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The Obama Timeline: Part II

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Harconen
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« Reply #15 on: July 31, 2009, 02:59:01 pm »



Prominent business leaders across the nation line up to fight Obama’s proposed increase on corporate taxes, most particularly his plan to eliminate the deferral on U.S. taxes of profits made by American companies operating overseas. Obama has the advantage in the fight, because it is far easier for him to talk about “closing loopholes” than for corporate heads to explain why that will destroy jobs. Bruce Josten, of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, explains that Obama “…doesn’t have to explain anything; we have to explain.” If Obama eliminates the tax deferrals, some American businesses will simply relocate overseas completely. Under current rules, an American business operating a manufacturing plant in Ireland, for example, pays the corporate taxes imposed by the Irish government but defers U.S. corporate taxes until the profits are returned to the United States. By eliminating the deferral, Obama will force such a business to immediately pay both the Irish corporate tax and the U.S. corporate tax. That essentially puts the operation out of business, because it cannot compete with an Irish company that is not double-taxed. If the company relocates the plant in the United States, it cannot make a profit selling its American-made product in Europe because the U.S. corporate tax is substantially higher than the tax in all other European nations. (Only Japan has a higher corporate tax rate than the United States.) Obama expects to collect higher taxes when the company relocates in the United States; he will end up receiving less in tax revenues, as the companies simply relocate their entire operations overseas. [2799]

 

Experts warn that Europe may soon follow the lead of the United States and start printing more money (Euros) to cover its massive debts and to deflate the currency to make exports more attractive. The cost of such a move will be inflation in Europe, which is also what Americans will soon see. [2800]

 

The White House estimates that the deficit for the federal budget will be more than $1.8 trillion; the government must borrow at least 46 cents for every dollar it spends. (The numbers will likely worsen, as more people lose their jobs and tax revenues decline.) The Bush administration needed seven years to rack up that much debt; Obama has done it in less than four months. For this year alone, the national debt will rise by an average of $16,000 for every household in the United States. [2802]

 

Obama’s pick for the Census Director is University of Michigan professor Robert Groves. Groves was once the Census Bureau’s associate director. He believes in “statistical sampling,” which means “estimating” counts of Americans if the government doesn’t believe it “found” everyone during the actual enumeration. The U.S. Constitution requires an actual counting of the population every 10 years, not estimates, but the Obama administration hopes to make “statistical adjustments” for possible undercounting. Those estimates will likely be used to inflate populations in certain areas of the country in order to redraw legislative borders for the benefit of Democrats. Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) labels the selection of Groves “incredibly troubling” because it “contradicts the administration’s assurances that the census process would not be used to advance an ulterior political agenda.” [2821, 3428]

 

Making matters worse is the decision of the Obama administration to have members of ACORN help perform the census count. ACORN is infamous for fraudulent voter registrations to help elect Democrats. Anita Moncrief, a former ACORN worker who “blew the whistle” on its illegal an unethical practices, states that ACORN “…has always been a Democrat operation. They’ve never made any secrets about their support their political action committees are usually set up to support these Democratic candidates.” Moncrief charges that while ACORN was running voter registration drives, it was also distributing propaganda urging people not to vote for Republicans. ACORN’s tax-exempt status (under IRS section 501(c)(3)) requires that it remain non-partisan. “They are registering you to vote and then telling you who to vote for and then they pick you up and take you to the polls to do it,” says Moncrief, who also states that ACORN “…did a lot of stuff with cash operations in order to keep things from showing up on records.” [2821, 3428, 3658]

 

On May 13, H.R. 1388 is passed by Congress. The legislation provides for $20.3 million to relocate refugees from Gaza to the United States; tax dollars will thus be spent to bring into the country people who hate America and Americans. [2803]

 

Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), admits “…there are costs to the economy of addressing global warming,” by regulating carbon dioxide emissions, but nevertheless insists that the Obama administration believes “…the best way to address that is through a gradual move to a market-based program such as a cap-and-trade program.” In other words, Obama and Jackson realize that taxing carbon dioxide emissions will place an incredible burden on the economy, but they are going to do it anyway. The administration had been put on the defensive and was forced to respond to a warning by the Office of Management and Budget that stated, “Making the decision to regulate CO2 under the (Clean Air Act) for the first time is likely to have serious economic consequences for regulated entities throughout the U.S. economy, including small businesses and small communities.” [2804]

 
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« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2009, 02:59:38 pm »



The General Motors tentative restructuring deal would give the GM pension fund 39 per cent of the company, in exchange for the $20 billion GM owes the retiree fund. Those secured creditors who hold $27 billion in GM Bonds (mutual funds, 401(k) accounts, insurance companies) will get 10 per cent of the company. Obama is thus giving a greater stake in the company to those who are owed less, as a political payoff to the United Auto Workers Union. Investors who bought GM bonds are being treated the worst by Obama—but they didn’t contribute to his campaign coffers as did the UAW did. Some of the organizations forced to accept the raw end of the deal include Fidelity Management and Research, Franklin Advisers Inc., and Pacific Investment Management Co. (which collectively manage the retirement savings of millions of Americans). The federal government and the UAW—the union, not the workers—will end up owning almost 90 per cent of GM; those bondholders who put up the money that has kept GM In business for the least decade will get only 10 per cent. (Retirees who depend on the interest from their GM bonds have Obama to thank for taking that income away from them.) The Treasury Department told GM its bondholders could not receive more than 10 per cent of the company’s equity, even though they are secured creditors whose investments are protected by contracts. There is no legal basis for the government’s actions. (The government refused to allow GM to work out a deal that would have kept it in business without a government stake in its operations.) Bonds are loans to GM; they are not stock certificates. Americans may now consider thinking twice before buying bonds from U.S. companies if they cannot be certain that Obama will force them to take a 90 per cent hit on their investment. Precisely at the time when the economy is struggling, Obama is giving investors reasons not to invest in American companies. [2805, 3023]

 

It is reported that Obama’s auto industry car czar, Steven Rattner, plans to save Citibank and JP Morgan Chase from losing $6 billion on General Motors loans—while everyone else in the GM deal is losing their shirts. Rattner’s plan is to stiff enough people in the GM deal so that the two banks can get their $6 billion in loans repaid in full. By replacing cash GM owes to the UAW union pension fund with GM stock, he can divert the money to the banks. Of course, the stock is essentially worthless. The Obama-Rattner move is illegal under the Employee Retirement Incomes Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), which prohibits the misuse and abuse of pension fund assets. It is illegal for any American company to take cash out of its pension fund to pay for any other expenses—but Obama and Rattner are poised to do it to keep Citibank and JP Morgan Chase from losing money on their GM loans. If the UAW pension fund runs out of money, General Motors retirees will then lose their benefits. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, says this will be the bank’s “finest year ever.”  (Rattner is no stranger to wheeling and dealing. He is worth roughly one-half billion dollars, partly from running the Quadrangle Hedge Fund. He also invested in Cerberus Capital, which got paid billions by Daimler Corporation to take Chrysler off its hands and then dumped it on the taxpayers.) [3180]

 

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) signs onto Congressman Bill Posey’s (R-FL) proposed amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act. The amendment (H.R. 1503) 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.” The amendment will go nowhere in a Democrat-controlled Congress, but it indicates that at least two Congressman take seriously the U.S. Constitution’s requirement that the president must provide proof that he is a natural born citizen. Posey spokesman George Cecala states, “When 7-year-olds play soccer in Brevard County, to be in Little League they have to prove their residency. To be president there are three requirements: one is citizenship, two is the age of 35, and three, you have to have been a resident for 14 years. We’re simply saying when you file your statement of candidacy with the FEC, you should also file documentation that you fulfill the three requirements to be president.” The Certification of Live Birth that Obama’s campaign posted on the Internet would not be accepted as proof of birth for many Hawaiian legal processes, which require a certified copy of the standard long form birth Certificate of Live Birth—not the short form. [2806, 3137, 3402, 3426]

 

Remarks made in 2004 by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) are emphasized to remind the public that Democrats were not always opposed to harsh terrorist interrogation techniques. Schumer had told the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 8, 2004, “And I’d like to interject a note of balance here. There are times when we all get in high dudgeon. We ought to be reasonable about this. I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake. Take the hypothetical: If we knew that there was a nuclear bomb hidden in an American city and we believed that some kind of torture, fairly severe maybe, would give us a chance of finding that bomb before it went off, my guess is most Americans and most senators, maybe all, would say, ‘Do what you have to do.’ So it’s easy to sit back in the armchair and say that torture can never be used. But when you're in the foxhole, it's a very different deal.” [2807]

 
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« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2009, 03:14:10 pm »



State sovereignty resolutions have been acted on or are being considered by 36 of the 50 states. They point out the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The Tenth Amendment’s purpose is to affirm that the United States is simply a collection of separate, sovereign states, and that power rests in the states, not the federal government. Constitutional abuse by the federal government has been so great over the last 150 years that few Americans, as well as legislators, pay much attention to the requirement. A case can be made that hundreds, if not thousands, of laws and regulations passed by Congress are in violation of the Tenth Amendment. At some point, the abuses will force states to start ignoring laws passed by Congress. [2808]

 

Successful investor Jim Rogers tells Bloomberg, “…we’re going to have a currency crisis probably this fall or the fall of 2010. It’s been building up for a long time. We’ve had a huge rally in the dollar, an artificial rally… The U.S. dollar is a very flawed currency.” Rogers warns, “We’re going to have serious food shortages… Prices are going to go through the roof.” As for investing, Rogers recommends commodities. “Commodities are still the best place to be because supply is declining, and governments are printing huge amounts of money.” Gold and copper may be good investments, with governments around the world printing money hand over fist. [2809]

 

Investor, commentator, and columnist Lawrence Kudlow warns that Obama’s health care scheme will bankrupt the nation. “Does anybody really believe that adding 50 million people to the public health-care rolls will not cost the government more money? About $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion more? At least.” [2810]

 

A Rasmussen poll shows that an astoundingly high 38 per cent of Americans believe Obama is hurting national security and making the nation less safe. Fifty-eight per cent agree that releasing classified memoranda about terrorist interrogations endangers national security. [2811]

 

Documents are released that confirm that former Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke illegally forced nine major banks to give partial ownership to the federal government. Notes from a meeting list one of Paulson’s arguments to the bankers as “We don’t believe it is tenable to opt out because doing so would leave you vulnerable and exposed. If a capital infusion is not appealing, you should be aware your regulator will require it in any circumstance.” In other words, the banks must take the federal cash (TARP money) and give control to the government, or the government will take control anyway. At the October 2008 meeting, in addition to Paulson and Bernanke, were Vikram Pandit of Citigroup, Dimon of JP Morgan, Richard Kovacevich of Wells Fargo, John Thain of Merrill Lynch, John Mack of Morgan Stanley, Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs, Robert Kelly of Bank of New York Mellon Corp, and Ronald Logue of State Street Bank. [2812]

 

Economist Allan Meltzer warns about coming inflation because of the massive deficit-spending of the Obama administration. “I’m not worried about inflation tomorrow, I’m worried about inflation two years from now, and the way to prevent it two years from now is to start doing something now. Mortgage rates are starting to move up, bond rates are starting to move up. People are nervous. The dollar is declining. The money growth rate is too high. It takes a couple of years to slow it down.” Billionaire investor Warren Buffet also warns of coming inflation, telling CNBC, “A country that continuously expands its debt… and raises much of the money abroad to finance that, at some point, it’s going to inflate its way out of the burden.” [2813]

 

A senior administration official (probably CIA director Leon Panetta) relays a message from Obama to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warning Israel not to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities without informing the United States. Iran purportedly has nuclear facilities in or near the cities of Arak (where a nuclear reactor is being built), Khondab (the location of a “heavy water” production plant), Bsuhehr (where a nuclear reactor may be operational in mid-2009), Natanz (research and development for uranium enrichment), Esfahan (nuclear fuel cycle processes and uranium conversion), Parchin (explosives research for nuclear devices), and Darkhovin (where a $1.2 billion nuclear plant is under construction). Obama likely wants advance warning not to give Israel military assistance, but to leak word of the attack and prevent it from taking place. Obama’s warning, therefore, works to insure that any attack by Israel will not include advance notice to the White House. What Obama would do to “punish” Israel for such a move is unknown. Israel may prefer to accept whatever the United States may dish out rather than risk a nuclear attack by Iran. Once Iran obtains nuclear weapons, it can be expected to blackmail Arab states (Egypt, Jordan) into abrogating its peace treaties with Israel and supporting a war, a war started by Iran-sponsored Hamas and Hizbullah terrorists. Should the United States then take sides with the Arabs—certainly not an impossibility for the Obama regime)—Israel would be going it alone. The “easier way out” (not that it would be easy) may be for Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities before it has the bomb. Israel would certainly be universally condemned—but it would still exist. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Obama at the White House on May 18. [2814, 2816, 2862, 3333]

 
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« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2009, 03:16:03 pm »



Israel is also cautioned to be ready to accept a nuclear-armed Iran—suggesting Obama will not be able to stop Iran. The Obama administration apparently expects Israel to be able to live with the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. It also seems not to understand that Iran (which, along with Syria, funds and arms the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizbullah) would be a serious threat to nations other than Israel if it makes nuclear weapons available to terrorists. Iran, a Shiite fundamentalist theocracy, may seek a major confrontation to prompt the return of its “Islamic Messiah.” Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a November 2006 speech that his mission is to “…pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi; may Allah hasten his reappearance.” Obama may believe he can reason with Ahmadinejad; if he is wrong, his mistake could cost the lives of hundreds of thousands—if not millions. [2862]

 

On May 14, the CIA denies a request from former Vice-President Dick Cheney to release memos showing that terrorist interrogations provided useful information that prevented additional attacks. The CIA stated it could not release the documents only because they pertained to pending litigation. [2815]

 

On May 14, Obama visits Rio Rancho, New Mexico for a town hall meeting to talk about credit card reform. He is greeted by demonstrators along the motorcade carrying signs protesting his policies. Some of the signs include, “Democrats and Republicans Against Socialism” and “Go trash your father’s crappy country. Don’t trash my father’s Great Country,” “God Bless Americas! Damn Obama!” [2817]

 

At the town hall meeting in New Mexico, Obama calls current deficit spending “unsustainable”—despite the fact that it is his administration and political party that is doing the spending. “We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” states Obama, as though he just figured out that spending money he doesn’t have is a ad idea. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.” He continues, “Most of what is driving us into debt is health care, so we have to drive down costs.” (To “drive down that debt” he is proposing a national health care system that will cost between one and two trillion dollars over the next 10 years.) [2818]

 

It is reported that Obama’s “stimulus checks” meant for retirees went to dead people. The Social Security Administration issued 52 million payments, and admits that between 8,000 and 10,000 were issued to dead people. It is unclear how the government managed to send a check to Romolo Romonini, who died in Italy 34 years ago and had never been a recipient of Social Security benefits. [2819]

 

At a “Changing Media in Washington, D.C.” summit held on May 14, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) acting chairman Michael Copps says, “What about the core values of localism, diversity and competition that Free Press fights so valiantly for?” Copps complains about “two decades of mindless deregulation,” the Internet, and bloggers. Although Copps says, “The Fairness Doctrine is long gone and it's not coming back—as much as some conspiracy theorists see it lurking behind every corner,” he also remarks, “we finally got the FCC back on track to do something about the shameful state of minority and female ownership of media properties.” Clearly, Obama will have the FCC playing hardball with radio stations that give less air time to “local issue” and more air time to conservative talk shows hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin. Copps warns, “…we still need to get serious about defining broadcasters’ public interest obligations and reinvigorating our license renewal process… It is time to say ‘Good-bye’ to post card renewal every eight years and ‘Hello’ to license renewals every three years with some public interest teeth.” By “public interest teeth” Copps means telling broadcasters to “cut down on conservative talk show programs or we’ll take away your license and give it to a minority owner”—who will no doubt be eager to cancel conservative programming. The American Spectator points out that in February, Copps said, “If markets cannot produce what society really cares about, like a media that reflects the true diversity and spirit of our country, then government has a legitimate role to play.” That can only mean, “Support the Obama agenda, or else.” The Obama administration has its game plan: Keep repeating that there will be no renewal of any “Fairness Doctrine,” but make sure we get the same results while calling it something else.”  [3486]

 

 
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« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2009, 03:16:45 pm »



The Washington Times prints a list of “Obama’s eight bogus budget arguments” as compiled by the Heritage Foundation’s Brian Riedl:

 

Assertion 1

Obama pledges to “cut the budget deficit in half by 2013,” but to neglects to mention that he will first quadruple it. Even if he fulfills his promise, he will still leave a budget deficit greater than the final deficit of George W. Bush.

 

Assertion 2

Obama states he has “already identified $2 trillion in savings over the next decade.” Obama’s “savings” include assuming that the Iraq surge will continue forever, and $1.5 trillion is then “saved” by not continuing it forever. Obama also counts $1 trillion in planned tax increases as “savings.”

 

Assertion 3

No taxes will be raised on families that earn “less than $250,000 per year.” Obama already raised cigarette taxes by 61 cents per pack. His estimated $646 billion cap-and-trade global warming tax on businesses will add $600 to $2,000 per household in higher energy costs and other costs. (Most analysts also say that Obama’s $646 billion estimate is understated by about 50 per cent.) A possible tax on employer-provided group health insurance would also break Obama’s promise.

 

Assertion 4

New spending is only “temporary,” to fight the recession. To believe that, one must  believe that Congress will later roll back its recent increases in food stamps, education grants, and other programs. That will not happen with Obama in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress.

 

Assertion 5

The economic crisis was caused by a lack of a national health care plan, failure to create “green” jobs, and lack of education spending. That is a patent lie. The crisis was caused by the federal government, which encouraged speculation on home buying by keeping interest rates artificially low. Having spent more on education, health care, and global warming “cures” would have done nothing to prevent the economic crisis. Obama places the blame on those three areas only because he now wants to spend money in those three areas.

 

Assertion 6

Obama pledges a return to “honest budgeting.” Nonsense. Obama’s budget is full of accounting gimmicks, as were the last 50 years of budgets that preceded his.

 

Assertion 7

Obama plans a change from the “deep fiscal irresponsibility” of the Bush administration. Obama is spending several times what Bush spent, and is racking up federal deficits faster than any president in history.

 

Assertion 8

Obama’s agenda reflects “hard choices.” Obama’s budget calls for virtually no “hard choices.” It says “no” to almost no program, and calls for a whopping $3.55 trillion in spending—46 per cent of which will come from federal borrowing. Obama is spending almost twice what the government receives in taxes. [2820]

 

CIA Director Leon Panetta states in a message to agency employees, “Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values. As the Agency indicated previously in response to Congressional inquiries, our contemporaneous records from September 2002 indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing ‘the enhanced techniques that had been employed.’ Ultimately, it is up to Congress to evaluate all the evidence and reach its own conclusions about what happened.” The comment is meant as a rebuttal to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who charges that she was never told about the “enhanced interrogation techniques” of terrorist detainees. [2822]

 

Obama selects Utah Governor Jon M. Hunstman, Jr. to be his ambassador to China. Huntsman is a Republican.

 

The Bilderberg Group meets between May 15 and 17, in Vouliagmeni, Greece. The annual event is attended by influential politicians, government officials, and prominent business leaders from around the world who believe in “globalism” and a “new world order.” (Obama and Hillary Clinton attended the June 2008 meeting in secret.) Reportedly on the 2009 agenda is a discussion of converting the World health Organization into a world “department of health,” and turning the International Monetary Fund into a world “Department of the Treasury.” The United Nations would control both organizations, and the United States would subservient to their decisions. The world economic crisis and the swine flu outbreak would be used as an excuse for the dramatic power takeover. Critics believe the Bilderberg Group members use their power to manipulate world events to force their version of a “new world order”—and to make billions of dollars in the process. The group allegedly is pursuing a global carbon/energy tax, to be paid to the United Nations. High on the 2009 agenda will also be an effort to get the United States to agree to the International Criminal Court treaty and a global gun-control treaty. [2823]
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« Reply #20 on: July 31, 2009, 03:17:24 pm »

Vice-President Joe Biden, attending the annual Gridiron Club dinner, tells attendees about the existence of a secret bunker under the vice president’s home (the former U.S. naval Observatory). According to Newsweek’s Eleanor Clift, Biden said “…a young naval officer giving him a tour of the residence showed him the hideaway, which is behind a massive steel door secured by an elaborate lock with a narrow connecting hallway lined with shelves filled with communications equipment.” The location is no longer secret. [2826]

 

On May 17, Obama receives an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana, and delivers the commencement address. Outside, demonstrators protest the attendance of the pro-abortion Obama at the Catholic university. At least 27 protestors are arrested for trespassing. Placards held by demonstrators read, “Shame on Notre Dame” and “Stop Abortion Now.” As Obama began to speak to the crowd of 12,000, some protestors shouted, “Stop killing our children.” The graduates responded by chanting, “Yes we can.” In his speech, Obama states that on the subject of abortion “…it is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make, with both moral and spiritual dimensions.” (It is unclear why Obama believes abortion should be a “heart-wrenching decision” if there is nothing morally wrong with performing an abortion. And if he believes it is morally wrong, it is unclear why he has voted against all legislation meant to place limits on the practice.) Obama also states he favors “a sensible conscience clause” to allow health care providers who oppose abortion to opt out of performing the procedure—although shortly after becoming president Obama rescinded a Bush administration rule protecting doctors and nurses how, on moral grounds, refuse to participate in abortions. Obama continues to repeat the nonsensical and contradictory argument that abortions should be “safe, legal and rare.” There is no need for the practice to be rare if there is nothing objectionable about it; but if there is a morally objectionable aspect to it, there should be no objection to limiting the procedure. A Gallup poll shows that 51 per cent of Americans are “pro-life” (anti-abortion), while 42 per cent consider themselves “pro choice” (pro-abortion). [2827, 2870]

 

In his Notre Dame speech, Obama says each side on the abortion argument can “make its case to the public with passion and conviction … without reducing those with differing views to caricature.” Yet he himself has characterized opponents of abortion as “right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose.” While he makes speeches that sound open-minded, saying he wants to “honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion,” Obama has consistently blocked any limitations on abortions while working to make it easier to obtain them with taxpayer funding. (Obama signed en executive order restoring federal funding for overseas abortionists.) If the fetus is not a human being but simply “tissue,” then why is the decision to have an abortion a “heart-wrenching decision?” and why should Obama talk condescendingly about the moral and spiritual dimensions of the procedure? If the fetus is in fact a human being, then Obama should not be working to make it easier to have them performed. Obama says in his speech, “Let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions,” yet encourages them by saying he will sign legislation outlawing all state restrictions on abortion. (It is unclear how the number of abortions can be reduced with Obama seeking to eliminate parental notification laws and other state laws restricting abortions.) [2831, 2832]

 

Prominent investor Marc Faber says that because the Federal Reserve continues to print money at unprecedented levels, “The U.S. government for sure will go bust. That, I guarantee you. Not tomorrow, but it will go bust.” [2828]

 

The New York Times finally admits that it killed an October story that confirmed Obama has close ties with ACORN and his campaign illegally gave lists of campaign donors to the voter registration group. Times reporter Stephanie Strom spent months on the story, but the final charges were not printed because it was close to the election and it might have been “a game-changer” in the election. The Times intentionally withheld the story because it feared it might hurt Obama’s chances of winning. [2829]

 

Obama refuses to meet with Governor Jim Gibbons and business leaders from Nevada. Gibbons requested a meeting after Obama dealt a severe blow to the state when he said in Elkhart, Indiana, “You can’t get corporate jets. You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer’s dime.” Fearful of criticism—or worse—from Obama, businesses across the country have canceled over 400 Las Vegas conventions and gatherings, resulting in a loss of as many as 250,000 nights of bookings at hotels and over $100 million is lost income (not counting gambling revenue). Gibbons remarks, “I am disappointed at the hypocrisy shown by this Administration. President Obama is coming to Las Vegas later this month for a political fundraiser, but he will not help the struggling families in Las Vegas and Nevada who are out of work because of his reckless comments. President Obama is coming to Las Vegas to raise campaign cash for Senator Harry Reid. Apparently, our money is good enough for the President, but our tourism, jobs, and economic future are not. This is politics, pure and simple, President Obama stood for change, but all he has done is brought negative economic change to Nevada.” [2830]

 
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« Reply #21 on: July 31, 2009, 03:18:09 pm »



Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployment in states won by Obama average 20 per cent higher unemployment than in the states won by John McCain. The states won by Obama tend to have Democrat Governors, state legislators, and mayors of large cities. The national unemployment rate increased from 8.5 per cent in March to 8.9 per cent in April. [2833, 2890]

 

Obama’s shift to improving relations with Pakistan and China causes a deterioration of the U.S.-India relationship. Former U.S. ambassador to India Robert Blackwell states there is a “steady decline in our bilateral ties.” [2834]

 

Although some argue that the recession is bottoming out because housing sales are involving, many of the home sales are a result of buyers taking advantage of drastically reduced prices by distressed homeowners. Mortgage delinquency rates rose significantly in California in March, suggesting that many foreclosures are still to come. The housing sector of the economy will take another five years to recover, suggests Harvard economist Ken Rogoff. Right now, the worst-case scenario has been taken off the table,” Rogoff told CNBC. “The broader risks from the downturn are to the dollar and interest rates, and to the U.S. government itself because it’s taken a lot of debt on to its books,” said Rogoff. There’s more and more debt and if interest rates go up, we’re going to feel it. It’s hard to see how we’ll have booming growth for the next five years.” [2836, 2837]

 

Obama asks Congress to permit financial aid to the Palestinians even if Hamas participates in a new government. Current law forbids U.S. aid from going to any officially designated terrorist organization, such as Hamas. If Obama gets his way, American taxpayer swill more easily work there way to Hamas, which will then use it to purchase weapons to use against Israel. [2838, 2839]

 

Obama and Congress work to pass legislation limiting the penalties credit card companies can impose on riskier borrowers. To compensate for that lost revenue the companies will come up with ways of making more money off other customers, through the renewal of annual fees, ending cash-back and rewards programs, and even charging interest from the point of purchase rather than after 30 days. Thus, good customers will have to pay more so that bad customers are not “punished.” [2840, 2841, 2853]

 

Joseph Farah, CEO of World Net Daily, begins a campaign to erect billboards that read, “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” in order to bring attention to Obama’s failure to prove he is a natural born citizen eligible to serve as president. Farah quickly raised $10,000. Farah states, “As Obama transforms this country from self-governing constitutional republic to one governed by a central ruling elite, the simple fact remains that no controlling legal authority has established that he is indeed a ‘natural born citizen’ as the Constitution requires. Obama’s promises of transparency have become a bad joke as he continues to hide simple, innocuous documents like his birth certificate and his student records.” [2842]

 

Obama’s attorneys demand additional time to respond to lawsuits questioning hi status as a natural born citizen eligible to serve as president. In response attorney Mario Apuzzo, who represents plaintiffs in one of the lawsuits, urges the court to deny the request. Wrote Apuzzo, “Whether or not the president of the United States is eligible for the office he currently occupies is of utmost national important. Every passing day Mr. Obama takes executive action, that significantly impacts on the lives of Americans… Every executive action that Mr. Obama takes impacts not only the plaintiffs but also every other American.” It is unclear why Obama’s attorneys need more time when all they need to do is present the court with his original long form birth certificate.” Plaintiffs in various lawsuits have charged that Obama is not a natural born citizen for a variety of reason, among them: he was not born of two American citizen parents; he was born in Kenya; his mother was too young to legally impart American citizenship to him and his birth citizenship was therefore required to be based on his father’s country; or he became a citizen of Indonesia upon adoption by his step-father, Lolo Soetoro. [2843, 3426]

 

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu meets with Obama at the White House on May 19. There is no obvious public disagreement to give the media a serious conflict to report, as both sides needed positive spins for political purposes, but behind the scenes the two are not in compete agreement on  the issues. Netanyahu can accept a Palestinian state, but wants assurance that it will recognize Israel’s sovereignty and not use it as a base for more rocket attacks. Netanyahu is not wiling to accept tens of thousands of Palestinian refugees into Israel, who would eventually become a majority and cause the eventual destruction of Israel. Most importantly, Netanyahu considers it critical that Iran not obtain nuclear weapons. Obama naively believes that if Israel will accept a Palestinian state, Iran will then readily agree to give up its nuclear ambitions. Obama also wants Israel to accept Palestinian refugees, give up even more territory that would make its border less defensible, and allow Jerusalem to be divided. After their meeting, Obama tells reports he reassured Netanyahu that although the United States is pursuing talks with Iran, it is “…not foreclosing a range of steps, including much stronger international sanctions,” but it is unclear how Obama can get Russia to agree to significant sanctions against Iran—and he most certainly will not be able to stop Iran’s nuclear and missile deals with North Korea, its support of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizbullah, or its cooperation with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. [2844, 2854, 2896]

 
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« Reply #22 on: July 31, 2009, 03:19:18 pm »



On May 19, California voters reject five out of six budget referenda and tax increases designed to help the state out of its $21.3 billion budget deficit disaster. Most voters saw the propositions as gimmicks, and in turning  them down send a signal to the governor and state legislature to reduce spending instead. Those states which are continuing to spend beyond their means and expect tax hikes to solve their problems are shooting themselves in the foot. Rather than pay additional taxes, productive citizens are simply “voting with their feet” and leaving. Economists Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore note in a study called “Rich States, Poor States” that “The tax differential between low-tax and high-tax states is widening, meaning that a relocation from high-tax California or Ohio, to no-income tax Texas or Tennessee, is all the more financially profitable both in terms of lower tax bills and more job opportunities.” During the 1998 to 2007 period, more than 1,100 people per day moved from high-tax states to low-tax states. Laffer and Stephens note that “…over these same years the no-income tax states created 89 percent more jobs and had 32 percent faster personal income growth than their high-tax counterparts” and “Dozens of academic studies—old and new—have found clear and irrefutable statistical evidence that high state and local taxes repel jobs and businesses.” Obama’s plans for increased taxes on corporations and high-income producers will those business and individuals even more reasons to relocate. The result may be a downward spiral for states that see the taxpayers leaving by the thousands, while those left behind clamor for more benefits. The voters actions force pay cuts for the governor, legislators, and other state office holders. At least 5,000 of the state’s 235,000 workers may be fired, and as many as 19,000 illegal aliens in California prisons may end up being deported in order to save the expense of incarcerating them. (It is not clear why those 19,000 were not deported as soon as they were convicted of a crime.) [2845, 2846, 2847, 2867, 2868, 2895]

 

Obama announces an astonishing 30 per cent increase in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard. Automobiles will have to average 39 miles per gallon (up from the current standard of 27.5), while light trucks will need to get 30 miles per gallon (up from 24). The new standards have to be met by 2016. The automakers will have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars coming up with ways to satisfy the new requirements—at a time when they are bleeding cash and filing for bankruptcy. If the automakers cannot sufficiently improve gas mileage, they will have to discontinue the larger, safer vehicles (which consumers want) and sell more of the smaller, less safe automobiles (which consumers do not want). At the least, the cost of new vehicles will rise dramatically; at the worst, auto sales will plummet because of higher prices and unappealing vehicles. (Used car dealers may demand premium prices for older, but larger and safe cars that consumers prefer to new econoboxes.) Obama states, “We have set in motion a national policy aimed at both increasing gas mileage and decreasing greenhouse gas pollution for new trucks and cars sold in the United States of America.” He may actually have set in motion the loss of tens of thousands of American jobs. Fox News host Glenn Beck comments, “The auto industry is in full-fledged collapse, and what does Washington decide to do? We’re going to put in some new CAFE standards on it—to fight global warming or whatever they’re calling it these days. The government isn’t content with just firing car company’s CEOs and then slashing advertising budgets. It’s now telling the American people that they need to spend between $1,300 and $7,000 extra to drive a car that is likely to be crappy and be a lot lighter, and therefore, less safe.” Beck questions the “global warming” premise behind making the standard tougher. “Let me ask you a simple question—does common sense tell you that you are more likely to die in a car crash or… in a… flood from global warming? Yes. I thought so. What should our priorities be here?” A Wall Street Journal editorial comments, “We wish these folks luck ‘working together’ with the Obama auto-design team. One thing seems certain by 2016: Taxpayers will be paying Detroit to make the cars Americans don’t want, and then they will pay again either through (trust us) a gas tax or with a purchase subsidy. Even the French must think we’re nuts.” Steve Milloy (author of Green Hell: How Environmentalists Plan to Ruin Your Life and What You Can Do to Stop Them) states that by forcing people into smaller cars, Obama’s new mileage standards “may kill more Americans at a faster rate than the Iraq War—(Obama’s) signature issue in the 2008 presidential campaign.” According to the National Highway Safety Administration, every 100-pound reduction in a car’s weight increases annual traffic deaths by approximately 715. [2848, 2874]

 

A May 12–19 poll of 2,600 readers of ConservativeHQ.com ranked Obama’s political philosophy as follows:

 

Socialist –  46% (842)

Marxist –  24% (437)

Communist –  11% (200)

Fascist –  10% (193)

Liberal –  5% (87)

Progressive –  2% (41)

Moderate –  1% (24)

Other –  0% (9)

Populist –  0% (Cool

Conservative –  0% (7)

Libertarian –  0% (0) [2849]

 
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« Reply #23 on: July 31, 2009, 03:19:50 pm »



Obama’s point man in the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), may be facing an uphill reelection battle in November 2010. Polls show that only 35 per cent of the voters support his reelection, and 45 per cent say they want him replaced. [2852]

 

The price of a barrel of oil climbed to $60.48 on May 19, its highest point in six months. [2855]

 

Four Black Muslims are arrested in New York and charged with planning a bomb attack on two Bronx synagogues and using Stinger missiles to shoot down military jets from the Stewart Air National Guard base. Three of the four suspects are American citizens; one is from Haiti. All four have prison records, and converted to Islam while in jail; America’s prisons are breeding grounds for Islamic terrorists. (A fair number of newspapers went to great “politically correct” lengths to avid mentioning that the four were Muslims engaged in jihad.) [2857, 2879, 2881, 2883, 2888]

 

Its government-run media claims that Iran successfully test launched a mid-range surface-to-air missile that can reach Israel, southeastern Europe, and U.S. bases in the Middle East. The two-stage Sejil-2 missile has a range of 2,000 kilometers. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened in the past to wipe Israel “off the map.” Iran is trying to develop a missile with a range of 10,000 kilometers capable of reaching the United States; it is likely receiving technical assistance from North Korea, which is desperate for cash Iran is wiling to pay. [2858]

 

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh predicts that Obama will use federal tax dollars to bail out the California state government, which is facing record deficits. “What Obama will do is simply bail out California and all of the debt and all of the overspending, all of the problems will be absorbed by all of us in the other 49 states,” Limbaugh said on his May 20 program. “I have no doubt that this is what’s going to happen with Obama reaching out from Washington with his tentacles to be as involved in every facet of American life as he can be, and with nobody to stop him and with California populated with majority Obama voters.” [2859]

 

The first “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” billboard is up and running. The electronic display is on Highway 154 in Ball, Louisiana. Others are planned for Los Angeles and Pennsylvania. [2860]

 

Across the nation, hundreds of “citizen grand juries” are accusing Obama of being ineligible to serve as president, charging that he is not a natural born citizen. The documents are scheduled to be given to courts, sheriffs, prosecutors, judges, and legislators by July 4. (The website AmericanGrandJury.org explains the legality behind citizen grand juries and procedures to be followed to file claims against Obama.) The site’s editor, Bob Campbell, states, “Sooner or later some court or many courts will formally indict Obama from our presentments or (a) complaint. Our goal is to convene and conclude 12 to 13 grand juries before July 4 rolls around and to serve our presentments as many as 200 times with courts, sheriffs, prosecutors, judges or legislators across the land. The pressure is mounting and someday justice will be served or the country will probably explode from loss of faith in our Constitution.” [2861]

 

Oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens warns that oil prices will be heading back up. Pickens tells Fox News “You’re going to be back to $75 oil by the end of the year—and $200 per barrel within five years.” [2864]

 

On May 20, the Senate votes 90–6 to deny Obama the funds to close the terrorist detain facility at Guantanamo. [2871]

 

In a May 20 op-ed piece for the Wall Street Journal, former United Nations ambassador John Bolton warns that North Korea is poised to test a nuclear bomb, even though the Obama administration seems “relatively relaxed” and “there is not a sense of crisis.” Kim Jong-Il feels he can conduct a test without consequences, because the United States is “committed to dialogue” and Obama’s recent “apology tours” suggest there will be little or no response to a North Korean nuclear test. In an article titled “John Bolton Still Crazy,” the leftist media responds by ridiculing Bolton. “Today, Bolton chose to growl at the old, but reliable, enemy of North Korea…  Bolton’s stance is pretty brave because his frenzied ideology flies in the face of scholarly counsel.” [2910, 2911, 2940]

 

On May 21, former Vice-President Dick Cheney gives a speech on national security to the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) that defends the Bush administration’s actions to prevent additional terrorist attacks after 9/11 and strongly criticizes Obama for his naïve defense and foreign policies and decision to release classified information about terrorist interrogations. Cheney remarks, “The (Obama) administration seems to pride itself on searching for some kind of middle ground in policies addressing terrorism. They may take comfort in hearing disagreement from opposite ends of the spectrum. If liberals are unhappy about some decisions, and conservatives are unhappy about other decisions, then it may seem to them that the President is on the path of sensible compromise. But in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground, and half-measures keep you half exposed. You cannot keep just some nuclear-armed terrorists out of the United States, you must keep every nuclear-armed terrorist out of the United States. Triangulation is a political strategy, not a national security strategy. When just a single clue that goes unlearned … one lead that goes unpursued… can bring on catastrophe—it’s no time for splitting differences. There is never a good time to compromise when the lives and safety of the American people are in the balance.” Cheney points out that the first attack on the World Trade Centers (in 1993) was treated as a criminal act rather than as an act of war; the Bush administration considered terrorism war; and the Obama administration seems to be returning to the criminal mode. Cheney calls the decision to close the detainee facility at Guantanamo a mistake, commenting, “The administration has found that it’s easy to receive applause in Europe for closing Guantanamo, but it’s tricky to come up with an alternative that will serve the interest of justice and America’s national security.” The former Vice-President also ridiculed Obama with the remark, “If fine speechmaking, appeals to reason, or pleas for compassion had the power to move them, the terrorists would long ago have abandoned the field.” [2865, 2871, 2899]

 
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« Reply #24 on: July 31, 2009, 03:20:35 pm »



While Cheney appears at the AEI, Obama gives a national security speech at the National Archives, where he says that closing the terrorist detainee camp at Guantanamo would “enlist our values” and make America safer. Obama does not mention the recent arrest of four Muslims jihadists arrested in New York who were planning the bombing of two Bronx synagogues and using Stinger missiles to shoot down planes at a National Guard air base. The New York Times criticizes Cheney because he “in effect argued that absolutism in the defense of liberty was no vice,” while praising Obama for his “nuanced” principles. (A poll of Americans might show that they prefer absolutism to nuance when it comes to keeping terrorists from attacking their homeland.) [2871, 2872, 2882]

 

Graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland are ordered not to carry the traditional “ceremonial swords” for their May 29 commencement ceremony. Umbrellas are also prohibited, along with anything “…that might be considered a weapon or a threat to screeners.” Obama is delivering an address at the graduation. Many presidents have given commencement addresses at military graduations and have not been afraid of the swords—or umbrellas. (There is no word on whether Obama will order combat troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to relinquish their rifles.) [3208]

 

A report surfaces that the federal government has been keeping supplies of as many as 500,000 “coffin-liners” at several locations across the United States. One stockpile is near Madison, Georgia. [2866]

 

Polls show the popularity of former President Bush and Vice-President Cheney improving, with Cheney’s “favorable” rating improving from 33 per cent (in January) to 41 per cent. It is likely that the improvement is a result of Americans believing that Bush and Cheney prevented additional terrorist attacks after September 11, 2001, while they disagree with Obama’s decision to close the detainee facility at Guantanamo and release classified terrorist interrogation memos. [2869]

 

Defense Secretary Robert Gates calls the prison at Guantanamo, Cuba “probably one of the finest prisons in the world today”—but says it must be closed because it has become a “taint” on the reputation of the United States. Gates admits, “the question is, where do you put them (the terrorist detainees)?” Gates does not mention that it is the Obama, his fellow Democrats, and the media that is largely responsible for keeping up the criticism of Camp Gitmo and thus creating the “taint” on the nation’s reputation. [2873]

 

To insure “good press coverage,” the White House starts producing more of its own Obama stories rather than allow media reporters and cameramen to follow him. As an example, the winners of the NCAA women’s basketball championship meet Obama at the White House but the press corps was not allowed to attend the event. The administration prepares its own “news footage” with interviews of the athletes and shots of Obama shooting baskets. Members of the media complain. [2875]

 

By a vote of 33–25, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approves Obama’s “global warming” cap-and-trade legislation, called the “American Clean Energy and Security Act.” The bill still has to pass the full House and the Senate—where it will face tough opposition from Senators who fear (rightly so) that the legislation will impose extraordinary and unnecessary costs on businesses at a time when jobs need to be created, not destroyed. Co-sponsor of the bill Henry Waxman (D-CA) calls it “decisive and historic,” and says, “When this bill is enacted, we’ll break our dependence on foreign oil, make our nation a leader in clean-energy jobs and technology and cut global warming pollution.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-MI) labeled the bill “…the biggest energy tax in the history of the United States.” According to the New York Times, the 930-page bill “…establishes a cap-and-trade program to control climate-altering emissions; dictates an increase in the use of renewable energy sources; and sets new efficiency standards for buildings, lighting and industrial facilities. It calls for a 17 percent reduction in emissions of heat-trapping gases from 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050.” Many argue that the legislation will be a burdensome tax on business that drives companies and jobs overseas, while doing little or nothing to influence the earth’s climate. [2876]

 

Marc Morano, former communications director for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, remarks on the passage of the Waxman-Markey bill, “This is one of those times where you’ve just got to scratch your head and marvel at the raw arm-twisting and bribery that took place. This was a bill that was literally not about anything other than saving face because Nancy Pelosi had said she was going to do it and she did it. But it was just amazing to watch the raw power and basically the sleaze in which they did it.” [3700]

 

Financial experts predict that the value of the dollar will decline even more against other world currencies, as the U.S. government continues its rampant deficit spending and payment of the debt by printing money. Thomas Hart, foreign exchange strategist with Standard Chartered Bank, says “We think it’s clearly the beginning of a downward trend for the dollar.” A declining dollar means that prices on imported goods will rise for American consumers, and their dollar will not go as far on trips abroad. The situation is not likely to improve, because the United States faces massive budget deficits of at least 10 per cent of gross domestic product for years to come. Billionaire Warren Buffet has warned, “A country that continuously expands its debt as a percentage of GDP, it’s going to inflate its way out of that debt.” At some point Americans will face massive inflation as a result of the debt Obama is now piling up. [2877]

 

Despite Obama’s continued popularity with the public, a Washington Times poll shows that Americans who consider themselves “conservative” (40 per cent) outnumber those who call themselves “liberal” (21 per cent) by almost a two to one margin. Another 35 per cent call themselves “moderate.” One reason for the poll’s results is that many liberals are reluctant to call themselves liberal, while conservatives are not embarrassed by their label. The results also show that the election victory by Obama was not indicative of any strong shift in American ideologies (the 40 per cent percentage of conservatives is the highest it has been in 40 years of polling), it simply reflected a weak opponent (McCain) and Obama’s ability to sell himself as something he is not. [2878]

 
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« Reply #25 on: July 31, 2009, 03:21:28 pm »



During April, 44 states reported job losses. California was the biggest job-destroyer, losing 63,700 jobs. States showing job gains included Arkansas (1,500 jobs created), Montana (1,500 jobs created), and Florida (1,300 jobs created). The states with the lowest unemployment rates were North Dakota (4 per cent), Nebraska (4.4 per cent), Wyoming (4.5 per cent), and South Dakota (4.8 per cent). Not surprisingly, the states with the highest unemployment are those with high taxes and anti-business environments. [2880]

 

In his never-ending quest for more revenue for the federal government, Obama proposes $58 billion in new taxes on securities brokers, life insurance, and estate taxes. [2884]

The White House says the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for gays in the military is still under review. Obama had promised during the campaign to end the policy, but he has met opposition. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell stated that the military had no plans to end the policy, but after a “talking to” by someone in the administration said, “President Obama has been clear in his direction to Secretary (Robert) Gates and (Joint Chiefs) Chairman (Mike) Mullen that he is committed to repeal the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy. He has also been clear that he is committed to do it in a way that is least disruptive to our troops, especially given that they have been simultaneously waging two wars for six years now. Although this will require changes to the law, the secretary and chairman are working to address the challenges associated with implementation of the president's commitment.” [2885]

 

A group of kindergarten children from Stafford County, Virginia were locked out of the White House on May 21. Their field trip’s bus arrived late for a scheduled tour, and they were denied entry because staff was already getting prepared for Obama’s meeting with the Super Bowl winner, the Pittsburgh Steelers. One parent said, “I was angry because they were disappointed.” Some of the football players were disappointed as well. They had expected a simple “meet and greet” with Obama but were also recruited to assemble 3,000 care packages for U.S. troops. [2886]

 

At a May 21 appearance Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu states, “The flag that flies over the Kotel (the Western Wall in Jerusalem) is the Israeli flag… our holy places, the Temple Mount—will remain under Israeli sovereignty forever.” The statement will no doubt raise the ire of Obama, who is pushing not only to force Israel to give more land to the Palestinians but to give up part of Jerusalem for the capital of a new Palestinian state. Hatem Abdel Khader, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) minister for Jerusalem affairs, states that the Obama administration “…has made clear that Jerusalem must be accessible to everyone—but not united under Israel’s rule,” and claims that the United States is now cooperating with the PA to “thwart Israel’s plans in Jerusalem.” [2892, 2894]

 

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow excoriates Obama for his “prolonged detention” policy for detaining captured terrorists. In his speech at the National Archives , Obama had said, “There may be a number of people who cannot be prosecuted for past crimes, in some cases because evidence may be tainted, but who nonetheless pose a threat to the security of the United States.” Maddow quotes the New York Times, which had written “We’ve known this (was) on the horizon for many years, but we were able to hold it off with George Bush. The idea that we might find ourselves fighting with the Obama administration over these powers is really stunning.” While former President Bush attempted to try the captured terrorists in military tribunals, Obama appears willing to dispense with the trials and hold the detainees indefinitely. Obama criticized Bush, saying “Our government was defending positions that undermine the rule of law,” yet Obama’s “prolonged detention” policy has no basis in law. [2887]

 

In only four days, $40,000 is raised through donations to fund “Where’s the Birth Certificate?” billboards to highlight the issue of challenges to Obama’s eligibility to serve as president because he may not be a natural born citizen. [2889]

 

 

In a May 23 interview with C-SPAN, Obama is asked, “You know the numbers, $1.7 trillion debt, a national deficit of $11 trillion. At what point do we run out of money?” He responds, “Well, we are out of money now.” Despite the fact that Obama has added to the national debt with a $787 billion stimulus bill, a $410 billion spending bill, and a budget that has at least $1.8 billion in deficits, Obama continues to blame the Bush administration. “We are operating in deep deficits, not caused by any decisions we’ve made on health care so far. This is a consequence of the crisis that we’ve seen and in fact our failure to make some good decisions on health care over the last several decades.” Obama is incorrect. Federal budget deficits are not a result of a “a failure to make good decisions on health care,” they are a failure of Congress to stop spending money it doesn’t have. Obama adds, “So we’ve got a short-term problem, which is we had to spend a lot of money to salvage our financial system, we had to deal with the auto companies, a huge recession which drains tax revenue at the same time it’s putting more pressure on governments to provide unemployment insurance or make sure that food stamps are available for people who have been laid off.” Obama is again incorrect. The federal government did not have to bail out Wall Street firms or give billions to the automakers; they could have been left to sink or swim on their own—and the taxpayers would have saved more than one trillion dollars. [2891]

 
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« Reply #26 on: July 31, 2009, 03:22:15 pm »



Sam Webb, the leader of the Communist Party USA, addresses a crowd of supporters at a New York banquet. His speech, titled, “The impossible becomes the possible,” gives a laundry list of communist goals and says that with Obama in the White House, “All these—and many other things—are within our reach now!” [2893]

 

On Memorial Day (May 25), North Korea carries out an underground nuclear test. It measured 4.5 on the Richter scale used for earthquakes, and may have been an explosion of up to 20 kilotons—approximately equivalent of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. (The communist nation’s last nuclear test was in 2006.) North Korea gave the United States less than an hour’s notice of the test. Obama states that the United States would work with its allies to “stand up to” North Korea, but mentioned no specific actions that might be taken. “North Korea has previously committed to abandoning its nuclear program,” said Obama. “Instead of following through on that commitment, it has chosen to ignore that commitment. Its actions have also flown in the face of United Nations resolutions. As a result North Korea is not only deepening its own isolation it’s also inviting stronger international pressure.” Obama also states the obvious, “North Korea’s behavior increases tensions and undermines stability in Northeast Asia,” and warns that Kim Jung-Il’s actions are “a matter of grave concern” and will prevent him from receiving “international acceptance.” (Obama’s foreign policy experts apparently neglected to tell him that North Korea does not care about instability in Northeast Asia or international acceptance.) There is very little the United States or other nations can do if China continues to trade with North Korea and provide it with food and energy. (China does not want a worsening of conditions in North Korea because that would result in a flood of hungry immigrants crossing the border into its territories.) North Korea also receives much needed cash from Iran in exchange for weapons technology, and Obama will be unlikely to persuade China or Iran to tamp down on Kim Jong-Il. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon says he is “deeply disturbed” by the nuclear test., while Great Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown says the test will “undermine prospects for peace on the Korean peninsula.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi states, “If today’s announcement is true, these tests would be a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which requires that North Korea not conduct any further nuclear tests. Such action by North Korea is unacceptable and cause for great alarm.” North Korea’s actions (which are likely being at least partially financed by Iran) may be “unacceptable,” but they have essentially already been accepted. The response from the west will likely be nothing more than another U.N. resolution Kim Jong-Il will ignore. [2897, 2898, 2905, 2940, 2985]

 

The same day North Korea tests a nuclear bomb, Iran launches warships in the Gulf of Aden. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad states, “Iran’s nuclear issue is over.” With his comment, Ahmadinejad likely means at least two things: Iran’s eventual nuclear bombs will work because North Korea’s bomb worked (the two nations are cooperating), and Obama will do nothing to stop Iran because he did nothing to stop Kim Jong-Il. [2940]

 

On May 26, the day after the nuclear test, North Korea test-launches another missile and accuses the United States of hostility. [2922, 2923]

 

Also on May 26, Obama nominates New York federal appellate judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the Supreme Court vacancy of retiring Justice David Souter. Sotomayor is Hispanic, thus making it difficult for Republicans to oppose the left-leaning and activist judge without being accused of racism or sexism—which is likely one reason Obama chose her. (Obama’s move may also help Democrats gain Hispanic votes in 2010 and 2012.) In a 2001 speech, Sotomayor said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.” In 2005 she stated that a “court of appeals is where policy is made”—and then quickly “corrected” herself  “And I know—I know this is on tape, and I should never say that because we don’t make law. I know. Okay. I know. I’m not promoting it. I’m not advocating it. I’m—you know.” Sotomayor has been a member of “La Raza” (“the race”), a Hispanic group that supports, drivers licenses for illegal immigrants, easing of immigration laws, and giving illegal immigrants an easier “pathway to citizenship.” In 2002, Sotomayor told the New York Times that the courts are the “last refuge for the oppressed,” suggesting she would rule in favor of minorities even if the law is not in their favor. Her most controversial ruling involved a group of New Haven, Connecticut firefighters (Ricci v. Destefano) who were refused promotions because no blacks had scored high enough on the same test to be promoted. Sotomayor ruled against the firefighters. The case will go to the Supreme Court. (An amazingly high 60 per cent of Sotomayor’s decisions have been reversed by higher courts.) Sotomayor has no children and was once briefly married. She had a “temporary” fiancé during her appellate court confirmation hearings, after which he dropped out of sight, prompting speculation that she is gay. [2900, 2901, 2902, 2916, 2924]

 
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« Reply #27 on: July 31, 2009, 03:23:05 pm »



Former law clerks and Sotomayor co-workers aren’t all in agreement that she is an excellent judge. The New Republic reports, “They expressed questions about her temperament, her judicial craftsmanship, and most of all, her ability to provide an intellectual counterweight to the conservative justices, as well as a clear liberal alternative.” One Second Circuit clerk remarked that Sotomayor is “…not that smart and kind of a bully on the bench. She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren’t penetrating and don’t get to the heart of the issue.” One clerk stated that Sotomayor is “…a fine Second Circuit judge—maybe not the smartest ever, but how often are Supreme Court nominees the smartest ever?” [2906, 2907]

 

Sotomayor, like Michelle Robinson Obama, attended Princeton. Michelle Robinson’s thesis was on race relations. In the paper’s introduction she wrote, “My experiences at Princeton have made me far more aware of my ‘blackness’ than ever before. I sometimes feel like a visitor on campus; as if I really don’t belong.” Sotomayor’s thesis was on the Puerto Rican struggle for self-determination. Sotomayor joined the campus group Accion Puertorriqueno, and the led the efforts to file a 1974 complaint with the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The complaint alleged that there was a “lack of commitment” to minority recruitment goals. Ironically, Sotomayor herself was accepted into Princeton as part of a minority recruitment drive. She got into Princeton because she was Puerto Rican, and then had the audacity to file a legal complaint charging that not enough was being done to recruit minorities. Like Michelle Robinson Obama later, the Princeton Sotomayor was clearly “into” “identity politics.” And like Obama, Sotomayor probably still is. A supporter of racial quotas, Sotomayor complained in a 2001 speech at the University of California at Berkeley that there were not enough Hispanic judges, saying “…we have only 10 out of 147 active Circuit Court judges and 30 out of 587 active district court judges. Those numbers are grossly below our proportion of the population.” (Sotomayor apparently believes that if 15 per cent of the American population is of Hispanic ancestry, a corresponding 15 per cent of all judges must be Hispanic as well. Sotomayor has not commented on how many Eskimo judges the Supreme Court should be required to maintain.) [2964, 3710]

 

In a manipulative attempt to paint Sotomayor as “moderate,” the CBS Evening News’ Katie Couric says, “Pundits usually label judges as either liberal or conservative, but that won’t be easy with Judge Sotomayor.” Correspondent Wyatt Andrews then states, “President Obama, then, has found a judge with 17 years experience but no clear ideology on discrimination, gay rights, or abortion and who can’t be easily defined by political labels.” Sotomayor has referred to herself as a liberal, even if the media is afraid to use the word. The media states that Sotomayor’s views on abortion are not known, in order to imply that she may not be as liberal as some have suggested. However, Sotomayor has been an active board member of a group called “Childbirth Connection,” that advocates “reproductive rights for women”—which is code for abortion on demand. As a judge, Sotomayor has ruled that a Muslim serving time in prison has a right to “Eid ul Fitr,” a Muslim holiday meal, yet otherwise follows a strict church-state separation. The National Organization for Women (NOW) quickly endorsed Sotomayor—something it would never consider if she were not pro-abortion or pro-lesbian. Sotomayor is an advocate of citing international law for U.S. rulings, and wrote an introduction for a book that promotes “…developing an international rule of law and institution-building” and praises those “…who work tirelessly to bring these institutions from their incipience to their maturity.” CBS and the other networks are lying when they use the moderate label; Sotomayor is a card-carrying liberal and judicial activist who will interpret the U.S. Constitution as she and Obama prefer, not as the Founding Fathers intended. [2928]

 

It has been alleged that Sotomayor and her ex-husband never lived together; they lived in different cities while they pursued separate careers. Her ex-husband is a Chicago attorney, Kevin E. Noonan. Noonan has been publicly silent about Sotomayor’s nomination and his relationship with her, and the media seems less than eager to seek him out for what might be pertinent stories about her past and how her experiences might influence her role as a Supreme Court Justice. (The media was eager to investigate the titles of movies that Reagan nominee Robert Bork rented at the local video store; in the case of Sotomayor, it is willing to accept her personal story as presented by Obama.) When Sotomayor was under consideration for her current position on the U.S. Court of Appeals, it was reported that she had a fiancé, Peter White. After Sotomayor’s confirmation, White disappeared from view. The Washington Post states that Sotomayor sometimes “does date.” Sotomayor is a member of “Belizean Grove,” an all-woman club that calls itself a “constellation of influential women.” (Readers can imagine the flak a Republican president would get it he nominate to the Supreme Court a male judge who belonged to a club that excluded women.) [2953, 3418]

 
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« Reply #28 on: July 31, 2009, 03:23:37 pm »



The New York Times criticizes Obama for some “position changes” in an article called, “Nuance is Fine Until It’s a Flip-Flop.” The article points out that Obama had fought former President Bush on military commissions for terrorist detainees, but is now embracing them—but Obama argues, “my administration is bringing our commissions in line with the rule of law.” The Times states that Obama “…told Planned Parenthood that his first act as president would be to sign an abortion rights bill into law; now he says it is ‘not my highest legislative priority.’ He promised gay rights advocates that he would work for the repeal of the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, but he has pushed action into the future. …he released previously classified memos describing the C.I.A.’s harsh interrogation techniques. But then he moved to block the release of photos showing abuse of detainees—a 180-degree turn from his administration’s previous position.” [2903]

 

Kirk Loppold, retired former commander of the USS Cole and senior military fellow at Military Families United, says that Obama’s continual blaming of the Bush administration shows poor leadership. “The president—despite everything he said very eloquently—did not lay out any procedures for how he intended to close Guantanamo Bay on his one-year timeline,” and “If he didn’t want to deal with the legacy that he had been left with, if he didn’t want to fix the mess that he claims he was left with, then he needed to have seriously considered whether or not to assume the responsibility that he has today. Leaders don’t blame; they lead.” [2904]

 

A review of a list of Chrysler dealers that have been ordered closed reveals that the vast majority of them are owned by Republican campaign donors (or contributors to Obama’s primary opponents). The list contains 789 dealers, and 90 per cent of their owners gave donations to Republican candidates; less than 10 per cent were contributors to Democrat campaigns. Republican candidates allegedly received at least $450,000 in donations. Lesser amounts were given to Hilary Clinton and John Edwards; Obama received only $450 in donations, from owners of two of the 789 closing dealers. Chrysler states that the criteria for closing dealers included sales volume, customer service scores, local market share, and average household income in the area. Among the Chrysler dealers not being closed are those operated by the RLJ-McLarty-Landers Automotive Partnership, which is owned by Thomas “Mack” McLarty (former chief of staff for Bill Clinton), Robert Johnson (founder of Black Entertainment Television), and Steve Landers (4th generation car dealer); the threesome should see an increase in business, as all their nearby competitors have been ordered closed down. Obama remarks, “The necessary steps have been taken to give one of America’s most storied automakers, Chrysler, a new lease on life.” [2908, 2909, 2925, 2926,3109]

 

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh comments on Obama’s selection of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. “So here you have a racist,” states Limbaugh. “You might want to soften that and you might want to say a reverse racist. And the libs of course say that minorities cannot be racists because they don’t have the power to implement their racism. Well, those days are gone because reverse racists certainly do have the power to implement their power. Obama is the greatest living example of a reverse racist, and now he’s appointed one.” An overwhelming number of Americans believe that judges should make decisions based on the law and the U.S. Constitution, and that judges should not make policy—as Obama and Sotomayor prefer. [2912]

 

More than one-half million letters are sent to Senators in protest of the “Hate Crimes” legislation that some argue is a disguised “**** Protection Act.” Congressman Louis Gohmert (R-TX) says that citizen action is the only way to stop the bill. “If you guys (on talk radio) don’t raise enough stink there’s no chance of stopping it,” said Gohmert. “It’s entirely in the hands of your listeners and people across the country. If you guys put up a strong enough fight, that will give backbone enough to the 41 or 42 in the Senate to say we don’t want to have our names on that.” [2913]

 

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) says on May 26 that Republicans will not be an easy “rubber stamp” of Obama’s appointment of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. “I can tell you that we Republicans have met, as Democrats are meeting now, to formulate strategies because the last 25 years of confirmation of judges and justices have been a lot different than the first 200 years. There’s more of an in-depth view of people looking beyond just their qualifications of whether they should be on the bench,” which is partly a result “of Judge Bork being Borked in the U.S. Senate.” Grassley, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, states, “The committee has to take time to make sure the nominee will be true to the Constitution and apply the law rather than personal politics, feelings or preferences. It’s our job to ask very thorough questions. The Senate, obviously, can’t be a rubber stamp—in the last 20 years on Supreme Court nominees (it) has not been a rubber stamp.” [2914]

 

Steve Shirk, a participant in the “tea party” protests states he was visited by members of the Joint terrorism Task Force of the FBI, apparently because Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) believed some letters the citizen had written warranted an investigation. Shirk states, “Since when did expressing a political opinion, or disagreeing with the passage of Socialist bills in the legislature become terrorist in nature? I have specifically objected vehemently to the TARP, TALC, Economic Recovery Act, Omnibus Spending Bill, President Obama's 3.6 trillion dollar budget, cap and trade, and every other anti-capitalist bill put forth in the 111th Congress.” Shirk notes that the “…FBI  agent was very polite and respectful. He explained why I had been targeted and by whom, Senator Whitehouse, and assured me that this would be the end of it. I explained to him in answer to his questions what and why I had written. He agreed that I have the constitutional right to express my dissatisfaction with government policy. The last thing he said to me was to advise that I keep expressing my opinions.” Shirk posted his story on the Internet after deciding that others should be warned that simply having an opinion and criticizing the Obama administration could result in a similar “visit.” A spokesman for Senator Whitehouse stated “We have no idea where that (allegation) came from.” [2915, 2947]

 
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« Reply #29 on: July 31, 2009, 03:24:27 pm »



South Korea and other nations assemble ships in the waters off North Korea, in a planned international program to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons or nuclear weapons materials and supplies. North Korea calls the move tantamount to a declaration of war, and states “They should bear in mind that the (North) has tremendous military muscle and its own method of strike able to conquer any targets in its vicinity at one stroke or hit the U.S. on the raw, if necessary.” Kim Jong-Il’s regime promises “unimaginable and merciless punishment” to any nation that challenges its ships. The West considers additional sanctions against North Korea, but Pyongyang’s Minju Joson newspaper responds by stating, “It is a laughable delusion for the United States to think that it can get us to kneel with sanctions. We’ve been living under U.S. sanctions for decades, but have firmly safeguarded our ideology and system while moving our achievements forward. The U.S. sanctions policy toward North Korea is like striking a rock with a rotten egg.” [2917]

 

North Korea threatens to attack South Korea after it joins the initiative to inspect ships. A spokesman for Kim Jong-Il states that North Korea is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice because the U.S. government had allowed South Korea to intervene. “Any hostile act against our peaceful vessels including search and seizure will be considered an unpardonable infringement on our sovereignty and we will immediately respond with a powerful military strike,” said the spokesman. Obama states, “North Korea’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons, as well as its ballistic missile program, constitute a threat to international peace and security.” [2922, 2923]

 

The city of Columbus, Ohio, warns that its budget deficit may mean the loss of 324 police officer (15 per cent of its force). Obama had visited Columbus on March 6 to shake the hands of 25 police recruits who had just graduated, and bragged how his stimulus bill had provided them with jobs. He stated at the ceremony, I look into their (the police graduates’) eyes and I see their badges today, and I know that we did the right thing. These jobs and the jobs of so many other police officers and teachers and firefighters all across Ohio will now be saved because of this recovery plan.” [2918]

 

Obama visits Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base and states the country is “already seeing results” from his stimulus legislation, and argues that he has saved or created roughly 150,000 jobs. Obama’s number is bogus; there are no hard figures to back it up. [2919]

 

It is reported that in January, Judge Sonia Sotomayor argued in the case Maloney v. Cuomo that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution only applies to federal restrictions against the right to bear arms, and that state and local laws can restrict that right. “It is settled law,” wrote Sotomayor, “that the Second Amendment applies only to limitations the federal government seeks to impose on this right,” and “The Second Amendment applies only to limitations the federal government seeks to impose on this right… not upon that of the state.” Sotomayor’s opinion is therefore that a city or state can pass a complete ban on weapons because it would not be a federal restriction. She believes that the Second Amendment refers only to military organizations and not individuals, and that individual American citizens have never had the right to bear arms. [2920]

 

Press secretary Robert Gibbs laughs off the first public White House press corps question about Obama’s birth certificate. World Net Daily correspondent Les Kinsolving asks Gibbs how Obama could pledge transparency in his administration yet not release his long form birth certificate to prove he is eligible to serve as president. Gibbs responds, “Are you looking for the president’s birth certificate? Lester, this question in many ways continues to astound me. The state of Hawaii provided a copy with the seal of the president’s birth. I know there are apparently at least 400,000 people (laughter) that continue to doubt the existence of and the certification by the state of Hawaii of the president’s birth there, but it’s on the Internet because we put it on the Internet for each of those 400,000 to download. I certainly hope by the fourth year of our administration that we’ll have dealt with this burgeoning birth controversy.” The document referred to by Gibbs is a short form “certification of live birth,” not the long form birth certificate which includes the name of the hospital, height and weight, physician’s signature, etc. (A short form document is not considered legal proof of birth for most processes in Hawaii, and the Obama document on the Internet is alleged to be a fraudulent computer-generated image). Refer to part I of The Obama Timeline for information about Obama’s birth certificate. [2927, 3426]

 

Israeli Defense Forces conduct border drills, while chief military officer Gabi Ashkenazi warns the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) that the Iranian-supported terrorist group Hizbullah “…has more rockets and long-range ammunition than it did before the Second Lebanon War (in 2006).” [2929]
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