Ace Destroys Official Sarah Palin Breast-Blogger, Andrew Sullivan
posted: 2010-02-09 16:11:00    0 Comments.

It seems to escape Sullivan's attention that Palin came to prominence because the entire right was agitating for domestic exploration and then this attractive governor from Alaska spoke the magic words... "Drill, baby, drill..."

Sullivan would posit that things happened in the opposite order. Here we all were celebrating the untainted and quite godforsaken barren tundra known as ANWR, but suddenly a woman who could rock a D cup came on the scene, and then we were sold.

And finally... Sullivan really, really hates women, and really, really resents their power and really, really resents that they might possess a degree of sexual attractiveness for the majority of the male population that he can't compete with, no matter how much he squat-thrusts.

Add some stuff about Sully hating Jews and it's a fun read.

NYT: Why Don't you People Just Believe Everything we Say Anymore?
posted: 2010-02-09 15:43:00    0 Comments.

The Times acknowledges, barely, that all is not sunny in global warming-alarmist land.

But Dr. Pachauri and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are now under intense scrutiny, facing accusations of scientific sloppiness and potential financial conflicts of interest from climate skeptics, right-leaning politicians and even some mainstream scientists. Senator John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican, called for Dr. Pachauri’s resignation last week.

Critics, writing in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph and elsewhere, have accused Dr. Pachauri of profiting from his work as an adviser to businesses, including Deutsche Bank and Pegasus Capital Advisors, a New York investment firm — a claim he denies.

They have also unearthed and publicized problems with the intergovernmental panel’s landmark 2007 report on climate change, which concluded that the planet was warming and that humans were likely to blame.

Ronald Reagan: The SOTU Speech we should've Heard

by: Scott Martin   posted: 2010-02-09 15:24:00
Viewed 84 times. 0 Comments.

I missed noting that last Saturday would have been my all-time political hero's 99th birthday. We miss you, Ron. Watch and listen to this speech, his 1988 State of the Union address, and you will miss him more as you compare his words and ideas with Barack Obama's sorry recent performance.

It's all good (actually, you may want to skip the 10-second part where he urges confirmation of Justice Kennedy.. I almost got sick there), but if you want to focus on the red meat that pertains to our economic and budget crises, start at about the 11-minute mark and watch at least through to the 19-minute mark. An excerpt from the full text:

Let's recall that in seven years, of 91 appropriations bills scheduled to arrive on my desk by a certain date, only 10 made it on time. Last year, of the 13 appropriations bills due by October 1st, none of them made it. Instead, we had four continuing resolutions lasting 41 days, then 36 days, and two days, and three days, respectively. And then, along came these behemoths. This is the conference report - 1,053 page report weighing 14 pounds. Then this - a reconciliation bill six months late, that was 1,186 pages long, weighing 15 pounds; and the long-term continuing resolution - this one was two months late and it's 1,057 pages long, weighing 14 pounds. That was a total of 43 pounds of paper and ink. You had three hours - yes, three hours - to consider each, and it took 300 people at my Office of Management and Budget just to read the bill so the government wouldn't shut down. Congress shouldn't send another one of these. No and if you do, I will not sign it.

Full article...

Congressional Democrats point finger of blame at Rahm Emanuel
posted: 2010-02-09 15:10:00    0 Comments.

Poor guy. One of the problems with yelling at people, berating people, and generally thuggish behavior towards people is that it doesn't exactly engender loyalty. Eventually they turn, even if it's not your fault.

The share of the blame comes as cracks are beginning to show in Emanuel’s once-impregnable political armor... on Capitol Hill he’s under fire for poor execution of the president’s healthcare agenda in the Senate...

Senate Democrats grilled White House advisers last week during a special Senate Democratic retreat, expressing frustration over the lack of a clear plan.

While Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) ripped chief political strategist David Axelrod, Senate Democrats say Emanuel, who was more closely involved in managing negotiations in Congress, also deserves scrutiny.

Michelle O: Barry has done a "phenomenol job"
posted: 2010-02-09 15:05:00    0 Comments.

A solid B-plus:

Michelle Obama defended her husband against some of his most vocal critics, saying President Obama did a "phenomenal" job this year and that change is a long-term process.

The first lady talks about her nationwide campaign called "Let's Move."

"I think my husband has done a phenomenal job staying on course, looking his critics in the eye, coming up with clear solutions against staying the course," Michelle Obama told Robin Roberts in an exclusive morning television interview on "Good Morning America." "That's what leadership is. But people have the right to criticize the President of the United States."

Let me finish that last thought for you, Michelle. I see you rubbing your hands together and thinking, "Yes, for now people have the right to criticize him, but we're working on changing that."

Obama Postures on Bi-Partisanship, GOP Calls his Bluff

by: Scott Martin   posted: 2010-02-09 14:56:00
Viewed 180 times. 0 Comments.

Or that's what this amusing Washington Times piece should have been titled, instead of "Obama's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent." I'm thinking the headline writer only read the first couple paragraphs.

Despite his continued calls for collaboration, just two weeks after President Obama's State of the Union address, the window has closed on the areas of bipartisan cooperation he laid out, with Republicans saying his budget puts some ideas out of play and Democrats taking others off the table.

Republicans say Mr. Obama's list was already fairly short. They rejected out of hand his renewed push for health care and his call to curb a Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance, leaving drilling for oil and gas here at home, pushing nuclear power and enacting more free-trade agreements as the chief areas that drew applause from the GOP.

But Democrats have balked at the trade agreements.

Full article...

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Lends Fundraising Muscle to Hayworth
posted: 2010-02-09 14:35:00    0 Comments.

Following on the last story, this certainly will help.

In his letter, being sent out to Arpaio supporters today as part of a 100,000-person national direct mail drop, the sheriff calls Hayworth's decision to challenge McCain "courageous."

And he pledges to help Hayworth "every step of the way."

"Senator McCain has served this country admirably but it's time to replace his moderate or even liberal positions on taxes, the border, social causes and big bank bailouts with a consistent conservative like J.D.," Arpaio continues.

"After years of running over Republican principles his entire career no election year conversion to our way of thinking will save his campaign from voters that want conservatives to be a part of the solution rather than part of the problem," he says.

From Right of Radio Dial, a Challenge to McCain
posted: 2010-02-09 14:28:00    0 Comments.

Not buying it, Senator McCain.

McCain now finds himself jammed, moving starkly — and often awkwardly — to the right, apparently in an effort to gain favor among the same voters whom Mr. Hayworth, a consistent voice for the far right, could pull toward him like taffy come summer.

McCain now sharply criticizes the bailout bill he voted for, pivoted from his earlier position that the Guantánamo Bay detention facility should be closed, offered only a muted response to the Supreme Court’s decision undoing campaign finance laws and backed down from statements that gays in the military would be O.K. by him...

“John is undergoing a campaign conversion,” Mr. Hayworth said.

Hayworth’s radio-personality bluster and big emotions.. may now have a part in the greater populist narrative that threatens many of the nation’s more centrist Republicans.

Defiant Iran accelerates nuclear program
posted: 2010-02-09 14:22:00    0 Comments.

I thought Obama was going to talk these things over with his boy Mahmoud and smooth everything out. Instead, Ahmadinejad remains "defiant."

How's that hope-y change-y working out for us?

Iran said Tuesday that it had begun producing higher-grade enriched uranium, marking a new and potentially dangerous turn in Tehran's confrontation with the West over its nuclear ambitions...

U.S. National Intelligence Director Dennis C. Blair told the House intelligence committee last week that "Iran has the scientific, the technical, the industrial capacity to produce enough highly enriched uranium for a weapon in the next few years and eventually to produce a nuclear weapon. The central issue is a political decision by Iran to do so."

Reid's Jobs Bill will have "Republican Support"
posted: 2010-02-09 13:59:00    0 Comments.

Looks like there's been some compromise here, as the GOP gets an extension of tax cuts that expired last year. I don't know if this is a good thing - I don't see much incentive for the GOP to do anything but obstruct the Dems at every possible point between now and November.

I wouldn't want my fingerprints on anything this administration or congress proposes.

Reid told reporters the bill would be introduced on Tuesday, and that it would include an extension of the tax breaks...

Reid did not say how expensive the jobs bill would be. The Senate had been considering a package of roughly $80 billion.

The House passed a larger jobs bill before Christmas, but now plans to unveil a different bill independent of that package, which did not garner Republican support.

Without Murtha, Dems now one vote short of passing ObamaCare in House
posted: 2010-02-08 22:01:00    1 Comments.

Didn't realize the implications of Murtha's passing today, which include the following...

Back in November, the House passed its health care bill by a narrow 220 to 215 margin, with 39 Democrats voting against it. Since then, the one Republican who voted for it — Joseph Cao — has indicated that he would not support the bill a second time around given the weaker language on abortion in the Senate version. In addition, Florida Rep. Robert Wexler already retired prematurely. Factor in Murtha’s death today, and Pelosi is down to 217 votes — one short of passage. To pass the bill at some point in the next few months, she’ll need to flip a Democrat who is already on record voting against the bill.

Republicans and the Populist Temptation could Tank the Market
posted: 2010-02-08 21:06:00    3 Comments.

A warning from my favorite economic analyst, Donald Luskin.

Don't think that Republicans can't be sucked in when an anti-Wall Street lynch mob gets its blood up. Recall that Sarbanes-Oxley, the devastating antigrowth response in 2002 to the Enron and Worldcom scandals, was passed with virtually unanimous support by Republicans in Congress, and signed by a Republican president. Recall that last year 85 House Republicans voted for a 90% tax on bonuses for any employee of any bank that took more than $5 billion in TARP money.

Investors got some good news last Friday. Stocks resisted following through on Thursday's sharp plunge after (Congress) reached an impasse on bank re-regulation. That's a nice down payment on what investors need a lot more of now: proof that the GOP won't join Democrats in a populist rush to seek revenge against Wall Street.

GOP Leadership's Response to Health Care Summit Invite

by: Scott Martin   posted: 2010-02-08 20:32:00
Viewed 338 times. 2 Comments.

This is excellent. Obama isn't going to get his dog and pony show at the GOP's expense. Start over or take a walk.

Mr. Emanuel:

We welcome President Obama’s announcement of forthcoming bipartisan health care talks. In fact, you may remember that last May, Republicans asked President Obama to hold bipartisan discussions on health care in an attempt to find common ground on health care, but he declined and instead chose to work with only Democrats. Since then, the President has given dozens of speeches on health care reform, operating under the premise that the more the American people learn about his plan, the more they will come to like it. Just the opposite has occurred: a majority of Americans oppose the House and Senate health care bills and want them scrapped so we can start over with a step-by-step approach focused on lowering costs for families and small businesses.

Full article...

Message to Democrats: Wall St. Sends Cash to GOP
posted: 2010-02-08 20:24:00    2 Comments.

Great news, but these guys were a little late in realizing that Obama wants to destroy all their corporations and confiscate their money. Not quite sure how they missed that.

Just two years after Mr. Obama helped his party pull in record Wall Street contributions — $89 million from the securities and investment business, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics — some of his biggest supporters, like Mr. Dimon, have become the industry’s chief lobbyists against his regulatory agenda.

Republicans are rushing to capitalize on what they call Wall Street’s “buyer’s remorse” with the Democrats. And industry executives and lobbyists are warning Democrats that if Mr. Obama keeps attacking Wall Street “fat cats,” they may fight back by withholding their cash.

Dow closes below 10,000 for first time in 3 months
posted: 2010-02-08 20:22:00    2 Comments.

The Dow sinks below a major psychological threshold.

The Dow, down almost 104 points, had its 10th triple-digit move in 16 trading days. Shares of big banks pulled the market lower, extending a slump that has led to four straight weekly losses.

I can't, for the life of me, understand why bank stocks would be dropping. Inexplicable.

Poll: Special interests more influential under Obama
posted: 2010-02-08 20:19:00    1 Comments.

Voters are now categorically rejecting every claim or promise made by this guy.... including democrats:

Contrary to President Obama's promises, voters say special interests have more influence on the political process now than they did a year ago, according to a new poll.

The poll, paid for by groups looking to curb the Supreme Court's recent campaign finance ruling, found that majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say special interests have increased their influence since the president took office, and they say Mr. Obama has not done enough to fight back.

GOP leaders: Don't use current health bills for summit starting point
posted: 2010-02-08 20:15:00    2 Comments.

Boehner and Cantor say the Pubs aren't going to be a part of any Presidential photo-op/dog-and-pony show:

If the starting point for this meeting is the job-killing bills the American people have already soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be reluctant to participate,” the pair explained in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

They also said President Barack Obama should remove reconciliation from the table. Using budget reconciliation rules to move healthcare reform in the Senate would mean Democrats would only need 51 votes on procedural measures instead of 60...

On Sunday afternoon however, Obama refused to say he would start from scratch.

Jack Murtha (D-PA) Dead at Age 77
posted: 2010-02-08 14:44:00    6 Comments.

Sad news. Prayers and well wishes to his family and loved ones.

An announcement from his office said Murtha died at 1:18 p.m. at the Virginia Hospital Center, where he had been admitted last week after having his gallbladder removed at Bethesda Naval Hospital.

I thought of killing myself, says climate scandal professor Phil Jones
posted: 2010-02-07 13:06:00    3 Comments.

He doesn't need to go that far. But a lengthy jail sentence for the fraud-of-the-century would go a long way.

The scientist at the centre of the “climategate” email scandal has revealed that he was so traumatised by the global backlash against him that he contemplated suicide.

Jones, 57, said he was unprepared for the scandal: “I am just a scientist. I have no training in PR or dealing with crises.”

Actually, he's using the term "scientist" loosely there, given that real scientists don't do what he did. And while he may not have any training dealing with crises, he sure was good at generating one: it was called the global warming crisis.

Poll: Believers in man-made global warming rapidly dwindling

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 12:06:00
Viewed 613 times. 8 Comments.

What a great story. The Warmers are going the way of the flat-earthers. In our search for the reasons why that might be, we can start with the 24 inches of snow that fell in my backyard in Virginia yesterday. That was the 2nd largest snowfall ever measured in Washington. We can add the Christmas week storm, which was the largest amount of snow ever recorded in Washington in December, and the 7th largest overall, and we start to see why the ...

Full article...

Obama's never-before-seen 2010 strategy

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 10:51:00
Viewed 597 times. 4 Comments.

This master plan was clearly hatched in super-secret, high-level, eyes-only briefings. But the wait is finally over. The plan to prevent every single last Democrat from being bodily thrown into the Capitol fountain on November 2, is, wait for it . . . to be more bipartisan. Obama is going to offer to include Republicans in the governing process, and if they don't vote for his legislation, he'll call them obstructionists.

U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign strategy for Democrats in the November elections is taking shape -- appeal to Republicans to make compromises and if they do not, accuse them of obstruction. Obama is basically angling to call the bluff of Republicans who he believes have done nothing but stand in opposition to his proposals on revamping the U.S. healthcare system and stimulating the economy. . . . ...

Full article...

Classic liberal headline: New Orleans elects first white mayor since 1978

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 09:57:00
Viewed 141 times. 0 Comments.

So what? Who cares that the guy is white? Was this some kind of repudiation of his predecessor, the black guy, Ray Negin? If is was a repudiation, was it because Negin is black? Or was it because he was incompetent in handling the Katrina distaster? Incidentally, New Orleans, as Reuters reminds us in a race-centric write-up, is still a majority black city.

Landrieu, a Democrat and Louisiana's lieutenant governor, won more than 50 percent of the vote, defeating a field of 10 other competitors and avoiding a run-off election. Democrat Troy Henry, a black businessman, came in second. Landrieu, 49, the son of New Orleans' last white mayor, Moon Landrieu, rode a wave of discontent over the slow pace of the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and rampant crime. ...

Full article...

In Full: Palin's Tea Party Speech

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-07 08:10:00
Viewed 237 times. 4 Comments.

With her quip, "America is ready for another revolution," Palin wins the understatement of the year award. The revolution has already begun; just ask Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), and Bob McDonnell (R-Va.).

Patriot Room Radio 2/5/10 barack: verb (African), "to burgle"

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-06 12:14:00
Viewed 159 times. 1 Comments.

The February 5, 2010, podcast is up for your listening pleasure! This week Clyde and Bill talk about: Debt ceiling raises the roof, dems drop their prize bone, a rat update, Illinois election and 2010 update, plus lots of snarky red meat. Every episode of our podcasts is here and on iTunes (start iTunes on your computer, in the iTunes Store, Power Search title Patriot Room). You can subscribe on either site. You can also hear us on Take That! Radio (on demand) and on Radio for Conservatives (Weekday edition broadcast 8:00PM ET Tuesdays and 10:00AM Wednesdays; Weekend edition at 9:30AM-11:00AM ET Saturdays and Sundays). If you're looking to jump right in, click the play button here: ...

Full article...

Yet again: China Renews Opposition to Iran Sanctions
posted: 2010-02-05 08:07:00    3 Comments.

And for Obama's next act, he will, um, wait for it ...

>> Reflecting a growing catalog of disputes between Washington and Beijing, a senior Chinese official said Thursday that pressure for tighter sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program could block chances of a diplomatic settlement on the issue.

The official, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, was speaking in Paris less than a week after Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton rebuked China over its opposition to stronger measures against Tehran, saying Beijing’s position was shortsighted. <<

Franken feeling his oats: Rips into Axelrod over HC
posted: 2010-02-05 08:04:00    3 Comments.

Smile. Gnawing on each others' legs:

>> Five sources who were in the room tell POLITICO that Franken criticized Axelrod for the administration’s failure to provide clarity or direction on health care and the other big bills it wants Congress to enact.

The sources said Franken was the most outspoken senator in the meeting, which followed President Barack Obama’s question-and-answer session with Senate Democrats at the Newseum on Wednesday. But they also said the Minnesotan wasn’t the only angry Democrat in the room.

“There was a lot of frustration in there,” said a Democratic senator who declined to be identified.

“People were hot,” another Democratic senator said. <<

300 terrorists tried and convicted? Who? Holder's not saying
posted: 2010-02-05 07:58:00    2 Comments.

>> Kyl sent a letter to Holder asking for the names and crimes of the terrorists held in federal prisons. ... The senator got no response. Then, on June 17, Holder appeared at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Kyl is a senior member. Kyl asked again. Holder didn't have the information at hand, so Kyl sent another written request.

Weeks passed, and then months, with no response. Then, last October, Kyl got an answer, of sorts, from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich. Citing federal regulations, Weich said he "cannot provide ... a list of Bureau of Prisons inmates," although he said the department could give Kyl "briefings about terrorism suspects housed in federal prisons generally." <<

Senate Doctors Show 02/4/10 Lowering HC cost, continued

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 19:09:00
Viewed 108 times. 2 Comments.

Now that Senator Scott Brown has been sworn in as the newest Republican Senator, Senators Tom Coburn, M.D., and John Barrasso, M.D., continue offering Republican ideas for a step-by-step approach to lowering health care costs. Check out the latest episode of “The Senate Doctors Show”:

Sen. Bond calls out Obama on improper disclosures of national security info

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 19:05:00
Viewed 361 times. 2 Comments.

Sen. Bond did not mince words: February 4, 2010 The Honorable Barack H. Obama President of the United States White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, During my tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee, I have worked with the Executive Branch to stem the disclosure of sensitive information. In 2006, for example, I introduced legislation that would aid the Executive Branch in prosecuting individuals engaged in leaks of classified information. In the realm of national security, sometimes it is necessary to withhold critical information from the public that may be used by our enemies to harm the American people. Accordingly, I am deeply disturbed with the official handling of vital national security information regarding the ...

Full article...

Video: Dems cheer after raising Americans' debt limit to $14,294,000,000,000

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 17:01:00
Viewed 385 times. 2 Comments.

Looks like a great campaign ad with which to cudgel these fools into retirement.

The bill passed by a 217-212 vote, with no Republicans voting in support. Today's increase of $1.9 trillion is the largest in American history, and adds $6,500 in debt for every man, woman, and child in the country.

All this debt and absolutely nothing to show for it. They are robbing us blind.

Operation Gratitude Twin 500,000th Packages Delivered

by: Clyde Middleton   posted: 2010-02-04 13:35:00
Viewed 142 times. 0 Comments.

These people are simply amazing! Based on reporting by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Susan Wilt Combined Joint Task Force-82 Public Affairs BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Two deployed 82nd Airborne Division Paratroopers got a nice surprise when they opened up boxes from Operation Gratitude and each found a set of keys to a new motorcycle in his care package. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. William Fullerton, a squad leader with Company B, 82nd Division Special Troops Battalion, and U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Herne, an infantryman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, were lucky recipients of the Operation Gratitude Milestone 500,000th Twin Care Packages shipped on December 19, 2009. A new Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle will be waiting for each Paratrooper upon his redeployment from Afghanistan. ...

Full article...

Mark Kirk puts Blago front and center in new campaign ad

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 12:41:00
Viewed 130 times. 0 Comments.

This is like shooting fish in a barrel . . . with unlimited, belt-fed ammo. Strap yourselves in, this race is going to be lots of fun.

And the ad doesn't even bring up Kirk's actual opponent, whom the GOP is quickly turning into Tony Soprano.

H/T to Jim Geraghty for the vid.

Scott Brown's 41st vote already giving Reid fits

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 12:05:00
Viewed 279 times. 0 Comments.

Scott Brown (R, that's right R - Mass.) will be sworn in today at 5:00 p.m. EST as the newest member of the Senate, thereby officially loosening the death-grip the Democrat Party has on our country. And while 41 votes in the Senate only loosens the grip slightly (it will be fully released in November), it is, nevertheless, already paying dividends. Remember that Porkulus IV Jobs bill the Dems need to pass to show how serious they are about the economy they have neglected for a year? Yeah, well, last month Harry Reid wouldn't have needed any Republican support to pass it. Today, he's gonna need to play nice if he wants his slush money.

Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Ill.) said that as of Thursday morning no Republican had signed on as a supporter. ...

Full article...

Obama jokes about his citizenship at Prayer Breakfast

by: Bill Dupray   posted: 2010-02-04 11:42:00
Viewed 207 times. 2 Comments.

As he delivers it, it almost looks like he doesn't think it will be a laugh line. Only after the audience laughs does he crack a wry smile.

Full article...

House faces tough vote on $1.9 trillion more debt
posted: 2010-02-04 11:08:00    1 Comments.

The only thing tough about House Dems allowing themselves to spend another $1.9 trillion is hiding it from the voters. Question for Democrats: Did you forget that Al Gore invented the internet and that WE CAN SEE YOU?

White House Prepares for Two SCOTUS Nominees
posted: 2010-02-04 09:12:00    1 Comments.

Stevens and Ginsburg may be out. Ironically, if they were to retire, it may actually be tough for Obama to keep the exact same balance of power on the Court; it will be a tall order to find two replacement justices as far to the looney left as those two.

UN umasked: Arabs to block Australia UNSC seat bid over Israel
posted: 2010-02-04 08:28:00    1 Comments.

>> Hashem Yousseff, chief of cabinet for Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa, told The Australian Canberra kept "bad company" at the UN, where it often opposes anti-Israel resolutions in alliance with the US, Canada and small Pacific island states.

Australia's support for Israel, he said, was "one of the elements that will be taken into consideration" by the 22-member Arab League in deciding whether to support Australia's bid for a seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term. <<

"Bad company"? Terrorist-loving a-holes ...

Another IPCC hit: Netherlands 20%, not 50%, below sea level
posted: 2010-02-04 08:25:00    0 Comments.

These people can't get anything right:

>> A United Nations report wrongly claimed that more than half of the Netherlands is currently below sea level.

In fact, just twenty percent of the country consists of polders that are pumped dry, and which are at risk of flooding if global warming causes rising sea levels. Dutch Environment Minister Jacqueline Cramer has ordered a thorough investigation into the quality of the climate reports which she uses to base her policies on.

Climate-sceptic MPs were quick to react. Conservative MP Helma Neppérus and Richard de Mos from the right-wing Freedom Party want the minister to explain to parliament how these figures were used to decide on national climate policy. "This may invalidate all claims that the last decades were the hottest ever," Mr De Mos said. <<

Good analysis of Congress' options post-United Citizens
posted: 2010-02-04 08:12:00    0 Comments.

>> Because the Supreme Court has the final word on whether a law violates the Constitution, Congress cannot simply undo Citizens United. Only a future Supreme Court, or a new constitutional amendment, can take political speech rights back from corporations. It is difficult to predict how much of an effect Citizens United will truly have on campaigns, but Congress does have a variety of options for proactively responding to the case. Specifically, Congress could:

Strengthen disclosure; Require new disclaimers; Address coordinated spending; Guard against foreign influence; Enact shareholder protections; Loosen political party campaign spending laws; Provide public financing for elections <<

Each option is examined at the link.

Will Crist run as an Independent in FL's Senate Race?
posted: 2010-02-04 08:09:00    0 Comments.

It would improve his position, albeit polls still show him losing. Splitting the vote, however, can only help - unless, of course, there's a voter backlash against such a underhanded move:

"In a three-way race among Rubio, the Republican, Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democrat, and Crist running as an independent, Rubio takes 31 percent to 26 percent for Crist and 24 percent for Meek. Crist wins roughly one-quarter of the votes of both self-identified Democrats and Republicans, and takes 41 percent among independents."