excelsior!

America needs a man of action

2012-01-09T21:28:00.001-05:00

Here's an item from Thomas Sowell

Detroit News via Boortz

"If Newt Gingrich were being nominated for sainthood, many of us would vote very differently from the way we would vote if he were being nominated for a political office.

What the media call Gingrich's "baggage" concerns largely his personal life and the fact that he made a lot of money running a consulting firm after he left Congress. This kind of stuff makes lots of talking points that we will no doubt hear, again and again, over the next weeks and months.

But how much weight should we give to this stuff when we are talking about the future of a nation?"

Read MORE.

Convention Wisdom

2012-01-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

This essay from Steven Malanga

City Journal

For two decades, American cities have used public dollars to build convention center space—far more than demand warranted. The result has been a gigantic nationwide surplus of empty meeting facilities, struggling convention centers, and vacant hotel rooms (see “The Convention Center Shell Game,” Spring 2004). Given the glut, you’d think that cities would stop. Instead, many are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to expand convention centers and open yet more dazzling hotels, arguing that whatever convention business remains will flow to the places with the fanciest amenities. If this dubious rationale proves wrong and the facilities fail—it’s telling that the private sector won’t build them on its own—taxpayers will wind up on the hook, as usual.

Indiana Ice

2012-01-06T13:32:00.001-05:00

I recently attended an Indiana Ice hockey game. This was the first live game that my kids had seen and I was pleasantly surprised. As I was raised in Detroit, I caught the hockey bug early in life.

I have not lived in the Detroit area for many years and do not get to attend my beloved Detroit Red Wings games except on rare visits with the family.

After attending the Ice game I find that I am growing to become a fan of the local team. It was a fun game, very competitive, and family-priced. We are planning our next game.

UPDATE: Here are a couple of pix from the game.

Atlas Shrugged Movie Trailer

2011-02-11T19:56:00.000-05:00

The trailer has finally been released for this movie. Due to open on April 15th.

For more information - check out the Atlas Shrugged Movie website

Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl Commercial - Imported From Detroit

2011-02-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Like many of my fellow Detroiters, I thought this was a great commercial. I think it sums up the feelings that many natives have about the knocks that the city has taken for so many years. Yes, some of the criticism may have been deserved but the city is steeped in history that should not be ignored.
Thanks to Chrysler and the firm that put this commercial on air. With all that Detroit has had to weather for so long, I think we needed it.

‘Mini-Revolt’ Confronts Republicans as They Ready Cuts

2011-02-08T16:38:00.000-05:00

Business Week

As House Republicans parry Democratic criticism that they’ve gone too far with proposed spending cuts, they confront a battle within their own ranks over whether the cuts go far enough.

A faction of House Republicans plans to continue pushing for bigger budget savings than party leaders recommended last week, reductions that Democrats argue would harm the U.S. economic recovery.

Republicans won control of the House in November on promises to slash government spending by $100 billion this year. Leaders backed off that pledge, offering a plan they will take up next week that trims 2011 spending by $35 billion, in part because the fiscal year already is almost half over. The cuts are $58 billion less than President Barack Obama requested for non-security discretionary spending

The Survival Of Dumb Ideas

2011-02-02T16:48:00.000-05:00

From the Cato Institute blog

On the National Interest‘s Skeptics blog, I discuss Steve Walt article in the latest Foreign Policy magazine: “Where Do Bad Ideas Come From?” Walt explains why discredited ideas about foreign policy survive despite all the study and debate we give to them in this country. He is really talking about failure in what John Stuart Mill calls the “marketplace of ideas“—the tendency of free speech to bring debate that promotes good ideas and demotes bad ones, driving public policy toward improvement.

Ayn Rand Birthday

2011-02-02T15:47:00.000-05:00

I received this email from the Atlas Society today -

If Ayn Rand had lived to see her 106th birthday, she no doubt would have been gratified by the surge in popularity of Atlas Shrugged as well as the approach of the premiere of Part 1 of the movie trilogy of her magnum opus.

One reason for that surge is her prophetic insights concerning what happens to a society in which government seeks to control every aspect of our lives, expropriate every penny of our productive efforts, and instill guilt for our every virtuous and fulfilling act of rational self-interest. These days, just reading the news gives rise to the exclamation: “It’s like something out of Atlas Shrugged.”

Gov. Jerry Brown Compares California to Egypt in State of the State Address

2011-02-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

Fox News

Newly elected Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday blasted opponents of his plan to reduce California's massive deficit by comparing their opposition to a referendum on proposed tax increases to oppression in Egypt and Tunisia.

"When democratic ideals and calls for the right to vote are stirring the imagination of young people in Egypt and Tunisia and other parts of the world, we in California can't say now is the time to block a vote of the people," the Democrat said in his first State of the State speech since being elected in November to a third term as California's chief executive.

The argument from intimidation. The issue has once again began addressed by the voters. So politicians are left with trying to traverse the path of least resistance. The voter pool that leads to reelection - the special interests that have a financial benefits in the government coffers - will remain out of reach of any responsible efforts to curtail runaway spending.

Kill Switch

2011-02-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

This appears at Neal Boortz today

There has been a lot of talk lately about this Internet kill switch that is being proposed in Congress. The legislation proposed by Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins would give the President of the United States the power to shut down the Internet. This would supposedly only be used in the event of a great cyber emergency. Now I use the word "supposedly" because I think we all know of the concept of unintended consequences from bad legislation. I'm not questioning the motives of Susan Collins or Joe Lieberman, but I am questioning the possible bad intentions of people who would have their hands on the switch in the future. Let's take Barack Obama, for instance. There is not a doubt in my mind that Obama would come up with some reason to use the Internet kill switch. If it suited a political purpose of hits. Despots, and I do consider Barack Obama to be a despot, will always look for an excuse to interrupt the free flow of information and communication. I'm sorry if my opinion, my low opinion, of Barack Obama offends you; but that's just the way it's. And actually, I'm not sorry. You should wake up as well.

Here's more about this at CNet.

There's nothing like a whole-country Internet disconnect to focus attention on how a so-called "kill switch" would work.

While proposals to give President Obama emergency authority to disconnect privately owned computers from the Internet have circulating on Capitol Hill for a few years, last week's news about Egypt pulling the plug on its Net-connection focused new attention on the topic. (On January 24, CNET was the first to report that the legislation will return this year.)

Legendary technology columnist John C. Dvorak warned that such a proposal "gives the president the power to literally kill the Internet." Investor's Business Daily noted the emergency procedures would be overseen by the Department of Homeland Security, "the same people who think enhanced pat-downs and groping our junk are necessary evils." Canada's National Post concluded, with mild understatement, the timing was "awkward."

Obama Health-Care Reform Act Ruled Unconstitutional

2011-01-31T16:57:00.000-05:00

Bloomberg.com

U.S. President Barack Obama lost the second of four court challenges to his health-care law as a federal judge in Florida ruled that the measure went beyond the power of Congress to regulate commerce.

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson in Pensacola declared the entire law invalid today in a 78-page opinion in a suit brought by 26 states. He said a provision requiring Americans over 18 to obtain insurance coverage violated the U.S Constitution. The U.S. Justice Department said it will appeal.

Florida sued on behalf of 13 states on March 23, the day Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, legislation intended to provide the U.S. with almost universal health-care coverage. Seven states joined the suit last year, and six this year. Virginia sued separately on March 23 and Oklahoma filed its own suit on Jan. 21.

Freedom Occurs Only Once: An Analysis of President Barack Obama's State of the Union Speech

2011-01-29T19:09:00.000-05:00

Capitalism Magazine

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech of January 25th does not defy analysis; it invites it. It is basically a reworking of his 2010 SOTU speech, with the threats, leftist ideology, and hysteria muted and recast so as not to cause a panicky rush for the exits. He spoke as someone who had for two years brutally abused a bound captive, and in an attempt to make up for it, offered the victim a giant cone of pink cotton candy in the way of “reconciliation.”

He sounded like MSNBC’s departed Keith Olbermann, heavily sedated.

Taco Bell Fights Beef Lawsuit With Bold Ads

2011-01-29T12:12:00.001-05:00

Fox News

After the announcement of a lawsuit against Taco Bell disputing the actual beef content in their foods, the fast-food chain plans to "set the record straight" — and is fighting back in a big way.

Taco Bell launched an advertising campaign Friday, including full page ads in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times and other major newspapers, as well as online stating, “Thank you for suing us. Here's the truth about our seasoned beef." Below will be an outline of their meat ingredients.

Ford made $6.6 billion in 2010, workers get $5,000 profit-sharing checks

2011-01-29T11:44:00.001-05:00

Detroit Free Press

Ford, in reporting its biggest profit in more than a decade Friday, disappointed Wall Street but pleased UAW workers with bonuses averaging $5,000.

The profit-sharing bonus was two-thirds larger than the amount Ford was required to pay under its contract, said UAW President Bob King.

"What's really important for our members to know is they didn't have to do this," King told the Free Press.

With about 20,000 Ford hourly workers living in Michigan, the checks, due in March, will help lift the state's economy.

Rep. Kucinich settles sandwich lawsuit

2011-01-29T11:37:00.000-05:00

USA Today

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, has settled his lawsuit over an olive pit in a sandwich.

In a letter to supporters, Kucinich details the dental damage and surgeries he endured after biting into an olive pit in a sandwich wrap he bought in 2008 at a congressional cafeteria. News of the lawsuit was disclosed earlier this week.

As a non-supporter, I say to Rep. Kucinich - Bite me!

John Stossel: My State Of The Union Address

2011-01-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

TownHall.com

President Obama fulfilled his constitutional duty and gave his report on the state of the union last night. Here's mine:

We're in deep trouble.

You know why. Our debt has passed $14 trillion, and yet our current spending plans will make that worse. The U.S. debt will reach Greek levels in just 10 years.

But do not despair. If we make reasonable cuts to what government spends, our economy can grow us out of our debt. Cutting doesn't just make economic sense, it is also the moral thing to do. Henry David Thoreau had it right when he "accepted(ed) the motto ... that government is best which governs least."

New financial rules might not prevent next crisis

2010-05-23T19:44:00.004-04:00

iWon News

The most sweeping changes to financial rules since the Great Depression might not prevent another crisis.

Experts say the financial regulatory bill approved by the Senate last week, and a similar bill that passed the House, include loopholes and gaps that weaken their impact. Many provisions depend on the effectiveness of regulatory agencies - the same agencies that failed to foresee the last crisis.

A big reason for the bill's limitations is that banks and industry groups lobbied against rules they felt would reduce their profit-making ability.

What?! This is simply outrageous and patently untrue. How is it possible that government regulation could fail to prevent another "Great Depression"? This is precisely the kind of unpatriotic, negativity that will undermine the efforts of all those selfless community organizers in Washington.

This story is merely setting the stage to place blame against those concerned that may have to engage lobbyist to protect their interests. Perhaps the majority Democrat party is preparing the straw man for the November elections? You see, those evil Republicans blocked our efforts to provide "meaningful" regulations to "protect" the American people. Had the roles been reversed, I am certain the Republicans would have likely done the same.

Regulators shut small Minnesota bank

2010-05-22T22:35:00.002-04:00

USA Today

Regulators on Friday shut down a small bank in Minnesota, bringing the number of U.S. bank failures this year to 73.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over Pinehurst Bank, based in St. Paul, with $61.2 million in assets and $58.3 million in deposits. Coulee Bank, based in La Crosse, Wis., agreed to assume the assets and deposits of the failed bank.

The failure of Pinehurst Bank is expected to cost the deposit insurance fund about $6 million.

With 73 closures so far this year, the pace of bank failures is more than double that of 2009, already a brisk year for shutdowns. By this time last year, regulators had closed 36 banks. The pace has accelerated as losses mount on loans made for commercial property and development.

Washington likes to assure us that our economic recovery is underway and that the TARP money was almost singularly the reason prosperity is within sight.
Hmm.
I've also heard these same voices blame the banking crisis on lack of regulation. Hmm.
Oh yeah. The FDIC can cover our bank deposits. Been hearing that one for 30 years.

Obama Leans Toward Switch to Military Trials on 9/11

2010-03-06T14:33:00.000-05:00

Wall Street Journal

The Obama administration now favors trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other alleged Sept. 11, 2001, plotters in a military tribunal, officials said, yielding to opposition from Congress and local governments that was stymieing the Justice Department's plans for a civilian trial.

Members of Congress have moved to cut off funds for a civilian trial, while local governments have expressed reluctance to play host to such a trial. No decision has been reached, and a White House official said President Barack Obama wouldn't make his announcement for weeks as a review continues.

A reversal on the 9/11 trial would represent the latest backtracking on an issue that has bedeviled the Obama administration from nearly the outset. In his campaign, Mr. Obama asserted that Bush administration detention policies had damaged America's standing in the world. Two days after taking office, Mr. Obama signed an order pledging to close the Guantanamo Bay prison, where Mr. Mohammed is held, within a year.

Online Tax Revolt: April 15th

2010-02-21T15:20:00.002-05:00

From the Online Tax Revolt website

There is a massive rejection of the established powers taking place in our country. Americans are mad as hell and we are not going to take anymore. The Online Tax Revolt is about sending a clear message to Washington that we are a growing and vocal movement that is calling for real change.

The first-ever Online Tax Revolt, a free, interactive march on Washington was launched using state of the art technology. Concerned Americans can have a voice on tax policy, culminating on April 15 with events in Washington, D.C.

“The Online Tax Revolt is open to every American who believes taxes and spending are out of control, harmful to our country and a threat to our nation’s future,” said Campaign Chairman Ken Hoagland. “Our economic future and that of future generations is at stake. We need taxes that are lower and a tax structure that’s fair.
“We’re in serious trouble and it falls to us to get the nation back on track. This march is a wake-up call to everyone in Washington that the American people won’t be ignored any longer,” said Mr. Hoagland.

Attack on IRS Follow Long Line of Tax Protesters

2010-02-21T13:53:00.003-05:00

Fox News

Joseph Stack's methods were unthinkable -- he is accused of ramming a plane into an Internal Revenue Service building in Texas -- but his views on taxation follow a long line of protesters who believe tax laws don't apply to them.

While their numbers aren't large, according to experts, their arguments are so enticing that the IRS has published a guide to debunk their claims. In 2008, the Justice Department was concerned enough to start the "National Tax Defier Initiative" to better coordinate prosecutions.

"You would think a little light bulb would go on in their head and they would say, 'Why in the heck is everybody else paying taxes?"' said Peter R. Zeidenberg, a former federal prosecutor who is now a litigation partner at the law firm DLA Piper in Washington. "There are people who are peddling this stuff. It's a way to get people to believe something that's too good to be true."

Reading the rest of this article, I am struck by a thought. If the various tax resister groups have no legal position, why then does the IRS need to mount a focused effort to discredit them? If there is a constitutional mandate that permits the US Government to claim an unlimited portion of our property, why does the IRS need a website to denounce "frivolous claims"?

One year later, political battle rages over stimulus' effectiveness

2010-02-17T21:30:00.001-05:00

Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Washington - One year after launching the largest federal economic stimulus program in American history, a fiercely partisan political battle continued to rage over its effectiveness even as fresh data showed the economy continuing to make a gradual, if halting, recovery.

In what has become a predictable pattern, Democratic and Republican leaders in Washington marked the Wednesday anniversary by sniping at each other's claims about the $787-billion package of tax cuts and spending known as the Recovery Act.

Defending the stimulus, President Obama said that "one year later, it is largely thanks to the Recovery Act that a second Depression is no longer a possibility.

If the stimulus package has been so effective, why is Obama trying to float ~~another~~ a job creation bill?

Union-Backed Nominee Blocked in Senate

2010-02-09T21:12:00.002-05:00

Wall Street Journal

The nomination of union lawyer Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board fell short of the 60 votes needed to end a Republican filibuster Monday, with just 52 senators voting to support his appointment.

Mr. Becker's defeat was a sharp setback for the big labor unions that championed his nomination. He was strongly opposed by business interests and his prospects dimmed when Nebraska Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson came out against him. Mr. Nelson said Monday that the nominee's past statements "strongly indicate" he would "pursue a personal agenda" at the NLRB, "rather than that of the administration." Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln also voted no.

Richard Trumka, president of labor federation AFL-CIO, called the outcome Washington politics-as-usual and said it was "reprehensible that a minority in the U.S. Senate has blocked an up-or-down vote" on Mr. Becker. Mr. Trumka said he would support President Barack Obama in making recess appointments of critical government posts "if that's what it takes to get around minority delay and obstruction."

Unionized labor is what percentage of the total work force? I believe it's less than 10% nationwide. Sounds like a minority to me and yet look at the "reprehensible" amount of influence the unions have in the legislative process. Trumka is more right about his statement that he may want us to realize. Got caught this time though.

Iran sends rocket with animal menagerie into space

2010-02-03T12:51:00.000-05:00

iWon

Iran announced Wednesday it has successfully launched a research rocket carrying a mouse, two turtles and worms into space - a feat President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said showed Iran could defeat the West in the battle of technology.

Ahmadinejad also unveiled the model of a light booster rocket that is being built and three new, Iranian-built satellites, touted as the latest achievements in the country's ambitious space program.

The Iranian space program has worried Western powers, which fear the same technology used to launch satellites and research capsules could also be used to build long-range intercontinental missiles and deliver warheads.

Another EPA Power Grab in the Offing

2010-02-02T17:47:00.001-05:00

Big Government.com

Sources in Washington say Sen. Frank Lautenberg is drafting a new version of his Kids Safe Chemicals Act, which stalled out in 2008 after environmentalists complained the bill was toothless and didn’t grant the EPA enough power to regulate chemicals used to make products. Lautenberg’s new version of the bill is likely to increase the EPA’s authority to limit – or even ban – the use of common chemicals.

As the EPA’s carbon “endangerment finding” in December has demonstrated, it might not be such a good idea to vest virtually unlimited power in a single government agency, especially one that has become as politicized as the EPA.

And like the global warming hysteria the “endangerment finding” was supposed to address, the argument in favor of this aggressive power grab is thin, based on emotional, not scientific appeals, and fairly obviously designed to encroach on the free market. One organization advocating for the EPA power grab, “Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families,” is actually sponsoring a virtual Million Baby Crawl on Washington. Expect the stunts to get more ridiculous after Lautenberg’s bill drops.

Volcker calls for commercial bank trading limits

2010-02-02T17:34:00.001-05:00

Business Week

Prohibiting commercial banks from some high-risk trades should be an essential component of broader financial regulations and would cut back on institutions deemed "too big to fail," former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker said Tuesday.

Volcker testified before the Senate Banking Committee, pushing new bank limitations on behalf of President Barack Obama. The Obama administration wants to add the restrictions on trading to legislation that would overhaul financial regulations.

Obama has embraced Volcker's idea to prohibit large financial companies that have both commercial and investment functions, such as Goldman Sachs, from engaging in speculative trading. Large banks have said they oppose the idea.

Out Come The Freaks

2010-02-01T19:31:00.002-05:00

If there is a perceived political or social advantage, who wouldn't claim to be an admirer of Ayn Rand and/or Atlas Shrugged?

Look at the current fad of the Tea Party movement. At first it seemed valid but now it seems that it has become politicized for those attempting to rally a constituency.

Deficit Balloons Into National-Security Threat

2010-02-01T18:25:00.002-05:00

Wall Street Journal

The federal budget deficit has long since graduated from nuisance to headache to pressing national concern. Now, however, it has become so large and persistent that it is time to start thinking of it as something else entirely: a national-security threat.

The budget plan released Monday by the Obama administration illustrates why this escalation is warranted. The numbers are mind-numbing: a $1.6 trillion deficit this year, $1.3 trillion next year, $8.5 trillion for the next 10 years combined—and that assumes Congress enacts President Barack Obama's proposals to start bringing it down, and that the proposals work.

These numbers are often discussed as an economic and domestic problem. But it's time to start thinking of the ramifications for America's ability to continue playing its traditional global role.

Knowing this, is there a point where continued expanded spending initiatives violate the oath to protect our country from enemies foreign and domestic? Perhaps this is creating the crisis from which we will need to be rescued? Fear may make us eager to accept things that reason would otherwise have us avoid.

So Much For Free And Fair Elections

2010-02-01T18:10:00.003-05:00

The voters in Massachusetts have spoken and it would appear that the Democrats are suffering from separation anxiety. The interim Senator Kirk has continued to cast votes after the election has concluded despite several legal standards that should have prevented him from doing so.

Hat tip to Repeal The 17th Amendment blog

Justice Dept.: Obama administration may take action on BCS

2010-02-01T17:47:00.005-05:00

Washington continues to seek ways to either legislate dependency and/or criminalize the most basic of activities.

Sports Illustrated

The Obama administration is considering several steps that would review the legality of the controversial Bowl Championship Series, the Justice Department said in a letter Friday to a senator who had asked for an antitrust review.

In the letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch, obtained by The Associated Press, Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich wrote that the Justice Department is reviewing Hatch's request and other materials to determine whether to open an investigation into whether the BCS violates antitrust laws.

"Importantly, and in addition, the administration also is exploring other options that might be available to address concerns with the college football postseason," Weich wrote, including asking the Federal Trade Commission to review the legality of the BCS under consumer protection laws.

Thanks to Boortz.com

It's the Economy, Stupid

2010-01-31T16:04:00.001-05:00

Reason.com

The story goes that a dog food company brought out a new mix, which sold poorly. The people in charge tried new ads. They tried different packaging. They targeted particular consumers. Nothing worked.

The chief executive called in his top managers and demanded an explanation. The reply: “Dogs hate it.”

With his approval ratings falling, his party improbably losing a Massachusetts election, and his legislative agenda derailed, President Obama is now subject to elaborate diagnoses of where he went wrong. He is too liberal or not liberal enough. His health care reform is too ambitious or too timid. He is a closet radical or a flunky for Wall Street.

Davos 2010 ends with bankers on the defensive

2010-01-31T15:29:00.000-05:00

BBC News

Bankers have indicated that they may agree to far-reaching reforms, as the World Economic Forum in Davos ends.

Top regulators warned that they could take drastic action to take some of the risk out of the financial industry.

However, the annual meeting of some of the world's most powerful business leaders and politicians ended with few new plans or real achievements.

There was agreement though that job creation and free trade had to be key ingredients of any economic recovery.

Tea Party convention raises questions about movement's future

2010-01-31T15:26:00.001-05:00

USA Today

A spat between organizers of the national Tea Party convention, which starts Thursday in Nashville and will feature Sarah Palin as its keynote speaker, has largely centered on fees, speakers and profits.

Those were among the concerns cited by two key conservative lawmakers, Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood and Minnesota Rep. Michele Backmann, as they pulled out of the event last week. They echoed similar complaints other grass-roots Tea Party supporters have been making for weeks.

But at the core of the division lies a more fundamental question of where the Tea Party should go from here and what it's really all about.

Supporters of the convention to be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center say the national conference will build alliances across state lines, strengthening into a force that can press the Democratic and Republican parties to change their ways or face a threat to their existence.

Obama's $3.8 trillion budget heading to Congress

2010-01-31T15:23:00.000-05:00

Washington Post

The Obama administration on Sunday endorsed spending an additional $100 billion to attack painfully high unemployment as it prepared to send Congress a $3.8 trillion budget that would provide billions more to pull the country out of the Great Recession while increasing taxes on the wealthy and imposing a spending freeze on many government programs.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the administration believed "somewhere in the $100 billion range" would be the appropriate amount for a new jobs measure made up of a business tax credit to encourage hiring, increased infrastructure spending and money from the government's bailout fund to get banks to increase loans to struggling small businesses.

That price tag would be below a $174 billion bill passed by the House in December but higher than an $83 billion proposal that surfaced last week in the Senate.

Audiotape Reveals Artists Being Asked to Support Obama's Agenda

2009-09-21T18:56:00.000-04:00

Fox News

An official at the White House Office of Public Engagement encouraged a group of artists on a conference call with the National Endowment for the Arts to produce works that supported the Obama administration's agenda, a transcript of the call reveals.

The 44-page transcript, which was posted Monday on BigGovernment.com, details an hour-long conference call on Aug. 10 hosted by the NEA, the White House Office of Public Engagement and United We Serve, a nationwide initiative launched by President Obama to increase volunteerism.

"We're going to need your help, and we're going to come at you with some specific 'asks' here," said Buffy Wicks, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. "But we know that you guys are ready for it and eager to participate, so one we want to thank you, and two, I hope you guys are ready."

Texas congressman wants to 'End the Fed'

2009-09-21T18:43:00.000-04:00

USA Today

"The Federal Reserve should be abolished," writes Ron Paul, "because it is immoral, unconstitutional, impractical, promotes bad economics, and undermines liberty."

This is the thesis of Paul's End the Fed (Grand Central Publishing, $21.99, 224 pages), the Texas congressman's case against the Federal Reserve. The title was taken from a slogan that Paul heard chanted at various rallies and conventions, filling him with hope that monetary policy has become a subject worthy of popular protest.

Many people consider the Fed an "indispensable institution," but few know what the central bank actually does. For example, the Fed "can create trillions of dollars and distribute them to its cronies without congressional oversight," writes Paul, a former GOP presidential candidate.

Lawmaker's 'You lie' outburst draws House rebuke

2009-09-15T20:48:00.000-04:00

iWon

Bitterly divided along party lines, the House formally rebuked Republican Rep. Joe Wilson Tuesday for shouting "You lie" at President Barack Obama during last week's nationally televised speech to Congress.

The rare resolution of disapproval was pushed through by Democrats insisting that Wilson, a South Carolina lawmaker, had violated basic rules of decorum and civility in his outburst. Republicans dismissed the vote as a political "witch hunt" and a waste of precious time and taxpayers' money.

Wilson had called the White House to apologize shortly after the incident, and he said at the time that the president "graciously accepted my apology and the issue is over." Republicans agreed, but several Democrats pressed the issue.

The final tally late Tuesday was 240-179, generally but not entirely along party lines. It was 233 Democrats and seven Republicans voting to chastise Wilson, 167 Republicans and 12 Democrats opposing the measure and five Democrats merely voting "present."

Suitable punishment for one telling the truth among professional liars?

Key Blagojevich adviser Christopher Kelly dead

2009-09-13T11:01:00.001-04:00

Chicago Sun-Times

The man federal prosecutors pressured to cooperate in the corruption probe of ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich died of an apparent aspirin overdose on Saturday, law enforcement sources said.

Christopher Kelly, 51, of Burr Ridge, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 10:46 a.m. An autopsy is scheduled for today, a Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman said.

Kelly was Blagojevich’s “go-to guy” who once was the mastermind of the ex-governor’s lucrative campaign fund.

Kelly’s death comes just four days after he pleaded guilty to a scheme involving $8.5 million in fraud at O’Hare Airport. It was the second conviction this year -- he still faced trial along with the ex-governor, in June. Kelly had been indicted three times since 2007 but refused to become a cooperating witness. When he pleaded guilty to the O’Hare scheme Tuesday, Kelly spoke of feeling intense pressure by prosecutors to abandon his loyalty to Blagojevich and cooperate with the feds.

Sen. Edward Kennedy Dies After Battle With Cancer

2009-08-26T15:23:00.001-04:00

WSJ

Sen. Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy, a liberal icon and frequent Republican target who was one of the longest-serving and most accomplished lawmakers of the modern era, has died at age 77.

In succumbing to brain cancer at his family's home in Hyannis Port, Mass., Mr. Kennedy became the only one of four dynamic Kennedy brothers to die of natural causes, or even live long enough to see his hair turn white. President John F. Kennedy and Sen. Robert Kennedy were assassinated in the 1960s, and their oldest brother, Joseph Kennedy Jr., died in World War II.

Mr. Kennedy's family announced his death in a brief statement released early Wednesday. "We've lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever," it said. He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Coyotes bankruptcy update: NHL wants control of Coyotes

2009-08-21T18:05:00.002-04:00

I found this story while posting on my hockey related page. I'm sure hockey fans have been following this saga in Phoenix.

My advice to the NHL; talk with Prez Obama, he knows all about taking over private sector businesses and property. "Cash for defunct hockey teams" program can't be far away.

Examiner.com

The NHL wants control of the Phoenix Coyotes.

The National Hockey League filed a motion with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court yesterday asking for control of the team. The league first asked for control of the team after owner Jerry Moyes put them into bankruptcy on May 5.

The NHL claims that Moyes gave up control last fall and they want “lawful control” of the team to prevent further financial damage.

According to the Hamilton Spectator, the NHL said, “These cases [Moyes, Balsillie] were not filed in good faith to stave off an impending financial crisis or to affect a reorganization for the good of the creditors. Rather, they are part of a self-serving scheme to advance the interests of just two parties.”

Read the rest of this article.

Aug 21st

2009-08-21T00:03:00.000-04:00

Sen Grassley's Letter to FCC Chair- Questions Media Should Ask About FCC 'Chief Diversity Officer'

2009-08-18T19:15:00.002-04:00

NewsBusters

Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has publicly released a letter he penned to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski regarding the July 29th announced appointment of new FCC Associate General Counsel and Chief Diversity Officer Mark Lloyd.

In the press release accompanying the missive, the Senator said he was "concerned with the appointment due to Lloyd’s writings on political talk radio and the Fairness Doctrine."

As the Senator's letter goes on to detail, there is very much more to fear from Lloyd than merely his views on the so-called "Fairness" Doctrine. Lloyd's intentions on the enforcement of the FCC regulations known as "media diversity" and "localism" are no picnic either.

Read more.

Thanks to Boortz for this tasty morsel.

Thomas Sowell: Whose Medical Decisions?

2009-08-18T19:01:00.001-04:00

Townhall.com

There was a time when rushing a thousand-page bill through Congress so fast that no one has time to read it would have provoked public outrage. But now, this has been attempted twice in the first 6 months of a new administration.

The fact that they got away with it before, with the "stimulus" bill, may have led them to believe that they could get away with it again.

But the first bill simply spent hundreds of billions of dollars. The current "health care" bill threatens to take life-and-death decisions out of the hands of individuals and their doctors, transferring those decisions to Washington bureaucrats.

Read more of this essay by Thomas Sowell.

Wanted: American Intellectuals Thinkers

2009-08-18T18:53:00.002-04:00

American Thinker

Helen [Mom]: "Everyone's special, Dash."

Dash [Son]: [muttering] "Which is another way of saying no one is."
- from the Pixar movie, The Incredibles

One of the tragedies, and paradoxes, of our post modernist age is the dominance of the sympathetic "intellectual" as opposed to the hardheaded "thinker" in Western culture. Everyone is a kindly intellectual and almost no one is an objective thinker. (I will explain the difference between the two in a moment.)

Our present situation is not good for the Republic. By selling feel good snake oil intellectualism, we have polarized America into unwavering ideological camps, each camp filled with phony sophisticates. How we got ourselves into this pickle is an interesting story.

'Clunker' sales borrow from 2010 market

2009-08-16T09:19:00.002-04:00

Detroit News

The unexpected success of the government's "cash for clunkers" program is boosting sales dramatically -- but is probably pulling forward some purchases that would have taken place next year.

Forecasting firm IHS Global Insight has increased its U.S. auto sales estimate for this year because of the robust response to the government-funded plan. But it is paring its 2010 forecast.

George Magliano, director of North American auto industry research at IHS, said the annualized selling rate this month has spiked above 12 million cars and light trucks, after languishing below 10 million for most of the year.

Although Magliano expects the selling pace to fall back after the funds for the incentives run out, IHS has raised its full-year sales forecast to 10.3 million light vehicles from 9.8 million previously.

But IHS is shaving its 2010 sales forecast to 11.1 million from 11.3 million, reflecting the anticipated "payback" from the incentives-fueled boom.

Read more.

Surely this can come as no surprise to anyone that hasn't smoked crack. Our government routinely mortgages current entitlement programs on the backs of future victims. Why wouldn't they fashion a device intended to trick the American people into believing one of their "economic recovery" programs actually worked? Listen to the early reports prior to extending the program and dumping more money into this giveaway.
Looks as though they can't claim total victory however. The union and the American auto industry wasn't the greatest benefactor of the new car incentive. What's the politically correct phrase? Oh yeah, unintended consequences.

The Economics of "Cash For Clunkers"

2009-08-16T00:00:00.001-04:00

Hat Tip: Consent Of The Governed.

Projection vs. Power

2009-08-15T23:07:00.001-04:00

Gus Van Horn

Left-wing radio commentator Ed Schultze -- whose voice and delivery, at least in the linked clip, bear a bizarre resemblance to Rush Limbaugh's -- claims he "sometimes think[s]" that conservative pundits "would love to see Obama taken out," because they "fear socialism [and] Marxism."

Another link at RealClear Politics claims that Schultze himself had once "Wishe[d] Death On Dick Cheney."

For this post, I will leave aside the lowness of this insult on Schultze's part. He is basically attempting to dehumanize his opponents by claiming that we have no regard for human life, and cannot see our political opponents as human beings. I am sorry, but this is still a civilized country. I want Obama to go down in flames, politically, but I have no desire to see him murdered.

That said, I will address a few other aspects of Schultze's remarks...

Read this entire essay.

A Referendum on Freedom

2009-08-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

Dr Hurd.com

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania said Tuesday that he would float the idea of a national referendum on health care reform when he returns to Washington after the start of his August recess was spent facing down boisterous crowds at town hall meetings.

Now there's a solution for you. If 51 percent (or higher) of Americans vote to turn doctors into slaves of the state, who either must work for the government or quit, then the nationalization of health care will be both valid and complete. Forget how the doctors feel about this. Forget how the effect of this on doctors and surgeons will inevitably affect patients. Forget that according to the Constitution everyone is supposed to be equal under the law, and once you compromise this for one group of people, then freedom is at risk for everyone. Forget the fact that the bureaucracy, inefficiency, insensitivity and injustice of a government-run system of medical care remains just as real whether a plurality of voters votes it into existence, or it's imposed on everyone through some other means.

Obama invokes grandmother's death in health debate

2009-08-15T22:43:00.002-04:00

iWon

Now, it's personal. President Barack Obama invoked his own anguish over the death of a loved one as he challenged the debunked notion that Democratic efforts to overhaul the nation's health care would include "death panels."

"I just lost my grandmother last year. I know what it's like to watch somebody you love, who's aging, deteriorate and have to struggle with that," an impassioned Obama told a crowd as he spoke of Madelyn Payne Dunham. He took issue with "the notion that somehow I ran for public office or members of Congress are in this so they can go around pulling the plug on grandma."

"When you start making arguments like that, that's simply dishonest - especially when I hear the arguments coming from members of Congress in the other party who, turns out, sponsored similar provisions," Obama said.

In a debate in which he often sounds professor-like, Obama spoke with a rare bit of emotion that seemed to counter that of vocal health care opponents as he referenced the beloved grandmother who helped raise him and who he called "Toot." She died of cancer at age 86 on Nov. 2, two days before he won election to become the nation's first African-American president.

Read more.

I must admit that President B.O. appears to be making good on one of his campaign promises. More transparency in Washington. The Obama Healthcare Reform Traveling Road Show is one tremendous piece of stagecraft. Given the lackluster offering from Hollywood this summer, I'd say B.O. is Best Actor winner, hands down.

The Need For Speed

2009-08-08T21:35:00.002-04:00

In 2004, Senator-elect Obama offers criticism of the way the Bush administration rushed legislation through Congress.

This clip also includes a snip featuring Chuck Todd of NBC News in which he describes the Obama blitzkrieg. (Emphasis mine.)

Hat Tip: J.A.M.E.S.

Membership Has Grants It's Privilege

2009-08-08T15:01:00.002-04:00

Hat Tip: Neal Boortz

We Will Not Go Quietly

2009-08-08T14:34:00.003-04:00

Peggy Noonan wrote at WSJ.com

People are not automatons. They show up only if they care.

What the town-hall meetings represent is a feeling of rebellion, an uprising against change they do not believe in. And the Democratic response has been stunningly crude and aggressive. It has been to attack. Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, accused the people at the meetings of “carrying swastikas and symbols like that.” (Apparently one protester held a hand-lettered sign with a “no” slash over a swastika.) But they are not Nazis, they’re Americans. Some of them looked like they’d actually spent some time fighting Nazis.

Then came the Democratic Party charge that the people at the meetings were suspiciously well-dressed, in jackets and ties from Brooks Brothers. They must be Republican rent-a-mobs. Sen. Barbara Boxer said on MSNBC’s “Hardball” that people are “storming these town-hall meetings,” that they were “well dressed,” that “this is all organized,” “all planned,” to “hurt our president.” Here she was projecting. For normal people, it’s not all about Barack Obama.

The Democratic National Committee chimed in with an incendiary Web video whose script reads, “The right wing extremist Republican base is back.” DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse issued a statement that said the Republicans “are inciting angry mobs of . . . right wing extremists” who are “not reflective of where the American people are.”

Hat Tip: Dennis Miller Radio

There is no job security for those that claim to speak for us when we decide to voice our discontent.

New Twist in Countrywide Loan Probe

2009-08-08T14:20:00.002-04:00

CBS News

Add Congressman Edolphus Towns to the growing list of influential Democratic and Republican VIP's who received loans from Countrywide Financial. That's significant because Towns, a Democrat, heads the committee investigating the mortgage giant's practices. And he personally is blocking the effort to subpoena Countrywide documents, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.

Republican Darrell Issa is behind the subpoena effort.

"It's really about what Countrywide sought to do, how vast it was, what they got for their millions of dollars in discounts and how do we make sure it doesn't happen again," Issa said.

A Countrywide whistleblower says the company aggressively courted those in position to influence regulations as it made billions by giving out risky loans, then selling them to government-backed Fannie Mae. Billions of dollars worth of those loans defaulted at taxpayer expense.

Corruption is like a weight around the neck, dragging the wearer into the murky depths. The good news is that Hell is only half full.

Obama's' Second 100 Days

2009-08-07T20:30:00.001-04:00

Oh. This could help explain what's got President B.O. so pissed off ....

From Boortz

How's it working out for him so far? According to Rasmussen, after six months in the Oval Office, Barack Obama has a lower job-approval rating than did ten of the last twelve presidents at the same point in their presidencies.

Obama: One helluva community organizer

2009-08-07T20:21:00.003-04:00

Washington Examiner reports:

President Obama recently e-mailed followers to attend local town halls, and his deputy chief of staff promised to "punch back twice as hard" in the health care debate. Neither of them probably expected their backers to "get in the faces" of their opponents quite this much. Or to punch anyone -- not literally, anyway.

It has also been reported that the Obama White House intends to use union members to shout down those that speak out at town hall meetings. More to come on this.

Pickens To Pass The Wind Farm

2009-07-07T20:53:00.003-04:00

USA Today

Plans for the world's largest wind farm in the Texas panhandle have been scrapped, energy baron T. Boone Pickens said Tuesday, and he is looking for a home for 687 giant wind turbines.

Pickens has already ordered the turbines, which can stand 400 feet (122 meters) tall — taller than most 30-story buildings.

"When I start receiving those turbines, I've got to ... like I said, my garage won't hold them," the legendary Texas oilman said. "They've got to go someplace."

Pickens' company Mesa Power ordered the turbines from General Electric— a $2 billion investment — a little more than a year ago. Pickens said he has leases on about 200,000 acres in Texas that were planned for the project, and he might place some of the turbines there, but he's also looking for smaller wind projects to participate in. He said he's looking at potential sites in the Midwest and Canada.

It's going to take one helluva garage sale to move these.

Still Got That Obama Bumper Sticker On Your Car?

2009-07-03T17:20:00.004-04:00

Boortz.com

I know, it's hard to admit that you were wrong, isn't it? I mean, after all, how in the world can you admit that voting for someone with absolutely no experience at all - a former ACORN street organizer - someone who gravitated to Marxist professors and communist student groups in college - someone with no record of significant accomplishment at any endeavor - and someone who ran for office on the basis of focus-group slogans - how can you ever admit that such a vote might have been a mistake?

Do you see our economy improving? Have you noticed the improving employment figures?

Are you impressed by the burgeoning national debt that your children are going to have to pay back?

Are you looking forward to seeing your health care rationed?

Qualified Good News on Leino and Hudler

2009-07-03T17:13:00.003-04:00

Detroit Red Wings news. The Wings were not able to hold onto Marian Hossa who went on to sign with the Blackhawks. Also going to Chicago is injuy prone Tomas Kopecky. There was a lot of promise in Kopecky but a couple of freak injuries never allowed him to prove his ice time. Also gone is Mikael
Samuelsson, who signed with Vancouver on a 3-year deal. I was hoping the Wings could find a way to keep him. During the playoffs, one could almost see Mikael's frustration, perhaps due largely to his lack off time on the ice.
My buddy Matt at On The Wings has some good and encouraging news of some of the other happenings in the Red Wings locker room.

On the Wings

According to Helene St. James, the Wings have Leino signed to a two-year contract very soon, possibly today. That’s great news if it pans out. The team needs Leino to stick around, obviously, and he needs the Wings to keep him since they probably offer his best chance at regular NHL ice time right now.

The Hudler news is a mix of good and bad: he’s apparently filing for arbitration this weekend. As George Malik points out, that means teams can no longer tender him offer sheets, which is a definite good thing. The downside, of course, is that the arbitrator can award Hudler a salary higher than the Wings might like to pay.

They could trade his rights at that point if they wanted to, but as long as it’s not too high, they’d probably bite the bullet and keep him. It just could be the difference between signing a veteran forward or bringing up a not-quite-ready Abdelkader.

Palin resigning as Alaska governor

2009-07-03T17:01:00.001-04:00

Palin resigning as Alaska governor

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, raising speculation that she would focus on a run for the White House in the 2012 race.

The former Republican vice presidential candidate made the surprise announcement from her home in suburban Wasilla on Friday morning. She said she would step down July 26 but didn't announce her plans.

"Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional Lame Duck status in this particular climate would just be another dose of politics as usual, something I campaigned against and will always oppose," Palin said in a statement released by her office.

You've got to wonder what Henry Ford would think

2009-06-21T15:40:00.001-04:00

The Detroit News

You've got to wonder what Henry Ford would think.

Two of Detroit's three automakers are bankrupt. General Motors Corp. and the Chrysler Group LLC are operating largely on aid from the federal government, which now owns a big chunk of the latter and will soon own a controlling stake in the former. The president of the United States has even sacked GM's CEO and forced the company to pick new board members.

"Most of this wouldn't shock him because a lot of this happened during his lifetime," Henry Ford's great-grandson, Ford Motor Co. Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr., told The Detroit News in a recent interview. "He failed a couple times. He saw a lot of car companies come and go. And he saw his own company go bankrupt and then go on to the verge of bankruptcy several times during his lifetime."

Veteran Wings deliver old-fashioned whuppin'

2009-06-07T01:33:00.001-04:00

The Wings looked so much more focused tonight than they did in Game 4. The extra day of rest along with the return of Pavel Datsyuk are most likely the keys. Great game for goalie Osgood to get another shut out.
Game Six in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.

The Detroit News

They skated as if their reputations were on fire. They attacked as if insulted by the insinuations of creakiness and fatigue. Energized by the return of their injured superstar, the Red Wings blasted through a wall of growing doubt as if it wasn't even there. And after this performance, it isn't.

The Wings played as if they'd been here before, and we know they have. The Penguins played as if they had no idea how to handle it, and frankly, acted idiotic at times.

Penske to buy Saturn

2009-06-06T19:16:00.003-04:00

I have owned 3 Saturn models since they launched in the 90's. It will interesting to see how Penske will mold his interests in racing and retail car sales into the manufacturing arena.

USATODAY.com

General Motors announced a tentative deal Friday for Roger Penske to acquire GM's struggling Saturn brand and distribution network.

Penske's Saturn will continue to receive GM-made vehicles for two years, and is looking for another manufacturer to make vehicles that will bear the Saturn brand.

"We will have a supply of vehicles for at least two years with existing brands, and we have been in discussions during this diligence period with a number of manufacturers on a worldwide basis," Penske said Friday morning. "We would expect to have a lineup going forward, which would be manufactured by a worldwide partner."

Fund manager admits to $80M Ponzi scheme

2009-06-06T19:12:00.001-04:00

USATODAY.com

A solo fund manager pleaded guilty Friday to operating an $80 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 70 victims, including a family foundation and a couple who lost their life savings.

Joseph S. Forte, 53, of Broomall admits he lured investors by promising returns ranging from 18% to 38% — and pledged they would never lose money.

But losses are ultimately what happened as Forte paid himself millions, bought a Sea Isle, N.J., beach house and donated more than $1 million to charity, including $200,000 to Malvern Preparatory School on Philadelphia's tony Main Line.

"I think it was a pyramid of trust," said Steve Bell of Broomall, a school guidance counselor whose wife is heading back to work after they lost most of their savings.

Regulators shut down Illinois bank in 37th failure of the year

2009-06-06T19:11:00.001-04:00

Yet another bank bites it.

USATODAY.com

Regulators have shut down Bank of Lincolnwood, a small bank in Illinois, marking the 37th failure this year of a federally insured bank.

More are expected to succumb amid the pressures of the weak economy and mounting loan defaults.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was appointed receiver of the failed bank, based in Lincolnwood, Ill., which had about $214 million in assets and $202 million in deposits as of May 26.

Companies Hire 'Shipriders' to Prevent Pirate Attacks

2009-06-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

Shiver me timbers!

FOXNews.com

There's not a warship for miles, a small pirate skiff is speeding toward you and there's no way the creaking tub you're on can outrun the bandits. How long do you wait before you shoot?

It's just one of many possible dilemmas facing an increasing number of private security companies who offer armed escorts — known in the industry as "shipriders" — from Somali pirates.

The few companies that have begun offering armed escorts say their services have become increasingly popular since the April hijacking of the American-flagged Maersk Alabama, particularly among U.S. shipowners. One company — Hart Security UK — has reported a fourfold increase in escorted trips since it began offering them in October.

But legal problems abound for ships that carry guns.

Staging A Comeback

2009-06-06T18:30:00.000-04:00

I have been out of commission for some time now. I had some recurring cardiac issues and have since had a defibrillator implanted. As a result, I have undertaken a campaign to adopt a new holiday.

Take A Cyborg To Lunch Day
April 24th

'Tax issues' emerge in Tom Daschle's nomination

2009-01-30T21:42:00.001-05:00

Looks like President Obama has a new dilema on his hands.....
he's already selected one tax cheat for his cabinet.....

iWon News

Former Sen. Tom Daschle, picked by President Barack Obama to lead his health reform efforts, recently filed amended tax returns to report $128,203 in unpaid taxes and $11,964 in interest, according to a Senate document obtained by The Associated Press.

The White House acknowledged Friday that "some tax issues" had emerged in connection with the nomination, but a spokesman said the president is confident the former Senate Democratic leader will be confirmed as the new health secretary.

Daschle filed amended tax returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 to reflect additional income for consulting work, the use of a car service and reductions in charitable contribution deductions. He filed the returns after the announcement that Obama intended to nominate him to head the Health and Human Services Department.

Most of the additional taxes resulted from unreported income from the use of a car service provided him by a close friend and business associate. The unreported income for that service totaled about $250,000 over the three years.

Geithner's Version Of Economic Stimulus

2009-01-23T19:10:00.001-05:00

Soon-to-be Treasury boss understands a thing or two about stretching ones "pre-tax" spending power. Who else could be better equiped to close all those evil tax loopholes we have heard so much about for years? Uniquely qualified.
Tax cheat to oversee the tax collectors - sort of like having a terrorist teach you about punishing terrorists. hmmm.
Real Time Economics : Diminished Geithner Faces Mighty Tasks

He recently had to pay more than $30,000 in back taxes, including Social Security and Medicare taxes he failed to pay as an employee of the International Monetary Fund. Lawmakers, particularly Republicans, grilled Geithner on his failure to amend his 2001 and 2002 returns when an IRS audit uncovered the failure to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on his 2003 and 2004 IMF income.

That led to comedian-fodder revelations from Geithner including that he used TurboTax for his 2001 taxes. And to painful reprimands including this one from Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.), who at one point during Geithner’s confirmation hearing said: “would you answer my question rather than dancing around it, please?”

The committee wound up approving Geithner by an 18-5 vote. But in a hint of potential problems with Congress down the road, the ranking Republican, Sen. Charles Grassley (R., Iowa) voted no.

Meanwhile, one of the first fires Geithner may have to put out is one of his own making. In written responses to Senate questions Thursday, Geithner wrote that President Barack Obama, “backed by the conclusions of a broad range of economists - believes that China is manipulating its currency.” The work “manipulating” carries a lot weight, coming from a potential Treasury secretary who must every six months report to Congress on exchange-rate policies of U.S. trading partners.

We're Still Waiting Senator Dodd!

2009-01-23T10:49:00.001-05:00

I can't help but get the feeling that our elected officials seek to outlast our memory. Perhaps the senator was merely sidetracked while busily "doing the business of the people" that the truth became an unnecessary obstruction?

I nominate Sen. Christopher Dodd for poster child of the national Term Limits campaign. Unfortunately for us, there are far too many candidates.

Waiting for Dodd - WSJ.com

The Connecticut Senator got favored treatment from the subprime mortgage purveyor, even as he was a power broker on the Banking Committee that regulates the industry. When the news broke, the Senator first denied that he sought or expected preferential treatment. He later admitted that he knew he was considered a VIP at the firm but claimed he thought it was "more of a courtesy." He also promised the Connecticut press that he'd come clean with the documents and details of the loans. But six months later -- nada, zip, nothing.

Obama’s Grand Experiment: Global Warming Cap-and-Trade Policy

2008-11-30T10:58:00.001-05:00

Tom Borelli - Townhall.com

The prospect that President-elect Barack Obama may keep the Bush tax cuts until 2011 has some clinging to hope he will postpone his liberal ideas for the economy’s sake.

There’s little chance of that when it comes to global warming, however, an issue on which Obama puts his ideology first and the nation’s economic growth second.

In a recent video statement to the Governors’ Global Climate Summit, Obama displayed unwavering support for strong federal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Sounding like he was auditioning for a role in Al Gore’s next film, Obama said, “The science is beyond dispute and the facts are clear. Sea levels are rising. Coastlines are shrinking. We’ve seen record drought, spreading famine, and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season.”

Who Wrote Dreams From My Father?

2008-10-13T19:23:00.001-04:00

American Thinker

Prior to 1990, when Barack Obama contracted to write Dreams From My Father, he had written very close to nothing. Then, five years later, this untested 33 year-old produced what Time Magazine has called -- with a straight face -- "the best-written memoir ever produced by an American politician."

The public is asked to believe Obama wrote Dreams From My Father on his own, almost as though he were some sort of literary idiot savant. I do not buy this canard for a minute, not at all. Writing is as much a craft as, say, golf. To put this in perspective, imagine if a friend played a few rounds in the high 90s and then a few years later, without further practice, made the PGA Tour. It doesn't happen.

And yet, given the biases of the literary establishment, no reviewer of note has so much as questioned Obama's role in the writing, then or now. As the New York Times gushed, Obama was "that rare politician who can write . . . and write movingly and genuinely about himself." These accolades matter all the more because Obama has built his political persona around his presumably superior intellect, Dreams being exhibit A.

One Hand Washes ...

2008-10-13T19:14:00.002-04:00

H/T Boortz

Obama awarded Illinois grants to relative's group

2008-10-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

iWon News

As a state senator, Democrat Barack Obama awarded $75,000 in government grants to a Chicago social service organization led by a rabbi who is also his wife's cousin, records show.

In 1999, Obama arranged for $50,000 for adult literacy and counseling services offered on Chicago's South Side by a group called Blue Gargoyle. A $25,000 grant for the group's youth services followed the next year.

The group's executive director when the grants were awarded was Capers Funnye, a South Side rabbi and Michelle Obama's first cousin once removed.

Funnye (pronounced fun-NAY) said Monday there was nothing improper about the way Blue Gargoyle obtained the grants. Obama did not encourage him to apply for the money, he said, and Funnye denied using family connections to pressure Obama to approve the application.

Obama's presidential campaign said the grants supported valuable services.

What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

2008-10-03T08:39:00.002-04:00

Hat tip to The Dougout

A Crisis of Political Economy

2008-10-01T19:41:00.001-04:00

Notablog

Oy, what a mess.

The "mess" of which I speak is, of course, U.S. Political Economy. And make no mistake about it: We are talking about political economy.

One of the things that I have long admired about Austrian-school theorists, such as Ludwig von Mises, F. A. Hayek, and Murray Rothbard, is their understanding of political economy, a concept that conveys, by its very coupling, the inextricable tie between the political and the economic.

When Austrian-school theorists have examined the dynamics of market exchange, they have stressed the importance not only of the larger political context within which such exchanges take place, but also the ways in which politics influences and molds the shape and character of those exchanges. Indeed, with regard to financial institutions in particular, they have placed the state at the center of their economic theories on money and credit.

House Speaker Pelosi Used Political Donations to Pay Husband's Firm

2008-10-01T19:35:00.001-04:00

FOXNews.com

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid her husband's real estate and investment firm nearly $100,000 from her political action committee over the past decade, a practice that she voted to ban last year and that her party condemned as part of the "culture of corruption" when Republicans did it.

The Washington Times is reporting that the California Democrat's husband, Paul F. Pelosi, owns Financial Leasing Services Inc., which has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.

Last year, Pelosi supported a bill that would have banned members of Congress from putting spouses on their campaign staffs. The bill banned not only direct payments by congressional campaign committees and PACs to spouses for services including consulting and furndraising, but also "indirect compensation," such as payments to companies that employ spouses.

Birmingham firm strikes Barack Obama presidential coin

2008-09-25T19:35:00.003-04:00

Birmingham Post

The coins already sold to the Democrats will be presented to the senators, congressmen, governors and other politicians they are being given to within the next two weeks.

There will also be a television advertising campaign launched in the US.

The company directors got the idea of producing the coins after seeing actress Meryl Streep talking about Barack Obama on a television programme.

When they got in touch with the Democrats the party jumped at the chance. And the coins have proved such a hit that locally produced versions have already been launched to compete with the UK originals.

The coins show Senator Obama’s face, along with a picture of the White House and the legend “President of the United States of America”.

A Political "Solution

2008-09-25T19:29:00.001-04:00

Thomas Sowell - Townhall.com

Back in 2002, the Wall Street Journal said: "The time for the political system to focus on Fannie and Fred isn't when we have a housing crisis; by then it will be too late." The hybrid public-and-private nature of these financial giants amounts to "privatizing profit and socializing risk," since taxpayers get stuck with the tab when high-risk finances don't work out.

Similar concerns were expressed in 2003 by N. Gregory Mankiw, then Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to President Bush. But liberal Democratic Congressman Barney Frank criticized Professor Mankiw, citing "concern for housing" as his reason for supporting Fannie Mae. Barney Frank said that fears about the riskiness of Fannie Mae were "overblown."

Maxine Waters and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus have also been among the liberal Democrats defending Fannie Mae. Just last year, Senator Charles Schumer advocated legislation to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase their already huge role in the mortgage market. Republican Congressman Mike Oxley has also defended these hybrid financial giants.

Alcee Hastings - Seeking A Cabinet Spot For Obama?

2008-09-25T19:01:00.004-04:00

There are no limits to the tact used to gain political clout. Look at the this latest from the "honorable" Alcee Hastings -

International Business Times

Democrat Alcee Hastings made comments that portray Sarah Palin as an "extremely conservative" candidate and not favorable for Jews and Black people.

"Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks," said the Florida congressman at a Democrat panel part of the National Jewish Democratic Council's annual conference on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Hastings said he meant Palin was "extremely conservative woman who is out of touch with mainstream America," ABC reported.

Hastings pointed out some of the policies that Jews and black people have in common to try to put them in favor of Barack Obama.

Some may recall the name Alcee Hastings, then known as Federal Judge before he was impeached on bribery charges -

New York Times

Impeachments by the House and trials in the Senate are so cumbersome and distasteful that Alcee Hastings of Florida is only the sixth Federal judge to be removed in this manner. But in convicting and removing Judge Hastings, despite his acquittal of similar charges at a criminal trial, Congress acted responsibly, even judiciously. It vindicated the Constitution's admittedly inefficent method for purging those who dishonor their offices.

The impeachment power is so mighty and unreviewable that some of the Founding Fathers feared its misuse while seeing its necessity. Judge Hastings said he had been so abused because a jury had already acquitted him of bribery, the key impeachment charge. He asserted also that as one of the nation's few black judges, he had been disciplined under procedures ''infected by a form of racism.''

Sounds like Hastings takes a page from the Obama, Wright, Phleger play book. More accidential associations or reinforced pattern of behavior. All he needs to be funded by a known terrorist .... oh yeah, I forgot.

Are the Leftists and Democrats and Obama lying AGAIN????

2008-09-24T22:09:00.001-04:00

Individ

OK, the politicians give you LIES. The mainstream Leftist media gives them a free pass, because they comprise socialists and neo-marxists.

Here, you get FACTS.

The regulations that the left decries as "too little", constitute The Code of Federal Regulations that comes under the category of administrative law. They are published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Federal Government. Formally, the CFR is published by the Office of the Federal Register, an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration.

What Would Ayn Rand Have Done?

2008-09-24T16:15:00.002-04:00

TIME

A great day for the United States of America?

A reminder of what a great power can do when its back is against the wall?

A historic move by a lame-duck administration many thought could no longer solve any problems?

It will be some time before we know whether this week will go down in history as all, or even some, of those things.

But as the largest bailout in government history unfolded in almost dizzying waves over recent days, a very different view prevailed at the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights, an outpost of free-market, anti-government thinking located just a few blocks from the newly aggressive and highly interventionist Department of Treasury in downtown Washington.

"It's a complete disaster," said Yaron Brook, the executive director of the center. "Its a form of national socialism of the financial markets...This is socialism 101."

The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug

2008-09-24T15:31:00.002-04:00

Hat tip to Boortz

The Ed Schools’ Latest—and Worst—Humbug

Teaching for “social justice” is a cruel hoax on disadvantaged kids.

In 1980, Bill Ayers and his partner Bernardine Dohrn came up from the underground—the Weather Underground, that is. It had been a wild ride for the Bonnie and Clyde of the sixties New Left. They first went into combat during the 1969 “Days of Rage” in Chicago, smashing storefront windows and assaulting police officers and city officials in the fantasy that they were aiding their Vietnamese allies by “bringing the war back home.” They spent the next few years planting bombs at government buildings around the country, including in restrooms at the Pentagon and the Capitol. When their little war against America sputtered to a halt, the revolutionary couple rationalized that at least they had not caused any deaths. But three of their comrades had blown themselves up in a Manhattan townhouse while preparing a bomb to detonate at a dance at the Fort Dix army base.

Ayers has acknowledged committing crimes during his underground days—crimes that arguably amounted to treason. Yet thanks to procedural complications and a lack of witnesses, he never went to trial or to jail. A few years after stepping out of the shadows, Ayers reflected on his odyssey in a conversation with journalists Peter Collier and David Horowitz: “Guilty as hell, free as a bird—America is a great country,” he exulted.

Blog Without A Face

2008-09-16T08:21:00.003-04:00

Identity crisis. This page has never really had an identity. It could be due to the premise behind it's initial creation. It could be that I was censoring myself to insulate my business interests. Whatever the reason, I will make yet another attempt to create a page that I can like and ,perhaps, others will find interesting.

Biden's comments on special needs kids called 'new low'

2008-09-09T18:31:00.001-04:00

CNN.com

Sen. John McCain's campaign rebuked Sen. Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying the Democratic vice presidential nominee had "sunk to a new low" by raising a debate over who cares more for special needs children.

The Republican camp's sharp response came after Biden said GOP advocates for children with birth defects should support stem cell research.

During a campaign event in Columbia, Missouri, Biden did not mention his Republican counterpart by name but said, "I hear all this talk about how the Republicans are going to work in dealing with parents who have both the joy ... and the difficulty of raising a child who has a developmental disability, who were born with a birth defect."

Biden's support of stem cell research is at odds with the position taken by the Republicans' vice presidential nominee, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose 5-month-old son, Trig, has Down syndrome

MSNBC Bombs in Blogosphere

2008-09-09T18:21:00.001-04:00

Washingtonpost.com

The decision by MSNBC to yank Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from anchor duty during live political events did not exactly send a thrill up the leg of liberal bloggers.

A number of them denounced the cable channel yesterday for making a change that had long been sought by NBC News veterans, saying MSNBC was caving into pressure from John McCain's campaign and the right wing.

MSNBC President Phil Griffin denied that complaints from either Republicans or NBC journalists were a factor. He said he reached the decision after "talking to my guys, mainly Olbermann," after the Republican convention. Olbermann and Matthews will remain as analysts during such major political events as the presidential debates.

Dr. Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon CS professor, Dead at 47

2008-07-27T15:43:00.001-04:00

washingtonpost.com

It's not difficult to find educators in CS who are as personable as Dr. Pausch was but it is definitely rare to find one filled with such kindness and an undeniable love for life.

"But we don't beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well," said Dr. Pausch, who urged the graduates to find and pursue their passion. He put an exclamation point at the end of his remarks by kissing his wife, Jai, and carrying her off stage.

COPA Child-Protection Act Is Struck Down

2008-07-23T21:03:00.001-04:00

PC Magazine:

"The decade-long battle over the Children Online Protection Act (COPA) took another turn this week when an appeals court upheld a lower court ruling that found COPA to be unconstitutional.

'COPA cannot withstand a strict scrutiny, vagueness, or over breadth analysis and thus is unconstitutional,' according to a Tuesday ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

COPA provides for up to six months in jail, in addition to civil penalties, for those found guilty of posting information online for commercial purposes that's considered harmful to minors. As defined by the bill, material that's harmful to minors includes obscene communication, the depiction of sexual material that could be considered offensive, or material that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors.

The law was scheduled to go into effect on October 21, 1998 but it immediately faced challenges in court and its enforcement was delayed."

Most Bank Sites Are Insecure

2008-07-23T21:00:00.001-04:00

Information Week:

"More than three-quarters of bank Web sites have design flaws that could expose bank customers to financial loss or identity theft, according to a University of Michigan study that will be presented this week at the Symposium on Usable Security and Privacy.

The study, 'Analyzing Web Sites For User-Visible Security Design Flaws,' examined 214 bank Web sites in 2006. It was conducted by University of Michigan computer science professor Atul Prakash and doctoral students Laura Falk and Kevin Borders.

The vulnerabilities identified by the authors aren't fixable with a simple patch. Rather, they are issues like login boxes, information submission forms, security information, and contact information placed on insecure pages; redirections outside the bank's domain without warning; allowing insecure user IDs and passwords; and e-mailing sensitive information insecurely.

'To our surprise, design flaws that could compromise security were widespread and included some of the largest banks in the country,' Prakash said in a statement. 'Our focus was on users who try to be careful, but unfortunately some bank sites make it hard for customers to make the right security decisions when doing online banking.'"

DNC host's tax-free gas evaporates

2008-07-23T20:55:00.001-04:00

The Rocky Mountain News:

"The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention has used the city's gas pumps to fill up and apparently avoided paying state and federal fuel taxes.

The practice, which began four months ago, may have ended hours after its disclosure. An aide to Mayor John Hickenlooper released a statement Tuesday evening saying that Denver 2008 Host Committee members would pay market prices for fuel and would also be liable for all applicable taxes.

However, Public Works spokeswoman Christine Downs told City Council members just hours before that host committee members were fueling up at the city pumps. The city does not pay taxes on the fuel for its fleet, and Downs said the host committee would not either.

The disclosure brought immediate scrutiny. Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the practice 'would seem' to be illegal and referred the matter to the state Department of Revenue."

Muslim woman demands an apology from Obama after camera snub

2008-06-18T21:32:00.001-04:00

Detroit Free Press

One of two Muslim women who were denied visible seats behind Barack Obama’s stage at Joe Louis Arena on Monday because they wore head scarves said they deserve a personal apology from Obama and close-up seats at a future campaign rally.

Hebba Aref, 25, and her friend, Shimaa Abdelfadeel, received apologies from the campaign Tuesday after they complained that they were not allowed to sit near the podium when campaign volunteers learned that they wear the traditional Muslim head garb called a hijab.

Aref said she was especially disappointed because she was attracted to Obama’s message of unity and inclusion. She said she’d like more than an apologetic phone call from a campaign official.

I demand an apology from everyone that demands an apology.

States weigh options in offshore fight

2008-06-18T21:30:00.001-04:00

The Associated Press

Governors in some coastal states promised to block attempts to tap offshore petroleum reserves, citing concerns about the environment and tourism. Others agreed with President Bush's call to lift a 27-year-old federal ban on offshore drilling but said states should decide whether to allow it.

Bush on Wednesday joined Republican presidential candidate John McCain in calling for the lifting of a prohibition on drilling along the East and West coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. As the battle to lift the moratorium began to play out in Washington, states debated their stance.

"As Governor of California, I will do everything in my power to fight the federal government on this issue and prevent any new offshore drilling," Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a McCain supporter, said Wednesday.

Another McCain ally, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, reversed his opposition to oil exploration off the state's beaches after the presidential candidate said he supported lifting the moratorium. Crist said the issue is about local control.

Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11

2008-03-13T21:12:00.001-04:00

ABC News

Sen. Barack Obama's pastor says blacks should not sing "God Bless America" but "God damn America."

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's pastor for the last 20 years at the Trinity United Church of Christ on Chicago's south side, has a long history of what even Obama's campaign aides concede is "inflammatory rhetoric," including the assertion that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own "terrorism."

In a campaign appearance earlier this month, Sen. Obama said, "I don't think my church is actually particularly controversial." He said Rev. Wright "is like an old uncle who says things I don't always agree with," telling a Jewish group that everyone has someone like that in their family.

Rev. Wright married Obama and his wife Michelle, baptized their two daughters and is credited by Obama for the title of his book, "The Audacity of Hope."

Paterson Says He Is Ready To Assume Governorship

2008-03-13T20:52:00.001-04:00

WSJ.com

Mr. Spitzer, who resigned Wednesday after being exposed as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring, was famously abrasive to legislators and was open about his desire to overthrow Senate Republicans. In one noted exchange, he used a profanity to describe himself as a "steamroller" to a Republican lawmaker. Mr. Paterson has been praised for his ability to work with legislators of both parties.

"I have spoken with him," Mr. Paterson said of Mr. Spitzer. "I just told him how sorry I was this happened and how much he still inspires me."

Several Spitzer administration officials are expected to remain with Mr. Paterson. Some of Mr. Spitzer's top aides, however, have submitted resignations for Mr. Paterson to consider.

"The message to the people of New York is that New York state government is still thriving, and we are still serving the people," Mr. Paterson said earlier in the day.

Paul Says He's Still In The Race

2008-03-10T20:05:00.001-04:00

CNN.com

His campaign is "certainly winding down" given the number of primaries left, but it's not over, Paul said Monday on CNN's "American Morning."

"If you're in a campaign for only gaining power, that's one thing. If you're in a campaign to influence ideas and the future of the country, the campaign is never over."

Two days after Sen. John McCain became the presumptive GOP nominee, Paul hinted in a video posted on YouTube that the end was near.

Dennis Miller on Michelle Obama's Controversial Comments

2008-02-21T17:22:00.001-05:00

FOXNews.com

BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "Miller Time" segment tonight: talk radio buzzing about Michelle Obama's comments that for the first time in her life she's proud of her country.

With us now here in L.A., talk radio host Dennis Miller. He also has a new TV program, a quiz show called "Amnesia," which begins Friday night on NBC.

And I heard you got that because you couldn't remember anybody's name or what the show was even about.

DENNIS MILLER, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Bill, as far as showbiz goes, I'm like Jackson Pollock: I just throw it against the wall, baby.

O'REILLY: Whatever happens. Right.

'Internet predator' stereotypes debunked

2008-02-19T22:31:00.001-05:00

UPI.com

Most Internet sex offenders are not adults who target young children by posing as another youth, but rather are adults who target teens, a U.S. study found.

Researchers Janis Wolak, David Finkelhor, Kimberly Mitchell and Michele Ybarra of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire say most online sex offenders are adults who target teens and seduce victims into sexual relationships.

They take time to develop the trust and confidence of victims, so that the teens see these relationships as romances or sexual adventures, the researchers said in a statement.

In spite of public concern, the study found social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook do not appear to increase the risk of youth being victimized by online predators, but talking online about sex to unknown people increases vulnerability, the study says.

Study: Music downloads to surpass CD sales by 2012

2008-02-19T22:26:00.001-05:00

The Business Review (Albany):

Half of all music sold in the U.S. will be digital in 2011 and sales of digitally downloaded music will surpass physical compact disc sales in 2012, according to a new report by Forrester Research Inc.

Forrester Research, based in Cambridge, Mass., said that digital music sales will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23 percent over the next five years, reaching $4.8 billion in revenue by 2012. In contrast, by 2012, CD sales will be reduced to $3.8 billion.

"This is the end of the music industry as we know it," said James McQuivey, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, in a statement. "Media executives eager to stay afloat in this receding tide must clear the path of discovery and purchase, but only hardware and software providers can ultimately make listening to music as easy as turning on the radio."

N. Korea Slowing Disarmament

2008-02-17T10:45:00.001-05:00

washingtonpost.com

North Korea has slowed nuclear disarmament to a snail's pace because it has received only part of the energy aid it was promised in return and does not believe it has made progress toward being removed from the U.S. state terrorism list, a delegation of U.S. experts reported Saturday.

The experts said they had broad access to North Korean nuclear facilities and held discussions with senior Foreign Ministry officials in Pyongyang, the capital, during their four-day private visit to the isolated nation.

Siegfried S. Hecker, a Stanford University professor and former director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, said he and his colleagues -- Joel Witt, a former diplomat associated with the National Academy of Sciences, and W. Keith Luse, an assistant to Sen. Richard L. Lugar (R-Ind.) -- were told that North Korea remains committed to a landmark Oct. 3 agreement. Under terms of that pact, it promised to carry out a staged disarmament that includes, as a first step, disabling the plutonium processing plant at Yongbyon that is its main source of nuclear weapons material.

Fossett Remembered for Daredevil Spirit

2008-02-17T10:40:00.001-05:00

The Associated Press

Self-made business tycoon Steve Fossett, whose thirst for adrenaline drove him to fly around the world solo in a balloon, climb mountains and aim for speed records, has been declared dead, 5 months after his small plane vanished. He was 63.

Fossett, who in 2002 became the first person to circle the world solo in a balloon, was known for his methodical pursuit of pushing endurance envelopes, including swimming the English Channel, completing the Ironman Triathlon and competing in the Iditarod dog sled race.

"Steve's lived his life to the full, and he hasn't wasted a minute of his life," his rival-turned-comrade, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson, said after Fossett's single-engine plane disappeared on Sept. 3. "Everything he's done, he's taken a calculated risk with."

Fossett was last seen after taking off in a single-engine plane from an airstrip near Yerington, Nev., heading toward Bishop, Calif.

Bill Clinton Says He's Learned a Lesson

2008-02-08T17:30:00.000-05:00

iWon News:

"Former President Clinton says he's learned a lesson from the dustup over his remarks on the campaign trail - he can promote his wife's presidential candidacy, but he's not free to defend her.

Bill Clinton also said that everything he said in South Carolina about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama was 'factually accurate,' but a lot that has been said about what he said is 'factually inaccurate.'

'I think the mistake that I made is to think that I was a spouse like any other spouse who could defend his candidate,' Clinton said, referring to his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is waging a hard-fought contest with Obama for the Democratic nomination.

'I think I can promote Hillary but not defend her because I was president. I have to let her defend herself or have someone else defend her,' Clinton said in an interview with NBC affliate WCSH-TV as he was campaigning in Portland, Maine, Thursday."