Chicago political thug in chief, Mr. Michelle Obama…ed]
Obama’s Uncompromising Inner Man
It’s amazing that Barack Obama still has some fooled into believing he’s a model of post-partisanship. Sure, he’s as friendly and congenial as they come, as long as you agree with him — 100 percent. When on-script, he is mostly measured, reasonable-sounding and — being a good reader — occasionally eloquent. But when he ventures off-script, he often sounds less sophisticated, petty and even mean-spirited. In those moments, there’s no hiding the inner man. (SNIP) I wonder how aware Obama and his handlers are that the only thing keeping his dangerous and unpopular policy agenda alive is the enormous disconnect between the public’s perception of him personally and the nature of his proposals. If Obama keeps showing his true colors — an unwillingness to brook any dissent and a nastiness toward any who won’t submit — the breaking of the trance will be complete, and voters will throw his congressional supporting cast out on their ears in 2010. [Rush Limbaugh’s brother pens a fabulous piece about Barack Obama and his inner THUG…ed]
W.H. tells Congress that policy ‘Czars’ won’t testify
The White House has told Congress it will reject calls for many of President Obama’s policy czars to testify before Congress – a decision senators said goes against the president’s promises of transparency and openness and treads on Congress’ constitutional mandate to investigate the administration’s actions. Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, said White House counsel Greg Craig told her in a meeting Wednesday that they will not make available any of the czars who work in the White House and don’t have to go through Senate confirmation. She said he was “murky” on whether other czars outside of the White House would be allowed to come before Congress. Miss Collins said that doesn’t make sense when some of those czars are actually making policy or negotiating on behalf of Mr. Obama. [So much for our Constitution which Obama has made clear he despises anyway. If the Republicans would grow a pair and DEMAND these unconfirmed unaccountable czars testify before Congress so the American people can see just what kind of nutjobs this George Soros plant has brought into his administration then maybe everyone will wake up and see how the far left wackos have taken over our country and do something about it in 2010…ed]
When Barack Obama promised to deliver “a new kind of politics” to Washington, most folk didn’t picture Rahm Emanuel with a baseball bat. These days, the capital would make David Mamet, who wrote Malone’s memorable movie dialogue, proud. A White House set on kneecapping its opponents isn’t, of course, entirely new. (See: Nixon) What is a little novel is the public and bare-knuckle way in which the Obama team is waging these campaigns against the other side. In recent weeks the Windy City gang added a new name to their list of societal offenders: the Chamber of Commerce. For the cheek of disagreeing with Democrats on climate and financial regulation, it was reported the Oval Office will neuter the business lobby. Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett slammed the outfit as “old school,” and warned CEOs they’d be wise to seek better protection. [The people the Obama administration are going after aren’t exactly a bunch of dopes and they will soon enough find an effective way to deal with all these attack dogs and Fox News is chock full of people who are clearly enjoying the challenge of fighting back against this group of political gangsters who think the Chicago way is gonna fly with all of America…ed]
White House Loses Bid to Exclude Fox News From Pay Czar Interview
The Obama administration on Thursday failed in its attempt to manipulate other news networks into isolating and excluding Fox News, as Republicans on Capitol Hill stepped up their criticism of the hardball tactics employed by the White House. The Obama administration on Thursday tried to make “pay czar” Kenneth Feinberg available for interviews to every member of the White House pool except Fox News. The pool is the five-network rotation that for decades has shared the costs and duties of daily coverage of the presidency. But the Washington bureau chiefs of the five TV networks consulted and decided that none of their reporters would interview Feinberg unless Fox News was included. [Teeny tiny infinitesimal props to the rest of the media for their effort to appear somewhat journalistic in this instance. My feelings toward the left wing state run media be back to normal here in 3…2…1….ed]
To Cut Global Warming, Swedes Study Their Plates
Shopping for oatmeal, Helena Bergstrom, 37, admitted that she was flummoxed by the label on the blue box reading, “Climate declared: .87 kg CO2 per kg of product.” “Right now, I don’t know what this means,” said Ms. Bergstrom, a pharmaceutical company employee. But if a new experiment here succeeds, she and millions of other Swedes will soon find out. New labels listing the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of foods, from whole wheat pasta to fast food burgers, are appearing on some grocery items and restaurant menus around the country. [Proof positive that liberalism is a mental disease and that not every stupid example of sheer lunacy comes out of California…ed]
California appears poised to be first to ban power-guzzling big-screen TVs
The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation’s first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions. On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs. “Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations,” said Doug Johnson, the association’s senior director for technology policy. Too much government interference could hamstring industry innovation and prove expensive to manufacturers and consumers, he warned. But those pleas didn’t appear to elicit much support from commissioners at a public hearing on the proposed rules that would set maximum energy-consumption standards for televisions to be phased in over two years beginning in January 2011. A vote could come as early as Nov. 4. [So much for freedom and consumer choice. Not EVERY nutty idea comes out of California but plenty of them certainly do! Maybe the state could take a look at drastically reducing its energy consumption by booting out the 10 million illegal aliens living there?…ed]
Plane crazy: NWA flight misses MSP by 150 miles
Brent Bjorlin and his fellow airline passengers didn’t have a clue something had gone wrong at 37,000 feet until federal officials with badges and guns boarded the Northwest plane after it landed in the Twin Cities on Wednesday night. (SNIP) It wasn’t until the next day that he and the others found out that Northwest Flight 188 from San Diego had overshot Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by 150 miles, winding up in Wisconsin before turning around to land safely at MSP. Federal officials say the pilots apparently became distracted. Military jets had been on standby to track down the jet after it dropped out of radio communication for about 75 minutes. [Could we have a couple of unemployed pilots after it is discovered they were both literally asleep at the wheel?…ed]
Man arrested for making coffee in own home while naked
Eric Williamson, from Springfield, Virginia, was brewing coffee in his kitchen when a woman and a seven-year-old boy walked past the window and saw him. The woman complained to police who arrested Williamson shortly after the incident on Monday morning. Williamson, 29, insisted he did nothing wrong and that any exposure of his private parts were accidental. “Yes I wasn’t wearing any clothes but I was alone, in my own home and just got out of bed. It was dark and I had no idea anyone was outside looking in at me,” he said. [What was this woman, who happens to be the wife of a policeman, doing staring INTO someone else’s home when walking by? I take walks all the time and I never stroll by houses trying to look inside the windows. After this incident perhaps Congressional Democrats will mandate we all purchase blinds for our windows so people cannot possibly see inside or face crippling fines if we refuse…ed]
Rosie O’Donnell’s wife moves out?
Rosie O’Donnell’s wife has moved out of the couple’s house with the pair’s youngest child, according to a US report. The League of their Own star married Kelli Carpenter in 2004, but O’Donnell sparked speculation about the state of the union when she posted a poem about her marital troubles on her website earlier this year. RadarOnline.com now reports Carpenter has moved into the pair’s New York apartment and she and the actress-turned-TV personality spend most nights apart. [So it’s news when a wife moves out to get away from her fat, disgusting, uber liberal and obnoxious husband? Or maybe this woman just got tired of always getting crushed by Rosie the Whale when she was “on the bottom”……ed]
Quote of the day.
I give Republicans credit for this: They vote the way they believe…I think that they vote with more integrity than they get credit for…If you can’t find common ground, that doesn’t mean you’re partisan. It just means you believe two different things.
-Nancy Pelosi, during one of her briefest moments of actual lucidity.