Rambling Web

Pet Care - Dog Arthritis

2012-02-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

"Many older dogs develop arthritis. Certain larger breed dogs are particularly susceptible to arthritis. There is no cure for arthritis. However, for most dogs it can be managed. Treatments may help reduce symptoms and may slow the progression of canine arthritis..."

Exerpt From Dr. Dog - Canine Arthritis

Golden Retriever Hot Spots - Dog Conditioner - Dog Itching - Lawn Spot - Pee Post - Paw Licking - Dog Scratching - Dog Vehicle Harness - Ortho-Flex - Nylon Choker - Dog Coprophagia - Pet Allergy Care - Ear Mite Remedy - Dog Has Allergies - Lotion for Dogs

Dog and Cat Care

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here is useful information and pet links that that will help you find dog skin care, paw care, and other health related products and supplies.

Dog Hot Spots

Dog Skin Care

Dog Itch Lotion

Dog Itch

Dog Coprophagia

Dog Green-um

Green-um Treats

Dog Paw Cream

Dog Allergy Shampoo

NH Web

Here You Go...

2011-12-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

Dog Hot Spot Treatment
Paw Care
Dog Itch
Cat UTI
Dog Safety Harness
Cat Hairball Remedies
ProCollar Wound/Surgery Collar
NH Web
Maine Tool
Reed Gouger

Pet Posts

2011-12-15T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today's pet links and more...

Dog health care

Dog skin

Dog coprophagia

Canine arthritis

Paw wax

Dog hot spots

Dog snuggie

Dog allergy shampoo

Nh web

Maine tool

Information for Pet Owners

2011-11-21T08:37:00.001-08:00

Dr. Dog Health Care not only carries an range of pet health care products, they feature articles and information on common pet health issues. While itch care and hot spot treatments are often featured, Dr. Dog covers a range of care and training topics. Some of their favorites are listed below...

Looking for Content?

2011-08-09T11:20:00.001-07:00

From around the web, here's a collection of interesting links - from the obscure to well traveled. Here is some info you may not have known about...

bassoon tool
oboe tool
dog paw
dog itch
dog hot spots
greenum
dog salmon oil
nh web freelance
nh web promotion
nh politics

Great Seacoast Condo Now Available

2011-06-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

New on the market just this weekend a nice, clean, 2 bedroom, end unit condo in southern New Hampshire. Great location in a quiet wooded setting: minutes from Rt. 101, 25 minutes to Manchester, 25 minutes to the ocean, 1 hour to the Lakes Region, 1.5 hours to Boston, 2 hours to the White Mountains. Bathroom and kitchen have recently been redone with new floors, counters, appliances, etc.

A great deal, definitely worth a look... Check out the listing for this charming Epping NH Condo

Via Broad Side of the Barn Blog - Nice 2 Bedroom NH Condo Up for Sale

Website Devlopment, Bassoons, Skin Care, and Pets

2011-05-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

From around the web an assortment of sites and links of interest...

Dog Care Products -

Paw Care

Dog Paw Care

Hot Spot Treatment

Dog suspenders

Dog Rear Support

Dog Rear Support

Dog Newsletter

Web Development & Cart Software

Miva Complaints

NH Web

Website Do-it-yourselfer

More Interesting Pages...

Maine Toolmaker

Rockingham NH

Acne treatment

Bassoon Reeds

Hot Spot Treatment Info Launched

2011-05-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Dr. Dog Health Care affiliated site Hot Spot Treatment Info has just been launched. It is a resource and guide for pet owners with itchy dogs. Hot spots are a common condition that become even more prevalent on dogs in the summer months. Check out Hot Spot Treatment Info if you have a pet with itchy skin.

Cute Funny Cats

2011-01-25T10:13:00.001-08:00

Dr. Dog Launches Twitter Based Pet Adoption Page

2010-12-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

DoctorDog.com has posted a new page that features Twitter tweets from pet rescues and shelters. This page is intended for readers interested in adopting a dog or cat. The twitter scroll presents pets currently up for adoption across the country. Looking for a pet, or interested in this pet rescues, check out this innovative new page from Dr. Dog.

dog skin - dog itch - dog allergy shampoo - acne breakout - dog boots - ice melt

Cyber Monday Week at DoctorDog.com

2010-11-30T07:54:00.000-08:00

Dr. Dog is putting on a Week Long Cyber Monday Sale - November 29th through December 5th

These items are the most heavily discounted items...

Sale Item	Normal Price	Sale Price
Cedar Dog Bed	$30.89	$19.99
Double Door Carrier	$35.99	$25.99
Euca-Loba Shampoo & Skin Care Combo Pack	$14.98	$10.98
Skin Care for Dogs/Cut Heal Pad Heal Combo Pack	$22.68	$15.99
Fleece Dog Bed	$34.09	$21.99
Green-Um 500 Giant Lawn Tabs	$49.99	$39.99
Halti Headcollar	$14.99	$11.99
Kitty Nest	$99.99	$69.99
Nature's Miracle Dander Remover Two Pack	$13.98	$9.49
Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Spray 6 Pack	$45.66	$39.99
Soft Vehicle Barrier	$49.99	$39.99
T & C Dog Frisbee	$1.99	$.99
Tubular SUV/Wagon Barrier	$49.99	$29.99
Tuff Indoor/Outdoor Dog Bed	$99.49	$69.99
Vittles Vault - Soft	$33.59	$22.99

Dr. Dog Euca-Loba Shampoo & Skin Care for Dogs Combo Pack $10.98

Green-Um 500 Giant Lawn Tabs $39.99

Cedar Dog Bed $19.99

Tuff Dog Bed $69.99

Fun Dog Video

2010-11-24T09:55:00.000-08:00

dog skin - dog ear care - indepednent blog - nh book - independent nh - acne breakout - toolmaker

New England Food Banks

2010-11-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

A good time of year to keep your local food bank in mind...

New Hampshire Food Bank

Western MA Food Bank

Greater Boston Food Bank

Merrimack Valley Food Bank

Worcester County Food Bank

Vermont Food Bank

Good Shepherd Food Bank - ME

Connecticut Food Bank

Rhode Island Food Bank

Funny Cat Video

2010-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

toolmaker - nh web - dog care - dog skin - lick granuloma - acne breakout - dander remover - obama media - mccain blogger - advanced skin care - mother hookers - Web development construction - dog snuggie - dog ear care - pet mess - dog safety supplies - purple states - mccain nh - obama independent

Top Gear Funny Clips and Car Competition

2010-11-20T07:38:00.000-08:00

nh web - toolmaker - acne breakout - dog skin - purple states - obama media cartoon - mccain independent - mccain blogger - blue collar voter - Avanced skin care - die making - web promotion - paw pad - dog ear care

Too Funny - Richard Simmons on 'Whose Line is it Anyway'

2010-11-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

toolmaker dog skin dog care purple states Advanced Healing Cream nh web Pet Mess dander remover mccain independents obama independents

New Product Release to Treat Acne

2010-11-16T10:40:00.000-08:00

If you continue to purchase oil free products or products that exfoliate the skin maybe it is time to try a completely different approach to prevent your skin from breaking out. Oil Free” is not necessarily a good thing when treating acne. When your skin gets too dry, its natural response is to create more oil, which can result in more breakouts.

Exfoliating the outer layer of the skin with an exfoliant such as salicylic acid will not stop or heal an infection that is underneath the skin. Drying the skin will signal the body to create more oil, resulting in more acne. It is often assumed that debris and oil on the outer layer of the skin is the major reason pores become clogged; however, inflammation, often caused by hormonal fluctuations, can enlarge the pores and glands which more often increases the potential for pores and the glands to become clogged and infected.

BioScriptives has just launched a new acne product called Repiderm that performs like no other product. Repiderm, formulated with Dermal-Release Technology combined with benzoyl peroxide and 16 unique herbal extracts, essential oils and nutrients that down regulate the production of oil, is formulated in a manner that prevents ingredients from degrading and delivers those ingredients deep into the sebaceous gland to heal acne faster and prevent future breakouts. Without being able to penetrate the outer layers of the skin with Derma-Release Technology, this unique blend of 16 herbal extracts, oils, nutrients and actives would not kill an infection as effectively as Repiderm.

Read more about how Repiderm stops acne breakouts

dog skin canine aspirin dog safety supplies hairball remedies nh web independent blogger toolmaker

Stocks Down Tuesday Morning

2010-11-16T07:52:00.001-08:00

Stocks open lower today...

From Yahoo/AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Stocks retreated Tuesday following new worries about rising inflation in Asia and the possibility Ireland might need a bailout.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 73 points in morning trading. The losses piled up even as shares of two components of the index, Home Depot Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., rose more than 2 percent following improved earnings.

Asian markets fell overnight after South Korea's central bank raised interest rates to curb growing inflation. There has been speculation in recent days that China will have to take similar steps soon.

A report in the U.S. showed inflation at the wholesale level was smaller than predicted. The producer price index rose 0.4 percent last month, half of what economists' expected. The rise was due to a sharp increase in food and energy costs. Stripping out those volatile costs, prices fell 0.6 percent. The report backs up the Federal Reserve's view that inflation remains low because of sluggish growth.

mccain regulatory reform dander remover puppy vitamins dog safety harness pet water pan dog skin dog ear wash pet hair magnet dog skin shampoo acne breakout toolmaker NH Web round four independent voters Circle web Snowboarding trials mother hookers Revolutionary skin care

Aung San Suu Kyi Freed

2010-11-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Aung San Suu Kyi was freed this weekend after years of house arrest in Myanmar/Burma. This staunch advocate for democracy in Burma was asked by CNN about a way forward...

from Suu Kyi calls for dialogue with Myanmar government

"We have to work together," she said. "That is the main message. Those inside the country have to work together and also those supporters outside."

Suu Kyi had much the same message for her supporters Sunday, telling them in a speech, "I'm not going to be able to do it alone. You've got to do it with me. One person alone can't do anything as important as bringing change and democracy to a country."

"We would like to form a network of people working for democracy," she told CNN Monday, and said she would like to open a dialogue with "those who are in a position to do something, to change the situation in Burma for the better."

She said she has had no contact with Gen. Than Shwe, Myanmar's top military leader and head of state. Asked what she would say to him, she said, "I think what we are looking for is dialogue, so I'm not just thinking about what I have to say to him. I think what we have to think about is what we have to say to each other."

Paw Pad pet safe ice melt dander remover dog procollar NH Blogging U.S. Independent clear stubborn acne advanced skin care purple states moldmaking Obama Media

Charities Connect Online

2010-11-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Below are a handful of quality charities worth looking into. These provide either a practical application for charitable work, or provide a different look on how charities can be viewed.Hire a Veteran
CGI
Online Charity
International Charity
US Education

Other Links: Voter Info State Sites Blue Collar

Energy Policy Needs Attention

2010-11-11T08:14:00.001-08:00

Excerpt from Purple People Vote for Moderate and Independent Voters

The elections are over, the House is controlled by Republicans and the Democrats no longer have a super-majority in the Senate. So the question now is, ‘Can they work together?’ Only time will tell.

However, there is one issue (at least) that lends itself to bipartisan compromise – Energy. There are all sorts of good reasons to want a substantive energy policy. In fact there are so many reasons for addressing energy policy that Republicans and Democrats don’t have to be motivated by the same rationale…

The socio-political rationale: We purchase much of our oil from dangerous and volatile regions of the world that often don’t like the U.S. very much.

Environmental rationale: Energy derived from fossil fuels is not good for the environment.

Supply rationale: Some day we will run out of oil and coal.

Economic rationale: High energy costs and fluctuating energy costs negatively impact the economy in numerous ways...

Continue reading Will Congress Have the Backbone to Address Energy?

Links: Girls Education - NH Web - Maine Tool - Lick Granuloma - Spot Treat Pimples - Central Asia - Bassoon Reed Making - Fast Acting Topical Anesthetic - Pet Mess - Independents Blog

Van Sustren Takes Look at Election Results

2010-11-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Re-posted Graham: People Don't Love Republicans - It was Obama Overreach

Greta Van Sustren did a couple post election interviews that provided forthright, honest, at times very blunt assessments of the election results. One with Senator Lindsey Graham, the other with Senator Orrin Hatch. Both these Senators have worked across the aisle in the past, and have received heat from there own party for doing so.

GretaVan Sustren: What did you think about the Presidents press conference yesterday? Were you convinced that he was properly chasten because there was a message from the American people; or not? You shake your head no.

Senator Lindsey Graham: Well, I just don’t think he understands that it was his policies that got him into this mess. You know President Obama came in with a wave of hope. The American people picked this young man, they were hopeful he could change things, and the policies, health care and the process passing health care was everything different than he said it would be. The stimulus package, the financial regulation bill, the amount of debt, the growth of government – people rejected his policies. He lost his own Senate seat. Illinois voted for a Republican, a moderate Republican, how much clearer message can you get/give to the President. People of Illinois, like him personally, saying you’re going the wrong way. We want to check and balance you, and I don’t think he understands that. It was policies not personality that got him in this mess. People don’t love Republicans. It wasn’t like people in Illinois woke one day and said ‘Boy, I’ve been a Republican all these years and didn’t know it. It’s the Obama overreach."

Senator Orrin Hatch has been very critical of the health care legislation. He provides a unique perspective because he has often worked with Democrats specifically on health care legislation like s-chip. His entire interview is worth viewing, but he provide an amusingly blunt assessment of the health care bill when he said...

"I was going to say it was a piece of crap, but that would not be fair to some people who were very sincere in trying to do what is right."

Recommend checking out these two interview at the 'On the Record' home page.

Paw Licking - Puppy Vitamins - Cranberry Cat - Paw Wax - Maine Die Making - Bassoon Profiler - Bassoon Profiler Blades - Independent Vote - Purple States - NH Web

Tag Skin Care

2010-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

A couple quality sites that have dramatically different product offerings are Dr. Dog Pet Health Care and BioScriptives Skin Care. Dr. Dog provides pet care information and pet products with a focus on pet skin care. BioScriptives Skin Care focuses on the most advanced technology to deliver top of the line skin care products that include treatments for acne, rosacea, and more. Completely different sites, both are worth viewing. Here are a few of their top pages and products...

Pimply

Spot Treat Pimples

Fight Zits

Therapeutic Skin Care

Rosacea Light Treatments

Advanced Healing Cream

dog safe aspirin

clear dogs eye

dog paw care

cat skin care

dog support

The Featured Few

2010-10-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Around the web, there is an amalgam of sites for pets, people, pols, and more. Here are a featured few sites are worth taking a look at...

Independent Thinker puppy treat Acne Breakout Cream paw licking cat mice dog flatulence zen dog dog boots dog stool McCain supporter Local Republicans Circle web purple shift Broad Side New Hampshire Independent

Cable News Over The Top

2010-10-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from This Week In Stupid News – Breaking News or Broken News

"he Chillean Miner story was certainly the feel good story of the year. Cable news was given the gift of a watchable, interesting, and upbeat 24 hour news day. Then all three cable news networks graphics’ departments seemed to lose their mind, as they filled the television screen with graphic clutter announcing every minute element of this story. CNN posted the breaking news alert near the bottom of their pages, ‘Families await miners’ rescue.’ Really that’s breaking news? The families have been waiting for months.

Fox News ran two scrolls across their screen at once helping make their viewers cross-eyed. One scroll bringing such useful info to people such as, ‘capsule brings miners up from mine.’ I suppose if you’re somehow impaired that might be mildly helpful, as possibly someone would have thought the capsule was going to be set off like a rocket as part of Chile’s bicentennial celebration? MSNBC had the title of their show in the corner of their screen even after the show was no longer airing, and split the screen in two to show two different views. Unfortunately, they often showed the same view in those two separate panels.

Now, it must be challenging writing a myriad of informative short headlines for an event that is unfolding on live television, so here’s a tip – Stop Writing Them.
..."

Finish reading This Week In Stupid News – Breaking News or Broken News

Media Drops the Ball When Reporting on Islam

2010-10-07T10:14:00.000-07:00

Islam: It's Perception in the Media and In the Public takes a look at how poor reporting and snap judgments are fanning the flames of an already sensitive issue. The following is an excerpt...

"Since the controversy about the potential for a mosque to be built at Ground Zero there has been a noticeable difference between the media's view of what Islam is, and the public's view of what Islam is. It is an odd situation where neither one is completely right or wrong. What Islam is, could never be summed up in a blog post, but that does seem to be precisely what is being missed in this debate. 100 people of the same faith could all practice and interpret their faith very differently. A significant cause of much of the friction and controversy is that people aren't accounting for this. However, the lack of a full and honest discussion on this topic may be causing the most trouble.

The media has not adequately done their job. They often either play down or ignores elements of Islam or the Muslim culture the Americans find rightfully disturbing. We have been attacked in the name of Islam, and certainly it isn't fair to connect all Muslims with that act, but it can't be ignored that the religion has been used numerous times as a justification for violence. Also, women are not only not treated as equals in many Muslim countries, but are often treated very poorly. Again, that doesn't apply to all Muslims, but ignoring and not reporting on these two glaring problems is not objective journalism. When news organizations do this they are clearly advocating and not reporting, and the American people are smart enough to know the difference..."

Continue Reading Islam: It's Perception in the Media and In the Public

New Green-um Site

2010-05-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

Dr. Dog has launched the 'Dr. Dog Certified Site' Greenum.info which which gives information on the M&C product Green-um a supplement for dogs that helps prevent lawn burn. Green-um comes both in tabs and in treats.

Spring and Summer Pet Care

2010-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

Dr. Dog is featuring several warm weather seasonal products.
As the temperature rises the appearance of dog hot spots tend to increase. To treat hot spots Dr. Dog Skin Care treats and relieves the itch and infection of atopy in dogs.

Lawn care for dog owners is also becomes an issue as the seasons change Green-um for Dogs is now available in three strengths, regular, Green-um Xtra, and Green-um Giant. This is a natural safe solution for dog yellow grass problems. Lawn Spot Away is another solution for damaged lawn.

Finally, Dr. Dog is offering two specials: The Dr. Dog Trial Pack and the Dr. Dog Skin Care Pack. Both are marked 10% off.

The Absurd Tiger Woods Coverage

2010-02-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday late morning, the networks cut into their regular coverage to carry the 'Tiger Woods Apology.' This was followed by endless news speculation about whether the apology was sincere. My main question - "Who Cares?" Remember way back when, when the news only interupted regular programming to inform people of a serious event, an explosion, a death of major figure, or a major tragedy. Yesterday's news was dominated by speculation about a golfer's personal life.

The typical response from news organizations when they obsessively cover these tabloid stories is, 'well, that's what people want to see'. Fine, cover what you'd like, the media has every right - just don't call yourself news. This is TMZ type stuff, yet TMZ actually has the common courtesy not to pretend that it is a serious news organization. However, network and cable news by covering tabloid stories, particularly with such ferver, misleads the public by giving importance to selatious topics over actual news stories. For instance, Iran's quest for a neuclear weapon, and the oppression of its own people - real news. Gridlock in Washington, the health care bill, the war in Afghanistan - real news. Tiger Wood's mistress' press conference - not real news. News organizations have become so pathetic as of late, it truly is in question whether they know themselves the difference between good journalism and tabloid journalism.

Olympic Surprise

2010-02-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

One of the great stories coming out of the Winter Olympics is that of Torah Bright. The flag bearer for Australia had told her parents not to attend the games because she'd prefer that they'd come to he upcoming wedding, and they could only afford to make one of the two trips. Her parents instead decided to find a way to make both trips and surprised their daughter as she won the gold medal for snowboarding. Her parents even ended up hiding in their daughters closet in order to stay hidden until after her event...

Parents surprise Bright in her golden moment

WEST VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Torah Bright almost ruined the surprise. Her parents drove six hours to the airport in Sydney, spent 20 hours more on a flight to the Winter Olympics and did all of it behind the back of the world’s best female snowboarder. At Bright’s Vancouver abode the night before the women’s halfpipe competition, Peter and Marion Bright heard her voice, and it begged for immediate improvisation.

“We hid in the closet,” Marion said. “She even came into the bedroom.”

Eventually, they slinked out, plan intact, and prepared to conceal themselves again at Cypress Mountain. It was a jig they couldn’t keep up very long, not when their daughter was winning Australia’s first gold medal of the Vancouver Games and breaking the United States’ near decade-long stranglehold on snowboarding supremacy.

Parents Surpise Gold Medalist Torah Bright At Olympics

Toyota to Testify

2010-02-18T20:00:00.000-08:00

CNN is reporting that the Chief Executive of Toyota, Toyoda to testify before U.S. lawmakers. This comes after an initial statement indicating that he wouldn't appear before Congress. After numerous Toyota recalls, the most serious of which dealt with an accelerator problem that resulted in the loss of life, there is a public demand for answers, and this could be Toyota's best opportunity to convince the public that they are taking responsiblity for their shortcomings and have a plan to remedy these serious problems.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota president Akio Toyoda accepted on Thursday a formal invitation to testify at a hearing to be held next Wednesday.

The House Oversight Committee sent the invitation Thursday morning. Toyoda had initially said he would not appear before the committee but would instead send North America chief Yoshimi Inaba.

But late Thursday, Toyoda released a short statement: "I have received Congressman Towns' invitation to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on February 24 and I accept. I look forward to speaking directly with Congress and the American people."

The invitation sent by Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., reads: "There appears to be growing public confusion regarding which vehicles may be affected and how people should respond. In short, the public is unsure as to what exactly the problem is, whether it is safe to drive their cars, or what they should do about it."

Toyoda, President of Toyota Agrees to Testify Before Congress

Obama At Risk for Identity Theft?

2010-02-18T17:26:00.001-08:00

McCain primary opponent JD Hayworth got his campaign off to an odd an controversial start as he made statements questioning why President Obama hadn't produced his birth certificate. As those statements drew fire, he tried to clarify by stating that the need for President Obama to provide a birth certificate was due to the possiblity of identity theft. The conservative Red Sate blog went as far as saying that Hayworth is an Idiot if he sticks to this. ABC news also reported that J.D. Hayworth comments illicited the response, "Identity theft? I mean, come on," from a CNN reporter. Others are also noting that this challenge to McCain not only looks like a long shot, but is quickly looking very foolish.

McCain Opponent a Birther with a Twist
J.D. Hayworth is an opportunist, not a conservative

McCain Opponent Off to a Rocky Start

Facebook Movement for Betty White to Host SNL

2010-02-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

Betty White to Host SNL (please?)! is a fast growing grass roots campaign to get Saturday Night Live to ask Betty White to host. Betty White has stated that she would host if asked. What the people are finding out through this campaign that everyone loves Betty White. Odds are excellent that you like Betty White, that your dog likes Betty White, and fast approaching 400,000 people on Facebook also adore Betty White.

If you too are a Betty White fan and on Facebook here's where to go to join the Betty White to Host SNL (please?)! movement.

Mashable also addressed this phenomenon in the article 340,000 Facebook Fans Want Betty White to Host SNL

Challenger Hit

2010-02-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

Dick Army head of Freedom works and former House leader is clearly unimpressed by McCain challenger Hayworth, as he cites Hayworth's political record as undistibguished.

Armey: Hayworth had 'undistinguished' House career

As former Rep. J.D. Hayworth prepares to officially enter the Republican primary race against incumbent Sen. John McCain, he probably had better not count on any support from FreedomWorks, the national conservative group closely associated with the Tea Party movement.

In a telephone interview with The Arizona Republic, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, FreedomWorks' chairman, delivered a surprisingly harsh assessment of Hayworth, with whom he served on Capitol Hill:

"We're a small organization with a limited budget. There's an awful lot of places where our presence would be needed and can really make a difference. We don't see this Arizona race as one where we need to be actively involved. It's hard for us to believe that J.D. Hayworth could mount a credible challenge to John McCain
. Obviously, we'll watch the race. But J.D. had a fairly short, undistinguished congressional career with virtually no initiative on his part. I just don't see any reason why we should be concerned about that race."

Hayworth has other problems too as Little Green Footballs points out in their article McCain Primary Opponent Hayworth: a Birther with a Twist

J.D Hayworth a Birther?

2010-02-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hayworth a (R) challenger for Senator McCain's Senate seat was called out by Chris Matthews as a 'birther' and Hayworth was unable to give an articulate reply...

"When Chris Matthews asked J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) whether he's "as far right as the birthers," the former Republican Congressman called on President Obama to produce his birth certificate for public inspection.

"Well, gosh, we all had to bring our birth certificates to show we were who we said we were, and we were the age we said we were, to play football in youth sports," said Hayworth, who is currently challenging John McCain (R-AZ) in Arizona's Senate primary. "Shouldn't we know exactly that anyone who wants to run for public office is a natural born citizen of the United States, and is who they say they are?"

J.D. Hayworth A Birther? McCain Challenger Calls For Obama's Birth Certificate

McCain Challenger Called On 'Nutty Right' Statements

Bayh Retires and Cites Partisanship

2010-02-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

It's unfortunate to see a Senator retire that has not only shown that he can work across the aisle, but clearly has a grasp of what is frustrating many Americans - bitter partisanship. In Senator Bayh's address announcing his retirement he notes a political environment that has become nearly impossible to work within. Senator Bayh sees what many Americans see, a system that is putting party before country, or more simply, a system that is putting party before effectiveness. Kudos to Senator Bayh for calling out both parties on this problem, and here's hoping he can help rectify the problem from outside Washington.

“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” he said.

“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”

Bayh had never lost an election, from his first win in 1986 as secretary of state, his wins for governor in 1988 and 1992 and his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and 2004.

“But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough,” Bayh said. “And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor.”

From IndyStar.com Evan Bayh will not seek re-election

Senator Bayh Takes A Shot At Bitter Partisanship As He Retires

Military Courts Versus Civil Courts

2010-02-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

Senator Lindsey Graham shares his knowlege of military tribunals and how they're used to keep classified information out of the civil courts. He explains how in the past terrorists were able to gain information from civil trials that aided them in their persuits. Senator Graham is a JAG, and spent a recent congressional recess in Afghanistan as a member of the reservist. Also of note, Senator Graham was key in instituting the military tribunal system, which passed Congress with bipartisan support.

Lindsey Graham Discusses Military Tribunals

McCain Discusses Rhetoric Of Christmas Day Bomber

2010-02-12T09:57:00.000-08:00

Washington Ignoring Business Needs

2010-02-11T16:54:00.001-08:00

Caroline Baum of Bloomberg wrote a piece today about how pessimistic and disenfranchised small businesses are by the actions of Washington and the Obama administration. Small businesses have good reason to angry. Their having difficulty getting loans, even when they have good credit. Health care legislation causes concern about the amount of money they may be required to spend in the future. The Bush tax cuts are due to expire, which will inevitably affect many small business owners. From energy policy to economic policy small business owners are getting ulcers from an administration that doesn't seem to grasp the importance of businesses in an economic recovery. The only way for jobs to return is for businesses large and small to succeed. There are legitimate reasons to be angry at Wall Street, and corporate greed. However, Washington is throwing the baby out with the bath water when it seeks to restrain or punish all businesses. The most fundamental economic truth is that businesses can only hire people when their company is succeeding. If Washington can't grasp this simple concept there's no hope for them to aid an economic recovery.

From Bloomberg Clueless in the Capital Meets Small-Business Ire: Caroline Baum

Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- “Washington doesn’t get it.”

That generic statement is tripping off the tongues of populists and Tea Partiers, business groups and bankers alike. In short, the public is peeved at the politicians.

I heard it this week from William Dunkelberg, chief economist of the National Federation of Independent Business, who used his group’s latest survey to opine on Washington’s deaf ear for helping small business.

The president and Congress “pay lip service to the fact that small business generates half of private-sector GDP and employs 60 percent or more of private-sector workers,” Dunkelberg says. As far as Washington’s efforts to help this sector of the economy, “instead of stimulus, give consumers a tax cut,” he says.

Washington Comletely Missing the Boat When it Comes to Small Business

Today's Protest in Iran

2010-02-11T11:27:00.001-08:00

Protests in Iran Today

For those following the use of social media, particularly Twitter in regards to the protests in Iran, today is a good to be folowing the #iranelection tag on Twitter as large protests are scheduled. The government has renewed attempts to crackdown on its citizens internet use. Only time will tell how successful they have been in oppressing their own people.

From the Denver post Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution

TEHRAN, Iran—Hundreds of thousands of Iranians massed Thursday in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created the country's Islamic republic, while a heavy security force fanned out across the city and moved quickly to snuff out opposition counter protests.
Police clashed with protesters in several sites around Tehran, firing tear gas to disperse them and paintballs to mark them for arrest. Dozens of hard-liners with batons and pepper spray attacked the convoy of a senior opposition leader, Mahdi Karroubi, smashing his car windows and forcing him to turn back as he tried to join the protests, his son Hossein Karroubi told The Associated Press.

The celebrations marking the revolution's 31st anniversary

An image made from video provided by Iranian State TV, pro-government demonstrators gather in the central square of Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution Thursday Feb. 11, 2010 were an opportunity for Iran's clerical regime to tout its power in the face of the opposition movement, which has managed to keep up periodic street protests since the disputed June presidential elections despite a fierce crackdown.
The opposition turnout was dwarfed by the huge crowd at the state-run celebrations. Many were bused in to central Azadi, or Freedom, Square to hear an address by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who proclaimed a new success in Iran's uranium enrichment program and dismissed new U.S. sanctions.

And the massive security clampdown appeared to succeed in preventing protesters from converging into a cohesive demonstrations. Large numbers of riot police, members of the Revolutionary Guard and Basij militiamen, some on motorcycles, deployed in back streets near key squares and major avenues in the capital to move against protesters.

Opposition Web sites spoke of groups of protesters in the hundreds, compared to much larger crowds in past demonstrations

One protester told The Associated Press she had tried to join the demonstrations but soon left in disappointment. "There were 300 of us, maximum 500. Against 10,000 people," she told an AP reporter outside Iran. She said there were few

Female demonstrators wave Iranian flags, as a picture of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is held at center, during a rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, at the Azadi (freedom) Square in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010. Many thousands of pro-government demonstrators gathered in the central square of Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the US-backed late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Read full article Huge rally and protests mark Iran revolution for more info...

Protests in Iran Today

Florida Stimulus Debate

2010-02-10T17:49:00.001-08:00

Governor Crist and Senate challenger Marco Rubio are in an interesting race. One of the topics that Crist has taken heat for amongst many conservatives is taking federal stimulus dollars for Florida and meeting President Obama at a rally that basically supported the stimulus package. Yet the following clip shows that Mr. Rubio would have also accepted the stimulus money like all other state governors ended up doing. The action that is called into question isn't accepting stimulus money, but whether meeting with President Obama publicly was a politically correct decision.

Rubio and Crist and the Stimulus Money for Florida

Letter To McCain Supporters

2010-02-09T15:23:00.001-08:00

My Friend,

The 2010 election offers all Americans - and especially Republicans - a critical choice. We can fight for the principles we believe in, or watch as Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress take our nation down a costly, destructive path.

I'm ready for that battle. And as one of my strongest supporters, I sincerely hope I can count on you to continue to stand with me as I work hard to win reelection in November.

President Obama and the Democrats in control of Congress have gone too far in their quest to "change" America. Their radical, far left policies are undermining America's founding principles and greatly threaten our nation's future economic health and national security.

It is truly disheartening that in their desire to advance their far left agenda, the Democrats are totally ignoring proven ways to create jobs and get our economy moving again. Our opponents' determined efforts to completely overhaul America's health care system, drive our federal deficit to historic levels, and do serious harm to Medicare - serves as a powerful lesson as to the lengths they will go to advance their radical liberal agenda.

The issues we face today call for real, positive, effective solutions. That is why I am determined to remain in the U.S. Senate.

Today, I ask that you reaffirm your support for our shared values by making an immediate contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more. If you are able to make a donation of $100 or more today, I will send you a personally autographed copy of my book, Faith of My Fathers in appreciation of your steadfast support.

In recent months, a reporter dubbed me the "most formidable opponent of the Obama agenda." For me, the bottom line is this: I will always put my country first and fight for what I believe is in the best interest of the American people.

However, if I am going to win in November and continue to fight for our country, I will need your help and support. Your generous donation will be used to help me continue fighting, and I appreciate any amount you can give today.

Inconceivably the Obama White House and Democratic Congressional leaders continue to tell the national media that they are carrying out the "will of the people" and those who are speaking up against their policies represent only a "small minority" of voters.

You and I know that is not true. Vast numbers of Americans oppose their policies and are saying "No" to more lost jobs, more wasteful spending, more government control, more taxes and more debt.

What the Democrats are advocating is not the kind of change that is good for America and our children's future. I'm proud to lead the fight against these policies and am honored to have you by my side.

Thank you for your ongoing and steadfast support.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. I have always fought on the side of people who want better, more efficient government. Today, I need your help to make sure I can remain in the U.S. Senate to continue that fight, by following this link to make a generous contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250 or more. Remember, if you are able to give $100 or more today, I will personally sign a copy of my book, Faith of My Fathers as a token of my appreciation for your generous support. Thank you.

McCain Campaign Letter Cites His Role as 'Most Formidable' Opponent of Obama

Castle Ahead of Coons in DE Polls

2010-02-04T11:30:00.001-08:00

President Obama and Vice President Biden both come from very blue Democrat states, yet the seats they vacated upon entering the executive branch are leaning towards the Republican candidates in the latest polls. While Republicans are expected to pick up seats at the midterm elections some are now questioning whether they take control outright in what would a political shocker. CBS reports GOP Eyes 2010 Senate Takeover

Beyond Illinois and Indiana, Democratically-held Senate seats in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arkansas and Nevada -- where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid faces a tough race -- could be very competitive, according to Salvanto's analysis.

Republicans cheered when North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan announced his surprise retirement, giving Republicans a good chance for another pick up. It was also good news for the GOP when Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau announced he would not run for his father's old Senate seat, leaving Republican Rep. Mike Castle the best-positioned candidate to win in Delaware. Democrats are now backingNew Castle County Executive Chris Coons to run against Castle.

"I predict to you that Chris Coons is going to surprise the devil out of them," Joe Biden told MSNBC. Castle, however, soundly beat Coons in the most recent polls, the Hill reports.

President's and Vice President's Senate Seats Could Both Be Picked Off By Republicans

A Republican In Illinois?

2010-02-04T09:40:00.001-08:00

Excerpt from the NYT Illinois Senate Race Worries Democrats Anew

CHICAGO — Alexi Giannoulias, the treasurer of Illinois and a basketball-playing friend of President Obama’s, won the Democratic primary here on Tuesday for the Senate seat once held by Mr. Obama. But his victory was hardly the free throw some had expected, setting off a new round of worrying among Democrats that the reliably Democratic seat might be picked off by Republicans in November.
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In an Illinois Primary Race, Victory Is Self-Declared (February 4, 2010)

With four others on the ballot, Mr. Giannoulias won 39 percent of the Democratic vote, or, as Republicans preferred to describe it on Wednesday, lost 61 percent of it. A little-known former federal prosecutor who had never run for office, David Hoffman, came within six percentage points of Mr. Giannoulias.

With much on the line here, including the symbolism of the president’s home state possibly slipping away, some Democrats were concerned that the party had played into the game plan of the Republicans, who chose Representative Mark Steven Kirk, a centrist-leaning suburbanite who hopes to appeal to the state’s independent voters and even some moderate Democrats.

Already Wednesday morning, the National Republican Senatorial Committee had issued a Web video mocking Mr. Giannoulias, 33, for what it described as questionable loans made by his family’s bank, his ties to Rod R. Blagojevich, the indicted former governor of Illinois, and more.

“Is this change we can believe in?” the video asks.

Mr. Obama called Mr. Giannoulias to congratulate him on his victory, aides said, but despite the friendship, the White House indicated in the past that it had reservations about his candidacy. At one point, White House officials tried without success to recruit another Democrat, Lisa Madigan, the state attorney general, even after Mr. Giannoulias had made his aspirations clear.

Mr. Obama, who endorsed no one in the primary, has pledged to party officials to do what he can to help keep the seat in Democratic hands. But aides said the president would invest his time and efforts in races across the country and not necessarily devote more attention to the contest for his former seat.

White House Worried About Senate Race in Illinois

Alexi Giannoulias Chicago Connections

2010-02-03T18:04:00.001-08:00

Alexi Giannoulias

Sign Public Option Petition

2009-11-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

From JohnMcCain.com sponsored email...

Taxpayers simply cannot afford this government takeover of our health care system and this is our opportunity to put an end to it.

That's why I urge you to add your name to this petition showing your opposition to government-run health care.

We still have an opportunity to stop the Democrats' public option from becoming law, but I need to know you stand with us in opposition to a government takeover of health care - so, please sign this petition immediately.

The wasteful spending ways of Barack Obama and the Democrats in Congress must be put to an end. Americans are angry and I share your frustration with our current leadership in Washington.

In less than one year, Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have increased our nation's spending by more than 80%. Our national debt has reached $9 trillion and will only go higher if the President signs a health care bill with provisions for a government-run option. Last month, unemployment surpassed 10%, the highest rate in over 20 years

Recent polls show clearly that Americans are against the health care takeover by Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. And these same polls show that Americans understand and are infuriated by policies that are mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's future. It must be stopped. We must act now to show our continued opposition to the direction the Democratic leadership is taking our country.

McCain Health Care Petition Against Government Run Health Care.

Washington Painting the Walls When the Roof Is Leaking

2009-11-10T08:45:00.001-08:00

As unemployment hit 10.2% last week the House in a special Saturday session of Congress passed health care bill that is costly and unpopular. In a great example of politicians being out of touch, Congress has decided that health care reform takes precedence over the economy and jobs even when poll after poll (including the exit polls taken during last weeks special elections) show that jobs and the economy is at the top of almost everybody's list of important issues.

The House health care bill is extremely costly and attempts to pay for itself through massive MediCare cuts. There are tax hikes on small business that can't help but have a negative effect on job creation. This bill will likely add greatly to our already staggering federal deficit, again not helpful for long-term economic recovery. Finally, it is a 2000 page bill that does little to reduce the cost of health care, one of the primary reasons that health care reform was needed in the first place. Congress has put the country on notice that they're priorities are not those of the American people.

Washington Painting the Walls When the Roof Is Leaking

Dog Eye Sight

2009-10-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

Dogs are often thought to be colorblind, yet now it is thought that dogs see some colors, but their spectrum is limited. Eyesight is generally considered the poorest of the dog’s senses. A dog’s eyesight is certainly not as acute as its hearing and sense of smell, but it suits a purpose. Before dogs were domesticated it was more important for a dog to see in low light situations than it was to see a full range of colors. A dog’s eyesight is most effective at dusk, and is best suited to spot prey. The acuity of their eyesight is less than most humans, yet they can see texture and brightness and most importantly movement.

One who plays fetch or Frisbee with their dog can attest to the ability of their dog to clearly see the toy they are chasing or catching. While they rely on smell and sound for much of their ability to track, find, hunt, and navigate the world use of their eyes is also important. For dogs that are blind, fortunately they typically can adapt well as they have other stronger senses. However, there usually are some modifications that need to be made for blind dogs so that they can find their way and recognize the people around them. It is relatively common for older dogs’ eyesight to either decrease, or for them to loose their vision altogether. With some assistance these dogs can still have happy active lives.

From Paw Prints Newsletter - Dog Eyes

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White House Battling Fox News

2009-10-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Well crack out the violins the White House doesn't like Fox News. The first two to pull out their bows are sure to be Senator McCain and Secretary Clinton, who will likely also be playing in the percussion section as they simultaneously bang their heads against the wall. Both have repeatedly noted the media's incredible Obama love-fest during the election. Secretary Clinton even stated that Fox News treated her most fairly of any network at that time.

President Obama has received the most favorable media coverage of any politician in my lifetime, and likely of all time. Yet that does not appear to be good enough for the Obama White House. Apparently all news network must feature personalities who fawn over the President's good looks and eloquence. If your station is not packed with people whose legs tingle when the President talks then clearly you are not a legitimate news organization. Robert Gibbs today cited Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity as proof that Fox is not truly a news network. Now I'd rather poke myself in the eye then watch the Glenn Beck show, but isn't he really just Kieth Olbermann in conservative clothing? Yet no admonishment from the White House for MSNBC being fully in the Obama tank? Isn't good journalism what happens when those in power are questioned and challenged? Clearly at this point in history Fox News, while obviously filled with conservative programming, is far more likely to ask a probing question of the White House than an organization like the New York Times whose reporter literally asked the president at a press conference what he was most enchanted by as president (seriously they asked him about being enchanted).

Now as for Sean Hannity, he has been full of tough but legitimate questions for candidate and President Obama. ACORN who was given a pass by other media sources was researched by the Hannity show. President Obama's personal and public associations are frequently questioned by Sean Hannity. He is a self-ascribed conservative, and that apparently not acceptable, particularly if thy have a lot of questions. Most candidates go through a series of tough questions when they are vetted, but candidate Obama was able to avoid this scrutiny because the media's school-girl crush on him. The White House's criticism of Fox News really isn't about Fox News, it's about the administration's incredibly thin skin. This adminstration wasn't tested by the media during the election and therefore is completely unprepared to handle even the mildest of criticism from prominent conservative comentators. As Senator McCain has repeatedly stated 'this aint beanbag,' and maybe this president and administration just don't have the stomach or the backbone for politics.

From Politico Fox 'not really news,' says Axelrod

"It’s really not news — it’s pushing a point of view. And the bigger thing is that other news organizations like yours ought not to treat them that way, and we’re not going to treat them that way. We’re going to appear on their shows. We’re going to participate but understanding that they represent a point of view.”

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said on CNN's "State of the Union" that Fox "is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective."

"It’s not so much a conflict with Fox News," Emanuel told John King. "I suppose the way to look at it and the way … the president looks at it, we look at it is: It’s not a news organization so much as it has a perspective. And that’s a different take. And more importantly, is not have the CNNs and the others in the world basically be led in following Fox, as if what they’re trying to do is a legitimate news organization …

Crack Out Your Violins The White House Doesn’t Like Fox News

Democrat Health Reform Plans A Mess

2009-10-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Senator Orrin Hatch held a blogger call last Friday where he explained the numerous problems with the Democrats health care reform plans. It should be noted that Senator Hatch has a history of working across the aisle on health care issues. He definitely wants health care reform, but believes the current attempts at reform are fatally flawed.

The most glaring problem with health reform plans is the cost. Only the Baucus plan attempts to be budget neutral and it does so by raiding Medicare, Hatch described the plan to cut Medicare by 4.4 trillion as, "a joke". It also appears that Congress may try to address the problem of doctors' Medicare compensation outside the scope current health care reform plans. This issue, commonly referred to as the 'doctor fix,' will cost a significant amount of money, therefore labeling it as something other than 'health care reform' is a way of adding the cost to the deficit while masking the true cost of health care reform.

Senator Hatch also noted that the head of the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) Doug Elmendorf has proven himself as a honest and reputable person. He explained that one of his major concerns about reform plans is that the CBO has stated that they have no idea what effect reforms will have on the cost of health care and the cost of health insurance premiums. Senator Hatch, like Senator McConnell, also stated that the Democrats should make good on their campaign promise of transparency and at minimum should have the CBO grade any congressional plan and post their online 72 hours prior to a vote as promised last election by President Obama.

It should be noted that their are currently several different health reform plans that have come out of committee. The Baucus plan from the finance committee is the only one that can make any claim that it is budget neutral. It reaches budget neutrality through huge cuts to Medicare, and increased taxes on things like medical devices. However the other plans, one out of the Senate HELP committee lead by Senator Dodd, and those from House committees are nowhere near budget neutral as promised by the President. Now these plans are being merged together behind closed doors in a decidedly un-transparent manner. What the final bill will look like is still a bit of a guess, but considering how poor the committee bills are that the final bill will be based upon, Senator Hatch's assessment that the best hope for real health care reform is to defeat the current plans and make the Democrats start over and truly attempt a bipartisan bill appears to be right on point.

Orrin Hatch Details Serious Flaws with Dems Health Care Reform Plans

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Beat Cancer Badge

2009-10-16T15:15:00.001-07:00

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Charlie Davies in Crash

2009-10-14T09:17:00.000-07:00

From Yahoo/Reuters - U.S. striker Charlie Davies hurt in deadly car accident

ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) – United States forward Charlie Davies is in a serious but stable condition following surgery after being injured in a deadly single-car accident in Virginia early on Tuesday.

Davies, 23, underwent several hours of surgery after sustaining a lacerated bladder and fractures to his tibia and femur bones in his right leg, the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement.

A person in the car with Davies was killed in the accident, federation spokesman Neil Buethe said in the statement.

Davies's injuries were not considered life-threatening, but would rule him out of playing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Obama's 100 Doctors

2009-10-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

President Obama has attempted to sell his health plan to the American people on two previous occasions by by standing in front of a large group of supportive nurses. Yet this failed to do the trick so this time President Obama invited two doctors from each state in the union to the White House to show people out there that there really are professionals that support the President's health care reforms. This time would be serious, this time they'd have their doctor's outfits on. One poor doctor who showed up without his white coat looked sadly out of place, but never fear the Obama administration is here with a spare coat at the ready. Don't want a doctor to lose all his super powers with no white coat, and besides who wants to wreck a pretty picture of 100 properly attired doctors with the President of the United States.

This photo op was such a powerful image that the administration looked for other ways to visually convince Americans to support other Obama administration proposals.

In fact they held one doctor over and convinced another familiar face to help sell the President's second stimulus plan...

This was such a success that later that same day came the announcement the the Justice Department would be addressing the concerns of illegal aliens...

Then came President Obama's surprise announcement of the appointment of his two new green job czars...

Finally President Obama, under advisement from his most recent appointments, decided green aliens would receive a government stimulus check if they cashed in their used space ship for a newer more fuel efficient model...

Obama - How to Sell a Plan

USF Suspect Arrested

2009-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

Foxs is reporting an arrest after it was reported there was a man on campus carrying a gun.

Police arrested a suspect on the University of South Florida in Tampa Monday afternoon after the man was believed to have entered the campus with a gun.

The suspect, described as an African American male in a green and yellow striped shirt, was seen as he entered a police car.

Students had been told to stay indoors and away from campus Monday afternoon, according to the university's Web site.

A message posted by the university said that officers 3were on scene and began searching the area just before 2 p.m.

Authorities said an off-campus call was transferred to USF police from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. The caller reported that a man with a gun was in front of the university's library.

The campus transit system was shut down while police searched for the suspect.

Police Arrest Suspect After University of South Florida Lockdown

Incredibly Funny Whose Line Skit with Richard Simmons

2009-10-05T12:09:00.000-07:00

Cost of Health Care Not Being Addressed

2009-10-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Health care reform is yet to substantively deal with 'gorilla in the room' - Cost. This is one of the fundamental reason why health care reform is needed. Yet no plan truly deals with this problem adequately. With the federal deficit shooting upwards and the country in the middle of a recession this only makes the need to deal with cost that much more pointed, but it does not seem to be a legislative priority.

Mort Kondracke of Roll Call explains in his article Will Reform Cut Health Care Costs? Don't Bet on It that the health care reform plans have no enforceable cost reducing measures. Cost cutting measures that are attempted rely on insurance companies, drug companies, and other health groups to keep their word and cut costs. This is at best a gamble, and not a very good one at that.

There's reason to fear that, even with reform, the nation's total outlays for health care - currently 17 percent of gross domestic product - will continue to soar, and so will federal health spending and insurance premiums.

The Obama White House promised reform would "bend the curve" of health spending - now growing 3 percent a year faster than the economy - but bills pending in Congress contain no guaranteed cost-containment measures such as a global budget, or national lid, on health spending.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, total U.S. health spending is scheduled to rise to 20 percent of the GDP by 2018, 25 percent by 2025 and 38 percent by 2050.

In May, health care stakeholder groups, including hospitals, insurance companies, doctors, drug companies and device makers, promised President Barack Obama they'd institute measures shaving 1.5 percent per year from the current 7 percent growth rate of health spending, saving $2 trillion over 10 years.

But as the journal Health Affairs observed in an issue brief in August, "these agreements are not enforceable" and, indeed, House "reform" legislation would free doctors from any reductions in Medicare reimbursements.

It's no wonder the American Medical Association supports the House bill, H.R. 3200. The Senate Finance Committee bill gives doctors just a one-year break from scheduled fee reductions, but past patterns are that Congress annually saves doctors from any cut.

Another group promising cuts - and now supporting Obamacare - is the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Its contribution to controlling health care costs? Just $80 billion over 10 years - out of total U.S. pharmaceutical outlays of $3.3 trillion.

And, as Fortune magazine pointed out, part of PhRMA's cuts are designed to get more Medicare recipients to use brand-name drugs when generics actually would be cheaper.

According to Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer, "bending the curve" of health cost growth depends upon "a lot of floating magic asterisks" in the Senate legislation, including the transformation of several pilot projects into actual policies that alter health spending patterns.

No Good News On Health Care Costs

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Health Care Numbers Dropped

2009-09-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

Rasmussen Reports polling shows, Health Care Reform - Support for Health Care Plan Hits New Low. The most likely health reform plan at this time is the Baucus plan, yet what health care reform means is still largely unknown as numerous amendments to this bill are under review including whether a public option will be part of the bill. Many basic factors regarding cost and effectiveness have not been fully addressed, and a new CBO report states that Medicare benefits will likely be cut eventually even though supporters of the bill have stated the opposite. The Rasmussen poll and accompanying article is an interesting read as it shows how the American people are viewing health reform and its effects.

Just 41% of voters nationwide now favor the health care reform proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down two points from a week ago and the lowest level of support yet measured.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% are opposed to the plan.

If the plan passes, 24% of voters say the quality of care will get better, and 55% say it will get worse. In August, the numbers were 23% better and 50% worse.

Fifty-four percent (54%) say passage of the plan will make the cost of health care go up while 23% say it will make costs go down. In August, 52% thought the plan would lead to higher costs, and just 17% thought it would achieve the stated goal of lowering costs.

While many credit or blame the town hall protests for building opposition to the plan, it appears they were simply a reflection of public opinion rather than a creator of it. This sense is confirmed by the fact that Obama’s approval ratings fell more in June and July before stabilizing in August.

One thing that did change during the month of August is that public perception of the protesters improved. Most voters came to believe that the purpose of the town hall meetings was for members of Congress to listen rather than speak. That’s partly because just 22% believe Congress has a good understanding of the legislation.

While some Democrats have charged that opposition to the president’s plan is based upon racism, just 12% of voters agree.

Voters overwhelmingly believe that every American should be able to buy the same health insurance plan that Congress has. Most favor limits on jury awards for medical malpractice claims and think that tort reform will significantly reduce the cost of health care. Forty-eight percent (48%) want a prohibition on abortion in any government subsidized program while 13% want a mandate requiring abortion coverage.

Support For Obama Health Care Reform Continues to Drop

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ACORN Gone

2009-09-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

The Census Bureau has terminated its relationship with ACORN after tapes were released that showed staffers aiding a couple in the human trafficking of underage girls from El Salvador in order to establish a prostitution ring.

From Fox News Census Bureau Severs Ties With ACORN

The Census Director has sent a letter to the National Headquarters of ACORN notifying the group that the Census Bureau is severing all ties with the community organizing group for all work having to do with the 2010 census.

"Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN's affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010 Census efforts," read a letter from Census Director Robert M. Groves to the president of ACORN.

"Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed through your many local offices. For the reasons stated, we therefore have decided to terminate the partnership," the letter said.

The news follows the firing Friday of two more ACORN employees after new hidden-camera footage showed workers for the group advising a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute how to subvert the law.

Kudos to the Census Department for Dumping ACORN

Tensions in Iranian Government

2009-08-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

Tensions Remain in Iranian Government

While street protests in Iran have been squashed, it appears from reports from the BBC that those protests have lead to significant tension and strain with in the Iranian government.

BBC - Fight resumes over Iran cabinet

Iranian MPs have resumed a heated debate on the nominees for President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's new cabinet.

The Majlis holds a confidence vote on Wednesday, but correspondents say the president is struggling to win backing in the predominantly conservative body.

The latest objections by MPs have been levelled at his choice for education minister, one of three women nominees.

Iran is mired in political turmoil after Mr Ahmadinejad's re-election, which triggered huge street protests.

Iranian press reports described the exchanges between Mr Ahmadinejad and leading conservatives on the first day of the debate on Sunday as unprecedented.

Mr Ahmadinejad defended his government as the "cleanest" possible. He rejected accusations that he had simply chosen ministers who would be obedient "yes-men".

Conservatives and reformers alike accused him of nominating unqualified people without consulting MPs.

Dugard Meets Family

2009-08-31T09:42:00.001-07:00

News on Jaycee Lee Dugard reuniting with family. Abducted at age 11 and imprisoned for 18 years, concern about the long term affects of her treatment/detention remain.

From the NY Daily News, Jaycee Lee Dugard's struggle to re-enter society after 18 years in captivity

Things started well, said FBI Special Agent Chris Campion, who worked on the case for nearly two decades and was present at last week's ecstatic reunion between mom Terry Probyn and Dugard, the daughter she last saw at age 11.

"There's going to be a period of adjustment, no doubt, but they're doing very well at this point," he said in an FBI podcast.

"It was a very emotional scene - both of them were just overjoyed to be with each other again," he said. "The two daughters are probably as happy as Jaycee is to be part of this family."

Shayna Probyn, 19, who was an infant when Dugard was kidnapped, wrote in a MySpace message, "I have a lot of love to share with my sister and new nieces."

The family is intent on making things easy for Dugard, now 29, and her daughters, 15 and 11.

They are being kept out of the public eye, and relatives and officials aren't saying where they are staying.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/08/31/2009-08-31_fragile_days_ahead_for_jaycee_kids.html#ixzz0PmNJyMO2

US Debt Jumps Dramatically

2009-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

As previously reported the Federal Deficit is Soaring with estimates for this year being between $1.6 trillion or $1.8 trillion. Now the projected deficit for the next 10 years is up $2 trillion. There are so many disturbing elements to this ever expanding deficit, not least of which is how the U.S. economy will recover with this level government debt. As the deficit shoots upwards so does the risk of inflation, making recovery increasingly more difficult. Not to mention that China owns so much of our debt that at this point they're practically a part owner of this country. The government seriously needs to reexamine its priorities and reign in its spending or this country will find itself in a world of hurt.

Major Garrett reports New 10-year Federal Deficit: $9 Trillion, Up from $7 Trillion

The Obama Office of Management and Budget tells Fox the federal deficit over the next decade is projected to be $2 trillion higher than previous estimates.
The new 10-year aggregate federal deficit is $9 trillion.

An official said the prolonged recession and the ensuing decline in federal revenue prompted a recalibration of the deficit numbers.

The numbers also reflect a projection that post-recession economic growth may not be as robust as after previous recessions, the official said.

An Unsustainable Federal Deficit

Big Government Problems

2009-08-23T08:26:00.001-07:00

While the commentariat's condescension is almost comical, the whole evil-or-stupid explanation misses the elephant in Obama's room: Americans of all stripes, it turns out, aren't very keen about the government barging into their lives.

An ABC/Washington Post poll from June showed people preferred "smaller government with fewer services" over "larger government with more services" by 54% to 41%, up from 50%-45% a year earlier (independents were even more pronounced, at 61%-35%). A Rasmussen poll from April showed that 77% of Americans preferred a "free market" economy over a "government managed" economy, up seven percentage points from just last December. A July CBS poll found that 52% of Americans think that Obama is trying to do "too much."

After 11 months of federal bailouts and freakouts, Americans have become bone tired of panicky power grabs from Washington. It's the big government, stupid.

Hurricane Bill

2009-08-22T16:08:00.001-07:00

Hurricane Bill - Track the Hurricane Live on weather.com

Hurricane Bill is accelerating north, well off the Eastern U.S. coast, and is still expected to turn northeast overnight. Bill made its closest pass to Bermuda early on Saturday and will pass by Cape Cod before morning.

As of 5 pm EDT, Hurricane Bill is located 300 SSE of Nantucket, Mass.

Battering waves and dangerous rip currents have already been impacting parts of the Eastern Coast including the Outer Banks, and high waves will spread into New England tonight into Sunday, topping 20 feet along Cape Cod and the Islands.

Free Iran Recap - Freedom Via Internet

2009-06-26T08:26:00.001-07:00

Since the election in Iran on the 12th of June, information about the protests and brutal government crackdowns has flowed in via the internet, particularly social media sites, and specifically Twitter. Twitter was the first place to provide information about the protests as the media largely missed the story in the beginning. Now the flow of information out of Iran has slowed due to massive arrests and violent government oppression. Along with the slowing of information, the main stream media's attention has been diverted. Yet this remains a topic that deserves continued public attention. People are fighting for their freedom under unimaginable conditions.

Here is a recap of some of the videos, stories, and information that has come out of Iran along with the role technology has played...

Total Oppression Versus Open Communication in Iran

In an early show of force students were beaten in their dorm rooms, and their rooms were trashed, computers and the like destroyed. Angered by the brutal beat downs, many professors at Tehran University protested by resigning. Hospital workers who treated the students, also disgusted by the government’s brutality, went on strike the following day to protest the students’ treatment.

Foreign media was banned, journalists have been jailed. Due to the crackdown, citizen journalism virtually the only way the story is getting to the rest of the world.

Iranian government claims that death of Neda was staged by the opposition. They prevent any form of public mourning for both Neda and the many others killed in the protests.

Soccer Team Members who wore green armbands during a game are permanently banned from the sport.

British representatives expelled from the country.

Special courts established for trying arrested protesters.

Mass show of force and violent suppression of peaceful protests continue.

Videos: The first video shows the death of Neda a young Iranian woman who has come to symbolize the Free Iran movement. She was shot while simply watching the protests, and reportedly died by her father's side. Be warned that the first two videos are very graphic and disturbing. The third video, while somewhat less graphic, but is also quite disturbing.

*VERY GRAPHIC* Young Lady Dies on Streets of Iran

*Very Graphic* Video of Iran Protests and Man Badly Beaten

Shooting of Iranian Students Caught on Camera

Massive Show of Force on Streets of Iran

Video of voter fraud in Iranian Election

June 20 Iran Protesters Face Off with Police

Crowds During June 20th Protests

Riot Police Attack Protesters in Iran

Video Showing Scope of Iranian Protests

This Week's Articles:

This week a violent beat down of protesters was under reported as the flow of information slows. CNN and the AP both had reports on this brutality...

AP Reports Iran Security Forces Again Beat Down the Opposition Protesters

Distraught woman describes the brutality to CNN, Reports of Brutal Crackdown In Iran

Article's Prior to the June 20th Protests

Concern About Khamenei’s Statements

Arrests and Protests Continue in Iran

American’s Practical Support of A Free Iran

Articles About the Role of the Internet in post-Election Iran

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Following Iran Elections on Twitter – A Lesson in Freedom and Technology

Google Farsi - English Traslator: Google launches Farsi - English translator Thursday night/Friday morning. A hugely helpful tool that aids communication, and understanding of news directly from Iran.

Cable and Network News relying on Twitter: Saturday the 20th, with a government imposed blackout of foreign media CNN and others have to rely on citizen journalists along with Twitter and other social media sites to gather news. Protests are scheduled even though Ayatola Khamenei has made statements that suggest a possibly violent crackdown on protesters. Reports of tear gas used and armed police barricades used to disperse crowds.

Students Shot on Camera: A tweet linked to this video of Iranian students being shot

A graphic YouTube video of a woman's death (Neda) becomes a symbol of the movement. Trending topic on Twitter is #Neda as references to the video, and her life show how moved people were by her tragic death.

Mousavi Facebook post: Through a post on Facebook it has been reported that Mir-Hossein Mousavi has stated that he is "ready for martyrdom."

Embassies Take Wounded Iranians: Word spreads quickly on June 20th that many European embassies are taking care of wounded Iranians. These embassies along with their address/directions were also diseminated through Twitter. The safety of the hospitals is in question, and the Canadian embassy is pressured (via use of Twitter) to open its embassy too, yet embassy remained closed on Saturday.

Iran Elections and the Internet

An interesting subplot to the Iranian elections is that the internet is providing people more information than major news networks...Dear CNN, Please Check Twitter for News About Iran

Since writing about the Twitter Effect in Iran, and the role of the Internet as a whole, I have also been interviewed on radio and TV. For more info on appearances, please visit the Broad Side of the Barn.

Twitter, Iran, and Cracking the Totalitarian Model

2009-06-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, 'Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.' Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Yet now there is Twitter, other social networks, and the internet at large. It's wise for Tweeters and others to understand that the deck is still stacked against those protesting the election. The Iranian government still controls the media, and in a textbook totalitarian move they have banned foreign press. While members of the Twitter community have set up proxy servers for people in Iran to use, the government has shut down known internet connections, which means that in all likelihood a large majority of Iranians are only hearing the official government version of events.

Yet protests continue and news spreads in large part due to Twitter and the internet. This is not something past totalitarian regimes have had to deal with. There are enough Iranians using Twitter (or other forms of communication) to organize that protests continue. The government has not been able to implement complete control. Hopefully those watching, participating, and following #iranelection on Twitter recognize that there is a definite possibility that this ends very badly as totalitarian regimes are also brutal. The reality is that what results from this is wholly a guess, but it changes the playing field and gives voice to those who previously had none. Person to person communication tools change the dynamic shifting, at least some of the power to the people, and puts a crack in structure of totalitarianism.

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

Obama Cribbing the McCain Platform

2009-06-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

As a staunch McCain supporter I'm over the defeat; that is except when the Obama administration attempts to use parts of the McCain platform that they previously criticized. When the Obama administration followed the McCain plan in their Iraq and Afghanistan I was relieved. They weren't as reckless as their campaign statements made them appear. Also, I have to give them a gamesmanship points (even if they lose honesty points) for completely sticking it to the far left without making them angry. Yet the annoyance started when Obama used the McCain rhetoric about the economy without including all that pesky fiscal discipline. The statements post stimulus about strong economic fundamentals were practically verbatim what Senator McCain said during the election. Now health care is on the table and so is taxing employer based health insurance. Remember Obama campaign ads revolved around the idea that this was a terrible plan for Senator McCain to propose. Now it apparently is not such a bad idea. What makes it worse is that in the McCain plan there was a $5000 tax credit that would have off-set the tax. There will be no tax credit with the Democrat's plan, so any tax assessed is coming right out of your pocket. I'll get over the annoyance, but if the Obama administration keeps adapting McCain ideas the least they could do is adopt his fiscal discipline (and math skills) too.

Obama Using McCain Ideas

Letterman Offends with Palin Joke

2009-06-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

Greta Van Susteren is correct in her analysis that Letterman 'doesn't get it'. His defenders don't get it either. While there are numerous issues that these comments bring up. The basic fact remains there are boundaries (or should be), and the children of public figures should be left alone.

Other good articles regarding Letterman's joke and pathetic apology...

Did David Letterman Get a Free Pass

Dear David Letterman

Steele Suggests Boycott of David Letterman

From my perspective Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune in the article Palin is Right About Letterman has it right

For that matter, it's hard to see what Bristol has done to deserve the ridicule. It's not her fault her mother is a national political figure. Dealing with her situation is hard enough without being under a media spotlight.

Instead of acting as though he's the victim of someone else's misunderstanding, as he did last night, Letterman ought to simply admit he blew it, big time, and personally apologize to the Palins and his viewers.

He also should to keep in mind that if you're going to ridicule someone's sex life, you might pick on someone your own size. And make very sure you have the right person.

Letterman Doesn't Get It

Palin Letterman Feud Starting

2009-06-11T18:04:00.001-07:00

While the Palin Letterman feud heats up, lets look at why David Letterman's bad joke appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

1. Letterman likely jumped on the Palins' last nerve when he made a crude joke at their daughter's expense. Governor Palin hasn't just been criticized, she and her her family have been attacked in a particularly hateful way, and at some point that has to wear thin particularly when ones children are targetted.

2. The Palin's reaction conqsequently was a little overreaching. It seems unlikely that Letterman was referring to the Palin's 14 year old daughter as the Palins thought. Circumstances pointed to the fourteen year old, but Letterman accurately pointed out that he doesn't have a history of making crude remarks referencing children. However, making vulgar remarks about any of the candidates/politician's kids is inexcusable, they didn't choose the public life and should be left alone (and 18 is still pretty young). The Palin's anger is completely justified and understandable.

3. Lots of people are fed up with jokes about female politicians always going 'there.' This can be seen in the HillBuzz blog (a Clinton supporters blog) requesting a boycott of Letterman sponsors. The lead in to the joke about the Palin girl was a crack about Palin looking like a "slutty stewardess." Like Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin has been the brunt of jokes and criticism that directly critique her appearance and sexuality. As hated as Bush and Cheney were in the last eight years, no one criticized their appearance or made explicit comments and jokes about them the way they have about Clinton and Palin. Again Letterman stomped on a raw nerve.

4. Some will be angry at the remark, others will be angry at anything referencing Governor Palin. Therefor this is is going to be big. Palin supporters can be quite intense (and oddly similar to the fervent Obama supporters). They're not likely to let it go, and the left's kooky raging Palin hatred means they won't let it go either.

So there you have it, we're in for a broohaha. Letterman's apology was weak because he was starky towards the Palins, and didn't recognize the fact that all of their kids should be off-limits particularly when making off-color jokes. Michael Steele has addressed the Palin Letterman matter by saying,

"Letterman's joke about Sarah and Todd Palin's daughter was thoughtless and tacky," Steele said in a statement to The Hill. "I saw his explanation for the joke, but sometimes the easiest thing to do is simply say 'I'm sorry.'"
"When Letterman starts making tasteless jokes about kids, it's time to turn the channel,"

Senator McCain defended the Palins saying,

"I don't understand why Letterman would say that about a young woman," McCain said during a telephone interview on Thursday. "They (the Palins) deserve some kind of protection from being the butt of late-night hosts."

As Steve Chapman of the Chicago Tribune sums up the situation in his article Palin is Right About Letterman by stating...

It's hard to see what Bristol has done to deserve the ridicule. It's not her fault her mother is a national political figure. Dealing with her situation is hard enough without being under a media spotlight.

Instead of acting as though he's the victim of someone else's misunderstanding, as he did last night, Letterman ought to simply admit he blew it, big time, and personally apologize to the Palins and his viewers.

He also should to keep in mind that if you're going to ridicule someone's sex life, you might pick on someone your own size. And make very sure you have the right person.

CBS's Feedback Form

Palin Letterman Politics

Senator Brownback on Gitmo

2009-06-05T07:59:00.001-07:00

Senator Brownback talked to bloggers today laying out the problems with closing the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The most pressing of these problems is what to do with the detainees. Senator Brownback explains that one commonly overlooked risk of bringing prisoners to U.S. prisons is that the surrounding prison communities may be subject to violent acts by groups making political statements about the prisoners' detention. He also explains that the Geneva Convention says that prisoners of war will not be held along with a general prison population. Senator Brownback lays out numerous reasons why closing Guantanamo is poorly thought out, and is decisively lacking a realistic and safe plan. The propsal also lacks support both in Congress and among the American people. A new Gallup poll shows that by a 2 to 1 margin Americans Oppose Closing Gitmo and Moving Prisoners to U.S.

This call is worth listening to as one may be surprised at the number of solid reasons the Senator gives for opposing the Obama adminstration's call to close Guantanamo.
Blogger Call with Senator Brownback

Brownback Talks Guantanamo and Foreign Policy « Purple People Vote

Oprah's Poor Health Advice

2009-06-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Newsweek challenges the Oprah Show's health advice...

Live Your Best Life Ever!

Wish Away Cancer! Get A Lunchtime Face-Lift! Eradicate Autism! Turn Back The Clock! Thin Your Thighs! Cure Menopause! Harness Positive Energy! Erase Wrinkles! Banish Obesity! Live Your Best Life Ever!

Article is worth a read - Snake Oil Oprah

Trying Out Post By Mail

2009-05-29T11:11:00.001-07:00

Random Links: McCain Book - Maine Tool - Independent Political Blog - Web Inquiry

National Health Care Plan

2009-05-28T12:24:00.000-07:00

On a blogger call today Senator Coburn and Representatives Nunes and Ryan discussed their alternative health care plan entitled 'Patients' Choice Act.' Representative Nunes noted that the Obama administration has yet to release any of the details of the plan that it is already starting to promote. Summaries of the Patients' Choice Act as well as additional information are given on Representative Ryan's website.

“The Patients’ Choice Act of 2009,” transforms health care in America by strengthening the relationship between the patient and the doctor; using choice and competition rather than rationing and restrictions to contain costs; and ensuring universal, affordable health care for all Americans. “The Patients’ Choice Act” promotes innovative, State-based solutions, along with fundamental reforms in the tax code, to give every American, regardless of employment status, age, or health condition, the ability and the resources to purchase health insurance. The comprehensive legislation includes concrete prevention and transparency initiatives, long overdue reforms to Medicare and Medicaid, investments in wellness programs and health IT, and more.

Republican Health Care Alternative, Patients' Choice Act

Pelosi Needs to Prove That CIA Lied to Her

2009-05-20T08:32:00.001-07:00

While some may see the following statements by John Boehner as politically motivated, in truth he has a strong point to make. If the CIA lied to Nancy Pelosi that's illegal, and Pelosi should follow through on providing evidence so that that they will be held accountable. If the CIA did not lie then they are (at least) owed an apology.

Free Us Now Radio Featured Guest, Author Katherine Morrison

2009-05-03T19:47:00.001-07:00

Featured Radio Presentation

Monday Night May 4th soROARity
Katherine J. Morrison
"Author of An Independent Call"

Free Us Now guest, Katherine Morrison wrote a book about the 2008 presidential election. The book entitled An Independent Call, chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain supporter and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

Rockingham NH County Commissioner, Maureen Barrows, recommends An Independent Call stating that it is- "A must read for anyone interested in the day to day life of a volunteer in a political campaign-attention to detail is brilliant."

No radio needed The Free Us Now Radio show is online - If your computer is down no problem call on the phone and hear the entire show right on the phone- Please come! Monday 10 PM eastern/ Bring your questions.
Call-in 347 539-5420.

Event: Free Us Now Radio Show
Host: BettyJean Kling
Start Time: Monday, at 10:00pm
End Time: Monday, at 11:30pm
Where: http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/NO-WE-WONT
Call-in: 347 539-5420

Are You A Radical Too?

2009-04-17T14:49:00.001-07:00

Tea Party protesters won a victory today as the mainstream media could not ignore their protests like they have in the past. As expected some of the media described the protesters as radicals (ever-classy and most-trusted Anderson Cooper of CNN used an obscene joke to describe the attendees) despite the pictures showing peaceful gatherings of people of all ages in attendance. Yet media logic dictates if you don't love Obama, you must be crazy.

Yet it's not just the media searching for crazy. A report was leaked by DHS on "Rightwing Extremism." To quote the report,

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Dang it, I'm a radical. There were signs, once in high school I got a detention for a overdue library book; even back then I was bad. My internet chatter about obscene government spending has all been a clever ploy to manipulate my readers to take radical action like, 'vote the bums out,' or 'tell your representatives what you think.' I tell you I'm bad, and if I didn't have a job or a cold I would have been one of those crazy tea party animals too. You need further proof that I'm a radical? How about this...

Rightwing extremist views bemoan the decline of U.S. stature and have recently focused on themes such as the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability to China and India, Russia’s control of energy resources and use of these to pressure other countries, and China’s investment in U.S. real estate and corporations as a part of subversion strategy.

Well there you have it. I'm concerned that China owns us, and all our debt, I must be a radical. Granted, I'm a centrist on guns and immigration, and lean a bit left on the social issues discussed in the report, but imagine my surprise to find out that I've been cavorting with other radicals over the past 2 years by volunteering for the McCain campaign. Pro-life, pro-second amendment, high concentration of veterans, don't let the good humor, sarcastic wit, family values, and helpful manner fool you - we were all a big bunch of radicals, just ask MSNBC.

Now I know there is a serious side to this report. Every group in every country has its nutballs, and its the governments main job to protect its citizens from radicals of all sorts. Yet this seems like a veiled attempt to blur the line between staunch conservatives and radical Klan-like groups, when in reality that is a very clear and distict line. Veterans in particular are owed an apology for their less than flattering portrayal in this report. As for me, I'm going to keep chattering about the economy, and take pride in the fact that someone out there thinks I'm radical.

You May Be A Radical Too...

NH Independent and McCain Veteran

2009-04-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from An Independent Call the story a New Hampshire Independent McCain Supporter

Finally, on a more upbeat note, one trait that Senator McCain shares with a good number of his fellow veterans is a wicked sense of humor. While I’d like to say that my rationale for voting McCain was all high minded, I have to admit his sense of humor roped me in in the beginning. It’s probably part of the reason I enjoyed so many of the events with veterans; I’m sure there are veterans out there that lack a sense of humor, but overall I found them quite fun to be around.

During the general election I headed out to canvas a neighborhood with a veteran named Wes. He drove; I hopped out and knocked on the doors. We were canvassing Hampton Beach, a sort of unfortunate task in late Fall to early Winter, since not a lot of people stay at their beach house when the temperature drops. The sheets given to guide us to the appropriate address were accompanied by a brief survey asking whether the occupant was home and whom they were supporting for the different elected offices. The numbering of houses and condos on these sheets could be hard to follow, as locations were not necessarily listed in numerical order. Condo complexes could be particularly difficult to figure out. For instance, 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 16 could be a different page from 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 14, and unit 15 would simply not be on the list at all. The other problem was that you often had to be allowed or buzzed into many of these condo complexes. This basically meant looking for condos, routinely unoccupied due to the season that, even if occupied, could not be accessed. Consequently, we’d just drop a stack of literature on their doorstep, which will likely be picked up sometime this coming June.

So in the process of trying to locate a particular address on Ocean Boulevard, Wes backed his car up right into a pole. Looking down, arranging literature at the time, I was startled at the hit and said, ‘Ooo!’ and looked over at Wes. Thinking, this can’t be good we both hopped out of the car and took a look at his bumper. There was a new yellow stripe down the back side of his car and he said, “Ah, it’s just paint.” Relieved that it wasn’t too serious and that the damage didn’t trouble Wes, we hopped back into the car, and started trying to figure out where our next stop was. As we headed forward we spotted the house number of the next stop; Wes hit the brakes and his coffee flew off the dashboard, hitting me in the arm and soaking my left side. This time Wes looked stunned as I sat there looking at my sweater covered in coffee. “Well, it’s not hot,” I said. He handed me towels and clearly felt badly that I was wearing his drink. I had a t-shirt on under the sweater, so I hopped out of the car again, rung out the sweater and dried it off as best I could with some towels, put it back on, and hopped back into the car. While I smelled of coffee all day, the sweater was dark so it didn’t really matter.

We got through the rest of the doors without much incident, but had trouble finding one particular side street. Finally, we found the tiny narrow street in question; we headed down to the end where we eventually spotted the number of the home on a trashcan outside of a sliding glass door. I got out, knocked on the door, and a young guy, who apparently had just woken up, and was wearing a pair of old boxers and a t-shirt opened the door, saying nothing.

‘Hi, I’m a volunteer with the McCain campaign, and…’

‘No,’ he said and he shut the door and went back to bed.

I got back in the car and said, “Obama.”

As we started to head out of the narrow street I looked back, and Wes said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hit anything… …I saw you watching.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything.”

On the way back to the office he said, “You did a good job.”

“Thanks. You too…”

“Except for the pole.”

“Well that and the coffee, but other than that you did a good job.”

Veteran's Good Humor

In The Beginning - Curiosity

2009-04-12T17:57:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from An Independent Call the amusing story of a New Hampshire McCain supporter.

In the beginning I just thought I’d go see the different candidates at the campaign events in New Hampshire. Four years prior, not long after I moved to New Hampshire from Massachusetts, my sister was volunteering for Senator Kerry’s campaign. She’s a loyal and active Democrat; our parents are Republicans. We talked on the phone after the Iowa caucuses when Howard Dean screamed during his concession speech. She hadn’t heard it called the ‘I have a Scream Speech’ yet, and I said that I felt for him. I figured if I were in politics that would be the sort of thing that would take me out. It wouldn’t be scandal or corruption; I’d simply do something so embarrassing that no one would take me seriously again.

My sister told of a news clip she had just seen of a woman who had met Senator Kerry, then fainted. The video looked like a shot from the Wizard of Oz with Senator Kerry standing over a pair of feet. I was starting to realize that I had missed quite a show by not attending Primary events, so I simply thought this time it would be interesting to see. I certainly had no plans of picking a candidate early, and no interest in joining a campaign. I thought it might give me something to write about on my website, but basically I was just curious.

Kudos Jake Tapper

2009-04-06T18:29:00.001-07:00

Since much of today's media has such a blatant school-girl crush on President Obama, it is important to not only point out the shmoes who can't resist telling America that President Obama gives them a, 'thrill up their leg;' it is also important to point out those few journalists who are credible. National Review did this in their article Jake Tapper Isn't Letting Go. The article not only points out that ABC's Jake Tapper was virtually the only network journalist willing to write an article critical of then candidate Obama, but also that he is now pretty much the only one willing to ask Press Secretary Gibbs a tough question during White House briefings. For many Tapper was the first to show Robert Gibbs as a sub-par press secretary when Gibbs refused to take Tapper's questions about transparency seriously, as shown in the clip below. National Review did all of us who are fed up with the over-the-top media bias a service by not only highlighting Tapper as a solid competent member of the media, but also by reminding us that one can't just complain about those who do a poor job, and that it may be even more important that we applaud and encourage those who are competent than it is to gripe about those whose bias is so obsurd and obvious.

Recognizing a Professional Journalist - Katherine Morrison

Obama Owns the Budget and the Economy

2009-04-02T19:44:00.001-07:00

With an Obama stimulus package, and an Obama omnibus spending bill already passed, and now the a huge Obama budget working its way through the Congress, Politico notes that President Obama owns this budget, and hence the economy. Fierce fights may follow budget victory.

The House and Senate face a flurry of final budget votes Thursday, with Republicans pushed to the margins and having come forward only in the past 24 hours with a detailed alternative of their own.

But the victory for President Barack Obama could prove hollow, especially in the Senate, and Republicans are betting that the president’s very activism will work against him as he takes ownership of more and more difficult economic issues.

“This is a defining moment, and there is overwhelming empathy with folks who are scared to death about the direction this country is going,” Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) told POLITICO. “All of a sudden, you have the president taking over General Motors, the president taking over the financial industry and now the health care industry? I think there will be even a larger outcry coming from our constituents at the ballot box next time.”

Some of this nervousness already seemed evident Wednesday night in a Senate fight over how to proceed on Obama’s climate change legislation. On two successive votes, one as large as 67-31, a solid bipartisan coalition blocked efforts by liberal environmental interests wanting to use expedited budget procedures to circumvent Senate filibuster rules on cap-and-trade revenue provisions.

The defeat raises the stakes further for health care reform as the big remaining prize for the White House in the budget debate. And to a remarkable degree, Obama has been willing to blur the lines between himself and fellow Democrats to help move the process forward with this goal in mind.

Obama Owning the Budget and the Economy

Obama Budget Doubles Deficit in 5 Years Triples it in 10

2009-03-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

Senator Lindsey Graham talked with bloggers today about President Obama’s budget plan. In short, spending is going way up in all areas except for military and defense spending, which will be cut. For President Obama’s budget to add up he has to take an extremely rosy view of the future. His administration is betting that unemployment will peak this year at a little over eight percent, and they are predicting a substantial economic recovery for next year. His view of the current world situation is also extremely optimistic, as he sees little need for spending on military and defense. Unfortunately, there are logistical problems in taking this perspective since, as Senator Graham put it, “We are flying the wings off our airplanes.” Finally, President Obama has included in his budget a plan for cap and trade that Senator Graham explained is far more costly than the McCain - Lieberman - Warner versions of cap and trade that have been introduced and debated in the past. Senator Graham stated that this is old fashion big government liberalism. He went on to say that in 2007 Senator Obama was ranked the most liberal Senator, and that his policies reflect that, that he simply took a year off from liberalism to run for President.

The problem with all this government spending is three fold. We can’t afford it. The likelihood of massive inflation is extremely high. We are burdening tax payers for generations to come with a huge debt that will almost certainly lead to higher taxes. (The fact China owns a huge amount of our debt is not comforting either.) This isn’t as much about partisanship, or liberalism as it is about bad math. Debts have to be paid, and the numbers are being manipulated to try to pretend that this plan adds up when it does not.

Obama Budget Doubles Deficit in 5 Years Triples it in 10

New Sites

2009-03-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

Broad Side of the Barn has added several domain names to its listings in the promotion of An Independent Call.

These include:

An Independent Call - AnIndependentCall.com
Katherine Morrison - KatherineMorrison.com
New Hampshire Primaries - NewHampshirePrimaries.info
Independent New Hampshire - IndependentNewHampshire.info

Also new domains to check out include:

Purple People - Purple-People.info
Battleground States - BattleGroundStates.info

An Independent Call

2009-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Coming from Broad Side of the Barn - An Independent Call by Katherine Morrison

An Independent Call chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain convert and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

Pro-Growth is Most Fair Option

2009-03-04T17:52:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, many in America are losing track of the logistics of the economy and are getting caught up in emotion. People are angry about bailouts and white collar crooks running ponzi schemes and are becoming resentful towards big business and the wealthy. Yet we risk losing site of the real goal of turning the economy around when emotion and arguments about fairness start start trumping logic and math. The reason not to raise taxes on the rich, businesses, and capital gains is not because one loves, hates, or feels indifferently about wealthy people. The reason not to raise taxes on those of means is because they are the ones able to create jobs, and invest in the businesses that are so desperately needed right now. The argument that the rich should pay more because that is what is fair ignores the fact that, particularly in a struggling economy, increasing taxes slows growth. Consequently economic recovery slows, and that is fair to no one. In reality when the economy slumps those just getting by pay check to pay check suffer the most. The rich may not be as rich as before, but they're still rich. Those being laid off and struggling to pay their bills are hurt the most in a prolonged recession, and implementing policies that hinder growth is not fair to anyone.

Also, small business owners are being grouped into the 'rich' category in an unfair manner. If a small business owner makes $250,000 a year that becomes a rather average income if he or she has to pay two to three employees salaries with that income. Also if they are trying to grow their business, it is likely a chunk of that income is being put right back into their business. That isn't the life of the highly privileged wealthy class. We'd be well served by taking the emotion and morality judgments out of economic policy, and simply look for policies that are pro-growth.

Larry Kudlow and Donald Luskin voice their frustration about the current policies that are anti-growth. Certainly, not unemotional in their criticism, they point out why a pro-growth strategy is simply the most fair economic strategy for all Americans.

Pro Growth is What is Truly Fair

McCain Upset About Earmark Broken Promise

2009-03-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Presidet Obama's Address

2009-02-25T16:30:00.001-08:00

There’s no denying that President Obama is one of the most eloquent politicians to come along in a long time. That was on display last night in his address to the joint session of Congress. The President put forth ideas that certainly show a shift in direction from the previous administration. It was nice to see energy and the environment move up the ladder of national priorities. The president also did a nice job in using his popularity with young people to tell them that he expects that they not only graduate high school, but further their education beyond high school, and he framed it well in terms of being a responsibility of citizenship.

What didn’t add up about the President’s speech was the math. President Obama laid out a number of ambitious goals one of which was cutting the national deficit in half by the year 2013. However, instituting programs such as national health care, making college accessible to all citizens, and instituting a cap and trade initiative on carbon emission is beyond ambitious when also trying to cut the deficit. With a huge stimulus package that just passed, a large appropriations bill about to come up for debate, and the possibly of more money needed for bailout plans, it seems highly unlikely that the national debt will do anything other than balloon even further. This isn’t just an issue of a theoretical debt that will some day have to be paid by the tax payer. This is a basic math problem that could negatively impact the economy for years to come. Government services take on an added appeal if the price tag is ignored, and a better explanation needs to be given of the cost to taxpayers before these programs are rubber stamped.

President Obama’s Address

Lost in Space

2009-02-15T08:21:00.001-08:00

Lost in Space from Wired counts down eight weirdest items lost in space. From human remains to a spatula here are the Wired's list...

1. Spatula

2. Tool bag

3. Glove

4. Tank of ammonia

5. Gene Roddenberry's ashes

6. Pee

7. Pliers

8. Camera

For more detail read Wired's Lost in Space article.

Graham On Stimulus Bill

2009-02-08T08:00:00.001-08:00

How much is $1 Trillion

2009-02-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

With the Economic Stimulus approaching the $1 trillion mark, lets look at what $1,000,000,000,000.00 equates to…

$1,597,444 check for all of the 626,000 people that have filed unemployment claims this month.

$227,272 check for all 4.4 million people collecting unemployment benefits.

$333.33 check for every American man, woman, and child.

It would take a worker making $50,000 a year 20 million years to earn $1 trillion.

If ever ticket of every home Red Sox home game at Fenway Park for the 2009 season was sold for $308,642.00 each that would equal $1 trillion.

The GDP of Mexico is just over $1 trillion.

The GDP of India is also just over $1 trillion.

The combine GDP of the following countries is approximately $1 trillion…

Uruguay, Lebanon, Yemen, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Cyprus, Estonia, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Trinidad and Tobago, Ivory Coast, Panama, El Salvador, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea, Iceland, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macau, Jordan, Bolivia, Ghana, Brunei, Paraguay, Gabon, Zambia, Uganda, Senegal, Botswana, Honduras, Burma, Albania, Jamaica, Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Nepal, Armenia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Republic of Macedonia, Chad, Mali, Malta, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Namibia, Haiti, Benin, The Bahamas, West Bank and Gaza, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Moldova, Niger, Laos, Jersey, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Aruba, Zimbabwe, Montenegro, Guinea, Malawi, Rwanda, French Polynesia, Fiji, Barbados, Mauritania, New Caledonia, Kosovo, Togo, Suriname, Swaziland, Guam, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Somalia, Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Cape Verde, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Lesotho, Eritrea, Belize, Bhutan, Maldives, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Gibraltar, San Marino, Saint Lucia, Djibouti, Liberia, Burundi, British Virgin Islands, The Gambia, Seychelles, Grenada, Northern Mariana Islands, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Comoros, Samoa, East Timor, Solomon Islands, Guinea-Bissau, Dominica, American Samoa, Tonga, Micronesia, Cook Islands, Palau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Marshall Islands, Anguilla, Kiribati, Tuvalu

If you'd like your political representatives to now what $1 trillion equates to, their contact info can be found at...

Senators - http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Representatives - https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Stimulating Math

Stimulus Money for Beekeeper Insurance

2009-02-04T18:42:00.001-08:00

Republican Alternative Stimulus Plan

2009-02-04T12:11:00.001-08:00

Republican Senators put together an alternative stimulus package that has a much lower price tag than the current version of the stimulus bill, as the AP reports that the current plan tops $900 billion. The Republican alternative allows home owners to refinance their home mortgages at a low interest rate that will help the home owner and help stabilize home prices in general. This plan also provides more money for infrastructure projects than the current bill and cuts the payroll tax and the corporate tax to encourage economic growth and job creation. Also, it requires spending cuts once the economy has rebounded helping to limit the amount of future government debt. CNN reports not only that their is a this second bill, but moderates are also working on the current bill trimming the excess pork...

Some Republicans want to take it a step farther than their party's leaders. Ten Republican senators, including Sen. John McCain, want more funds -- almost $90 billion -- for infrastructure. They are shopping around a plan with a price tag of just under $500 billion.

"We can either fight the Democrat proposals, which would increase the deficit incredibly and mortgage our children's futures and not beneficially stimulate our economy, which we will do, in many respects. But we have to have a proposal of our own," said McCain, R-Arizona.

That version of the stimulus measure, put together by Florida Sen. Mel Martinez, is broader than the one proposed by GOP leadership, but narrower than the Democratic bill.

The group of Republicans met Tuesday to discuss their plan because they don't believe their leadership's approach, focusing exclusively on the housing crisis and tax cuts, is enough to jump-start the economy.

Another alternative that's getting a lot of attention is a bipartisan plan from Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson and Maine Republican Susan Collins. The two moderate senators are looking at the current economic stimulus package and trying to scrub it of all spending that they say will not stimulate the economy.

One attempt to trim pork from the current bill was successful. An amendment passed sponsored by Tom Coburn that eliminated a $246 million dollar tax break for Hollywood movie companies.

Senator McCain has sponsored a petition protesting the current version of the stimulus bill...

Sign Vote No On The Stimulus Package Petition

Republican Senators Put Together Alternative Stimulus Package

Protest Bloated Stimulus

2009-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Senator McCain sent an email to supporters explaining his opposition to the current emergency economic stimulus package stating that...

Yesterday, the Senate began debate on an economic stimulus package that is intended to get our economy back on track and help Americans who are suffering through these difficult times. Unfortunately, the proposal on the table is big on the giveaways for the special interests and corporate high rollers, yet short on help for ordinary working Americans. I cannot and do not support the package on the table from the Democrats and the Obama Administration. Our country does not need just another spending bill, particularly not one that will load future generations with the burden of massive debt. We need a short term stimulus bill that will directly help people, create jobs, and provide a jolt to our economy.

He further explains the myriad of problems with this bloated stimulus package and asks for people to sign a petition to voice their disapproval of this bill.

Sign Vote No On The Stimulus Package Petition

John McCain Sponsors Petition Protesting Bloated Stimulus Plan

Americans Will Pay the Bill for Overloaded Stimulus Package

2009-01-30T06:51:00.001-08:00

Rasmusen reports that support for the Emergency Stimulus plan is slipping. This is not surprising since the stimulus has been packed with pork, which by anyone's definition seriously stretches the meaning of emergency. Regular Americans know better than many politicians the basic fact that bills have to be paid, and this proposal leaves Americans holding the tab for a pile of pork. President Obama and House Republicans have shown some willingness to compromise, but the House bill that passed yesterday had not one Republican vote for it and 11 Democrats also oppose it for good reason. Just take a look at a few of the items in this bill that have been stuffed into this bill...

• $20 million “for the removal of small- to medium-sized fish passage barriers.”
• $400 million for STD prevention
• $25 million to rehabilitate off-roading (ATV) trails
• $34 million to remodel the Department of Commerce HQ
• $70 million to “Support Supercomputing Activities” for climate research
• $150 million for honey bee insurance

Cited from Earmarks In House Bill

Americans Will Pay the Bill for Overloaded Stimulus Package

Talks to Take Place Israel and Hamas

2009-01-07T15:51:00.001-08:00

Excerpt from Israel, Hamas, Palestinian Authority to Meet for Talks

Egypt's United Nation's envoy says Israel, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority will meet Thursday for talks.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was at U.N. headquarters for the council's emergency session on Gaza, said she had talked with both the Israelis and Arab envoys about the importance of moving forward a cease-fire proposed Tuesday by Egypt and France.

"We are very much applauding the efforts of a number of states, particularly the effort that President (Hosni) Mubarak has undertaken on behalf of Egypt," Rice said. "We're supporting that initiative."

Israel hammered Gaza City with gunfire and air strikes Wednesday minutes after a three-hour cease-fire ended, and its security cabinet voted to push ahead with the ground offensive against Hamas, the Times of London reported.

Israel agreed to principles of the Gaza cease-fire proposal, but has yet to iron out key details about how it would be implemented, senior Israeli officials told Reuters.

The proposal calls for an end to fighting as well as a drive to prevent Hamas militants from rearming, Israel's key condition, Reuters reported

"There is agreement on the principles but translating those principles into practical action is a challenge that is still ahead of us," a senior Israeli official said.

Trouble for the Auto Industry Bailout

2008-12-10T17:16:00.001-08:00

Reports indicate that there is less confidence that the auto indusrty bailout will be passed. Many Republicans and some Democrats question whether the bailout bill will use taxpayer's dollars effectively. The Bloomberg article Democrats Back Off Prediction of Automaker Bailout Approval describes the latest version of the bill.

The Democratic proposal would let the president appoint a so-called car czar to oversee industry restructuring, and give taxpayers stock warrants equal to 20 percent of the loans. It would prohibit the automakers from paying dividends and owning or leasing corporate jets, and pay and bonuses would be limited.

This, however, does not address the inherent problems with these businesses. Preventing the "paying dividends and owning or leasing corporate jets, and pay and bonuses" addresses none of the major problems with these companies. A limit on excesses misses the basic fact that these are failed companies, who can't garner loans from anyone other than Congress. The only check or change that this bill implements is 'a car czar'; the powers of which Chairman Barney Frank tried to explain...

‘Head-Knocking’

Frank told reporters today the bill would give the car czar “a great deal of head-knocking ability” with “a lot of the powers that you would get in bankruptcy.”

The official would have the power to veto participating automakers’ plans to invest abroad, Frank said. Lawmakers want to ensure the companies don’t “take American taxpayer dollars and expand in other countries rather than here, or shut down a plant in America while expanding a plant elsewhere,” he said.

Because Bush and President-elect Barack Obama are unlikely to agree on a czar, Obama will likely replace Bush’s pick as soon as he takes office, Frank said. The Bush administration has said the official should come from the Commerce Department.

So this 'car czar' a likely member of the Commerce Department will be apparently appointed by President Bush then replaced by the future President Obama, and he shall be granted 'head knocking abilities'.

Chairman Frank went on to state that the auto industry will likely need to be granted more money in the future, something Speaker Pelosi has also stated. This does not instill confidence that this bailout will be anything but a waste of money.

A few basic questions for lawmakers...

How will this money fix the failed business policies of the auto industry?

How many bailouts and/or how much money will be paid to the automakers total?

What's wrong with bankruptcy?

What are the requirements for being granted a government bailout?

This is still not an rational solution. Ask your representatives not to support this bailout bill, and make them at least answer the basic question, 'how will this money fix the problems that the auto industry faces?'

Contact Your Senator

Contact Your Congressman

Continued Problems with the Automaker Bailout

Against the Bailout Part 2

2008-12-09T17:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday's article Oppose the Auto Bailout was not intended to be anti-union or anti-auto company, it's simply the opinion of an old fashion cheapskate. If the government is going to spend taxpayer dollars they need to ensure that those funds are not being wasted. There has been little effort to explain why pumping money into failed businesses will fix that failed business model. Voters should contact their lawmakers and let them know they will hold them responsible if they give automakers billions of taxpayer dollars only to see those business collapse in the future.

Contact Your Senator

Contact Your Congressman

Similar sentiments we're expressed by Senator Mitch McConnell (R - KY).

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday regarding proposed auto legislation:

“The auto industry is vitally important to our nation’s economy and it is vitally important to my home state of Kentucky. This is not in dispute. The question before us is how to reverse the decline of some of these auto manufacturers after decades of complicity between management and labor.

“I understand congressional Democrats sent a revised proposal to the White House late last night. We will reserve our judgment until we see the latest text. But the proposal we saw yesterday afternoon fails to achieve our goal of securing the long-term viability of ailing auto companies.

“I want to support a bill that revives this industry. But I will not support a bill that revives the patient with taxpayer dollars yet doesn’t secure a commitment that the patient will change its ways so future help isn’t needed.

“To do so would be a betrayal of the millions of hardworking taxpayers who are not at fault for the troubles in the auto industry. And it would be unfair to the millions of Americans who depend on these companies.

No Auto Bailout Part 2

Against the Bailout Part 2

2008-12-09T17:49:00.001-08:00

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday regarding proposed auto legislation:

“The auto industry is vitally important to our nation’s economy and it is vitally important to my home state of Kentucky. This is not in dispute. The question before us is how to reverse the decline of some of these auto manufacturers after decades of complicity between management and labor.

“I understand congressional Democrats sent a revised proposal to the White House late last night. We will reserve our judgment until we see the latest text. But the proposal we saw yesterday afternoon fails to achieve our goal of securing the long-term viability of ailing auto companies.

“I want to support a bill that revives this industry. But I will not support a bill that revives the patient with taxpayer dollars yet doesn’t secure a commitment that the patient will change its ways so future help isn’t needed.

“To do so would be a betrayal of the millions of hardworking taxpayers who are not at fault for the troubles in the auto industry. And it would be unfair to the millions of Americans who depend on these companies.

No Auto Bailout Part 2

Websites and Blogs

2008-12-09T17:32:00.001-08:00

I started blogging this election cycle as a way to support Senator McCain for President. Now that race has ended, I'm interested in blogging at different sites for different purposes. I will continue my original site Broad Side of the Barn as a light hearted site with some useful resources, however, it is in serious need of updating. Blog topics typically will fall under the heading of internet or politics, but other topics will be addressed as well. Some of these sites are derivatives of ones set up during the election, many of them still need significant work. Here are the blogs I plan on posting to and developing at this time. Thank you for visiting.

Experimental Blogging	Trial and Error Site
States	Local Theme
Surround the Web	Random
Purple People Vote	The old version Purple People Vote
Divied Up	Random
Cracked Back	Random
Linked the Web	Random
Web Driven	Web Topics
U.S. Independent	Politics - Independent
Circle the Web	Random
Blog Gobbers	Fun / Random
Practical 1 Politics	Politics
More Pols	Politics
Independent Voters	Politics
Local Republican Races	Politics...only if contributors want it to continue
Indie-Site	Politics / Independent
McCain Blogger Resources	Internet? - Form? - Maybe?
Battleground States 08	Politics
Web Inquiry	Internet
Independent Voters	Politics / Independent
Who Do I Vote For?	Politics
Round Four	Random
Broad Side of the Barn Store	Internet / Sales - Affiliate Programs
Change Candidates	Politics
Scienceless	Tech and Science Interest
Fiscally Conservative Socially Moderate Independents	Politics / Independent
BroadSideoftheBa...	Humor Random
The Online Volunteer	Philanthropy
Blue Collar Voters	Politics
Independent Voter Resource	Politics / Independent
Rambling Web	Philanthropy
In New Hampshire	NH Local

Here are a variety of other sites of interest. The Maine Tool Room, Dr. Dog Health Care, Blogs for Victory, USA.gov, Network for Good, The Red Cross, The Smithsonian, Zannel, AARA News Service, Real Clear Politics, Joe Lieberman, Righty Blogs

Websites and Blogs

2008-12-09T17:31:00.001-08:00

Experimental Blogging	Trial and Error Site
States	Local Theme
Surround the Web	Random
Purple People Vote	The old version Purple People Vote
Divied Up	Random
Cracked Back	Random
Linked the Web	Random
Web Driven	Web Topics
U.S. Independent	Politics - Independent
Circle the Web	Random
Blog Gobbers	Fun / Random
Practical 1 Politics	Politics
More Pols	Politics
Independent Voters	Politics
Local Republican Races	Politics...only if contributors want it to continue
Indie-Site	Politics / Independent
McCain Blogger Resources	Internet? - Form? - Maybe?
Battleground States 08	Politics
Web Inquiry	Internet
Independent Voters	Politics / Independent
Who Do I Vote For?	Politics
Round Four	Random
Broad Side of the Barn Store	Internet / Sales - Affiliate Programs
Change Candidates	Politics
Scienceless	Tech and Science Interest
Fiscally Conservative Socially Moderate Independents	Politics / Independent
BroadSideoftheBa...	Humor Random
The Online Volunteer	Philanthropy
Blue Collar Voters	Politics
Independent Voter Resource	Politics / Independent
Rambling Web	Philanthropy
In New Hampshire	NH Local

Is the Bailout a Waste of Money?

2008-12-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate floor Tuesday regarding proposed auto legislation:

“The auto industry is vitally important to our nation’s economy and it is vitally important to my home state of Kentucky. This is not in dispute. The question before us is how to reverse the decline of some of these auto manufacturers after decades of complicity between management and labor.

“I understand congressional Democrats sent a revised proposal to the White House late last night. We will reserve our judgment until we see the latest text. But the proposal we saw yesterday afternoon fails to achieve our goal of securing the long-term viability of ailing auto companies.

“I want to support a bill that revives this industry. But I will not support a bill that revives the patient with taxpayer dollars yet doesn’t secure a commitment that the patient will change its ways so future help isn’t needed.

“To do so would be a betrayal of the millions of hardworking taxpayers who are not at fault for the troubles in the auto industry. And it would be unfair to the millions of Americans who depend on these companies.

No Auto Bailout Part 2