The day’s top political news:
California’s Nightmare Will Kill Obamanomics
With California mired in a budget crisis, largely the result of a political impasse that makes spending cuts and tax increases impossible, Controller John Chiang said the state planned to issue $3.3 billion in IOU’s in July alone. Instead of cash, those who do business with California will get slips of paper.
The California morass has Democrats in Washington trembling. The reason is simple. If Obama’s health-care plan passes, then we may well end up paying for it with federal slips of paper worth less than California’s. Obama has bet everything on passing health care this year.
The publicity surrounding the California debt fiasco almost assures his resounding defeat.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTKrn1jUJwdE
Robert McNamara, Architect of Vietnam War, Dies at 93
Robert Strange McNamara, the former secretary of defense whose record as a leading executive of industry and a chieftain of foreign financial aid was all but erased from public memory by his reputation as the primary architect of U.S. involvement in the war in Vietnam, died early this morning at age 93.
Family members said McNamara died at his home in Northwest Washington. They did not give a cause of death.
McNamara was secretary of defense during the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. In that capacity he directed a U.S. military buildup in Southeast Asia during the critical early years of a Vietnamese conflict that escalated into one of the most divisive and bitter wars in U.S. history. When the war was over, 58,000 Americans were dead and the national social fabric had been torn asunder.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070601197_pf.html
Palin takes to Web for hints of political future
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin didn't wait long to give some hint of what her political life might look like after she leaves office at the end of the month.
After staying out of the public eye for most of Saturday, a day after abruptly announcing she would soon give up her job as governor, Palin indicated on a social networking site that she would take on a larger, national role, citing a "higher calling" to unite the country along conservative lines.
Palin shocked even her closest friends on Friday when she announced she would resign July 26, more than a year before her first term ends. But the controversial hockey mom has not revealed many details of bigger plans and national agenda.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090705/D9988SCG0.html
Opinion:
Another “stimulus” scam from liberal Democrats? Surely you jest.
This morning, rumors are circulating that liberals are considering another “stimulus” scam…more American dollars down the drain. The obvious failure of the first financial fiasco liberals hid behind the “stimulus” cover.
It didn’t stimulate, it hasn’t even been spent.
Commentator Neal Boortz has a comment:
“We’re billions of dollars further in debt (trillions?) and the economy is still stagnant. TARP, the stimulus bill, massive debts our children and grandchildren will have to pay .. and what has this all brought us? Banks aren’t lending, businesses aren’t hiring – let along expanding – and consumers aren’t buying. Oh, to be sure, the malls are crowded. Turn up the thermostats and see how long that lasts. Those aren’t shoppers, they’re just your neighbors trying to stay cool while watching the latest absurd teen fashion and freak shows.
Do you know what the initials SNAFU mean? That word was created to define government action, or inaction as the case may be. In 1942 Time magazine carried this revelation: "Last week U.S. citizens knew that gasoline rationing and rubber requisitioning were snafu.” Well .. if there was ever a SNAFU, our economy would fit the description. To fully understand this, you have to know what the acronym stands for. Go ahead … Google it.”
Liberals can pass another “stimulus” scam if they wish. They have enough votes to do anything they wish. Normal America must understand this and begin right now working to oust as many Democrats as possible in the 2010 election.
A second “stimulus” scam is one and only one thing: it’s a liberal finger in the eye and middle finger salute to normal Americans who are protesting bailouts and government spending in the tea party protests.
Liberals are terrified of what they are seeing in the tea parties. And well they should be. These demonstrations of grass root outrage is massive – more massive than any such uprising in memory. The national media – long ago having joined the campaigns of liberal Democrats – are doing their best to avoid coverage of the massive outpourings or downplaying their implications.
Passing another stimulus bill – massive robbery of the public treasury – is the most effective answer liberals have. They are saying “if you whine about the first stimulus, here is another shot across your bow”. It’s a clear and unmistakable insult to normal America and open abuse of the power liberal Democrats have taken.
We can only hope the protests gain focus, not on all of Washington, but where the outrage belongs – in the laps of liberal Democrats – politicians we must begin working right now to defeat and remove from office.
This is a test of wills that normal Americans cannot lose.
Buddy
The Day’s top blogs:
1.
Limbaugh: Obama Laying Groundwork for Third Term
Rick Pedraza
Rush Limbaugh is suggesting that President Barack Obama and his political operatives already are laying the groundwork for a third term
“You have to wonder if Obama is just trying to lay a foundation for not being a hypocrite when he tries to serve beyond 2016,” Limbaugh told his national radio audience. “I wouldn't be at all surprised if in the next number of years there is a move on the 22nd Amendment”.
Limbaugh has a point.
Upon Obama's taking office, Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., introduced legislation in the House to repeal the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which limits presidents to two consecutive terms or 10 years in office. Serrano’s justification for the bill is that, until 1951, nothing prevented a president from serving more than two terms.
Additionally, a grass-roots movement is under way to make Obama's third term possible. A Web site, End22.com, is dedicated to abolishing the 22nd Amendment and is asking supporters for donations to make it happen.
"We are wise enough to choose our own leader and to decide how long that leader will serve," the Web site states, noting there was nothing in the original Constitution of 1787 that barred a third or fourth term for presidents.
"With our current crises, the American People need to take back their right to elect the leader of their choice. The task is too large and the risk is too great. We must act now!"
Limbaugh acknowledged that Obama may not try to repeal the amendment on his own.
“He may not openly try to change the Constitution. But there might be this movement in the country from his ‘cult-like’ followers to support the notion that a democratically-elected leader who is ‘loved’ and ‘adored’ has carte blanche once elected — just serve as long as he wants because the people demand it, because the people want it, because the people love it.”
(NOTE: Liberal Democrats have the votes with which to kill the 22nd Amendment. They can give Obama an option for running for a third term if they decided to do so. There is only one potential for opposing that idea: defeating Democrats on Capitol Hill and replacing them with Republicans. There is no “Plan B”. This is a war for our nation and it must be waged and won through the two party system – like it or not.”)
Limbaugh said Obama has sympathy for dictators; he relates to them. He inherited his father's Marxism.
“I wouldn't put it past Obama to be plotting right now how to serve beyond 2016, and I think [that’s the reason for the] way he's reacting to what's happening in Honduras.
They've got a constitution. They’re a democratically elected set of officials down there, and you had a guy running the country, Mel Zelaya, who was just going to basically rip that country's democracy to shreds and the country moved in to stop him from doing it. And Obama sides with the guy who wanted to rip up the constitution.”
Limbaugh said Obama sides with other dictators in the region, as well, and “is nothing if not a hardcore liberal, always more sympathetic, appearing to side with the bad guys on the world stage.”
Limbaugh described Obama's followers as a “cult-like bunch” whose “attachment to him is not political, it's not ideological, it is not issue-wise. It is cultish. It includes a wide percentage of minorities who, for different reasons, will come to think that he simply cannot be replaced.
“[If he] succeeds with amnesty, for example, and all the illegal aliens are instantly made citizens — he'll be too important. Just like right now — he's too big to fail as far as the drive-bys are concerned; he's too important to be replaced. No one else can lead the nation, they will say.”
During a news conference Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked whether Obama supports Serrano’s House Joint Resolution No. 5, which, if passed, could lead the way for an Obama run at a third term. It was noted that Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., also supports repeal of the amendment.
“You're going to find I tend to get it mixed up with House Joint Resolution Four and Six,” Gibbs said, to laughter from the press corps.
“I think the president is firmly in support of an amendment that would limit his time in the presidency to eight years if he's given that awesome responsibility by the American people.”
But Limbaugh disagrees.
“Anybody who thinks [Obama] intends to just constitutionally go away in 2016 is nuts. I think that's what all this ACORN stuff is all about. I think given ACORN money and fraudulent voter registration — whatever it's going to take — these are people who seek power for reasons other than to serve. They seek to rule.”
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
2.
http://thespeechatimeforchoosing.blogspot.com/2009/07/sarah-palin-declares-her-independence.html
A Time For Choosing
Sarah Palin Declares Her Independence
Once the hunted, Sarah Palin becomes the hunter.
Sarah stunned the world Friday by doing something that isn't done. She is willfully giving up one of the most powerful positions a politician can aspire to. She is stepping down as Governor of one of the most important states in America.
The media elites were stunned. It was almost hilarious watching their reactions of disbelief. Their commentary was downright entertaining, and further proof that they don't have a clue. Even those on Fox!
And the symbolism of doing this on the 4th of July holiday, the time we celebrate our nation's birth, and our independence, was completely lost on the whole lot!
(NOTE: It was lost on many people. In politics, its necessary to avoid assuming the voting public is smarter than they seem to be. They often don’t think that deeply. That Obama could get elected despite his being totally unqualified is a case in point. Palin needs to make sure she communicates her message and does so effectively.)
Almost universally, no one in the elite media got it. This is a huge comment on why our nation is in deep, deep trouble. One reporter on Fox, who has covered Sarah since she became Governor, went so far to say that her speech was "rambling", and "incoherent." Again, this just proves that even the media we most trust for news doesn't a clue about real Americans.
Sarah Palin sounded just like us! We, the people, understood every single word she said. This is the reason she is wildly popular in the first place. She IS one of us!
Of course, just as universally silly as the commenters are, the pundits are even more clueless. And, evidently, devoid of any and all abilities of comprehension, be it for the written word, or spoken. We'll get to the speech itself in due time, but suffice it to say, that for normal Americans, those who this speech was aimed at, this was a call to action.
Now the talking heads all agree that Sarah is done.
No chance of ever being anything again.
Certainly no chance of ever being President. Some say this was political suicide. Well, it won't be the first time Sarah has committed "political suicide."
After Mayor Sarah Palin was term limited out (why don't we have term limits for ALL elected officials?) she decided her next move would be Lt Governor. She lost. But Governor Frank Murkowski saw a talented woman with a lot of grit. He appointed her as Chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. An important job. One that regulates Alaska's most important activities, oil and natural gas production.
Chairman Palin was charged with maintaining ethics as part of her job. Something that her history has shown she takes very seriously. And her talent in this area was soon to be put to good use. There were a lot of less than ethical things going on, some big, some really big.
Now one thing, Alaska is a "good old boy network" kinda state. And her agency was filled with a lot of movers and shakers in the Republican party. Including the party chair, and even a former attorney general. So as one would imagine, there was some push back when Chairman Palin sought to end some of their practices.
Now mind you, this is a high paying gig. Six figures. Something a mother of four had to be thinking about.
So, what did Sarah do? Well, she committed "political suicide" and resigned from the post. She then took her fight to the people. She also filed formal complaints.
We all know the result of this effort. Commissioner Randy Ruedrich who is also the chair of the Republican party, was forced to resign, and paid the largest fine in state history for this sort of thing, $12,000. Gregg Renkes the former attorney general was also forced to resign.
Both of these men had conflicts of interest in dealing with companies they were supposed to be regulating. And Ruedrich was also guilty of doing party business on state time. The effort to go after Renkes was bi-partisan, as Sarah joined in with democrat Eric Croft.
Oh, and one more thing, Sarah took on her former boss, Governor Frank Murkowski, and defeated him in a landslide primary election, and defeated popular former democrat Governor Tony Knowels in the general election.
So much for "political suicide."
People who have followed Sarah Palin for a long time absolutely get what she is doing.
One of the big things behind this move is to change the rules. When Sarah became Governor, she and her administration passed sweeping ethics reform. That's a good thing. But since she returned to Alaska after the presidential election, the democrat party has turned around and used these very laws she championed against her and the state of Alaska. Chicago politics at it's "finest."
I have written about Barack Obama's direct involvement in the failed "troopergate" smear, and even his payoff to former Alaska Senator Kim Elton for his efforts. I have also written extensively about Linda Kellen Biegel, the Democrat National Committee's "official blogger for Alaska."
This Biegel woman has turned her insane hate into a cottage industry, openly raising money online to fund her efforts, the legality of which is in question.
She's not alone in this, as other paid operatives, as well as screw loose crazies, have filed 15 so-called "ethics complaints" since Sarah has come home from the presidential trail!
These deals range from the silly, to the down right idiotic!
One complaint had to do with the fact Sarah was photographed holding a fish!
Some background. Sarah has worked as a commercial fisherman. She and her husband still own a commercial fishing business, and yes, when time permits, she has been known to go out and work the nets!
One complaint had to do with the fact she did an interview in her office!
She got tagged because, as Governor, she was at this year's Iron Dog race, at nearly 2000 miles, the longest most difficult snow machine race in the world.
She showed up in sub-zero weather wearing a jacket.
Oh, the humanity!
Yes, the jacket had the logo of the company that sponsors her husband, Todd, who is a multi-championship winning racer. And?
The bottom line, is these loons, and democrat operatives have managed to cripple the Governor, her staff, and grind governing to a halt. This nonsense has cost Governor Palin and her family $500,000 personally, but more importantly, to her, the state of Alaska has spent $2 million dollars, and 1000's of hours in time messing around with these complaints.
Needless to say, ALL of these complaints have been thrown out. But as I reported earlier, that means nothing to these bloggers. There were many more bogus ethics complaints planned.
This is Saul Alinsky's Rules being used relentlessly, and being sanctioned by Chicago's most famous citizen.
And with a group of dishonest democrats who will just keep filing these bogus ethics complaints, with absolutely no repercussions, she just saved the citizens of Alaska at minimum a couple of million dollars the state would have had to shell out had she completed her term.
This is pretty typical Sarah Palin. When she took office she went on a cost cutting spree. She famously put the executive jet for sale on eBay. And while it was not sold there, it was sold. It was a jet the previous Governor had purchased to travel the state. On the surface, not a bad idea. Alaska is roughly the size of the entire western United States, and many cities are only easily accessible by either air or water.
The only problem, is that jet was unable to land on most of the unimproved airfields in Alaska, and kind of useless.
Palin reassigned the "executive chef" at the Governor's mansion saying she didn't want her kids to get used to being waited on by staff. That saved the state money. She also, along with Lt Governor Sean Parnell, turned down a substantial pay increase this year. Something that just isn't done.
So by stepping down, Sarah Palin just changed the rules on these people. As a private citizen, she is not subject to the constraints of office. She doesn't have to maintain a certain decorum.
Make no mistake about it, Sarah Palin is a street fighter. What she has done is declare herself the left's worst nightmare! The paid DNC operatives, and loons, are going to look back and wish they had let sleeping dogs lie.
Case in point, one of the DNC operatives, Huffington Post blogger Shannyn Moore has already been out there spreading lies about Sarah. Moore, who earlier in the year was obsessed with what was under Sarah's skirt, is peddling a story that Palin is about to be indicted on some sort of federal charges.
Palin's attorney Thomas V Van Flein has already put Shannyn Moore, the Huffington Post, MSNBC, The New York Times, as well as the Washington Post on notice that they will be seeking actions against them for printing such lies.
Van Flein's open letter to the parties explains the facts of the story in question, which involves the Wasilla Sports Complex that came to be during Sarah's tenure as Mayor of Wasilla. Needless to say, another attempt to smear Sarah Palin knocked to the ground.
"Screw Political correctness!"
"Politically Speaking, I don't care if I live or die, I'm not going to sit down, I'm not going to shut up!" ___Sarah Palin in a June speech introducing Michael Reagan.
It seems we saw signs of Sarah's big move a while back. We just didn't know what we were looking at. Sarah made the above remarks during a speech where she introduced Michael Reagan to a crowd in Anchorage.
In her speech she also took Obama and his economic policies head on, as well as his foreign policy. She spoke at length about states rights, and how the federal government had become too big, and too controlling.
It seems that the trip to Kosovo and Germany to visit the troops may have also held clues to what was about to happen. While there, and in Sarah's tweets, she continually talked about the sacrifices of our brave soldiers, and about the greatness of America. It's obvious that while her move to change directions has been in the works for some time, her second trip to visit troops in the past two years really had a profound effect on Palin.
Of course, there are all of her detractors who are now saying she is "abandoning her job." Funny thing, she is transferring power to Lt Governor Sean Parnell. This is the same Sean Parnell who she would have transferred power to had she become Vice President.
Some say they don't buy the "lame duck" excuse. But having followed Sarah since she became Governor, having read her writings, watched her speeches, and read other's thoughts about her, people who know her, I think I understand, at least in a tiny way, how she thinks about her duty to the folks who put her in office.
Again, it's a given, the loons and DNC operatives were never ever going to stop costing the state of Alaska millions of dollars in their perverted attacks on Sarah Palin. So that obviously weighed very heavily on her mind. As soon as Sarah started speaking out. As soon as Sarah started really challenging those who would destroy America from within, the attacks would come.
Sarah recognizes what most of America now does. We are in real trouble. We have incredibly incompetent leadership in Washington. Both parties are filled with people who are more interested in power than doing their jobs. We have a Congress that spends trillions of dollars and passes insane legislation that will destroy our personal liberty, without reading a single word in these bills!
Congress passed the trillion dollar stimulus package and absolutely no one read this bill. It was rushed through by Barack Obama and his crew. Obama shouting that if the bill wasn't passed immediately the sky would fall! Then, once passed, Obama took a long weekend, while staff set up the photo op!
The stimulus package has been a disaster, so far.
The House of Representatives just passed the largest tax increase in human history, the cap and tax bill on "climate change." Here's a bill that will double or triple the cost of energy, and by default, effect the cost of every single product consumers purchase. And this bill will actually do nothing to help the climate! It would also cost millions of jobs, and send most manufacturing overseas to nations that haven't bought into the "climate change" nonsense.
Even better, most Americans understand that "global warming" is a hoax. That the planet is actually cooling. More and more scientists have come out and disputed the whole scheme.
In fact, the latest scandal surrounding this involves an internal EPA memo that disproves "global warming", that was suppressed ahead of the House vote.
Not only had no one read this incredibly huge tax bill, an additional 300 pages were slipped into the bill in the dead of night just before the vote!
This isn't just insanity, this is criminal!
This sort of thing is why Sarah felt she could no longer sit still and keep her mouth shut. This is why she has decided to travel and speak out.
Of course, as Governor, she does have the bully pulpit, but since the DNC has their operatives filing bogus ethics complaints at the drop of the hat, it would be very detrimental to Alaskans for Sarah to use her power as Governor to challenge these crooks in DC.
Better to take them on as Sarah Palin, America, than as Governor Sarah Palin.
And she did have a point about lame ducks spending the people's money while doing little of their work.
Now with the dishonest press, and the talking heads, there is a huge double standard. They think its just horrible that Sarah is "abandoning" Alaska.
On the other hand, no one in America seemed to have a problem when Barack Obama, the very inexperienced Junior Senator from Illinois, after promising the people of Illinois that he wouldn't run for President in his first term, worked a mere 143 days out of his six year Senate term, only to abandon his job completely to spend a year and a half running for President!
All the while collecting his paycheck from all of us taxpayers.
Double standard?
You bet'cha!
I prefer Sarah's way of doing things.
Now for her speech!
What a red meat patriotic speech it was. This was Sarah Palin speaking out to all of America and letting them know she's heard the call, and is ready to answer it.
The Video is here and the transcript's here for all to enjoy.
In her speech Sarah talks about the need to end politics as usual. Yeah, I know, all politicians say that. But with Sarah Palin, you instinctively know that she actually means it. And frankly, has put her money where her mouth is by resigning to take those who are harming America straight on!
Sarah talks about how we need to build America up, not tear it down. She called the extreme spending spree being championed by Barack Obama "obscene" and "immoral."
Sarah, in her speech, repeatedly called on all to get involved and make a difference.
Of course, the elite media who evidently feel it's their job to tell us what to think (or spread propaganda, I can never decide which) are so sure that Sarah has had enough of all of this and is going home.
So as if to make sure there will be no doubt to her intentions, Sarah put out an Independence Day message.
The end of the message goes as follows:
"I shared with you yesterday my heartfelt and candid reasons for this change; I've never thought I needed a title before one's name to forge progress in America. I am now looking ahead and how we can advance this country together with our values of less government intervention, greater energy independence, stronger national security, and much-needed fiscal restraint. I hope you will join me. Now is the time to rebuild and help our nation achieve greatness!
God bless you! And I look forward to making a difference - with you!
Sarah"
Now to many, this is Sarah's way of announcing her intentions to be the next President of the United States, and it may very well be. But I am absolutely under the impression that this doesn't really matter to her. I firmly believe she is more interesting in changing America for the better. I firmly believe she is more interested in stopping the destruction that Barack Obama and Congress is causing our great nation.
Of course, this is WHY Sarah Palin will be President. Her millions of followers will demand it. Absolutely no one currently in politics has the vision for America that sees us returning to the principles that our founding fathers set forth.
Absolutely no one out there has the ability and desire to take on Barack Obama and Congress with no holds barred. Straight up, no quarter.
Absolutely no other political figure represents the conservative movement as defined by one of our greatest Americans, Ronald Reagan. An America where personal freedom and liberty rein. A strong America. An America that made us the envy of the world.
Both Ronald Reagan and Sarah Palin see America as a shining city on a hill. God's greatest gift to mankind. The world's best hope.
Our President and Congress are doing their level best to destroy that vision of America. They are spending our grandchildren's and great grandchildren's future on their socialist schemes. They are ignoring the growing threats around the world, while passing unread legislation that threatens our personal liberties and freedom.
Sarah Palin recognizes this, and has answered the call.
The real question here is for you, the gentle reader.
Will you also answer the call? Or will you continue to just sit and complain, hoping someone else will do the heavy lifting for you?
Sarah Palin looked at her kids and asked: "Want me to make a positive difference and fight for ALL our children's future from outside the Governor's office?" She got four "yeahs" and a HELL YEAH" in response!
So again, what will your answer be? Sarah has put her entire career on the line for America.
What are you willing to do?
It's time to choose!
"In the words of General MacArthur: We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction."_____Sarah Palin
3.
Sotomayor and ACORN -- joined at the hip
Rick Moran
This is not surprising - Republican senate staffers have been whispering for weeks that a Sotomayor-ACORN connection was in the process of being unearthed.
But the extent of the relationship is more than a little shocking. Jennifer Rubin writing in Contentions:
Below the surface of the daily news coverage, Senate Republicans have been struggling to get documents from PRLDEF, the liberal civil rights group in which Sotomayor held a variety of leadership positions for a dozen years. It seems odd, at first blush, that there should be a tussle over a group whose public positions on a variety of issues are well known and in which Sotomayor played such a central leadership role. Why fight over boxes of old letters and legal briefs? At first, many speculated that this might have been problematic because it would feed the racial preference storyline and breathe new life into the "wise Latina" remakrs. But maybe it is far more explosive.
(NOTE: There are many reasons for opposing Sotomayor. She is clearly obsessed with racism and anti White America. No matter. Democrats as liberal as Obama have a dominating majority in the Senate, and they will confirm whomever they wish…even if Sotomayor was to be defeated, any Obama selection will be just as offensive to normal America.)
Roll Call buries the lead on this one:
The PRLDEF on Tuesday turned over a number of documents that could become political flash points, including papers on the organization's work with the nonprofit Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now during Sotomayor's time with the PRLDEF. ACORN has become a major rallying cry for conservatives after allegations that its organizers falsified voter registration forms in the 2008 election. The mere mention of ACORN in association with Sotomayor - regardless of how significant her involvement with the group was - will almost certainly intensify opposition to her high court installment from conservatives on and off Capitol Hill.
Ya think? Well that would be problematic.
Indeed it would be - and is. Sotomayor apparently held several positions with the group, including "Member and Vice President, Board of Directors Chairperson, Litigation and Education Committees." And the New York Times reported:
This news will have no impact on Democrats. But it will make it a little harder for those Republicans who were planning on deserting the party and voting for her confirmation to make the case she is a "mainstream" judge. ACORN is a proto-Leninist, thuggish group of far left radicals who want to overturn American society and create a Marxist state.
Perhaps some Republican senator on the Judiciary Committee might ask her whether she still believes in ACORN's "mission" which lately appears to be gaming the electoral system by trying to steal elections.
Hat Tip: Ed Lasky
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