Atlantis Online
March 28, 2024, 10:39:42 am
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Secrets of ocean birth laid bare 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5191384.stm#graphic
 
  Home Help Arcade Gallery Links Staff List Calendar Login Register  

The Obama Timeline: Part II

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7   Go Down
  Print  
Author Topic: The Obama Timeline: Part II  (Read 8058 times)
0 Members and 91 Guests are viewing this topic.
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« on: July 31, 2009, 02:47:34 pm »

The Obama Timeline: Part II

Part II of The Obama Timeline begins with his 101st day in office, April 30, 2009. Every attempt has been made to present accurate information, names, and dates. If errors or significant omissions are noted, please free to contact the author at colony14@gmail.com. Although the timeline’s content will frequently change as events occur, the author will gladly send you a .pdf version if you would find that useful.

 

Part I of The Obama Timeline (8/4/1961 - 4/29/2009) in now available in book form, directly from the publisher:

 

http://www.iuniverse.com/Bookstore/BookSearchResults.aspx?Search=don%20fredrick

 

NOTE: Considerable effort has gone into the research and creation of this timeline. The work is the intellectual property of the author and is fully protected by copyright law. You may re-post or copy as you wish, provided you credit the author (www.colony14.net
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2009, 02:48:35 pm »

The Obama Timeline – Part II

 

The Doomed Presidency

 

Day 101

 

Obama’s first one hundred days in office end with massive amounts of federal deficit spending and unprecedented interference in the American economy, including $787 billion “stimulus” legislation (that will do little to stimulate the economy but restores most of the welfare waste that took decades to eliminate); a $410 spending bill loaded with 8,000 wasteful earmarks; a $3.6 trillion budget (close to one-half of which is deficit spending); the creation of a Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Research that will decide for all Americans whether the medical care prescribed by their doctors is cost justified; a $650 billion cap-and-trade global warming tax that will raise utility and energy costs for everyone; the illegal takeover of General Motors and Chrysler; and the illegal takeover of Citigroup by converting its preferred shares to common stock (making the United States government its biggest shareholder). Obama’s foray into foreign policy resulted in an “apology tour” where he stated that America “has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive toward Europe;” naively pledged to create a “world without nuclear weapons;” gave a European commission the power to regulate American financial businesses; said the United States was not a Christian nation; eagerly and warmly greeted Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez; had not a word of outrage after a 50-minutes of anti-American propaganda by Daniel Ortega; blamed the United States for the Mexican border violence; and—wanting to placate Iran—asked a federal judge to throw out a $6.6 billion class action lawsuit filed by 52 Americans held hostage during the final embarrassing days of the Carter administration.

 

ABC’s Charles Gibson says, “One hundred days in office; 1,362 days remaining in his first term.” Clearly, Gibson assumes a second term for Obama—and will no doubt do his best to help him achieve it with continuing softball coverage. [2795]

 

A Rasmussen poll shows Obama’s Presidential Approval Index at +2 on April 30, 2009, his 101st day in office. The figure represents the percentage of people polled who “strongly approve” of his performance (34 per cent) minus the percentage who strongly disapprove (32 per cent). [2693]

 

According to the Media Research Center, the media bent over backwards to be generous in its treatment of Obama during his first 100 days in office. It analyzed 982 NBC, CBS, and ABC evening news stories from January 20 through April 29. None of the networks aired any stories discussing whether Obama was leading the United States to a European-style socialism. The term “socialist” was never used in describing Obama’s actions to move the nation from a free market to massive federal intervention in the economy. NBC and CBS never even used the word “liberal” in describing Obama’s agenda. In covering Obama’s bank bailouts, the auto industry takeover, and national health care proposals, none of the three networks played even one sound bite from a conservative or free market expert or think tank.

 

On April 30, Chrysler LLC announces it will file for chapter 11 bankruptcy and (forced to do so by the Obama administration) merge with Italian automaker Fiat. Obama remarks, “Today after consulting with my auto task force, I can report that the necessary steps have been taken to give one of America’s most storied automakers a new lease on life.” The “lease on life” will likely be brief, as Fiat is not in the best of shape financially either. Obama criticizes the Chrysler bondholders who “…decided to hold out for the prospect of an unjustified, taxpayer-funded bailouts. They were hoping everybody else would have to make sacrifices and they would have to make none. I do not stand with that.” (Obama is lying; the bondholders did not expect to make no sacrifice, they merely expected to be treated no worse than under a normal bankruptcy proceeding without Obama’s interference.) Legally, the bondholders Obama criticizes have a right to priority treatment under a bankruptcy, compared to others. The holders of the bonds (retirement funds, IRA accounts, etc.) held over $7 billion in secured loans; Obama offered them about $2 billion. Obama faults them for “being greedy” when it was the lending of their money that kept Chrysler afloat for years. Obama expects the secured creditors to accept almost nothing in exchange for their investments, while essentially giving the assets they paid for to the United Auto Workers Union (unsecured creditors) and the United States government. (When a business files for bankruptcy, secured creditors are paid first—before any unsecured creditors receive anything; that is why they are called secured creditors.) Obama’s actions are clearly illegal in that they abrogate legal contracts. Further, nothing in the U.S. Constitution gives Obama the power to take the actions he took against the automakers, nor did Congress pass any legislation that changed any related laws or regulations. [2692]

 

Obama’s actions with regard to General Motors and Chrysler will work to discourage investment in businesses. Investors watching the automaker fiascoes may wonder, “If Obama can confiscate the wealth of GM and Chrysler bondholders and stockholders, will he do it again with the companies in which I hold bonds or own stock?” At a time when American industry needs more investors, Obama is scaring them away. Few will consider buying corporate bonds if Obama can arbitrarily act against them, saying, “Uh, we’re going to take your investment, devalue it by 90 per cent, and give everything that’s left to the union that helped destroy the company and caused it to have to borrow money from you. Sorry, chump.”

 

Dan Kennedy of the Business and Media Institute points out that the net worth of General Motors is approximately negative $90 billion; that is, its debts are greater than its assets by that much. The Bush and Obama administrations have given $60 billion to GM, and the federal government owns 60 per cent of the company. In other words, the government has spent $60 billion in taxpayer funds for a negative $54 billion in “assets.” Even grade schoolers should calculate that as a loss of $114 billion. Kennedy comments, “The little gas lawn mower sitting in your garage that might bring $25 at a garage sale is worth $114,000,000,025 more than (the taxpayers’) stake in GM. You should incorporate it as Brokedown Lawn Mowers Inc., call up Obama, and sell him half of it for about $180-billion.” GM is likely to sell only half the number of vehicles required just to break even. Obama states that GM will be out of bankruptcy within two or three months. But although GM may be out of bankruptcy court, it will—much like Amtrak—remain bankrupt and on the federal dole forever. [3203]

 

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2009, 02:49:19 pm »

Christina Romer, Obama’s chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisors, testifies before the Joint Economic Committee of Congress; she says the second quarter of 2009 will continue to be bad for and unemployment will increase. [2694]

 

Taxpayer-funded National Public Radio announces that, effective May 1, all religious programming will be eliminated from NPR schedules. [2695]

 

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) warns that Obama’s health care plans will destroy private health insurance and lead to rationing. Coburn states that Obama’s plan will “…create a government-run health insurance program to allow people to buy it when they can’t buy it in the market. Think about that for a minute—if you can buy something from the government cheaper than you can from the private market, the private market will cease to exist. And so people who have good programs today will end up having a program run by government bureaucrats from Washington rather than one that emphasizes their choice and their personal selection and their healthcare.” Obama argues that his plan will offer government health insurance only as an alternative to existing private policies. But if a federal plan is subsidized with tax dollars (as it no doubt will be), it will be cheaper than private insurance and therefore force private companies out of business; if the federal plan is not subsidized with tax dollars, it will not be cheaper than private policies and therefore serves no purpose. Obama’s goal is to force private insurers out of business by using tax dollars to allow lower prices (at least in the beginning phase of his scheme). As time passes, the federal government will not be able to afford to continue subsidizing the federal plan and will have to raise taxes or ration health care to make up the difference. Obama’s new Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Research will have the responsibility of determining how to cut costs; that will include rationing of care, especially for the elderly. Coburn warns “…the ultimate result of every government-run healthcare plan around the world is rationing. Where does [sic] most of the expenses come from? From our senior citizens. Where will we make most of the cuts? Most of the cuts will come from our payments for those senior citizens. So you ultimately will end up with a form of rationing that will have a tremendous impact on care.” [2696]

 

An indication that health care rationing may be in the works comes from a January article in the medical journal The Lancet, written by Obama health advisor Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel—brother of chief of staff Rahm Emanuel. Dr. Emanuel writes, “Unlike allocation (of healthcare) by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination. Every person lives through different life stages rather than being a single age. Even if 25-year-olds receive priority over 65-year-olds, everyone who is 65 years now was previously 25 years. Treating 65-year-olds differently because of stereotypes or falsehoods would be ageist; treating them differently because they have already had more life-years is not.” Emanuel is stating he believes it is not discriminatory to deny healthy care to the elderly. Emanuel has written that “individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens” should not necessarily be guaranteed health services. Elderly persons suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s may be among those who Emanuel (and Obama) might deny treatment. [3736]

 

Congressmen John Boehner (R-OH) and Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) release a video warning that Obama’s lack of a strategy to fight terrorism places the nation at risk. Boehner and Hoekstra state, “Over the last one hundred days, it has become clear that the administration has no comprehensive plan to confront the threat from radical jihadists. From the decision to close a terrorist detention camp with no plan for what to do with the terrorists housed there to the decision to selectively release information about interrogation programs, the administration’s policies have been driven by politics, not by an overarching strategy to protect our nation. On day 101 of this administration, the American people are beginning to ask some serious questions about what Democrats in Washington are doing to keep America safe. Republicans want to work with the White House and Democrats in Congress to protect our nation, but the administration first must make a commitment to a comprehensive plan to fight the terrorist threat. So far, we haven’t seen that.” (Although he continues to be critical of the interrogation methods used by the Bush administration after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Obama retained for his own administration the right to follow those same methods.) [2697, 2863, 2865]

 

The U.S. Senate rejects an amendment by Dick Durbin (D-IL) to grant bankruptcy judges the power to lower homeowners’ monthly payments. Those in favor of the amendment (including members of the Obama administration) believe it would help keep more people in their homes. Those opposed to the amendment understand that granting such power to judges would discourage people from investing in the mortgage market. Investors would be afraid of making an investment in mortgage securities if they believed judges could arbitrarily disregard contracts and simply pull the rug out from under them; that would ultimately make it more difficult for all borrowers—including those who are responsible—to obtain mortgages. [2698]

 

Many of Arlen Specter’s campaign donors begin to ask for refunds of their contributions after he switched to the Democrat Party. Specter is not legally required to return any donations, but he has pledged to do so. [2699]


The White House warns those who accompanied Obama on his recent trip to Mexico to be watchful of symptoms of swine flu. Meanwhile, Border Patrol agents at the U.S.-Mexico border are ordered by the Department of Homeland Security not to wear “N-95” facemasks to protect them from swine flu, ostensibly to avoid offending Mexicans crossing the border into the United States. [2700, 2701]

 

Justice David Souter announces plans to retire, giving Obama his first opportunity to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Souter, age 69, has a liberal voting record and Obama will replace him with another liberal. Possible candidates are Elena Kagan (Obama’s current solicitor general), Sonia Sotomayor (a judge in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals), and Diane Wood (a federal judge in Chicago). Obama is likely to name a woman or other “minority member” in order to make it more difficult for Republicans to oppose a “politically correct” candidate. [2702]

 

The federal government discontinues the use of the term “swine flu” and will instead refer to it as the “H1N1 virus.” [2703]

 

Billionaire Sam Zell says, “I’m happy to buy a hotel if I think that the President is going to stop pissing on conventions.” (Zell’s remark is prompted by Obama’s criticism of businesses for holding conventions in Las Vegas, which resulted in the cancellation of a substantial number of corporate activities.) [2704]

 

Signaling that the Obama administration is prepared to accept a nuclear-armed Iran, Defense Secretary Robert Gates remarks that taking out its nuclear facilities would not work and calls for more sanctions instead. Gates argues that if Iran’s facilities were attacked, it would simply continue its nuclear program in secret. (Gates and Obama apparently do not have the imagination to consider that Iran would also continue its program in secret if faced with trade sanctions.) [2706]

 

It is reported that a “biosurveillance” firm, Veratect Corporation, warned about a possible swine flu outbreak at least two weeks before the World Health Organization alerted the public. Veratect notified the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, but little was apparently done until the first cases were reported in Mexico. [2707]

 

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) releases the list of 31 members of a new “advisory” committee that will rule on “diversity” in communications. The new committee will be the method by which Obama and his fellow Democrats get conservative talk shows off the radio, by forcing “diversity ownership.” Rather than implement a controversial “fairness doctrine,” the government will instead argue that there are not enough minority owners of radio stations. Broadcast licenses will be taken away from some businesses and given to members of minorities—who will then change their program schedules to remove those talk show hosts who are critical of Obama and his leftist agenda. The list of 31 advisory committee members has no conservatives, but includes Raul Alarcon (Spanish Broadcasting System), Maria E. Brennan (American Women in Radio and Television), David Honig (Minority Media and Telecommunications Council), Debra Lee (BET Holdings, Inc.), Marc H. Morial (National Urban League), Karen K. Narasaki (Asian American Justice Center), Jake Oliver (Afro-American Newspapers), Charles Warfield (Inner City Broadcasting), and James Winston (National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters). The deck is stacked fully in favor of leftists obtaining radio broadcast licenses at the expense of conservative station owners. [2708]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2009, 02:50:24 pm »



The Obama administration considers reviving the military commissions for prosecuting terrorist detainees at Guantanamo. Although Obama criticized former President Bush for the practice, he is learning that things are not always as simple as they seem. Off the record, one official remarks, “The more they look at it, the more commissions don’t look as bad as they did on January 20 (inauguration day).” [2710]

 

Obama tells the New York Times “The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here. (For them) I think that there is going to have to be a conversation that is guided by doctors, scientists, ethicists. And then there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place. It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels.” Obama is here discussing rationing of health care, specifically for the elderly. His inclusion of ethicists means that decisions will have to be made with regard to “pulling the plug” on the gravely ill, in order to save the expense of caring for them to make more money available for his national health care plan. Congressman Tom Shadegg (R-AZ) says, “It certainly raises the specter of people being given up on.” Obama’s Health Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research would “.…determine those items, procedures and interventions that are found to be less effective, and in some cases more expensive, (and they) will no longer be prescribed.” Shadegg adds, “In the context of the stimulus bill and health care reform… this kind of cost-effectiveness research would be used to have the government say what drugs can and cannot be used and what procedures can or cannot be used.” [2709]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2009, 02:51:02 pm »

May 2009

 

On May 1, Obama discusses his criteria for a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. He says, “I will seek someone who understands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a casebook; it is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives, whether they can make a living and care for their families, whether they feel safe in their homes and welcome in their own nation, I view quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people’s hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes.” Obama is completely wrong; a judge should look at justice as abstract legal theory (that is, the language of the U.S. Constitution), and empathy should have no place in his decision—justice should be blind. (As a former teacher of Constitutional law, Obama should know better.) Wendy Long, legal counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, remarks that Obama “…thinks judges should have empathy for certain litigants who come before them. Of course, if you have empathy for everybody who comes before you, there are two sides to every case. If you have empathy for both sides then that’s the same as having no empathy at all. So what he means is he wants empathy for one side, and what’s wrong with that is it is being partial instead of being impartial. A judge is supposed to have empathy for no one but simply to follow the law.” Obama wants a Supreme Court Justice who will rule in favor of someone simply because that person is a female, black, Hispanic, poor, old, fat, on welfare, or a drug addict—rather than according to the law. But applying empathy rather than the law renders the law meaningless. Following Obama’s logic, the nation could do away with all laws and simply have “empathic arbitrators” chosen by him settling all disputes and ruling according to how they “feel” about the litigants. [2711]

 

On May 1, Obama unexpectedly attends a press briefing by his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, to discuss the retirement of Justice David Souter. After Obama leaves the room, MSNBC reporter Savannah Guthrie gives anchor Norah McDonnell her reaction after “being in the same room” with Obama. “Shocked is more like it, Norah. I felt a little bit like I was having a dream sequence minus the pink unicorn. I have to say, we attend those briefings (with Gibbs) every day; they are rarely so exciting.” (Despite gushing remarks like Guthrie’s, the media continues to say its coverage is “objective.”) Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, discussing Obama’s April 30 press conference, tells Fox News’ Greta Van Susteran that the media has “…taken such a pathetic dive with this President that they ought to be part of his PR firm. I mean it's embarrassing to watch.” Gingrich notes that no reporters asked Obama any questions of merit, like “So why are you releasing these terrorists in the United States?” and “Doesn’t it worry you to have $9 trillion in debt being projected under your administration?” [2717]

 

Obama’s Presidential Approval Index drops to +1 on May 2, 2009. The figure represents the percentage of people polled who “strongly approve” of his performance (33 per cent) minus the percentage who strongly disapprove (32 per cent). [2693]

 

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) states, “I believe that this year, we can pass comprehensive, strong, fair immigration reform.” Many would argue that there is no need for new legislation, just enforcement of existing legislation and the hiring of additional border guards. The use of the word “comprehensive” is code language for making it easier for illegals to become citizens, giving them a “pathway to citizenship” as a reward for having entered the nation illegally. [2712]

 

In what may end up as a confrontation with Obama and his anti-gun attorney general, Eric Holder, Montana passes a Firearms Freedom Act. The legislation states that guns manufactured, sold, and kept within the state are not subject to federal regulation because they are not involved in interstate transport—the government’s usual excuse for interfering with state’s rights. “The Interstate Commerce Clause has grown and grown until the government asserts authority over everything under the sun,” says Gary Marbut, president of the Montana Sport Shooting Association. “How much water you have in your toilet; almost all environmental laws; maybe one-third of all federal regulations are asserted under the Commerce Clause.” The legislation is only partly about guns. “Guns are the object, but states’ rights are the subject.” Five states have introduced their own versions of the law, and others are likely to follow suit. It is almost a certainty that the Obama Justice Department will move quickly to sic the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco on the first gun shop to sell “made in Montana” weapons. Supporters of the legislation will then file lawsuits against the federal government, claiming infringement of Second Amendment and Tenth Amendment rights and other violations of the U.S. Constitution. [3304]

 

Obama’s deputy press secretary Bill Burton denies that Obama’s “car czar” Steven Rattner (head of the auto industry task force) threatened Chrysler investors if they refused to settle for pennies on the dollar for the billions they had invested in the company. “The charge is completely untrue,” said Burton, “and there’s obviously no evidence to suggest that this happened in any way.” According to bankruptcy attorney Thomas Lauria, Perella Weinberg Partners had been told by Rattner to accept the pathetically low administration offer or “…the full force of the White House press corps would destroy its reputation if it continued to fight.” The firm later denied Lauria’s version. Obama had publicly criticized the firms that had invested in Chrysler, saying, “I don’t stand with them. I stand with Chrysler’s employees and their families and communities. I stand with Chrysler’s management, its dealers, and its suppliers. I stand with the millions of Americans who own and want to buy Chrysler cars. I don’t stand with those who held out when everybody else is making sacrifices.” Obama shamelessly expects the pension funds, retirement funds, 401(k) holders, and investors who had given Chrysler billions to survive to accept next to nothing for their investments, while he turns the company over to the federal government and the United Auto Workers union. (With regard to Lauria’s allegations of Rattner threatening investors and the subsequent White House denial, it should be noted that Lauria has no motive for lying, but Obama and Rattner do.) [2713]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2009, 02:51:40 pm »



Obama signs yet another “ethics waiver” to get around his own lobbyist rules. A special waiver is granted to allow Valerie Jarrett to help bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago. Jarrett had served as vice-chair on a “Chicago 2016” committee. [2714]

 

It is reported on May 3 that many of the retirees who receive a special $250 “economic recovery” check will have to return the money if they have been employed and also received the $400 “Making Work Pay” tax credit. Those Social Security recipients who are also working are not allowed to keep both the $250 and the $400, and will have to return the $250 when they file their 1040 tax returns in 2010. Few retirees would not be aware of the restriction (unless they read the 600-page stimulus legislation). [2715]

 

In a May 3 television appearance, Iranian Army General Commander Ataollah Salehi states, “The truth is that Israel does not have the courage to attack us. If we are subjected to any attack by Israel, I do not think we will need more than 11 days to wipe Israel out of existence.” [2730]

 

Obama’s step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, plans a trip to Mecca, a pilgrimage performed by Muslims. (Islam requires that all able-bodied Muslims travel to Mecca at least once in their lifetime.) Sarah Obama has stated in the past that she was present at the birth of her grandson in Kenya (not Hawaii). During Obama’s campaign, Sarah Obama briefly claimed to be a Christian, in order to protect the candidate from “Obama is a Muslim” charges. [2716, 2987]

 

A May 4 Gallup poll shows that the Standard of Living Index for black Americans jumped from -1 before the election to +62 at the end of April 2009. The poll does not reflect an actual standard of living change, but merely a perception of status as self-reported. During the campaign, Obama and the media did their best to make people feel bad about their circumstances, but after the election the media portrayal changed abruptly, with glowing reports of how Obama would save the world from everything from economic recessions to (allegedly) rising sea levels. Since the inauguration of Obama, the Standard of Living Index for whites rose more slowly, and was +50 at the end of April. White Americans are apparently less optimistic about Obama being the solution to all their problems. [2718]

 

Obama and the Democrats make it clear that if Republicans in the House and the Senate do not roll over and agree to their national/socialized health care plan, the Senate will change the rules and pass a bill via the budget reconciliation process in order to avoid a filibuster. [2719]

 

James Bullard, president of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, warns that unemployment will top 9 per cent before it heads back down. He tells reporters he is “…hopeful that we will stay under the peak hit in 1982, 10.8 percent.” Bullard also warns that inflation may appear after the economy picks up again. [2720]

 

Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) warns that China is troubled by the U.S. economy and is starting to reduce its purchases of debt. China holds an estimated $800 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds. As China and other nations cut back on the purchase of U.S. debt, the Federal Reserve will have to buy that debt—but it does so essentially by printing money, which causes inflation. The Obama administration’s decision to inflate the economy out of the recession may encourage China to push for an alternative to the dollar for its international needs; that will cause the dollar to collapse even further. [2721]

 

Newt Gingrich charges that the Obama administration is being reckless with its Middle East policies. “There’s almost an eagerness to take on the Israeli government to make a point with the Arab world,” Gingrich told the Jerusalem Post. “They are systematically setting up the most decisive (Israeli-Palestinian) confrontation that we’ve ever seen.” He added that Obama’s foreign policy approach is “the clearest adoption of weakness since Jimmy Carter.” Israel has been calling up the reservists in its armed forces, in preparation for a possible conflict with Iran. [2722, 2723]

 

Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA), fresh from his switch to the Democrat Party, makes the ludicrous claim that former Congressman Jack Kemp’s death from cancer (on May 2) was the result of Republicans fighting national health care plans. (Specter himself has been battling cancer.) [2724]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2009, 02:52:33 pm »



The president of the Zionist Organization of America, Morton Klein, expresses concerns about Obama’s treatment of Israel. “This could turn out to be the most hostile administration to Israel we have ever seen,” states Klein. “Remember, this isn’t good for America. A weak Israel is not able fight Islamic terrorism as a strong Israel can—and Israel is America’s only reliable ally in the Middle East.” Klein adds that Obama “…said we should not use the word ‘terrorist’ anymore—we should use the word ‘man-caused disaster.’ And we shouldn’t use the term ‘war on terrorism’ anymore—we should use the term ‘overseas contingency operations.’ So he’s trying to whitewash the reality and the fact that we are in the midst in a war against Islamist terrorism.” [2725]

 

Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, warns that Obama’s pick to replace the retiring Justice David Souter will likely be even more activist and liberal. “(Obama) has said that he’s looking for a judicial activist. He didn’t use that actual word. He said he’s looking for a judge who shows empathy by favoring certain groups—pregnant women, minorities, so on, and so forth. That is the definition of judicial activism—outcome-oriented judging.” Levey predicts, “It may certainly be Elena Kagan or Sonia Sotomayor (Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals), since he probably wants to appoint the first Hispanic justice. It could be Kathleen Sullivan, law professor and former dean at Stanford. It could be Diane Wood on the Seventh Circuit. I do think it will be a woman.” [2726]

 

In Nevada, charges are filed against ACORN after evidence is gathered showing that the organization illegally paid employees based on how many new voters they could register. A total of 39 charges are filed. ACORN argues that “rogue employees” were responsible for the errors, but the organization’s own employee handbook and written policies confirm the illegal policies. Nevada’s Secretary of State (a Democrat), Ross Miller, believes he has a strong case against ACORN, which Obama has actively supported. Miller states that approximately half of the 90,000 ACORN voter registrations for Clark County (which includes Las Vegas) appear to be fraudulent; for non-ACORN registrations, the fraud is typically two per cent. [2727, 2921]

 

New York Times columnist Jodi Kantor makes the ludicrous statement that Obama will not appoint a liberal to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court; she says he will nominate a “pragmatist”—just like himself. He will choose “…not a larger-than-life liberal to counter the conservative pyrotechnics of Justice Antonin Scalia, but a careful pragmatist with a limited view of the role of courts.” [2728]

 

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet and sometime Obama supporter admits that inflation is on the way. “A country that continuously expands its debt as a percentage of GDP and raises much of the money abroad to finance that, at some point, it’s going to inflate its way out of the burden of that debt,” states Buffet. “Every country that has denominated its debt in its own currency and has found itself with uncomfortable amounts of debt relative to the rest of the world, in the end they inflate. That becomes a tax on everybody that has fixed dollar investments.” [2729]

 

Democrats push to approve “Hate Crimes” legislation (Senate Bill 909; House Bill 1913) that, according to one supporter, would protect “all 547 forms of sexual deviancy or ‘paraphilias’ listed by the American Psychiatric Association.” The law is meant to protect homosexuals and individuals with “alternative sexual lifestyles.” Congressman Steve King (R-IA) introduces an amendment reading, “The term sexual orientation as used in this act or any amendments to this act does not include pedophilia.” The Democrats block the amendment, thus offering legal protection to adults who advocate sex with children. Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) warns of the consequences of the legislation: “If a mother hears that (her) child has been raped and she slaps the assailant with her purse, she is now gone after as a hate criminal because this is a protected class. There are other protected classes in here. I mean simple exhibitionism. I have female friends who have told me over the years that some guy flashed them, and their immediate reaction was to hit them with their purse. Well now, he’s committed a misdemeanor, (but) she has committed a federal hate crime because (his) exhibitionism is protected under sexual orientation… You see someone spying on you changing clothes and you hit them, they’ve committed a misdemeanor, (but) you’ve committed a federal felony under this bill. It is so wrong.” [2731]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2009, 02:53:16 pm »



Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) remarks in support of the legislation, “This bill addresses our resolve to end violence based on prejudice and to guarantee that all Americans regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability or all of these ‘philias’ and fetishes and ‘isms’ that were put forward need not live in fear because of who they are. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule.” Obama supports the legislation—even though it may result in ministers who preach against homosexuality being charged with committing a federal hate crime. Apparently, Hastings, Obama, and many of their fellow Democrats believe that child molesters should not have to “live in fear because of who they are.” (Among the 547 types of sexually deviant behaviors whose practitioners would be protected from criticism if the bill passes are: incest (sex with one’s own child); necrophilia (sex with a corpse); pedophilia (sex with a minor); zoophilia (sex with animals); voyeurism (spying on people engaged in intimate behavior); fronteurism (a man rubbing against the buttocks of a stranger); coprophilia (sexual arousal from feces); urophilia (sexual arousal from urine). For some unknown reason, Obama and many of his fellow Democrats feel obligated to protect people who engage in those practices from punishment or criticism. Apparently, the owner of a funeral home cannot fire an employee who has sex with a dead body because that would be “discrimination” and a “hate crime.”) House Republicans who attempted to add language to the bill stating, “pedophilia is not protected as a sexual orientation” were outvoted by Democrats, led by lesbian Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). [2731, 3421, 3422]

 

It is reported that the Obama administration is still considering releasing 17 Chinese Muslim terrorists (”Uighurs”) from the detention center at Guantanamo into the United States; they would not be moved to American prisons—they would be released into society. Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) asks for additional information about administration plans but the Department of Justice is under orders not to discuss the issue. Attorney General Eric Holder has not responded to two letters from Wolf. [2732]

 

Business leaders strongly criticize Obama’s plan to increase taxes on American companies that operate overseas, saying it will cost jobs in all locations. The U.S. corporate income tax rate is the second highest in the world (35 per cent), but the tax code allows American companies to operate in other countries, where they pay local taxes and defer U.S. taxes until the profits are returned to the United States. Obama wants to do away with those tax deferrals to increase tax revenues from those businesses—forcing double-taxation (from two countries). Such a change would make it more difficult for American companies to compete with foreign competitors, causing the loss of jobs in the United States as well as overseas. If American companies are forced to pay higher taxes on overseas operations, they will generally not bring those jobs to the United States; they will simply close the plants and lose sales in those other countries. They cannot afford to compete with foreign manufacturers if they have to pay higher American wages, plus the 35 per cent U.S. corporate tax rate, plus the cost of shipping the products overseas—where no one will buy them because of their higher prices. In the meantime, lower corporate taxes in other nations (like Ireland) will encourage other manufacturers to take the place of shuttered American-owned factories. A better policy would be for Obama to push for a lowering of the U.S. corporate tax rate to encourage companies from other countries to build factories in the United States. That would ultimately increase tax revenue while providing jobs for Americans. John Castellani, president of the Business Roundtable, calls the Obama business tax increase “the wrong proposal at the wrong time for the wrong reason,” and will make American businesses “…less competitive in the international marketplace where, by last count, 95 per cent of the world lives.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) says he “…cannot endorse a plan that gives preferential treatment to foreign companies at the expense of U.S. companies.” [2733, 2734, 2740, 2797]

 

Congressman Mike Pence (R-IN), commenting on Obama’s “cap-and-trade” energy tax proposal to “stop global warming,” says that “Indiana would be one of the states hardest hit by the Democrats’ so-called cap-and-trade legislation, focusing as it does on coal-burning power plants that predominate across the Midwest. Not only will the cap and trade bill result in higher utility rates for all Americans, but that burden will fall most harshly on states across the Midwest like Indiana.” Based on the amount of tax revenue Obama expects to receive from the legislation, the average American family would see an estimated $3,000 per year increase in energy costs. (During the campaign, Obama said, “Under my plan of cap and trade, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.” [2735]

 

Obama appoints Dalia Mogahed to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Mogahed, a hajib-wearing Egyptian-American Muslim, is senior executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. [2736]

 

Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) has 124 co-sponsors for his proposed legislation that would require an audit of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors and Federal Reserve Banks (H.R. 1207, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009). Paul has been a harsh critic of the Federal Reserve (which is not federal and does not actually maintain a reserve), arguing that the U.S. Constitution grants the authority to coin money and regulate the value of the currency only to Congress. The Federal Reserve’s continued printing of money causes inflation, a hidden tax that hurts all Americans, but which harms the poor most disproportionately. Paul states, “Throughout its nearly 100-year history, the Federal Reserve has presided over the near-complete destruction of the United States dollar. Since 1913, the dollar has lost over 95 percent of its purchasing power, aided and abetted by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. How long will we as a Congress stand idly by while hard-working Americans see their savings eaten away by inflation? Only big-spending politicians and politically favored bankers benefit from inflation.” Paul further argues that every problem in the economy “…from the Great Depression, to the stagflation of the ‘70s, to the current economic crisis caused by the housing bubble,” can be traced to actions taken by the Federal Reserve. [2737]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2009, 02:53:57 pm »



On May 4, Colin Powell criticizes conservative talk show commentator Rush Limbaugh. “I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without.” Powell, angered by Limbaugh’s charge that he is not a conservative and endorsed Obama solely because of race, states, “The Republican Party is in deep trouble. The party must realize that the country has changed. Americans do want to pay taxes for services.” Clearly demonstrating that he does not in fact have conservative principles and does deserve Limbaugh’s criticism, Powell adds, “Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.” [2738]

 

The Obama administration denies reports that as many as 147 civilians died on May 4 during fighting between U.S. forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Regardless of the exact number of civilian casualties, criticism of Obama over the incident is almost non-existent, compared with attacks on former President Bush when those incidents occurred. [2763]

 

Still more leftist journalists jump the media ship to take positions in the Obama administration. CNN’s Sasha Johnson will become press secretary at the Department of Transportation. Former Chicago Tribune correspondent Jill Zuckman is already there, as Director of Public Affairs. CNN’s Aneesh Raman and Kate Albright-Hanna left their positions to join the Obama campaign in 2008. Beverly Lumpkin now works for the Justice Department, which she previously covered as a reporter for ABC. Rick Weiss, formerly with the Washington Post, is now with the White House Office of Science and Technology. Former Los Angeles Times reporter Peter Gosselin is now a speechwriter for Secretary Treasurer Geithner. Former Washington Post deputy editor Warren Bass is now an advisor to U.N. ambassador Susan Rice. Time magazine’s Jay Carney is now Joe Biden’s chief of staff. (Carney is married to ABC correspondent Claire Shipman.) Linda Douglass, formerly with CBS and ABC, is now handling public relations for the Department of Health and Human Services. [2739, 3494, 3545]

 

On May 5, his new Democrat comrades strip Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) of seniority. The move takes away much of Specter’s clout, and makes it more difficult for him to campaign on the basis of being able to “deliver the goods” to the voters of Pennsylvania. Specter had been promised by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he would retain his seniority after switching parties, but Specter apparently learned little about how Democrats operate in his five terms in the Senate. Specter changed to the Democrat Party after realizing he was likely to lose the 2010 Republican primary; the odds are that he will be challenged in the Democrat primary and may lose his Senate seat anyway—along with any integrity he may still have. [2741]

 

In a May 5 editorial in the Washington Post, Glenn Kessler and Michael D. Shear write, “The Obama administration has backed away from overt expressions of support for human rights and democracy in favor of a more subtle approach, worrying advocates who say that the issues are being given short shrift as President Obama seeks to rebuild relations with allies and reach out to adversaries.”  They confirm that “Many human rights activists have been shocked at the administration’s apparent willingness to consider easing sanctions on Burma and Sudan. The Obama presidential campaign was scornful of Bush’s handling of the killings in Sudan’s Darfur region, which Bush labeled as genocide, but since taking office, the (Obama) administration has been caught flat-footed by Sudan’s recent ousting of international humanitarian organizations.” [3528]

 

The White House releases a seven-page memorandum, “Internal Review Concerning April 27, 2009 Air Force One Flight.” The document is meant to “explain” the publicity photo fiasco that had New Yorkers running for cover after a low-level flight of Manhattan by a backup Air Force One and two fighter jets. The memorandum explains little, but allows Obama to throw White House Military Officer Louis Caldera under the bus. [2764]

 

Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke says on May 5 that the economy appeared to be stabilizing and there would likely be a recovery in 2009. “We expect that the recovery will only gradually gain momentum,” states Bernanke, “and that the economic slack will diminish slowly.” It is unlikely, however, that housing prices will return to their record highs for many years to come, and American consumers are almost as unlikely to go on the same kind of spending binge they have been on for the last decade. Bernanke’s optimism does not take into account the effect of inflation, which will eventually appear because of the money the federal government is printing and throwing into the economy in the hopes that it will spark a recovery. (From 1900 to 2000, home prices in the United States increased, on average, by about 3.4 per cent per year. Between 1950 and 2000, home prices increased an average of 4.4 per cent per year, just barely beating the inflation rate. From 1997 to 2006, however, prices in 10 of the largest U.S. cities rose, on average, an astounding 19.4 per cent per year. That housing “bubble” was unprecedented, and was clearly caused by government manipulation of interest rates. The bubble was created by the government, which kept interest rates artificially low; there is no reason for prices to go back up to those levels under natural circumstances. In fact, further price declines are likely if average home prices are to “get back to normal” and match the 1990–2000 trend.) [2759, 2856]

 

Former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) complains that Obama is not doing enough to secure the nation’s border with Mexico, especially with the threat of a swine flu epidemic. The Obama administration argues that it is not worth the effort, because several Americans have already contracted the flu; tightening border security would be “closing the barn door after the horses are out.” (Some have illogically likened it to shutting a window after several bees have entered the house; but it is not clear why they would want to leave the window open for even more bees to enter.) Tancredo argues, “The problem is you cannot necessarily contain it, but what you’re trying to do is minimize the impact, of course, and reduce the number of people coming into the country with it.” Tancredo is a strong advocate for tougher border security and enforcement of immigration laws. He warns that Obama’s plans for immigration “reform” will mean amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants already in the United States. He also knows that Obama is difficult to oppose because of his loyal following. “You have to admit, he is a cult leader and the cult will go with him anywhere he wants to go. You just don’t know about the size of the cult, how big it is, if it’s shrinking or growing, but he is a cult leader and you have to realize that he’s not just a political figure, he is truly a cult leader.” [2742]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2009, 02:54:32 pm »



The Hawaiian state legislature issues a resolution proclaiming September 24 “Islam Day.” The resolution passes 22–3. The state’s two lone Republican legislators argue that no religion should be singled out, and that September 11, 2001 should be remembered instead. Republican state senator Fred Hemmings states, “I recall radical Islamists around the world cheering the horrors of 9/11. That is the day all civilized people of all religions should remember.” Democrat legislators in Obama’s (alleged) home state argue that “the rich religious, scientific, cultural and artistic contributions” of Islam should be honored. (No resolution is passed to honor Christians, Jews, Mormons, Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or atheists.) [2743, 2744]

 

Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, warns an audience of Jewish AIPAC donors that any Obama administration efforts to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons hinges on Israel giving concessions to Palestinians. An administration source states, “The order is first a Palestinian state and then Iran.” Obama will press Israel to pull all Israeli citizens out of the West Bank to allow a Palestinian state in its place. The result would be Hamas rockets even closer to Tel Aviv and Israel’s international airport. The Obama-Emanuel “choice” for Israel is therefore to either allow itself to be destroyed quickly by a nuclear attack from Iran, or accept slow destruction from incessant terrorist attacks from Hamas. In reality, Obama will likely take little action against Iran, and allow it to continue its nuclear program. [2745, 2746]

 

On May 6, Obama states, “We began by passing a Recovery Act that has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs…” Obama’s statement is a lie. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 1.3 million jobs were lost in February and March, with April and May figures also expected to be dismal. A White House official later tells ABC’s Jake Tapper that Obama’s figure of 150,000 was based on an estimate from the Council of Economic Advisors; it was not based on any evidence. Vice-President Biden also later claims, “In the first 77 days of the two-year Recovery Act program, 150,000 jobs have been created or saved” and released a report allegedly confirming the number, but the report offered no such proof. Biden also stated, “We are starting to implement an unprecedented level of transparency. I am pleased that already—so shortly after enactment—visitors to Recovery.gov can easily access extensive information about their tax dollars at work.” In fact, Recovery.org provides no information on the number of jobs “created or saved.” Obama and Biden are simply making up numbers, assuming the media will report them without question and the public will accept them. (If Obama’s 150,000 count were correct the cost of those jobs—based on the $787 billion price tag of the “stimulus bill”—was more than $5 million each.) [2749, 2851]

 

Obama chooses not to hold a public ceremony for the National Day of Prayer on May 7. [2747]

 

Rush Limbaugh says on his radio talk show, “What Colin Powell needs to do is close the loop and become a Democrat, instead of claiming to be a Republican interested in reforming the Republican Party. He’s not. He’s a full-fledged Democrat.” Limbaugh was one of only a few public personalities to charge that Powell endorsed Obama because of race. “He’s out there saying I am killing the Republican Party while he endorsed and voted for Obama,” said Limbaugh. “The Republican Party nominated the exact kind of candidate Colin Powell thinks the Republican Party should have and he still endorsed Obama.” [2748]

 

Violence escalates in Iraq in 2009, as al-Qaeda increases suicide bombings and attacks. According to Major General Atta Qassim, the resurgence of al-Qaeda is the result of the release of 4,000 insurgents by the United States. (It is unclear why they were released or why the Obama administration believed they would not return to violence.) [2750]

 

On May 7, the House Appropriations Committee passes Obama’s “Supplemental Appropriations for Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Pandemic Flu.” The proposed spending includes $3.6 billion for Afghan security forces, $665 million for the aid to the West Bank and Gaza, $250 million for Jordan, $360 million for Egypt, $1.9 billion for Pakistan, $968 million for Iraq, $555 million for Israel (Obama had requested zero for Israel), $74 million for Lebanon, $343 million for refugee assistance, $200 million for disaster assistance, $837 million for United nations peacekeeping, $100 million for HIV/AIDS, $151 million for Africa, $470 million for Mexico, $242 million for (the former Soviet) Georgia, $300 million for the global financial crisis, $55 million for nuclear non-proliferation, and $17 million for the Iraqi criminal justice system. The United States taxpayers are paying billions of dollars are paying billions of dollars in aid to nations that hate Americans. The only nation in the region that is a friend of the United States, Israel, almost had its aid eliminated—but the Appropriations Committee insisted on giving it assistance against Obama’s wishes. [2824, 2825]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2009, 02:55:25 pm »



Homosexuals, upset that Obama did not name any openly gay individual to his cabinet, press for him to name a gay to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter. On Obama’s “short list” of possible nominees is Sonia Sotomayor, a judge in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, who some believe is a “closet” homosexual. (She is divorced and very vague about the circumstances of that marriage, has no children, and had a “temporary” fiancé while under consideration for her Second Circuit seat. Once confirmed, her fiancé disappeared.) [2751, 2752, 3003]

 

The Director of National Intelligence and the CIA release 10 pages of intelligence documents that confirm House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was briefed in September 2002 on the interrogation techniques used against terrorist detainees. The documents contradict Pelosi’s public statements that she was not aware of the processes. [2756]

 

The Obama administration announces it will rescind a requirement that unions file annual financial disclosure statements. The law requires the filings, but Obama has decided to allow the unions to ignore the regulations. The change allows unions to misspend union dues without consequences. The rules were put into place by the Bush administration because of widespread abuse by the unions. Former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao states, “We saw submissions submitted by hand and written in chicken scratch—things like $3.9 million in ‘sundry expenses’—no further substantiation, no vouchers submitted at all. There were other submissions that said $62 million in loans and grants to affiliated organizations—(with) no explanations provided. Chao also charged that although Democrats in Congress wanted to give the Labor Department $956 million it had not asked for, it tried to slash the budget of the Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS)—which monitors unions. Obama apparently believes it is acceptable to return to the days of union abuses. During the eight years of the Bush administration, OLMS was involved in more than 900 criminal convictions of union officials; although Obama is spending like a drunken sailor in almost every other area of government, he is slashing the OLMS budget—no doubt as a payback to unions that contributed heavily to his campaign. The OLMS is the only function of the Department of Labor that is being hit with a budget cut. (Many Republican union members complain that their dues are used to donate to Democrat candidates.) [2753, 2782]

 

Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, resigns on May 8. Caldera was allegedly involved in the planning of low altitude flights of a backup Air Force One and fighter jets over New York City for “publicity photos.” The ill-conceived photo shoot frightened thousands of workers, who fled from their Manhattan office buildings believing another terrorist attack was in progress. Caldera became the designated “fall guy” for the fiasco. [2754]

 

The federal government concludes its “stress testing” of 19 large banks and announces that only one, GMAC (the nartion’s largest auto-financing company), may need additional taxpayer bailout funds. There are strings attached to the decision, however, with the Treasury Department threatening to take over some of the banks if they do not sell enough common stock to new investors over the next six months. Critics argue that the stress tests are meaningless, because they assume an unemployment rate of only 8.8 per cent housing prices falling only 14 per cent in 2009—and both are figures that will be surpassed. The tests are essentially public relations gimmicks to convince the public that their savings are safe, but the government’s demand that the banks raise $100 billion in new capital in just six months contradicts that assurance. [2755, 2758]

 

On May 8, the White House announces that Obama will give a speech on relations with the “Muslim world” in Egypt on June 4. Obama will also stop in France on June 6, the anniversary of the World War II D-Day invasion. Obama’s wife will not accompany him to Egypt, but will join him in Normandy. The scheduling is likely to avoid having Michelle Obama photographed with her head covered, although First Lady Laura Bush accompanied former President George W. Bush on a Middle East trip. [2756, 3040]

 

Twenty-two demonstrators are arrested at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, after refusing to leave campus property while demonstrating against the upcoming (May 17) commencement address of Obama, who supports abortion. Among those arrested is Alan Keyes, former United Nations ambassador and Obama’s Republican opponent in the 2004 Illinois Senate race. [2757]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2009, 02:56:37 pm »



The reported number of job losses for April 2009 is 539,000. The unemployment rate stands at 8.9 per cent, an increase from 8.5 per cent. The White House tries to point out the “silver lining” in the figures, implying they could have been worse. Brendan Buck, with the Republican Study Committee, remarks, “By any standard, 540,000 more Americans out of work in one month is no reason to celebrate. If the White House is judging the success of their economic plan on whether job losses are better than the all time high, then we are in for a long recovery.” Congressman John Boehner (R-OH) issues the statement, “About two and a half million jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year, yet some here in Washington continue to believe that we can borrow and spend our way back to prosperity. Rather than working across the aisle on plans to create more jobs, rebuild Americans’ savings, and reinvigorate the housing market, the spending, taxing, and borrowing binge that the Administration and Congress have set out on in the first four months of this year isn’t helping our economy. Washington’s arrogance must be replaced by a new spirit of bipartisan cooperation to improve job prospects for millions of Americans.  Republicans have taken every opportunity to reach out to the President and find areas of agreement. We offered a stimulus bill that created twice the jobs at half the price as the Democrats’ bill. Our budget alternative curbed spending, created jobs by cutting taxes, and controlled the debt. And we’ve proposed legislation to help Americans’ rebuild their nest eggs and college savings for their children. Unfortunately, the Democrats in control of Congress have chosen a go-it-alone approach. It’s time for the President and the Democratic leadership in Congress to reverse course and embrace this opportunity for real bipartisan action to help put more Americans back to work.” [2760, 2761]

 

The New York Times interviews Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Damascus, Syria, and then makes the amazing statement, “Apart from the time restriction (a truce that lapses after 10 years) and the refusal to accept Israel’s existence, Mr. Meshal’s terms approximate the Arab League peace plan…” The Times is suggesting that Hamas’ refusal to accept the very existence of Israel is “no big deal.” The Times (and the Obama administration) expect Israel to turn over additional land to the Palestinians in exchange for “peace,” yet peace is impossible if the Palestinians continue to refuse to accept the Jewish state. Any additional land given to the Palestinians would be used to launch more rocket attacks on Israel, as happened when Gaza was given to them—also in exchange for “peace.” [2762]

 

Between May 4 and May 10, Obama sends a letter to Iran’s “Supreme Leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in which he asks for an improvement in relations between Iran and the United States. The letter seeks “cooperation in regional and bilateral relations.” [3547]

 

The Obama administration steps up the pressure on Israel, with National Security Advisor James Jones telling a European foreign minister that the United States is building a coalition with Arab nations and Europe to force Israel to give up Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Jones apparently said, “The new administration will convince Israel to compromise on the Palestinian question. We will not push Israel under the wheels of a bus, but we will be more forceful toward Israel than we have been under Bush.” In fact, Obama would be destroying Israel if it were able to force such concessions. He is clearly working deals behind the scenes, with Israel completely left out of the discussions that will determine its future and security. Jones states on May 10, “We understand Israel’s preoccupation with Iran as an existential threat. We agree with that… By the same token, there are a lot of things that you can do to diminish that existential threat by working hard towards achieving a two-state solution.” Jones and Obama feel that Israel is “preoccupied” with Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons, but Iran (with the help of its terrorist support groups Hamas and Hizbullah) has publicly stated “Israel must be wiped off the map.” Fighting against the destruction of one’s nation is not preoccupation—it is national self-defense. Jones and Obama also foolishly believe that if Israel gives up territory to the Palestinians Iran will give up its nuclear ambition. The Obama administration will likely do nothing to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, and the more time Obama allows for “negotiations” with Iran, the closer that nation will get to producing them. [2765, 2787, 2835]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #12 on: July 31, 2009, 02:57:13 pm »



Former governor of Vermont and chair of the Democrat National Committee Howard Dean appears on CNBC and says, “I think we’ve had quite enough capitalism in the last eight years and I think we need some regulation now.” Dean fails to understand that the problems of the economy were caused by government, not capitalism. [2766]

 

Reports surface of an April meeting of the Albermarle (North Carolina) County Service Authority at which chairman Don Wagner discussed federal “stimulus” funds and said, “It’s Obama money… Obama white money.” His colleagues laughed at the remark (“white money”), which is a redneck slur for tax money. Wagner later tried to cover for himself, stating, “I said ‘It’s Obama-like’ money.” [2767]

 

Fox News reports that the U.S. government is spending $400,000 to cruise bars in Buenos Aires, Argentina to learn why drunken gay men engage in risky behavior. A grant from the National institute ion Alcohol Abuse is funding the study—with American tax dollars of course. There is no word on how the project will stimulate the U.S. economy. [2768]

 

Obama threatens to take back $7 billion in stimulus money for California unless the state restores budget cuts that affect members of the Service Employees International Union. State legislators approved budget cuts in February to help reduce California’s record $42 budget deficit. Members of the SEIU complained to the White House, and Obama responded by blackmailing the state. (The SEIU gave Obama massive campaign support in the 2008 election. The union’s contributions totaled $18,818,358.97 as of December 2008.) The SEIU is closely aligned with ACORN (Obama’s favorite illegal voter registration group); Wade Rathke, who founded ACORN, is the chief organizer for SEIU local 100. Obama’s website states, “SEIU’s members are temperamentally suited to Obama; he is a longtime friend of Chicago’s SEIU Local 880 and worked closely with the union as an organizer and later as a state legislator.” [2769, 2770, 2771, 2774]

 

Investigator and author Andy Martin arrives in Honolulu on May 10 to begin work on a movie, Obama: The Hawaii Years. Martin states, “Our goals are always the same. Find the facts. Tell the truth. Let people make up their own minds about Barack Obama.” [2772]

 

California attorney Dr. Orly Taitz continues her battle to expose Obama as ineligible to serve as president because he is not a natural born citizen. She plans to continue filings with the U.S. Supreme Court until they review Obama’s status, and says, “Bottom line, I will be filing until I get an answer.” Taitz has cited Quo Warranto (“by what authority”) to demand documentation proving (or disproving) Obama’s eligibility to serve. Clearly, Obama has reasons to hide documentation from his past, because he is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees to keep them private. Most significantly, Obama refuses to release a copy of his long form birth certificate. In late 2008, Obama lawyers told one court that “…particularly serious embarrassment will result from turning over the requested documentation.” [2773, 3426]

 

Word starts to spread about federal legislation (HR 645) introduced in January that calls for “…the Secretary of Homeland Security” to “establish not fewer than six national emergency centers on military installations.” The centers would be used “…to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster,” as well as “…to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.” Legislators state the bill is only to provide a place to relocate people in the event of an emergency like hurricane Katrina, but others worry that conservatives could be rounded up and locked away to keep them from thwarting Obama’s plans to turn the United States into a socialist state. The bill was sponsored by Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL). (Hastings is a disgraced former judge who was impeached while serving on a Florida court, for accepting a $150,000 bribe. At one point House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted Hastings to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, but even her fellow Democrats knew enough to resist that move.) Political strategist Mike Baker asks, “Why aren’t the news media covering this (detention center) story?” and charges, “While Obama and his team are making it sound as if they will use the military in a non-combative roll, part of the training being conducted is in urban warfare. Obama appears oblivious to Posse Comitatus and to the U.S. Constitution when it comes to using the military against civilians within U.S. borders. And where do you think they’ll keep these American prisoners of war? In comes impeached and corrupt Congressman Hastings with a solution.” [2775]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #13 on: July 31, 2009, 02:57:48 pm »



The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tells members of Obama’s “diversity” committee to seek “aggressive” solutions to problems they see in broadcasting. The committee is supposed to insure “diversity” in broadcasting—even though the committee itself bears no resemblance to diversity. (It consists of 31 left-leaning appointees.) The committee is told, “Be bold. Take these issues and run with them. This is not a ceremonial appointment. This is your chance to make a real and lasting difference. I hope that you will set an aggressive agenda for yourselves and that you will not hesitate to propose aggressive solutions.” The group is expected to do its best to remove conservative talk shows from the radio, by taking broadcast licenses away from current owners and giving them to minority (that is, liberal) owners. [2776]

 

When Tom Scheft, one of television talk-show host David Letterman’s writers, is asked why comedy shows don’t write jokes about Obama, he responds, “It’s not because he’s black and it’s not because we’re afraid. It’s just that he’s, just so far, just a little too damn competent and we ain’t used to that.” (It does not occur to Scheft that the reason has to do with media bias toward collectivism.) [2777]

 

Congress considers the “Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act of 2009.” As is the case with much legislation coming out of Washington, the title is a disguise. Although few Americans would want “firearms and explosives” sold to terrorists, the law allows the Attorney General to deny guns to any “known or suspected dangerous terrorist” and requires only that the individual is “appropriately suspected” of preparing for a terrorist act or the Attorney General “has a reasonable belief” that the gun may be improperly used. If the law passes, the government would be able to prohibit the sale of guns to individuals who are opposed to abortion simply because Attorney General Eric Holder “suspects” they may want to shoot someone who performs abortions. (The Department of Homeland Security has already identified as potential terrorists individuals who are against abortion, RFID chips, illegal immigration, the United Nations, a “New World Order,” income taxes, a universal service program, gun control, the Federal Reserve Board, or a new Constitutional Convention. [1830, 1884, 2643, 2778]

 

At the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, Obama tells the crowd of media guests, “I am Barack Obama. Most of you covered me. All of you voted for me.” Also appearing at the dinner is comedian Wanda Sykes, who remarks, “Rush Limbaugh… I hope his kidneys fail, how about that? He needs a good waterboarding, that’s what he needs.” Obama enjoyed the “joke.” [2779, 2794]

 

General Motors reports that it lost $6 billion in the first quarter of 2009, spending $10.2 billion more than it took in. The Obama administration has given GM until June 1 to negotiate with its creditors or file for bankruptcy. The Obama administration also announces that the $7 billion or more in taxpayer funds given to Chrysler is money down the drain and will not be repaid. The Heritage Foundation’s James Gattuso says, “The administration is trying to win points with the public, I think, by looking like they’re taking a firm hand by negotiating hard, by forcing conditions on the firms, which they have to some extent. But it’s all been fueled by mammoth taxpayer infusions of cash. It’s the elephant in the bankruptcy court. So it’s time that the taxpayers stood up and said, ‘Well, what about our interests?’” [2780]

 

Obama’s budget recommends eliminating all federal funds for abstinence education programs, replacing them instead with $100 million for contraceptive-based sex education programs. Obama prefers handing out condoms and paying for abortions than suggesting to 14 year olds that they not engage in sex. [2781, 2791]

 

The American Family Association announces that it is sponsoring Independence Day “tea party” tax protests in 640 cities in all 50 states. (Close to one million demonstrators participated in protests on April 15.) [2783]

 

On May 11, Obama meets with leaders of hospitals, drug companies, and health insurers at the White House, where they pledged to work together to keep health care costs from escalating. Obama later says the group agreed to cut projected costs by 1.5 per cent per year for the next 10 years; in fact, they agreed to no such thing, and said they would attempt to reduce costs by 1.5 per cent for the entire 10-year period. A health care policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, Greg D’Angelo, later says Obama’s 1.5 per cent per year pledge is “…a lofty promise with little substance. In reality, it was just a photo-op for the administration. In fact, many of these proposals were put forth in the Obama health plan during the campaign—and the independent Lewin group found that in fact, only 12 percent of American families would achieve savings of that level, and they were disproportionately wealthy.” [2784, 2801, 2850]

 

Obama and his supporters continue to give out inaccurate information about health care in an effort to promote his national socialized medicine plan. The media assist by accepting the numbers at face value. Obama and his Secretary of Health and Human Services often state that there are 46 or 47 million uninsured Americans. That number, however, includes between 10 and 20 million illegal immigrants, as well as several million Americans who earn more than $75,000 per year and choose not to buy health insurance. The uninsured count given by the Obama administration also includes people who are in between jobs. Those who had health insurance from their previous employer have the right (under COBRA legislation) to continue their employer coverage even though they are no longer working there by self-paying a reduced premium amount. (And they will likely have coverage again when they obtain new employment.) Further, many millions of uninsured Americans are young people who simply choose not to purchase health insurance because they believe themselves to be “invincible” and don’t want to spend money on premiums. [2801]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Harconen
Superhero Member
******
Posts: 2568



« Reply #14 on: July 31, 2009, 02:58:21 pm »



Obama’s proposed national health plan would create a federal health insurance policy as an “option” to private individual and public policies. This is Obama’s way of “guaranteeing an option” and allows him to say he is doing nothing to harm existing insurers. He is lying; his intention is to eliminate private insurers and make the government the sole provider of health coverage. If Obama’s “federal policy” costs more than private policies, there is of course no need to have it in the first place. No one, for example, would pay the government $600 per month for coverage that they could get from an existing private insurer for $550. Similarly, there is no point in having a “public option” if the price is equal to private policies. Obama will therefore price the public policies lower than the private policies. The only way he can do that is to subsidize the cost of the federal policy with taxes. That will force private health insurers out of business, as consumers will naturally cancel their private health policies and buy “Obamacare” if it saves them money. Eventually, all 300 million Americans (plus millions of illegal immigrants) will be covered by the federal health plan. The problem will then be that tax revenue and insurance premiums will be nowhere near enough to pay for the care of everyone. Obama will be forced to raise taxes to make up the difference, or engage in more deficit spending (resulting in inflation as more money is printed), or cut services (rationing). Obama’s health care scheme follows the usual approach followed by government as described by author and former Libertarian Party presidential candidate (1996 and 2000) Harry Browne: “The government is great at breaking your leg, handing you a crutch, and saying ‘You see, without me you couldn’t walk.’”

 

Democrats hold hearings to discus how to “help” Americans prepare for retirement, and consider eliminating tax breaks for 401(k) accounts and IRAs. The assets in those accounts would be confiscated by the government and then converted to universal “Guaranteed Retirement Accounts” (GRA) managed by the Social Security Administration. The plan has the support of Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Service Employees International Union. There is currently no bill in Congress to establish GRAs, but Democrats are considering the proposal as a way of generating additional tax revenue and making Americans more dependent on the federal government. [2785]

 

The Obama administration proposes raising the estate (death) tax to generate as much as $60 billion to help pay for a national socialized health care system. Obama and his fellow Democrats fail to understand that raising taxes on estates causes unemployment, as the heirs who inherit family farms or family businesses upon the death of the owner often have to liquidate the business to come up with the cash for the federal tax. [2786]

 

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates asks the top general in Afghanistan, David McKiernan, to resign; McKiernan will be replaced by Lieutenant General Stanley McChrystal. [2788, 2792]

 

After the fuss about the backup Air Force One publicity photos—that had New Yorkers scrambling for cover when they thought they were again being attacked by terrorists—the White Houser released one photograph. Not very impressive, the photograph allegedly cost the taxpayers $328,835. Photoshop users around the country quickly produced similar pictures of the plane flying past the Statue of Liberty, which were just as impressive—and cost nothing. [2789]

 

At a Washington hearing, Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL) asks Elizabeth Coleman, inspector general of the Federal Reserve, a string of questions she is unable to answer. Coleman states that the Fed had decided to let Lehman Brothers fail without having done any research into the effect of the decision, even though it chose to bail out other financial firms. Grayson asks if anyone was keeping track of the trillions of dollars the Fed was injecting into the money supply; Coleman’s evasive responses clearly indicates that no one is doing so. “I am shocked to find out that nobody at the Federal Reserve is keeping track of anything,” states Grayson. Coleman responds to questions in typical federal doublespeak, “We have not looked at this specific area at the particular point on that specific review.” [2790, 2796]

 

The Heritage Foundation estimates that Obama’s plan to raise capital gains and dividends taxes will cause the value of stocks to fall by approximately $93 billion. Those harmed most by the tax changes will be senior citizens, who depend on dividends and the sale of stocks to finance their retirements; retired couples in their 70s or 80s cannot wait 20 years for the stock market to recover from Obama’s tax penalties. [2793]

 

The official White House website removes references to Obama’s pre-election commitment to reverse the Defense of Marriage Act (which was signed by Clinton in 1996 and approved overwhelmingly by both the House and the Senate). The website had stated, “Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act…” It now states that Obama “…supports full civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples and opposes a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage…” A pledge to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gays in the military has been changed to say that Obama “supports changing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell in a sensible way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security.” [2795]

 

Investor and former hedge fund manager Andy Kessler warns that the recent upswing in the stock market is a sucker’s rally and not the start of a bull market, because there is no sustainable, fundamental reason for the rise to continue, considering sub-par earnings, a declining dollar, and close to $2 trillion in budget deficits. [2798]

 
Report Spam   Logged

Ignis Natura Renovandum Integra
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7   Go Up
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by EzPortal
Bookmark this site! | Upgrade This Forum
SMF For Free - Create your own Forum
Powered by SMF | SMF © 2016, Simple Machines
Privacy Policy