It should not surprise anyone that the Left "thinks" that movies and TV shows depict reality. After all, reality is a bitch, and that's just not the Lefty Way.
Let's talk about reality, as described by an actual combat veteran.
....I served in the 2003 invasion of Iraq as a Marine infantry squad
leader. We rode into war crammed in the back of amphibious assault
vehicles. They are designed to hold roughly 15 Marines snugly; due to
maintenance issues, by the end of the invasion we had as many as 25 men
stuffed into the back. Marines were forced to sit, in full gear, on
each other’s laps and in contorted positions for hours on end.
...The column would not stop for a lance corporal, sergeant,
lieutenant, or even a company commander to go to the restroom.
Sometimes we spent over 48 hours on the move without exiting the
vehicles. We were forced to urinate in empty water bottles inches from
our comrades.
Many Marines developed dysentery from the complete lack of sanitary
conditions. When an uncontrollable urge hit a Marine, he would be forced
to stand, as best he could, hold an MRE bag up to his rear, and
defecate inches from his seated comrade’s face. --R Smith/WSJ quoted at Captain's
Not exactly McHale's Navy, nor Hogan's Heroes, eh? And there's more at the link, by the way.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Dear Senator Rubio...
Sen. Rubio addressed Erickson's concerns about the immigration-reform bill.
Among other things, he said:
...The economic ramifications, however, are even more serious. For example, our technology sector creates roughly 120,000 computer engineering jobs a year, but our universities only graduate about 40,000 students a year in that field. The long term answer, of course, is to get more American students to graduate in this field. But the immediate problem is that, in the absence of an immigration system where these workers can be brought here, these jobs are sent overseas to them....
Umnnhhh.....not exactly.
As Norm Matloff has pointed out, umpty-thousands of US citizen C.E. grads remain unemployed, even when they have M.S. degrees. And then there are the "old" and experienced C.E. folks, who are also unemployed. "Old" means 'over 35 years of age' in that particular industry.
...a recent study showed engineering to have the lowest rate of wage growth of any major profession? Tony Carnevale of Georgetown University, author of that study, told the Wall Street Journal, "If you're good at math, you'd have to be crazy to pursue a STEM career." Well, guess why. Clearly, the large influx from abroad has suppressed wage growth in the field....
IOW, the income potential does not match the student-loan-plus-living-expenses total. As to the "old":
...the major point of H-1B and green cards involves AGE. The real savings employers get from these visas is that it allows them to hire young foreign nationals when they run out of young Americans. (This too is a point not well understood by critics of H-1B.)
If Sen. Rubio wishes to argue that US-citizen C.E.'s are overpriced compared to others, he can do so. But to argue that "there are not enough qualified US C.E.'s' is simply not accurate.
Among other things, he said:
...The economic ramifications, however, are even more serious. For example, our technology sector creates roughly 120,000 computer engineering jobs a year, but our universities only graduate about 40,000 students a year in that field. The long term answer, of course, is to get more American students to graduate in this field. But the immediate problem is that, in the absence of an immigration system where these workers can be brought here, these jobs are sent overseas to them....
Umnnhhh.....not exactly.
As Norm Matloff has pointed out, umpty-thousands of US citizen C.E. grads remain unemployed, even when they have M.S. degrees. And then there are the "old" and experienced C.E. folks, who are also unemployed. "Old" means 'over 35 years of age' in that particular industry.
...a recent study showed engineering to have the lowest rate of wage growth of any major profession? Tony Carnevale of Georgetown University, author of that study, told the Wall Street Journal, "If you're good at math, you'd have to be crazy to pursue a STEM career." Well, guess why. Clearly, the large influx from abroad has suppressed wage growth in the field....
IOW, the income potential does not match the student-loan-plus-living-expenses total. As to the "old":
...the major point of H-1B and green cards involves AGE. The real savings employers get from these visas is that it allows them to hire young foreign nationals when they run out of young Americans. (This too is a point not well understood by critics of H-1B.)
If Sen. Rubio wishes to argue that US-citizen C.E.'s are overpriced compared to others, he can do so. But to argue that "there are not enough qualified US C.E.'s' is simply not accurate.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Another EPA Proposal: You Lose, Suckah!!
I'm waiting for some Congresscritter with cojones to state the obvious: EPA should be dismantled.
Meantime,
...EPA sent new fuel regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for final review that would raise costs, provide little or no environmental benefit, and actually increase carbon emissions, according to API Downstream Group Director Bob Greco.
“EPA’s new regulations would raise the cost of making gasoline by as much as 25 cents a gallon,” Greco said. “Pump prices are still high, and this is clearly not the time to add burdensome and unnecessary regulations on gasoline, especially when there are no proven environmental benefits and current regulations are working.”
Costs would increase by as much as 25 cents a gallon...
..and provide no benefits to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Sounds like the perfect Government program!
Meantime,
...EPA sent new fuel regulations to the Office of Management and Budget for final review that would raise costs, provide little or no environmental benefit, and actually increase carbon emissions, according to API Downstream Group Director Bob Greco.
“EPA’s new regulations would raise the cost of making gasoline by as much as 25 cents a gallon,” Greco said. “Pump prices are still high, and this is clearly not the time to add burdensome and unnecessary regulations on gasoline, especially when there are no proven environmental benefits and current regulations are working.”
Costs would increase by as much as 25 cents a gallon...
..and provide no benefits to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Sounds like the perfect Government program!
Yah, the Economy is Bad
Like Wiggy, I knew and liked Steve.
Besides the accolades Wiggy bestowed, Steve was a very generous guy.
Steve knew his way around finance, not only in the typical P&L/balance-sheets, but in international markets, specifically the Far East and South America. He had knowledge that came from experience, besides the 'book-smarts' he gained at UW-Madison and Thunderbird.
But he could not overcome the Obama Depression
Steve would not approve of being called a 'victim', even though he was.
He couldn't find work.
He won't be counted as a statistic at BLS. But he--and a lot of others like him--should be.
Besides the accolades Wiggy bestowed, Steve was a very generous guy.
Steve knew his way around finance, not only in the typical P&L/balance-sheets, but in international markets, specifically the Far East and South America. He had knowledge that came from experience, besides the 'book-smarts' he gained at UW-Madison and Thunderbird.
But he could not overcome the Obama Depression
Steve would not approve of being called a 'victim', even though he was.
He couldn't find work.
He won't be counted as a statistic at BLS. But he--and a lot of others like him--should be.
Gundrum v. Obama
This morning, Charlie spent quite a bit of time on the Dominic Gundrum story, which was written by the Boston Globe.
Obama will never forgive the Globe for that. First of all, the story directly contradicts the "Inconvenient? Abort 'em!!!" motto of the Obama Gang--which will be extended to the elderly soon.
Here is a second pertinent cut from the story, one which is almost as devastating to the Statist-in-Chief:
Ultimately, they connected with a couple from a suburb west of Boston, who have four sons ranging from 1 to 9 years old. That family vacated their home in early December and let the Gundrums move in for nearly a month, over the Christmas holidays, while the host family stayed with relatives.
That happened because of the generosity of the Boston family, of course.
But it's important to understand that that Boston family was, in effect, an "intermediary institution", as are all families and churches--and even municipal, county, and State governments. They are "intermediate" between the individual and the State--the Federal Government.
These institutions are the specific targets of the Obama Uberstadt, the Goliath State which will see all, rule all, and 'care' for all. The Progressive Statists have been ripping away at the family for years (witness the fact that birth-control and abortion is now dispensed without parental consent, or even knowledge.)
The church's health-care system is now in the bomb-sights through ObamaCare's fetid "mandate," and you can bet that the Statists will fight to retain this provision tooth-and-nail, until the bitter end, whatever it may be.
Thus, it is Gundrum v. Obama. We know already who the best man is. But will that alone assure victory?
Obama will never forgive the Globe for that. First of all, the story directly contradicts the "Inconvenient? Abort 'em!!!" motto of the Obama Gang--which will be extended to the elderly soon.
Here is a second pertinent cut from the story, one which is almost as devastating to the Statist-in-Chief:
Ultimately, they connected with a couple from a suburb west of Boston, who have four sons ranging from 1 to 9 years old. That family vacated their home in early December and let the Gundrums move in for nearly a month, over the Christmas holidays, while the host family stayed with relatives.
That happened because of the generosity of the Boston family, of course.
But it's important to understand that that Boston family was, in effect, an "intermediary institution", as are all families and churches--and even municipal, county, and State governments. They are "intermediate" between the individual and the State--the Federal Government.
These institutions are the specific targets of the Obama Uberstadt, the Goliath State which will see all, rule all, and 'care' for all. The Progressive Statists have been ripping away at the family for years (witness the fact that birth-control and abortion is now dispensed without parental consent, or even knowledge.)
The church's health-care system is now in the bomb-sights through ObamaCare's fetid "mandate," and you can bet that the Statists will fight to retain this provision tooth-and-nail, until the bitter end, whatever it may be.
Thus, it is Gundrum v. Obama. We know already who the best man is. But will that alone assure victory?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Ed Morrissey, Gun Controller?
Morrissey wants to be all 'reasonable'.
...Around 14% of gun sales don’t get background checks now, though, thanks to private sales. In order to change that, Congress would have to mandate that people conduct background checks for private transfers. That’s not as onerous as it sounds; internet sales use federally-licensed dealers as brokers to handle the transaction, and dealers could offer that service for private transactions, too. It would add to the cost of the sale, but it’s not an insurmountable issue....
Umnhhh, yah--if "sale" is taken literally. There are a lot of guns which move (without "sale") from fathers to sons/daughters, or mothers to sons/daughters. And there are grandparents, too...
Would Morrissey demand FFL fees for such a transaction?
...Around 14% of gun sales don’t get background checks now, though, thanks to private sales. In order to change that, Congress would have to mandate that people conduct background checks for private transfers. That’s not as onerous as it sounds; internet sales use federally-licensed dealers as brokers to handle the transaction, and dealers could offer that service for private transactions, too. It would add to the cost of the sale, but it’s not an insurmountable issue....
Umnhhh, yah--if "sale" is taken literally. There are a lot of guns which move (without "sale") from fathers to sons/daughters, or mothers to sons/daughters. And there are grandparents, too...
Would Morrissey demand FFL fees for such a transaction?
Selective "News" From Channel Six
On the 9:00 "news" from Channel Six, we learned that Congress passed the Sandy Relief bill. The news-reader stated that the bill had been delayed.
Completely un-mentioned was the rest of the story:
...At least $17 billion in the bill was targeted towards emergency spending to assist victims of the Oct. 29 super storm that struck the East Coast and killed 140 people. The House added another $33 billion in unrelated spending that includes $10 million for FBI salaries, $2 billion for road construction across the country, as well as funding for the Head Start program, and roof repairs at the Smithsonian.
The Channel Six "news" team decided that the pork-fest--the cause of the delay--wouldn't be mentioned on the air.
That's what passes for "reporting" these days.
Completely un-mentioned was the rest of the story:
...At least $17 billion in the bill was targeted towards emergency spending to assist victims of the Oct. 29 super storm that struck the East Coast and killed 140 people. The House added another $33 billion in unrelated spending that includes $10 million for FBI salaries, $2 billion for road construction across the country, as well as funding for the Head Start program, and roof repairs at the Smithsonian.
The Channel Six "news" team decided that the pork-fest--the cause of the delay--wouldn't be mentioned on the air.
That's what passes for "reporting" these days.
Memo to Hildebeeste: It Makes NO Difference
Caught at NRO:
...$15,000,000,000,000 has been spent by the federal and state governments on 122 separate welfare programs since 1964, according to a Cato analysis. The poverty rate in 1964 was 19 percent and falling. Nearly 50 years later, the rate is still more than 15 percent and climbing. What difference, at this point, does trillions in welfare spending make?
... The department [of education] was created in 1980 for the express purpose of improving U.S. students’ academic performance. Since then, per pupil K-12 spending has increased (in constant dollars) from approximately $6,000 annually to $12,500. Hundreds of billions have been spent by the department since 1980, yet the scores for the nation’s 17-year-olds on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — called “the nation’s report card” — have remained unchanged, and U.S performance is slipping relative to other nations
...Hundreds of billions have been spent on [Head Start], but recent studies show it does nothing for the cognitive abilities of kids enrolled in the program, with any transient benefits disappearing by the time the kids reach third grade
Ummmnnnhhhh, yes. So at this point in time, let's dump those budget-suckers into the ocean. They haven't made a difference, unlike Hildebeeste's utter failure at Benghazi--which made QUITE a difference in the lives of four US families. A permanent difference.
...$15,000,000,000,000 has been spent by the federal and state governments on 122 separate welfare programs since 1964, according to a Cato analysis. The poverty rate in 1964 was 19 percent and falling. Nearly 50 years later, the rate is still more than 15 percent and climbing. What difference, at this point, does trillions in welfare spending make?
... The department [of education] was created in 1980 for the express purpose of improving U.S. students’ academic performance. Since then, per pupil K-12 spending has increased (in constant dollars) from approximately $6,000 annually to $12,500. Hundreds of billions have been spent by the department since 1980, yet the scores for the nation’s 17-year-olds on the National Assessment of Educational Progress — called “the nation’s report card” — have remained unchanged, and U.S performance is slipping relative to other nations
...Hundreds of billions have been spent on [Head Start], but recent studies show it does nothing for the cognitive abilities of kids enrolled in the program, with any transient benefits disappearing by the time the kids reach third grade
Ummmnnnhhhh, yes. So at this point in time, let's dump those budget-suckers into the ocean. They haven't made a difference, unlike Hildebeeste's utter failure at Benghazi--which made QUITE a difference in the lives of four US families. A permanent difference.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Mental-Health Clearance for Guns
On the surface, it sounds good: psychotics should not be allowed to purchase guns.
That's if you believe that psychiatry and psychology are "science." But when practitioners tell you that their work results in barely-better-than-dartboard averages....
A study of experienced psychiatrists at a major urban psychiatric facility found that they were wrong about which patients would become violent about 30 percent of the time.
....then one doesn't really need to mention the Gulag-ization of "psychotics', right?
Then there's the Law of Unintended Consequences:
...If mental health professionals were required to report severe mental illness (such as paranoid schizophrenia) to state authorities, it would have an immediate chilling effect on the willingness of people to disclose sensitive information, and would discourage many people from seeking treatment....
Conversely, the mental-health professional (who will be owned by ObozoCare, remember?) will be inclined to over-report suspicions, because the penalty for under-reporting will be loss of license.
More at the link.
HT: Captain's Journal
That's if you believe that psychiatry and psychology are "science." But when practitioners tell you that their work results in barely-better-than-dartboard averages....
A study of experienced psychiatrists at a major urban psychiatric facility found that they were wrong about which patients would become violent about 30 percent of the time.
....then one doesn't really need to mention the Gulag-ization of "psychotics', right?
Then there's the Law of Unintended Consequences:
...If mental health professionals were required to report severe mental illness (such as paranoid schizophrenia) to state authorities, it would have an immediate chilling effect on the willingness of people to disclose sensitive information, and would discourage many people from seeking treatment....
Conversely, the mental-health professional (who will be owned by ObozoCare, remember?) will be inclined to over-report suspicions, because the penalty for under-reporting will be loss of license.
More at the link.
HT: Captain's Journal
Equal? Nope.
The Progressive (read: Marxist) goal is to eliminate individuals in favor of "units." Ruling "units" is a lot easier than ruling individuals. Thus, the perversion of the concept of "equality" into the rule: 'equal outcomes.' (For those of you who think, this has everything to do with atheism.)
High on the list of the "unit"/'equal outcomes' agenda is placing women in front-line combat. It won't work, of course. But ideology--to the Marxist--rules.
The testimony of this woman, decidedly not a "unit", will be a warning.
HT: HotAir
High on the list of the "unit"/'equal outcomes' agenda is placing women in front-line combat. It won't work, of course. But ideology--to the Marxist--rules.
The testimony of this woman, decidedly not a "unit", will be a warning.
HT: HotAir
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Meet the AR-15 Personal Defense Weapon
Here's the difference (in red letters):
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to acquire 7,000 5.56x45mm NATO “personal defense weapons” (PDW)...
...The RFP describes the firearm as “Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) – 5.56x45mm NATO, select-fire firearm suitable for personal defense use in close quarters and/or when maximum concealment is required.” Additionally, DHS is asking for 30 round magazines that “have a capacity to hold thirty (30) 5.56x45mm NATO rounds.”...
For Gummint agencies, it's a "personal defense weapon," see??
The Very LAST Thing Obozo Will Do
Seems that 6 Gummint agencies are lacking Inspectors General.
...A letter from members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to Obama says there are vacancies at the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor and State, in addition to the Agency for International Development....
Actually have watchdogs watching his Administration'sabuse of power and tax money activities?
Get serious.
...A letter from members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to Obama says there are vacancies at the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Labor and State, in addition to the Agency for International Development....
Actually have watchdogs watching his Administration's
Get serious.
Oh, Really, McPain?
The Loser of 2008:
Look at the last election. We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours for a variety of reasons, and we’ve got to understand that...
You oughta know.
By the way, why do you think that 'it should be ours'? What in Hell do YOU stand for that would get the Hispanic vote (which is not a monobloc, you ignorant slut)?
Look at the last election. We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours for a variety of reasons, and we’ve got to understand that...
You oughta know.
By the way, why do you think that 'it should be ours'? What in Hell do YOU stand for that would get the Hispanic vote (which is not a monobloc, you ignorant slut)?
Friday, January 25, 2013
Slap TWO!! From the D C Circuit
Below, the D C Circuit said that Obozo abused his power.
They also ruled that EPA shouldbe dismembered root and branch
not have invented stuff and then required oil companies to buy it.
A federal court delivered a defeat to the biofuels industry Friday, ruling the U.S. government exceeded its authority by requiring refiners to purchase cellulosic biofuel despite the fact the next-generation fuel is not commercially available.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided in favor of the American Petroleum Institute when it ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency's process for estimating cellulosic biofuel output "did not take neutral aim at accuracy" and "was an unreasonable exercise of agency discretion."
The court's ruling in effect said the EPA's overly aggressive estimate was set with the goal of promoting the growth of cellulosic fuel to spur investment rather than making an accurate prediction of how much could be produced.
Next thing ya' know, SCOTUS will declare ObozoCare un-Constitutional. The poor mope will have nothing left but the Marines on 14th & K--if he still has them.
They also ruled that EPA should
not have invented stuff and then required oil companies to buy it.
A federal court delivered a defeat to the biofuels industry Friday, ruling the U.S. government exceeded its authority by requiring refiners to purchase cellulosic biofuel despite the fact the next-generation fuel is not commercially available.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia decided in favor of the American Petroleum Institute when it ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency's process for estimating cellulosic biofuel output "did not take neutral aim at accuracy" and "was an unreasonable exercise of agency discretion."
The court's ruling in effect said the EPA's overly aggressive estimate was set with the goal of promoting the growth of cellulosic fuel to spur investment rather than making an accurate prediction of how much could be produced.
Next thing ya' know, SCOTUS will declare ObozoCare un-Constitutional. The poor mope will have nothing left but the Marines on 14th & K--if he still has them.
"I Don't Need the Steeeenkin' Constitution!"--Obozo
Well, the Supreme Mullah got slapped around by the DC Circuit today.
President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive's powers to make recess appointments.
The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.
That ruling will not be reversed on appeal.
Suck a lemon, SCOAMF.
ADDED: Quin Hillyer is no optimist.
...But allow just a little further prediction. When the high court so rules, and Obama’s “humiliation” is confirmed, The One in the Oval Office will have a conniption fit. As it so happens, such a high court ruling will probably be just one in a series of about five or six key decisions in the next 18-24 months that will go directly against Obama administration arguments, actions, and abuses. Look, therefore, for Obama to resurrect his constitutionally dangerous, full-frontal assault against the Supreme Court and the courts in general, trying to undermine their very legitimacy. In fact, so unhinged may be Obama’s power lust that he might even try to openly defy an explicit Supreme Court ruling, maybe even citing Andrew Jackson’s infamous (perhaps apocryphal) statement from Worcester v. Georgia that the chief justice “has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”
In short, I see in this and other developing cases the potential for serious constitutional crisis, brought on by Obama’s authoritarian impulses....
OK, here it comes: BUY. MORE. AMMO!!!
President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive's powers to make recess appointments.
The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.
That ruling will not be reversed on appeal.
Suck a lemon, SCOAMF.
ADDED: Quin Hillyer is no optimist.
...But allow just a little further prediction. When the high court so rules, and Obama’s “humiliation” is confirmed, The One in the Oval Office will have a conniption fit. As it so happens, such a high court ruling will probably be just one in a series of about five or six key decisions in the next 18-24 months that will go directly against Obama administration arguments, actions, and abuses. Look, therefore, for Obama to resurrect his constitutionally dangerous, full-frontal assault against the Supreme Court and the courts in general, trying to undermine their very legitimacy. In fact, so unhinged may be Obama’s power lust that he might even try to openly defy an explicit Supreme Court ruling, maybe even citing Andrew Jackson’s infamous (perhaps apocryphal) statement from Worcester v. Georgia that the chief justice “has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”
In short, I see in this and other developing cases the potential for serious constitutional crisis, brought on by Obama’s authoritarian impulses....
OK, here it comes: BUY. MORE. AMMO!!!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
What the Statists Really Want in "Gun" Control
Here's what they're really after. The rest are just shiny objects.
The apparent real targets of the various Democratic bans floating through Washington are:
The tactic here will be to obtain "compromise"--that is, to obtain those three objectives.
(Don't worry. The Republicans will be happy to give away these rights because they are both witless and gutless.)
The apparent real targets of the various Democratic bans floating through Washington are:
- Bans of standard capacity magazines
- A national gun registry
- tracking, limiting sales of ammunition, or stopping online sales of ammunition
The tactic here will be to obtain "compromise"--that is, to obtain those three objectives.
(Don't worry. The Republicans will be happy to give away these rights because they are both witless and gutless.)
The "Family Values" Priest? Puhhhhllleeezzze!
Well, well. Fr. Massingale shows up in duh noooz, again.
As a reminder of Fr Massingale's notoriety, here's a snip of the news from a few years ago:
...CNSNews.com asked Rev. Massingale, “Section 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that ‘homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.’ That’s a quote. So, from your presence here today, is it safe to say that both of you disagree with this portion of Catholic law?”
Rev. Massingale said, “First, we have to become clear about, that it’s not Catholic law, it’s a Catholic teaching. It’s a distinction and a difference there. So let’s phrase your question more precisely –” at which point CNSNews.com asked, “Do you disagree with Catholic teaching on that?”
Rev. Massingale then said, “I would be much more nuanced instead of saying agree or not because I think the issue before us right now as Congress, or as a body, is this: Regardless of human behavior, what is our stance regarding the protection of fundamental human dignity? -- which is the reason why I phrased my intervention the way I did.”
Genuine Hillary!!
Now we have Fr. Massingale today!!
...Pro-life citizens and elected officials have a responsibility to show greater moral leadership and political courage when it comes to confronting threats to the sanctity of life posed by easy access to military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Members of Congress who take pride in their pro-life stance and appeal to family values have no excuse for inaction, and neither do any of us who share a firm commitment to these values....
Blahblah blabbety blah blah....Who's "us," Father?
You'll not be surprised to see the names of Fr. Reese, Ms. Cahill, and some has-beens from Catholic Campaign for Human Development--which has funded all sorts of abortion-connected Alinskyite cells around the country.
These folks, most of whom are educated beyond their intelligence, attempt to paint "Catholicism" as opposed to the responsible exercise of the Second Amendment, and as Morrissey observes, don't know their prudential judgment from a hole in the ground.
So which family are you pushing this week, Father?
As a reminder of Fr Massingale's notoriety, here's a snip of the news from a few years ago:
...CNSNews.com asked Rev. Massingale, “Section 2357 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that ‘homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved.’ That’s a quote. So, from your presence here today, is it safe to say that both of you disagree with this portion of Catholic law?”
Rev. Massingale said, “First, we have to become clear about, that it’s not Catholic law, it’s a Catholic teaching. It’s a distinction and a difference there. So let’s phrase your question more precisely –” at which point CNSNews.com asked, “Do you disagree with Catholic teaching on that?”
Rev. Massingale then said, “I would be much more nuanced instead of saying agree or not because I think the issue before us right now as Congress, or as a body, is this: Regardless of human behavior, what is our stance regarding the protection of fundamental human dignity? -- which is the reason why I phrased my intervention the way I did.”
Genuine Hillary!!
Now we have Fr. Massingale today!!
...Pro-life citizens and elected officials have a responsibility to show greater moral leadership and political courage when it comes to confronting threats to the sanctity of life posed by easy access to military-style assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Members of Congress who take pride in their pro-life stance and appeal to family values have no excuse for inaction, and neither do any of us who share a firm commitment to these values....
Blahblah blabbety blah blah....Who's "us," Father?
You'll not be surprised to see the names of Fr. Reese, Ms. Cahill, and some has-beens from Catholic Campaign for Human Development--which has funded all sorts of abortion-connected Alinskyite cells around the country.
These folks, most of whom are educated beyond their intelligence, attempt to paint "Catholicism" as opposed to the responsible exercise of the Second Amendment, and as Morrissey observes, don't know their prudential judgment from a hole in the ground.
So which family are you pushing this week, Father?
The Utterly Reasonable Position
Robby George:
I am personally opposed to killing abortionists. However, inasmuch as my personal opposition to this practice is rooted in sectarian (Catholic) religious belief in the sanctity of human life, I am unwilling to impose it on others who may, as a matter of conscience, take a different view. Of course, I am entirely in favor of policies aimed at removing the root causes of violence against abortionists. Indeed, I would go as far as supporting mandatory one-week waiting periods, and even non-judgmental counseling, for people who are contemplating the choice of killing an abortionist. I believe in policies that reduce the urgent need some people feel to kill abortionists while, at the same time, respecting the rights of conscience of my fellow citizens who believe that the killing of abortionists is sometimes a tragic necessity--not a good, but a lesser evil. In short, I am moderately "pro-choice."
Makes perfect sense, right?
HT: Papist
I am personally opposed to killing abortionists. However, inasmuch as my personal opposition to this practice is rooted in sectarian (Catholic) religious belief in the sanctity of human life, I am unwilling to impose it on others who may, as a matter of conscience, take a different view. Of course, I am entirely in favor of policies aimed at removing the root causes of violence against abortionists. Indeed, I would go as far as supporting mandatory one-week waiting periods, and even non-judgmental counseling, for people who are contemplating the choice of killing an abortionist. I believe in policies that reduce the urgent need some people feel to kill abortionists while, at the same time, respecting the rights of conscience of my fellow citizens who believe that the killing of abortionists is sometimes a tragic necessity--not a good, but a lesser evil. In short, I am moderately "pro-choice."
Makes perfect sense, right?
HT: Papist
"It's Personal!!" Really, Hildebeeste?
After spending 6 weeks rehearsing an emotional response ("It's personal!!"), it is now clear what "personal" might mean to The Hildebeeste.
...Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she has spoken to only one of the American survivors who was evacuated from Libya after the Benghazi attack....
Now that's a demonstration of personal concern.
...Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed that she has spoken to only one of the American survivors who was evacuated from Libya after the Benghazi attack....
Now that's a demonstration of personal concern.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Look Harder at "Choice", Pitch Ellis Into the Lake
Owen essays that the Wisconsin Legislature should expand school choice. Good for him.
And good for the kids, too, as Malkin notes.
...There’s no better illustration of Common Core’s duplicitous talk of higher standards than to start with its math “reforms.” While Common Core promoters assert their standards are “internationally benchmarked,” independent members of the expert panel in charge of validating the standards refute the claim. Panel member Dr. Sandra Stotsky of the University of Arkansas reported, “No material was ever provided to the Validation Committee or to the public on the specific college readiness expectations of other leading nations in mathematics” or other subjects.
In fact, Stanford University professor James Milgram, the only mathematician on the validation panel, concluded that the Common Core math scheme would place American students two years behind their peers in other high-achieving countries. In protest, Milgram refused to sign off on the standards.
The Obozo cannot perpetuate his Communist/Statist regime if the darlings can add, subtract, and multiply--or especially if they can divide the national debt total by the number of taxpayers.
...Ze’ev Wurman, a prominent software architect, electrical engineer and longtime math advisory expert in California and Washington, D.C., points out that Common Core delays proficiency with addition and subtraction until 4th grade and proficiency with basic multiplication until 5th grade, and skimps on logarithms, mathematical induction, parametric equations and trigonometry at the high school level...
The SCOAMF's kiddies do NOT attend a "Common Core" school.
And good for the kids, too, as Malkin notes.
...There’s no better illustration of Common Core’s duplicitous talk of higher standards than to start with its math “reforms.” While Common Core promoters assert their standards are “internationally benchmarked,” independent members of the expert panel in charge of validating the standards refute the claim. Panel member Dr. Sandra Stotsky of the University of Arkansas reported, “No material was ever provided to the Validation Committee or to the public on the specific college readiness expectations of other leading nations in mathematics” or other subjects.
In fact, Stanford University professor James Milgram, the only mathematician on the validation panel, concluded that the Common Core math scheme would place American students two years behind their peers in other high-achieving countries. In protest, Milgram refused to sign off on the standards.
The Obozo cannot perpetuate his Communist/Statist regime if the darlings can add, subtract, and multiply--or especially if they can divide the national debt total by the number of taxpayers.
...Ze’ev Wurman, a prominent software architect, electrical engineer and longtime math advisory expert in California and Washington, D.C., points out that Common Core delays proficiency with addition and subtraction until 4th grade and proficiency with basic multiplication until 5th grade, and skimps on logarithms, mathematical induction, parametric equations and trigonometry at the high school level...
The SCOAMF's kiddies do NOT attend a "Common Core" school.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
On Gay "Marriage" and Other Disorders
A bit of perennial wisdom. So happens that it directly contradicts Obozo's attempted re-construction of human nature expressed yesterday in his bloviating 'address.'
Benedict XVI says the Christian vision of man is a great "yes" to his or her dignity and social nature, and in this context, the Church stresses a great "yes" to the dignity and beauty of marriage.
In the same vein, the Pope said on Saturday, the Church voices a "no" to such philosophies as the philosophy of gender.
... "The Christian vision of man is, in fact, a great 'yes' to the dignity of the person called to intimate communion with God, a filial communion, humble and confident," he added. "The human being is neither an individual subsisting in himself nor an anonymous element of the collective. He is rather a singular and unrepeatable person intrinsically ordered to relationship and sociality.
"For this reason the Church stresses her great 'yes' to the dignity and beauty of marriage as an expression of a faithful and fecund alliance between man and woman, and says 'no' to such philosophies as the philosophy of gender. The Church is guided by the fact that the reciprocity between man and woman is the expression of the beauty of the nature willed by the Creator."
... the Holy Father pointed to ideologies of recent centuries that praised the "cult of the nation, the race, of the social class," as well as "unbridled capitalism with its cult of profit, which has led to crisis, inequality and misery."
He spoke of the "shadows in our time," referring "above all to a tragic anthropological reduction that re-proposes ancient material hedonism, to which is added a 'technological prometheism.'"
... "From the marriage of a materialistic vision of man and great technological development there emerges an anthropology that is at bottom atheistic," the Holy Father explained.
...In such a perspective, the Pontiff warned, anything that is technologically possible becomes morally legitimate, "every experiment is thus acceptable, every political demographic acceptable, every form of manipulation justified."
"Man wants to be 'ab-solutus,' absolved of every bond and of every natural constitution," the Pope continued. "He pretends to be independent and thinks that his happiness lies solely in the affirmation of self. [...] This is a radical negation of man's creatureliness and filial condition, which leads to a tragic solitude."
(We're not holding our breath awaiting the Left-o-"Catholic" affirmation of the Pope's remarks.)
Doesn't take a lot of smarts to figure out that the Pope will not be on the invite-list to the White House any time in the next 4 years, does it?
Benedict XVI says the Christian vision of man is a great "yes" to his or her dignity and social nature, and in this context, the Church stresses a great "yes" to the dignity and beauty of marriage.
In the same vein, the Pope said on Saturday, the Church voices a "no" to such philosophies as the philosophy of gender.
... "The Christian vision of man is, in fact, a great 'yes' to the dignity of the person called to intimate communion with God, a filial communion, humble and confident," he added. "The human being is neither an individual subsisting in himself nor an anonymous element of the collective. He is rather a singular and unrepeatable person intrinsically ordered to relationship and sociality.
"For this reason the Church stresses her great 'yes' to the dignity and beauty of marriage as an expression of a faithful and fecund alliance between man and woman, and says 'no' to such philosophies as the philosophy of gender. The Church is guided by the fact that the reciprocity between man and woman is the expression of the beauty of the nature willed by the Creator."
... the Holy Father pointed to ideologies of recent centuries that praised the "cult of the nation, the race, of the social class," as well as "unbridled capitalism with its cult of profit, which has led to crisis, inequality and misery."
He spoke of the "shadows in our time," referring "above all to a tragic anthropological reduction that re-proposes ancient material hedonism, to which is added a 'technological prometheism.'"
... "From the marriage of a materialistic vision of man and great technological development there emerges an anthropology that is at bottom atheistic," the Holy Father explained.
...In such a perspective, the Pontiff warned, anything that is technologically possible becomes morally legitimate, "every experiment is thus acceptable, every political demographic acceptable, every form of manipulation justified."
"Man wants to be 'ab-solutus,' absolved of every bond and of every natural constitution," the Pope continued. "He pretends to be independent and thinks that his happiness lies solely in the affirmation of self. [...] This is a radical negation of man's creatureliness and filial condition, which leads to a tragic solitude."
(We're not holding our breath awaiting the Left-o-"Catholic" affirmation of the Pope's remarks.)
Doesn't take a lot of smarts to figure out that the Pope will not be on the invite-list to the White House any time in the next 4 years, does it?
Monday, January 21, 2013
McCain: Old, and Stupid, Too
Seems like McCain and Kerry have more in common than just marrying their wealth-source.
They're both congenitally stupid, too.
PowerLine quotes Andy McCarthy:
...Bachmann actually opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. She claimed — stop cackling! — that many of McCain’s heroes might actually be jihadists ideologically hostile to the U.S. and linked to groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terror enterprise’s North African franchise. She even thought — yeah, I know, crazy — that if Qaddafi were deposed, the heroes would get their hands on his arsenal, ship a lot of it to AQIM havens in places such as Mali and Algeria, and maybe even turn rebel strongholds such as Benghazi into death traps for Americans.
Good thing we listened to McCain, no?
Oh, yes, there's more!!
Now, however, McCain says he will push for American taxpayers to fork up another $480 million for Morsi [the Islamist dictator of Egypt.] — what’s another $480 million on top of the $2 billion–plus the Obama administration has already extended to Morsi’s regime . . . to say nothing of the sizable U.S. taxpayer chunk of the $4.8 billion IMF loan the Brotherhood government is also about to get its mitts on?
Naturally, “extremist” conservatives like Michele Bachmann are wet blankets when it comes to this gravy train, too. Get this: She thinks that when you get to the point where you have to borrow in order to pay the interest on the loans you already can’t pay off, somebody needs to cut off your credit line — not inflate it by another two or three trill. Even more daft: She thinks that if you subsidize an organization, like the Brotherhood, that promotes sharia and Hamas, you’re apt to get more sharia and more terrorism.
It's impossible for the Islamist Brotherhood to have bought off McCain, right? Because if they didn't, then there's only one other conclusion: utter, terminal, stupidity.
They're both congenitally stupid, too.
PowerLine quotes Andy McCarthy:
...Bachmann actually opposed U.S. intervention in Libya. She claimed — stop cackling! — that many of McCain’s heroes might actually be jihadists ideologically hostile to the U.S. and linked to groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the terror enterprise’s North African franchise. She even thought — yeah, I know, crazy — that if Qaddafi were deposed, the heroes would get their hands on his arsenal, ship a lot of it to AQIM havens in places such as Mali and Algeria, and maybe even turn rebel strongholds such as Benghazi into death traps for Americans.
Good thing we listened to McCain, no?
Oh, yes, there's more!!
Now, however, McCain says he will push for American taxpayers to fork up another $480 million for Morsi [the Islamist dictator of Egypt.] — what’s another $480 million on top of the $2 billion–plus the Obama administration has already extended to Morsi’s regime . . . to say nothing of the sizable U.S. taxpayer chunk of the $4.8 billion IMF loan the Brotherhood government is also about to get its mitts on?
Naturally, “extremist” conservatives like Michele Bachmann are wet blankets when it comes to this gravy train, too. Get this: She thinks that when you get to the point where you have to borrow in order to pay the interest on the loans you already can’t pay off, somebody needs to cut off your credit line — not inflate it by another two or three trill. Even more daft: She thinks that if you subsidize an organization, like the Brotherhood, that promotes sharia and Hamas, you’re apt to get more sharia and more terrorism.
It's impossible for the Islamist Brotherhood to have bought off McCain, right? Because if they didn't, then there's only one other conclusion: utter, terminal, stupidity.
Levin on Obozo
I think Levin has it about right.
"...I think there’s a lot of perverse thinking that goes on in his mind, radical left-wing thinking. He was indoctrinated with Marx and Alinksy propaganda. You not only see it in his agenda but in his words -- class warfare; degrading successful people unless, of course, they help finance his elections, causes, and organizations; pretending to speak for the so-called middle class when, in fact, he is destroying their jobs, savings, and future. Obama's war on our society is intended to be an onslaught in which the system is overwhelmed.”
Cloward-Piven through and through.
"...I think there’s a lot of perverse thinking that goes on in his mind, radical left-wing thinking. He was indoctrinated with Marx and Alinksy propaganda. You not only see it in his agenda but in his words -- class warfare; degrading successful people unless, of course, they help finance his elections, causes, and organizations; pretending to speak for the so-called middle class when, in fact, he is destroying their jobs, savings, and future. Obama's war on our society is intended to be an onslaught in which the system is overwhelmed.”
Cloward-Piven through and through.
The Catholic Church vs. Gun Rights?
Codrea publishes an essay which questions the position of the Catholic Church on gun rights.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the press office of the Holy See, called “initiatives announced by the United States government in view of limiting and controlling the diffusion and use of arms … a step in the right direction.
“Forty-seven religious leaders of various confessions and religions have issued a call to American politicians to limit firearms, which ‘are making society pay an unacceptable price in terms of massacres and senseless deaths,’” Lombardi stated in his address. “I’m with them.”
Well.
The first thing to recognize is that Fr. Lombardi is NOT the Pope, nor does he 'speak for the Pope' on issues such as this. (The same applies to the USCC, by the way.) Thus, we must refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for guidance on the matter.
There are three paragraphs which refer to 'self-defense': 2263, 2264, and 2308 (the last referring to the right of self-defense for Governments.) None of them prohibit---in any way--armed self-defense.
Further, if one looks at #2263 ffd., it is clear that self-defense has applications beyond that of a one-to-one encounter.
2265: Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.
That 'legitimately hold authority' phrase is critical. The Declaration of Independence paid homage to that tenet of the Catechism, in the section beginning "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations...." It is not a coincidence that immediately before that line the Declaration also states that "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments [...] should not be changed for light and transient causes...."
The Vatican has been legitimately concerned with small-arms proliferation. What is UN-mentioned in Lombardi's somewhat vacuous piece is that the old Soviet Union and the current Red Chinese governments are (and were) THE most significant small-arms proliferators. See AK-47, e.g.
Whatever Fr. Lombardi says is authoritative only insofar as his words comport with the Catechism. The USCC's "authority" is limited in exactly the same way. Thus, prudently exercised self-defense against persons or illicit governments is perfectly licit.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, director of the press office of the Holy See, called “initiatives announced by the United States government in view of limiting and controlling the diffusion and use of arms … a step in the right direction.
“Forty-seven religious leaders of various confessions and religions have issued a call to American politicians to limit firearms, which ‘are making society pay an unacceptable price in terms of massacres and senseless deaths,’” Lombardi stated in his address. “I’m with them.”
Well.
The first thing to recognize is that Fr. Lombardi is NOT the Pope, nor does he 'speak for the Pope' on issues such as this. (The same applies to the USCC, by the way.) Thus, we must refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church for guidance on the matter.
There are three paragraphs which refer to 'self-defense': 2263, 2264, and 2308 (the last referring to the right of self-defense for Governments.) None of them prohibit---in any way--armed self-defense.
Further, if one looks at #2263 ffd., it is clear that self-defense has applications beyond that of a one-to-one encounter.
2265: Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.
That 'legitimately hold authority' phrase is critical. The Declaration of Independence paid homage to that tenet of the Catechism, in the section beginning "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations...." It is not a coincidence that immediately before that line the Declaration also states that "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments [...] should not be changed for light and transient causes...."
The Vatican has been legitimately concerned with small-arms proliferation. What is UN-mentioned in Lombardi's somewhat vacuous piece is that the old Soviet Union and the current Red Chinese governments are (and were) THE most significant small-arms proliferators. See AK-47, e.g.
Whatever Fr. Lombardi says is authoritative only insofar as his words comport with the Catechism. The USCC's "authority" is limited in exactly the same way. Thus, prudently exercised self-defense against persons or illicit governments is perfectly licit.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Duh Noooz
Morrissey would fire this poor ignoramus.
It will also be tricky to determine just how many automatic bullets should be allowed in a rapid-fire magazine clip. Three? Ten? Twenty? Democrats in favor of restricting high-capacity magazines say that three bullets is enough to kill a duck or a quail. Fair enough, but gun enthusiasts say that 10 or 20 rounds makes more sense for people who possess firearms for self-defense purposes. How do negotiators strike a deal on that one?
For that matter, I'd love to see a "Democrat-in-favor" KO a duck or quail with one round.
It will also be tricky to determine just how many automatic bullets should be allowed in a rapid-fire magazine clip. Three? Ten? Twenty? Democrats in favor of restricting high-capacity magazines say that three bullets is enough to kill a duck or a quail. Fair enough, but gun enthusiasts say that 10 or 20 rounds makes more sense for people who possess firearms for self-defense purposes. How do negotiators strike a deal on that one?
For that matter, I'd love to see a "Democrat-in-favor" KO a duck or quail with one round.
New York Democrat Grows a Pair
Well, well.
The third-ranking Senate Democrat says Democrats will pass a budget proposal this year that includes new taxes and “our Republican colleagues had better get used to that fact.” --PowerLine quoting Meet the Depressed
Love to see the Democrats raise taxes, again. Elections 2 years out!!
The third-ranking Senate Democrat says Democrats will pass a budget proposal this year that includes new taxes and “our Republican colleagues had better get used to that fact.” --PowerLine quoting Meet the Depressed
Love to see the Democrats raise taxes, again. Elections 2 years out!!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Gee. Those Awful Guns!!
"They shoulda just laid back and enjoyed it" --Jos. Biden, Vice-Clown
(I don't think he really said that.)
“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.
... two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’”
... Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.
The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.
“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.
A neighbor heard the shots and heard someone running nearby.
“And I heard someone say, ‘Someone help me. Call the police. Somebody call the police,’” said a neighbor.
The neighbor said she believes it was Lavant, who was found dead...
"Call the police". Now THAT'S funny.
HT: Zippers
(I don't think he really said that.)
“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.
... two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,’”
... Bailey said the gunmen started counting bullets. “The other guy asked how many (bullets) he had. He said he had enough,” said Bailey.
That’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.
The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.
“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.
A neighbor heard the shots and heard someone running nearby.
“And I heard someone say, ‘Someone help me. Call the police. Somebody call the police,’” said a neighbor.
The neighbor said she believes it was Lavant, who was found dead...
"Call the police". Now THAT'S funny.
HT: Zippers
Well, How About Death by a Thousand Increases?
Hennessey suggests another "debt-limit" scenario which has some appeal.
Let the SCOAMF have a debt increase--every 90 days or so. EVERY 90 DAYS.
Let the SCOAMF have a debt increase--every 90 days or so. EVERY 90 DAYS.
Locating Murder by Gun
Grim finds a useful item.
...67% of firearm murders took place in the country’s 50 largest metro areas. The 62 cities in those metro areas have a firearm murder rate of 9.7, more than twice the national average. Among teenagers the firearm murder rate is 14.6 or almost three times the national average.
...Obama won every major city in the election, except for Jacksonville and Salt Lake City. And the higher the death rate, the bigger his victory.
He won New Orleans by 80 to 17 where the murder rate is ten times higher than the national average. He won Detroit, where the murder rate of 53 per 100,000 people is the second highest in the country and twice as high as any country in the world, including the Congo and South Africa. He won it 73 to 26. And then he celebrated his victory in Chicago where the murder rate is three times the statewide average....
In 2006, the 54% of the population living in those 50 metro areas was responsible for 67% of armed killings nationwide. --quoting FrontPageMag.com
Birds of a feather........
...67% of firearm murders took place in the country’s 50 largest metro areas. The 62 cities in those metro areas have a firearm murder rate of 9.7, more than twice the national average. Among teenagers the firearm murder rate is 14.6 or almost three times the national average.
...Obama won every major city in the election, except for Jacksonville and Salt Lake City. And the higher the death rate, the bigger his victory.
He won New Orleans by 80 to 17 where the murder rate is ten times higher than the national average. He won Detroit, where the murder rate of 53 per 100,000 people is the second highest in the country and twice as high as any country in the world, including the Congo and South Africa. He won it 73 to 26. And then he celebrated his victory in Chicago where the murder rate is three times the statewide average....
In 2006, the 54% of the population living in those 50 metro areas was responsible for 67% of armed killings nationwide. --quoting FrontPageMag.com
Birds of a feather........
Sunshine Harry and Mistress Nancy
Sent by a friend:
...The Tonopah Solar Company in Harry Reid's Nevada is getting a $737 million loan from Obama's DOE.
The project will produce a 110 megawatt power system and employ 45 permanent workers.
That's costing us just $16 million per job.
One of the investment partners in this endeavor is Pacific Corporate Group (PCG). The PCG executive director is Ron Pelosi who is the brother to Nancy 's husband.
All just co-incidence, you see.
...The Tonopah Solar Company in Harry Reid's Nevada is getting a $737 million loan from Obama's DOE.
The project will produce a 110 megawatt power system and employ 45 permanent workers.
That's costing us just $16 million per job.
One of the investment partners in this endeavor is Pacific Corporate Group (PCG). The PCG executive director is Ron Pelosi who is the brother to Nancy 's husband.
All just co-incidence, you see.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Act 10 Valid. Unions on Suicide-Watch
After some half-twit district judge ruled that portions of Act 10 were un-Constitutional, a Circuit panel stuffed the basket with a resounding "Go Ahead!!"
HT: Owen
HT: Owen
Don't Quit the Debt Fight Without...
Hillyer has a very, very good proposal.
...I would not pass a clean debt ceiling hike for the equivalent of three months; I would tie it to a very nominal package of savings, even if only, say, $15 billion over ten years, if just to establish the principle that cuts belong with debt ceiling hikes.
But I wouldn’t just put a number on it. The number of the dollars saved isn’t important. What’s important is the substance of the savings. The savings should be highly specified. They should be the sorts of things that will make the Dems look bad if they disagree....
And he has a couple of examples which are eminently do-able.
Now the question: do Boehner and Ryan have a spine?
...I would not pass a clean debt ceiling hike for the equivalent of three months; I would tie it to a very nominal package of savings, even if only, say, $15 billion over ten years, if just to establish the principle that cuts belong with debt ceiling hikes.
But I wouldn’t just put a number on it. The number of the dollars saved isn’t important. What’s important is the substance of the savings. The savings should be highly specified. They should be the sorts of things that will make the Dems look bad if they disagree....
And he has a couple of examples which are eminently do-able.
Now the question: do Boehner and Ryan have a spine?
West Point Nutbag Essay
This shouldn't come as a surprise, given the C-in-C we have.
A West Point think tank has issued a paper warning America about “far right” groups such as the “anti-federalist” movement, which supports “civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government.”
...It says anti-federalists “espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government.
Umnnhhh....
...The report also draws a link between the mainstream conservative movement and the violent “far right,” and describes liberals as “future oriented” and conservatives as living in the past.
....because all those "old things"--like, e.g., the 10 Commandments--are simply inadequate, right?
And, of course, the intellectualoid links 'the right' to racists. Surprisingly, there are no linkages to sexists and homophobes.
A West Point think tank has issued a paper warning America about “far right” groups such as the “anti-federalist” movement, which supports “civil activism, individual freedoms and self-government.”
...It says anti-federalists “espouse strong convictions regarding the federal government, believing it to be corrupt and tyrannical, with a natural tendency to intrude on individuals’ civil and constitutional rights. Finally, they support civil activism, individual freedoms, and self government.
Umnnhhh....
...The report also draws a link between the mainstream conservative movement and the violent “far right,” and describes liberals as “future oriented” and conservatives as living in the past.
....because all those "old things"--like, e.g., the 10 Commandments--are simply inadequate, right?
And, of course, the intellectualoid links 'the right' to racists. Surprisingly, there are no linkages to sexists and homophobes.
Conservative Stuff From a College Prof?
Egads. This woman has endangered her job.
"Today, the medicalisaton of deviant behaviour has made it difficult for us to accept notions of "evil". Nancy J Herman, associate professor of sociology at Central Michigan University, notes that "the diminution of religious imagery of sin, the rise of determinist theories of human behaviour, and the doctrine of cultural relativity" have led further to the exclusion of "evil" from our discourse."
"I want to remind the US and the world of one thing: evil is about choice. Sickness is about the absence of choice." --quoted at Arms/Law
It is a Progressive Doctrine that technology (or medications, or psychiatry) will eradicate evil. In part that's due to the atheism, or practical atheism, of the Progressives. But that part is foundational. Without the Judaeo-Christian understanding of man-as-fallen, there is no reason to accept the historical record.
And there is no bar to "treating" the "mentally ill," however one chooses to define it. Thus the Progressive gulags of both Hitler and Stalin, as Grim reminds us.
"Today, the medicalisaton of deviant behaviour has made it difficult for us to accept notions of "evil". Nancy J Herman, associate professor of sociology at Central Michigan University, notes that "the diminution of religious imagery of sin, the rise of determinist theories of human behaviour, and the doctrine of cultural relativity" have led further to the exclusion of "evil" from our discourse."
"I want to remind the US and the world of one thing: evil is about choice. Sickness is about the absence of choice." --quoted at Arms/Law
It is a Progressive Doctrine that technology (or medications, or psychiatry) will eradicate evil. In part that's due to the atheism, or practical atheism, of the Progressives. But that part is foundational. Without the Judaeo-Christian understanding of man-as-fallen, there is no reason to accept the historical record.
And there is no bar to "treating" the "mentally ill," however one chooses to define it. Thus the Progressive gulags of both Hitler and Stalin, as Grim reminds us.
"Maneuver X" the Next Pubbie Cave?
We noticed that Paul Ryan was engaging in smoke-emission yesterday. Perhaps this Klein article sheds a bit more light.
...Consider, then, "Maneuver X." As modified to fit the current political environment, it would mean that Republicans remove all pressure. They should give Obama his debt limit increases without preconditions, and they shouldn't allow any government shutdowns.
Meanwhile, Republicans should use their majority in the House to pass bills that actually do address the nation's problems -- its economic stagnation, rising energy and health care costs, mounting debt and so on. At the same time, they can keep blocking major new expansions of government.
Erickson thinks that Klein's essay was drawn from Pubbie talking-points--meaning that Boehner et.al. want this to be known.
Looks like another El Foldo to me. Boehner must think that his children and grandchildren will be immune to debt-repayment taxes, like Obozo's chilluns are immune to armed threats.
Hmmmmm.
...Consider, then, "Maneuver X." As modified to fit the current political environment, it would mean that Republicans remove all pressure. They should give Obama his debt limit increases without preconditions, and they shouldn't allow any government shutdowns.
Meanwhile, Republicans should use their majority in the House to pass bills that actually do address the nation's problems -- its economic stagnation, rising energy and health care costs, mounting debt and so on. At the same time, they can keep blocking major new expansions of government.
Erickson thinks that Klein's essay was drawn from Pubbie talking-points--meaning that Boehner et.al. want this to be known.
Looks like another El Foldo to me. Boehner must think that his children and grandchildren will be immune to debt-repayment taxes, like Obozo's chilluns are immune to armed threats.
Hmmmmm.
Here Comes the Tax!!
Tommy Thompson's RoadBuilders gang has returned!!
A report to state lawmakers will recommend increasing the gas tax and raising vehicle registration and driver's license fees.
...The report from the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission will recommend a 5-cent increase in the gas tax and tying registration fees to miles traveled.
You recall that Diamond Jim Doyle's administration raised the registration fees, too.
A report to state lawmakers will recommend increasing the gas tax and raising vehicle registration and driver's license fees.
...The report from the Transportation Finance and Policy Commission will recommend a 5-cent increase in the gas tax and tying registration fees to miles traveled.
You recall that Diamond Jim Doyle's administration raised the registration fees, too.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Paul Ryan: Huh??
What the hell does this mean?
“We’re discussing the possible virtue of a short-term debt limit extension so that we have a better chance of getting the Senate and the White House involved in discussions in March,” Ryan, R-Wis., revealed during an off-camera discussion with reporters tracking the retreat. “What we want to achieve at the end of the day is a two-way discussion between Democrats and Republicans and, out of that, hopefully, some progress being made on getting this deficit and debt under control – because we really do believe that our obligation is to help prevent a debt crisis from hitting this country.”
...... “Our goal is to make sure that our members understand all of the deadlines that are coming, all the consequences of those deadlines that are coming, in order so that we can make a better-informed decision about how to move and how to proceed,” said Ryan--Hot Air quoting Yahoo!News
One suspects that the real Conservatives have backed the BoehnerBunch into a corner here. Ryan's circumlocution (should we say "obtusity"?) tells me that there's no consensus whatsoever.
“We’re discussing the possible virtue of a short-term debt limit extension so that we have a better chance of getting the Senate and the White House involved in discussions in March,” Ryan, R-Wis., revealed during an off-camera discussion with reporters tracking the retreat. “What we want to achieve at the end of the day is a two-way discussion between Democrats and Republicans and, out of that, hopefully, some progress being made on getting this deficit and debt under control – because we really do believe that our obligation is to help prevent a debt crisis from hitting this country.”
...... “Our goal is to make sure that our members understand all of the deadlines that are coming, all the consequences of those deadlines that are coming, in order so that we can make a better-informed decision about how to move and how to proceed,” said Ryan--Hot Air quoting Yahoo!News
One suspects that the real Conservatives have backed the BoehnerBunch into a corner here. Ryan's circumlocution (should we say "obtusity"?) tells me that there's no consensus whatsoever.
The Gun Shop
Went to the gun shop yesterday to see what there was to see.
Arrived around 11:45. There were 8-10 customers at the counter and 6 on the range.
There was one AR on the display rack. I was told that it's the last one they have.
The showcases which normally held around 20-25 pistols were empty, and I was told that the hardware had been sold out and that 'the back room' stock was also at zero.
The self-defense/Wisconsin CCL instructor is booked solid until mid-February. No openings at all.
Huh.
Arrived around 11:45. There were 8-10 customers at the counter and 6 on the range.
There was one AR on the display rack. I was told that it's the last one they have.
The showcases which normally held around 20-25 pistols were empty, and I was told that the hardware had been sold out and that 'the back room' stock was also at zero.
The self-defense/Wisconsin CCL instructor is booked solid until mid-February. No openings at all.
Huh.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Our Lying Sack-of-Crap President
The SCOAMF is threatening to cut off Social Security if he doesn't get his way on the debt.
Yah, well.....
The Social Security Trust Fund lacks the vast powers attributed to it by libs but their notional assets do count as part of Treasury debt for purposes of the debt ceiling. Consequently, if the Trust Fund needs to redeem bonds with Treasury to pay benefits the Treasury ought to have room under the debt ceiling to finance that by issuing an equal amount of bonds to the public. Debt held by the Trust fund will drop, debt held by the public will rise, but total debt for debt ceiling purposes will remain unchanged. Or at least,that is Congressional intent and the point of the law....
The MFM, of course, didn't bother to ask any questions.
Yah, well.....
The Social Security Trust Fund lacks the vast powers attributed to it by libs but their notional assets do count as part of Treasury debt for purposes of the debt ceiling. Consequently, if the Trust Fund needs to redeem bonds with Treasury to pay benefits the Treasury ought to have room under the debt ceiling to finance that by issuing an equal amount of bonds to the public. Debt held by the Trust fund will drop, debt held by the public will rise, but total debt for debt ceiling purposes will remain unchanged. Or at least,that is Congressional intent and the point of the law....
The MFM, of course, didn't bother to ask any questions.
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Stench of Congress
Ah, yes. Those poor victims of Sandy.
The first part is House Appropriations Chairman Rogers Sandy Supplemental bill, HR 152 as amended. This is the one that conservatives get to vote for, but it's far from perfect. HR 152 (including Rogers' amendment) clocks in at $17 billion. It includes:
HT: AOSHQ
The first part is House Appropriations Chairman Rogers Sandy Supplemental bill, HR 152 as amended. This is the one that conservatives get to vote for, but it's far from perfect. HR 152 (including Rogers' amendment) clocks in at $17 billion. It includes:
- $3 million for oil spill research;
- $25 million for the failed Head Start daycare program; and
- $3.9 billion for a new HUD disaster program.
- $16 billion for HUD to spend on any disaster "emergency" that was declared in 2011 and 2012, and any that will be declared in 2013 (meaning in 47 states plus Puerto Rico at the moment).
- $2.02 billion for Federal Highway Administration to spend on roads first in Connecticut, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Virginia whether they need Sandy-related repairs or not and then elsewhere in the country as FHA chooses;
- $561 million for the Corps of Engineers to spend outside of areas affected by Sandy, including $10 million for a national Water Resources Priorities Study;
- $100 million for Head Start;
- $86 million for AMTRAK on non-Sandy capital improvements;
- $40 million for military base repair and maintence, which includes spending for Guantanamo Bay;
- $25 million for NOAA to improve weather forecasting;
- $10 million for FBI salaries and expenses; and
- $2 million for Smithsonian roof repairs.
HT: AOSHQ
Sunday, January 13, 2013
The Party Line!!
You will like our Party, or drop dead.
...Politico explained that while Washington Democrats have always viewed GOP voters as a problem, Washington Republicans "in many a post-election soul-searching session" have come to agree. More precisely, the article said the party's Election 2012 failures have "brought forth one principal conclusion from establishment Republicans: They have a primary problem."...
...So, according to Politico, the Washington team is gearing up a new effort to protect incumbents and limit the ability of Republican voters to successfully challenge establishment candidates....
So lemmeesseee hah, Bumpkin:
The Priebus who was renowned for re-vitalizing the Wisconsin Pubbies is now an insider, and has closed the door. He's one-and-done for Conservatives; that be Sen. Johnson. (Possibly two: Walker hasn't shown us much more than Act 10 so far.)
Other than that, get in line and STFU.
...Politico explained that while Washington Democrats have always viewed GOP voters as a problem, Washington Republicans "in many a post-election soul-searching session" have come to agree. More precisely, the article said the party's Election 2012 failures have "brought forth one principal conclusion from establishment Republicans: They have a primary problem."...
...So, according to Politico, the Washington team is gearing up a new effort to protect incumbents and limit the ability of Republican voters to successfully challenge establishment candidates....
So lemmeesseee hah, Bumpkin:
The Priebus who was renowned for re-vitalizing the Wisconsin Pubbies is now an insider, and has closed the door. He's one-and-done for Conservatives; that be Sen. Johnson. (Possibly two: Walker hasn't shown us much more than Act 10 so far.)
Other than that, get in line and STFU.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Mo' Gummint Fail #665,779
The "Mo' Gummint" bunch are, by and large, idiots.
...According to E Magazine, the “Clunkers” program, which is officially known as the Car Allowance Rebates System (CARS), produced tons of unnecessary waste while doing little to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
...many of the “Cash for Clunkers” cars were never sent to recycling facilities. The agency reports that the cars’ engines were instead destroyed by federal mandate, in order to prevent dealers from illicitly reselling the vehicles later.
The remaining parts of each car could then be put up for auction, but program guidelines also required that after 180 days, no matter how much of the car was left, the parts woud be sent to a junkyard and shredded.
...E Magazine states recycling just the plastic and metal alone from the CARS scraps would have saved 24 million barrels of oil. While some of the “Clunkers” were truly old, many of the almost 700,000 cars were still in perfectly good condition....quoted at AmSpecBlog
Too bad, so sad.
...According to E Magazine, the “Clunkers” program, which is officially known as the Car Allowance Rebates System (CARS), produced tons of unnecessary waste while doing little to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
...many of the “Cash for Clunkers” cars were never sent to recycling facilities. The agency reports that the cars’ engines were instead destroyed by federal mandate, in order to prevent dealers from illicitly reselling the vehicles later.
The remaining parts of each car could then be put up for auction, but program guidelines also required that after 180 days, no matter how much of the car was left, the parts woud be sent to a junkyard and shredded.
...E Magazine states recycling just the plastic and metal alone from the CARS scraps would have saved 24 million barrels of oil. While some of the “Clunkers” were truly old, many of the almost 700,000 cars were still in perfectly good condition....quoted at AmSpecBlog
Too bad, so sad.
Buy It at Mills' Fleet Farm!
We don't expect Lefties to become educated. It involves effort.
But this video is useful for those who are contemplating purchase of a weapon (or three.)
But this video is useful for those who are contemplating purchase of a weapon (or three.)
Friday, January 11, 2013
Remarkable Paragraph
The author is a 'former' Catholic retired magazine editor.
...I write this partly to rescue the old traditions from conservatives who use them as a symbol in their resistance to any reform. And also for those liberals who are just as adamant that concern about aesthetics is somehow suspect. Yes, I know the liturgy is not fundamentally a drama or theater but a ritual, a rite—it is worship, not spectacle. And I know that the council’s reforms were an effort to engage Catholics as participants in the Mass rather than as spectators closed off from each other in private devotion. And I know that my youthful liturgical experience at St. Mary’s was perhaps exceptional. The old rite was not always beautifully or even reverently done. But I still find it tragic that the unplowed and fallow fields of today’s Catholic youth no longer soak up the nutrients of two thousand years, composted from the dead language of the Romans and the poetic drama of the Greeks, with a heavy leavening of Gothic romanticism. Thank God—I say it now without irony—that Roman Catholic architecture, murals, sculpture, paintings, music, and the theater of the traditional services were there to nourish my soul, exactly as my father believed they would.
HT: Badger Catholic
...I write this partly to rescue the old traditions from conservatives who use them as a symbol in their resistance to any reform. And also for those liberals who are just as adamant that concern about aesthetics is somehow suspect. Yes, I know the liturgy is not fundamentally a drama or theater but a ritual, a rite—it is worship, not spectacle. And I know that the council’s reforms were an effort to engage Catholics as participants in the Mass rather than as spectators closed off from each other in private devotion. And I know that my youthful liturgical experience at St. Mary’s was perhaps exceptional. The old rite was not always beautifully or even reverently done. But I still find it tragic that the unplowed and fallow fields of today’s Catholic youth no longer soak up the nutrients of two thousand years, composted from the dead language of the Romans and the poetic drama of the Greeks, with a heavy leavening of Gothic romanticism. Thank God—I say it now without irony—that Roman Catholic architecture, murals, sculpture, paintings, music, and the theater of the traditional services were there to nourish my soul, exactly as my father believed they would.
HT: Badger Catholic
On Big Gummint
Napolitano hits one out of the park here:
...Most people in government reject natural rights and personal sovereignty. Most people in government believe that the exercise of everyone’s rights is subject to the will of those in the government. Most people in government believe that they can write any law and regulate any behavior, not subject to the natural law, not subject to the sovereignty of individuals, not cognizant of history’s tyrants, but subject only to what they can get away with....
It's usually easy to discern Mo' Gummint folks. They actually DO believe that their election, or appointment, or time-in-grade, makes them slightly superior to others. They actually DO believe that their job is more difficult than anyone else's job, and that's why they're slightly superior beings.
And it is rare--almost impossible--to find a Gummint type who understands the phrase "best interests of the State (or country, or city....). That's because they confuse The Gummint with the State.
Oh, well.
...Most people in government reject natural rights and personal sovereignty. Most people in government believe that the exercise of everyone’s rights is subject to the will of those in the government. Most people in government believe that they can write any law and regulate any behavior, not subject to the natural law, not subject to the sovereignty of individuals, not cognizant of history’s tyrants, but subject only to what they can get away with....
It's usually easy to discern Mo' Gummint folks. They actually DO believe that their election, or appointment, or time-in-grade, makes them slightly superior to others. They actually DO believe that their job is more difficult than anyone else's job, and that's why they're slightly superior beings.
And it is rare--almost impossible--to find a Gummint type who understands the phrase "best interests of the State (or country, or city....). That's because they confuse The Gummint with the State.
Oh, well.
Mo' Big Gummint!!
While it's impossible to put A.G. "Dairy King" Van Hollen in the same class of "Mo' Gummint" as is the following example, it's amazing how similar the results are.
More than 20 million American children have gone through [Head Start], which is designed to impart parenting skills to parents, and cognitive, emotional, and health improvements to children. Over the years, the program has cost $180 billion. For the second time in two years, a Congressionally mandated study of the Health and Human Services program has shown it does not work.
...and neither do 112 former employees of Golden Guernsey.
But Mo' Gummint rolls on.....
More than 20 million American children have gone through [Head Start], which is designed to impart parenting skills to parents, and cognitive, emotional, and health improvements to children. Over the years, the program has cost $180 billion. For the second time in two years, a Congressionally mandated study of the Health and Human Services program has shown it does not work.
...and neither do 112 former employees of Golden Guernsey.
But Mo' Gummint rolls on.....
Told Ya So!
Biden telegraphed this 10 days ago.
According to the New York Times, the administration’s prospects of pushing an assault-weapons ban through Congress are slim and, as a result, the White House “is focusing on other measures it deems more politically achievable.” --NRO quoted at AOSHQ
They're going to regulate, somehow.
As if anyone will pay attention. Illicit Government? Ignore the bastards.
According to the New York Times, the administration’s prospects of pushing an assault-weapons ban through Congress are slim and, as a result, the White House “is focusing on other measures it deems more politically achievable.” --NRO quoted at AOSHQ
They're going to regulate, somehow.
As if anyone will pay attention. Illicit Government? Ignore the bastards.
Van Hollen Essays on Inadequate Sentencing
Our AG is a Gummint Guy, ya' know. So he likes Mo' Gummint.
But it's difficult to read his "Mo' Gummint" essay seriously when he begins with an example demonstrating the utter fecklessness of Gummint.
In June 2000, an unknown assailant sexually assaulted a woman in a Madison parking ramp. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Crime Laboratory Bureau’s (CLB) DNA databank, which contains DNA profiles from convicted felons, did not contain a DNA profile that matched the unknown rapist’s DNA recovered during the rape investigation.
Following felony convictions in 2010, officials obtained a DNA specimen from Christopher R. Golden and uploaded it to the DNA databank, generating a hit on the 2000 sexual assault that ultimately led to his conviction for sexual assault.
Unfortunately, these convictions were not Golden’s first contact with the law. In 1994, Golden was arrested for a felony child abuse offense and was subsequently convicted of misdemeanor battery and intimidation of a witness.
So a guy who was nailed for battery and intimidation was in slam for less than 6 years--and because of Gummint's failure to properly incarcerate the slimebucket, what we really need is Mo' Gummint?
Nope.
But it's difficult to read his "Mo' Gummint" essay seriously when he begins with an example demonstrating the utter fecklessness of Gummint.
In June 2000, an unknown assailant sexually assaulted a woman in a Madison parking ramp. The Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Crime Laboratory Bureau’s (CLB) DNA databank, which contains DNA profiles from convicted felons, did not contain a DNA profile that matched the unknown rapist’s DNA recovered during the rape investigation.
Following felony convictions in 2010, officials obtained a DNA specimen from Christopher R. Golden and uploaded it to the DNA databank, generating a hit on the 2000 sexual assault that ultimately led to his conviction for sexual assault.
Unfortunately, these convictions were not Golden’s first contact with the law. In 1994, Golden was arrested for a felony child abuse offense and was subsequently convicted of misdemeanor battery and intimidation of a witness.
So a guy who was nailed for battery and intimidation was in slam for less than 6 years--and because of Gummint's failure to properly incarcerate the slimebucket, what we really need is Mo' Gummint?
Nope.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Louisiana Goes 'Fair Tax'
It's called a 'sales tax' there.
"The bottom line is that for too long, Louisiana's workers and small businesses have suffered from having a state tax structure that is too complex and that holds back economic prosperity," Jindal said in a statement released by his office. "It's time to change that so people can keep more of their own money and foster an environment where businesses want to invest and create good-paying jobs."
Jindal said the plan would be revenue-neutral and that the goal would be to keep sales taxes "as low and flat as possible." --quoted at AOSHQ
So happens that the "Fair Tax" is really a sales tax (consumption tax, to be technical), although the Fair Tax proposal allows a "pre-bate" based on family size and income factors.
But it's a sales tax, at its core.
"The bottom line is that for too long, Louisiana's workers and small businesses have suffered from having a state tax structure that is too complex and that holds back economic prosperity," Jindal said in a statement released by his office. "It's time to change that so people can keep more of their own money and foster an environment where businesses want to invest and create good-paying jobs."
Jindal said the plan would be revenue-neutral and that the goal would be to keep sales taxes "as low and flat as possible." --quoted at AOSHQ
So happens that the "Fair Tax" is really a sales tax (consumption tax, to be technical), although the Fair Tax proposal allows a "pre-bate" based on family size and income factors.
But it's a sales tax, at its core.
The Offspring of Jabba and Hydra
Conservative political punditry from the Cognoscenti--whether Erickson, Will, Sykes, or Jeffrey, has focused on "entitlement spending reform" as a salve to the deficit (and longer-term, to the national debt.) That's a good discussion to have.
But all those writers quietly forget that there are other ways to reduce Federal spending, such as elimination of Federal employees. Curious, no?
When MorganStanley finds a cost problem, they eliminate 1600 jobs. Hatteras Yachts, 105. Henredon Furniture and various coal-mining firms simply close plants, eliminating dozens or hundreds of jobs.
The Feds? Nope.
The giant sucking sound made by the Feds in the Department of "Education", the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Departments of Energy, the Transportation SecurityAdministration Theatre, EPA--no layoffs, no cuts.
That group, and quite a few others in D.C., are collectively the offspring of Jabba the Hut and Hydra. So long as "conservatives" forget that these departments and bureaus should be de-populated, "conservatives" will have a very hard time selling "entitlement reform."
After all, like charity, "reform" begins at home. DC needs a root-and-branch radical surgery, and now is the time to do it.
But all those writers quietly forget that there are other ways to reduce Federal spending, such as elimination of Federal employees. Curious, no?
When MorganStanley finds a cost problem, they eliminate 1600 jobs. Hatteras Yachts, 105. Henredon Furniture and various coal-mining firms simply close plants, eliminating dozens or hundreds of jobs.
The Feds? Nope.
The giant sucking sound made by the Feds in the Department of "Education", the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Departments of Energy, the Transportation Security
That group, and quite a few others in D.C., are collectively the offspring of Jabba the Hut and Hydra. So long as "conservatives" forget that these departments and bureaus should be de-populated, "conservatives" will have a very hard time selling "entitlement reform."
After all, like charity, "reform" begins at home. DC needs a root-and-branch radical surgery, and now is the time to do it.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Seeing the Light on Factory Hires and Careers
It's an interesting article on the whole, but this couple of grafs jumps out:
...“Years ago you had apprenticeships, companies that would bring you on and train you,” said Andrew Beere, human resources manager at Pioneer Products, 1917 S. Memorial Drive. “And we have kind of gone back to that. If they have some experience, we’re willing to train.”...
...Richard Meeusen, chairman, president and CEO of Racine Federated’s parent company, Badger Meter. “We have presidents and leaders who say every child should have the opportunity to go to college.
“Unfortunately, it sends the message to parents that if they don’t send their kids to college, they’re failing.”
“Now we’re saying, ‘Where are our electricians, auto mechanics, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) workers and CNC (computer numeric control) operators?’” Meeusen said.
He added, “We’ve ripped out all the shop classes and replace them with calculus.”
I've mentioned to a few friends that the next bubble to burst will be Big College. First, because the ROI is oftentimes negative--or barely positive. Second, because in many cases it's clear that edyumakayshun did nothing for the chilluns' ability to read, write, and reason. Finally, because the trades are paying more and more as the pool diminishes (see 'first', above.)
HT: Vox
...“Years ago you had apprenticeships, companies that would bring you on and train you,” said Andrew Beere, human resources manager at Pioneer Products, 1917 S. Memorial Drive. “And we have kind of gone back to that. If they have some experience, we’re willing to train.”...
...Richard Meeusen, chairman, president and CEO of Racine Federated’s parent company, Badger Meter. “We have presidents and leaders who say every child should have the opportunity to go to college.
“Unfortunately, it sends the message to parents that if they don’t send their kids to college, they’re failing.”
“Now we’re saying, ‘Where are our electricians, auto mechanics, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) workers and CNC (computer numeric control) operators?’” Meeusen said.
He added, “We’ve ripped out all the shop classes and replace them with calculus.”
I've mentioned to a few friends that the next bubble to burst will be Big College. First, because the ROI is oftentimes negative--or barely positive. Second, because in many cases it's clear that edyumakayshun did nothing for the chilluns' ability to read, write, and reason. Finally, because the trades are paying more and more as the pool diminishes (see 'first', above.)
HT: Vox
Molon Labe, Suckah!
The Petty Dictator has a plan.
“The president is going to act,” said Biden, giving some comments to the press before a meeting with victims of gun violence. “There are executives orders, there’s executive action that can be taken. We haven’t decided what that is yet. But we’re compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and the rest of the cabinet members...--quoted at Gateway
Come and get 'em, bozo.
“The president is going to act,” said Biden, giving some comments to the press before a meeting with victims of gun violence. “There are executives orders, there’s executive action that can be taken. We haven’t decided what that is yet. But we’re compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and the rest of the cabinet members...--quoted at Gateway
Come and get 'em, bozo.
Tuesday, January 08, 2013
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Yah, fine, Megna and Fallone both oppose Walker. Duh.
But look again at the Megna-circulated petition. Look specifically at Line # 2, signed by Timothy Aiken.
Notice anything--besides his dipsy-doodle on his home address?
C'mon. You can see it plain as day!
OK. Let me put it this way: when did ZIP Code 53226 move over to ZIP Code 53211? Does Mayor Barrett know that Wauwatosa has just annexed the fashionable Lower East Side?
But look again at the Megna-circulated petition. Look specifically at Line # 2, signed by Timothy Aiken.
Notice anything--besides his dipsy-doodle on his home address?
C'mon. You can see it plain as day!
OK. Let me put it this way: when did ZIP Code 53226 move over to ZIP Code 53211? Does Mayor Barrett know that Wauwatosa has just annexed the fashionable Lower East Side?
Monday, January 07, 2013
Obozo's EPA: Killing Jobs, Killing Ratepayers
Nice move, Frank Windsor Lisa Jackson!
In keeping with Obozo's promise that 'you won't be able to afford' coal-generated electricity, his EPA, led by a charades-queen, has slammed Wisconsin Public Service Corp. with a $1 million ++ fine and forced them to drop $300 million into "new" technology. WPS will also have to drop $6 million into horse-hockey "mitigation" schemes.
The technology may work; no one else is using it. But the other effects?
The heavy-handed EPA decision prompted a statement from the Northern Wisconsin energy company claiming “the settlement along with current economic conditions will likely lead to employee staff reductions within its energy supply operations area.”
Nice.
No, that's not all.
The EPA’s settlement with the energy company will not only kill jobs but will likely force higher rates on ratepayers
WPS is not alone here. A lot of utilities have done exactly what they did: utilize "best-possible" technology to reduce pollution. Unfortunately, Ms. Windsor/Jackson demanded un-proven 'maybe-it'll work' technology.
We'll see how that plays out Up Nort'.
In keeping with Obozo's promise that 'you won't be able to afford' coal-generated electricity, his EPA, led by a charades-queen, has slammed Wisconsin Public Service Corp. with a $1 million ++ fine and forced them to drop $300 million into "new" technology. WPS will also have to drop $6 million into horse-hockey "mitigation" schemes.
The technology may work; no one else is using it. But the other effects?
The heavy-handed EPA decision prompted a statement from the Northern Wisconsin energy company claiming “the settlement along with current economic conditions will likely lead to employee staff reductions within its energy supply operations area.”
Nice.
No, that's not all.
The EPA’s settlement with the energy company will not only kill jobs but will likely force higher rates on ratepayers
WPS is not alone here. A lot of utilities have done exactly what they did: utilize "best-possible" technology to reduce pollution. Unfortunately, Ms. Windsor/Jackson demanded un-proven 'maybe-it'll work' technology.
We'll see how that plays out Up Nort'.
Sunday, January 06, 2013
It's the Spending, Stupid!! Part 335,648
Rand Paul:
...The arguments against the automatic “cuts” in military spending were particularly dishonest. Hawks on both sides warned of doom and gloom if, as the plan called for, the defense budget would have returned to 2007 levels of spending! Does anybody really believe that our defense spending was woefully inadequate just five years ago? And since 2007 we have been told that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down. According to the Congressional Budget Office, over the next eight years military spending would increase 20 percent without the sequester and would increase 18 percent with the sequester. And this is what is called a dangerous reduction in defense spending?...
And that's only a small part of his speech.
HT: Shedlock
...The arguments against the automatic “cuts” in military spending were particularly dishonest. Hawks on both sides warned of doom and gloom if, as the plan called for, the defense budget would have returned to 2007 levels of spending! Does anybody really believe that our defense spending was woefully inadequate just five years ago? And since 2007 we have been told that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down. According to the Congressional Budget Office, over the next eight years military spending would increase 20 percent without the sequester and would increase 18 percent with the sequester. And this is what is called a dangerous reduction in defense spending?...
And that's only a small part of his speech.
HT: Shedlock
THIS Is "Actuarial Science"?
The Mayans were only off by a couple dozen years?
ObozoCare DOES have a 'kill the semi-elderly' clause?
HT: JustOneMinute
Stupid Is As....
Collection of stupids from Grim.
One:
PT WAS SWINGING HAMMER AND HIT SELF IN GROIN
Others, even more stupider, at the link.
One:
PT WAS SWINGING HAMMER AND HIT SELF IN GROIN
Others, even more stupider, at the link.
Podhoretz the Poseur
Legal Insurrection paid a little attention to Podhoretz, who has now joined the Pragmatist gang.
The most passionately anti-Obama Republican politicians and activists consider themselves the truest and purest of conservatives, and often unleash their scorn and fury on others who also call themselves conservative but differ on strategy and tactics.
But in the realm of philosophy, “conservatism” from Thomas Hobbes onward is a worldview dedicated to order and tradition and the proposition that disorder is dangerous and deadly....
...Thus, it is the opposite of “conservative” to embrace chaos instead of order. It is the opposite of “conservative” to embrace crisis rather than accept unpleasant realities.
And yet, over the past week, that is exactly what many conservatives have done. They have violated fundamental conservative precepts.
It is not likely that Podhoretz is ignorant of Burke. More likely he just conveniently "forgot" him.
Here's what Burke had to say about Podhoretz's faux-Conservative, Hobbes (interpolated with a favorable citation of Babbitt):
With Hobbes, this negation of morality enters English political thought, and we continue to suffer from it poison.
In other words, Podhoretz 1) cites a despicable little disciple of Machiavelli; 2) calls him a "Conservative"; and 3) uses him to accuse Conservatives of betraying principles.
Podhoretz ought to know about 'betraying principles.' He does it himself.
The most passionately anti-Obama Republican politicians and activists consider themselves the truest and purest of conservatives, and often unleash their scorn and fury on others who also call themselves conservative but differ on strategy and tactics.
But in the realm of philosophy, “conservatism” from Thomas Hobbes onward is a worldview dedicated to order and tradition and the proposition that disorder is dangerous and deadly....
...Thus, it is the opposite of “conservative” to embrace chaos instead of order. It is the opposite of “conservative” to embrace crisis rather than accept unpleasant realities.
And yet, over the past week, that is exactly what many conservatives have done. They have violated fundamental conservative precepts.
It is not likely that Podhoretz is ignorant of Burke. More likely he just conveniently "forgot" him.
Here's what Burke had to say about Podhoretz's faux-Conservative, Hobbes (interpolated with a favorable citation of Babbitt):
With Hobbes, this negation of morality enters English political thought, and we continue to suffer from it poison.
In other words, Podhoretz 1) cites a despicable little disciple of Machiavelli; 2) calls him a "Conservative"; and 3) uses him to accuse Conservatives of betraying principles.
Podhoretz ought to know about 'betraying principles.' He does it himself.
Five Rounds. Lefties Remain Confused.
The story of the Georgia woman who successfully defended herself and her children is all over the 'net.
Mewling and squalling Left-O-Bozos remain confused.
...The woman then shot him five times, but he survived, Chapman said. He said the woman ran out of bullets but threatened to shoot the intruder if he moved.....--Cold Fury quoting WSBTV
Wait, wait!! Didn't he fall backwards and die on the first shot, just like in Matt Damon movies??
[Sheriff's deputy] said Slater was shot in the face and neck.
He had FIVE .38" holes in the face, neck, and torso. Half of a "high-clip". Still not dead.
Another useful observation at the link, by the way.
Lefties continue to mewl and squall. Louder. That always works better.
Mewling and squalling Left-O-Bozos remain confused.
...The woman then shot him five times, but he survived, Chapman said. He said the woman ran out of bullets but threatened to shoot the intruder if he moved.....--Cold Fury quoting WSBTV
Wait, wait!! Didn't he fall backwards and die on the first shot, just like in Matt Damon movies??
[Sheriff's deputy] said Slater was shot in the face and neck.
He had FIVE .38" holes in the face, neck, and torso. Half of a "high-clip". Still not dead.
Another useful observation at the link, by the way.
Lefties continue to mewl and squall. Louder. That always works better.
Stupid Newspaper Tricks
Yah, so some non-entity Gannett outfit published the names/addresses of every CCW permit holder in some part of New York State.
“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief who the FBI blames for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold - why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns? ---Vox quoting Fox News
There are less-theoretical consequences, too. Seems like a number of those CCW holders are prison guards (and cops.) And the prisoners now know their home addresses.
Won't take long for the predictable events to occur, and then for a motivated PI lawyer to make Gannett into a smoldering pile of BK.
“That was the most asinine article I’ve ever seen,” said Walter T. Shaw, 65, a former burglar and jewel thief who the FBI blames for more than 3,000 break-ins that netted some $70 million in the 1960s and 1970s. “Having a list of who has a gun is like gold - why rob that house when you can hit the one next door, where there are no guns? ---Vox quoting Fox News
There are less-theoretical consequences, too. Seems like a number of those CCW holders are prison guards (and cops.) And the prisoners now know their home addresses.
Won't take long for the predictable events to occur, and then for a motivated PI lawyer to make Gannett into a smoldering pile of BK.
New "Gun Control"? Not in Congress
The realpolitik hasn't changed.
The White House is weighing a far broader and more comprehensive approach to curbing the nation’s gun violence than simply reinstating an expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition, according to multiple people involved in the administration’s discussions.
A working group led by Vice President Biden is seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors, the sources said....
Uh-huh. All of which measures will be religiously observed by criminals, of course.
But here's the key sentence:
...Biden’s group has expanded its focus to include measures that would not need congressional approval and could be quickly implemented by executive action...
IOW, they know they can't get what they want from Congress.
The real screamer?
...White House aides have also been in regular contact with advisers to New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), an outspoken gun-control advocate who could emerge as a powerful surrogate for the Obama administration’s agenda....
Yup. New York City Mayors have always sold real well west of the Hudson and east of the San Gabriel mountains, no? It's BANK, baby!!
If you still think that Obozo can get his gun-grab through Congress, then read this item.
On a proposal to ban manufacture of "assault weapons":
....one year before Newtown, Americans opposed the proposition by a 53 to 43 margin. A few weeks ago – three days before Christmas, in fact – the same question was put to the nation with exactly the same wording. How much did it change? Still opposed… 51 to 44. It’s a net shift which is less than the margin of error.
At this point in time, it's a moot question. You can't FIND an AR for sale, anyway.
The White House is weighing a far broader and more comprehensive approach to curbing the nation’s gun violence than simply reinstating an expired ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition, according to multiple people involved in the administration’s discussions.
A working group led by Vice President Biden is seriously considering measures backed by key law enforcement leaders that would require universal background checks for firearm buyers, track the movement and sale of weapons through a national database, strengthen mental health checks, and stiffen penalties for carrying guns near schools or giving them to minors, the sources said....
Uh-huh. All of which measures will be religiously observed by criminals, of course.
But here's the key sentence:
...Biden’s group has expanded its focus to include measures that would not need congressional approval and could be quickly implemented by executive action...
IOW, they know they can't get what they want from Congress.
The real screamer?
...White House aides have also been in regular contact with advisers to New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), an outspoken gun-control advocate who could emerge as a powerful surrogate for the Obama administration’s agenda....
Yup. New York City Mayors have always sold real well west of the Hudson and east of the San Gabriel mountains, no? It's BANK, baby!!
If you still think that Obozo can get his gun-grab through Congress, then read this item.
On a proposal to ban manufacture of "assault weapons":
....one year before Newtown, Americans opposed the proposition by a 53 to 43 margin. A few weeks ago – three days before Christmas, in fact – the same question was put to the nation with exactly the same wording. How much did it change? Still opposed… 51 to 44. It’s a net shift which is less than the margin of error.
At this point in time, it's a moot question. You can't FIND an AR for sale, anyway.
Friday, January 04, 2013
SCOAMF's Recovery
Four years of this Stuttering Clusterf*** Of A Miserable Failure's "Stimulus" and we have Tennessee Ernie's .'...another day older and deeper in debt...'
A LOT deeper.
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Another Little Problem With ObozoCare
Surprise! The box of chocolates has another soured-cream bite!
In a long-awaited interpretation of the new health care law, the Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers. --JustOneMinute quoting NYT
In other words,
The gist is that employers are not obliged to weigh a worker's family status in deciding his total compensation, which makes sense - because the family insurance can cost an extra $10,000 per year, an employer would have a strong incentive to avoid family guys and gals when hiring for lower paying jobs.
Unfortunately, this means that a stay-at-home spouse becomes a tremendous financial burden due to lost federal subsidies; the employed partner's income can make the couple ineligible for Medicaid but the federal subsidy for health insurance may not be available either.
Nice.
In a long-awaited interpretation of the new health care law, the Obama administration said Monday that employers must offer health insurance to employees and their children, but will not be subject to any penalties if family coverage is unaffordable to workers. --JustOneMinute quoting NYT
In other words,
The gist is that employers are not obliged to weigh a worker's family status in deciding his total compensation, which makes sense - because the family insurance can cost an extra $10,000 per year, an employer would have a strong incentive to avoid family guys and gals when hiring for lower paying jobs.
Unfortunately, this means that a stay-at-home spouse becomes a tremendous financial burden due to lost federal subsidies; the employed partner's income can make the couple ineligible for Medicaid but the federal subsidy for health insurance may not be available either.
Nice.
EPA "Experiments" on Old, Sick, and Children
Think Dustin Hoffman v. "Dr." Mengele.
This has been ongoing for a while, but under the radar. The MFM doesn't give a rip, and Conservatives haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon.
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick.
That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary and genetically susceptible senior citizens to air pollutants the agency says can cause a variety of serious cardiac and respiratory problems, including sudden death.
Say what?
...EPA-employed or -funded researchers have intentionally exposed a variety of people to concentrated levels of different air pollutants, including particulate matter (soot and dust), diesel exhaust, ozone and chlorine gas — the latter substance more recognized as a World War I-era chemical weapon than as an outdoor air pollutant....
Say WHAAAT?
...The American Tradition Institute contends in its lawsuit that the EPA has broken virtually every rule established to protect human subjects used in scientific experiments, including the Nuremberg Code, ethics principles for human experimentation adopted following the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II, and similar U.S. regulations known as “The Common Rule.”...
OK. So how does EPA intend to defend itself?
The answer is meaningful. They will not deny the specific allegations. Instead, EPA argues that it is not subject to any law on the matter.
Mengele would be proud. There was no law which prohibited his activities, either.
This has been ongoing for a while, but under the radar. The MFM doesn't give a rip, and Conservatives haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon.
The Obama Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says no law empowers any judge to stop it from conducting illegal scientific experiments on seniors, children and the sick.
That astounding assertion will be tested Friday, when a federal district court in Alexandria decides whether it has jurisdiction to hear claims made by the American Tradition Institute that EPA researchers are exposing unwary and genetically susceptible senior citizens to air pollutants the agency says can cause a variety of serious cardiac and respiratory problems, including sudden death.
Say what?
...EPA-employed or -funded researchers have intentionally exposed a variety of people to concentrated levels of different air pollutants, including particulate matter (soot and dust), diesel exhaust, ozone and chlorine gas — the latter substance more recognized as a World War I-era chemical weapon than as an outdoor air pollutant....
Say WHAAAT?
...The American Tradition Institute contends in its lawsuit that the EPA has broken virtually every rule established to protect human subjects used in scientific experiments, including the Nuremberg Code, ethics principles for human experimentation adopted following the Nuremberg Trials at the end of World War II, and similar U.S. regulations known as “The Common Rule.”...
OK. So how does EPA intend to defend itself?
The answer is meaningful. They will not deny the specific allegations. Instead, EPA argues that it is not subject to any law on the matter.
Mengele would be proud. There was no law which prohibited his activities, either.
Megna, Fallone Are In SCOWI Race
This will be fun to watch.
Both Vince Megna and Ed Fallone have filed enough signatures to run for SCOWI.
In all likelihood, Fallone will run to the right of Megna (even though they are similarly Left-inclined.)
Fallone will have the Democrat Party's machinery behind him, as noted by Lakeshore. That means that Fallone has a fat source of funds, too--and unless Megna wants to spend a whole lot of his personal fortune, he's not likely to prevail.
The fact that the Dem Party of Wisconsin has more-or-less anointed Fallone leaves Megna and his supporters in the position that Eric Hovde and his supporters were in during the Senate primary. Megna won't necessarily like that comparison (nor Hovde), but the Party Elders have wrinkled their noses at him.
Hmmmm.
Both Vince Megna and Ed Fallone have filed enough signatures to run for SCOWI.
In all likelihood, Fallone will run to the right of Megna (even though they are similarly Left-inclined.)
Fallone will have the Democrat Party's machinery behind him, as noted by Lakeshore. That means that Fallone has a fat source of funds, too--and unless Megna wants to spend a whole lot of his personal fortune, he's not likely to prevail.
The fact that the Dem Party of Wisconsin has more-or-less anointed Fallone leaves Megna and his supporters in the position that Eric Hovde and his supporters were in during the Senate primary. Megna won't necessarily like that comparison (nor Hovde), but the Party Elders have wrinkled their noses at him.
Hmmmm.
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
Obozo's Gifts Buried in "Tax" Bill
If he weren't the savior, some in the MFM might question this.
The "fiscal cliff" legislation passed this week included $76 billion in special-interest tax credits for the likes of General Electric, Hollywood and even Captain Morgan. But these subsidies weren't the fruit of eleventh-hour lobbying conducted on the cliff's edge -- they were crafted back in August in a Senate committee, and they sat dormant until the White House reportedly insisted on them this week....
Really? These provisions? Tax-avoidance?
Really.
...A Republican Senate aide familiar with the cliff negotiations tells me the White House wanted permanent extensions of a whole slew of corporate tax credits. When Senate Republicans said no, "the White House insisted that the exact language" of the Baucus bill be included in the fiscal cliff deal. "They were absolutely insistent," another aide tells me....
Sure enough, Title II of the fiscal cliff legislation is nearly a word-for-word replication of the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012.
The Slimebucket-in-Chief pays off his friends.
The "fiscal cliff" legislation passed this week included $76 billion in special-interest tax credits for the likes of General Electric, Hollywood and even Captain Morgan. But these subsidies weren't the fruit of eleventh-hour lobbying conducted on the cliff's edge -- they were crafted back in August in a Senate committee, and they sat dormant until the White House reportedly insisted on them this week....
Really? These provisions? Tax-avoidance?
Really.
...A Republican Senate aide familiar with the cliff negotiations tells me the White House wanted permanent extensions of a whole slew of corporate tax credits. When Senate Republicans said no, "the White House insisted that the exact language" of the Baucus bill be included in the fiscal cliff deal. "They were absolutely insistent," another aide tells me....
Sure enough, Title II of the fiscal cliff legislation is nearly a word-for-word replication of the Family and Business Tax Cut Certainty Act of 2012.
The Slimebucket-in-Chief pays off his friends.
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