Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The days top political news:
The Pentagon says 61 former detainees from its military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay have returned to terrorism since their release from custody.
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said 18 former detainees are confirmed as "returning to the fight" and 43 are suspected of having done in a report issued late in December by the Defense Intelligence Agency.
"This is acts of terrorism. It could be Iraq, Afghanistan, it could be acts of terrorism around the world," he told reporters.
Yet Obama is salivating over his ability to close the prison for terrorists that liberals have long hated – irresponsibility raises its head again. Obama wants to send terrorists back to the streets, Hmmm Clinton did the same with the FALN terror group he pardoned.
President-elect Barack Obama's pick for U.S. Treasury Secretary came under fire Tuesday on Capitol Hill for employing a housekeeper with expired immigration papers and for failing to pay his full taxes.
Cover and defense came quickly as liberals scrambled to respond.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said he was satisfied with the explanations and would move forward with confirmation hearings.
Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the committee's ranking Republican, raised the questions about the legal status of Mr. Geithner's one-time housekeeper and about his delinquent taxes, which was first reported in the Wall Street Journal.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/14/geithner-under-fire-on-tax-immigration-issues/
Britain's effort to lead the world in stem cell research with the creation of human-animal "hybrid" clones has ground to a halt through lack of funding less than a year after the controversial technique was legalized.
Funding bodies are refusing to finance the research and existing projects have been run down to the point at which they may end completely within weeks.
One of the researchers involved in the work said last night that the grant applications may have been blocked by scientists on the funding committees who are morally opposed to the creation of cloned hybrid embryos derived from mixing human cells with the eggs of cows, pigs or rabbits.
The decision threatens Britain's leading position in the world in terms of creating of stem cells from animal-human hybrid embryos, research which in the US is banned from receiving federal government funding.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/funding-halted-for-stem-cell-research-1332000.html
Opinion:
Obama and the road ahead
In less than a week, Obama gets to carry the ball. He deserves it. He yearned for it. He and his handlers crafted a marketing plan to sell him to unsuspecting and gullible voters, and their succeeded.
Obama may be the most successful marketing scam since Disneyland. At least Disney fulfilled his promises. Obama is already crawfishing about the expansive promises he made while campaigning.
Hey, he’s a politician from the Chicago Democrat Machine – truth in packaging or in speeches, isn’t necessary and shouldn’t be expected.
Of course, Obama will be confronted by the crisis between Israel and the terrorists of Hamas. Obama’s background (what has seeped out) and even his middle name, will cause many anti terror groups to be concerned about which side he may favor.
Meanwhile, there are renewed calls for releasing the remainder of the $700 billion Congress was black-jacked into provided the Treasury Secretary without strings. That is coming back to haunt some, since there has been little or no transparency in how the money was spent.
Now they want more.
Figures.
Meanwhile, some of Obama’s appointments are having a bit of trouble. They should. Learning a proposed Secretary of Treasury has failed to pay taxes, is a biggie. Yet Democrats scramble to cover up the problem facing Timothy Geithner
Of course, given the huge Democrat margins in both houses, the loons are loose within liberal circles. The ever over wrought Congressional nut , John Conyers of Michigan, is demanding criminal investigations of the Bush Administration, Conyers last made the new when he borrowed a Congressional hearing room to make believe he was a committee chairman enabled to lauch such an investigation. As usual, Conyers drew derisive laughter, and was left to fume impotently. Now this dunce has power. Wow.
Meanwhile, Carol Browner has been named by Obama as “Environmental Czar”. Browner is an admitted socialist. Not just extreme left but actually an admitted socialists.
Normal Americans wont like having such a person in a position of power, especially in a cabinet level slot from which she can ravage real Americans and Americans itself.
It must also be noted that Browner is a part of the liberal conspiracy to install the infamous “Fairness Doctrine”. There I nothing “fair” about that scam. It’s a plot by liberals to shut down talk radio – thus violating First Amendment rights openly.
It’s scary to think there are those in power today who would plot to stem honest political discussion and debate – but liberals are upset because, while conservative talk radio has prospered – the only liberal talk radio to survive is PBS and it survives only by ripping off unwilling American taxpayers.
Nuff said. Liberal talk radio fails in the honest market place of ideas and thought. As a result, given unchallenged power, liberals will shut up what they cannot honestly confront or defeat.
It’s the liberal way and the Obama White House, buttressed by a Capitol Hill dominated by the extreme left, can be expected to run wild.
Heaven help us app.
Buddy
The day’s top blogs:
1.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/01/another_prominent_scientist_ri.html
Another prominent scientist ridicules global warming theory
Thomas Lifson
Princeton University physics professor William Happer, director of the Office of Energy Research in the U.S. Department of Energy under President George H.W. Bush, has put himself on the record dissenting on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theories.
He has asked to be added to a list of over 650 global warming dissenters in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee report.
Dr. Happer was fired from his government post by Al Gore, reportedly over his refusal to support Warmist doctrine. The Daily Princetonian reports some of the good professor's caustic comments:
2.
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=316656775264960
Show Us The Money
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Financial Rescue: If taxpayers are going to be asked for a doubling of the bailout of the financial sector — reaching the stratospheric heights of $700 billion — shouldn't they at least know where their money is going? Maybe the U.S. government really did have to abandon free-market principles to save the free market, as President Bush described the decision to spend hundreds of billions of dollars rescuing the economy from the financial crisis.
But if taxpayers really do have to shell out all that money as they see their neighbors — or even themselves — getting laid off and being foreclosed on, they should at least see how the money's spent.
The incoming Obama administration can improve on this by pushing for more transparency and accountability. But will it?
3.
GM supplier answers GM President's "plea"
This is one of the greatest responses to the requests for bailout money I have seen thus far. As a supplier for the Big 3 this man received a letter from the President of GM North America requesting support for the bail out program. His response is classic, and has to make you proud of a local guy who tells it like it is.
Now the details:
1.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/01/another_prominent_scientist_ri.html
Another prominent scientist ridicules global warming theory
Thomas Lifson
(Eat your heart out, Al Gore)
Princeton University physics professor William Happer, director of the Office of Energy Research in the U.S. Department of Energy under President George H.W. Bush, has put himself on the record dissenting on anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theories.
He has asked to be added to a list of over 650 global warming dissenters in a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee report.
Dr. Happer was fired from his government post by Al Gore, reportedly over his refusal to support Warmist doctrine. The Daily Princetonian reports some of the good professor's caustic comments:
Though Happer has promulgated his skepticism in the past, he requested to be named a skeptic in light of the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, whose administration has, as Happer notes, "stated that carbon dioxide is a pollutant" and that humans are "poisoning the atmosphere."
Happer maintains that he doubts there is any strong anthropogenic influence on global temperature.
"All the evidence I see is that the current warming of the climate is just like past warmings. In fact, it's not as much as past warmings yet, and it probably has little to do with carbon dioxide, just like past warmings had little to do with carbon dioxide," Happer explained. ...
Happer said that he is alarmed by the funding that climate change scientists, such as Pacala and Socolow [supporters of AGW theory at Princeton], receive from the private sector.
"Their whole career depends on pushing. They have no other reason to exist. I could care less. I don't get a dime one way or another from the global warming issue," Happer noted. "I'm not on the payroll of oil companies as they are. They are funded by British Petroleum."
2.
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=316656775264960
Show Us The Money
INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Financial Rescue: If taxpayers are going to be asked for a doubling of the bailout of the financial sector — reaching the stratospheric heights of $700 billion — shouldn't they at least know where their money is going? Maybe the U.S. government really did have to abandon free-market principles to save the free market, as President Bush described the decision to spend hundreds of billions of dollars rescuing the economy from the financial crisis.
But if taxpayers really do have to shell out all that money as they see their neighbors — or even themselves — getting laid off and being foreclosed on, they should at least see how the money's spent.
The incoming Obama administration can improve on this by pushing for more transparency and accountability. But will it?
So far, Hank Paulson's Treasury Department hasn't revealed how the bailout funds are being spent. It may be there's such a sense of urgency at the federal level that action takes precedence over prudence. It's not hard to understand why. Bush noted in his press conference Monday that he had "chucked" free-market principles because of fears the economy could fall into depression.
However, one of the key principles of those who want to shrink government, lower taxes and promote capitalism is that the people should know what government spends their taxes on.
If the purpose of the money given to banks was to ease foreclosures, then such strings should have been attached to the cash in the Treasury's original strategy. It wasn't. On the other hand, if letting banks spend it as they wished was desirable, then Treasury should let it be known and defend it.
Instead of being straight up about things, however, we find Treasury answering questions from the Congressional Oversight Panel in a manner so tight-lipped that one would think the panel's enquiries had been delivered to the National Security Agency by mistake.
This is not terrorist e-mails at issue; the government has little excuse for secrecy with so much tax money at risk. The banks, too, have been tight-lipped about how they're using the money. Given the amounts, this is not satisfactory.
One way or another, changes are on the way. President-elect Obama said Monday that he'll seek stricter rules and more transparency in spending the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP).
"I think many of us have been disappointed with the lack of clarity, the absence of transparency," Obama said, after formally requesting that Bush ask Congress for the remaining $350 billion.
Already, Obama's Treasury Secretary-designate Tim Geithner is working with Lawrence Summers, who'll head the White House National Economic Council, to reshape TARP. They're seeking to give the federal government a greater stake in financial firms, and to tie federal assistance explicitly to limits on executive pay.
House Banking Committee Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., whose advocacy of forcing banks to be instruments of social justice helped cause the mess we're in, is also pushing TARP reforms that would impose "the most stringent nontax executive compensation restrictions" — including forbidding golden parachute payments to executives and applying executive pay limits retroactively.
Unfortunately, this is what the lack of transparency and no clear strategy for exactly how the rescue money would be used has set us up for:
The micromanaging from Washington of the biggest financial institutions. We wonder: How many other businesses will Uncle Sam end up setting executive pay for, outside the wishes of the shareholders?
There's a very harsh lesson here. The TARP program came into being for the best of reasons. But it came up short when it comes to transparency. We're glad Obama wants to make TARP better.
More transparency will surely help, but letting the federal government
— which caused the problem in the first place —
tighten its control over our financial system will bring us no good and may help slow our recovery.
3.
GM supplier answers GM President's "plea"
This is one of the greatest responses to the requests for bailout money I have seen thus far. As a supplier for the Big 3 this man received a letter from the President of GM North America requesting support for the bail out program. His response is classic, and has to make you proud of a local guy who tells it like it is.
Dear Employees & Suppliers,
Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation's history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis......... As an employee or supplier, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard. Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.
Troy Clarke President General Motors North America
Response from:
Gregory Knox,
Pres. Knox Machinery Company
Franklin , Ohio
Gentlemen:
In response to your request to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clark, President of General Motors North America.
Politicians and Management of the Big 3 are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new "messiah", Pres-elect Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep "living the dream"… Believe me folks, The dream is over!
This dream where we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded "laborers" without paying the price for these atrocities… this dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products for ever and ever.
Don't even think about telling me I'm wrong. Don't accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM's throughout the Midwest during the past 30 years and what I've seen over those years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.
Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America, states: "There is widespread sentiment throughout this country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly is not."
You're right Mr. Clarke, it's not JUST management… how about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag a**… so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time… for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour work week. How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics… for putting out too many parts on a shift… and for being too productive. (We certainly must not expose those lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?)
Do you folks really not know about this stuff?!? How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke's sad plea: "over the last few years… we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors." What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them? The K car vs. the Accord? The Pinto vs. the Civic?!? Do I need to go on? What a joke!
We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. It's time to pay for your sins, Detroit.
I attended an economic summit last week where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend Research, surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of "bailout money". "Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems," but despite what people like politicians and corporate magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day… and the following very important thing would happen…where there had been greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up… that is how a free market system works… it does work… if we would only let it work…"
But for some nondescript reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is right and that capitalism doesn't work - that we need the government to step in and "save us"… Save us my a**, Hell - we're nationalizing… and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation's citizens don't even have a clue that this is what is really happening… But, they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams… yeah - THAT'S really important, isn't it…
Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the "competition" has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades in this country?... How can that be??? Let's see… Fuel efficient… Listening to customers… Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul…
Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr. W. Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity through quality and intelligent planning… Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like "the enemy"… Efficient front and back offices… Non union environment…
Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn't be telling anyone anything they really don't already know down deep in their hearts.
I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into - my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did when I was their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) - I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through it. Radical concept, huh… Am I there for them in the wings? Of course - but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults.
I don't want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government. Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins. Bad news people - it's coming whether we like it or not. The newly elected Messiah really doesn't have a magic wand big enough to "make it all go away." I laughed as I heard Obama "reeling it back in" almost immediately after the final vote count was tallied…"we really might not do it in a year…or in four…" Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for office.
Stop trying to put off the inevitable folks … That house in Florida really isn't worth $750,000… People who jump across a border really don't deserve free health care benefits… That job driving that forklift for the Big 3 really isn't worth $85,000 a year… We really shouldn't allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe…
That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn't be living in that $485,000 home… Let the market correct itself folks - it will. Yes it will be painful, but it's gonna' be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has…and doesn't live beyond its means…and gets back to basics…and redevelops the patriotic work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world…and probably turns back to God.
Sorry - don't cut my head off, I'm just the messenger sharing with you the "bad news". I hope you take it to heart.
Gregory J. Knox,
President Knox ...
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