Archive for May 2nd, 2009

More Huelskamp endorsements: National Pro-Family Leaders Endorse Tim Huelskamp for Congress

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

From Tim Huelskamp:Ben,

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Brian Weber 620-253-0255

April 20, 2009

National Pro-Family Leaders Endorse Tim Huelskamp for Congress
Two leaders in the Pro-marriage and Pro-family movement — Phil Burress and Colin Hanna — announced today their endorsements for Tim Huelskamp for Congress (KS-01)

An influential conservative leader who heads the Citizens for Community Values, CBN News’ David Brody recently described Phil Burress as, “one of the key guys in the room when James Dobson, Tony Perkins and others gather to discuss key social issues.”

Colin Hanna is president of Let Freedom Ring USA and is co-chair of the influential “Weyrich Conservative Luncheon” — a weekly-gathering of key conservative leaders in Washington, DC.

“I am proud to endorse a proven and experienced leader like Tim Huelskamp — who authored the Kansas Marriage Amendment and spearheaded its passage,” said Burress.

Hanna noted that, “We need leaders like Tim Huelskamp in Congress as we seek to protect the Defense of Marriage Act that Bill Clinton signed into law back in 1996.”

“Phil Burress and Colin Hanna are both influential national conservative leaders,and I am honored to have received their support for Congress,” said Huelskamp.

Huelskamp continues to accumulate conservative endorsements at an impressive clip. Burress and Hanna join Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Kansans for Life, Concerned Women for America PAC, Rev. Lou Sheldon, Family Research Council Senior Fellow Ken Blackwell, and Pro-Life Leader Jill Stanek, in endorsing Huelskamp for Congress.

While Huelskamp has received tremendous support from national conservative leaders, he is also enjoying tremendous support from Kansans. In addition to the Kansans for Life endorsement, 94% of Huelskamp’s 1st quarter donations came from Kansas and 62% from the 1st district.

*Mr. Burress and Mr. Hanna are both endorsing in their private capacity and not on behalf of any organization.

-30-

Paid for by Kansans for Huelskamp

Scorecard: Gerlach unknown to most Pa. Republicans

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Scorecard:

The poll shows over three-quarters of Pennsylvania Republicans (77 percent) never heard of Gerlach, though he is viewed favorably by those who do.

Meanwhile, Toomey sports an outstanding net favorability rating with GOP voters, with 29 percent viewing him favorably, and only five percent viewing him unfavorably. And Toomey’s favorables (and name ID) among Republicans are only bound to go up, as conservatives view him as the candidate who knocked out Specter.

That means if Gerlach runs for the Senate againt Toomey, he won’t automatically be able to rely on his political success in a Democratic-trending district to prevail in a Republican Senate primary. He’ll have to introduce himself to the entire GOP electorate, whose verdict on him is still out.

School expels third-grader for ‘hit list’

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Link:

HAMILTON - A third-grader was expelled from a local private school after a “hit list” of students and a teacher was found in his desk.

A menacing report was filed Tuesday, April 28, with the Hamilton Police Department indicating that a student at Immanuel Lutheran School, 1285 Main St., had written down names of students and a teacher that he apparently wanted to kill.

Michael Mayo, the school’s principal, said he acted on a tip and found the list in the student’s desk. The student has been removed permanently from the school, Mayo said.

“We never believed for a second that people were truly in danger,” Mayo said. “But this sort of thing in this day and age, you just can’t do that. It will never be acceptable.”

Black NY governor pays white man $300K after hiring a black man and discriminating against white man

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Get that?  NY Post:

ALBANY — Gov. Paterson, who raised state taxes by $8 billion last month, just cost state taxpayers $300,000 more.

The state has secretly settled an embarrassing federal racial-discrimination lawsuit, The Post has learned. The suit accused Paterson, back when he was Senate minority leader in 2003, of firing a white Senate photographer in order to replace him with an African-American.

For Economists, a Moment in the Sun: US News

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

US News:

Economics has long been called the dismal science. The general economic outlook today is indeed dismal, but that doesn’t mean job prospects in the field are. “There is no unemployment among Ph.D.’s in economics,” declares John Siegfried, a Vanderbilt University professor. Just do the math, and you’ll see why: In the current academic year, the American Economics Association has listed approximately 2,200 job openings worldwide-but U.S. universities will grant only 950 Ph.D.’s in economics.

Kansas Liberty: Roberts says there’s no need for swine flu panic

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Kansas Liberty:

Sen. Sam Brownback said Tuesday that the possibility of a swine flu pandemic was a major reason he supported Gov. Sebelius’ nomination as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

But the next day, his Kansas colleague, Sen. Pat Roberts, issued a statement suggesting that the threat of a pandemic was being overblown, particularly by the news media.

“…I have to say that I do not think the 24 hour news cycle is doing (the swine flu issue) justice and is unnecessarily creating fear among the American public and some of our trading partners,” Roberts said in the statement.” If you watch the newscasts on this issue, you’d think a pandemic was already occurring. Bottom Line: The American people need to be aware and able to protect themselves from the H1N1 virus, but we don’t need to terrify them.”

Kaw and Border: Dewey, Cheatem, and (Steve) Howe?

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Kaw and Border:

In fact, according to today’s article in the Star by Jim Sullinger, the board’s attorney, Mark Ferguson, told the board in March that no violation occurred because the budget reduction list was presented to the board during an evaluation of Calaway.

Is this seriously their new defense?…

Steve Howe by all accounts is doing a good job. But, he is a politician like the rest of them and he was elected on a coalition that included some of these country club types that permeate the board. One can only guess that these folks would simply like this issue to go away, and for Howe to, in his opinion, rule that no violation occurred, vindicating their secret meetings and as such, their post-offense ridiculous exchanges with Hodge. To put it simply, they are assuredly all hoping D.A. Howe squashes that annoying wasp once and for all.

Of course, not all feel that way and that includes this blog. Even if the original violation was minor, there is no doubt, if the Kansas Open Meetings Act is to have any validity, that the JCCC Board of Trustees, by presenting budget information in an executive session, and by coordinating efforts in private in a letter to the Star, violated that law — both in word and in spirit.

As noted earlier, what’s the entire point of having such a law if BUDGET discussions are going to be held in private?

Steve Rose: Please, Ron, don’t run against Sam Brownback

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Steve Rose:

The coal-fired plants will be approved, not vetoed, under Sam Brownback.
Late-term abortions will be abolished in Kansas.
Every conceivable anti-abortion piece of legislation that is constitutional will be approved by Sam Brownback.
And all the right-wing anti-tax organizations, basically ruled by the powerful Koch Industries family in Wichita, which would eliminate all taxes and take us back to the Stone Age, would have an ally in the governor’s office.
On the other hand, maybe, just maybe, we will also have a governor who is committed to local control for schools. According to what Sam Brownback has to say today, he is a champion of returning much of the funding for schools back to the communities. Whether he could get that through the Legislature is another matter. But if Sam prioritizes that, it might get done.
So, goodbye moderate voices at the top. Gone will be the agendas of the moderate Republicans and Democrats who have ruled Kansas. Gone are the checks and balances.
The time will soon come for the far right to rule, whether you like it or not.

Kansas City Star in print edition covers likely open meetings violation at JCCC

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Jim Sullinger:  “Legal opinion sought on alleged JCCC meeting violations”

Benjamin Hodge, a member of the Johnson County Community College board of trustees, has wondered for weeks whether the board violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act on two separate occasions.

He has raised the speculation at board meetings and on his Johnson County blog site on www.redcounty.com.

His assumptions are now being put to a legal test. He has asked Steve Howe, Johnson County’s district attorney, for a formal legal opinion on these issues.

Obama at all-time record low +1 Rasmussen approval index

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Click here to view trends.  On day 1, his index was +28.

Rasmussen:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 33% of the nation’s voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-two percent (32%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of +1 (see trends and recent demographic highlights). The number of people who consider themselves Republicans declined slightly in April while the number of Democrats held steady.

Forty-two percent (42%) of voters say that Arlen Specter’s switch to the Democratic Party will have a significant impact on Senate legislation. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of GOP voters say Republicans in Congress have lost touch with their base. As President Obama prepares to make his first Supreme Court selection, voters are evenly divided as to whether his pick will be too liberal or about right.

Erick Erickson calls this a must-read

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Jim DeMint editorial:

No Child Left Behind didn’t win us “soccer moms,” but it did cost us our credibility on locally controlled education. Medicare prescription drugs didn’t win us a “permanent majority,” but it cost us our credibility on entitlement reform. Every year, another Republican quality was tainted: managerial competence, fiscal discipline and personal ethics.

To win back the trust of the American people, we must be a “big tent” party. But big tents need strong poles, and the strongest pole of our party — the organizing principle and the crucial alternative to the Democrats — must be freedom. The federal government is too big, takes too much of our money, and makes too many of our decisions. If Republicans can’t agree on that, elections are the least of our problems.

If the American people want a European-style social democracy, the Democratic Party will give it to them. We can’t win a bidding war with Democrats.

Senator DeMint: Freedom Builds the Tent — Redstate

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Redstate:

They act as if conservatives want a small tent, to continue to use this tired and overused metaphor (used by many who have never been in a tent other than those put up at a horse race, wedding or fundraiser - by rich people for other rich people). Specifically, they misinterpret Senator DeMint’s recent remark suggesting he’d rather have 30 conservatives in the Senate than 60 unreliable ones to mean he wants to be in the minority.

NO. NO. NO. Of course he doesn’t (nor do any of us) want a minority Party. But he is saying, I believe, that if our Party cannot unite behind freedom and limited government, then what is the point of having 60?

Hope: Trademarked and on sale NOW at JC Penney!

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

HT Hot Air.  Somebody has received a trademark for Hope.

This is unfortunately not a joke.

Demonstrating class, Jon Stewart apologizes

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart M - Th 11p / 10c
Harry Truman Was Not a War Criminal
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
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Economic Crisis First 100 Days

Cliff May at NRO:

Update: a couple of nights ago, Jon Stewart said on The Daily Show:

The other night we had on Cliff May. He was on, we were discussing torture, back and forth, very spirited discussion, very enjoyable. And I may have mentioned during the discussion we were having that Harry Truman was a war criminal. And right after saying it, I thought to myself that was dumb. And it was dumb. Stupid in fact. So I shouldn’t have said that, and I did. So I say right now, no, I don’t believe that to be the case. The atomic bomb, a very complicated decision in the context of a horrific war, and I walk that back because it was in my estimation a stupid thing to say.

Me: I give the man great credit for saying that. Like most people in the media (news and entertainment alike and the line between the two grows fuzzier every day) Jon Stewart is a liberal defender of the NY/LA Establishment conventional wisdom. But he also is a smart guy, an extraordinarily funny and talented guy and, by the way, a gentleman - not so common nowadays

Michael Goldfarb at The Weekly Standard:

To his credit, Jon Stewart acknowledges how “stupid” and “dumb” it was to accuse Harry Truman of war crimes his decision to use nuclear weapons against Japan. As we noted yesterday, the charge came in the middle of an interview with Cliff May, head of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who appeared on the show Wednesday night. Contrary to Stewart’s apology, the comment didn’t just slip out. He seemed to think long and hard before making and then repeating it later in the show. As for the apology itself, I’ll let Allapundit do the dissection:

The closest we get to an explanation is that the decision to drop the bomb was “complicated,” but of course that’s why Cliff May brought it up - to draw a parallel with the decision to waterboard terrorists. The moral calculus about how far to go in roughing up jihadis to save how many lives is difficult, as was the calculus about how many lives would be saved in the long run by incinerating Japanese kids in Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war. The fact that Stewart is a hard no on the former yet considers the latter iffy suggests a mentality I simply can’t fathom. Is it just a matter of Truman having been a Democrat, whose motives were therefore pure, as opposed to Bush supposedly getting his Republican rocks off by torturing terrorists? Or is it that Truman’s already been vindicated by history and isn’t safe to criticize the way Bush still is?

AP: After scaring Americans, warning us not to take subways, Biden takes the train home

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

The AP:

WASHINGTON (AP) - One day after saying he wouldn’t travel in tight quarters because of the swine flu scare, Vice President Joe Biden rode a train Friday from Washington to Delaware.

Known for speaking freely, Biden told NBC’s “Today” show on Thursday that he had urged family members to avoid airplanes and subways for fear of contracting the H1N1 flu virus.

“I wouldn’t go anywhere in confined places now,” Biden said.

Temporary extension of life for Boston Globe

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

NY Post:

The New York Times Co. overnight gave the unions at the Boston Globe a bit more breathing room to negotiate $20 million in concessions, extending the deadline until midnight tomorrow.

The extension, which was granted after this morning’s midnight deadline came and went without a resolution, will enable both sides to work through the weekend in order to save the 137-year-old newspaper from being put out to pasture.

Bagyants: fighting for the rights of American-born child prodigies who live with their undocumented parents

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Nearly any well-thought out, defensible argument should be respected.  And Artur Bagyants is not at all alone in supporting Kansas’ law providing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.  Indeed, it could be accurately called a 50-50 issue — or, more accurately, we suspect that about a third of the population will passionately defend either side, with the rest of the population largely indifferent.  But Bagyants.com needs to more accurately state the issue at hand.

The amendment would have ended the practice of giving in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants. In December I wrote about this exact subject and gave my reasons for opposing such a measure.

What’s inspiring is that after a lot of debate, this terrible amendment failed on a vote of 50-67. What’s depressing is that there are 50 representatives who think that it’s a good idea to make it more costly for children to go to college.

There are two misleading comments:

  1. Unless money-devouring Kansas K-12 public schools have markedly improved in recent years, very few Kansas children attend college.  These are adults who are able to vote, fight in the military, and who ought (Bagyants should agree with us on this one) to be able to purchase alcohol and gamble.
  2. It is not merely the parents who have an illegal status.  It is these adults — the adults who wish to receive in-state tuition — who are also classified as illegal immigrants.

Purdue to Offer 2-year Bachelor’s Degree

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Mark Perry:

KOKOMO, Ind. - Beginning in June, the Purdue College of Technology at Kokomo will offer a two-year accelerated bachelor’s degree program, targeted toward displaced workers in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

AT&T in talks to extend iPhone deal to 2011: Reuters

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Reuters:

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - AT&T Inc is in talks with Apple Inc to extend its exclusive U.S. agreement to sell the iPhone from 2010 to 2011, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said in an interview that he plans to shift the company’s focus away from the U.S. landline phone business into wireless.

Apple’s iPhone has sold 17 million units worldwide since it was launched in June of 2007.

AT&T declined to comment on the report and repeated its previous statement that it had a multi-year agreement with Apple. An Apple spokeswoman also had no comment on the Journal report.

NIMBYs Can Make the Planet Worse Off: Economist

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Mark Perry:

From “How Environmentalism Misses the Forest for the Trees,” by Edward L. Glaeser in the NY Times Economix blog:

Homes in coastal California use much less energy than homes in most other places in the country. New building in California, as opposed to Texas, reduces America’s carbon emissions. Yet, instead of fighting to make it easier to build in California, environmentalists have played a significant role stemming the growth of America’s greenest cities.

Why is California so green?

The primary reason is climate. January temperature does a terrific job of explaining carbon emissions from home heating and July temperature does almost as well at explaining electricity usage. California has the most temperate climate in the country and as a result, homes use less heat in the winter and less electricity in the summer. In hot, humid
Houston or frigid Minneapolis, people use plenty of energy to artificially recreate what California has naturally.

Obama to support Specter

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Politics Nation:

In 2004, some feel that Arlen Specter pulled off a primary against the more conservative Pat Toomey because of the strong support of then-President Bush (not to mention then-Sen. Rick Santorum). It appears that six years later, Specter can once again look forward to presidential backing as he seeks a sixth term, this time as a Democrat.

White House press secretary, when asked today if President Obama wouldn’t rather see a stronger Democrat holding the Senate seat, simply repeated the message that Obama delivered personally to Specter, that he has his full support. Asked later whether that pledge included political backing, Gibbs confirmed that it did.

Pew Research, cell phone polling accuracy

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Pollster:

I attended a presentation last week at the Pew Research Center (sponsored by the DC AAPOR chapter) on some of the practical issues they have encountered in their innovative work on cell phone polling. I’m still catching up from a few hectic days that have followed but want to pass along a few interesting details they shared.

Most of what was new in the session will be of more interest to pollsters than to political junkies wondering about how pollsters are dealing with the growing number of Americans without landline phone service. Fortunately, for those of you in the latter category, the PRC shared most of their more general data obtained from calling cell phones during the 2008 campaign in a report released this past December (see their summary, full report pdf and our review).

Mexico shuts down

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Financial Times:

Mexico prepared on Thursday for the shutdown of all but essential services to help combat the spread of swine flu as a major US food producer rejected speculation that one of its pig farms in the country was the origin of the disease.

Essential businesses such as supermarkets, hospitals and pharmacies were told to stay open. But from Friday until Tuesday only critical government health and security workers would be on duty. A nationwide school closure was already in effect.

Officials in Mexico City said there was no evidence of an exponential growth in the number of flu victims after 176 deaths throughout the country that might have resulted from the disease. Eight have so far been confirmed as linked to the new virus strain.

Economist: Largest Federal Gold Rush Since the 1960s

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Mark Perry:

Federal spending is growing by leaps and bounds. The budget hit $3.9 trillion this year, double the level of spending just eight years ago. The government is also increasing the scope of its activities, intervening in many areas that used to be left to state and local governments, businesses, charities, and individuals.

By 2008, there were 1,804 different subsidy programs in the federal budget. Hundreds of programs were added this decade-ranging from a $62 billion prescription drug plan to a $1 million anti-drug education grant-and the recent stimulus bill added even more. We are in the midst of the largest federal gold rush since the 1960s.

~From the study “Number of Federal Subsidy Programs Tops 1,800,” by Chris Edwards, Director of Tax Policy Studies, Cato Institute

Club for Growth on Sebelius

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Andy Roth at Club for Growth:

The Senate confirmed her, 65-31. Zero Democrats voted against her, while the following 9 Republicans voted for her (or 8 if you don’t count Specter):

Bond (MO)
Brownback (KS)
Collins (ME)
Gregg (NH)
Lugar (IN)
Roberts (KS)
Snowe (ME)
Specter (PA)
Voinovich (OH)

Rockefeller (D-WV), Sessions (R-AL), and Kennedy (D-MA) did not vote.

NY20 campaign in review: finance chairman

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Tom Lewis at thenextright.com:

1) He should have come out against the Stimulus bill on day one. I had a few discussions with the campaign “leaders” to find out why he didn’t do this. The answer seemed to revolve around the polling that showed a 48-48 split. As the 20th CD has been trending more and more Democrat every year since Bush won in 2004, I understood their thinking. But personally, as a conservative, I wanted him to come out against it, and plainly say that the $787 billion wasn’t really a Stimulus bill, it was a big spending bill. WHICH IS WHAT IT IS.

2) He should have had his TV ads peppered with at least 50% positive ads. Jim had a great story to tell, as was shown by the overwhelming victory he had in Saratoga County (almost 1/3 of the district) where everyone knew him.

Had he come out strongly against the Stimulus he would have been carrying the torch for most republicans and every conservative thinker in the country. It would have been the same message that propelled thousands of people to the Tea Parties. It would have defined him as the fighter that I have known him to be.

Once he took that middle road, taking no position, his opponent was able to define him as a “typical politician.”  Lesson learned: Sometimes you have to ignore the campaign professionals and act on principle.

It’s sad for many of us in the 20th district and sad for Jim who put his life into the race 100%.

I still believe that conservative ideas will win out in America, over time, because they are the best ideas to elevate the whole country.

Pat Toomey interview with American Spectator

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Philip Klein at American Spectator:

PK: What made you decide to transition from your successful business career into politics?

Toomey: By the late ’90s, when I ran for Congress, I had become pretty well steeped in a lot of free market ideas that I’m still very hopeful about, and believe strongly in, like school choice, free trade, Social Security reform where workers could accumulate personal savings — a number of specific ideas that I’m convinced will lead to more prosperity and greater well-being on the part of a vast majority of Americans. After the 1994 elections, when Republicans took control of Congress, I thought there was really an opportunity to advance these ideas…

PK: Now we obviously have a much different set of circumstances, with Democrats in total control of Washington. So, what has made you decide to challenge Arlen Specter again?

I think you’re right. I think we now have the most liberal elected government in the history of the republic. I think they are very consciously and systematically attempting to take America on a huge lurch to the left, to really remake our society in a fashion similar to a European-style welfare state. They are trying to fundamentally change the nature of the relationship between citizens and our government. And it’s frightening to me, and it will have devastating consequences if they’re successful, and of course, Arlen Specter has been happy to cooperate actively with this effort. His support for all the bailouts, his support for massive spending, and his support for the Democrats’ agenda and defeating the Republican filibuster on the stimulus bill. It’s just unconscionable to me that a Republican can be actively facilitating this huge lurch to the left. So I want to run for the Senate, I want to get elected to the Senate, and I’m confident I can. And I want to try and stop this liberal freight train and actually turn the direction around.

Poll: 41% Favor Government Health Insurance Plan, 44% Opposed

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Rasmussen:

Americans are closely divided on whether it’s a good idea to establish a government health insurance company to compete with private health insurance companies.

Forty-one percent (41%) are in favor of a government-run health insurance plan, while 44% are opposed, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey. Fifteen percent (15%) are not sure.

Americans are evenly divided over whether a government plan would have an unfair advantage over private insurers. Thirty eight percent (38%) say yes; the identical number (38%) say no.

But a plurality of all Americans (49%) still believes a private health insurance company is likely to provide better service and more choice. Twenty-nine percent (29%) say a government-run plan would do a better job and offer more choice, but one-out-of-five (21%) are not sure which would do better.

Politico: Greta Van Susteren slams NY Times reporter

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Politico:

Earlier, I linked to Bill Carter’s piece on CNN’s prime-time slump, where the NY Times reporter wrote the following about the 10 p.m. slot:

“The change [CNN president Jon] Klein made at 10 is CNN’s best story. Anderson Cooper, who began a newscast at that hour, has been a success. He was winning there until recently being overtaken by Greta Van Susteren on Fox.

Mr. Klein said that CNN had focused on 10 p.m. as an hour “where we could win.”

Van Susteren, on her Fox News blog, called that line “a lie at worst — and sloppy reporting at best.”

I don’t know if New York Times “is in bed” with CNN or the other way around.  But you all know, I will stand up for our team at ON THE RECORD at 10pm when anyone gets it wrong about us.  The more falsehoods get repeated, the more likely they are thought to be true (and they go “viral” on the internet and already has) so it is imperative to simply set the record straight.  FACTS!  Our staff on ON THE RECORD at 10pm deserve that the truth - FACTS - be written about them - including their accomplishments.  No sugarcoating - just the FACTS.

The way this paragraph is written - see below - conveys a thought that is just plain wrong. Even “sugar coating” when it is designed to give the wrong impression is a lie.

Here is the fact: ON THE RECORD at 10pm is #1 at that time slot for 7 straight years no matter how much the New York Times and CNN wish it were not.

JCCC DUTCH EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

JCCC:

APPLICATIONS FOR THE DUTCH EXCHANGE PROGRAM DUE APRIL 3

Applications for the 2008-2009 Dutch Exchange Program are due Friday, April 3.

Faculty, administrators, and staff are welcome to apply to this exchange program, which matches Americans with a counterpart in the Netherlands. Those working with JCCC’s career programs are particularly encouraged to consider this program.

Dutch participants will visit JCCC in October and JCCC participants will travel to the Netherlands in May 2010. A reciprocal home stay is a requirement of the program. For an application or additional information, contact Carolyn Kadel in the International Education Office, ckadel@jccc.edu.

Congressman: Environmental Oppression You Can Count On

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Rep. George Radanovich on carbon tax:

This week, as the stock market continues its perilous slide towards an unknown abyss; the House Energy and Commerce Committee will begin hearings on a national energy tax bill that will cost every American household $3,128 a year for the “right” to emit carbon dioxide.

The discussion draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) has four primary objectives (a renewable energy production mandate; improving energy efficiency; a cap and tax on carbon emissions; and creating “green collar” jobs) with one common thread tying them all together-central government planning.

ACES is nothing more than a veiled attempt to bring more of the private sector underneath big government’s tent while creating a $1.3 trillion slush fund for liberal social agendas under the guise of environmental do-goodism.

Most importantly, for a cap and tax bill to be effective and produce the goals of carbon emission reductions outlined in ACES (83 percent reduction of 2005 levels by 2050); energy is going to have to get expensive-oppressively expensive. Even President Obama admitted cap and tax bill would cause electricity prices to “necessarily skyrocket.”


Mexico City thieves hide behind flu masks: Reuters

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Reuters:

MEXICO CITY, April 27 (Reuters) - Three armed thieves wore the blue surgical masks now ubiquitous in flu-hit Mexico City to hide their faces as they robbed watches from a department store, Mexican media said on Monday. Employees and security guards at a branch of the Sanborns department store told the daily Excelsior the thieves were able to slip through the shop on Sunday without attracting attention as they blended into a sea of masked shoppers.

AP: Reid says Obama told him, ‘I have a gift’

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

HT Drudge

The AP:

WASHINGTON - Everyone knows President Barack Obama can deliver a great speech, including the president himself, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The paperback version of Reid’s book, “The Good Fight,” is coming out May 5 with an epilogue called “The Obama Era.” Reid said he was impressed when Obama, then a freshman senator from Illinois, delivered a speech about President George W. Bush’s war policy.

Reid, D-Nev., writes: “‘That speech was phenomenal, Barack,’ I told him. And I will never forget his response. Without the barest hint of braggadocio or conceit, and with what I would describe as deep humility, he said quietly: ‘I have a gift, Harry.’”

McConnell blasts Obama foreign policy: Politico

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Politico:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is giving low grades to President Obama on foreign policy, accusing him of an addiction to “fresh starts” with adversaries.

In a major broadside on the Senate floor Monday, McConnell ripped into Obama on a variety of fronts - his Hugo Chavez handshake, his vow to shutter Gitmo and, above all, his decision to release Bush-era memos outlining harsh interrogation methods used on terror suspects and possible congressional probes into the issue.

Weakening our tools of intelligence through an investigation of the intelligence community and other key decision makers would, by definition, make that pledge impossible to fulfill. It would also serve to divide us, I fear, at a time when we must continue to present a united and determined front to our enemies. … In my view, the commander in chief has an obligation to unify the country while we are at war and at risk. Looked at in this context, attacking each other on these issues is not only counterproductive, it’s dangerous.

Planned Parenthood’s Record Net Assets, Increased Abortions

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

CNS News:

(CNSNews.com) - The Planned Parenthood Federation of American released its annual report for 2007-2008 last week, revealing record net assets of $1.014 billion and an increase of 15,560 more abortions in 2007 than the previous year.* The American taxpayer also contributed more than ever before, with $349.6 million of Planned Parenthoods funding coming from government grants and contracts.

The report says that in 2006 Planned Parenthood clinics performed 289,750 abortions and in 2007 the number was 305,310.

Steelman hires campaign manager

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

The Scorecard:

Former Missouri treasurer Sarah Steelman looks ready to run against Congressman Roy Blunt in the GOP primary for Missouri’s open Senate seat.

The latest sign her campaign is on: Steelman has tapped Gregg Keller as her campaign manager. Keller worked on former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent’s two Senate races, and played key leadership roles in President Bush’s 2004 re-election campaign.

Redstate: ‘Democrats now have absolute power. They own all that they have done and will do.’

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Josh Painter at Redstate:

Though Democrats will fail and will blame the previous administration for it, the American people won’t buy it. They elected these guys in 2006 and 2008, and now they expect to see something for it. They have been very patient with President Obama and have been quick to forgive his many rookie mistakes. But, as the Rasmussen survey reveals, they are not so willing to forgive Congressional Democrats. But now, at long last, both the White House and the Congress have to show the voters that they can solve problems, not just make them worse.

Democrats spent trillions and have absolute power. What will they be able to show for it? America and the rest of the world are watching. Republicans, that’s your cue. Hit your marks, and don’t forget your lines.

Obama’s Promise That He Keeps Breaking: Club for Growth

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Andy Roth:

From Cato’s Jim Harper:

[Obama] said that the public would have five days to look online and find out what was in the bills that came to his desk before he signed them. It was his first broken promise, and it’s the promise that keeps on breaking. He has now signed 11 bills into law and gone, at best, 1 for 11 on his five-day posting promise.

An enterprising journalist should ask Obama (or Robert Gibbs) about this ongoing pledge breaking. They are starting to pile up.

NJ Governor primary for Republicans?

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Politics Nation:

In a memo, Lonegan campaign manager Rick Shaftan says that the primary electorate is “very conservative,” and that a majority of those voters identify Christie as moderate or liberal. “Those voters who see Christie as moderate or liberal are supporting Lonegan by a 49-36 margin while those who see Lonegan as a conservative back him by 54-26,” Shaftan points out.

Christie has won the support of most county Republican organizations and is backed by the Republican Governors Association. But only eight years ago, conservative Jersey City Mayor Brett Schundler defeated the establishment favorite, Rep. Bob Franks, in that year’s primary.

Primary Election Matchup
Christie 36.1 (-7 from March)
Lonegan 34.5 (+13)
Merkt 0.4
Undecided 29

Jay Cost: Obama the Sophist

Saturday, May 2nd, 2009

Jay Cost:

This is from the President’s remarks at the National Academy of Science:

At such a difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science. That support for research is somehow a luxury at a moment defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been.

Who the hell is saying we cannot afford to invest in science? Isn’t the real argument about whether we can spend so much more (fully 3% of GDP) on science, and revitalize the economy, and save the banks, and save the Big Three, and spend more on education, and reform health care, and revolutionize the energy sector all at the same time?