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Thursday, April 30, 2009

'Specter The Defector'

The problem with Arlen Specter isn't which party he belongs to on any given day. It's his long history of turning his back on both parties for his own advantage. That's why his 2010 bid for re-election probably won't succeed even though he made the switch back to Democrat earlier this week. Specter has burned too many bridges, stabbed too many people in the back along the way.

One veteran Washington observer who remembers Specter's first defection (from Democrat to Republican) is syndicated columnist David Broder.

From Broder's column in Investor's Business Daily:
It's been more than four decades since Arlen Specter, the senator from Pennsylvania, earned the nickname "Specter the Defector." This week, he confirmed that it is indeed an accurate description of his political character.

I was a kid reporter for the New York Times back in 1965, when Specter's flip-flopping first attracted attention, and the report I filed recounts the circumstances that led to his unflattering nickname.

Specter, then a Democrat, had been an assistant district attorney in Philadelphia, and he harbored an ambition to run against his lackluster boss, a man named James Crumlish. The Democratic bosses of Philadelphia were not encouraging Specter because, as one of them told me, "We don't want another young Tom Dewey," the reform-minded New York prosecutor who launched himself into the governorship and two presidential nominations by sending a string of prominent officeholders of both parties off to jail.

So Specter, with the encouragement of such prominent Pennsylvania Republicans as Sen. Hugh Scott and Gov. William Scranton, said he would run against Crumlish on the GOP ticket. To hedge his bets, and to help himself gain Democratic votes, he waited until he won that race to change his own party registration.
Broder's assessment of Specter is priceless: "Specter's history shouts the lesson that he will stick with you only as long as it serves his own interests — and not a day longer."

Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

Wrong direction

Files this under bad decisions

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued a really bad decision today, striking down a provision in Pennsylvania's gambling law that prohibits politicians from accepting campaign contributions from casino owners.

Even Gov. Rendell, who has been known to accept a campaign dollar or two, thinks it's a bad ruling.

Rendell says he won't take any money from casino owners even if the law allows it, but then again, Rendell isn't running for anything so what's he collecting money for?

Read his statement at the link below:

Governor Rendell Issues Statement on PA Supreme Court Casino Contribution Ruling

100 days of exhausted ideas

For one of the best assessments of Barack Obama's first 100 days in office, check out "Obama's Vision Deficit" from Reason by Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch

From their column:
So here we are, 100 days into the great eight-year triumph of Hope over Change, a new Era of Really Good Feelings in which only one thing has become increasingly, even irrefutably, clear: President Barack Obama is about as visionary as the guy who invented Dippin' Dots, Ice Cream of the Future. Far from sketching out a truly forward-looking set of policies for the 21st century, as his supporters had hoped, Obama is instead serving up cryogenically tasteless and headache-inducing morsels from years gone by.

On issue after issue, Obama has made it clear that instead of blasting past "the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long," (as he promised in his inaugural address), he's moving full speed ahead toward policy prescriptions that already had less fizz than a case of Billy Beer back when Jimmy Carter was urging us all to wear sweaters and turn down our thermostats. Instead of thinking outside the box, Obama is nailing it shut from the inside.
Read the full column at reasononline

Cap and Trade = Energy Tax



Check out this video of an exchange between Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., and Al Gore for the Democrats' admission that Cap and Trade is an energy tax in disguise.

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2008 Report Released

Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2008 Report Released

Cap-and-Trade Bill Leaves Ohio Manufacturing Jobs 'Highly Vulnerable,' Analysis Finds

Six million jobs have been lost since the Democrats took control of Congress after the 2006 elections. So why are Democrats trying to eliminate more jobs with their "global warming" tax?

You may want to ask your Democratic representative in Congress.

Cap-and-Trade Bill Leaves Ohio Manufacturing Jobs 'Highly Vulnerable,' Analysis Finds

National Archives Recalls Flu Pandemic of 1918

True or False? The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed more people than died in World War I.

Find out at the link below, which provides access to the National Archives, where a wealth of information about the Flu Pandemic of 1918 is stored.

National Archives Recalls Flu Pandemic of 1918

New Poll on Obama, Catholics and the Notre Dame Commencement Finds Deep Divisions Among Catholics

What you think about pro-abortion Obama delivering the commencement address at a Catholic university depends on how devout you are, according to a new Pew poll.

New Poll on Obama, Catholics and the Notre Dame Commencement Finds Deep Divisions Among Catholics

The New Three Stooges



Did you hear the Farrelly Brothers (Dumb and Dumber, There's Something About Mary) are making a big-screen version of The Three Stooges set for release in 2010. Here's an exclusive sneak peek at the cast.

Columnist: Toomey can beat Specter

The much-anticipated showdown between Arlen Specter and Pat Toomey, which was scheduled for the 2010 Republican Party Primary in Pennsylvania, won't take place now that Specter has bolted to the Democratic Party.

Instead, the grudge match may be held in November 2010, assuming Toomey and Specter can win their respective party primaries.

So who comes out ahead?

Lowman S. Henry, director and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research and one of the most astute political analysts in Pennsylvania, believes Toomey can beat Specter in a one-on-one contest.

From a new Henry column:
In the potential general election match-up between Specter and Toomey, Toomey will have a number of advantages. First, unlike Specter he will have the passionate support of his party's base. No candidacy can be successful if it cannot excite its base. Toomey will while Specter's reception among core Democrats remains to be seen. Second, Toomey will perform well in western Pennsylvania, which has been trending more conservative and more Republican in recent election cycles. Third, Toomey will best Specter in the Lehigh Valley – his old congressional district – which is a key swing area in statewide politics.

The big challenge for Toomey may be the prevailing national trend in November 2010. If the trends of the past two cycles, 2006 and 2008, continue the race will be uphill for any Republican running statewide in Pennsylvania. But, three such elections in a row are unlikely and by next November the election will be a referendum on President Obama and the policies of the Democratic Party. And that is a party that now includes Arlen Specter.
Read the full column at the Lincoln Institute Web site.

A New Era of Irresponsibility

Health Officials Report Pennsylvania's First Probable Case of Swine Flu

Anyone know where I can buy a box of face masks?

Health Officials Report Pennsylvania's First Probable Case of Swine Flu

Obama Administration Gets Negative Marks in First 100 Days

While Barack Obama continues to enjoy high approval ratings, the people he surrounds himself with leave much to be desired, according to a new Zogby International/O'Leary Report 100-Days Poll.

From Brad O'Leary on growing opposition to Obama's cabinet picks and policies:
"Sooner or later the public's opposition to the President's proposals will eventually take its toll on his job approval numbers. The dichotomy between President Obama's personal popularity and his unpopular proposals cannot continue. How long will the President ride a wave of popularity if his objectives are out-of-synch with most Americans?"
Obama Administration Gets Negative Marks in First 100 Days

PA Announces Disciplinary Actions Against 85 Licensed and Commissioned Professionals, Organizations

Pennsylvania Department of State Announces Disciplinary Actions Against 85 Licensed and Commissioned Professionals, Organizations

May is 'Older Pennsylvanians Month'

Governor Rendell Proclaims May as 'Older Pennsylvanians Month'

April 15 Tea Party Attendance Exceeded 1 Million

With more than 77 percent of 889 events reporting, Pajamas TV has counted over 935,000 attendees for the nationwide tax day tea party protests. PJTV is estimating the total turnout could range from 1,014,000 to 1,071,000.

"The size of the tea party protests indicates that a significant number of Americans are not happy with the economic direction of the country and took the time to make their voices heard," said Roger L. Simon, CEO of Pajamas Media and Pajamas TV.

Read the full release at the link below:

Pajamas TV Final Estimate: April 15 Tea Party Attendance Exceeded One Million

6 million jobs lost under Democrats



More than 6 million Americans have lost their jobs since Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the Democrats took control of Congress after the 2006 elections. The worst recession in U.S. history would begin one year into the Democrats' reign ... and continues today under the Obama Administration.

Barack Obama on Facebook

Everybody and their grandmother has written about Barack Obama's first 100 days in the White House.

For a fresh perspective, check out Barack Obama's own Facebook feed to see how the prez spent his first 100 days in office.

(Hint: It's a fake Facebook account created by Slate's Christopher Beam and Chris Wilson, but it's definitely worth a visit for good for a laugh).

HT: POLICY BLOG

FACT CHECK: Obama's iffy job, deficit claims

Calvin Woodward of The Associated Press dissects Barack Obama's latest promises on jobs and the growing deficit and finds that Obama appears to be pulling numbers out of thin air.

From Woodward's recap of Obama's claims from his press conference Wednesday:
* His assertion that his proposed budget "will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term" is an eyeball-roller for many economists, given the uncharted terrain of trillion-dollar deficits the government is negotiating.

* He promised vast savings from increased spending on preventive health care in the face of doubts that such an effort, however laudable it might be for public welfare, can pay for itself, let alone yield huge savings.

* He pitched a remedy for Social Security's long-term crisis that analysts say won't fix half the problem.
Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported that more than 2 million Americans have lost their jobs since Obama took office and the unemployment rate is expected to continue to rise for the foreseeable future.

Obama's 2009-10 budget, rubber-stamped by Congressional Democrats, shows a minimum deficit of $1.2 trillion next year.

Fuzzy math, wouldn't you say?

Read the full "Fact Check" analysis at The Mercury's Web site.

Also check out this commentary at NewsBusters about the unusual honesty the AP is showing toward Obama.

No surprise here

Specter gets 'the kiss of political death'

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is certain Arlen Specter will not win re-election to another term in the U.S. Senate even after his self-serving switch to the Democratic Party this week.

It all has to do with Elsie Hillman, whom the newspaper describes the "doyenne of Pennsylvania Republican politics," who has a proven track record of backing losers in political races.

Despite Specter's betrayal of the Republican Party, Hillman plans to support him in 2010. Hillman may get lonely as the list of Specter supporters dwindles.

Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

'Talking Politics' Benedict Arlen Edition

Tune in to "Talking Politics with Tony Phyrillas & Mike Pincus" today at 5 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM for a lively discussion on the defection of Arlen Specter from the Republican Party and the ramifications for both Republicans and Democrats.

"Talking Politics" can be heard every Thursday from 5 to 6 p.m. on WPAZ 1370 AM.

You can call the station at 610-326-4000 with questions or comments.

If you can't pick up the station's signal, you can listen to the program anywhere in the world on your computer. The show is simulcast at www.pottsmerc.com and www.1370wpaz.com

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

'Meet Democrat Arlen Specter' Web site launches

The National Republican Senatorial Committee has launched a new Web site -- Meet Democrat Arlen Specter -- to help Pennsylvania Democratic voters get to know their new U.S. senator.

Arlen Specter has a long history with the Republican Party and has represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate since 1981 as a Republican. Specter's days with the GOP ended Tuesday when he announced he is switching his party registration to Democrat and would seek re-election in 2010 as a Democrat.

While Specter has attracted substantial support among moderate Pennsylvania Democrats, will the liberal base of the Democratic Party support Specter in 2010 as he seeks the Democratic Party nomination to run for another six-year term in the Senate?

Potential Democratic voters may want to view the YouTube clip of George W. Bush endorsing Arlen Specter in 2004. There's also a clip of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum endorsing Specter.

The Web site includes postings such as "Specter Opposing Democrats And Their Priorities" and "Specter Supported Republican Policies That Democrats Opposed" and one of Specter praising Rush Limbaugh.

It's all designed to give hard-core Democrats second thoughts about supporting a political opportunist like Specter.

(If you're Rep. Joe Sestak or Joe Torsella -- two Democrats considering running against Specter next year -- you can thank the GOP for digging up all this dirt on Specter for you.)

Visit Meet Democrat Arlen Specter at http://www.nrsc.org/meetarlen/DemPolicies.aspx

Ted Nugent on Obama: 'Has it only been 100 days? It seems like years'

Political pundits everywhere are weighing in on Barack Obama's first 100 days in office.

You probably won't come across a more entertaining analysis than the one offered by guitar hero-turned activist Ted Nugent.

From his column at HumanEvents.com:
Harry Truman had a sign on his White House desk that said "The Buck Stops Here." If Barry Obama (BO) decides to place a sign on his desk in the oval office, I recommend he go with something such as "Do Not Point Me at Anything You Do Not Wish to Destroy."

With the exception of me armed with a guitar snarling and howling in Motown delight, I can't think of another destructive force on the planet as powerful as BO and his Democratic cohorts in Congress. BO's list of destruction in the first 100 days of our sentence to be governed by him is staggering.

If this is kind of hope and change you wanted, you will get plenty more of it. And then the bill will come and we can all play dumb.

Has it only been 100 days? It seems like years. And just think about this: we’re in for another three years and 265 days of this unless some Republicans get a spinal transplant. Can someone please send them a few thousand bottles of testosterone pills?
Read the full column, "It Seems a Lot Longer," at HumanEvents.com

Obama's first 100 days: 'Generational theft'

Georgia Congressman Tom Price, who is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, offers a scathing critique of Barack Obama's first 100 days in office.

From a column published at HumanEvents.com:
The President, with a gleeful seal of approval from his liberal allies in Congress, has already managed to bury future generations of Americans beneath a mountain of debt. Sadly, the President’s hallmark policies -- the $787 billion non-stimulus, the meddlesome bailouts, and the budget plan working its way through Congress -- all send a clear signal that attempts at more generational theft will continue for the foreseeable future.

In just 100 days, President Obama has laid the groundwork for the most intrusive federal overreach in the country’s history, all funded with money we simply do not have. This agenda will not proceed uncontested. As President Obama and Congressional Democrats continue to treat taxpayers like their personal ATM, conservatives will continue to offer bold, positive ideas that prove that we are, once again, the party of solutions.
Read the full column at HumanEvents.com

Obama Spending Spree After 100 Days

Draft Tom Ridge for U.S. Senate on Facebook

That didn't take long.

A Draft Tom Ridge for U.S. Senate page has been launched on Facebook by Jared Walczak.

It already has 45 members.

The Specter of a Super Majority

Let's not cause a panic

I'm confused. The Obama Administration is downplaying the swine flu outbreak. But the head of the World Health Organization just announced that the agency is raising its "pandemic flu alert level" to phase 5 (its second-highest warning) because it believes that a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan: "It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."

Then you have this from Barack Obama: "This is obviously a serious situation," and "we are closely and continuously monitoring."

Which is it? A "serious situation" that Obama is monitoring or a pandemic that may wipe out civilization?

Should we be running through the streets naked or not?

Suze Orman to Keynote Sixth Annual Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women

Maybe Suze Orman can offer Ed Rendell some financial advice, like don't spend $2.3 billion more than you take in.

Suze Orman to Keynote Sixth Annual Pennsylvania Governor's Conference for Women

PA Releases 2008 Child Abuse Report

50 children died in Pennsylvania last year as the result of abuse and neglect -- a statistic that is startling and sobering," said Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle B. Richman, who released the 2008 Child Abuse Report.

"Especially during these times of economic stress, we must all remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of Pennsylvania's children."

According to the report, in 2008, more than 25,000 reports of suspected child abuse were received, an increase of more than 1,600 from 2007, suggesting a heightened awareness among mandated reporters and the general public.

Read more about child abuse in Pennsylvania at the link below:

Secretary of Public Welfare Releases 2008 Child Abuse Report

Michelle Malkin on Obama: '100 Days of Reckless Photo-Op Hubris'

Michelle Malkin does a nice job of summing up the first 100 days of the Obama Administration.

From her latest column:
Come on, who's surprised? The White House-engineered photo-op of low-flying Air Force aircraft that caused terror in New York City this week epitomizes the Age of Obama. What better way to mark 100 days in office than with an appalling exercise in pointless taxpayer-funded stagecraft?

The superficiality, the unseriousness, the hubris, the obliviousness to post-9/11 realities: They were trademarks of the Obama campaign, and they are the tattoos on his governance.

He never leaves home without his teleprompter. All the Obama world's a stage. Or a world ready to be staged.
Read the full column here.

Obama runs out of money



Obama Doesn't Make It Through 100 Days Before Running Out Of Money

Debt Day falls three days before 100-day mark

Republican Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16) took to the House floor today to explain how much spending and borrowing President Obama and Democrats in Congress have undertaken this year.

For 2009, Debt Day (the day on which the government runs out of revenue and starts borrowing to pay for spending) fell on April 26 -- three days before President Obama's 100th day in office.

Specter Changing Parties

Newspaper: Arlen Specter: A RINO no more

"It's all about the liberal Specter maximizing his own power."

Investor's Business Daily hits the nail on the head in explaining Arlen Specter's switch to the Democratic Party.

From an editorial in today's edition:
The climax Tuesday of Arlen Specter's long, drawn-out betrayal of his party may seem like it came out of nowhere — especially since it was only last month that he said he'd seek re-election as a Republican. But why be shocked when a hardened Machiavellian does what comes naturally after doing the math?

As a Democrat, Sen. Specter will now be Washington's king power broker, since he is poised to be the 60th vote for Democrats in the U.S. Senate, constituting a filibuster-proof majority at a time when the federal government is undergoing an unprecedented expansion in size and power.
Arlen Specter: A RINO no more.

No one is falling for Specter's hand-wringing rationale that "since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right." He was just as uncomfortable with Reaganism back then as he is now, all along relishing his role as RINO — Republican In Name Only — whose vote was up for sale.
Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

Spending like there's no tomorrow



As Barack Obama marks his 100th day as president, the United States has witnessed the most debt-riddled first 100 days of any administration in history, according to the Republican Study Committee.

Obama has vaulted far past the debt numbers accumulated by his two predecessors in their first 100 days (in fact past their entire first years!), the RSC says.

In just 100 days, Obama has left future generations $564 billion in new debt. Unfortunately for taxpayers, this is only a preview of what is to come, the RSC says.

More from the RSC release:
As American taxpayers continue to hand over their money to pay for President Obama's reckless spending agenda, it is appropriate to compare his first 100 days to those of previous administrations. The chart above shows the debt accumulated in President Obama's first 100 days compared to those of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Even given the size and scope of President Obama's reckless spending agenda, the figures are sure to surprise. (Source: Bureau of Public Debt)

Obama even blows away the competition when comparing his first 100 days to his predecessors' first full year.

Clinton's 1st YEAR: $312 Billion

Bush's 1st YEAR: $194 Billion

Obama's 1st 100 DAYS: $564 Billion

The Fox Nation

From a post by Noel Sheppard at NewsBusters on Fox News Channel's domination of cable viewership:

Adding insult to injury, TVNewser reported Tuesday that FNC (Fox News Channel) is now attracting more viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined

For those interested, here are the top 20 cable news program in April:

1. "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News): 3,498,000 total viewers
2. "Hannity" (Fox News): 2,566,000 total viewers
3. "Glenn Beck" (Fox News): 2,230,000 total viewers
4. "On the Record with Greta van Susteren" (Fox News): 2,173,000 total viewers
5. "Special Report with Bret Baier" (Fox News): 2,047,000 total viewers
6. "The Fox Report with Shepard Smith" (Fox News): 1,915,000 total viewers
7. "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News, repeat): 1,723,000 total viewers
8. "Your World with Neil Cavuto" (Fox News): 1,520,000 total viewers
9. "America's Newsroom" (Fox News): 1,505,000 total viewers
10. "Studio B with Shepard Smith" (Fox News): 1,314,000 total viewers
11. "Happening Now" (Fox News): 1,247,000 total viewers

12. "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" (MSNBC): 1,237,000 total viewers

13. "The Live Desk" (Fox News): 1,210,000 total viewers

14. "Larry King Live" (CNN): 1,093,000 total viewers
15. "Anderson Cooper 360" (CNN): 1,058,000 total viewers
16. "The Rachel Maddow Show" (MSNBC): 1,042,000 total viewers
17. "Situation Room" (CNN): 898,000 total viewers
18. "Lou Dobbs Tonight" (CNN): 826,000 total viewers
19. "Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull" (CNN): 786,000 total viewers
20. "CNN Newsroom" (CNN): 725,000 total viewers

Did you notice that the Bill O'Reilly repeat showing is drawing more viewers than original programs on MSNBC and CNN?

Check out The Fox Nation Web site for what the Obama-controlled media is not telling you.

2 million jobs lost since Obama took office

You're going to hear a lot of numbers today, which marks Barack Obama's 100th day in office. Most of the spin by the Obama-controlled media will be positive. The most telling is 2,055,000. That's how many Americans have lost their jobs since Obama took office. Where's the hope? Where's the change? The Obama recession will continue and millions more Americans will lose their jobs.

The Associated Press put together an interesting look at Obama's first 100 days. Here are some of the highlights:
Doing the math on Obama's 100 days

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama marks his hundredth day in office on Wednesday, but it's hardly the only digit that matters to the new administration.

Here are some highlights of Obama's first 100 days, by the numbers:

$3.6 trillion — Total spending in Obama's proposed federal budget for 2010.

$1.75 trillion — Total projected deficit in Obama's proposed federal budget for 2010.

$787 billion — Cost of tax cuts and new spending in economic stimulus package approved by Congress.

$558.4 billion — Increase in the public debt, from Jan. 20 through April 24.

$235 billion — Tax dollars spent to bail out failing financial institutions, Jan. 20-April 20.

2.055 million — Number of jobs lost, January-March.

908,666 — Housing foreclosures, Jan. 20-April 24.

106 — U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan since Jan. 20.

49 — U.S. military deaths in Iraq since Jan. 20.

27 — Bank failures.
Read the full list here.

Bailouts R Us

Federal subsidies to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could reach $290 billion in fiscal year 2009 and climb to $389 billion between 2009 and 2019, according to an analysis by Subsidyscope, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Read more at the link below:

Pew Analysis Finds Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Subsidies Greater Than TARP's

PLCB Chairman Responds to Auditor General's Report

PLCB Chairman Stapleton Responds to Report on Professional-Development Contract

4 Republicans Ed Rendell likes

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell issued the following statement in response to U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter's announcement that he has joined the Democratic Party:
"I welcome Senator Specter to the Democratic Party. He is a strong leader who has done great work on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania regardless of their political affiliation.

"Arlen Specter did not leave the Republican Party -- the Republican Party left him. Today's Pennsylvania Republican party is a far cry from the party of (former U.S. Senators) John Heinz, Hugh Scott and Govs. Bill Scranton and Tom Ridge."

What's your favorite flavor?

Obama's Broken Promise: No Tax Hikes on Those Making Less Than $250,000

During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama promised repeatedly that he would never raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000 per year.

A review by Americans for Tax Reform of Obama's first 100 days in office shows he has broken this promise on at least two occasions.

And the pledge will be broken many more times over the next four years.

Obama's Broken Promise: No Tax Hikes on Those Making Less Than $250,000

New Survey Finds 73 Percent of Consumers Cutting Back

Since consumer spending is two-thirds of the American economy, the Obama recession should continue for a couple more years.

The so-called "stimulus" bill, which was nothing more than Democratic pork spending, has failed to restore consumer confidence.

And unemployment continues to rise under Obama and the free-spending Democrats in Congress.

New Survey Finds 73 Percent of Consumers Cutting Back

Wagner: Nothing illegal about PLCB 'Charm School' contract

It may have been a monumental waste of money, but the recent awarding of a $173,820 employee training contract by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board to the husband of a PLCB regional manager did not violate any laws, says Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner.

Wagner anounced today that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board did not violate state law but that it did exercise poor judgment in awarding the contract, creating the appearance of a conflict of interest.

"In awarding a contract to the spouse of one of its regional managers, the PLCB should have anticipated the reasonable public questioning that would result over a potential conflict of interest, regardless of whether that conflict was an actual conflict or the appearance of a conflict," Wagner said.

Read Wagner's full statement at the link below:

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner Finds PLCB Contract in Compliance with Law, but Urges Board to Improve Procurement Procedures

Obama's 100 Mistakes, Misstatements and Missteps in His First 100 Days

The Campaign for Working Families has released a top 100 list of "Mistakes, Misstatements and Missteps for the Obama Administration." It's pretty convincing evidence that we are witnessing the most incompetent presidential administration ever. Bring back Jimmy Carter!

The list is broken up into topics such as Undermining Our National Security, Undermining Free Enterprise and Undermining Our Values.

Click on the link below to review the 100 Obama screw-ups:

Bauer Notes Obama's 100 Mistakes, Misstatements and Missteps in His First 100 Days

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Tom Ridge for U.S. Senate?

A lot of speculation about what the defection of Arlen Specter to the Democratic Party will mean for the 2010 Pennsylvania Senate race.

While conservative Republicans are backing former Congressman Pat Toomey, there's still some doubt about Toomey's ability to win in the General Election.

Bill Pascoe, writing at CQ Politics, suggests the GOP establishment that has backed Specter for the past 25 years, will soon be looking for an alternative to Toomey.

"The moderate-to-liberal David Brooks-reading Republicans who form the core of the Pennsylvania GOP establishment aren't about to hand over their U.S. Senate nomination to the conservative Toomey," Pascoe writes. "There's too much at stake, and it has little to do with a seat in the U.S. Senate."

From Pascoe's column:
Knowing how moderate GOP establishment types think, I'll wager they've already reached out to some major moderates.

But I'm willing to bet there's a bigger play about to unfold -- a call to former two-term Gov. Tom Ridge.

Ridge is a serious man, who left a serious footprint.
I'm not sure Pascoe realizes Ridge moved out of Pennsylvania years ago, but there's no denying Ridge is a proven vote-getter, having won two terms as Pennsylvania governor before resigning to become the nation's first Secretary of Homeland Security.

After the disastrous administration of Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, who has left Pennsylvania in a fiscal hole of historic proportions, Pennsylvania residents will be looking to elect a Republican governor in 2010. And with the Democratic majority in the state House dogged by the biggest corruption scandal in the state's history, voters may end up sending a Republican majority to the Legislature, too.

The reason the top-of-the-ticket U.S. Senate race is so important is that redistricting will occur after the 2010 Census and that means the party in power in Harrisburg will get to redraw Congressional and Legislative seats.

With so much at stake, Pascoe argues the GOP party bosses will not take a chance on Toomey. They would rather have a "moderate" like Tom Ridge, somebody closer to Arlen Specter, who has held the Senate seat since 1981.

While many Pennsylvania GOP figures harshly criticized Specter for his defection to the Democratic Party, Ridge released a wishy-washy statement praising Specter: "In no way does his departure from the Republican Party diminish his long record of service to his country and to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

It sure sounds like Ridge and Specter have a lot in common.

Ridge would attract independents and Democrats and would negate any appeal the 80-year-old Specter would have with many of those same Pennsylvania voters. In other words, Ridge would mop the floor with Specter.

But is he willing to move back to Pennsylvania? And could he beat Pat Toomey in a Republican primary?

Quote of the Day (about Arlen Specter)

A lot of people had a lot to say about Benedict Arlen Specter, but this is my favorite from Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele:
"You can tweak my nose, you can pull at my hair, but sooner or later enough is going to be enough, and I think a lot of Pennsylvania Republicans had had enough."
From a post at National Review Online

Rep. Curt Schroder on why 'Card Check' must not pass

FRC on Specter defection: 'If it looks like a donkey, quacks like a donkey and votes like a donkey - then it is probably a donkey.'

Family Research Council Action Senior Vice President Tom McClusky is not too broken up about the news that Sen. Arlen Specter has switched parties:
"Senator Specter's actions today come as no surprise. To paraphrase an old saying, 'if it looks like a donkey, quacks like a donkey and votes like a donkey - then it is probably a donkey.' This holds true for Senator Specter and the Democrats in the Senate.
Read the full statement at the link below: Senator Specter: Switching Parties or Coming Home?

100 Days and Counting ... Card Check in Limbo

Sen. Arlen Specter, a Republican-turned-Democrat, said during a press conference today that he will not switch his vote and support the Democrats' "Card Check" bill to end secret ballots and force unions on more American companies.

The question is: Can you trust anything Specter says?

100 Days and Counting...Card Check in Limbo

Survey: Swine Flu Outbreaks Cause Concern among U.S. Physicians

A new survey says more than half the physicians contacted believe there is a risk for "a catastrophic pandemic" if the Swine Flu is not contained.

Read the full results at the link below:

Swine Flu Outbreaks Cause Concern among U.S. Physicians

Newspaper: Jack Wagner could knock Specter off in 2010

One of Arlen Specter's least-favorite newspapers, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, is urging Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner, a moderate Democrat, to challenge Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter in the 2010 Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat representing Pennsylvania.

From the editorial:
The Pennsylvania auditor general has been toying with either a run for the Democrats' nomination for governor or U.S. Senate next year. Specter's defection should make up his mind. Given Mr. Wagner's ability to garner statewide votes — his 2008 vote totals outstripped Specter's 2004 vote totals by nearly half a million — Wagner could kick Specter's arse in the primary.

And that, finally, would dispatch Arlen Specter to the dustbin of political history.
Read the full editorial, "Specter bolts: Run, Jack, run!" at the newspaper's Web site.

Emperor Obama Has No Clothes

The Two Faces of Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter earlier this year on why Pennsylvania Republicans need to support his re-election in 2010:
"If we lose my seat they have 60 Democrats, they (Democrats) will pass card check, you will have the Obama tax increases, they will carry out his big spending plans. So the 41st Republican, whose name is Arlen Specter, is vital to stopping tax increases, passage of card check and the Obama big spending plans."
Arlen Specter today after announcing he is switching to the Democratic Party in a last-ditch effort to save his political career:
"I have found myself increasingly at odds with the Republican philosophy and more in line with the philosophy of the Democratic Party. I am not prepared to have my 29 year record in the United States Senate decided by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate."
Let's face it. This guy will say anything, do anything to save his own skin. His loyalty is to himself, not to the voters who elected him. He's two-faced an lacks principles. The Democrats can have him.

Poll: 53% Say Next President Likely to Be a Republican

Some not-so-good news for Barack Obama and his media supporters, who are busy celebrating The Chosen One's 100 days in office.

From Rasmussen Reports:
For the first time since Barack Obama was elected president last November, more than half of US voters (53%) say it is at least somewhat likely that the next occupant of the White House will be a Republican.

Thirty-one percent (31%) say it is Very Likely. Thirty-five percent (35%) say it is not very or not at all likely, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Twelve percent (12%) arent sure.

This is not an expectation related to the 2012 election. It is a question about the President following Obama which could happen in either 2012 or 2016.

Naturally, there is a partisan divide -- 77% of Republican voters say it's likely the next president will be from their party. Just 39% of Democrats agree. Still, that's an increase among both parties from previous surveys. Among voters not affiliated with either major party, 47% now say a GOP president is likely, while 33% think not.

Just after Obama's election, 50% of voters said the next president is likely to be a Republican ... Forty-six percent (46%) of voters now say President Obama is governing like a partisan Democrat, down four points from last month.

But the new finding is still higher than those in surveys during Obama's first few weeks as president. Thirty-five percent (35%) believe the president is governing on a bipartisan basis, and 18% are undecided.
Read more poll results at the Rasmussen Reports Web site.

And more good news for the GOP. Rasmussen Reports says that "for just the second time in more than five years of daily or weekly tracking, Republicans now lead Democrats in the latest edition of the Generic Congressional Ballot for the 2010 elections."

Read those poll results here.

Obama's 100 days of failure

Nancy Salvato, senior editor of the online political magazine The New Media Journal, does an excellent job of recapping the first 100 days of the failed Obama Administration.

From her post:
As President Obama ends his first 100 days in office, we are left with the images of his deep bow to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, his hearty handshake with Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan "strongman" President and his silence upon Daniel Ortega, the former Sandinista Nicaraguan President's diatribe about terroristic U.S. aggression, and the list goes on. The honeymoon is over. It is obvious that the man holding the highest office in the land is enacting a socialist agenda and will use any excuse to move his ideas forward. He has exhibited no real understanding or respect for the Constitution, the highest law of the land. Isn’t ironic that he deems himself a "Constitutional Scholar"?
Read the full column, "In Just 100 Days," at this link.

Obama's mock attack on NYC



While The New York Times, the official propaganda arm of the Obama Administration, downplays the story, New York's tabloids appropriately put the Air Force One flyover story on Page 1 of today's editions.

Imagine the coverage if George W. Bush had pulled a bonehead move like this.

Read the New York Post coverage, "AIR HEADS IN DC TERRORIZE CITY," at the newspaper's Web site.

Check out the New York Daily News coverage at the newspaper's Web site.

Check out the YouTube video of panicked civilians below.

Specter waives the white flag




From a March 6, 2009, post at this blog:
Specter's only option for retaining his Senate seat is to switch his party affiliation to Democrat. The question is, would the Democrats take him back?
Well, I guess we found out the answer today.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele issued the following statement:
"Let's be honest: Senator Specter didn't leave the GOP based on principles of any kind. He left to further his personal political interests because he knew that he was going to lose a Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record. Republicans look forward to beating Sen. Specter in 2010, assuming the Democrats don't do it first."
Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Rob Gleason suggested Specter give back campaign contributions he received from Republicans now that he's abandoned the party.

Keep this in mind, also from my earlier post:
Pennsylvania is trending blue and the Democrats could win the Senate seat without Specter, so why take a GOP retread when the Dems could run a younger, more liberal candidate. If Specter can wheel-and-deal his way to the Democratic Party nomination, it sets up a November 2010 showdown between Toomey and Specter. And that's a toss-up.
Avoiding a primary fight against the GOP's Pat Toomey is not the end of Specter's problems.

Can Specter win the Democratic primary in 2010? Stay tuned.

Which is worse?

The mayor of New York is furious that the Obama Administration would send a low-flying jumbo jet trailed by jet fighters into the area near Ground Zero on Monday.

The last time New York resident witnesses something like this was on Sept. 11, 2001, when 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks launched by Muslim fanatics.

I'm not sure which is worse. The error in judgment of Obama officials in staging a publicity event reminiscent of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history or wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to do it.

Either way, it shows how incompetent and insensitive the Obama administration is.

Can someone who voted for Obama explain which case we're dealing with here? Incompetence or uncontrolled arrogance? Was this the best use of taxpayer dollars at a time when so many Americans (you know, the little people Obama was supposed to help) are out of work or struggling to make ends meet.

For another perspective on Obama's mock attack on the city, see Bluftooni.

And check out video of panicked civilians at the YouTube video below. I wonder how many of them voted for Obama.

PA Civil War Trails Focuses on Untold Stories

PA Civil War Trails Focuses on Untold Stories

Giving pigs a bad name

The American Meat Institute is not happy that 'Swine Flu' is the biggest story in the world. It's going to hurt sales soon as people continue to panic.

The head of the American Meat Institute says that pork is safe and consumers do not need to change their eating habits in the wake of this news.

"Public health officials, including those from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, have made clear that pork is not a source of influenza. Consumers can continue to enjoy pork with confidence."

Media Urged to Correct Inaccurate References to 'Swine Flu': "The American Meat Institute"

Obama has teleprompter troubles

Monday, April 27, 2009

School board seeks voluntary wage freezes

One of the few sectors the recession has not impacted is public education, where school districts continue to spend at twice the rate of inflation and teachers continue to receive generous pay raises.

One Chester County school district is trying to address skyrocketing expenses by asking its administrators, including principals, to forgo pay increases.

Owen J. Roberts School Board President Edward Kerner has asked all school district administrative employees to voluntarily freeze their salaries for the 2009-10 school year, reports The Pottstown Mercury.

From an article by Laura Catalano:
"We are all aware of the difficult economic environment that has developed over the past year. All reports indicated that the recession is not abating and is the worst since the Great Depression," Kerner said, reading from his statement. He further noted that many district taxpayers have suffered job losses and wage freezes, while others "have seen their retirement nest eggs suddenly shrink."

He pointed out that the board has been working to "reduce spending so our taxpayers can afford to remain in their homes."
Owen J. Roberts School District Superintendent Myra Forrest has already requested that her salary be frozen at its present level of $164,807 for the 2009-10 school year.

The school board does not have the authority to impose a wage freeze because school administrators are covered under something called Act 93 in Pennsylvania, which means that the board can only ask for a voluntary freeze.

Forrest said 47 of the 50 administrators in the OJR school district fall under Act 93.

The proposed wage freeze, which was initiated by district taxpayers who presented the school board with a petition, is supported by The Mercury in an editorial.

Just how dumb is the Obama Administration?

I wonder which Obama Administration rocket scientist came up with this one?

I would have liked to have been a fly on the wall of this meeting: Let's have a Boeing 747 fly low toward the New York City skyline and let's have a couple of military jets trail the airplane. And let's not tell New Yorkers that this is just an exercise so we can see how many people will panic.

Was everyone in the Obama Administration in a coma on Sept. 11, 2001?

Click on the link below to see video of the latest lame-brained stunt by the Obama administration.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090427/pl_afp/usmilitaryaviationexerciseapology

Robert Gibbs is turning into the Iraqi Information Minister




Does Obama Press Secretary Robert Gibbs remind you of former Iraqi Information Minister Muhammed Saeed al-Sahaf?

Is Gibbs the most clueless man ever to occupy the job?

It appears so. Take a look at this story posted at POLITICO, "Gibbs gives nonanswers at briefing"

What are we paying this guy for? I'm no fan of the Obama Administration, but Gibbs is an outright embarrassment.

And if you need a refresher on who was, check out www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com

No Good Deed ...

190,000 visitors

My site counter has recorded 297,000 page views from 190,000 unique visitors since I installed in 2007. Thanks for stopping by and come back again.

The Mercury wins 4 awards

Congratulations to my colleagues at The Mercury for winning several writing and photography awards in the annual contest sponsored by the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors.

The Mercury won the following awards in the under-30,000 circulation category for daily newspapers:
WRITING

Editorial
First Place: Nancy March, The Mercury, Pottstown, "State budget plan built like a straw house"

Column
First Place: Evan Brandt, The Mercury, Pottstown, "Remember kids, don't be a smartass"

Public Service
Second Place: Evan Brandt and Nancy March, The Mercury, Pottstown, "Keeping local officials on track"

PHOTOS

Photo Story
Second Place: Daniel Creighton, The Mercury, Pottstown, "Fire ravages 3 buildings"
The contests were judged by editors at AP member newspapers in Colorado. The great thing about the PAPME contest is that cash awards are presented to the first-place winners in addition to a plaque.

Argall backs referendum on property taxes

The newest member of the Pennsylvania Senate wants to give Pennsylvania voters an opportunity to have a say on property taxes.

Property tax reform has been debated the Legislature for more than 30 years without any results. Efforts to eliminate property taxes have stalled in both the House and Senate, with legislative leaders reluctant to change the current system of funding public education.

Sen. David Argall, R-29th Dist., wants to give taxpayers a chance to tell lawmakers exactly what they want done with property taxes.

Senate Bill 818 and House Bill 637 would allow voters to decide between the current property tax system and the three most popular property tax replacement proposals in the General Assembly, based on the number of co-sponsors for legislation in the House and Senate, Argall said at a press conference Monday.

The property tax proposals would be placed on the November ballot. Voters would then be given the opportunity to choose between the three proposals or leave the current property tax structure intact, Argall said.

"I have introduced legislation that would allow voters to bring real property tax reform, through the touch of a button in the voting booth in November," Argall said.

While the referendum is non-binding, it should show legislators who have consistently opposed property tax reform that most Pennsylvanians support some form of property tax relief, said Rep. Tom Quigley, R-146th Dist., who is a co-sponsor of Argall’s bill in the state House.

Co-sponsors of Argall's legislation in the Senate include: Sens. John Rafferty, Michael Waugh, Michael Brubaker, Kim Ward, Richard Alloway and Rob Wonderling.

Co-sponsors in the House include: Reps. Matthew Baker, Robert Belfanti, Kerry Benninghoff, Karen Beyer, Paul Clymer, Thomas Creighton, Garth Everett, Richard Geist, Jaret Gibbons, Keith Gillespie, Mauree Gingrich, Robert Godshall, Neal Goodman, Seth Grove, Sue Helm, Tim Hennessey, David Hickernell, Scott Hutchinson, Rob Kauffman, Mark Keller, Sandra Major, Bob Mensch, David Millard, Thomas Murt, Donna Oberlander, Scott Perry, Jeffrey Pyle, Tom Quigley, Mario Scavello, John Siptroth, Timothy Solobay, Curt Sonney, Rosemarie Swanger, W. Curtis Thomas and Randy Vulakovich.

Argall is the newest member of the state Senate, which has a 30-20 Republican majority. Argall, who spent 24 years in the House, was elected in March to fill the Senate seat formerly held by the late James J. Rhoades.

The Hokey Pelosi



Read the related editorial, "Pelosi's Claims Of Powerlessness," at the Investor's Business Daily Web site.

Immigrant Unemployment at Record High

The new report by the Center for Immigration Studies includes immigrant unemployment (legal and illegal) data for Pennsylvania.

Immigrant Unemployment at Record High

PA working to contain impact of Swine Flu

There are no reported cases of Swine Flu in Pennsylvania, but the way the disease is spreading, it's only a matter of time.

Pennsylvania Working Closely With Federal Partners to Contain Impact of Swine Flu

Study Finds High Retention Rate Among Catholics

Pew Study Finds High Retention Rate Among Catholics, Points Out Concern for Disaffected Youth

4 Penn State students charged in $1.2M drug bust

Pennsylvania Attorney General Corbett Announces Charges Against Four Penn State University Students in $1.2 Million Drug Bust

Swine Flu: Infection Control in Hospitals Will Be Critical

Swine Flu: Infection Control in Hospitals Will Be Critical

Does Obama have Swine Flu?

President Barack Obama says there is no "cause for alarm" over the growing threat of Swine Flu. Is this guy feeling alright? Can somebody take his temperature?

Did Obama contract a case of the flu during his recent visit to Mexico?

Does this guy read a newspaper or watch television?

How else would you explain Obama's comment in light of the following headlines:
World on alert for Swine Flu

Department of Health and Human Services declare public health emergency

U.S. advises against Mexico trips

World Health Organization Chief: Swine Flu Has 'Pandemic Potential'

Europen Union advises against traveling to the United States

Mexico has reported 1,600 cases, and 150 deaths so far

At least 40 Swine Flu cases confirmed in U.S.

Oil falls on worries swine flu may halt economic recovery

Asia-Pacific region on high alert against swine flu

The Biggest Spending Spree in American History



As Barack Obama approaches his 100th day as president, the United States has witnessed the most debt-riddled first 100 days of any administration in American history, according to the Republican Study Committee.

Obama has vaulted far past the debt numbers accumulated by his two predecessors in their first 100 days (in fact past their entire first years!), the RSC says. In just 100 days, Obama has left future generations $564 billion in new debt. Unfortunately for taxpayers, this is only a preview of what is to come, the RSC says.

More from the RSC release:
As American taxpayers continue to hand over their money to pay for President Obama's reckless spending agenda, it is appropriate to compare his first 100 days to those of previous administrations. The chart above shows the debt accumulated in President Obama's first 100 days compared to those of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Even given the size and scope of President Obama's reckless spending agenda, the figures are sure to surprise. (Source: Bureau of Public Debt)

Obama even blows away the competition when comparing his first 100 days to his predecessors' first full year.

Clinton's 1st YEAR: $312 Billion

Bush's 1st YEAR: $194 Billion

Obama's 1st 100 DAYS: $564 Billion

The Obama Media

Howard Kurtz, who covers the media for The Washington Post, says a new study shows that the television networks provided more coverage of Barack Obama's first 50 days in the White House than they did in a similar time period for George W. Bush and Bill Clinton combined!

From Kurtz's Media Notes blog:
The networks have given President Obama more coverage than George W. Bush and Bill Clinton combined in their first months -- and more positive assessments to boot.

In a study to be released today, the Center for Media and Public Affairs and Chapman University found the nightly newscasts devoting nearly 28 hours to Obama's presidency in the first 50 days. (Bush, by contrast, got nearly eight hours.) Fifty-eight percent of the evaluations of Obama were positive on the ABC, CBS and NBC broadcasts, compared with 33 percent positive in the comparable period of Bush's tenure and 44 percent positive for Clinton. (Evaluations by officials from the administration or either political party were not counted.)

On Fox News, by contrast, only 13 percent of the assessments of Obama were positive on the first half of Bret Baier's "Special Report," which most resembles a newscast. The president got far better treatment in the New York Times, where 73 percent of the assessments in front-page pieces were positive.

A striking contrast: Obama's personal qualities drew more favorable coverage than his policies, with 32 percent of the sound bites positive on CBS, 31 percent positive on NBC and 8 percent positive on Fox.

Columnist: Dems dismiss anti-tax fervor at their own peril

Salena Zito, who covers politics for The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, warns Democrats and their media allies that the disdain shown for hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans who took part in the Tea Parties could cost them in the future.

"Everybody complains about taxes and government spending, but nobody does anything about them," Zito writes in a new column. "Perhaps that's because whenever they do something, they're often labeled as racists, right-wing extremists or worse."

More from Zito's column:
Obama's campaign promised change and hope, yet so far, his presidency mostly has been about ramping up government programs and spending -- not necessarily the change people thought they would get.

"In short, I think people are just feeling disillusioned and duped by politicians who keep promising solutions and delivering more problems," says Lara Brown, a political scientist at Villanova University.

She thinks politicians and the media are behaving arrogantly by dismissing what is going on.
Zito adds this cautionary note for Barack Obama and the Democrats, who arrogantly assume they've amassed a permanent majority in Washington:
Our society moves forward only when it experiences setbacks; oddly, those setbacks ensure our perseverance. And the United States is a democracy that flourishes on free speech and the right to gather in protest.

Dismissals of today's anti-tax protests are a little like dismissals of Ross Perot when he ran for president in 1992: His anti-tax, anti-big-government message -- not Bill Clinton -- is what really beat George H.W. Bush.
Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.

Reforming gambling in PA



The appointment of Greg Fajt, Gov. Ed Rendell's chief of staff, to replace Mary DiGiacomo Colins as chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has not instilled confidence in the editorial board of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

From a recent editorial:
Pennsylvanians haven't exactly hit the jackpot with the state's continually spinning, always controversial Gaming Control Board. They've received lots of lemons along the way.

Loose licensing. Board employees at odds with the law. "Transparency"? What's that? And talk of a possible FBI and/or state grand jury investigation doesn't exactly instill confidence in this enterprise.

What's needed, now, is an advocate for the public interest, not an arrogant bureaucracy that has gambled away its credibility.
Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.

100 days into a failed presidency

Montgomery County resident Ray Chernaskey does a good job of summarizing the failed presidency of Barack Obama in this Letter to the Editor published in The Pottstown Mercury.
Summing up Obama: A boorish amateur

To all the liberals, Democrats, and uninformed who supported President Barack Hussein Obama:

How's this working out so far? He can't fill his cabinet without appointing tax cheats (including the head of the Treasury Department), several appointees decided he was an empty suit and declined his offer. He appoints an attorney general that says America is racist (a ridiculous statement since the U.S. has done more for equal rights than any country in the world and race issues are 30 years old. He runs around Europe apologetic for the U.S. and pandering to extremist Muslims, appoints a moronic economic advisory chief from "Cal Berserk-ley" who wants to socialize our economy, and appoints another staffer who says America is a disgrace and tortures people (again uninformed and moronically ideological).

The liberals and Dems screamed about the President Bush economic deficit. Have they and the press pulled their heads out of their derrieres and looked up lately? A deficit that is astronomically and exponentially more voluminous than anything ever seen in American history (Obama has now spent more money in his first 100 days than America spent in the last collective 200 years!).

And for those who repeatedly bash President Bush (obvious "Bush Derangement Syndrome"), may I remind you that we were under 5 percent unemployment two years ago; then the Democrats took over Congress. The rest is history. Look it up. Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Christopher Dodd are the real culprits for this sub-prime mortgage fiasco. Barney Frank's gay lover was an executive at Fannie Mae and was severely influenced by the urban redevelopment position of Frank to write, accept, and package very bad loans in the "spirit" of community investment for the underprivileged (a.k.a. — Aren't responsible and can't pay).

And now the worst and reason for this letter. America is being held hostage by a barbaric bunch of thugs from Somalia! The same savages that killed U.S. personnel and hung them in effigy in Mogadishu. Savages with AK47s at the best who think they can pirate an American flagged ship —hasn't happened in 200 years. Why do they think they can do this? Because the U.S. has a weak, spineless, apologetic, appeasing president that the world knows whom they can take advantage. Do you think Somalia thugs would try this on President Bush, Reagan, or even Clinton? North Korea launces a rocket over Japan and our fearless leader asks the U.N. to admonish them? Oh, that always works. Can you imagine how hard Putin is laughing right now?

But Cambridge, Berserk-ley, Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco (the city that won't let the Marines recruit), and an unbelievably naive American public elected a guy who is in way over his head because he is cool. For crying out loud, he is still campaigning; (when did a real "presidential quality" person go on late night television?) — very chief executive-like. He is boorish and an amateur. In addition, supporters forget or ignore, that he come from Chicago, Ill. — the most corrupt political city and state on the planet.

I love America. I love our Constitution and system of government, but this time America made a huge mistake. If you are not old enough to remember the President Jimmy Carter debacle, fasten your seat belt, you are in for a ride that you will not believe. I hope you ultimately feel the embarrassment for America that I now feel. And I haven't even mentioned our president's Marxist disposition or the insane corporate bailouts. Are we a capitalistic economy anymore?

Our president got a huge reception in Europe. Who cares? Does America want to be Europe? I say no. What works in Europe? It is chic, but pathetic. Can you imagine a world without America's contribution? Think about it, where would the Soviet Union, Middle East, Africa (where President Bush is given credit for saving a million lives with his AIDs policy) and every nation that has a tsunami, earthquake, or uprising be without America. Maybe America is made up of saps, I don't know.

We got what we voted for but not what we deserve. Smarten up America!

RAY CHERNASKEY
Gilbertsville

Ex-Veon aide promoted by Rendell

Just because your former boss has been indicted in the biggest corruption scandal in state history doesn't mean you can't rise to a top position in the Rendell Administration.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Colleen Kopp, the former aide and lobbying partner of ex-Rep. Mike Veon, has been promoted to the post of Rendell's secretary for legislative affairs.

The promotion comes about a month after Kopp joined the Rendell Administration as deputy legislative secretary.

Kopp is not facing any charges in the Bonusgate corruption case, but her name was mentioned in a recent grand jury report that led to the arrest of Veon and 11 other members of the House Democratic Caucus, according to reporter Brad Bumsted.

Kopp was hired by Rendell in March to a $102,000 state job despite a hiring freeze Rendell imposed last fall.

Read Bumsted's full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

100 mistakes in 100 days by Barack Obama

The New York Post has compiled a list of 100 mistakes made by Barack Obama in his first 100 days as president.

Why stop there? These are the 100 mistakes we know about. This has turned out to be the most secretive administration since Nixon occupied the White House. And then you have the mainstream media working overtime to cover up Obama's incompetency.

Can this nation survive another 1,365 days of an Obama presidency?

I dare Obama supporters to look at the list and refute a single item. It's time to put down the Kool Aid, stick your head out of the sand and admit what a monumental mistake was made on Election Day.

In addition to compiling the list of Obama blunders, The New York Post asked for guest commentaries on Obama's 100 days of failure from such luminaries as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, FOX News TV/radio host Glenn Beck, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, former Bush White House Spokesperson Dana Perino and Col. Ralph Peters.

You can review the New York Post list of mistakes at the newspaper's Web site.

Media hypes Obama approval numbers

Should anyone be surprised that the Obama Media is misleading the American public about The Chosen One's job approval numbers? After all, this is the same media that helped elect Obama.

Judith Apter Klinghoffer, writing for George Mason University's History News Network blog, says that the Gallup poll shows Obama's 56 percent job approval rating trails that of George W. Bush's 62 percent approval for the same time in his presidency.

Yet, the Obama Media continues to report that Obama is riding high in the polls.

Shockingly, Obama's approval numbers after three months in office rank 7th when stacked up against the last nine presidents.

From Klinghoffer's post:
Gallup reports that 56% of the public believes that Obama is doing an excellent/good job. Gallup reported 62% approved of George W. Bush's job performance after the first 100 days. MSM tells us how popular Barack Obama is but the numbers tell a different story especially when used comparatively. Comparing the Gallup poll taken following the first 100 day of George W. Bush and Barack Obama is rather informative especially given the highly contentious nature of the 2000 election.
Read the full post here.

Another recent polls shows the bipartisan divide on Obama's job approval numbers. While Democrats continue to fawn over Obama despite record unemployment, massive government debt and the continued collapse of the economy, Republicans do not believe Obama is doing a good job after three months in the White House.

From the IBD/TIPP Poll:
Some 69% of Democrats give him an A or a B for handling the federal budget, while a solid 66% award him an A or a B on the economy. Only 17% of Republicans, by comparison, give him an A or a B on the budget. And 54% give him a D or an F. On the economy, 25% of GOP backers grant him an A or a B, 49% a D or lower.
See more results at the Investor's Business Daily Web site.

The Green Letter



Al Gore keep warning us about global warming. With more than 60 percent of Americans classified as obese, we're in a lot of trouble.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Berks students win Pennsylvania Academic Competition



Rep. Sam Rohrer (left), Coach John Magala (right) and the students from Wilson High School had their picture taken on the House floor following the team's victory in the statewide Pennsylvania Academic Competition on Friday. After winning the event, which Rohrer hosted on behalf of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Wilson High School team will represent Pennsylvania at the National Tournament of Academic Excellence (NTAE) to be held at Disney World in Florida in June.

From state Rep. Sam Rohrer's office:
A team of students from Wilson High School in Berks County today won the statewide Pennsylvania Academic Competition hosted by Rep. Sam Rohrer (R-Berks) on behalf of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, earning the team an opportunity to compete at this year's National Tournament of Academic Excellence (NTAE) to be held at Disney World in Florida in June.

"I am extremely proud of the Wilson High School students and praise them for earning the state championship," Rohrer said. "At the same time, I congratulate all of today's competitors for a tremendous job well done."

The Wilson High School team is coached by John Magala and is comprised of students Vinoth Barabaharan, Dustin Hill, Collin Hull, Mike Mahon, Purau Patel and Jen Uspal. As the statewide champions, the students earned a $2,000 scholarship for their high school. Two teams representing Upper Dublin High School and Abington Heights High School tied for second place in the competition.

Students from across Pennsylvania traveled to the state Capitol today to participate in the 18th annual Pennsylvania Academic Competition. Earlier this week, the House unanimously approved a resolution introduce by Rohrer marking the week of April 20 through April 24 as "Pennsylvania Academic Competition Week." The week concludes with the statewide academic competition, which took place today. Chester County Intermediate Unit organizes the event, which Rohrer has hosted for the last 11 years.

"Today's competition showcased the skills and knowledge or the students who participated," Rohrer said. "This event is unique in the fact that it combines academic competition and sportsmanship. The students who participate learn about literature, history and science. But, perhaps more importantly, it is also an opportunity for personal growth, where students can learn the value of fair play and honest competition."

The students competed based on their knowledge in the following areas:
· Literature, fine arts and grammar.
· World history and geography.
· American history, geography and economics.
· Science.
· Contemporary events.
· Potpourri (any subject).

For more information about the Pennsylvania Academic Competition, visit the Chester County Intermediate Unit online at www.cciu.org/Departments/LER/SpecialEvents/paacadcomp.html

"I was pleased to play a part in this competition again this year, wish our students from Wilson High School good luck in the national competition and look forward to doing it all over again next year," Rohrer said.

State Capitol Roundup for April 24

Here's this week's State Capitol Roundup courtesy of state Rep. Bob Mensch:

Time to End Pay-to-Play, Republican Lawmakers Say

Government contracting procedures must be cleaned up, and House Republicans introduced a bill this week aimed at effectively ending pay-to-play politics in Pennsylvania. The pay-to-play remedy is part of the much larger "Pennsylvania's Agenda for Trust in Harrisburg" (PATH) plan. Specific proposals include: creating a seven-member board to oversee how the state awards contracts; prohibiting the use of sole-source, emergency, legal and insurance work from campaign contributors; requiring a competitive bidding process for legal contracts; expanding open record requirements; and prohibiting the executive and legislative branches from hiring lobbyists as consultants. House Republicans are responding to numerous allegations of pay-to-play relationships between the Rendell administration and several campaign donors who later received lucrative, no-bid contracts. For additional information, visit PAHouseGOP.com

Governor Rendell Joins Republicans' Gaming Reform Effort

With the support of the governor, Attorney General Tom Corbett, other members of the law enforcement community, and gaming industry experts, House Republican Gaming Oversight Committee Chairman Curt Schroder (R-Chester) this week urged House Democrats to immediately take up gaming reform measures. The impending departure of Gaming Board Chairman Mary DiGiacomo Colins offers the best opportunity to push the board in a new direction. Republicans want to ensure law enforcement agencies' involvement in gaming investigations, ban felons from operating or working at casinos, and open the licensing process up to the public. The state's 5-year-old gaming law has been the subject of persistent debate, during which glaring deficiencies have come to light. The proposals offered by House Republicans are the product of several years' worth of hearings and public input.

Lawmakers Rally to Protect Right to Keep and Bear Arms

Dozens of lawmakers gathered this week to present a united front against any infringement on the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in the protection of themselves, their families and their homes. The rally comes on the heels of Gov. Ed Rendell's announcement that additional gun restrictions are needed, including allowing municipalities to adopt their own regulations and requiring owners to report any lost or stolen handguns. House Republicans have already taken strong action to punish those who commit violent crimes through the adoption of Act 131 of 2008. Any further legislation, House Republicans say, must address the criminal element while continuing to uphold the rights of law-abiding citizens.

House Acts to Discourage Distracted Drivers

An amendment to penalize distracted driving resulting from activities such as using a cell phone, eating, drinking or putting on makeup was approved by the House this week. The amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester), was approved by a vote of 179-16. A similar amendment that contained an outright ban on motorists' use of hand-held cell phones was defeated; opponents argued it did not cover all distractions, would have been difficult to enforce, and it could have made it illegal to use a cell phone even if the vehicle was not in motion. House Bill 67, which also makes changes to the state's graduated licensing system, must now be voted upon in its entirety by the House. If passed, distracted drivers could face a $50 dollar fine in addition to penalties relating to the primary traffic offense for which they were stopped.

I'm With Stupid

PA picks names for new prisons in Montgomery County

When you think of famous prisons, names like Alcatraz, Leavenworth, Attica, Folsom and San Quentin come to mind. In Pennsylvania, Graterford and Eastern State Penitentiary jump out.

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officials have settled on names for the two new prisons to be built on the grounds of the existing state prison in Graterford in Montgomery County.

Maybe they should have sponsored a contest ... or asked the inmates for suggestions. It does not appear a lot of thought went into the naming of the new facilities.

The names -- the State Correctional Institution at Skippack Township East and State Correctional Institution at Skippack Township West -- don't exactly have the ring that "Graterford" did, but they are geographically correct since "Gaterford" is a section of Skippack Township.

I'm not sure how the residents of Skippack feel about their new claim to fame: Home of the state's largest prisons, where more than 4,000 inmates will be housed.

Pennsylvania Corrections Officials Select Names for New Prisons in Montgomery County

Capitol rally to oppose Card Check

State Rep. Curt Schroder (R-Chester) and state Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48) will hold a rally Monday morning in Harrisburg to expose the "detrimental impact the proposed federal Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will have on employee rights and businesses."

The bill would take away a worker's right to a secret ballot when unionizing and subject employers to binding contract arbitration, according to Schroder.

The bill, also known as Card Check, is backed by Big Labor and Congressional Democrats. Business groups across the country have said the bill would cost tens of thousands of American jobs because companies forced to unionize will probably take their businesses oversees.

A special guest at the 10:15 a.m. rally at the Capitol Rotunda will be U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District.

Representatives from about 40 employers, organizations and Pennsylvania workers are expected to attend the rally.

Before the rally, Schroder and Folmer will participate in a statewide media conference call with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney at 9:30 a.m. in the Capitol Media Center.

Attention Democrats: Deficits do matter

Veronique de Rugy, writing in the May issue of Reason magazine, notes that the federal deficit is three times higher than it was under Ronald Reagan, who is still blamed by Democrats for raising the national debt to historic levels.

From de Rugy's column:
Now, three decades later, Democrats have changed their minds about the dangers of deficit spending. In February 2009, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the deficit will reach $1.2 trillion this year — roughly 8.3 percent of GDP. That giant increase is attributable mainly to Washington's September 2008 bank bailout and the federal takeover of mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

And that figure assumes that the 2009 budget issued last year by the Bush administration will stay at its proposed level, which it surely won't. The calculation does not include the cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and it doesn't include the chunk of the new $787 billion stimulus bill that will be spent in 2009. Add all these numbers together, and the deficit swells to $2 trillion, or roughly 13.5 percent of GDP (see Figure 1).

This is by far the highest share of the economy that deficits have taken up since World War II. It is well over twice the record set by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. Yet we don't see Democrats denouncing the deficit explosion on the network news, like they did two decades ago.
A senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, de Rugy believes there will be severe consequences to the Democrats' unchecked spending:

From her column:
Deficits certainly do matter if you care about shrinking the size of the state. Budget gaps are a kind of Ponzi scheme. Any year the federal government spends more money than it collects in tax revenue, we have a budget deficit. That means the citizens through their taxes authorize politicians to spend a certain amount yet the government spends more.

The plan is to pay this additional spending back with future taxes, just as Bernard Madoff figured he'd pay off early investors with dollars from pigeons he conned down the road. As with any Ponzi scheme, there will inevitably come a time when the con is exposed, along with all the participants' losses.

John Maynard Keynes, the 20th century's preeminent defender of deficit spending, famously quipped, "In the long run, we are all dead." Keynes did not give much guidance, though, on how we would pay for the funeral.
Read the full column at Reasononline