Czars are Everywhere

A little humor for a Monday morning


Our new President has adopted the idea of having Czars to deal with special issues of importance. He has named about three dozen Czars dealing to address significant matters like global warming and executive compensation. Their appointments have become very controversial, as there have been complaints about them circumventing the congressional approval and oversight processes.

I say damn these naysayers. I have come to embrace this idea despite the fact of being Jewish and having an aversion to Czars, due to a history of pogroms against my ancestors. And I just feel that we need a few more to round out Obama’s efforts.

Yard Sale Czar – Since the government has put out a handbook to guide us about how to be in compliance with product safety laws when having a yard sale, it would be most important to appoint a Czar to assure proper enforcement of these rules. Along with that, the Czar should consider standards for signs advertising the sales. I see some pretty dreadful ones. Also, used underwear and socks should be restricted from sales as this is a definite product safety issue.

Apology Czar – To many of us watching news reports of his most recent trips abroad, President Obama seemed to be on an “apology tour” for perceived misbehaviors of America in the past. I think he has just begun to scratch the surface on this and needs to appoint a Czar to root out all past inappropriate behavior of the American government and people. I can think of many he has not yet touched on. For example, he needs to apologize to Spain for the Spanish-American War, to Mexico for accepting Texas into the Union, to France for underpaying for the Louisiana Purchase and to the rest of the world for our basketball team’s performance at the 2004 Olympics. I am sure there is enough work here to carry through at least four years of his presidency. Just the 70’s with Afros, bell-bottom pants and tie-dyed clothing could cover a couple of years’ work.

Twinkie Czar – Dan White blamed this iconic food as the reason why he murdered Harvey Milk and George Moscone. Since that time, Twinkies have never recovered and our country has never been the same. This Czar could help to reestablish the importance of this unjustifiably maligned source of unique nutritional value. As part of the Czar’s role Hostess Cupcakes, Ding-Dongs and Snowballs can be brought back to their former glory as well. Given enough time, ice cream specialties such as Push-Ups could also be saved.

BCS Czar – You may have noticed that despite rising unemployment, two wars and a battle over health care, our Congress has taken up the mantle of the BCS rating system for college football and establishment of a national playoff system. While President Obama has spoken out on this issue, he still needs to appoint a Czar to bring this sad chapter in the history of the Republic to a compassionate ending. Nothing stresses the average American more than not knowing whether their alma mater will have a fair shot at bringing home the national championship trophy.

Saved Jobs Czar – Since President Obama has introduced this new concept of saved jobs, most Americans have been left in the cosmic dust. As the country loses jobs at a clip of about 450,000 per month, it is clear he has not done a good job of communicating about these “saved” jobs. A new Czar to specialize in this area would work wonders in helping Americans understand this new concept. Photo ops with plumbers, office workers and engineers who have had their jobs saved by the Anointed One would help our collective psyche. I suggest he not appoint that drab economist who he keeps rolling out for congressional hearings. He would only remind us all of the jobs lost.

And, finally:

Latke Czar – This may not affect the average American, but to Jewish Americans this is of utmost importance. Since the President has done everything possible to antagonize Jews over Israel, I thought he might go for this one. For those of you who do not know, latkes are a potato pancake-like delicacy that is an intricate part of the Hanukkah celebration. Unfortunately, there are some pretty bad latkes out there. Since we wait all year to savor these delectable items, being faced with bad latkes during Hanukkah can ruin the entire holiday season and carry over into the New Year. While attending our first White House Hanukkah Party, my wife thought at first glance their latkes to be puffy crab cakes which demonstrates that even the accomplished White House chefs can mutilate this food. If President Obama appoints a Czar now, he can save many Jews a lot of anguish during the upcoming holiday season and possibly lock up the Jewish vote for generations.

I am confident that each of you can pinpoint other Czars that could help solve the festering problems of our nation. We need to advise our President on these so he can incorporate them into his administration. And the bonus here is that if he appoints enough Czars he can solve at least one important problem – unemployment.

Bruce Bialosky

Dancing with the Czars

Here is the very long list of Czars. No one is sure if this is all of them. None of these people have been approved by the Senate. We do not know if they have been investigated by the FBI. Some of these people may be hearding classified information, how did they get security clearances so quickly? Did the President just give them clearance? This is unconstitutional. This is increasing the power of the presidency in a way that the framers never intended. There is no oversight. They answer directly to the President. Where are the budgets for these people coming from? We need to ask our senators to investigate this and demand that checks and balances of our government are properly administered.

Richard Holbrooke
Afghanistan Czar
Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan

Jeffrey Crowley
AIDS Czar
Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy

Alan Bersin
Border Czar
Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs

David Hayes
CA Water Czar
Deputy Interior Secretary

Todd Stern
Climate Czar
Special Envoy for Climate Change

Lynn Rosenthal
Domestic Violence Czar
Adviser on violence against women

Gil Kerlikowske
Drug Czar
Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

Paul Volcker
Economic Czar
Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board

Carol Browner
Energy Czar
Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change

Joshua DuBois
Faith-based Czar
Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

Cameron Davis
Great Lakes Czar
Special advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing its Great Lakes restoration plan

Van Jones
Green Jobs Czar
Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

Danny Fried
Guantanamo Closure Czar
Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay

Nancy-Ann DeParle
Health Czar
Director of the White House Office of Health Reform

Vivek Kundra
Information Czar
Federal Chief Information Officer

Dennis Blair
Intelligence Czar
Director of National Intelligence

George Mitchell
Mideast Peace Czar
Special Envoy to the Middle East

Dennis Ross
Mideast Policy Czar
Special Adviser for the Persian Gulf and Southwest Asia - Different, unnamed position now

Kenneth Feinberg
Pay Czar
Special Master on executive pay

Cass Sunstein
Regulatory Czar
Director of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

John Holdren
Science Czar
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology

Earl Devaney
Stimulus Accountability Czar
Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board

J. Scott Gration
Sudan Czar
Special Envoy to Sudan

Herb Allison
TARP Czar
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability

Elizabeth Warren
TARP Oversight Czar
Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the $700B Bailout Fund

Aneesh Chopra
Technology Czar
Chief Technology Officer

John Brennan
Terrorism Czar
Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security

Adolfo Carrion, Jr
Urban Affairs Czar
Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

Ashton Carter
Weapons Czar
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics

Gary Samore
WMD/Terrorism Czar
Coordinator for the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism

Ron Bloom
Car Czar
Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers

Health Care Blue Dog Dems - Activism Caps Needed

Without the votes of these 7, healthcare can't make it out of committee


Don't want government run health care?
Call 202-225-3121 and tell the 7 Blue Dogs on Energy and Commerce to vote NO.

Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.) Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) Baron Hill (D-Ind.) Jim Matheson (D-Utah)Charlie Melancon (D-La.) Mike Ross (D-Ark) Zack Space (D-Ohio)

Farewell, President Bush

This is re-posting of something I did several months ago. Today on my facebook page I saw another conservative bloggers statement hit with insults about President Bush. She was discussing the healthcare flow chart. WHAT IN HEAVENS NAME DOES PRESIDENT BUSH HAVE TO DO WITH THAT? Note to the left: Let it go.



I, for one, would like to say farewell to President Bush, at least the constant references to him. I feel that it is high-time we focus on the present and look ahead to the future. Everyone in this country is well aware of how the left feels about him personally as well as his Presidency.

During the majority of his time in office this was made crystal-clear. It started with the Florida recount and just escalated from there. The only real exception was the aftermath of 9/11. We, as a nation, rallied behind our leaders. But, that lasted very briefly and all the divisiveness returned with additional vigor.We get it; the left hates him and everything he stands for. You may be surprised to hear there are many things during his eight years in office that upset conservatives like me. The nomination of Harriet Meyers to the Supreme Court, the out-of-control spending, the 1st bailout package to name a few. What we need to stop at this point are the very personal attacks. Disagreeing with policy is the American way, but attacking him as a person is totally another.

There is very little that I agree with President Obama on, but I hope that if you have read my posts you will see that my disagreements have been with the policy positions he takes and not him as a fellow human being. Sure, there are loud voices on the right that do attack him personally. There is no denying that. But I have found that they are not as many nor are they wishing him a painful death. I have not heard anyone wishing neither President Obama nor Vice President Biden cancer.

Please keep in mind; it is now President Obama’s war in Afghanistan. This President’s budget, this President’s spending spree, this President’s foreign policy. The time has come for this President and his followers to take responsibility for the choices that are being made. They are his and his alone.Former President Bush has stayed out of the public eye and has kept his mouth shut. He has publically said that President Obama deserves his silence, so maybe it is time that President Obama returns the favor.

Target List for Healthcare

Below is the list of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The healthcare bill cannot get to the floor for a vote without them. These are the people that need to be targeted.

The following Members have been selected to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee in the 111th Congress:

The bolded names below are democrats no votes. Dems have a 13 person majority. All we need is 7 dems to vote no, and the bill will not make it to the floor. I am getting the list together, but there are 7 bluedogs on this committee. I will update names once I get them.

Henry A. Waxman, CA, Chair

Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member
John D. Dingell, MI, Chair Emeritus

Ralph M. Hall, TX
Edward J. Markey, MA

Fred Upton, MI
Rick Boucher, VA

Cliff Stearns, FL
Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ

Nathan Deal, GA
Bart Gordon, TN

Ed Whitfield, KY
Bobby L. Rush, IL

John Shimkus, IL
Anna G. Eshoo, CA

John B. Shadegg, AZ
Bart Stupak, MI

Roy Blunt, MO
Eliot L. Engel, NY

Steve Buyer, IN
Gene Green, TX

George Radanovich, CA
Diana DeGette, CO

Joseph R. Pitts, PA
Lois Capps, CA

Mary Bono Mack, CA
Mike Doyle, PA

Greg Walden, OR
Jane Harman, CA

Lee Terry, NE
Jan Schakowsky, IL

Mike Rogers, MI
Charles A. Gonzalez, TX

Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC
Jay Inslee, WA

John Sullivan, OK
Tammy Baldwin, WI

Tim Murphy, PA
Mike Ross, AR

Michael C. Burgess, TX
Anthony D. Weiner, NY

Marsha Blackburn, TN
Jim Matheson, UT

Phil Gingrey, GA
G.K. Butterfield, NC

Steve Scalise, LA
Charlie Melancon, LA


John Barrow, GA
Baron P. Hill, IN


Doris O. Matsui, CA
Donna M. Christensen, VI


Kathy Castor, FL
John P. Sarbanes, MD


Christopher S. Murphy, CT
Zachary T. Space, OH


Jerry McNerney, CA
Betty Sutton, OH


Bruce L. Braley, IA

Times They May Be A Changin'

Readers of my blog know that I live in Virginia. This is an election year for us. Our state legislator and governorship is up for grabs. This is an election that will be watched across the country as it is touted to being a measuring stick of the Obama policies. Virginia electoral votes went to President Obama, this was the first time since before I was born that it went to the democratic candidate; President Johnson was the last democrat to win. Virginia has been known as being a conservative southern state that is turning bluer as years go by, in political circles it is considered purple. Both Senators and our Governor all true blue liberal democrats. You may have heard about one of our Senators; Jim Webb. He has a son who served in Iraq. While at the White House he told President Bush that how his son was doing was none of his business. I am so blessed to represented by such a polite man. Although the suburbs outside of DC are very liberal, and are a highly populated area of the commonwealth, I think times may be a changin’. We may be seeing a resurgence of conservatives’ policies here in Virginia. I would like to introduce some of the candidates running in Virginia from time to time. Here is a little information on two such candidates:

Bob McDonnell and Creigh Deeds are running for governor. Bob McDonnell is a staunch conservative that recently stepped down as attorney general to concentrate on his election bid. Creigh Deeds is a more conservative type of democrat from a rural area of the state. He is against gay marriage (although he has said that his views are “evolving”), supports the 2nd amendment and is tough against crime. These two faced off four years ago in the attorney general race. Bob McDonnell is ahead in all the polls, and it looks like he will defeat Mr. Deeds again. But the interesting part of this race is how conservative the democratic candidate is, I guess he would be described as a blue dog. Creigh Deeds beat out two candidates for the nomination, one of which is a liberal that would make President Obama proud.

We have a very interesting candidate running for a delegate seat. Her name is Sasha Gong. She is running in the Virginia 46th district. She was born in China, taught herself English, and her family was forced from their in home in the city to a rural farming area. She became a writer who had the audacity to question the government on human rights issues, which got her a year in a Chinese prison. She has lived in a totalitarian regime and understands what happens if the government becomes too powerful. Her life story is very compelling. She made her way to the US to study for her PhD at Harvard. Lucky for us, she has been able to stay in this country and has decided to run for office. She is a tough lady that will bring some common sense back to government and is all too aware of how dangerous and oppressive big government can be. Check out her blog on http://www.sashagong.com/blog you can read an incredible letter written to republican women. Sadly, I don't live in her district, but I am doing what I can to support her candidacy.

Cap & Tax Update - Something You Can Do - Please Join Us

We are setting up local "tea parties" across the country. These are designed to show the senators our displeasure with the cap and tax legislation. Please go to your Senator's local office on Friday at noon to have your voice heard.


* When: The protest will take place on July 17th at 12:00 noon.
* Where: Simultaneous protests will take place at Senatorial offices around the country Calling all patriots!
The Senate will be voting on "Cap and Trade" and nationalized health care in the coming weeks. We need to try harder than ever before to stop these oppressive policies from being signed into law! Get out there and remind your elected officials that the government works for you and if they stop working for you, then you will “Vote Them Out”! Less Spending. More Freedom. Let’s show our elected officials that we are NOT in support of passing legislation that would result in the largest tax increases in our history. Not only will these policies steal our hard earned money, they will also take away something more precious…our freedom.

Hey Maureen, can we be friends? Probably not.

Wow, I don't think she would like me very much. What Sarah Palin has to do with this I'm not sure.

White Man's Last Stand

Maureen Dowd New York Times July 15, 2009


You can’t judge a judge by her cover.

Despite the best efforts of Republicans to root out any sign that Sonia Sotomayor has emotions that color her views on the law, the Bronx Bomber kept a robotic mask in place.

A wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not know that a gaggle of white Republican men afraid of extinction are out to trip her up.

After all, these guys have never needed to speak inspirational words to others like them, as Sotomayor has done. They’ve had codes, handshakes and clubs to do that.

So when Republican Senator Jon Kyl, without so much as a howdy-do, went at Sotomayor, and soon was asking her if she agreed with Barack Obama’s contention, when he voted against John Roberts, that a judge’s heart is important, the would-be justice was as adroit as her idol Nancy Drew.

“No, sir,” she said, indicating that the only bleeding-heart thing about her was the color of her jacket. She added that “it’s not the heart that compels conclusions in cases. It’s the law.”

President Obama wants Sotomayor, naturally, to bring a fresh perspective to the court. It was a disgrace that W. appointed two white men to a court stocked with white men. And Sotomayor made it clear that she provides some spicy seasoning to a bench when she said in a speech: “I simply do not know exactly what the difference will be in my judging, but I accept there will be some based on gender and my Latina heritage.”

The judge’s full retreat from the notion that a different life experience is valuable was more than necessary and somewhat disappointing. But, as any clever job applicant knows, you must obscure as well as reveal, so she sidestepped the dreaded empathy questions — even though that’s why the president wants her.

“We apply law to facts,” she told Kyl. “We don’t apply feelings to facts.”

She even used a flat tone when talking about the “horrific tragedy” of 9/11, when she was living near the World Trade Center. And she was mechanical in explaining to a grumpy Senator Orrin Hatch that banning nunchaku sticks did not dent the Second Amendment because the martial-arts weapons’ swing “can bust someone’s skull.”

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer gamely tried to make the judge seem even more coldhearted. Recalling the sad plight of poor families from the Bronx who sued T.W.A. after a jet crashed off Long Island in 1996, he quoted the Bronx jurist’s dispassionate dissent: “The appropriate remedial scheme for deaths occurring off the United States coast is clearly a legislative policy choice, which should not be made by the courts.”

Schumer also cited the case of an African-American woman who filed suit after being denied a home-equity loan, even after the loan application was conditionally approved based on her credit report.

Sonia Legree ruled that the woman’s claim was filed too late, the same argument that the Supremes used on Lilly Ledbetter when she belatedly learned that her male coworkers were much better paid. President Obama has cited the Ledbetter decision as a reason the court needs a more “common touch.”

“The law requires some finality,” Sotomayor explained about her case, with an iciness that must have sent a chill up the conservative leg of Alabama’s Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, even as it left Obama hanging out on an empathy limb.

Republican Lindsey Graham read Sotomayor some anonymous comments made by lawyers about her, complaining that she was “temperamental,” “nasty,” “a bit of a bully.” Then he patronizingly lectured her about how this was the moment for “self-reflection.” Maybe Graham thinks Nino Scalia has those traits covered.

But the barbed adjectives didn’t match the muted performance on display before the Judiciary Committee. Like the president who picked her, Sotomayor has been a model of professorial rationality. Besides, it’s delicious watching Republicans go after Democrats for being too emotional and irrational given the G.O.P. shame spiral.

W. and Dick Cheney made all their bad decisions about Iraq, W.M.D.’s, domestic surveillance, torture, rendition and secret hit squads from the gut, based on false intuitions, fear, paranoia and revenge.

Sarah Palin is the definition of irrational, a volatile and scattered country-music queen without the music. Her Republican fans defend her lack of application and intellect, happy to settle for her emotional electricity.

Senator Graham said Sotomayor would be confirmed unless she had “a meltdown” — a word applied mostly to women and toddlers until Mark Sanford proudly took ownership of it when he was judged about the wisdom of his Latina woman.

And then there’s the Supreme Court, of course, which gave up its claim to rational neutrality when the justices appointed by Republican presidents — including Bush Sr. — ignored what was fair to make a sentimental choice and throw the 2000 election to W.

Faced with that warped case of supreme empathy, no wonder Sotomayor is so eager to follow the law.

Can't Wait

Does this make sense to you?

click image to enlarge.

Punt, Pass and Term Limits

Currently we have people in government that are more interested in protecting their job security than they are in making the tough choices. Having people serving thirty or more years may help congressmen bring in the bacon to their own districts, but it certainly doesn’t do the country on a whole any good.

Let’s just imagine what it would be like if our elected officials actually made the hard choices. Social Security and Medicare wouldn’t be on the verge of insolvency, we would have laws in place in regards to enemy combatants, and our borders would be more strongly protected.

Social security has been in trouble for decades. Yet, the problem goes unsolved. It has been described as the third rail of politics. No one will touch it for fear of a political death. We need to make the tough choices of raising the retirement age or lowering the payments that people will receive. Neither of these is popular so they are left undone.

Medicare is just as broken. On the verge of going broke it is another third rail. We keep hearing from the administration this is one reason our country needs socialized medicine. One of the reasons that medical costs keep skyrocketing is the fraud in the Medicare systems. Another problem with Medicare is the payment systems that promote medical professionals to do more tests. They get paid by the tests they perform instead of the health and wellness of a particular patient. But the tough choices are not being made. They want to overhaul the entire system before fixing this one.

Another unpopular topic is enemy combatants. This is especially true on the left side of the spectrum. Conservatives and republicans tend to believe in a strong national defense so they are more willing to address this contentious issue. The democrats have a much harder sell with the far left of their party. Many of the fringes of the far left would be happy to read them Miranda rights and try them in open court and let the intelligence breaches be dammed. We are almost 10 years out since 9/11. It is malpractice against the American people that we do not have clear laws stating what is to be done with terrorists picked up on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. It is just easier to keep blaming the Bush administration. The mistakes made by the Bush administration are no excuse for not doing anything.

The protection of our borders is another highly contentious topic. Again, almost 10 years has passed since 9/11 and our borders are barely more protected than they were on 9/10. The leaders in our government are more worried about being called racists than they are at fixing the problem. Our borders could be protected, if we had leaders that had the political will to do so.

If we had term limits on all elected positions many of these problems would actually get solved. Making the hard choices would not be a one way ticket to the unemployment line. It may actually help keep that particular seat within the same party. Right now, we have career politicians that will say and do anything to stay in power. President Obama still sometimes sounds like he is on the campaign trail. He seems already geared up for the re-election process that is more than three years away. Once a second term for a President begins they actually start worrying about legacy issues.

The American people need to stand up and demand that we get term limits. It won’t be easy to get it done, but it will be worth it in the end. We finally will get something done rather than punting, passing and kicking the ball down the field. Wouldn’t that be a refreshing change?

A Letter from the President

I am not exactly sure how I got on the President's email list, but I get "letters" and videos from the White House from time to time. This one I have decided to share, because it made me laugh. Does he actually believe this? "have been made not to serve the interests of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interest of impartial justice." She gives speeches that are fundmentally race baiting. That is impartial justice?

Good Morning,
Yesterday, Judge Sonia Sotomayor made her opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee and moved another step closer to taking a seat on the United States Supreme Court. In case you missed it, watch the video of her opening statement here:

As President, there are few responsibilities more serious or consequential than the naming of a Supreme Court Justice, so I want to take this opportunity to tell you about the qualifications and character that informed my decision to nominate Judge Sotomayor.

Judge Sotomayor's brilliant legal mind is complemented by the practical lessons that can only be learned by applying the law to real world situations.

In the coming days, the hearings will cover an incredible body of work from a judge who has more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the last 100 years. Judge Sotomayor's professional background spans our judicial system — from her time as a big-city prosecutor and a corporate litigator, to her work as a federal trial judge on the U.S. District Court, and an appellate judge on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

And then there is Judge Sotomayor's incredible personal story. She grew up in a housing project in the South Bronx — her parents coming to New York from Puerto Rico during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she lost her father, and her mother worked six days a week just to put food on the table. It takes a certain resilience and determination to rise up out of such circumstances, focus, work hard and achieve the American dream.

This character shined through in yesterday's opening statement: Watch the video.

In Judge Sotomayor, our nation will have a Justice who will never forget her humble beginnings, will always apply the rule of law, and will be a protector of the Constitution that made her American dream and the dreams of millions of others possible. As she said so clearly yesterday, Judge Sotomayor's decisions on the bench "have been made not to serve the interests of any one litigant, but always to serve the larger interest of impartial justice."

In anticipation of today's first round of questioning, I hope you'll share this email widely, because Judge Sotomayor's confirmation is something that affects every American. It's important for these hearings to be about Judge Sotomayor's own record and her capacity for the job — not any political back and forth that some in Washington may use to distract you. What members of the Judiciary Committee, and the American people, will see today is a sharp and fearless jurist who does not let powerful interests bully her into breaking from the rule of law.

Thank you,

Barack Obama

Sarah is Stepping Out and Speaking Out

It is a shame that the campaign didn't let her make more speeches on energy last year. Maybe she would not have been type-casted as stupid.

By Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK)There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage.

American prosperity has always been driven by the steady supply of abundant, affordable energy.Particularly in Alaska, we understand the inherent link between energy and prosperity, energy and opportunity, and energy and security. Consequently, many of us in this huge, energy-rich state recognize that the president's cap-and-trade energy tax would adversely affect every aspect of the U.S. economy.

There is no denying that as the world becomes more industrialized, we need to reform our energy policy and become less dependent on foreign energy sources. But the answer doesn't lie in making energy scarcer and more expensive! Those who understand the issue know we can meet our energy needs and environmental challenges without destroying America's economy.

Job losses are so certain under this new cap-and-tax plan that it includes a provision accommodating newly unemployed workers from the resulting dried-up energy sector, to the tune of $4.2 billion over eight years. So much for creating jobs.

In addition to immediately increasing unemployment in the energy sector, even more American jobs will be threatened by the rising cost of doing business under the cap-and-tax plan. For example, the cost of farming will certainly increase, driving down farm incomes while driving up grocery prices. The costs of manufacturing, warehousing and transportation will also increase.

The ironic beauty in this plan? Soon, even the most ardent liberal will understand supply-side economics.

The Americans hit hardest will be those already struggling to make ends meet. As the president eloquently puts it, their electricity bills will "necessarily skyrocket." So much for not raising taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 a year.

Even Warren Buffett, an ardent Obama supporter, admitted that under the cap-and-tax scheme, "poor people are going to pay a lot more for electricity.

"We must move in a new direction. We are ripe for economic growth and energy independence if we responsibly tap the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil. Just as important, we have more desire and ability to protect the environment than any foreign nation from which we purchase energy today.

In Alaska, we are progressing on the largest private-sector energy project in history. Our 3,000-mile natural gas pipeline will transport hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of our clean natural gas to hungry markets across America. We can safely drill for U.S. oil offshore and in a tiny, 2,000-acre corner of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge if ever given the go-ahead by Washington bureaucrats.

Of course, Alaska is not the sole source of American energy. Many states have abundant coal, whose technology is continuously making it into a cleaner energy source. Westerners literally sit on mountains of oil and gas, and every state can consider the possibility of nuclear energy.

We have an important choice to make. Do we want to control our energy supply and its environmental impact? Or, do we want to outsource it to China, Russia and Saudi Arabia? Make no mistake: President Obama's plan will result in the latter.

For so many reasons, we can't afford to kill responsible domestic energy production or clobber every American consumer with higher prices.Can America produce more of its own energy through strategic investments that protect the environment, revive our economy and secure our nation? Yes, we can. Just not with Barack Obama's energy cap-and-tax plan.


URL: http://tinyurl.com/ludeob

New York Small Business Owner

Here is a scenario for you:

A man with a family of four lives in Westchester County New York. He is self-employed with an office in Manhattan. He has a masters degree. His education took 7 years and cost $200,000.

His yearly income from his business is $450,000
Federal Income Tax $177,750
Social Security Taxes $15,000 (since he is self-employed he pays full 15%)
New York State tax $65,120 (New York is considering raising this rate for 2009)
New York City tax $18,000

Total Income after taxes $174,130

Property taxes in Westchester NY are expensive, so you need to figure about $10,000 for those; that will bring income down to $164,000 per year.


He is keeping 36% of his income. Is he really rich? He now has to pay for food, clothing, transportation, utilities, student loans, and other necessities. Yes, he still makes a decent living, but he is not "rich".

The health care plan that is in the house right now will take an additional 3% of his income. Would you want to work for .30 on the dollar? It would behoove this man to take several months off during the year to lower his yearly income. He will actually have more money for working less.

***These are raw numbers. Tax rates are based on 2009 federal rate and 2008 NY rates.

Cap & Tax 8 Update.

Illinois Rep. Mark Kirk (R) will not run for the open seat of Sen. Roland Burris (D) in 2010, a stunning reversal from just 48 hours ago when Kirk signaled to National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) that he would make the race.
Kirk’s decision, a blow to Senate Republicans’ chances in Illinois, came in the wake of Burris’ formal retirement this afternoon.
It also followed a meeting of the Illinois Republican congressional delegation on Thursday in which his colleagues refused to back Kirk in a primary against Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna due, in large part, to his vote in favor of President Barack Obama’s climate change bill.

See Ya - We don't Need Ya

From Michelle Malkin

NEA General Counsel: Union Dues, Not Education, Are Our Top Priority

And people wonder why I don't trust unions. Card Check - I think not.



NEA General Counsel: Union Dues, Not Education, Are Our Top Priority » The Foundry

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The Man in the Mirror

Michael Jackson died at the age of 50, a relatively young man. I really did not join in the fracas that has occurred since his death. The non-stop coverage is overwhelming. Michael Jackson had God-given talent. He created a soundtrack for a generation. He smashed records, broke down barriers and everyone my age has memories of his music and videos. No one can take any of that away from him.

As he aged he became what could only be described as bizarre. The surgeries that by the end of his life left him looking barely human, the attempted purchase of the elephant man, the unhealthy attachment to young boys, and a very strange marriage to Lisa Marie Presley. The list just goes on.

His memorial service was a star-studded affair that had some poignant moments. I did not watch, but did see some of the coverage on the news. I was really hoping that on Wednesday when I woke up the over-blown coverage would be over. Alas, that has not happened.

My mind keeps going back to the comments made by Attorney General Holder regarding race relations, how we are cowards. That may very well be true, but this story gives a good reason of why that may be. A lawmaker made a comment earlier this week about the never-ending round the clock coverage of the story and questioned why a child molester was getting all this attention. This brought out Al Sharpton and the NAACP. Rev. Sharpton did not call him a racist, but did go after the statements. The NAACP called him a racist. Many people across this country feel that he wrongly acquitted and he is indeed a child molester. At the very least, he had an unhealthy relationship with other people’s young sons. Only the people involved know what the truth is. The only thing that I know for sure is that he would never be with any young boy in my family. Sleeping with other people’s children is wrong.

Jamie Fox made an odd statement about how the black community shared Michael with the rest of us. The black community doesn’t share people with us anymore than we share white people with them. Entertainers are entertainers and the public will decide for themselves who and what they choose to listen to. This has become a racially charged topic for no reason.

The topics that we should be discussing are as follows: Where were all these people when he was being tried for child molestation? People dropped him like a bad habit. If these people loved and cared about him like they have been saying why were they not trying to help him overcome his obvious drug addiction? Shouldn’t we be talking about the downfalls of fame?

Michael Jackson apparently had it all. Wealth, three healthy beautiful children, and an incredibly successful career, and yet none of this seemed to fill him. He has been described as being a man-child and suffering from arrested development. He named his ranch Neverland, a tribute to Peter Pan. This is more than just irony; it was designed to be that way. Michael had been quoted as saying he was Peter Pan. He would never grow up.

Mr. Jackson was a very troubled man. The information coming out now about his very serious drug problems should not be lost in a discussion about race that just doesn’t exist. Young kids across this country dream about success and fame. This is a story for parents who push their children too hard to achieve stardom. The stories of how his father pushed the children and reportedly beat them have been well documented.

His death is very tragic. Watching his young daughter cry for her daddy was heartbreaking. Three children are essentially orphans since they have no relationships with their mothers. Losing a parent at such a young age is a horrible thing; and this is doubled for them since they were being raised by a single father. As tragic as this story is, it isn’t about race. It is about addiction. Addiction to fame, addiction to the adulation, and addiction to drugs and how an early death is the end result of these addictions is the story. It is a shame for his kids that Michael wasn’t able to look at drug addicted man in the mirror, maybe if he had Paris would still have her beloved daddy.

Things that make you say hmm

No firm number is known, but it appears that the Obama administration has 18 “czars”. This number is larger than the Romanov Dynasty in Russia, and almost as many as the 300 year history of Russian Czars. This is dangerous. These people answer to no one. There are no checks and balances.

In California, farms are being driven out of business due to severe water shortages. The water shortage is due to a fish on the endangered species list.


During the election cycle I heard Michelle Obama being interviewed saying that “Barack just gets it.” During her time in Russia, she was taken on a walking tour of some forests. She carried a purse that cost almost $6000. Does she get it? People are unemployed and losing their homes. It isn’t a very good idea to flaunt your personal wealth at this time of economic crisis.


$1.6 Billion is in the house version of the health care bill aimed at such things as walking paths, lighting of parks, and farmer’s markets. The senate version has no cap on amount spent. This is to lower obesity rates in this country. Farmers Markets will not decrease obesity among the poor; they can’t afford to shop at them. The poor rates of obesity are higher than the rates of the rest of the country, because they can’t afford healthier foods.

“Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.” Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg. What populations is she referring to; minorities, the poor, or maybe the disabled? This is a truly scary statement.


Speaking of Justice Bader-Ginsburg, she has endorsed Judge Sotomayor in an article to appear in Sunday’s New York Times. Her endorsements are largely targeted at her Wise Latina comments.

European Countries, such as Sweden and Germany are lowering the amount of government spending to GDP ratios. The US is increasing.



If GM is now partially owned by American tax-payers, do I get an employee discount?



Counties that voted for John McCain are getting less than 50% of federal dollars compared to counties that voted for President Obama.



During the election process, the Obama campaign called the economy the worst since the Great Depression. VP Biden recently stated that they underestimated how bad it was. What kind of sense does this make?



Boston Crème Donuts which is based in Delaware is changing the corporate articles to be based in Canada by the end of this year. US tax rates for corporations will be rising; Canadian tax rates will continue to drop over the next three years. How may do you think will be following that lead?

What if He Were?

On the 4th of July thousands of people across the country interrupted their celebrations and plans and set out to protest the out-of-control spending. One such gathering took place in the nation’s capital. With the Capitol building looming in the background thousands did such crazy things as pledge allegiance to flag, sang the national anthem, and read from the declaration of independence. CNN estimated that 2,000 people attended, but at the protest the park police said the number was closer to 5,000. People drove several hours to attend this protest, and then spent the day enjoying the many activities and one of the nation’s best fireworks displays.

One of the nicest things about this particular group of tea parties is that the mainstream media could not blame Fox News. These were organic, grown out of frustration of an out-of-control spending spree by our federal government. These protests are organized on a very local level and paid for mainly out of donations and people lending their own equipment and time. The protests are growing in numbers and they are becoming more diverse. They are also happening in cities that come as a surprise; such as Seattle. A heavily liberal city if there ever was one, they even have a statue of Lenin in one of the suburbs.

This morning I was looking at some pictures taken by the wife of one of the speakers. I enjoy looking at the ingenuity of the signs and the t-shirts that people wear. “All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent” Thomas Jefferson. Yeah, I cling to my guns and God too, Tiny minds pass unread bills, No tax $$$ for criminals (an ACORN reference), Atlas has Shrugged, Martin Luther King was a Republican, and Read the Bill next time. Then there was one that read Impeach Owebama and the camel he road in on. This is what I feel we need to take issue with.

This is an overt reference to the President’s faith, a claim that he is really a Muslim. The question I have what if he were? Would it matter? I really don’t care. My problem with the President is his policies and his views of the world. I will admit that I have taken issue with the church he attended in Chicago. I don’t understand how the Obama’s can look anyone in the eye with a straight face and say they didn’t know that Rev. Wright is a racist.

I used to work part-time at Macy’s after my illness to pay off my debt. During that time I got to know people of the Muslim faith. Many of the people who worked at this particular store were immigrants; mainly from Africa and the Middle East. A majority of them were Muslims. Some of which were very devout. They believed in family, doing the right thing and taking personal responsibility. These are all values that as a conservative I hold near and dear to my heart and try to live by. If you look around the conservative blogosphere lately, you will hear much about the treatment of Sarah Palin. How conservative women feel that we are somehow dismissed by icon’s of the women’s movement because of our views. Isn’t this the same type of behavior? We as a nation need to find a way to look past someone’s faith, color, or gender and judge based on issues and character. The whole content of character thing talked about by Dr. King.

The tea party movement is an important one. People are standing up and voicing opposition to politics as usual, government intrusion into our lives, over-regulation, and unsustainable debt. We are fighting an uphill battle with a government that is becoming more powerful and less likely to listen to us “little folk”. The constitution is being ignored by both parties and we feel powerless to stop it. By injecting racism into the mix we are only hurting the cause.

Are we saying that a Muslim cannot be a good citizen of the US? Can they not serve this country as loyally as someone from a Judeo-Christian background? Because I don’t believe for one second that to be the case. Yes there are elements within Islam that are at war with us, but it certainly is not all of Islam. Extremism exists in all faiths and all walks of life. Two recent high profile murders were committed by men who considered themselves “good Christians”. I can guarantee you the families of those victims will disagree with that. Painting with a broad brush is always a dangerous thing. It reeks of close-mindedness and shows ignorance.

We need to be aware of the dangers of extremism that exists in the world and we need to fight against it at all times. We also need to be aware that good people come from all faiths and all different walks of life. By bringing these types of signs to the tea parties, we are just playing into the hands of Janeane Garafolo and Keith Oberman. We open ourselves up to the charges of racism and risk putting the entire movement in jeopardy.

Sarah Say it Ain't So

Sarah Palin has announced her resignation as Governor of Alaska. Her explanation was more than a little ambiguous. One thing that was clear is that her family seems happy to have this part of their life behind them. Some of Sarah’s five children have been put through the ringer of public notoriety. Her youngest, having Down’s syndrome, has been one of the biggest targets. Questions of who his biological mother is and some very unseemly cartoons. Her eldest daughter being an unwed mother has been equally targeted. One of the many things that were misunderstood about Sarah Palin’s views is her stance on birth control. She is staunchly anti-abortion, but she is not against birth control; at least for others. Her politic future has been put up for the great debate today after her announcement.

Has she ruined her chances for a Presidential bid in 2012? That answer may very well be yes. Quitting is never a good sign. It gives a perception of weakness. But is she weak? A very good argument can be made that it is really the opposite. Mrs. Palin may very well be showing a strength that is sorely missing in politics today.

Sarah has been ridiculed, called stupid, and investigated to death. Sarah Palin is only 45 years old. She has served on the city council, Mayor of Wasilla, chaired the Oil and Gas Conservation board, and beat an incumbent Governor of her own party. That is quite a lot to accomplish in 45 years. Especially if you consider she is not wealthy, does not come from a politically connected family and is raising a family of five children. I think it is obvious to anyone who is open-minded that she is a savvy politician. Disagree with her views, but calling her stupid is only showing your own ignorance.

Over the past 10 months she has had many ethics violations brought against her, 16 to be exact. Every one of them has been dropped. And they have not been dropped as publically as they have been brought. This has caused her family to accrue $500,000 in debt and legal bills. Her children have been attacked, and her level of intelligence has been questioned. Walking away from her job as governor now will allow her to spend some quality time with her children; she is working on a book and has a created SarahPac. The book deal will help her family settle the debts she accrued and give her some time to figure out her next moves.

Mrs. Palin made a speech several months ago at a pro-life dinner. Her welcome was quite astonishing. She is a rising star in social conservative circles. Her appearance at a Republican Party Dinner in Washington DC was also a huge hit. She didn’t speak at this appearance, but she still stole the show. Sarah will be a big draw to any candidate that she chooses to make appearances for. She will bring in the bucks for these candidates. This will allow her to build relationships that have previously been unavailable to her. She also can start to give speeches on energy and special needs children issues; two topics that she is very well versed in. This will give her the opportunity to allow the public see a different side to her. Sarah is putting her financial world in order and prioritizing her children. That is not a weakness. That is a women who understands what is important and what is not so important.

4th of July Greetings from Glen Beck

July 3, 2009

Hello America,

Here it is, another Fourth of July. Traditionally, this is a day to gather with friends, maybe fire up the barbeque and play with kids until the sun sets and the fireworks start. But in thinking back on the meaning behind this day, we must never forget that our nation was baptized in the blaze of a very different kind of "fireworks." Yes, this is a day of rest and relaxation, as well it should be, but this year…I'd like to ask you a favor. At some point during the day, I hope you'll take time to think and reflect on what it is we're truly celebrating on the 4th of July -- our Independence Day. Of course the Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th, 1776 but it's so much more than that. On this day, 233 short years ago, a small group of men dedicated themselves to a higher purpose, an ideal they believed in so greatly, they signed their name to its expression and in doing so put their very lives at risk.

Never has a simple act of signing one's name carried such weight, such a profound commitment. By signing the Declaration of Independence, 56 men stood in direct defiance of the British government. They became marked men, and willingly so. As I was doing some research on the significance of July 4th, I came across some interesting facts about these men. Today as we all enjoy the freedom our forefathers guaranteed us, join me in honoring the extraordinary sacrifice of 56 extraordinary Americans.

Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence:

Five were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes burned to the ground. Two lost sons serving in the Revolutionary Army, and two more had sons captured. Nine fought and died in the Revolutionary War.

If you ever feel like your lone voice can never be heard, that the political system isn't set up for "regular" Americans to change the course of history, remember: The signers were flesh and blood, mortal men with a divinely-inspired aim.

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists, eleven were merchants, and nine were farmers and large plantation owners. They were well educated, smart enough to know that by signing the Declaration of Independence, they were signing their own death warrants. They did it anyway, and God bless them for it.

As we enjoy our liberty on this 4th of July, or any day of any month, we must never take that liberty for granted. Too many have given too much. In the words of the Signers themselves, "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."

Their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor -- I think that's a price paid worth a few minutes of reflection, don't you? But let's not be solemn in that reflection. I say rejoice and share this information with your friends and family, especially your kids. The Signers asked for nothing in return for their pledge, but I say that we show our thanks with a pledge of our own:

To remember, to be grateful, and to carry on in their spirit. America is the greatest country this world has ever and will ever know, and it will stay that way so long as "we the people" remember that just like in 1776.

It's US that surrounds them, and we'll never back down. Happy Independence Day, and God bless America.

Glenn