The Obama Timeline: Part II

[Harconen]

Obama is unsuccessful at efforts to persuade the nation of Kyrgystan to allow the United States to keep its air base in Manas. The base is critical as a staging area for the war in Afghanistan. Shortly after Obama was sworn in, Russia moved quickly to flex its muscles by pledging $2 billion in loans to Kyrgystan in exchange for closing the American base. Obama had sent a letter to Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev, but the answer he received was a firm no. Obama’s letter is no match for Russian pressure and money, and his charm works better with American voters than experienced Russian strategists—who realize that closing the base at Manas will hinder NATO as well as U.S. operations in Afghanistan. The New York Times, which normally puts a positive spin on anything Obama does or says, writes that Obama’s charms “seem to be lost on the world’s harder cases”—like Kyrgystan and Russia. (Perhaps if Hillary Clinton had not mislabeled the “reset” button she gave to foreign minister Sergei Lavrov back in March Obama might have had a bit more wiggle room. Then again, Putin and Medvedev may simply be tough negotiators who don’t feel the same Chris Matthews thrill up their leg when Obama speaks; the language of a con-man does not translate well. Obama’s ability to shoot three-pointers in basketball may have gotten him some American votes, but Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela only know how to play hardball.) [1577, 3230, 3271]

 

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton send a letter to House and Senate leaders requesting additional cash for the International Monetary Fund, arguing that “Financial hardships and poverty breed desperation, which helps terrorist networks to attract new recruits with messages of hate, violence and intolerance. IMF financing reduces this threat by reducing economic instability in vulnerable states.” In other words, Gates and Clinton believe that paying off other countries with American tax dollars will make the terrorists hate us less and they will then leave us alone. Although the letter is addressed to leaders of both parties, it is clearly meant as a threat to Republicans because the Democrats have no problem giving American cash to other nations. Many Republicans oppose giving more money to the IMF, believing that much of the cash ends up in the hands of state sponsors of terrorism. [3231]

 

Global investor Jim Rogers tells the Economic Times he expects stocks to hit record levels—but they will be in worthless currencies. He expects inflation to be a significant problem, along with rising interest rates. Rogers suggests investing in commodities and agriculture because people will always need to eat, and manufacturing will continue to need copper and other ores. [3234]

 

Great Britain’s Labour Minister urges the Red Cross organization to change its name and logo because the cross “insults Islam” because it signifies the Crusades. (The Red Cross symbol, which dates back to 1863. It has nothing to do with the Crusades; it is a symbol of help and aid.) One Tory Member of Parliament remarks, “At face value to the layman it seems at best a solution looking for a problem and at worst another example of extreme political correctness.” [3236, 3237]

 

Italian authorities seize a whopping $134 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds from two allegedly Japanese citizens, apprehended at the border town of Chiasso. The likelihood is that the bonds are counterfeit, probably produced in North Korea (or in Japan, for North Korea). Counterfeiting is one of the major methods by which Kim Jong-Il’s regime survives. The U.S. media barely reports the story, despite the astronomical amount involved and the fact that it would be the largest financial smuggling or counterfeiting operation in history. [3238, 3239, 3240]

 

The city of Opa-Locka, Florida names a street after Obama. Signs for “Barack Obama Boulevard” will be installed sometime in July, replacing the old name, “Southwest 40th Avenue.” City commissioner Tommy Dorsett states the city is honoring Obama because he brings people together, and “it’s what I hope for West Park. That we work together to get things done.” (Dorsett did not state whether Opa-Locka would now run up massive deficits in honor of the current temporary occupant of the Oval Office.) [3241]

 

Although Obama has at least temporarily decided not to release photographs of prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers, he refuses to assign them an official classification to keep them private. Senator John McCain issues the statement, “Releasing the photos would not supply new information about the issue of detainee abuse, but rather expose graphic evidence of past wrongdoing and put our fighting men and women in greater danger,” and called on Congress and Obama to “put the lives of our troops ahead of left-wing, special-interest politics.” If Obama releases the photographs, he runs the risk of endangering American troops. McCain charges that a release would pose “…a clear and grave risk of inciting violence and riots against American and coalition forces, as well as civilian personnel, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.” If Obama classifies the photographs to keep them private, he angers the far left wing of the Democrat Party. (Not that the far left has anywhere else to go; they know it and Obama knows it.) House Democrats are working to prevent Republicans from adding language prohibiting the release of the photographs to pending legislation. Senators Joe Lieberman (I-CN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) threaten a filibuster over the issue if the House will not agree to the Senate language. [3242, 3243]

 

[Harconen]

The Justice Department has released four of the 17 Uigher terrorist detainees held at Guantanamo to the island paradise of Bermuda. (They are not greeted by 72 virgins, but aside from that the deal they received would seem good to most observers. They arrive in style by private jet, like celebrities, accompanied by White House counsel Gregory Craig.) The Obama administration states that the four terrorists (Abdul Nasser, Huzaifa Parhat, Abdul Semet, and Jalal Jalaladin) “…will not be able to travel to the United States unless the U.S. government consents in advance.” Attorney General Holder releases the statement, “by helping accomplish the President’s objective of closing Guantanamo, the transfer of these detainees will make America safer. We are extremely grateful to the government of Bermuda for its assistance in the successful resettlement of these four detainees, and we commend the leadership they have demonstrated on this important issue.” Bermuda’s premier, Ewart Brown, states that the four terrorists would be “provided with the opportunity to become naturalized citizens and thereafter afforded the right to travel and leave Bermuda, potentially settling elsewhere.” [3245, 3332, 3415, 3416]

 

 Residents of Bermuda are outraged, angry at both the Obama administration for making the deal and with the United Kingdom for not preventing it. Great Britain is responsible for Bermuda’s foreign policy, security, and defense, but Obama kept it in the dark—likely because he knew it would object. An angry Member of Parliament Mike Gapes comments, “The U.S. is clearly determined to act in what it perceives as its own national interest even riding roughshod over what it should have done, which is (to have) spoken to the British Government. The proper authority here is the British Government and the U.S. should have consulted with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before they did anything of this kind. I wonder what promises have been given to the Bermudians, potentially about going a bit soft on the tax haven status or something else as a quid pro quo.” (Some quickly joke that Bermuda’s “Feel the love” tourism slogan has been changed to “It don’t GITMO better than this.”) Obama is also dealing with the Pacific island nation of Palau to take the remaining 13 Uigher terrorists off his hands. Details are being worked out, including the amount of money the U.S. government will pay Palau. An increase in foreign aid from $157 million to $200 million has been rumored. (It is unclear why American taxpayers have to give any money to the 21,000 residents of Palau, which is located near the Philippines.) [3245, 3332, 3415, 3416]

 

Clear Channel Outdoor becomes the third major billboard to refuse to accept “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” ad placements. The refusal will not prevent the banners from being placed, as there are thousands of available sites. The campaign is limited only by the amount of money it can collect; $75,000 as been raised to date. [3248]

 

As of June 11, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has 221 co-sponsors for his “audit the Federal reserve” legislation. Paul needed 218 to collect a majority of the 435 Members of Congress. Paul writes in Straight Talk, “To understand how unwise it is to have the Federal Reserve, one must first understand the magnitude of the privileges they have. They have been given the power to create money, by the trillions, and to give it to their friends, under any terms they wish, with little or no meaningful oversight or accountability.” [3249]

 

In what may be an unsuccessful effort to prevent the House of Representatives from passing Obama’s “cap-and-trade” energy tax legislation, Congressman Paul argues that Congress should at least consider the opinions of scientists who agree that human beings are not causing “global warming.” Paul states, “Before voting on the ‘cap-and-trade’ legislation, my colleagues should consider the views expressed in the following petition that has been signed by 31,478 American scientists,” and “Our energy policies must be based upon scientific truth—not fictional movies or self-interested international agendas. They should be based upon the accomplishments of technological free enterprise that have provided our modern civilization, including our energy industries. That free enterprise must not be hindered by bogus claims about imaginary disasters.”  The petition referred to by Paul states, “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.” Clearly, when 31,478 scientists (more than 9,000 of whom have Ph.D.s) label the man-caused global warming theory nonsense, Obama and Al Gore are lying when they continue to say there is a “consensus” among scientists that man’s activities are causing the earth’s temperature to rise. Paul warns his fellow Congressmen, “At a time when our nation is faced with a severe shortage of domestically produced energy and a serious economic contraction; we should be reducing the taxation and regulation that plagues our energy-producing industries. Yet, we will soon be considering so-called ‘cap and trade’ legislation that would increase the taxation and regulation of our energy industries.” While Obama’s Energy Secretary Steven Chu argues that everyone should paint their roofs white to reflect sunlight and cool the atmosphere, Professor Frederick Seitz, the past president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and winner of the National Medal of Science, wrote that the “Kyoto treaty” supported by Obama, Gore, and others is “…based upon flawed ideas. Research data on climate change do not show that human use of hydrocarbons is harmful. To the contrary, there is good evidence that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is environmentally helpful.” Evidence notwithstanding, the Democrats (and likely a few Republicans) are poised to pass legislation that will cause energy costs for all Americans to skyrocket in order to try to cool the globe by a fraction of a degree. [3250]

 

[Harconen]

On the June 12 Today show, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin calls on talk show host David Letterman to apologize to all American women. Palin states, “I would like to see him apologize to young women across the country for contributing to kind of that thread that is throughout our culture that makes it sound like it is okay to talk about young girls in that way, where it’s kind of okay, accepted and funny to talk about statutory ****. It’s not cool. It’s not funny.” After his vulgar “joke,” Letterman apologized, but only by saying he was talking about Palin’s 18-year-old daughter, not her 14-year-old—although it was the younger daughter to Palin took to a Yankees baseball game. Letterman said on his June 10 show he would “never, ever make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl.” His “apology” suggests Letterman believes it is acceptable to joke about **** as long as the victim is at least 18 years old; many media commentators accepted the apology at face value, suggesting they also have no problem with the **** of 18-year-olds. [3251]

 

Data released by the government shows that during the first three months of 2009 Americans lost $1.3 trillion in wealth as the recession reduced home values and stock prices. Family net worth was at an all-time high of $64.4 trillion in mid-2007; it is now at $50.4 trillion. Much of the $64.4 trillion was from the “housing bubble,” during which the value of homes to jump much higher than has been the historical norm. The primary cause of the unjustified increases was unwise practices by the Federal Reserve. As prices return to more normal levels, consumers who relied on home equity that was only temporary now feel the pinch and have to cut back on spending. “Household de-leveraging has to happen even though it’s painful,” says Amir Sufi, finance professor at the University of Chicago. [3252, 3259]

 

Federal reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke tells Congress the government is running up such massive deficits that some spending programs may have to be cut back, and “Tax rates must ultimately be set at a level sufficient to achieve an appropriate balance of spending and revenues in the long run.” [3253]

 

Obama fires the inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Gerald Walpin. A week earlier, Walpin questioned the Teaching Fellow Program of the AmeriCorps program and contested a settlement made with Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson for misuse of Americorps funds used by the Hood Corps, an inner city project. (Johnson, a former NBA player with the Phoenix Suns, major campaign supporter, and Obama pal, agreed to pay back $423,000 in misused grant money received from AmeriCorps, but was generously given 10 years to return the money and was not indicted, convicted, or jailed.) Walpin says he acted “with the highest integrity” in investigating AmeriCorps, and reported evidence and conclusions “in an honest and full way.” In a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Joe Biden, Obama states, “It is vital that I have the fullest confidence in the appointees serving as inspectors general. That is no longer the case with regard to this inspector general.” Unknown sources say Michelle Obama has been making some decisions about CNCS; it was recently announced that her chief of staff, Jackie Norris, would become a senior advisor at CNCS. [3254, 3261, 3262, 3268, 3269, 3293, 3326, 3350, 3351, 3356, 3578]

 

Obama had asked for Walpin’s resignation. (White House counsel Norman L. Eisen called Walpin on his cell phone and gave him an hour to resign or be fired.) When Walpin refused, Obama fired him. Unfortunately for Obama, that forces him to comply with a law requiring that the president give Congress 30 days notice before firing an inspector general. (Ironically, Obama was a co-sponsor of that legislation when he was a Senator.) Obama is also required to describe the reasons for the termination—he cannot simply say, “It was time for a change” or “I no longer have the fullest confidence in him.” According to The Washington Examiner, one unnamed source says, “Bottom line, getting rid of a tough, Republican-appointed IG who has been aggressively going after waste and fraud gives Obama a chance to replace that IG with a more compliant team player.” The media was immediately and continuously critical when Bush attorney general Alberto Gonzalez fired several U.S. attorneys. Inspector Generals are arguably more sacrosanct, but little media fuss is made about Obama’s firing of Walpin. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) writes Obama, saying, “We cannot afford to have inspector general independence threatened. In light of the massive increases in federal spending of late, it is more critical than ever that we have an inspector general community that is vigorous, independent and active in rooting out waste, fraud and abuse. I urge you to review the Inspector General Reform Act you co-sponsored and to follow the letter of the law should you have cause to remove any inspector general.” The administration admits that the firing of Walpin is related to the investigation of Kevin Johnson, but refuses to back down from its position—probably because Obama knows the media will give him a pass on the issue. [3254, 3261, 3262, 3268, 3269, 3293, 3326, 3350, 3351, 3356, 3578]

 

[Harconen]

On June 12, national elections are held in Iran. Current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is challenged by former prime minister (1981–1989) Mir Hossein Mousavi Khameneh. Both claim they will be victors in the race, but Mousavi expresses concerns about vote fraud. Many in the United States have been misled into believing that Mousavi is a “moderate.” Mousavi is no moderate; he was a founder of the terrorist organization Hizbullah and, according to Newsmax, the “main architect of the Islamic Republic’s dreaded intelligence service,” MOIS. Mousavi received help from Soviet advisors in developing MOIS, which was modeled after the KGB. Mousavi is alleged to be a half-brother of Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (Mousavi’s wife, Zahra Rahnavard, wears an Islamic veil when campaigning with him and some in the west call her the “Michelle Obama of Iran,” despite (some might say because of) photographs of her stomping on an American flag.) Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton points out that for all practical purposes there is not much difference between an extremist like “Ahmadinejad, who tells people that he is proceeding with the nuclear program and plans to wipe Israel off the map” or an alleged “moderate (Mousavi) who proceeds with the nuclear program but is smart enough to keep his mouth shut.” Obama likely prefers a Mousavi victory, believing that if enough people believe he is in fact a moderate it will be more difficult for Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu to argue that his nation is being threatened by Iran’s nuclear program. Israel may, in fact, almost prefer an Ahmadinejad win because the Iranian President’s public statements make it clear to the world that he would have no qualms about dropping a nuclear bomb on Tel Aviv. If Israel feels it necessary to attack Iran’s nuclear installations, it may have more support if Ahmadinejad and not Mousavi is public face of its enemy. AtlasShrugs.com’s Pamela Geller writes, “I’d almost prefer Ahmadinejad. At least he is honest. Either way, Obama is going to bow to these annihilationists.” [3255, 3265, 3266, 3267]

 

Arguably, Iran’s protests are a result of the free elections held in neighboring Iraq. Iranians no doubt see reports of Iraqis proudly holding up their ink-stained fingers to prove they have voted, and want the same freedom for themselves. Iranians are also aware that in the Iraqi elections, Islamist and religious parties did not fare well; Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s party gained, suggesting a continuing movement to a stable, representative democracy. The fact that the American “troop surge” in Iraq helped that nation move closer to that stable democracy was likely not lost on the better informed Iranians, who may be aware that Obama opposed that military strategy, and are more than likely aware that Obama is doing nothing to help them gain the democratic foothold enjoyed by their Iraqi neighbors. [1059, 1145]

 

Vice-President Biden and other Obama administration officials decide not to attend the United States Conference of Mayors rather than upset union leaders who have members picketing the Providence, Rhode Island event. The dispute is over a firefighters contract. Tom Cochran, executive director of the conference, says “We’re just absolutely frustrated that the White House has decided at the request of a union to boycott our meeting. This is the worst economic crisis we’ve had since the 1930s, and this will be first time ever when there’s not one representative of the federal government here with us.” The boycott by Biden is a signal that Obama would rather accede to the wishes of “big labor” than work with mayors to improve the economy. Others not attending the conference at Obama’s orders are White House advisor Valerie Jarrett, EPA head Lisa Jackson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and Attorney General Eric Holder. More than 180 mayors from across the country—who apparently have more backbone than Obama— are attending the conference. (As a U.S. Senator, Obama cosponsored the “Police and Fire Monopoly Bargaining Bill,” which would override state laws and result in union membership for most, if not all, police officers and firefighters. That, in turn, would prompt higher wages and benefits, higher local taxes, and city governments in bankruptcy.) [3363]

 

Yet another Obama appointee withdraws from consideration for a top post in the administration. Donald M. Remy, Obama’s choice for legal counsel of the Army, writes a letter stating, “I am honored by your confidence in my ability to deal with the critical issues that face our soldiers and their families and I was looking forward to serving in this time of great national crisis. Regretfully, I have decided to remove my name from consideration for this position.” Remy was secretive about his prior employment with Fannie Mae, which he listed only as a “major U.S. company” on documents submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Remy had told the committee, “I have many different versions of my biography. The version that apparently made it to this committee did not include Fannie Mae as my employer... That was a mistake; I take responsibility for that bio coming to the committee.” [3296]

 

“Global warming” notwithstanding, the weather bring record cold temperatures to the Chicago area in June. The average June temperature for 2009 is only 59.5 degrees—7 degrees below normal and the coldest in 50 years. [3302]

 

Obama proposes a 25 per cent cut in research and development for electric power generated by waves and tides, from $40 million to $30 million, while requesting increases for spending on solar, wind, and geothermal power. A disappointed Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) claims that “Wave and tidal power holds great promise in helping to meet America’s long-term energy needs. It’s time for the Department of Energy to focus on this potential. But playing budget games won't get the work done.” [3256]

 

The administration decides to keep secret the locations of dozens of coal ash storage sites that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified as potential hazards. Failure of the containment (from a flood, structural failure, or act of terrorism) would cause significant property damage and deaths if the coal ash spills into nearby communities. The Army Corps of Engineers prefers the location of the sites be kept secret for national security purposes, but Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) states, “If these sites are so hazardous, and neighborhoods nearby could be harmed irreparably, I think it is essential to let people know.” Because of the failure of a dam, a spill near Kingston, Tennessee on December 22, 2008 dumped more than five million cubic yards of coal ash and sludge over 300 acres, and ruined 40 homes. [3257]

 

[Harconen]

A list of economists opposed to Obama’s economic and tax plans grows to 535. The list includes Nobel Prize recipients Gary Becker, James Buchanan, Robert Mundell, Edward Prescott, and Vernon Smith. [3258]

 

Gay rights activists are angered by Obama’s inaction regarding the Defense of Marriage Act, which he pledged to overturn while a candidate. On June 11, the Obama Justice Department files a motion to dismiss a court case brought by two men challenging the 1996 law. Jennifer Pizer, with Lambda Legal, states “The president made very explicit and emphatic campaign promises that he opposes DOMA and would provide leadership calling on Congress to repeal it. This brief is not consistent with that promise.” The Justice Department blames Congress, saying that until it “…passes legislation repealing the law, the administration will continue to defend the statute when it is challenged in the justice system.” [3290, 3432]

 

Entire neighborhoods in Flint, Michigan, one f the poorest American cities, are being bulldozed and “returned to nature.” As a result, the city may shrink by as much as 40 per cent. Dan Kildee, treasurer of Genesee County and the man behind the idea, descried his plan to Obama during the campaign, and the administration is now considering expanding the plan to as many as 50 cities nationwide, including Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Memphis, and Baltimore. Kildee argues, “The real question is not whether these cities shrink—we’re all shrinking—but whether we let it happen in a destructive or sustainable way. Decline is a fact of life in Flint. Resisting it is like resisting gravity.” Flint’s population has declined by almost 50 per cent, to 100,000, and the unemployment rate is near 20 per cent. Flint, the original home of General Motors, has been in decline since the early 1970s. [3263, 3406]

 

Attorney Philip Berg announces that he will appeal a court’s ruling to dismiss his lawsuit which accuses Obama of defrauding the U.S. Treasury by violating the False Claims Act and “…by illegally being a U.S. senator from Illinois as Obama is an Illegal Alien, not a U.S. Citizen.” The False Claims Act makes it illegal to obtain money from the U.S. government based on a false claim; collecting a federal paycheck for serving as a senator (or president) when one is not legally eligible to serve would therefore be a violation of the law.  Berg states he provided “overwhelming evidence” that Obama was ineligible to serve as senator, “and therefore, Obama fraudulently received a salary and benefits of nearly $1 million dollars.” Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, refused to pursue an investigation of the crime alleged by Berg. Berg has two pending cases in the appeals court, Berg v. Obama and Hollister v. Soetoro aka Obama. [3281, 3737]

 

Israel foreign minister Danny Ayalon states that the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Iran signals that the “Iranian threat” has grown. The Iran president, whose regime has been developing nuclear weapons, has said he wants to “wipe Israel off the map.” Former president Jimmy Carter, meeting with Palestinians in Ramallah on behalf of Obama, naïvely remarks that he hopes that Ahmadinejad will “listen to those opinions” of his opposition and “modify” his positions. [3286]

 

According to Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY), the proposed national health care legislation will require at least $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in Medicare and Medicaid cuts over 10 years. Obama has grossly underestimated the cost of the program at $634 billion in his proposed budget. Critics say the cost will be at least $1.5 trillion. The legislation will likely require everyone to have health insurance, forcing self-employed and young Americans to purchase it regardless of whether they feel they need coverage, and forcing all employers to provide coverage or pay a fine that would be applied to federal coverage. To raise tax revenue, Congress is considering treating employer-paid health insurance as taxable income. Democrats plan to provide details of the benefits of their proposals first, hiding the tax increases and benefit cuts as long as possible. Rangel states, “We have a problem in not wanting to attract enough negative attention to the bill in terms of the pay-fors. Let them get a good feel for the coverage.” [3287]

 

[Harconen]

Ahmadinejad’s victory in Iran’s June 12 election prompts thousands of demonstrators to protest on the streets of Tehran on June 13. The “official” count shows Ahmadinejad with 62.6 per cent of the vote and Mir Hossein Mousavi with 33.7 per cent. Challenger Mousavi, who charges fraud and vote rigging, states “I’m warning I will not surrender to this dangerous charade. The result of such performance by some officials will jeopardize the pillars of the Islamic Republic and will establish tyranny.” Some find it difficult to believe that Mousavi did not even carry how hometown, and that the third candidate garnered less than one per cent of the vote. There likely was a fair amount of fraud, but Ahmadinejad would likely have won the majority of the votes even without it. Among other things, Ahmadinejad distributed 400,000 tons of free potatoes to the poorest Iranians in order to win their support—which some might classify as fraud, and which others might refer to as politicians being politicians. Mousavi’s followers also tend to be the better educated urbanites and professionals. Their circle of friends consists of others who voted for Mousavi, and they therefore suspect widespread fraud. But among the poor and the rural Iranians, Ahmadinejad is extremely popular. Police take a hard line on the demonstrators, beating them with clubs. Ayatollah Khamenei warns against “provocative behavior,” and says, “The chosen and respected president is the president of all the Iranian nation and everyone, including yesterday’s competitors, must unanimously support and help him.” One American analyst states, “I don’t think anyone anticipated this level of fraudulence. This was a selection, not an election. At least authoritarian regimes like Syria and Egypt have no democratic pretences. In retrospect it appears this entire campaign was a show: Ayatollah Khamenei wasn’t ever going to let Ahmadinejad lose.” The Iranian government worked quickly to clamp down on efforts to contest the election results. Its “Ministry of Telecommunications” blocked text messaging from cell phones during the election, preventing Mousavi supporters from even reporting discrepancies. Iranian officials also evicted campaign strategists from Mousavi’s headquarters. [3288, 3292, 3312, 3345]

 

A stunning 38 per cent of American voters believe that the nation is less safe because of national security changes made by Obama. A majority, 58 per cent, believe that official memoranda about terrorist interrogations should not be made public. [3289]

 

The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass notes that late-night comedians continue to shy away from Obama jokes, although they ridiculed George W. Bush non-stop. “One theory about why the TV comedians lay off this White House,” says Kass, “is that we’re still in the presidential honeymoon phase, which should last about seven more years.” [3291]

 

On June 14, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivers a dramatic and passionate speech in Tel Aviv in which he essentially calls Obama’s bluff, stating that Israel will never give up Jerusalem as its capital and that settlement expansion would continue in the nation’s West Bank. Netanyahu states that Israel is willing to accept a Palestinian state, but “The key condition is that the Palestinians recognize in a clear and public manner that Israel is the state of the Jewish people. If we have the guarantees on demilitarization, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a state of the Jewish people, then we arrive at a solution based on a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside Israel.” Obama wants Israel to give up land to the Palestinians and trust them to end its rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. “Many a worthy person has told us that withdrawal is the key to peace between us and the Palestinians,” says Netanyahu. “But the fact is that every withdrawal has been accompanied by rockets and suicide attacks.” [3294, 3295, 3410]

 

Not willing to trust the Palestinians, Hamas, Hizbullah—or Obama—Netanyahu declares that any Palestinian state must be weaponless, saying “In any peace agreement, the territory under Palestinian control must be disarmed, with solid security guarantees for Israel. If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing in a real peace agreement to reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.” Pamela Geller writes in AtlasShrugs.com, “The idea of a disarmed ‘Palestinian state.’ Yeah, I can see the jihad going for that. They live to kill. A jihadi without a gun is like a Jew without a song.” With regard to Palestinian refugees, Netanyahu made it clear that Israel would not accept them, and the solution to that problem lies “outside Israel.” Obama wants Israel to accept hundreds of thousands of Palestinians within its border. That, of course, would lead to the end of Israel, because the Arabs would, based on their explosive birth rates, eventually become a majority and win all the elections. Although many observers have believed that Obama has been pressuring Netanyahu and has had the upper hand, Netanyahu’s speech now places the ball in Obama’s court by calling his bluff. By accepting the creation of a Palestinian state (but on terms he knows Hamas, Fatah, and the Palestinian Authority will not accept), Netanyahu is no longer standing in the way of peace talks. However, by demanding that any Palestinian state must not be armed to the hilt (certainly a reasonable demand), Obama cannot readily and publicly argue otherwise. Obama cannot engineer a peace where he demands a Hamas armed with rockets aimed at Tel Aviv. Once again, Obama is learning that his charm works only on 52.8 per cent of the American voters; it does not work on experienced and wise leaders of other nations. [3294, 3295, 3410]

 

[Harconen]

The Treasury Department discloses on June 15 that foreign purchases of U.S. stocks, notes, and bonds fell to $11.2 billion in April, down from $55.4 billion in March. Both China and Japan are buying less U.S. debt. The Obama administration claims that recent interest rate increases were a sign that the economy is improving, rather than admit that investors are demanding higher interest to hold U.S debt because they expect inflation to arrive and lower the value of the bonds. [3303]

 

The media in general and the New York Times in particular go out of their way to disparage Republicans in the United States by referring to Iran’s theocratic leaders and president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as a “conservative.” The practice is a blatant attempt to associate American conservatives with the cruel policies of Iran’s ayatollahs and president. As an example, a June 15 story in the Times calls Ahmadinejad “a conservative who had become a polarizing figure at home and abroad.” [3313]

 

Iran’s president challenges Obama to a debate. “Negotiations on the nuclear issue are history,” says Ahmadinejad. “As I said last month, I am ready to have a debate with the American president.” As is evidenced by the statement, Ahmadinejad considers Iran’s nuclear program a done deal. Before his reelection victory, he said “I want constructive interaction on justice and respect and if I remain in the post, I will invite President Obama to a debate in the venue of the United Nations General Assembly. Our proposal is to sit at the U.N. and debate about the origin of the global problems and (allow) each side put forward its solutions.” [3314]

 

In mid-June, stories surface about a connection Obama had with a Hawaiian church that he had kept secret during the campaign. While growing up in Hawaii, after returning from Indonesia, he attended the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu. The church was infamous for sheltering U.S. armed forces deserters and AWOLs “recruited by ‘flirty fishing’ coeds from a Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) group known as ‘The Resistance,’” states the American Thinker. One deserter, Seaman Arthur Parker, sought refuge at the church but eventually turned himself in to authorities at Pearl Harbor. Said Parker at the time, “It isn’t a sanctuary anymore. It’s become a movement to overthrow the government and I don’t stand for that; neither do a lot of the others… Even though I don’t like the military, I would rather be part of them than what’s down at the church. They scare me now.” Obama’s connection with the church was not revealed until after the election, and even then it was kept as quiet as possible. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin wrote on December 24, “(Reverend Mike) Young, pastor of the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, could only tell his wife and a handful of church administrators that a small, private service was planned for Madelyn Payne Dunham on Dec. 23.  It was very hard to keep this secret. ...” Although Obama attended the First Unitarian Church as a youth and he was certainly not responsible for its actions in persuading soldiers and seamen to desert and hiding them from the Military Police, his campaign made a concerted effort to hide his affiliation with the church. The intention was to keep secret from the voters the background of his mother and grandparents so they would not be aware that he was a “red diaper” baby. [3315, 3427]

 

Behind the scenes, the Obama administration tells the Palestinian Authority (PA) to ignore what Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in his June 14 speech. Nimer Hamad, advisor to PA leader Mahmoud Abbas, states, “No matter what is the position of the Israeli government and no matter what are the statements of Netanyahu, what counts is what was promised to us by Obama, which is totally the opposite. We received encouraging signs from the Americans that we should not take seriously into consideration Netanyahu’s speech. The U.S. is committed to the evacuation of settlements (in the West Bank). We know from what we understand that also Jerusalem will be determined in the final negotiations that will take place on the basis of an international community that doesn’t recognize eastern Jerusalem as part of the state of Israel.” In the Oval Office, Obama tells Netanyahu one thing, but behind his back he pledges to the Palestinians that he will let them walk all over Israel in peace negotiations. Netanyahu said in his Sunday address, “The closer we get to an agreement with the Palestinians, the further it is rejected. We tried a withdrawal with an agreement, without one, a partial withdraw and we offered a near complete withdraw. We uprooted Jewish settlers from their homes, and received a barrage of missiles in return.” Obama sides with those who are lobbing the missiles and rockets into Israel’s civilian neighborhoods. [3316]

 

On June 15, Obama flies to Chicago to give a speech to the American Medical Association (AMA) advocating his national health care plan. The cost of the round-trip flight on Air Force One is estimated to be $236,000—not counting Secret Service protection, motorcades, and helicopters flights to and from the airport. [3317]

 

AMA physicians listen to Obama’s pitch for his national health plan, but most are less than enthusiastic. The organization previously issued a statement that read in part, “The AMA strongly opposes… a public health insurance plan operated by the federal government with a payment schedule that is set in statute and is based on Medicare.” The AMA, which has 250,000 physician members, opposes a plan run by the government, knowing it will lead to doctor shortages, bankrupt hospitals, and rationed care. Randel Jackson, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vice-president if labor, immigrant and employee benefits, states that Obama’s plan is not reform. “It would make the system even worse for employers and those who value free-market competition.” The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the health plan under consideration in Congress would cost at least $1 trillion over 10 years and still leave more than 30 million Americans uninsured. Obama argues that he can cut total health care costs while insuring almost 50 million more Americans and illegal immigrants—although he never mentions that illegal immigrants are covered in his proposal. [3330, 3331, 3352]

 

[Harconen]

Obama tells AMA members that too many physicians order unnecessary tests, yet he points out that they would not be seeing tort reform as part of his plan. Obama wants doctors to stop practicing “defensive medicine,” but will do nothing to control the expensive and often frivolous lawsuits that force those defensive practices. Some doctors in the audience boo when Obama states that he is against limiting malpractice awards. They applaud when he says they should be healers rather than “bean counters”—which ABC’s Timothy Johnson refers to as “a very tender moment.” Obama also claims that too many doctors prescribe “…treatments that, in some cases, can actually do people harm by raising the risk of infection or medical error.” Dr. John Goodman states that Obama and the Democrats are “…talking about a system parallel to the employer-based health insurance system. So if you don’t get insurance from an employer, you go into this artificial market that would be regulated and controlled by the government. You would have choices in this market, and the left-wing of the Democratic Party wants one of the choices to be a government-run health insurance plan—by which they generally mean Medicare for young people.” If Obama’s scheme generously subsidizes a federal insurance plan, Goodman claims that as many as 120 million Americans would simply drop their private coverage and opt for the cheaper government plan—effectively creating the single-payer system Obama has wanted since pushing for it while serving in the Illinois State Senate. Obama states, “…let me also address an illegitimate concern that’s being put forward by those who are claiming a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system. I’ll be honest, there are countries where a single-payer system works pretty well.” (Obama declines to mention the identities of those countries, and the media is unlikely to be able to find them for him. In fact, as columnist Terry Jeffrey points out, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post all printed that part of Obama’s address only after removing his reference to single-payer systems working pretty well.) “But I believe—and I’ve taken some flak from members of my own party for this belief—that it’s important for our efforts to build on our traditions here in the United States. So when you hear the naysayers claim that I’m trying to bring about government-run health care, know this: They're not telling the truth.” Obama is, of course, lying. His goal is a single-payer national health insurance plan.

[3343, 3352, 3370]

 

Successful investor Jim Rogers tells the Economic Times of India “…the S&P 500 could triple from here if they print enough money and the value of U.S. dollar collapses. Then the S&P could go to 50,000 (and the) Dow Jones can go to 1 million.” Rogers’ point is that the amount of money being printed by the government to finance its massive debt may cause the stock market to go up dramatically, giving the illusion that the economy is better—but that will not actually be the case. Having one’s income double, for example, from $50,000 to $100,000 does not make that person twice as well off if at the same time inflation is causing prices to triple. [3318]

 

It is announced that ABC will give Obama free time on the evening of June 24 to push his health care legislation. Prior to the “infomercial,” news anchor Charles Gibson will host ABC’s World News from the Blue Room of the White House. The Obama “show,” called “Prescription for America,” will not allow opposing viewpoints from critics of the plan to nationalize health care. Leading up to the program will be nine days of free promotional advertising from ABC for Obama’s scheme. Republican National Committee chief of staff Ken McKay complains to ABC, “In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime.” ABC argues that its coverage will be fair because its news division “…will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president.” Participating in the program will be ABC’s medical editor, Dr. Timothy Johnson. Johnson, a fan of nationalized health care, will certainly not be emphasizing the downside of Obama’s proposal. (When Johnson covered the Clinton health care plan in 1994, he told Hillary Clinton, “So at least from the physicians represented here, you get a 100 percent vote, including mine, for universal coverage.”) Critics charge t hat “the media and the government have become one,” and that ABC is “…virtually turning over news programming to the Obama government” for “a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda.” (The new director of communications at the White House Office of Health Reform is Linda Douglass—a former ABC News correspondent. One might assume that Douglas was involved in cooking up the deal and greasing the skids for it at the network.) [3319, 3328, 3362, 3370, 3464, 3494, 3545]

 

Marc Faber, publisher of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, tells Bloomberg Television he is “100 percent sure that the U.S. will go into hyperinflation. The problem with government debt growing so much is that when the time will come and the Fed should increase interest rates, they will be very reluctant to do so and so inflation will start to accelerate.” Author and economist Peter Schiff, in his book Crash Proof, notes that governments like inflation for several reasons: “Inflation makes the national debt more manageable because it can be repaid with cheaper dollars;” when there are a lot of voters who are in debt, “the government will pursue monetary policies hospitable to debtors;” “Inflation finances social programs that voters demand while allowing politicians to avoid the politically unpopular alternative of higher taxes, enabling Uncle Sam to play Santa Claus;” “Inflationary spending is confused with economic growth,” so people believe things are getting better when they are not; “Inflation causes nominal asset prices to rise, such as those of stocks and real estate, instilling in the minds of voters the illusion of wealth creation even as the real purchasing power of their assets falls.” Most respectable economists understand that inflation is a hidden tax o the citizens. The government prints money to bamboozle them into believing their lives have improved—hoping their rising salaries will make them more tolerant or even oblivious to the prices that are rising even faster. [3323]

 

[Harconen]

A nationwide poll conducted by Wenzel Strategies discloses that almost half of all adults believe there has been a decrease in the amount of their personal freedom since Obama became president. Nearly one-quarter feel they cannot openly speak their mind without fear of punishment or penalty. [3324]

 

The organization Tea Party Patriots predicts more anti-tax and anti-spending rallies on July 4 than were held on April 15. “Tea parties” planned by the group will emphasize “fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free market” principles. The group is also generating opposition to Obama’s federal health plan. “The administration is ratcheting up its rhetoric on pushing through its ‘health care reform,’” says national organizer Amy Kremer. “We can have tea parties until the end of time, but we need to be effective. We’re using our tea parties as a platform and an opportunity to educate people about what is going on with this and why we are opposed to government-run health care. If the government gets involved and imposes any kind of governmental health care, it is intrusive into our lives, and it will absolutely affect the free market.” [3325]

 

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) demands an investigation into Obama’s firing of Gerald Walpin, the Inspector General who identified corruption in the AmeriCorps program and went after Kevin Johnson—a friend of Obama who misused more than $800,000 in federal funds. Walpin says “I was fired for doing my job.” Grassley demands the release of “any and all records, e-mail, memoranda, documents, communications or other information, whether in draft or final form,” related to Walpin, contacts with the president, and “contacts with officials in the Office of the First Lady.” Even Obama staunch supporter Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) states that sufficient justification for the firing was not provided. [3326, 3407, 3578]

 

A 20-foot tall, 12-ton bust of Obama is shipped to South Dakota for display near the famed Mount Rushmore monument. The bust, which has already been shown in St. Louis and Chicago, will be placed at President’s Park in Lead, South Dakota, which displays giant busts of all presidents. [3327]

 

On June 15, talk show host David Letterman apologizes to Sarah Palin and her daughters for his **** “joke.” On CNN’s The Big Question on June 12, three of the four guests on the panel discussing the topic actually defended Letterman. (Counting the show’s host, Campbell Brown, it is four out of five.) Jeffrey Toobin said “I think a joke about Bristol Palin is actually fair game.” Janell Snowden remarks, “Frankly, I don’t even think that… that joke was sexist…” (CNN does not understand why it is losing viewers.) Palin accepts the apology “on behalf of all young women, like my daughters, who hope men who ‘joke’ about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve.” [3329, 3342]

 

Obama states on June 15 that he is “deeply troubled” by the violence against demonstrators in Iran. [3414]

 

The Washington Post reports that on June 15 that “The administration has remained as quiet as possible during the Iranian election season and in the days of street protests since Friday's vote.” Vice-president Biden states, “We're going to withhold comment… I mean we’re just waiting to see.” Secretary of State Clinton says, “We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds in Iran but we, like the rest of the world, are waiting and watching to see what the Iranian people decide.” (One assumes these statements did little to encourage Iranian protesters that they would be getting any moral support from the U.S. government.) Great Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Milliband, states that his government had “followed carefully, and admired, the passion and debate during the Iranian election campaign. We have also heard the concerns about the counting of ballots expressed by two of the candidates. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address. We will continue to follow developments. This is a matter for the Iranian authorities to address.” (Iranian demonstrators who may have hoped for a Churchillian expression of support are no doubt disappointed.) Former President Jimmy Carter surprises none of his critics when he delivers the ludicrous line, “I think this election has brought out a lot of opposition to (Ahmadinejad’s} policies in Iran, and I’m sure he’ll listen to those opinions and hopefully moderate his position.” [3353]

 

[Harconen]

In the New York State Senate, tensions rise as two dissident Democrats decided to caucus with Republicans. The move, which when finalized would give Republicans control of the body, set off an angry protest that included members of Obama’s favorite community activist and vote-fraud group, ACORN. State Senator James Alesi was accosted by a crowd of at least 150 people, who nearly knocked him to the floor and spat in the face of his chief of staff. (ACORN members are not strangers to aggressive and violent tactics.) [3334]

 

Obama removes Dennis Ross as his special envoy to Iran. One rumor suggests that Obama is moving Ross to a position in the White House because Iran refuses to accept him as a U.S. emissary. Ross has a Jewish background. (Obama keeps trying to force pro-abortion ambassadors to the Vatican against its wishes, but he caves in to Iran when they refuse to accept Ross.) [3335, 3404]

 

Financial analyst Robert Prechter predicts that the United States will lose its triple-A credit rating as the government continues its unprecedented and unjustifiable massive deficit spending. Despite the stock market’s rebound from 12-year lows set in March, Prechter—executive officer at Elliott Wave International—forecasts a steep decline for stocks in the second half of 2009. “There will be a leg down in stock prices, and it will affect all other areas,” says Prechter. He believes the economy “is obviously heading toward a depression.” In contrast, Laszlo Birinyi, CEO of Birinyi Associates, expects the market to climb for the next few years. “Anxiety is in the part of the people who have missed the rally. And they’re trying to talk the market down so that they can get back in. The market can adjust and adapt,” says Birinyi. “This time it’s taken a little bit longer.” Gamco Investors’ Mario Gabelli states, “Business is getting better, coming back to some normalcy,” and “…the economy… is going to pick up slowly but surely. And 2010 and 2011 will be pretty good.” [3336, 3337, 3338]

 

Obama’s CIA Director, Leon Panetta, says in The New Yorker magazine that he thinks former Vice-President Dick Cheney “…smells some blood in the water on the national security issue. It’s almost, a little bit, gallows politics. When you read behind it, it’s almost as if he’s wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point. I think that’s dangerous politics.” Cheney states on June 15, “I hope my old friend Leon was misquoted. The important thing is whether or not the Obama administration will continue the policies that have kept us safe for the last eight years.” The CIA quickly states that Panetta “does not believe the former vice president wants an attack. He did not say that. He was simply expressing his profound disagreement with the assertion that President Obama’s security policies have made our country less safe. Nor did he question anyone’s motives.” [3340, 3374]

 

Jimmy Carter, while on a tour of the Gaza Strip, says on June 16, “Tragically, the international community too often ignores the cries for help and the citizens of Palestine are treated more like animals than like human beings.” Israel and Egypt allow essential humanitarian supplies into the area, but have otherwise imposed a blockade to prevent rockets and other weapons from entering. Critics, like Carter, blame Israel for the situation, but every time Israel eases restrictions or gives up more land to Palestinians, they respond by using the area to launch rocket attacks against Israeli civilians. [3339]

 

Carter is allegedly the target of a roadside bomb plot during his visit to the Gaza Strip. Palestinian “sources” claimed that al-Qaeda hid bombs along the route of Carter’s convoy. Uniformed Hamas reportedly then found the devices, removed them, and destroyed them without injury to anyone. Some claim the “bombs” were planted by Hamas, which then conveniently found and disarmed them in order to court favor with Carter. (They need not have bothered, as Carter routinely sides with Hamas terrorists over Israel.) [3349, 3355]

 

The Heritage Foundation reviews the economic impact of the cap-and-trade global warming bill sponsored by Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Ed Markey (D-MA). By the year 2035, the bill will lower the nation’s “gross domestic product (GDP) by $9.4 trillion,” “destroy 1,145,000 jobs on average” per year, “raise electricity rates 90 per cent,” raise “gasoline prices by 58 per cent,” raise “natural gas prices by 55 per cent,” “raise an average family’s energy bill by $1,241,” and “result in an increase of $28,728 in additional federal debt per person.” It will also “have little impact” on global temperatures. [3562]

 

Obama bests Brad Pitt in a poll selecting the world’s most stylish man. [3341]

 

David Williams, of Deloitte Financial Services Advisory, estimates that there may be as much as $50 billion in fraud from the $787 billion stimulus program by the time all the funds have been distributed. FBI Director Robert Mueller has stated, “These funds are inherently vulnerable to bribery, fraud, conflicts of interest, and collusion.” [3344]

 

Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, states that insurance companies will not be able to block a national health plan because Americans want the competition of a federal plan. Sebelius ignores the fact that federal coverage would not be “competition,” it would be “unfair competition” because it will use tax dollars to subsidize lower-than-cost premium prices. It is not a “level playing field” when insurance companies need to make a profit to stay in business, while the government can cover losses with tax dollars. Sebelius tells the Associated Press, “I think there is a lot of understanding that the private market has really failed to provide affordable coverage to Americans,” but “hasn’t served Americans very well.” She says it is inaccurate to warn that a federal insurance policy “is really the stalking horse” for a single-payer system—but it should be obvious that if the government can use tax dollars to undercut insurance premiums it will eventually entice all Americans into the public option. [3347]

 

[Harconen]

On June 16, Obama states he has “deep concerns” about the legitimacy of the June 12 elections in Iran, but stops shorting of claiming fraud. Many people have been expecting Obama to express outrage, but he has refused to engage in any strong criticism of Ahmadinejad, the Ayatollahs who control Iran, or the brutal treatment of protestors in Tehran. Obama tells reporters, “It’s not productive, given the history of U.S.-Iranian relations, to be seen as meddling.” Press secretary Robert Gibbs says, “This is a debate inside of Iran for Iranians,” and “Our interests haven’t changed regardless of ultimately who the Iranians pick.” John McCain says that Obama “…should speak out that this is a corrupt, flawed sham of an election and that the Iranian people have been deprived of their rights.” Obama tells CNBC “It’s important to understand that although there is amazing ferment taking place in Iran, the difference between Ahmadinejad and Mousavi, in terms of their actual policies, may not be as great as has been advertised. Either way we were going to be dealing with an Iranian regime that has historically been hostile to the United States, that has caused problems in the neighborhood and is pursuing nuclear weapons.” (In other words, the United States isn’t going to do anything.) Obama cannot even bring himself to directly tell Ahmadinejad to stop killing protestors, he can only say “I do believe that something has happened in Iran. There is a questioning of the kinds of antagonistic postures towards the international community that have taken place in the past and that there are people who want to see greater openness and greater debate and want to see greater democracy.” [3348, 3414]

 

Obama likely does not cause Ahmadinejad to tremble in fear when he mildly notes that his regime’s actions are “…not how governments should interact with their people”—which falls a bit short of, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!” Obama remarks, “…I think that the world has deep concerns about the election. You’ve seen in Iran some initial reaction from the Supreme Leader that indicates he understands the Iranian people have deep concerns about the election.” (Obama chooses to legitimize and honor Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by referring to him as the “Supreme Leader.” If Obama is naïve enough to believe the “Supreme Leader” cares that the Iranian people have concerns about the election, he may also believe he can persuade Ahmadinejad to start liking Jews and Israel. Author and columnist Ann Coulter asks, “Did FDR give speeches referring to Adolf Hitler as ‘Herr Fuhrer’? What’s with Obama?”) [3348, 3414, 3419, 3560]

 

Obama’s dilemma is made clear by a Washington Post headline: “U.S. Struggling for Right Response to Iran,” sub headed “Obama Seeks Way to Acknowledge Protesters Without Alienating Ayatollah.” Obama states, “I do believe that something has happened in Iran where there is a questioning of the kinds of antagonistic postures towards the international community that have taken place in the past, and that there are people who want to see greater openness and greater debate and want to see greater democracy. How that plays out over the next several days and several weeks is something ultimately for the Iranian people to decide. But I stand strongly with the universal principle that people’s voices should be heard and not suppressed.” (Obama will watch things “play out.” Iranians who long for freedom are on their own, and the United States will neither interfere nor express more than mild support.) As columnist Charles Krauthammer emphasizes, “…this incipient revolution is no longer about the election. Obama totally misses the point. The election allowed the political space and provided the spark for the eruption of anti-regime fervor that has been simmering for years and awaiting its moment. But people aren’t dying in the street because they want a recount of hanging chads in suburban Isfahan. They want to bring down the tyrannical, misogynist, corrupt theocracy that has imposed itself with the very baton-wielding goons that today attack the demonstrators.” (In addition to referring to the Ayatollah as the “Supreme Leader,” Obama also instructed U.S. embassies to invite Iranian diplomats to their Fourth of July celebrations, thus further legitimizing the mullahs. The people of Iran have more than one reason to believe that Obama is on the side of their oppressors.) [3348, 3414, 3419, 3560]

 

In a letter to the House Financial Services Committee, Goldman Sachs’ chief executive officer, Lloyd C. Blankfein, says, “While we regret that we participated in the market euphoria and failed to raise a responsible voice, we are proud of the way our firm managed the risk it assumed on behalf of our client before and during the financial crisis.” (Some might argue that Goldman Sachs was one of several financial firms that caused the market euphoria, and did not simply participate in it. In 2006 the company had $76.5 billion in mortgage securities, more than three-quarters of which was “subprime” or “Alt-A” or “Ninja” (the borrower has “no income, no job, no assets”). It is unclear why Blankfein should be “proud of the way” Goldman Sachs managed the risk of its clients—many of whom lost fortunes when the housing bubble collapsed. [3412, 3413]

 

Obama asks for legislation giving broad new powers to the Federal Reserve Board and the Treasury Department to regulate the financial industry. If passed, the legislation would authorize the creation of “regulatory councils” to oversee the financial services industry—and give the government more power to take over companies. ABC’s John Stossel correctly argues that no one is “capable of overseeing something as complex as the financial system,” and “it is ominous that a bright guy like Obama doesn’t know this. He thinks he must regulate the system because it is so complicated and important. In fact, those are the reasons why he cannot regulate it, and should not try.”  Yet Obama says that he “will ...coordinate and share information, to identify gaps in regulation, ...solve problems in oversight before they can become crises ...that will allow us to protect the economy.” (Some might argue that America should wait and see how well Obama and his underlings run General Motors, Chrysler, and the banks before it turns over the rest of the economy to them. For someone who has never run a business in his life—successful or unsuccessful—Obama has an abundance of confidence in his managerial and entrepreneurial abilities.) [3423, 3534]

 

[Harconen]

The Obama administration fights requests for lists of visitors to the White House, despite two court rulings saying the records are public. Obama, who argued during the campaign that his would be the most transparent administration in history, does not want American citizens to know who is visiting the White House and influencing his decisions. Anna L. Weismann, attorney for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, says “We are deeply disappointed that the Obama administration is following the same anti-transparency policy as the Bush administration when it comes to White House visitor records. Refusing to let the public know who visits the White House is not the action of a pro-transparency, pro-accountability administration.” Because the visitor logs are updated and maintained by the Secret Service, they are subject to public scrutiny under the Freedom of Information Act regulations. Obama argues that the logs are presidential records. The court ruled against former President Bush when he made the same argument. MSNBC has also requested, and been denied, access to the records. [3354, 3373]

 

CNBC’s John Harwood asks Obama about the perception that he’s had a free ride with the press. The thin-skinned Obama responds, “I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration… That’s a pretty big megaphone. You’d be hard pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front.” Harwood asks Obama to name the “station,” but Obama declines—as though there is anyone in the nation who does not know he is whining about Fox News for daring not to fall on its knees before him. Fox’s Neil Cavuto challenges Obama, “If you dismiss us, why do you keep talking about us? If you’re so powerful, why do you sound so petty? And if you remind folks that you are president of all the people, which you are, why ignore those who challenge you, which you do?” Gretchen Carlson, of the Fox and Friends morning show, says “We have an open seat for him”—but few believe Obama has the courage to respond to an interview on Fox without pre-conditions. [3441, 3442]

 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce tells legislators in Washington, D.C. it will oppose national health care legislation, stating, “In the bill’s current configuration, the Chamber will oppose the ‘Affordable Health Choices Act’ unless several key provisions are significantly changed.” One major criticism is over the provision forcing employers to either provide health insurance for their employees or pay a penalty to the government to give them federal coverage. Such a requirement would impose enormous costs on businesses that cannot currently afford to provide insurance, forcing them to drastically raise prices—or go out of business. Obama’s desire to have a federal insurance policy is also a show-stopper for the Chamber of Commerce, which states, “Creating a new government-run insurance plan, whether based on Medicare, run by an appointed panel, backed by entitlement funding, or created in some other way, would lead to serious adverse consequences for employer-sponsored health insurance, and must not be included in legislation.” [3357]

 

CBS News runs a “reality check” segment doubting Obama’s claim that his national health care plan will be “revenue neutral.” Anchor Jeff Glor says “…there are growing concerns that President Obama lacks a realistic plan to pay for this sweeping reform.” Reporter Wyatt Andrews states that the nation received a “wake-up call” when the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the cost of the proposed Kennedy legislation would cost at least $1 trillion over 10 years—and would still leave 36 million Americans uninsured. Andrews says that although Obama “claims he can achieve reform without raising the deficit… the fact is, this means raising taxes.” [3385]

 

Although the mainstream media essentially ignores the growing controversy over the question of Obama’s citizenship and eligibility to legally serve as president, a survey shows that 51.3 per cent of Americans are aware of the issue. Just over 41 per cent believe that Obama should produce his birth certificate and school records. Pollster Fritze Wenzel notes “There’s not much variance across demographic groups on the question, with the exception of race, where whites were far more likely than blacks to be troubled by Obama’s refusal to produce the original birth certificate.” [3358]

 

Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) has four cosponsors to H.R. 1503: Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), John R. Carter (R-TX), John Culberson (R-TX), and Randy Neugebauer (R-TX). The proposed legislation would “…require the principal campaign committee of a candidate for election to the office of president to include with the committee's statement of organization a copy of the candidate’s birth certificate, together with such other documentation as may be necessary to establish that the candidate meets the qualifications for eligibility to the Office of President under the Constitution.” Posey states that his intention is only to clarify the rules for the future. “The last election is over. I don’t think that outcome is going to change. Personally, I think it’s futile to go there, but looking toward the future I think it would be reckless if we do not do everything we could to eliminate problems like that in the future. And that’s why I filed the bill.” [3359, 3402]

 

MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann has called Posey “the worst person in the world.” Posey has decline invitations to appear on Rachel Maddow’s program. “You know, I won’t do it ‘cause she’s got a lousy, low rated show, and I don’t want to give her the ratings, quite frankly. But you know what’s so ironic? Is with all this stuff that’s been written calling me an idiot and a tin hat, they all seem to have forgotten that the Washington Post and the New York Times called for this exact legislation less than 36 months ago when they thought it would render McCain ineligible because McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone.… Barack Obama himself, then a U.S. senator, thought it was important enough to co-sponsor the resolution declaring McCain eligible… It’s kind of an ironic circle, isn’t it?” Posey says he is not out to get Obama, but “The only people that I know who are afraid to take drug tests are the people who use drugs.” Reporters have accused Posey of filing “racist” legislation. He responds, “I’m trying to see that the Constitution is heretofore followed, end of subject, period. Nothing more, nothing less. But that reality, angry people just don’t want to accept it. I don’t apologize for trying to do the right thing. I’m not happy with the way the Constitution’s been trampled. I’m not happy that we have Government Motors now offering interest free loans competing against Ford who has to charge market rates to make ends meet. I’m not happy about so many of the things that are going on in this country right now, that are obviously beyond my control to do anything about them as this is right now. But my Constitutional duty, the oath I took to protect and defend the United States against all enemies domestic and foreign, requires that I take this action that I'm doing, in whatever large part or small part it may play.” [3359, 3402]

 

[Harconen]

At a Senate hearing on June 16, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is upset that Brigadier General Michael Walsh refers to her as “ma’am.” Boxer admonishes Walsh, saying, “Could you say ‘senator’ instead of ‘ma’am’? It’s just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title. I’d appreciate it.” (Some might argue that it is not hard work but pandering to special interest that gets many politicians elected to the U.S. Senate.) Members of the military are of course used to—and trained to—refer to people as “Sir” and “Ma’am;” there is nothing disrespectful in the General’s response to Boxer. (Reporters routinely refer to male congressmen and senators and the president as “Sir,” and no one is upset.) Columnist Dennis Prager writes, “To object to being called sir or ma’am by anyone, especially a member of the military and especially a high ranking member of the military is to betray an ignorance of the military and a tone deafness to civility that is appalling in anyone, especially a member of the United States Senate.” (During the presidential campaign, Obama rarely demonstrated any respect for President Bush, routinely referring to him as “George Bush” rather than “The President “ or “President Bush.”) [3432, 3433, 3514, 3536]

 

A federal prosecutor in Nevada attempts to obtain the identities of individuals who posted comments on the web site of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in response to an article about a man who paid employees with gold coins that were worth much more than their indicated denominations, but paid employer taxes based on their face value. Internet comments such as “Too bad he didn’t buy a gun and some ammo with his gold to defend his life, liberty, and property,” and “The time will come for WAR against this criminal US Government. They have changed the laws for their own good. I call out to all our Military branches to take over our government now!” prompted the prosecutor demand the identities of the posters because they suggested acts of violence. The newspaper is resisting the demands, and the ACLU states, “In the ACLU of Nevada’s view, the subpoena violates the important First Amendment rights of anonymous commenters. We at the ACLU of Nevada have always fought for the fundamental right to engage in anonymous political speech and we want to protect the rights of anonymous commenters.” [3361, 3380]

 

Paul Volcker, chairman of Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, says the federal government should limit bailouts. “One unfortunate consequence of the massive public assistance provided both banks and non-banks in dealing with the present crisis is that moral hazard may, I am afraid, become more deeply embedded.” (In other words, when individuals and businesses expect bailouts if they make mistakes, they are more prone to engage in risky ventures that cause failures.) It apparently does not occur to Volcker (a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board) or Obama that the federal government should not be bailing out any businesses, leaving free enterprise to function normally and properly–with rewards for success and penalties for failures. [3364]

 

The cost estimate for “Obamacare” jumps to $1 trillion over 10 years, up from his $634 billion figure. Most critics believe the $1 trillion amount is a serious underestimate as well. The Kennedy/Dodd bill in the Senate would not only cost at least $1 trillion, it would still leave an estimated 37 million people uninsured after 10 years. An estimated 47 million Americans have no health insurance. Spending $10 trillion over 10 years so that 10 million people can be insured is equivalent to giving each of them $10,000 per year. (It would be far cheaper and simpler to give all Americans a tax credit to buy their own health insurance, and eliminate the inefficient and wasteful federal intermediary.) Senator John McCain, knowing that the federal government doesn’t have an extra $1 trillion lying around, asks “How can we possibly, reasonably address this bill… without accounting how to pay for it?” and says it is “…a joke if we run through this stack of papers.” (The estimate of 47 million uninsured Americans includes millions who are eligible for help under SCHIP, Medicaid, or other programs but who fail to bother applying. Millions more are illegal immigrants. Millions are young, healthy individuals who can afford health insurance but prefer spending their money on cell phones or other “necessities” of modern life. A few million Americans in between jobs have no health insurance—but would have it if they choose to extend their former employer’s group insurance under COBRA legislation. [3365, 3372, 3377]

 

[Harconen]

Likely wanting to avoid as many federal hassles as possible, JP Morgan Chase and other large banks repay all the TARP funds they received from the late 2008 bailout legislation. JP Morgan Chase returns $25 billion (plus interest). The other institutions that repay the borrowed funds are Morgan Stanley ($10 billion), Goldman Sachs ($10 billion), American Express ($3.30 billion), Bank of Nee York Mellon ($3 billion), Capital One Financial ($3.57 billion), State Street ($2 billion), Northern Trust ($1.58 billion), BB&T ($3.1 billion), and U.S. Bancorp ($6.6 billion). ) JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon (who did not want to accept the federal funds in the first place), issues a statement to company employees, “We accepted TARP funding because we believed it was in the best interests of our financial system and our country, even though our company did not need the capital. But now as markets have begun to stabilize, we believe that it is best for strong and well-capitalized institutions like ours to pay back these funds early to the hard-working American taxpayers whose money was used for TARP.” [3366]

 

Economist Arthur Laffer warns in the Wall Street Journal that the massive deficit being created by the government all but guarantees higher interest rates, massive tax increases, and partial default on government promises.” [3367]

 

Obama announces plans to give health care and other benefits to the partners of gay federal employees. The executive order will be signed during a special ceremony in the Oval Office. Gay rights activists immediately complain that Obama is not doing enough because homosexuals would still not be entitled to receive monthly survivor benefits as “spouses” of federal retirees upon their deaths. Gays also want Obama to live up to his promise to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) signed by Clinton in 1996. Obama’s popularity with the public may be high, but not substantial enough to withstand the anger if many Americans if he is successful in getting DOMA repealed. After the signing of the order, CBS’s Harry Smith says, “…Obama gets some pressure from an unlikely source, the far left… On Wednesday, he signed an extension of health benefits for same sex couples who are federal employees, but that may not be enough for this increasingly frustrated community.” (The mainstream media rarely uses the term “far left,” mostly because it applies to Obama. It is willing to use it only when someone even further left emerges to complain about Obama or other leftist Democrats.) [3368, 3408, 3470]

 

On June 17, Obama proposes an expansion of powers for the already powerful—and largely unregulated and un-audited—Federal Reserve, a new agency to all banking operations, and the ability of the Treasury Department to take over and restructure any American company. (Based on this move, critics who have called Obama a socialist may want to consider the term fascist.) [3369]

 

White House Press secretary Robert Gibbs is asked to name a country where a single-payer health care system works well. Gibbs answers, “I don’t know exactly the countries. I think you can if you talk to people in the countries that have those systems, they’d think their health care is pretty good. I don’t know the exact countries. But I don’t think the President is going way out on a limb to say that people in other countries have health care system that they like, just as Americans like the health care system that they have.” (If “Americans like the health care system that they have,” Obama should not be pushing Congress to destroy it.) [3515, 3516]

 

ACORN holds a 39th anniversary celebration. Among those honored at the gathering are Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), Randi Weingarten (president of the American Federation of Teachers union), Henry Cisneros (former Mayor of San Antonio and Clinton’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development), Eric Eve (Citibank vice-president of Global Community Relations), Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor), John Podesta (CEO of the Center for American Progress and Bill Clinton’s chief of staff), and Andy Stern (president of the Service Employees International Union). All are prominent Democrats, further suggesting the closeness of ACORN with Democrat politics. The event is held at the National Education Association—another organization with leftist politics. ACORN is legally required to be non-partisan to retain its tax-exempt status. [3445]

 

Senator John Ensign (R-NV) discloses that he had an affair with a member of his staff, whose husband attempted to extort money from Ensign in exchange for keeping the relationship secret. During the affair, Ensign was separated from his wife; they have since reconciled. Ensign is a member of Promise Keepers, an evangelical organization that promotes marital fidelity, which will undoubtedly lead to jokes on late-night talk shows and media reports emphasizing that he is a Republican. (The media environment is different for Democrats. On June 19, CBS correspondent Nancy Cordes discusses a possible political comeback for John Edwards. Despite his having cheated on his wife while she was battling cancer, Cordes states, “Lots of politicians, after all, have had affairs and gone on to successful careers. Crisis management experts say Edwards may be testing the waters and could still have a political future.”) Despite his marital infidelity, Ensign’s approval rating (39 per cent) is higher than that of the other Senator from his state—Harry Reid (D-NV), whose approval rating is only 34 per cent. [3375, 3471, 3483]

 

[Harconen]

In an interview with CBS’ Harry Smith, Obama defends his weak stance with regard to the demonstrations in Iran. He states, “The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. We shouldn’t be playing into that.” In other words, Obama won’t do anything to support those Iranians who have a desire for liberty because he doesn’t want to upset the Ayatollahs who refuse to allow them to have it. Further, Iran will blame the United States regardless of whether it gives any support—moral or otherwise—to the demonstrators; what Obama says or does will not influence the Ayatollahs one way or the other. (Iran’s Keyhan daily newspaper has run a front page story charging that the United States was spending $400 million to support the demonstrations.) Obama’s problem is that he put most of his foreign policy eggs into one basket: use the threat of reduced U.S. military and financial aid and a nuclear-armed Iran to get Israel to accept a Palestinian state… on his conditions. Obama counts on being able to sweet talk Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad into giving up its nuclear program in exchange for Israel agreeing to a Palestinian state. Obama errs in believing that Ahmadinejad is amenable to such overtures (he likely isn’t) and in believing that Iran will stop hating Israel and the Jews if Palestinians are given a permanent home (it certainly won’t). Obama loses a key bargaining chip if the citizens of Iran manage to pull off the impossible and overthrow the regime of Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs. Israel would be less threatened by Iran—especially if the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizbullah lose funding from Iran—and therefore less susceptible to pressure from Obama. Obama surveyed the foreign playing field before he took office, and made the grave mistake of assuming it would not change. He planned his strategy and expected everything to fall into place and everyone to fall into line. But his plans were thwarted by Binyamin Netanyahu becoming the Prime Minister of Israel (rather than the compliant Tzipi Livnia), and by the Iranian demonstrators (who demonstrated to the world that the leaders of Iran are thugs who need to be ousted, rather than reasonable leaders with whom Obama could negotiate in good faith). Unfortunately for Obama, Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals did not include a chapter called “What to Do When People refuse to Follow Your Agenda.” [3519, 3537, 3539]

 

Author and columnist Mark Steyn notes that “One of the great innovations in the Obama administration’s approach to Iran… was supposed to be its deliberate embrace of the Tehran rulers’ legitimacy. In his opening diplomatic gambit, his statement to Iran on the Persian new year in March, Obama went out of his way to speak directly to Iran’s rulers, a notable departure from George W. Bush’s habit of speaking to the Iranian people over their leaders’ heads. As former Clinton official Martin Indyk put it at the time, the wording was carefully designed ‘to demonstrate acceptance of the government of Iran.’” Obama’s belief was that he could deal directly with Iran’s leaders and persuade them to give up their nuclear ambitions. In stating those intentions, he gave legitimacy to the Ayatollahs and to Ahmadinejad. Iranian demonstrators who now protest the apparently fraudulent June 12 elections had believed they had a friend in the United States government; that may have been true prior to January 20, 2009, but it is not true now. Obama painted himself into a corner by pledging from day one that he would meet with any leader any time with no preconditions. Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollahs have now called his bluff. If Obama works with Iran’s leaders, he will have turned his back on people seeking democracy. If he gives support to the protestors, he believes he will destroy his chances of making a deal that gets him a Nobel Peace Prize. He is unable to comprehend that Iran will never relinquish its nuclear plans. If it negotiates a deal, it will simply continue its nuclear program in secret. [3378]

 

Palestinian members of Hamas are reported to be assisting the Iranian police in fighting protestors in Tehran and other cities. [3379]

 

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) compiles a list of 100 wasteful projects in the $787 billion “stimulus” bill. As an example, one-half million dollars in taxpayer money is being spent in Ypsilanti, Michigan to renovate an old freight house into a space for yoga classes. Says Coburn, “This is not exactly what most taxpayers had in mind when they were sold the stimulus.” The infamous Alaskan “bridge to nowhere” has been replaced by plans for a $128 million Indian Street Bridge to connect Stuart and Palm City, Florida—even though residents call it unnecessary and a waste of money. A Nevada non-profit called the Community Service Agency is getting $2 million for weatherization projects—even though the firm has had previous contracts terminated for failing to do proper work. [3383, 3384]

 

CBS, ABC, and NBC all report that Nevada Senator John Ensign admitted to having an extramarital affair—and enjoy emphasizing that he is a “conservative Republican.” The reporting continues the media tradition of ensuring that the Republican or conservative label is always mentioned, while the Democrat or liberal label is avoided at all costs when transgressor is on the left of the political spectrum. News anchors rarely used the label “Democrat” when New York’s then-Governor Eliot Spitzer was revealed to have been paying prostitutes for sex. In October 2008 stories surfaced of an alleged 2004 affair between Obama and a campaign finance staffer, Vera Baker. Some evidence suggests that the Obama-Baker tryst was factual, but the mainstream media essentially ignored the story. The media did, however, report on rumors of an affair between Obama’s opponent, John McCain, and a woman named Vicki Iseman. The McCain-Iseman rumor was proven to be untrue; the Obama-Baker affair has been denied, but not disproved. (The Baker story has her having an affair with Obama during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. A limousine driver reported dropping off Baker and Obama at the Hotel George in Washington, D.C. on May 18, 2004. Michelle Obama apparently got wind of the meeting, blew her stack, and managed to get Baker fired and shipped off to the island of Martinique with an unnamed individual paying her off. Baker commented, “I switched careers. That’s it. I’m a Democrat and I support Senator Obama… I don’t have anything to say.” The best CBS’s Katie Couric could do was to ask Obama, “Why do you think so many prominent political figure risk so much by being unfaithful to their spouse?” without bringing up Baker’s name or suggesting he was one of those being unfaithful. Rumors can be found on the Internet suggesting that Baker, who lived near Washington, D.C. in Silver Springs, Maryland before relocating to the Caribbean, bore a child by Obama. The infant, with the last name Obama, was born in late October of 2004 and died less than two months later. The child’s Social Security number was issued in Maryland.) [3386, 3387, 3388, 3389, 3390, 3391, 3392, 3393, 3394, 3395, 3396]