SactoDan

CARNEY STRUGGLES WITH QUESTIONS ON PUBLIC EQUITY

Wed, 30 May 2012 06:42:53 -0700

CARNEY STRUGGLES WITH QUESTIONS ON PUBLIC EQUITY:

White House press secretary Jay Carney struggled with questions on public equity in his Tuesday press briefing, after being challenged on how his justification for the government-loan program for energy differs from Mitt Romney’s on private equity.

REPORTER: Has the administration done a good job of making decisions about who to invest in, about where to invest?

CARNEY: Look, I think the program as created under the Bush administration and pursued by this administration, has always acknowledged that not every company invested in would necessarily succeed—that is why companies like that needed investments, in order to scale up, to allow them to grow and succeed. Not all of them would grow and succeed. The portfolio as I understand it, contains a number of companies that are progressing and succeeding. Again, if the suggestion is that the United States should wash its hands of these investments, you all need to assess that for what it means, which is saying: “The Chinese can have these industries; the Brazilians, the Europeans, the Indians can have these industries, and we’ll simply import that technology—just like we’ve been dependent on foreign oil.” I think that is a wrong-headed proposition.

REPORTER: Last thing, if that is the argument, how is that different from Romney’s argument about Bain Capital, which is that many succeeded and a few failed?

CARNEY: Look, there is the—the difference in that your overall view of what your responsibilities are as president and what your view of the economic future is. The president believes, as he’s made clear, that a president’s responsibility is not just to those who win, but those who, for example in a company where there have been layoffs or a company that has gone bankrupt, we have to make sure those folks have the means to find other employment, that they have the ability to train for other kinds of work, and that’s part of the overall responsibility that the president has.

Really?

Number of the Week: Half of U.S. Lives in Household Getting Benefits

Sun, 27 May 2012 07:00:14 -0700

Number of the Week: Half of U.S. Lives in Household Getting Benefits:

More and more Americans have discovered they can vote people into office that promise them free stuff, paid for by others.

49.1%: Percent of the population that lives in a household where at least one member received some type of government benefit in the first quarter of 2011….

…The more people who receive benefits, the harder it’s going to be to make cuts, and it’s never popular to raise taxes.

So many are receiving while others noisily clamor in the public square for more. There are power hungry politicians, many of whom are filthy rich themselves who are only too happy to oblige. Once they have a beholden majority, they will have perpetual power. They are nearly there.

With fewer and fewer are paying the way (whether you like this or not), how long can it be sustained?

Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech

Fri, 25 May 2012 07:22:26 -0700

Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech:

WASHINGTON — Miami’s Temple Israel on Thursday canceled a program featuring Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz after a high-profile Republican donor quit the congregation to protest the top Democratic congresswoman’s speech.

Stanley Tate, a well-known philanthropist and prominent Republican who started Florida’s prepaid college tuition program, resigned from the temple after he learned Wasserman Schultz would be talking about Israel after services on Friday night, and that he wouldn’t get an opportunity for rebuttal.

The temple’s president, Ben Kuehne, a Miami attorney, said the event was canceled because of security concerns. He said they “certainly embrace the congresswoman’s willingness to participate in one of our programs,” but decided it was “unwise to proceed with the program tomorrow.”

Good for him.

Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, called it an unusual situation, due in part to the temple’s “internal politics.” Temple Israel, which invited her to speak, is just outside her Florida congressional district.

“I believe strongly that in a democracy people should be able to hear from and interact with their elected officials, which is why I gladly accepted Temple Israel’s invitation to speak as I have previously to many organizations and religious institutions throughout South Florida,” she said. “It is unfortunate that some would allow politics to stand in the way of citizens’ ability to interact with their representative.”

Such strong principles! I wonder if she was insisting Mr. Tate be allowed to rebut her?

When conservatives publicly exercise their rights to free political speech, those on the same side as Wasserman Schultz shout them down, demand they be fired, intimidate their sponsors or take out public ads to attack them personally. I celebrate Mr. Stanley Tate. The Temple? Apparently they know where their gelt comes from.

Letterman Confronts O'Reilly: 'Why Doesn't The Current President Get More Credit?'

Thu, 24 May 2012 07:51:01 -0700

Letterman Confronts O'Reilly: 'Why Doesn't The Current President Get More Credit?':

Bill O’Reilly wins this humorous exchange with David Letterman.

WHY ARE ALL THE LEFTIST POLITICIANS WHO HATE THE RICH…SO FILTHY RICH?

Wed, 23 May 2012 06:47:55 -0700

WHY ARE ALL THE LEFTIST POLITICIANS WHO HATE THE RICH…SO FILTHY RICH?:

Have you ever noticed how almost all the leftist politicians who hate and want to punish the rich with draconian tax increases…are filthy rich themselves? Confusing, isn’t it?…..

….These people are hypocrites of the highest order. They are angry and guilty for having never earned a dime of their own fortunes. By dumb luck they were dropped down the right chimney, lucky sperm club members who had everything handed to them…..

….Show me a self-made man or woman and I’ll show you a fiscal conservative. I’ll show you someone that is proud of their success and feels they deserve to keep more of their own money.

But show me a leftist politician who hates the rich, and 95% of the time I’ll show you spoiled brats who inherited their wealth, power and connections….

Read the rest here.

Media Seeks Church Dirt On Romney-What About Obama?

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:25:29 -0700

Media Seeks Church Dirt On Romney-What About Obama?:

I wonder if Jodi Kantor of the New York Times went to Obama’s church to find out what subtle influences Reverend Wright might have had on him?

Mark Landsbaum: Don't buy Jerry Brown's poor-mouthing

Sun, 20 May 2012 06:53:26 -0700

Mark Landsbaum: Don't buy Jerry Brown's poor-mouthing:

Gov. Jerry Brown’s solution to the state’s catastrophic budget might be called, “California Dreaming.” More likely, it will end up everyone else’s worst nightmare.

The governor’s best solution is to plead poverty and lower himself to beg voters to increase taxes. His outlook is fanciful, much like the Greeks’. Both are about to learn that responsible people who earn their own money have limits to how much they will turn over to irresponsible people.

Nevertheless, Brown last week implored the citizenry: “Please increase taxes temporarily on the most affluent and everyone else.”

Please?

Another Obama Birther conspiracy? This Associated Press article...

Fri, 18 May 2012 06:56:22 -0700

Another Obama Birther conspiracy? This Associated Press article from 2004 labels Obama as born in Kenya.

The source story can be found here until they scrub it, but this image is a screen shot of the page should it “disappear”. Snopes says no here, yet the veracity and ownership of snopes is in question to some as well.

Either way, someone was lying in 2004, before the Presidency was at stake. Why?

Obama Kenya Surprise - And It's Not Even October

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:21:08 -0700

Not again with the birth certificate stuff, no this is different. This pamphlet was produced in 1991 by Obama’s literary agent to promote his upcoming book. The bio claims he was born in Kenya.

More here.

As this was a sanctioned bio produced long before Obama was to run for President, were they telling the truth about where he was born then, or now?

Chris Matthews Bombs on 'Jeopardy!' After Repeatedly Mocking Palin for How She'd Do

Tue, 15 May 2012 06:29:37 -0700

On at least four occasions, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews mocked Sarah Palin for how he felt she’d do if she were ever on the hit television game show Jeopardy!.

In a delicious example of instant karma, the self-proclaimed brainiac got his chance to show America how smart he was in a special “Power Players” version of the show Monday, but came up quite short finishing dead last with the paltry sum of only $2,300 (video follows with transcribed highlights and commentary)

Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2012/05/15/having-repeatedly-mocked-palin-what-shed-do-jeopardy-matthews-comes-l#ixzz1uwcTOFF9

California Deficit Swells to $16 Billion, Governor Says (amid tepid recovery)

Sun, 13 May 2012 08:33:25 -0700

California Deficit Swells to $16 Billion, Governor Says (amid tepid recovery):

According to Governor Jerry Brown, California is in big financial trouble.

“We are still recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s,” Brown said in a YouTube video cited on his Twitter post. “Tax receipts are coming lower than expected and the federal government and the courts have blocked us from making billions of necessary budget reductions. The result is that we are now facing a $16 billion deficit.” -source

Why is California’s economic recovery so tepid? There are national issues to be sure, but when you compare California’s business climate with states like Texas, you realize that California’s taxation, regulation and government spending also have a big impact.

For example, when Waste Connections left Sacramento for Texas they took 120 jobs with them. That’s just part of the impact on the Sacramento area economy.

Mittelstaedt said many of his corporate employees earn six-figure salaries and pay 10 percent of that in state income taxes. By contrast, he said, they will pay no state income tax in Texas.

Mittelstaedt said the company’s economic impact on the region was about $80 million to $100 million per year.

“We spend 3,000 or 4,000 room-nights a year in Folsom and Sacramento on hotels. We rent 5,000 or 6,000 rental cars a year. We contract with our lawyers, our outside engineers, outside auditors, outside marketing and advertising. That’s all done through here. So, that will all be gone,” Mittelstaedt said. -source

Darryl Steinberg, California State Senate Pro Tem had this to say.

“Facts are stubborn things. Facts are important. In this instance you have a company that is in fact profitable, making significant revenue gains in 2011 and 2010. That doesn’t speak to a bad business climate here in California when a good company is able to thrive in that way,” said Steinberg. “So whatever Mr. Middelstaedt’s (company CEO) reasons are to leave the great state of California, I know I’m pushing back. Because we have done some significant work this year with the chamber of commerce and others to reduce regulations, reform the environmental quality act process, and to do a whole host of things.” -source

Yes Senator Stienberg, facts are stubborn things. And the fact is, you are presiding over a 16 Billion Dollar defecit, and you and the Governor don’t even get why.

Steinberg and the other big spending liberals running California don’t seem to understand that businesses exist to make a profit. When the tax or regulatory burdens reach critical mass, they leave. They are not in business to generate revenue for the government to spend.

As long as the State of California continues to do business as it does, companies will leave, close, expand elsewhere or simply not start up here in the first place. The recovery will be tepid or non-existant, the Governor will stand in front of the TV cameras looking bewildered, while those of us left behind to make up the difference sadly shake our heads in disbeleif.

‘THE LOVITZ CURVE’: THE CHART THAT SHOWS HOLLYWOOD DEMS CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH CLASS WARFARE

Sat, 12 May 2012 07:14:56 -0700

‘THE LOVITZ CURVE’: THE CHART THAT SHOWS HOLLYWOOD DEMS CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH CLASS WARFARE:

The “Lovitz Curve” argues that that many in people in Hollywood and other affluent, left-leaning areas of America enjoy, support, and appreciate rhetoric that rails against “corporate fat cats” and the greedy “1 percent.” However, the confiscation of wealth via high taxes will eventually include the Hollywood types.

“Wealthy West Coast liberals will cheer on and swoon over any politician who engages in overheated class warfare rhetoric — up until a certain point, when it suddenly dawns on them that the rhetoric is aimed directly at themselves,” the article points out.

“Then very quickly their donations, fundraisers and helpful propagandizing start to dry up as the radical rhetoric begins to threaten them personally,” the article adds.

More here.

Cloony-Obama parody on Time Magazine’s controversial...

Sat, 12 May 2012 06:52:09 -0700

Cloony-Obama parody on Time Magazine’s controversial toddler breast feeding cover. Sick?

Leaked Report: FBI is Terrified of Bitcoin Becoming a Currency for ‘Cyber Criminals’

Fri, 11 May 2012 06:35:25 -0700

Leaked Report: FBI is Terrified of Bitcoin Becoming a Currency for ‘Cyber Criminals’:

infoneer-pulse:

Bitcoin usage is on the rise; the virtual currency is now employed by everyone from advertisers to artists. In fact, Bitcoin has apparently grown so popular that it warranted its own FBI report.

Published in late April but leaked yesterday, the unclassified document–of which Wired provided a PDF–outlines the federal government’s fears surrounding the Bitcoin currency, primarily that in the near future, “cyber criminals will treat Bitcoin as another payment option alongside more traditional and established virtual currencies.”

Because Bitcoin is a decentralized P2P currency, that makes it much harder for the FBI to track. The report estimates that the Bitcoin economy is worth in total anywhere from $35 million to $44 million.

» via BetaBeat

Texas Inmate Gets 40% Of Vote Against Obama In W. Virginia

Wed, 09 May 2012 07:02:12 -0700

Just how unpopular is President Obama in some parts of the country? Enough that a man in a Texas prison received four out of 10 votes in West Virginia’s Democratic presidential primary.

Inmate Keith Judd, 53, is serving 17 years for extortion at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution. He was sentenced in 1999 for making threats against the University of New Mexico and is due to be released on June 24 next year.

With 93 per cent of precincts reporting, Obama was receiving just under 60 per cent of the vote to Judd’s 40 per cent.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2141657/Texas-INMATE-gets-40-cent-votes-Obama-West-Virginia-primary.html#ixzz1uNeSYSmz

Can Obama be a slam dunk if a Federal Prisoner can give him a run for his money?

Felony Cupcake? Bake Sales Banned In Public Schools

Tue, 08 May 2012 08:13:00 -0700

Felony Cupcake? Bake Sales Banned In Public Schools:

By killing so called unsafe activity (play) on the schoolyard, kids in schools are getting fat. To combat this are the schools instituting more excersize? No, too dangerous. Cash strapped schools are instituting bans on foods that compete with the revenue stream of the cafeteria, in the name of combatting the obesety they helped caused in the first place.

Bake sales, the calorie-laden standby cash-strapped classrooms, PTAs and booster clubs rely on, will be outlawed from public schools as of Aug. 1 as part of new no-nonsense nutrition standards, forcing fundraisers back to the blackboard to cook up alternative ways to raise money for kids.

At a minimum, the nosh clampdown targets so-called “competitive” foods — those sold or served during the school day in hallways, cafeterias, stores and vending machines outside the regular lunch program, including bake sales, holiday parties and treats dished out to reward academic achievement. But state officials are pushing schools to expand the ban 24/7 to include evening, weekend and community events such as banquets, door-to-door candy sales and football games.

More here.

My image of what the police state would be was a jack booted thug dominated society with police on every corner controlling our movements. But a more insidious kind of control is creeping into American life.

It was thought the conservatives would be the thugs. Who knew it would be the well meaning liberals who clamped down on society. Everything we do is being regulated.

How about you leave us the f*ck alone and let us live our lives?

Erosion of Leadership Breeds Bad Behavior in Afghanistan War

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:43:04 -0700

Erosion of Leadership Breeds Bad Behavior in Afghanistan War:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders are telling commanders to get their troops in line and refrain from misconduct such as urinating on enemy corpses, in a sharp response to the tasteless photos and other disturbing examples of bad behavior that have enraged Afghans and complicated war-fighting

More here.

This is reminiscent of the last months of the Vietnam war. America had no will to fight, there was weak leadership in the White House and as a result, troop morale dropped to an all time low.

It takes more than a speech from the Commander In Chief to inspire.

With an unclear mission, politically motivated rules of engagement and no clear mandate to win (from the top down), it is impossible to get more from the soldiers on the ground than their leadership projects. Think of these behaviors as a reflection of their impossible situation.

Thankfully this time, at least the troops have the support of the American people even if their leadership doesn’t. We will honor and care for them when they finally come home.

What say you?

These vegetables must be stopped!

Fri, 04 May 2012 06:08:00 -0700

These vegetables must be stopped!

Reactions Predictable to Obama Speech From Afghanistan

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:20:44 -0700

Reactions Predictable to Obama Speech From Afghanistan:

The President went to Afghanistan and gave a speech from Bahgram Airbase on the anniversary of the killing of Bin Laden.

The reactions will be predictable, and it is kind of funny. Everyone will be trading places. Without even reading the blogs I can predict that the lefties defence of the speech will be reminiscient of the righties defending President Bush when he spoke from the deck of an aircraft carrier. The righties will take the opposite point of view, deriding the President as the lefties did Bush.

Was this a campaign speech? Yes. Was it innapropriate? No. It is the perogative of any President to do so.

It is symbolic in a way that tickles me when the President Of The United States stands on enemy turf and thumbs his nose at our adversaries. It is especially delicious on a day as important as the day Osama Bin Laden was killed.

Why do this? Because he can, and that is an American in your face thing whether you like the President or not.

What say you?

Romney tells Obama to back off on bin Laden issue

Tue, 01 May 2012 07:19:03 -0700

Romney tells Obama to back off on bin Laden issue:

Romney says Obama can rightfully take credit for bin Laden’s downfall. But he says it was “very disappointing for the president to try to make this a political item” by suggesting he wouldn’t have ordered the raid, saying, “Of course I would have.”

Obama deserves credit where credit is due, and certainly credit is due here.

But a true leader shares credit and takes responsibility, not the other way around. Obama blames his failures on others and takes too much credit for giving the order to get Bin Laden. The real heroes are the guys who actually went in and did it. And those guys are not amused.

More here.