The President Who Would Be King

A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, “We do not want this man to be our king.” But when he returned after obtaining the kingship … [He said] “Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me” (Luke 19:12,14, 27-28).

Despite the fact that the Democrats were lost on a large scale in the last election, President Obama has decided to take his "pen" and RULE by Executive Order.  

Once upon a time his highness said:  I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed. we’ve got three branches of government. Congress passes the law. The executive branch’s job is to enforce and implement those laws. And then the judiciary has to interpret the laws.

There are enough laws on the books by Congress that are very clear in terms of how we have to enforce our immigration system that for me to simply through executive order ignore those congressional mandates would not conform with my appropriate role as President.  I’m not a king. I am the head of the executive branch of government. I’m required to follow the law.

It appears that all that gobble-de-gook about following the law is now out the window.

Obama has invited senior lawmakers to the White House for dinner Wednesday night so that he can explain his plans to use executive authority to change the nation’s immigration laws.

His Majesty invited Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the leaders of the congressional Asian, Black and Hispanic caucuses, but did not invite Republican leaders to  the meeting.

The Emperor's immigration order would provide illegal immigrants with the exact benefits Congress has repeatedly rejected:  Social Security numbers, photo IDs and work permits--which will allow them to legally compete for the scarce number of jobs in this failing economy with Americans allowing him to fiddle while the US economy burns.

Then again King Obama sees all of us peasants as STUPID AMERICANS.  Just ask Gruber he'll tell you.  

Unrest Still Continues in Ferguson

While protesters in Ferguson are still very angry at the police after the shooting of Michael Brown, they appear to be pissed at Obama and Al Sharpton too.

One protester said: “Obama, you have done nothing! We need you! You haven’t changed anything! Fuck y’all!” There were also chants of Fuck Sharpton.

Perhaps the people of Ferguson are a bit upset that while Ferguson burns Obama's Twitter feed announces that a "good time was had by all" at a big Shin-dig Obama attended with wealthy donors.

How's that for hopey and changey? 

Despite the Michael Brown's family's urging for calm, some protesters lobbed Molotov cocktails and other objects at police last night. The police responded with smoke bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

In all of this chaos and violence let us not forget that an unarmed young man was shot by a police officer. He was a HUMAN BEING. His race does not matter. What doe matter is that this young man was shot MULTIPLE TIMES by a police officer and that warrants an independent and thorough investigation to learn why this happened.

I am appalled by the race bating, the violence, the militarization of the police department, the destruction, and the looting. The death of Michael Brown is a tragedy. None of these things does anything to bring justice or peace to a family that lost their son.

Americans for Whatever Barack Obama Wants

Who doesn't love the smell of Kool-aid in the morning?  Let's get that money rolling in Comrades!

Not Only Is Trayvon My Son, I COULD Have Been Trayvon

Back in March of 2012, President Obama leaped into the Zimmerman case proclaiming that if he had a son he would look like Trayvon.  Today, less than a week after George Zimmerman was found not-guilty Obama announced that he could actually could have been Trayvon 35-years ago.

You will find the text of Obama's speech below:

President Obama:  I wanted to come out here, first of all to tell you that Jay is prepared for all of your questions and is very much looking forward to the session.  The second thing is I wanted to let you know that over the next couple of weeks, there's going to obviously be a whole range of issues-immigration,economics, et cetera--we'll try to arrange a fuller press conference to address your questions.

The reason I actually wanted to come out today is not to take questions, bt to speak to an issue that obviously has gotten a lot of attention over the course of the last wee--the issue of the Trayvon Martin ruling.  I gave a preliminary statement right after the rule on Sunday.  But watching the debate over the course of last week, I thought it might be useful for me to expand on my thoughts a little bit.

First of all I want to make sure that, once again, I send my thoughts and prayers as well as michelle's to the family of Trayvon Martin, and to remark on the incredible grace and dignity with which they've dealt withthe entire situation.  I can only imagine what they're going through and it's rearkaable how they've handled it.

The second thing I want to say is to reiterate what I said on Sunday, which is there's going to be a lot of arguments about the legal issues in the case--I'll let all the legal analysts and talking heads address those issues.  The judge conduced the trial in a professional manner.  The prosecution and the defense made their arguments.  The juries were properly instructed that in a case such as this reasonable doubt was relevant, and they rendered a verdict.  And once the jury has spoken, that's how our system works.  But I did want to just talk a little bit about context and how people have responded to it and how people are feeling.

You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot i said that this could have been my son.  Another wy of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.  And when you think about why, in the African American community at least, there's a lot of pain around what happened here.  I think its important to recognize that the African American community is looking at this issue through a set of experiences and history that doesn't go away.

There are very view African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store.  That includes me.  There are very few African American men who haven't had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars.  That happens to me--at least before I was a senator.  There are very few African Americans who haven't had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she has a chance to get off.  That happens often.

And I don't want to exaggerate this, but those sets of experiences inform how the African American community interprets what happens one night in Florida.  And it's inescapable for those people to bring those experiences to bear.  The African American community is also knowledgeable that there is a history of racial disparities in the application of our criminal laws--everything from the death penalty to enforcement of our drug laws.  And tat ends up having an impact in terms of how people interpret the case.

Now this isn't to say that the African American community is naive about the fact that African American young men are disproportionately involved in the criminal justice system ; that they're disproportionately both victims and perpetrators of violence.  It's not to make excuses for that fact--although black folks do interpret the reasons for that in a historical context.  They understand that some of the violence that takes place in poor black neighborhoods around the country is born out of a very violent past in tis country and that the poverty and dysfunction that we see in those communities can be traced to a very difficult history.

And so the fact that sometimes that's unacknowledged adds to the frustration.  And the fact that a lot of African American boys are painted with a broad brush and the excuse is given well, there are these statistics out there that show that African American boys are more violent--using that as an excuse to see sons treated differently causes pain.

I think the African American community is also not naive in understanding that statistically somebody like Trayvon Martin was statistically more likely to be shot by a peer than he was by somebody else.  So folks understand the challenges that exist for African American boys.  But they get frustrated, I think they feel that there's no context for it and that context is being denied.  And that all contributes I think to a sense that if a white male was involved in the same kind of scenario, that from top to bottom both the outcome and the aftermath might have been different.

Now the question for me at least, and I think for a lot of folks, is where do we take this?  How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?  I think it's understandable that there have been demonstrations and vigils and protests, and some of that stuff is going to have to work its way through, as long as it remains nonviolent.  if I see any violence, the I will remind folks that that dishonors what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family.  But beyond protests or vigils, the question is are there some concrete things that we might be able to do.

I know Eric Holder is reviewing what happened down there, but I think it's important for people to have some clear expectations here.  Traditionally, these are issues of state and local government, the criminal code.  And law enforcement is traditionally done at the state and local levels, not at the federal levels.

That doesn't mean though that as a nation we can't do some things that I think would be productive.  So let me just give a couple of specifics that I'm still bouncing around with my staff, so we're not rolling out some five-point plan, but some areas where I think all of us could potentially focus.

Number one, precisely because law enforcement is often determined at the state and local level, I think it would be productive for the Justice Department, governors, mayors to work with law enforcement about training at the state and local level in order to reduce the kind of mistrust in the system that sometimes currently exists.

When i was in Illionois, I passed racial profiling legislation, and it actually did just two simple things.  One, it collected data on traffic stops and the race of the person who was stopped.  But the other thing was it resourced us training police departments across the state on how to think about potential racial bias and ways to further professionalize what they were doing.

And initially, the police departments across the state were resistant, but actually they came to recognize that if it was done in a fair, straightforward way that it would allow them to do their jobs better and the communities would have more confidence in them and, in turn be more helpful in applying the law.  And obviously law enforcement has a got a very tough job.

So that's one area where I think there are a lot of resources and best practices that could be brought to bear if state and local governments are receptive.  And I think a lot of them would be.  And let's figure out are there ways for us to push out that kind of training.

Along the same lines, I think it would be useful for us to examine some state and local laws to see if it--if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of altercations and confrontations and tragedies that we saw in the Florida case, rather than diffuse potential altercations.

I know that there's been a commentary about the fact that the "stand your ground" laws in Florida were not used as a defense in the case.  On te other hand, if we're sending a message as a society in our communities that someone who is armed potentially has the right to use those firearms even if there's a way for them to exit from a situation, is that really going to be contributing to the kind of peace an security and order that we'd like to see?

And for those who resist that idea that were would think about something like these "stand your ground"  laws.  I'd just ask people to consider, if Trayvon martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk?  And do we actually think he would have bee justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman who had followed him in a car because he felt threatened?  And if the answer to the question is at least ambiguous, then it seem to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws.

Number three--and this a long-term project--we need to spend some time in thinking about how do we bolster and reinforce our African American boys.  and this is something that Michelle and I talk about.  There are a lot of kids out there who need help who are getting a lot of negative reinforcement.  And is there more that we can do to give them the sense that their country cares about them and values them and is willing to invest in them?

I'm not naive about the prospects of some grand, new federal program.  I'm not sure that that's what we're talking about here.  But I do recognize that as President, I've got some convening power, and there are a lot of programs hat are being done across the country on this front.  And for us to be able to gather together business leaders and local elected officials and clergy and celebrities and athletes and figure out how are we doing a better job helping young African American men feel that they're a full part of this society and that they've got pathways and avenues to succeed--I think that would be a pretty good outcome from what was obliviously a tragic situation.  And we're going to spend some time working on that and thinking about that.

And then finally, I think it's going to be important for all of us to do some soul-search.  There has been talk about should we convene a conversation on race.  I haven't seen that be particularly productive when politicians try to organize conversations.  They end up being stilted and politicized, and folks are locked into the positions they already have.  On the other hand, in families and churches and workplaces, there's the possibility that people are a little bit more honest and at least you ask yourself your own questions about, am I  wringing as much bias out of myself as I can?  Am I judging people as much as I can, based not on the color of their skin but the content of their character?  That would, I think be an appropriate exercise in the wake of this tragedy.

Swan Dive Off The Sequestion Cliff

 

 

SEQUESTRATION ORDER FOR FISCAL YEAR 2013 PURSUANT TO SECTION 251A OF THE BALANCED BUDGET AND EMERGENCY DEFICIT CONTROL ACT, AS AMENDED

By the authority vested in me as President by the laws of the United States of America, and in accordance with section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended (the "Act"), 2 U.S.C. 901a, I hereby order that budgetary resources in each non-exempt budget account be reduced by the amount calculated by the Office of Management and Budget in its report to the Congress of March 1, 2013. Pursuant to sections 250(c)(6), 251A, and 255(e) of the Act, budgetary resources subject to sequestration shall be new budget authority, unobligated balances of defense function accounts carried over from prior fiscal years, direct spending authority, and obligation limitations. All sequestrations shall be made in strict accordance with the requirements of section 251A of the Act and the specifications of the Office of Management and Budget's report of March 1, Barack Obama THE WHITE HOUSE, March 1, 2013.

Elections Have Consequences

I am reminded today of an address to a joint session of Congress by Gerald R. Ford.  On August 12, 1974, Ford said, "A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have". 

The American people have made their choice. They have decided that America must change its course, away from the principals of our Founders. And, away from the idea of individual freedom and individual responsibility. Away from capitalism, economic responsibility, and personal acceptance.

In 2008, Eric Cantor went to the White house on day three of President Obama's presidency. At the time, Obama and Democrats had total control of the White House, Senate and House. Cantor tried to share ideas with President Obama for stimulating the economy and creating jobs. When Cantor pushed for small business tax-cuts, President Obama said, "Elections have consequences, and at the end of the day, I won."  

You are right Mr. President, you won and the consequences of this election is already unfolding

Stocks took a sharp nosedive in a post-election selloff Wednesday, with the Dow logging its biggest decline in nearly a year, prompted by concerns over the looming “fiscal cliff” and amid renewed worries over Europe’s weak economy.

The Dow closed below 13,000 for the first time since early August, while the S&P 500 broke below 1,400.

Boeing Co. said Wednesday it plans to employ 30% fewer executives at its Boeing Defense, Space & Security unit by the end of 2012 compared to 2010 levels.

In its statement, UtahAmerican Energy blames the Obama administration for instituting policies that will close down “204 American coal-fired power plants by 2014″ and for drastically reducing the market for coal.

A Las Vegas business owner with 114 employees fired 22 workers today, apparently as a direct result of President Obama’s re-election.

Darden Restaurants, the parent company of Red Lobster and The Olive Garden, announced in October that it would downgrade workers to part-time status to limit costs from Obamacare.

We have become a Country that is in favor of redistribution, national weakness and reduced standard of living and lower and lower levels of personal freedom.  Far too many voters do not recognize that government is NOT the solution sadly they don't conteplate their reduced freedom. 

Not everyone sees Obama’s reelection as a bad thing.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a congratulatory note to President Obama after his re-election.  Isn't that ironic?

 

 

Obama Fails To Bring His A Game To The Debate

 

 



There's always the morning after and it isn't always pretty.  Perhaps you don't remember what happened the night before or maybe you wish you couldn't remember.  I wonder which side of the bed President Obama is waking up on this morning.  After Obama's performance last night I'm guessing he wishes for a mulligan.

In the debate last night Romney appeared confident and displayed strong body language. He made good eye contact with Obama and rarely looked down.

Obama's performance on the other hand was lackluster and rambling. He looked disinterested and bored. Obama rarely looked at Romney, instead he often looked down at his podium and would nod in agreement with Mitt Romney's points.

Today the media is forced to take a good look at the Manchurian candidate and ask themselves what went wrong.  How was it that the smartest man ever to be President of the United States appear to be hesitant and inarticulate?  Obviously this does not fit the Obama narrative of his superior oratory skills.

The press have many different answers as to the cause of this calamity.  Perhaps Obama should have spent less time having a pizza party with his Las Vegas campaign staff, shooting hoops with his friends and taking a trip to Hoover Dam and more time practicing for the debate.

While talking with "Current TV", Gore explained, "Obama arrived in Denver at 2 p.m. today - just a few hours before the debate started. Romney did his debate prep in Denver. When you go to 5,000 feet, and you only have a few hours to adjust - I don't know."

If you ask Michael Eric Dyson you may learn that it was the fear of being seen as an “angry black man” held Obama back from forcefully debating and possibly winning last night’s contest.
One last question, Chris Matthews, do you still get a tingle up your leg when you hear Obama speak?

Romney you have two more debates.  Keep coming to them like you did last night and Obama can retire to his new Hawaiian retreat with his lovely family.  Remember to vote November 6th. 

It’s Not About The Movie!

Suspected Islamic militants fired on the US consulate in Libya with rocket-propelled grenades and antiaircraft weapons then set it ablaze on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States by al-Qaida.  The US ambassador to Libya and three of his staff were brutally killed.

It is being reported that, “according to senior diplomatic sources, the US State Department had credible information 48 hours before mobs charged the consulate in Benghazi, and the embassy in Cairo, that American missions may be targeted.” So even though the Obama Administration was warned of an embassy attack but it did NOTHING. Even so, no warnings were given for diplomats to go on high alert and “lockdown”, under which movement is severely restricted.

The last time the Obama attended his daily intelligence meeting, according to the public schedule of the president, was September 5th.  The president was scheduled to hold the intelligence meeting at 10:50 a.m. Wednesday, the day after the vicious attacks.  The intelligence meeting had been canceled so that he could attend a ceremony at the State Department.  Then it was off to attend a Las Vegas fundraiser for his re-election campaign rather than rescheduling one of those stuffy old intelligence briefing for later in the day. 

It may be interesting to note here that Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush almost never missed his daily intelligence meeting.  Then again Obama is so brilliant he doesn’t need to be briefed even during a time of war. (Yes we are at war and yes we still have troops dying in Afghanistan)

While AL-Qaeda has said that the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya was in revenge for the killing of the network's number two Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libi, the administration is still trying to sell the story that these brutal murders will the results of anger of the movie Innocence of Muslims.

The US administration is now facing a crisis in Libya. Sensitive documents have gone missing from the consulate in Benghazi and the supposedly secret location of the “safe house” in the city, where the staff had retreated, came under sustained mortar attack. Other such refuges across the country are no longer deemed “safe”.

Also missing is a list names of Libyans who are working with Americans, putting these people potentially at risk from extremist groups.

Let not your heart be troubled, our “fearless” leader has our Secretary of State Hillary Clinton out apologizing for the video Innocence of Muslims.

Yes you heard that right, apologizing.  Hilary assures Muslims that "America's commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation, and as you know, we are home to people of all religions. "To us — to me, personally,'' she said, "this video is disgusting and reprehensible. It appears to have a deeply cynical purpose, to denigrate a great religion and provoke rage.  We condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. . . . Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.

Hilary left out the part that said that she only rejects these actions so far as it pertains to Muslims.  Christians and Catholics though are quite a different ball of wax. For eample the painting The Holy Virgin Mary by Chris Ofili which featured the Virgin Mary surrounded by elephant dung and collaged pornographic images.  The artist wasn’t “Catholic Bashing”, no this was ART pure and simple.

Then there’s Piss Christ is a 1987 photograph by the American artist and photographer Andres Serrano.  It depicts a small plastic crucifix submerged in a glass of the artist's urine.  As a matter of fact Serrano received $15,000 for the work, part of it from the taxpayer-funded National Endowment for the Arts.  I’m wondering if Hillary found this work of art disgusting and reprehensible. 

As far as movies go there is the movie I refused to see called The Last Temptation of Christ.  The film depicted Christ being tempted by imagining himself engaged in sexual activities, a notion that has caused outrage from some Christians. The movie included a disclaimer explaining that it departs from the commonly-accepted Biblical portrayal of Jesus' life.  I didn’t realize that it was commonly-accepted that Jesus fantasized about sex with prostitutes.  Where is that in the scriptures exactly?  Film critic Roger Ebert later included the film in his list of "Great Movies".

Meanwhile the maker of video Innocence of Muslims, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, has been interviewed by federal probation officers at a Los Angeles sheriff's station.  Nakoula is being investigated for violating his parole in which he was told he could not have any access to the Internet "without the prior approval of the probation officer." Nakoula was ordered to detail any online devices and cellphones to authorities and was told his devices would be monitored and subject to searches.

Egypt’s government demanded that the US administration take a firm position against the filmmaker(s), in accordance with international documents that criminalize acts that foment strife on the basis of race, color or religion. In a statement, the Council of Ministers said that the Cabinet will take the necessary legal actions in this regard. 

It would appear to me that Obama is looking for a way to do just that.

Those Three Little Words That Mean So Much

No, not those beautiful and pulse-racing words whispered between two lovers.  Obama has three different words for you; "Made in the USA".  I know what you're saying, hey that's more than three words, but how can we possibly argue with the smartest President ever to occupy the White House.  You know, the guy who said he'd been to all "57 states".  Yea that one. 

He first uttered these words while rallying supporters in Kissimmee, Fla., Saturday, which of course could just be chalked up as a simple mistake.  That is of course unless Sara Palin were to have uttered the same words and then it would have been proof positive that she's so dumb she can't count to three.

Funny thing happend in Melbourne, Florida when he once again  assured the the party faithful that he wants the world to see products stamped with three proud words: Made in the USA. That’s what we’re fighting for. That’s the future we want,”

To be honest, I don’t care that Obama made this mistake, it is a non-issue. I do care that he is spending us into bankruptcy.  Mr. Obama I absolutely remember that you said, “As president I will reduce the National Debt by half in three years I'll be a one-term President." 

If you mean what you said and said what you meant, then bye-bye baby bye-bye.

Obama Heckled By Occupy Wall Street

President Obama was heckled today by members of the Occupy Wall Street Movement in front a crowd packed into a Manchester, N.H., high school gym,

Occupy Wall Streeters could be heard chanting, "Over 4,000 peaceful protesters have been arrested while 'banksters' continue to destroy the American economy."

Just curious, when people from the Occupy movement heckle Obama, are they racist? I seem to remember that this was the charge leveled against tea party members when they spoke out against Obama.

President Obama bailed out everyone except the 99% that these Occupy people claim to be members. Maybe Occupy protesters didn't get the memo.

The longer the Occupy protests go on the more I am reminded of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Thousands of young activists from around the nation gathered in the city to protest the Vietnam War. In a clash which was covered on live television, Americans were shocked to see Chicago police brutally beating antiwar protesters in the streets of Chicago. While the protesters chanted "The whole world's watching," the police used clubs and tear gas to beat back the protesters, leaving many of them bloody and dazed.

Obama and some of the Democrats may feel that the Occupy Movement can be a power harnessed to re-elect the Democrats but they obviously failed to take a good hard look at how that actually worked for the Democrats back in '68.

The tragedy of the antiwar riots crippled Humphrey's campaign from the start, and it never fully recovered. If you don't believe that pepper-spraying student protestors isn't hurting the President, you might just want to watch the video once again and listen to what is being said.

Russian Journalist Shows Obama Some Love

Russian news anchor shows Obama the middle finger - November 21, 2011 Vidéo mirrorthis2010 sélectionnée dans Actualité

Not that I speak Russian or anything, but I'm thinking that whole middle finger salute thing might not be a sign of enduring love or respect for our President.

It appears that Obama's heart-warming outreach to other countries after the "cowboy diplomacy" of the Bush years is certainly having an affect. Perhaps not the affect that Obama's supporters thought it would but an affect all the same.

Ah the bad old days when EVIL George Bush was in charge. We were told time and time again that George W. Bush’s foreign policy was alienating our allies, enraging our enemies, and making America less safe.

Thank goodness Obama's been able to bring the world together with his community organizer skills. It certainly looks like he's winning the hearts and minds of the world doesn't it?

I Want My Money

Even when I was young I seldom watched Saturday Night Live. Still I recognize that there have been some great comics who have come from this show.

A friend sent me this clip and I was rolling on the floor. Put politics aside, have you ever had someone borrow money from you and they were slow to pay it back? Perhaps it was a real hardship for you to lend them that money but because you trusted that person your noble, selflessness, decided to loan the money to your friend or co-worker expecting to be paid back.

The promised pay day comes and goes. Weeks become months and still no money. At first you say nothing because you feel it would be wrong to ask because you don't want to appear to be putting money ahead of your friendship. At some level you don't want to appear that you don't trust your friend to do the right thing. As time goes by though you may hint or even ask, "Hey do you have that money I owe you?"

Sometimes the debtor apologizes and then assures you that on some new specified day the money will be repaid. He may even apologize for not getting it back to you sooner. There may be an attempt to let you know who earnestly he wished to have repaid the debt on time but circumstances got in the way.

The new date comes and goes with not one thin dime being paid towards the debt. The debtor, now read deadbeat, is avoiding you. Confrontations concerning the debt have lost the niceties and have become hostile. The circumstances that prevent repayment have become worse. Deadbeat either uses this to plead for more time and reassure you once again that when things settle down you will definitely be repaid OR deadbeat avoids you.

Meanwhile, word trickles back to you how deadbeat has bought a $200 tattoo of Daffy Duck or you run into him at the mall while he's using a credit card to pay for his $300 purchase of Georgia Bull Dog paraphernalia. Maybe you learn that he's ready to depart for a cruise with his family or buy a new car. You wonder why your friend continues to spend money while he has apparently avoided paying his debt to you.

Now scratch the whole friend thing because obviously we are not friends with China. We owe money to China. The Chinese own more U.S. government debt than any other nation - about $800 billion worth. And the U.S. pays China $50 billion a year just in interest.

As the old saying goes, "He who pays the fiddler calls the tune." How true. We do not have enough money to tip the fiddler a fiver let alone pay the man. Some would say that we are spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave but I think that's insulting to drunken sailors everywhere.

The Rolling Stones once sang "You can't always get what you want" but our President and Congress don't seem to understand that. In the mean time the American public is being sold snake oil and being told that it's liquid gold. Where is the bail-out for the American people? How in the HELL do you calculate Jobs saved? How in the hell does the President point to a website telling us the number of jobs saved that is filled with distortions? Why are we not being told the cost of of each job "created" and how the majority of them are temporary jobs.

If the plan created the maximum number of jobs forecast (4.1 million) for the minimum projected expense ($770 billion is the most widely bruited amount), then the cost of the plan will be roughly $187,800 per job created. If the plan is minimally successful, then the sum of $1 trillion dollars being proposed by Democrats in Congress will yield a mere 3.3 million jobs, or a cost per new job of $303,000. If government statisticians are to be given any credence at all, then the real figure will probably come out somewhere between these two extremes. And the money the government spends to create the new jobs would have to come out of the economy one way or another (taxes, borrowing, inflating the money supply) — causing lost jobs.

Wow that's a deal though because cash for clunkers wound up costing me $24,000 per clunker. Gosh I wish the government would have sent me $24,000 to buy a new car. Instead I'm still riding around in my hoopdie. What strikes me as being even funnier is that the "artificial demand" created by the cash for clunkers was used by the government to prove that we've "turned the corner" on this recession. Pa-LEEEZE.

Any way, I really loved this video from Saturday Night Live and it had me rolling on the floor. Obama, I too would like to be kissed and romanced a little before you and all the rest of the politicians, Republicans and Democrats "Have the sex with me."

HELP...Obama's Following Me!!!

President Barack Obama, was here in Chicago last night. Do you think he's following me? He went home briefly last night to raise $2 million for his party with a fundraising dinner at the home of business executive and campaign fundraising chief Penny Pritzker and a reception at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

It turns out that this was the same hotel that was holding the Social Luxe Party. Wouldn't you know I was running late because of the Kraft Tour and I was trying to find out exactly where the Social Luxe Party was being held.

Either I looked like I was lost or perhaps I looked like some wild-eyed right wing fanatic as I wandered around looking for some sort of sign with an arrow pointing to my event because I was stopped in the lobby.

"Mame are you hear for Obama?" Is that a joke? I had no clue what he was talking about. I had no clue that Obama was going to be there. So the question threw me a little. Did this guy think I was Hillary? I guess we both do have short hair and wrinkles. "Obama?" I said. I must have sounded like a moron. Maybe he wondered if I was totally clueless and never heard the name of our President.

That's when I noticed the small sign that welcomed Obama home. Who knew? I guess everyone in Chicago knew but I certainly didn't. I was more interested in going to the Social Luxe party. No offense, but I was certain Obama was not there to give me any swag.

I finally got to where I was going and I'm glad I made it to the Social Luxe Party and got some GREAT Swag.

As I left with my HUGE bag in tow I met some more protests. These were three LaRouche protesters. CLUELESS! I asked if I could make a video of their protest and I wondered if one of them would like to talk for one minute to tell me about their protest. I got the impression that I might as well asked them to calculate the square root of the circumference of the earth multiplied by the distance the earth is from the sun.

They looked at each other. One of them wanted me to know that their sign had two sides. I promised I would video both sides. Then they looked at each other again, they talked, and told me again that their sign had two sides. I said, "Look I'll video the first side then you turn the sign around and then I will video the second side." The young man who was not part of the sign holding effort said he would talk but didn't know what I wanted to talk about. I repeated again. Tell me in one minute or less what you are protesting about.

I actually took the young man to task after the video, not because of his viewpoint because I had promised to let him have his say without editing his message. I just felt that you lose the argument when you call names and that he should work more on his message if he wants it to be effective. I think I detected an eye roll as he said, "I'm just telling the truth about Obama. He is a stupid whine baby."



The LaRouche people do want you to know about the Obama health care policy. According to the LaRouche people the establishment of an "independent board of doctors and health care experts" to make the life-and-death decisions of what care to provide and what not, based on cost-effectiveness criteria. They hearken it to the infamous "T-4" policy imposed by Adolf Hitler in 1939. The Nazi regime was tried and condemened at Nuremberg for the "T-4" policy.

Money Like Water

One day I will look this and laugh, well maybe not laugh, maybe cry so hard that I will laugh that crazy laugh that TV villains do. You know like that Vincent Price laugh that you hear at the end of Michael Jackson’s thriller album. I’m certain I will be sitting in my padded cell, maybe even with a caterpillar, rocking back and forth reciting. “Yes Big Brother. I worship you. I honor you. You are the greatest.”

As last Friday’s monthly employment report showed, job losses are showing no signs of reversing anytime soon – a point the President’s chief economic advisor, Dr. Christina Romer, acknowledged over the weekend. And while our job market is hemorrhaging, so too are the federal government’s books, with the Associated Press reporting this morning that the budget deficit this year will climb to $1.8 trillion – nearly four times the record set just last year. Perhaps the most startling aspect of the White House’s budget admission: the government is borrowing 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year

Can you imagine if you tried to run your household budget like this? In other words, what if you had to borrow half of your budget on your credit card? Any financial consultant worth a salt would say “ARE YOU CRAZY?” Essentially that’s what we are doing you know. We are borrowing from our children and what is our return on investment? We are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a job that pays maybe $30,000. Just send me my check it would be cheaper and I promise to spend it in a way that will stimulate more jobs.


OBAMA said that his Recover Act has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs. Sadly the Us has lost more than 1.2 million jobs since Obama took office, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not quite certain when all this job loss stops being Bush’s and begins being his.

Also Obama has not really explained to me under his transparent administration just what the job-counting formula is for counting jobs created by the stimulus bill.
While I’m on the “It’s All Bush’s Fault” rant, how about this Obama quote. Number one, we inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit….That wasn’t me.”

In fact, the congress was under Democratic control in 2007 and 2008. For those who didn’t pay attention in high school history it is the Congress who holds the purse strings. George Bush does hold some responsibility because he signed the legislation. Don’t think I haven’t forgotten or excused that.

In Bush’s final months he said we had to hurry to sign the emergency financial bail-out package. Much was made about McCain rushing to sign on but Obama also supported it. Don’t forget the Dems wanted to make it even bigger. I, like many other Americans were all for these companies to go under but instead, our money, the money that Congress treats as their own went to prop up the same institutions that spent like drunken sailors. (My apologies to drunken sailors everywhere.) Oh and Obama did vote in support of Iraq war spending even though he voted against the war.

I try not to get too political on my blog but our history is being written right now and I'm doing my best to document what is happening.

Something funny happened today in my seventh period class today. One of my students, G just walked in the door after having gone to the bathroom. In that very instant the phone rang. G looked at the phone and as I was walking over to answer it he said, “I just felt a charge go right through me and into that phone. It’s like I know that phone call is about me.”

I picked up the receiver and the voice at the other end was a student calling for one of the coaches. “Coach so and so wants you to send G down here.” It was just plain odd. I sent G down there and he was gone all period. He thought I was joking at first but I just thought it was funny how sometimes people just know things.

These are the blog contests I entered:

Prizes (3): Romano's Macaroni Grill gift basket.

Prize: Pink Vado HD pocket video camera.

Prize: Creative Vado HD pocket video camera (ARV $229.99).

Prize: $50 Visa gift card and Kleenex Anti-Viral Tissues.

Prize: Two canisters of Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes for every classroom in your child's school.

Prize: Pair of eyeglasses from EyeBuyDirect.com [excludes designer frames and sunglasses].

A Possible Pandemic? Let's Go Golfing

Much was made about how George Bush was reading books to a group of school children when the planes crashed into the World Trade Center. Conspiracy theorists proclaimed that this was part of the plan orchestrated by the evil right wing dictator, George Double-U Bush. Others felt he should have threw the book to the ground, rushed out of the roo, tearing off his jacket as he went, ducked into a phone booth and emerged as Superman.

When Bush was notified that the first plane hit he probably wanted to find out what happened. Was this a pilot error? What was going on? If it had been a pilot error and Bush had immediately grounded planes nationwide he would have been considered a dolt. Then again he was considered a dolt because it was after his people learned of the second plane a news conference was held and we learned about the possible third plane.

One thing I learned years ago was that one person, even the President of the United States does not make decisions in a vaccum. Presidents generally surround themselves with people that they hope will help them make decisions. A wise person takes them into consideration and makes a decision using the facts at hand. Yes sometimes the facts at hand change and sometimes they are not accurate because the immediacy of the situation does not allow us to garner all the facts.

Agree with the Bush or not, agree with him or not, I find it amazing that often on the Democratic Underground there are people who still bring up the fact that Bush was reading that book to a group of kids.

Ah but meanwhile, back at the ranch, a new crisis emerges for our hero, President Obama. It's not enough that he's throwing trillions of dollars at shovel ready projects, or giving money to an auto company that hasn't had a successful year since the late 70's. He's now faced with a possible, pandemic. One might argue that a pandemic does not have the immediacy that terrorists hitting a building but I might argue that it might be worth putting one's golf clubs up for a few minutes.

Nero may have fiddled while Rome burned, Bush may have read "My Pet Goat" when the planes hit the World Trade Center, but when Swine Flu has been confirmed here in the United States, Obama goes golfing. I find it interesting that there is little mention of him golfing during this time except to say that he's being updated on the situation. Flu pandemics have been occurring with some regularity since at least the 1500s, but the frame of reference for health officials is the catastrophe of 1918-19. That one killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people worldwide.

Pandemics killed millions around the world in 1918, 1957 and 1968. The epicenter of this outbreak is Mexico, where the virus is blamed for at least 100 deaths and an estimated 1,600 cases in the country since April 13. Schools were closed, church services canceled and Mexican President Felipe Calderon assumed new powers to isolate people infected with the swine flu virus.

A pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.

Ah but don't worry, the press conference I saw was from New York's Govenor and not the President of the US. The other press conference I saw U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano not Obama. That's fine but I can't help but imagine that Bush, the most evil of all evil Tyrants in history (that is until the next Republican comes into office) had sent out his Homeland Security Secretary he would be accused of not taking things seriously.

Don't you worry though, Janet is right on top of things. "Right now we don't think the facts warrant more active testing or screening of passengers coming in from Mexico," she said at a White House briefing.

You're right Janet afer all:

1. Health Minister Tony Ryall (New Zeland) has this evening confirmed ten positive influenza results from testing carried out on 13 Rangitoto College students who returned from Mexico early yesterday morning.

Nova Scotia health officials said two of the four victims in that province, all students at the same private school, recently visited Mexico. Two case also were confirmed in British Columbia.

The US declared a public health emergency as 20 cases were confirmed in the country, including eight in New York City, one in Ohio, two in Kansas and seven in California. The acting director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Richard Besser, said he expected more cases over the coming days.

Spain's health ministry said three people who had just returned from Mexico were under observation in hospitals in the northern Basque region, in south-eastern Albacete and the Mediterranean port city of Valencia.

The homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, said the US government was releasing 12m doses of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu from a federal stockpile. Don't your worry about the fact that there is no proof that Tamiflu is effective against this straing of flu. If you listen to the people on the DU or MSNBC you can rest assured the annoited one has it all under control.

Here's the difference. I think that Obama shouldn't make a rash and quick decision. I don't expect him to become superman because like when Bush was reading about the Pet Goats, Obama doesn't have all the facts in yet.

Oh and as long as I'm on the subject of parallels and how the press looks at all things Bush differently than anything Obama can possibly do, did you hear about Air Force One today? Bush got hammered for his decision to land on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier with the banner Mission Accomplished.

Did you hear about the panic caused by a flight mission and photo op that looked like Air Force One and fighter jets heading toward the New York City skyline this morning? Well for people who work in the New York financial district, the event brought back nightmares of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Numerous buildings in lower Manhattan evacuated in a panic during this morning's false alarm.

The plane that flew in New York Monday was a version of the Boeing 747 that's called Air Force One when the president is aboard.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg blasted the photo opportunity for being insensitive and showing "poor judgment." I can't believe Mr. Bloomberg would say such a thing.

And now let's return to our show. Here are the blog contest I entered:

Prize: $50 Photofiddle gift certificate, Chicken Soup for the Soul books and The Body Shop Mother's Day gift package (ARV $200).

Prize: Animal Planet Emergency Vets video game for Nintendo DS (ARV $29.99).

Prize: Pepsi Throwback cap, lunch box, Clock Radio/CD Player, USB Lava Lamp, Pepsi Throwback & Mountain Dew Throwback.

Prize: Two complimentary meal passes to Sweet Tomatoes.

Prize: You Color My Day photo book and assortment of Philosophy products.

Prize: Creative Vado HD Pocket Video Cam (ARV $229).

Prize: Pepsi Throwback trucker cap, retro Pepsi tin lunch box, retro clock radio/CD player, USB lava lamp, Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback (ARV $150).

Today Was A Historic Day

All day I had the classroom TV on playing in the background as the kids barely worked on their assignment. Who could blame them? In their short lives they've witnsssed so much. Terrorist attacks in America and an African American President. History was in the making and I didn't get after them at all if they stopped working and watched as the day unfurled.

Having grown up in DC it's a little different for me. I watch the newscast and remember walking past this building or that building on my way to work. The mall area where I once used to push my babies in their stroller was filled with a few million people. I saw scenes of the reflecting pool and the throngs of people reminded me of the day when I was very young and I looked for my Dad in the crowds of people watching Martin Luther King Speak. For me it's always a homecoming when I see DC on TV or in a movie.

During my fourth period class we stopped our work to watch the ceremony. It's a new day, a new page in our history. After the dignitaries began leaving the inauguration and the commentary began, you could hear Juan William's voice begin to crack. This was dream that countless African Americans have had, that one day the President of the United States would come from their community.

Regardless how we voted, whether for or against the new administration, we should all keep our new President in our prayers because he is our new President. I have never walked lockstep for or against a new president. Heck I love my husband and my kids but I don't always agree with the choices they make. I will not always agree with the actions of any American but we should all be given a chance without having dispersions cast upon us.

Well Cathy, what blog contests did you enter today? Well Here they are:


Prize: Zenses Rainforest video game for Nintendo DS.

Prize: Football, beverage pail, snack helmet, two key chains, two hats, two t-shirts, five Pepsi 24 pack coupons and five Frito Lay coupons

Prizes (3): National Lampoon’s Stoned Age DVD

The Photobook Creator

One box of 30 personalized My Fruit Roll-Ups as designed by winner

Prize: 30-count carton of personalized Fruit Roll-Ups

Prizes (3): Breakfast at Tiffany's DVD.

Prizes (3): Funny Face DVD