Obama’s Team is So Transparent, They’re Opaque; Release of Mid-Year Budget Review Delayed

The release of the mid-year budget review from the White House has been delayed.  It really comes as no surprise anymore that the Obama team meant “transparency for thee but not for me.”

As a democrat, it’s ok to harp about Republicans, scream, and whine when you feel as though they aren’t being transparent enough.  Then campaign on empty slogans of hope and change, but once in office do nothing of the sort.  As they say to the victor goes the spoils and in this scenario, the spoils include hypocrisy and a lack of information disseminated to the American public.  Read more

Sarah Palin Comes Out Swinging On Cap & Trade

If there is one person who knows energy in this country it is Sarah Palin.  She has taken the gloves off and has come out swinging against cap and trade in her latest Op-ed in the Washington Compost.  I love her subtle digs at Washington, DC, Obama, and this piece of legislation.  She starts out calling it cap and trade but quickly moves into our beloved term; cap and tax.

Let the games begin!

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.

Absolutely BRILLIANT!  – read the entire piece here.

Cap and Tax Update – Keep Driving the Message Home!

Yesterday was good news for those believing in freedom, small government, and democracy.  The Senate does not plan on voting for Cap and Tax until September.  This delay will certainly give  us more time to change minds,  write letters, send emails, and melt the phones of our representatives.  We must continue to do so, even whilst they are away for the month of August.  The beginning of the next session begins immediately after Labor Day in which the Senate plans on voting/passing an immigration reform bill.  September will be a very busy month for those of us fighting for our country.  Hopefully the impact of the 9/12 tea party protest will be felt far and wide.  I also hope that we do a little more – Since Congress begins the new session after Labor Day, which is the week of the massive 9/12 March on DC, why not take the week off as vacation time and engage in a sit-in on the steps of Capitol Hill as our Congress-critters come back to work for the first day after their summer vacation!?  It’s time to make them realize who they work for; a good government is one that fears its people.

Tell your congressman/woman that the EPA admits Cap and Tax will not work.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee began their hearings on the 1,500 page Waxman-Markey cap and trade legislation Tuesday, and ranking member Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) won a startling admission from Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson. Inhofe produced an EPA chart generated last year during the Senate’s debate of the Lieberman-Warner cap and trade legislation. The chart showed that the carbon reductions under that bill would not materially effect global carbon concentrations in the atmosphere. Inhofe then asked Jackson if she agreed with the chart’s conclusions. Jackson replied: “I believe that essential parts of the chart are that the U.S. action alone will not impact CO2 levels.”

Also at the hearing, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said he did not agree with chart which is interesting since all the best science confirms Inhofe’s and Jackson’s conclusions. For example, a recent study of cap and trade by MIT concluded: “The different U.S. policies have relatively small effects on the CO2 concentration if other regions do not follow the U.S. lead. … The Developed Only scenario cuts only about 0.5 °C of the warming from the reference, again illustrating the importance of developing country participation.”

Michelle Malkin and Nate Silver put some great information together regarding the “softies” on cap and tax in the Senate.  There is a chance to change several Democrat’s minds, especially those living in energy and coal producing states. (Don’t forget the liberal repubbies either)!

There is also some new and interesting data coming from those reading through the bill now that it has been posted.  One of those interesting tidbits is the amount of money going to ACORN in a CLIMATE CHANGE bill:

“The American people will see tax dollars go to so-called community development organizations like ACORN, to teach low-income residents how to live in accord with the worldview of the Environmental Left,” scowled a news release yesterday from Congressional critics of the Cap and Trade bill.

Sure enough, there are 19 mentions of the term “community development” in the bill, but nothing specific about ACORN.

Sec. 264 of the bill is on “Low Income Community Energy Efficiency Program,” which says the feds will dole out grant money to community development organizations “to provide financing to businesses and projects that improve energy efficiency” for low-income residents.

On page 561, the bill authorizes $50 million per year for six fiscal years, so that’s $300 million in all for these kind of programs.

“I just want to know if ACORN would qualify for these grants,” said House GOP Leader John Boehner, who was the only Republican to note the ACORN issue during debate on the House floor.

If you really want to make your blood boil and find the additional goodies that were hidden in the bill go here.

Thought Police Legislation H.R. 1984… I mean 1966

Orwell is that you?  I know the 80′s are back in style but I was hoping it wasn’t 1984 – I was wrong.  In fact, maybe they should have named the bill H.R. 1984 instead of 1966!

Democrats scream bloody murder when progressive Republicans usurp the Constitution, but suddenly suffer from double standard glaucoma when their own progressives are running the show.

This is one insidious piece of legislation because it completely violates our first amendment rights.  It will now be considered a FELONY, yes, a felony, to say anything offensive over email, on the Internet, through a blog, or anywhere else over the web.  Any individual who may not be PC on any given day could face up to 2 years in prison.

This is pure thought/mind control and is the reason why the PC society we find ourselves in does more harm than good.  Here is a section from the bill:

a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

(b) As used in this section-

(1) the term ‘communication’ means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received;

(2) the term ‘electronic means’ means any equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, and text messages.

 We all know this is unconstitutional, but hypothetically speaking, if this section of the Hate Crimes bill passes, who will be in charge of deciding whether something was offensive to an individual or not?  I would make a wager that there will be an emotional distress czar appointed by Obama…unfortunately Stuart Smalley is currently working in Congress, but he’ll probably pick a liberal like Depak Chopra.  If Obama does in fact pick a czar for this – your freedom of speech will be politicized.  “Right wing extremist” talk, blogging, tweeting, and the like, will all be banned and we could all find ourselves in prison.  Emotional distress is so vague that a simple civil argument could possibly offend someone and cause, in their eyes, distress… Like all things in America, a policy like this would be used to excess. 

Wouldn’t one think that hate crimes would include every race, creed, religion, and sex? In a common sense world sure – but in DC, never.  Take for example the fact that a black teen mob attacked a white family in Ohio.  There was barely any mention of this in the news!  I know for a fact that there are racists in every group, so why wouldn’t this be a hate crime as well?  Why can’t white people be discriminated against?  Heck! I was when I lived in Baltimore! 

It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend’s home in South Akron.

Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ”This is our world” and ”This is a black world” as they confronted Marshall and his family.

The Marshalls, who are white, say the crowd of teens who attacked them and two friends June 27 on Girard Street numbered close to 50. The teens were all black.

This could also be Obama’s back-door way to create an Internet czar to monitor the web, much like Russia, China, Iran, North Korea… getting the hint?  Remember the fairness doctrine and net neutrality?  I gaurantee that famous blogs will be taken down, conservative hashtags on twitter will give people away, and radio talk show hosts will be accussed of causing emotional distress.  

I better watch myself!  Here I was thinking I was an equal opportunity proponent by offending everyone – there goes my humor…

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Here are the members of the House sponsoring this section of the bill:

Rep. Linda Sánchez [D, CA-39] (wrote the above section)
and 14 Co-Sponsors

* Rep. Timothy Bishop [D, NY-1]
* Rep. Bruce Braley [D, IA-1]
* Rep. Lois Capps [D, CA-23]
* Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1]
* Rep. Joe Courtney [D, CT-2]
* Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
* Rep. Raul Grijalva [D, AZ-7]
* Rep. Phil Hare [D, IL-17]
* Rep. Brian Higgins [D, NY-27]
* Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D, OH-9]
* Rep. Mark Kirk [R, IL-10] (he is not a Republican vote him out! – he voted for Cap and Trade too)
* Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D, CA-34]
* Rep. John Sarbanes [D, MD-3] (I would give my right arm to run against this man in Maryland)
* Rep. John Yarmuth [D, KY-3]

Oink Oink – Porky the Pig Goes to Washington

The latest bill set to pass through congress, the health care bill, is stacked with pork products, and not the type you eat at baseball games. 

Congress is trying to stuff the bill full of projects that have absolutely nothing to do with health care.  I will provide some examples:

1.  Walking Paths:  walking paths drastically increase health because it is almost impossible to walk and exercise on streets, grass, gyms, your home, or school race tracks.

2.  Streetlights:  Although not directly associated with vitamin D – it could serve as a great replacement for the sun some time in the future… or wait…

3.  Jungle Gyms:  I am hoping that those who need health care the most, i.e. senior citizens, get some new ‘sneaks’ and hit the playground.  I’m sure their hips and joints will love climbing up and down.  Is it just me or aren’t jungle gyms and things related to parks and recreation considered city works? – eh… who am I kidding – it’s not like Congress follows the rules; the Constitution.

4.  Farmer’s Markets:  After cap and tax and the new Food bill on the table – why worry about additional Farmer’s markets?  Our grocery stores will become just that… Plus, given the economic downturn I may just be forced to grow my own food or steal some from Michelle Obama’s garden!

I am hoping that those of you reading this are beginning to see the insanity if you haven’t already.  This is unbelievable, and the sad part; most Democrats think it all makes sense:

Advocates, including Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, defend the proposed spending as a necessary way to promote healthier lives and, in the long run, cut medical costs. “These are not public works grants; they are community transformation grants,’’ said Anthony Coley, a spokesman for Kennedy, chairman of the Senate health committee whose healthcare bill includes the projects.

Let’s compare public works to community transformation, because the way in which politicians mask the truth is through words and labels:  Community = Society at large; a commonwealth or state; a body politic; the public, or people in general. Transformation = to perform a specified action or activity; work; operate

“If improving the lighting in a playground or clearing a walking path or a bike path or restoring a park are determined as needed by a community to create more opportunities for physical activity, we should not prohibit this from happening,’’ Coley said in a statement.

Teddy’s idea of exercise comes in the form of running from a murder scene…

But wait!  That’s not all… A recent report came out that proved what many of us already knew:  

Counties that supported Obama last year have reaped twice as much money per person from the administration’s $787 billion economic stimulus package as those that voted for his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, a USA TODAY analysis of government disclosure and accounting records shows. That money includes aid to repair military bases, improve public housing and help students pay for college.

$17 Billion in aid has gone to Obama backers from his stimulus bill.  This is a captain obvious moment, but it should be disconcerting that when the country’s future is at stake, the good of the citizens takes a backseat to the pay-to-play political games of politicians – including Mr. Hope and Change himself.

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