UH RAH: Military Heroes Update #4: Pirates vs. US: The End...Or is it?

5 day standoff

4 pirates vs. US Navy & FBI

1 Hostage: Captain Richard Phillips

No extradition treaty between the U.S. & Somalia

As luck would have it, after 5 days of negotiations which finally broke down, no comment from The Big O, and time running out to end this before the pirates made it to shore with their hostage, it was over!

Things got even more difficult for the pirates when one of the four surrendered early yesterday to seek medical attention for a wound. He began negotiating with the US for the captain's release and the pirates allowed their dinghy to be towed by the Navy--so no danger of them making it to shore anytime soon--alleviating that pressure to act quickly.

But what led to the final demise of the 3 pirates, was "imminent danger."

This AP piece at FOX News notes that one of the pirates "pointed an AK-47 at the back of Phillips, who was tied up and in 'imminent danger' of being killed when the commander of the nearby USS Bainbridge made the split-second decision to order his men to shoot. Navy snipers took aim at the pirates' heads and shoulders."

"The operation, personally approved by President Barack Obama, quashed fears the saga could drag on for months and marked a victory for the U.S., which for days seemed powerless to resolve the crisis despite massing helicopter-equipped warships at the scene."

Phillips said upon being rescued, "I'm just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the Seals, those who have brought me home."

The CEO of the Maersk Line, John Reinhart, praised Phillips: "Richard exemplifies some of the best traditions and behaviors and skills of an American merchant mariner. He's a leader of men. He's a brave and courageous man. He persevered through difficult times and he's shown real heroism. When I look at it, I think Richard has exhibited the true spirit of an American, and I'm proud today to be an American, as every day."

Now What To Do With The Pirate?

Well aside from making him "walk the plank" and suffer the old-time pirate fate at sea, we of course will humanely treat him and lock him up and hopefully throw away the key sending a message to all pirates that if they keep this up, they too might get safe passage to the US and a stay in one of our cushy jails, perhaps a roommate named Bubba, TV, a college education, and maybe even some Internet access! Scary thought, isn't it pirates! Yes, I'm being sarcastic!

According to Attorney General Eric "Steadman" Holder, we haven't seen a case of piracy against a U.S. ship in a "very long time." Crimes against a U.S. ship or a U.S. citizen can be prosecuted in the U.S., even if they occur in international waters.

Options include (some of these absurd, yes):

-Walking the Plank
-Taking a trip to Davy Jones' Locker
-Drop Him Off in an Anti-Somalia Country for Fun!
-Prosecuting him here in the U.S.: Life in Prison. Unless he gets' the 1990's OJ Simpson Jury...

The Department of Justice will be "reviewing the evidence and other issues to determine whether to seek prosecution in the United States." And if we have enough evidence (isn't that a no brainer at this point?) he would likely be tried in NY.

This case will be treated as a criminal case, because officials have found no direct ties between these pirates and terror groups and we're not at war with Somalia. Apparently these particular four pirates aren't in any shape or fashion in league with all the terror groups running around and training in Somalia. Just a total coincidence. I'm sure there's no exact direct link--after all, if there was, someone would be taking responsibility for it--but these pirates are all in bed with the terror groups in one way or another indirectly. Which will probably make the future a bit sticky in this region when it comes to future piracy episodes.

But What If It Makes The Pirates Want to Get Us?!

Terrorists, Pirates, and criminals' feelings aside, does anyone really buy into that paranoid/appeasement mentality, where rather than raise the ire of those that hate us/want to kill us/want to steal from us, we just bow to their demands, walk on egg shells around them, and hope that if we're just nice enough, they'll really really like us!? Me neither.

The commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command noted that "This could escalate violence in this part of the world, no question about it."

The Somali government (they have a real government?) issued a statement: "The Somali government wanted the drama to end in a peaceful way, but any one who is involved in this latest case had the choice to use violence or other means. We see it will be a good lesson for the pirates or any one else involved in this dirty business." Hmmm...is it just me, or do any of you suspect that depending on which way the money is blowing around down in Somalia, the government pretty much turns a blind eye until now when it's politically expedient to appear as if they don't?

Some self-styled pirate expert noted "This is a big wake-up to the pirates. It raises the stakes. Now they may be more violent, like the pirates of old."

And someone, calling himself a pirate, tried to sound really scary when he said "The French and the Americans will regret starting this killing. We do not kill, but take only ransom. We shall do something to anyone we see as French or American from now." Bring it!

The Big O & TOTUS Finally Speak!

After days of no comment, finally after it's all said and done, The Big O simply said "I am very pleased that Capt. Phillips has been rescued and is safely on board the USS Boxer. His safety has been our principal concern, and I know this is a welcome relief to his family and his crew. We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region. To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."

Apparently due to so much criticism of the way it appeared our government--the bureaucrats--were handling this situation (not our brave Military who we knew were on top of things!), the White House actually released a time line to show that The Big O was receiving frequent updates and had given given the go-ahead to take emergency actions.

We all knew that--any president would be staying on top if it, monitoring the situation behind the scenes. It's the way that The Big O and his staff handled it publicly that was such a PR disaster in my opinion. From an irritated no comment and "we're talking about housing right now" to "let's hold pirate hearings!", it just smacked of inexperience and fear of appearing the aggressor--a problem that's going to dog this administration in every trial and tribulation that will come its way in the future. To The Big O: It's ok to appear strong and on top of things--that's how we like our presidents to appear--presidential!

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #21 Jim Cramer vs. Obama/McFibbs/Stewart

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 21: CRAMER VS. MCFIBB-US, OBAMA-US, STEWARTUS

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

If you've ever seen CNBC's Mad Money hosted by Jim Cramer, it's a wild ride indeed! His spastic enthusiastic style of demystifying the stock market has brought him many fans--and some critics over the years. He's been an Obama supporter and voted for The Big O!

But something changed this year, get it--changed--and Cramer jumped off the "hope and change" bandwagon. At the beginning of March, Cramer let The Big O know just what he thought of the stimulus and the economy--and all the changes that The Big O/Congress want to cram down our throats!

Some Quick Facts & Cramer Quotes:

Since Jan. 20, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost over 1000 points

400 of those points occurred after Tax Cheat Geithner made a terrible speech back in February.

(Not to mention the Dow dropped nearly 500 points the day after The Big O was elected...)

On March 2nd, Cramer stated "Until the Obama administration starts listening, until they start paying attention to what you’re watching – to the stock market, until they realize that their agenda is destroying the life savings of millions of Americans – then all I can give you is caution."

“I’m not asking for the Feds to give us a plunge protection team, to stop declines – as we always thought to be the case under Greenspan. I’m not saying, ‘Mr. President, stare at the Bloomberg quote machine and come to your senses. I just want some sign that Obama realizes the market is totally falling apart and his agenda has a big hand in that happening.”

“I thought the prices, the screen, the action, the sense of a vortex down that cannot be stopped, of equities becoming worthless, of savings becoming tattered, of a stock market without bottom. But this time in slow motion, I felt the total lack of control that we all feel right now – the ‘it’s out of my hands,’ the ‘where’s the authority,’ the, ‘Hey, it’s amateur hour at our darkest moment.’ It’s the feeling of capitalism vanishing, businesses capsizing under their own weight – thanks to an administration that doesn’t seem to know or maybe doesn’t care.”

“Hey – I get it. Young president, big landslide, vigorous agenda, Congress that smells Republican blood – might find changing the world simply irresistible. We all want to change the world. I know I’d like to change the world, but when you talk about wealth destruction, don’t you know that you can count me out?”

McFibbs vs. Cramer:

In response to Cramer's rant, The Big O sent out Robert McFibbs to make this little sophomoric dig:

"If you turn on a certain program, it's geared to a very small audience, no offense to my good friends or friend at CNBC, but the president has to look out for the broader economy and the broader population."

Cramer vs. McFibbs/The Big O:

Cramer published a piece after criticism from The Big O/Robert McFibbs in The Street in which he said "When I come to work each day, whether as a commentator for The Street.com or a host of Mad Money With Jim Cramer, I have only one thought in mind: helping people with their money."

On Rush Limbaugh's praise and quote "They're going to shut Cramer up pretty soon, too, but he'll go down with a fight," Cramer noted "Limbaugh's dead right. I am a fight-not-flight guy, so I was on my hackles when I heard White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' answer to a question about my pointed criticism of the president on multiple venues, including the Today Show."

He talks about how stocks are the "principal forms of wealth in this country," how he was a "relentless critic of the Bush administration's 'stewardship' of the economy, calling repeatedly for changes to avert the disaster that I saw coming," and notes how his rant during the Bush administration "still stands as something that I am sure everyone in the Bush administrations' Treasury and Fed listened to. My calls to sell 20% of your stocks in September at Dow 11,000 and then all of your stock if you need the money for the next five years at Dow 10,000 in October, might have eluded Gibbs, too."

As for The Big O, he notes that "Obama has undeniably made things worse by creating an atmosphere of fear and panic rather than an atmosphere of calm and hope. He's done it by pushing a huge amount of change at a very perilous moment, by seeking to demonize the entire banking system and by raising taxes for those making more than $250,000 at the exact time when we need them to spend and build new businesses, and by revoking deductions for funds to charity that help eliminate the excess supply of homes."

As for the stimulus plan: "it's really just a hodgepodge of old Democratic pork and will not create nearly as many manufacturing or service jobs as we hoped. China's stimulus plan is the model; ours is the parody."

He will keep up the good fight: "So I will fight the fight against that agenda. I will stand up for what I believe and for what I have always believed: Every person has a right to be rich in this country and I want to help them get there. And when they get there, if times are good, we can have them give back or pay higher taxes. Until they get there, I don't want them shackled or scared or paralyzed. That's what I see now.

If that makes me an enemy of the White House, then call me a general of an army that Obama may not even know exists -- tens of millions of people who live in fear of having no money saved when they need it and who get poorer by the day."

John Stewart vs. Cramer:

Apparently comedian John Stewart is the new "Al Sharpton" for "whiteys." Don't mess with Stewart's Obama! Or you might have to go on his show and look the fool. And we pity the fool who goes on Stewart's cheeseball of a show! (Actually I find Stewart pretty funny--love the sarcasm, but this recent rant/feud with CNBC/Santelli/Cramer is more than a bit over the top since it was pretty clear that Stewart's glazed over eyes revealed he was about to go all crazy pie on us!)

Paul Bond wrote about Cramer on the Daily Show in The Hollywood Reporter and said "After watching Jon Stewart turn Jim Cramer into the poster boy for all that is wrong with the U.S. economy, I predicted the demise of Cramer's Mad Money show on CNBC."

He described Cramer's appearance and responses to Stewart's barbs and jabs as "so creepily docile that ABC's John Stossel likened it to Stockholm syndrome. How could the famed stockpicker's credibility withstand such a high-profile attack from the nation's go-to populist comedian?"

Bond notes that apparently like a mother lion to its cubs, "Stewart is protective of Obama, and he needed a boogeyman now that George W. Bush no longer is in the White House."

Strangely too, Bond notes that a scientific Pew poll found that Stewart is actually considered "one of the most admired journalists in America, equal to Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper and ahead of Jim Lehrer, Bob Woodruff, Peter Jennings, Barbara Walters and Wolf Blitzer." Did I miss something here? Stewart is not a journalist no more than Al Sharpton is respectable. Please! Apparently his audience is a few beers short a six pack...

Even the head of NBC Universal, Jeff Zucker, shook his head and said "Everybody wants to find a scapegoat. That's human nature. But to suggest that the business media or CNBC was responsible for what is going on now is absurd. Just because someone who mocks authority says something doesn't make it so." Furthermore, anyone who actually looks to John Stewart for some kind of guidance need not vote as far as I'm concerned--can we reinstitute literacy/intelligence tests at the voting booths?

Tucker Carlson wrote an interesting piece at The Daily Beast in which he noted ironically that "Jon Stewart’s recent attack on CNBC’s Jim Cramer was so brilliantly performed, so smoothly produced and cruelly compelling, almost nobody noticed that it didn’t make sense."

At Stewart's ranting at Cramer, the cussing (F-Bombs), and the statements of anger, Carlson wonders "Was Stewart being funny? Apparently he was serious and in a rage!" Carlson calls Stewart a mere "courtier to the establishment."

He further points out that on the flip side, just six days before the 2008 presidential election that when Stewart went to interview The Big O, he "failed to ask a single substantive question, much less venture into policy" and instead "sucked up hard." Further, "Obama didn’t say a single interesting thing, and Stewart wasn’t funny."

Carlson gives us this juicy gossipy tidbit about Stewart and the main stream media: "If you didn’t actually see the show, you wouldn’t know any of this, since there is a virtual ban on critical stories about Jon Stewart in the press. Nobody in memory has received a longer free ride."

Carlson cautions all of us Stewart fans and even Stewart himself: "As Stewart becomes more self-righteous, he inevitably becomes less funny. Sanctimony is the death of humor, and also of innovation. Where a show like South Park challenges its audience’s every conceivable assumption, The Daily Show has become safer than Jay Leno, pandering night after night to the converted. Can you remember the last time Stewart said anything his viewers might disagree with?"

McFibbs vs. Cramer - AGAIN:

Of course the press had nothing better to do and couldn't resist getting more fodder for their integrity filled stories by asking McFibbs about Cramer's appearance on the Daily Show. McFibbs gleefully noted "The president and I talked earlier in the day yesterday about watching it. I forgot to e-mail him to remind him it was on, so I don't know if he's seen it. I enjoyed it thoroughly."

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #20

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 20: WHAT CAUSED THE HOUSING BAILOUT CRISIS?
CONGR-US/BARNEY FRANKUS!

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

Housing Bailout Crisis Timeline In A Nutshell:

The timeline is all here in a report at FOX News on You Tube, in which Republicans and Democrats speak about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and what needs to be done starting as early as 2001. And Democrats clearly dropped the ball big time. And it's further highlighted--rather honestly by Saturday Night Live of all places in this funny parody link in a past Blog Entry here at Politico Chick. Thanks to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barney Frank among the rest of the Democrats, they helped bring down the world.

April 2001: Bush Administration in the 2002 budget request, cites FM&FM's potential problems which could cause strong reprercussions in financial markets.

2003: Bush Administration upgrades warning of the systematic risk that could be spread beyond the housing market.

Fall '03: Bush Administration pushes Congress hard to create a new federal agency to regulate and supervise FM&FM via Treasury Secretary John Snow who testified before Congress.

But, Treasury Snow got pushed back from Barney Frank who is shown in TV saying that FM&FM are not in a crisis.

Frank also says (and this jackass should be run out of Congress for this blatant disregard of common sense warnings that had been laid like a gift at his feet) "The more people in my judgement exaggerate a threat of safety and soundness the more people that conjure up the possibility of serious financial losses to the treasury which I do not see. I think we see entities that are fundamentally sound financially and withstand some of the disaster scenarios. And even if they were a problem the Federal government doesn't bail them out. But the more pressure there is then the less I think we see in terms of affordable housing."

Booya! That's it, no judgment clearly and it was all about getting that affordable housing out to their poorer voting constituents! All about cheap houses for cheap votes.

So, the legislation was blocked.

2005: Alan Greenspan testified that enabling these institutions to increase in size is a substantial risk and that if we fail to strengthen it will increase the possibility of insolvency and a crisis.

April 2005: Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer says FM&FM are doing a great job and we now have in America the best-housed people in the world!

May 2006: John McCain pushed for legistation on FM&FM as he was concerned about the regulatory structure of FM&FM--it would need reforming without delay.

However, in a Senate committee the measure was voted on--and it went down party lines. All Republicans for taking care of the problem, NO Democrat votes to solve it, so the bill never made it to the floor as they feared the wouldn't have the votes to pass it.

And Fast Forward to 2008 and crash, boom, bang.

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #19

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 19: THE GILBERT, AZ PROTESTUS

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

High Schoolers Use Their Brain Power to Dissect The Big O's Stimulus:

Back on the campaign trail in Feb. '09 (BTW, Doesn't The Big O know he's won? Isn't it time to govern, not campaign?) in pushing for his Stimulus Porkulus, The Big O came to Gilbert, AZ to Dobson High School.

In this piece in the East Valley Tribune by Hayley Ringle, she noted that "Some of the students attentively watched the speech, giving questioning looks and comments, shaking their heads and laughing at some of Obama's words. Other students listened, occasionally glancing up to watch, while texting on their cell phones, reading a book or finishing school work."

Senior Syna Daudfar was the most vocal of the students and he was quoted as saying "Overall I think it's a good idea, but he's not addressing the issues of the economic crisis. The spending bill he just passed is just progressing the Democratic agenda rather than addressing the economic issues in the country." Daudfar felt that Obama's plan is backward and deals with the "less important stuff" first. "Bailing out businesses" and "providing better regulatory systems for giving out money to businesses" should have been first, he said."

Another Senior Albach, questioned how "Obama can want to rely on 'people's responsibility' when that is 'what got us in this economic crisis in the first place. This puts us more into debt. It's a horrible situation we're in.' "

In a rather common sensical youthful turnaround, Senior Brandon Miller had been a supporter of Obama! Why? His speeches--great speeches! But after doing what most Americans clearly didn't when they checked their intelligence at the door of the voting booths around the country, Miller debated the issues with fellow classmates and actually got off his duff and looked more into Obama's policies which swayed him toward the Republican side. He said "Even though I don't support him, I think it's cool he's here. I just don't believe all the things he's telling us. His goal is just too big and broad."

Another senior, Katelyn Meyer, said his plan sounds good "but it's easier said than done."

A Hilarious Protest Outside The School:

While The Big O was campaigning inside Dobson High School, there was quite a protest going on outside!

About 500 to 600 protesters showed up to greet The Big O--who was safely taken a different route to avoid these "crazies" so he probably never even saw their clever signs!

Some of the signs read: "Don't tread on me," "Spend all you want, I'll pick up the tab," "I'll keep my freedom! You keep the change!" "Free fertility drugs now." "Fund Bikini Wax Now." And "B.O. smells and so does Socialism."

"I'm out here to exercise my First Amendment rights while I still have them. Everything that man stands for is the antithesis of what this country was founded on. He's a Marxist, fascist." --Tim Guiney, sales manager

"Obama's stimulus package has only mobilized the opposition." --Lee Bauer, a social and fiscal conservative

It's a "trillion-dollar boondoggle." --J.D. Hayworth, Former AZ Republican Congressman and current KFYI AZ talk radio host

--Conservative columnist and pundit Michelle Malkin, thanks to La Mano at Sticker Patch, had some images of the signs at the protest on her Blog/website, which I've sprinkled throughout this Blog entry.

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #18

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 18: TEA FOR US

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

Let's party like it's 1773!

Tea parties are the latest "in" thing! Much more fun than a peacenik rally and you don't have to sing cumbaya or sign up to vote in accordance with ACORN while you're at it.

Can you believe it's been 236 years since the Boston Tea Party? Amazing that Americans still have that patriotic zeal against what they perceive to be "governmental tyranny!" While the Boston Tea Party as outlined in a recent Boston Tea Party 101 Blog Posting here at Politico Chick, was about "No Taxation Without Representation," the current tea parties are flying high on the mantra of no taxation, no bailouts, no socialism! Personal Responsibility is key!

While we may be represented in Congress, are they really representing the desires and concerns of most people in America? Or are they beholden to the far left and a tyranny of the minority? Either way, people are voicing their displeasure with the turn our government has taken itself in the short span of just about 2 months with The Big O at the helm of the starship freebird.

As I stated here at this Blog in my first posting about Why I'm Blogging back on Nov. 12, 2008, "If we head dangerously in the direction toward socialism and radical leftism as some fear could happen, then I dare say, it's time for another lively Boston Tea Party. Politically Incorrect Indian costumes optional...Anyone with me?!"

Clearly, you all are with me! CNBC reporter Rick Santelli began a national movement by televising an idea that sparked a zeal for protest across the country back in February when on TV he blasted the bailouts and asked people if they really wanted to pay for their neighbor's mortgage and extra bathroom!

Some Highlights Of Feb/March Tea Parties:

St. Louis, MO:

"I'm speaking my mind today, phone calls to my congressman and the White House are not helping, said Toni Meyer, of Wentzville who admits she has the numbers programed into her cell phone. Meyer participated in a symbolic Boston Tea Party, at the base of the Arch grounds.

"Pleased with the turnout in 35-degree bluster, leaders said they had stolen a page from liberal tradition by taking to the streets with homemade signs."

"We'll do this every chance we get until Congress repeals the pork — or we retire them from public life." --Bill Hennessy, lead organizer.

"We are mad as hell and we need to stay mad as hell. Don't let up." --Jackie Smith, former tight end for the old St. Louis football Cardinals

Harrisburg, PA:

"Tea bags hung from the brims of people's hats and ears."

"You are called to a new revolution today. This is about right and wrong." --Gary Sutton, conservative talk radio host

"A government that is big enough to give you freedom is big enough to take it away." --state Sen. Mike Folmer (R-48th District)

"End the socialist experiment!" --Sign

Tempe, AZ:

"Pelosi got her mouse,

Reid got his train

and I got the bill.

Thanks a trillion!" --Sign

Cincinnati, OH:

Signs: "Honk if I'm paying your mortgage" or "Stop spending my allowance."

"I bet there's 5,000 people here and they're mad, just as I'm mad. They have a right to be mad at the unbridled spending that's happening in Washington." --Rep. Jean Schmidt

Orlando, FL:

"This is maybe the greatest single gathering of God-fearing patriots in the history of Orlando, Florida." --Bud Hedinger, local conservative radio host

Signs: "Repeal the pork or our bacon is cooked" and "Obama lied, liberty died."

"We're really scared about what's happening in our country." --Debby Whisenand

Debby's Sign: "The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money" on one side and "You can't blame Bush anymore" on the other.

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #17

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 17 - HOUSING BAIL OUT-US

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

Can't afford a home? Criminal record? No credit? NO PROBLEM!

Here's your brand spankin' new mansion and a pool. And we'll throw in a couple of hats and toys for the kids!

Gee, let's think on this a minute shall we? Unless you're a total moron, you probably have an idea of how much money you have to your name and how much money you make if you're employed, and based on your track record--how much money you're likely to continue to make in the future barring a crisis. So, if you're having a hard time paying rent or affording a house, how in the world could you possibly think you could afford an expensive new home? Just boggles the mind. Further, what person in their right mind would get a loan that wasn't fixed? I'm not a financial genius but I pretty much know not to shoot myself in the foot while I'm at it!

The housing crisis is just absolute lunacy with 3 groups at fault--I'll call it comparative negligence:

1. Homeowners who knew better (Ignorance of what you're signing is no excuse!)

2. Bankers who told everyone it would all be ok, you can refinance, and la la la

3. Congress who pushed this idiotic plan onto banks to start easing their restrictions on lending.

Do you want to pay for your neighbor's house, pool, and boob job?

Bailing out banks. Bailing out the Auto industry. Now homeowners. And their home equity loans too!

It's not sitting well with America. "Honk if I'm paying your mortgage" is a popular slogan! Others say that by helping these deadbeats out, that it will slow spiraling home prices and help avoid more economic heartache. Is it a necessary evil?

The Big O's rescue plan involves 75 billion in incentives for banks to reduce loan rates and work with them on terms to make it more affordable. And also refinancing for those who aren't quite deadbeats yet.

Deadbeat may seem like a harsh term. However, let's remember that in the first place, no one made any of these people buy these homes. They did this themselves. No one made them sign on the dotted line to agree to these outrageous terms. They did this. There is no right in this country to own a home. There are rental houses and apartments people can live in--affordable housing maybe just not in such a cushy neighborhood. There's no right to live in a cushy neighborhood in this country. So I think it comes down to personal responsibility! You either have it or you don't and the rest of us shouldn't have to bail you out every time you screw up!

We all have someone like this in our lives--a friend, a family member, maybe even a child for those of you with children. They can't seem to get it together. And there's always an enabler in the mix--one who always bails them out. One who no matter how many people tell this enabler that they are not helping this person in the long run, they won't listen to reason. Because if they just do one more thing to help them, well then it will all be ok. It won't. It never has been, never will be. People will never learn to buck up and change if they never get the chance to fail. It's a sad lesson we're about to learn big time with the US Gov't.

It's good to help people to a point--especially those that are helpless. But, it's a slippery slope to help people who can help themselves and should have known better! Then again, it's no secret, that the Democrat party does benefit from making people depending on government services--they get used to it. They get cushy. They like it. They don't want to give it up--it's like trying to take candy from a baby. So they keep voting for the ones who keep giving them that fix. A vicious cycle!

Keep people in their homes and prevent falling home prices?
But does it promote irresponsible borrowing?

As CNBC reporter Rick Santelli said, "The government is promoting bad behavior, America!"

Santelli futher noted while reporting at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, "This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your neighbor's mortgage that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?. We're thinking about having a Chicago tea party in July. All you capitalists that want to show up to Lake Michigan, I'm gonna start organizing."

And thus began a great movement of Tea Parties across the nation organized by conservative bloggers, pundits, talk radio, and anyone who wishes to voice their opposition to all the taxes, bailouts, and socialist policies that Congress is on the path to cramming down our throats.

McFibbs vs. Santelli

After CNBC reporter Rick Santelli started talking tea parties, The Big O sent out Robert McFibbs back in late February to respond "I'm not entirely sure where Mr. Santelli lives or in what house he lives. But the America people are struggling every day to meet their mortgage."

McFibbs further added that Santelli's arguments were "wrong" and then invited him to the White House for a cup of "decaf" coffee. Plus a private viewing of 25 classic American films!

Of course the press room ate that up but Santelli actually felt personally threatened by McFibbs. Please, McFibbs of all people?

In the category of not having anything else better to do, later on McFibbs said of his pot shots at Rush Limbaugh, Jim Cramer, and Rick Santelli that it was "FUN!"

Class act, that McFibbs!

Politico Chick

Pirates vs. US

"We are not afraid of the Americans. We will defend ourselves if attacked."

--Blackbeard Reincarnated Somali-Style

Pirates: 1
US: 0

Pathetic really. The old-time punishment for pirates was a good hanging or perhaps a rowdy firing squad--you know before we worried so much about their feelings...

Today's punishment? 2 million dollars, a boat full of booty, and a policy that provides for more where that comes from! We'll keep sailing our ships through your territory, just don't harm us and you can have everything you want! Woohoo!

Some Somali Pirate Standoff Factoids:

Approximately 67 attacks since January on various ships/countries.

There are over 250 hostages currently being held by Somali pirates.

For just 2008, around $40 million was paid to pirates by shipping companies. It's like their own personal bailout...

4 pirates hijacked the American ship Maersk Alabama.

The Maersk Alabama is a 17,000 ton ship with a crew of 20 - who were let go in exchange for the captain.

US Navy ships present at the scene: USS Bainbridge, USS Halyburton, and USS Boxer.

Oh, and the FBI is there too to help negotiate. (Rolls eyes...)

The Captain, Richard Phillips, is being held on a lifeboat by the 4 pirates for ransom: $2 million dollars or he dies.

Who Are These People?

There is some debate out there about just what we should call these guys. Pirates. Criminals. Terrorists. Business People...

Mark Mazzetti writes a piece for the NY Times in which a Somalia expert Ken Menkhaus is quoted about these pirates: "This is strictly for the money. They are not taking the cargo, and they are not interested in killing people. It’s a business model that has proven very effective for them.” But yet they've threatened to kill the captain and fired on the US Navy...

So What Are We Doing About It?

Ironically one of the US Navy ships at the site of the standoff is the USS Bainbridge--named after William Bainbridge, an American naval officer who fought pirates off the Barbary Coast in the early 19th century. Bainbridge would think we're all a bunch of wusses!

While AG Eric "Steadman" Holder says we're "considering options," John Kerry wants to hold "pirate hearings," and The Big O isn't giving ANY statements, we're looking like absolute jackasses to the world--well maybe not to the appeasors. 4 dingbat terrorists in a glorified dinghy holding off the US Navy is alternatively laughable and terribly depressing.

So, about those pirate hearings John Kerry wants to hold, are peg legs and eye patches optional?

Kery is chairman for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I guess turning against your country and your fellow soldiers in Vietnam and throwing other people's medals around are a resume enhancement...

Kerry was quoted "These acts of piracy off of Somalia’s coastline may seem surreal, but they’re all too real and a thorough policy debate is long overdue." Really? How about a sniper or maybe a bomb or two? Oh that's right...snipers and bombs will break their bones but WORDS will NEVER hurt them...Lame.

Somalia is about the size of Texas.And you know, in Texas we have a little saying: Don't Mess With Texas. Apparently in Somalia it's "Give Us All Your Booty Or We'll Make Your Country Look The Fool!"

Apparently this is the first attach by pirates on Americans in 200 years! Let's hope it's the last and maybe it won't be if Kerry's Shiver Me Timbers Pirate Hearings come through!

The Gaffe Master O'Biden had this genius comment in lieu of The Big O and TOTUS' silence: "This is being worked on around the clock since this happened, and — but I'm not in a position, right now, to comment on it."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton screeched: "These people are nothing more than criminals and we are bringing to bear a number of our assets, including naval and FBI, in order to resolve the hostage situation and bring the pirates to justice." And she's boldly asked the world to "come together to end the scourge of piracy.”

In this FOX News piece, a retired FBI hostage negotiator, Steve Romano, "said he doesn't recall the FBI ever negotiating with pirates before, but he said this situation is similar to other standoffs. Although pirates release the vast majority of their hostages unharmed, the difficulty will be negotiating with people who clearly have no way out...There's always a potential for tragedy here, and when people feel their options are limited, they sometimes react in more unpredictable and violent ways."

And What About The Big O's Take?

REPORTER: Can we get a quick reaction to the pirates, the Somali pirates?

OBAMA: Guys, we're talking about housing right now.

POLITICO CHICK: Are you for real?! Are we being punked? Maybe you should ask TOTUS what he thinks!

What Should We Be Doing?

A U.S. Somalia expert, Ken Menkhaus, says the best outcome is to just allow them to ransom the captain and be done with it: "It would mean no loss of life and no risk to the lives of the other hostages. And at the end of the day an insurance company would be out $2 million -- probably just $1 million after negotiations."

Here's my common sense solution:

1. Arm the ships. Simple. Effective. If the pirates know the ships will be armed, they will be less likely to try and overtake them. Duh.

2. Quit sailing around Somalia if at all possible. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

3. Bomb the crap out of the pirate dens and villas and ships around the coast of Somalia.

Why these 3? If they don't believe we mean business, they'll never stop. 66 hijackings since January 2009 alone, no signs of stopping since the standoff began--there don't appear to be any lessons learned here do there? Further, since when do we negotiate with terrorists? Oh that's right, they're just pirates--criminals at best. Bussiness men!

Why Aren't We Hearing Much Out of The Big O?

In this Reuters piece by Steve Holland he puts it this way "Ragtag teams of modern-day Blackbeards are posing an annoying distraction for Barack Obama, forcing him to add Somalia to an already long list of foreign policy challenges."

"America's recent experience with Somalia has not been good, making caution a key element of U.S. policy in dealing with the country." So we're trying to be delicate. As for The Big O--for a guy who just naively said the world would be better without nukes and made apologies for America all over Europe and the Middle East, appearing too aggressive right now would be rather hypocritical wouldn't it. So Captain Phillips and his family will suffer longer than he should, for political expediency.

What happened to America who had a zero tolerance policy. Who wasn't afraid to put lunatics in their place and let them know that if they step out of line, it will be the last time they step out of line?

Holland writes that The Big O was just on "a morale-boosting visit to U.S. troops in Iraq." Yeah, I'm sure this little incident is really continuing to boost the morale of our troops--especially those on the Navy ships with their hands proverbially tied at the moment.

As for Somalia, how can we not forget Mogadishu and "Blackhawk Down," one of the worst moments of Clinton's presidency outside of not taking out Osama Bin Laden...All tied to Somalia, which by the way is a terrorist haven--Al Qaeda training camps and ties. They may say there is no evidence of any links between the pirates and Islamic militants in Somalia, but you have to wonder if the link between Somalia and the terrorists which we try to appease is related to the long-dragged out standoff this is turning out to be?

Politico Chick

Reason #19 Obama is NOT Qualified to Be President

#19: Head of State Bumbling, Gift Bumbling, All Around Presidential Protocol Bumbling!

In case you missed it--and you might have with all the distractions going on and economic crisis management ongoing back in early March--but the Prime Minister of the UK, Gordon Brown, made a little visit to see us! And what a blunder of a visit it was! And not on the UK's part shockingly...it was blunder city on the part of a newly minted, inexperienced president and his staff who I'm sure felt they had better things to deal with...and a now fired Intern for chucking some really bizarrely lame gifts at our UK visitors!

It's traditional for heads of state to present gifts. It's a no brainer. Or at least it should have been...Typically these gifts are symbolic and well thought out. Now, we've all been there in the gift department, where some of us always plan gifts out well based upon the receipient's needs and likes. Teapot for a teapot collector. Rare book for a rare book collector. You get the idea. It's not that hard to do a little research, make a few calls, consult a historian.

Apaprently the British did so. Their gift to America and The Big O? A pen holder. But not just a generic ordinary pen holder. It was an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet. Another historical factoid: The oak from the Gannet's sister ship the HMS Resolute was carved to make a desk which sits in the Oval Office and has since 1880. Not to mention a framed commission for the HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. Uh oh...there's the blunder - Churchill didn't like Socialism. Obama claims he's not a Socialist but he sure acts like one sometimes...

The historical significance of this gift is immense. And the UK PM and his wife even brought gifts for The Big O's children--outfits from Topshop and six children's books by British authors.

Main Blunders:

Gordon Brown wasn't 't granted a press conference with flags

The Brits then had to beg for one, so it was very hastily arranged.

And if that wasn't bad enough! Our gift to the UK PM? 25 Classic American Movie DVDS--that won't play in the UK! Egads! And he's not much of a film buff...And for the UK PM's boys--matching helicopter models of the copter that carts The Big O around.

If you think our press was burying these blunders, the UK press wasn't so nice about it! And can we blame them? It was utterly embarrassing on all levels.

Apparently R-E-S-P-E-C-T = D-V-D-S-!

Ian Drury at the Daily Mail in the UK writes "As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment. Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films - a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks."

UK Blogger Iain Martin at the Telegraph snarkily said "President Obama has been rudeness personified towards Britain this week. His handling of the visit of the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, to Washington was appalling. First Brown wasn't granted a press conference with flags, then one was hastily arranged in the Oval office after the Brits had to beg. Obama looked like he would rather have been anywhere else than welcoming the British leader to his office and topped it all with his choice of present for the PM. A box of 25 DVDS including ET, the Wizard of Oz and Star Wars? Oh, give me strength. We do have television and DVD stores on this side of the Atlantic. Even Gordon Brown will have seen those films too often already."

And Martin ironically notes that the Queen invited the Obamas to tea while they were at the G-20 and ponders "Note how the coolness of Team Obama disappears when a bit of regal glamour is introduced into the equation. He might not like the Brits, but he can recognise a global superstar when he encounters one. He wants to be associated with her. He's shameless."

Bottom Line: The Big O has a protocol department for goodness sakes. So who dropped the ball so badly and why? If it wasn't deliberate, it was clearly not very thoughtfully indeed. But that's just how they roll apparently...

Here's how it could have happened...

WH Intern: Gordon Brown has arrived Mr. President, and he's brought some nifty gifts for you and the girls today!

TOTUS: Gifts? We. Give. Gifts?

WH Intern: We told Biden to pick up a couple of gifts on his way back home on the train, spotted him a couple of Ben Franklins and he said he was all over it! But we haven't seen him since...

TOTUS: Here's my wallet, go check out the White House gift shop and make me proud! And try to keep it under $50.00...

And if you're curious, as I was, this is the list of movies that were in the DVD set--that Brown won't be watching:

* Citizen Kane
* The Godfather
* Casablanca
* Raging Bull
* Singin' in the Rain
* Gone with the Wind
* Lawrence of Arabia
* Schindler’s List
* Vertigo
* The Wizard of Oz
* City Lights
* The Searchers
* Star Wars: Episode IV
* Psycho
* 2001: A Space Odyssey
* Sunset Boulevard
* The Graduate
* The General
* On the Waterfront
* It's a Wonderful Life
* Chinatown
* Some Like It Hot
* The Grapes of Wrath
* ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
* To Kill a Mockingbird

Politico Chick

The Like Totally Excellent Adventures of Red Eye's Greg & Bill

Night Owls Rejoice! How can you not take sarcastic pleasure in the ravings of FOX News's Red Eye host Greg Gutfeld and lovable sidekick Bill Schulz?! We highlight funny (they probably made them up) moments and the weird and wacky here...

Greg's Peeves & Fun Facts:

He learned to enjoy spanking as a child!

He exhibits man-baby behavior!

He has a spiffy vacuum cleaner

He's not very good with numbers...

Something about high school, chicks, and armpits...:-P

Recent Things We've Learned About Bill:

In Milan, he's considered to be a straw...

An hour of Lifetime TV is ROUGH TV for Bill!

He doesn't have any money so the economy isn't affecting him

He's a biologist in his spare time

His parents ignored him when he was a child

He really likes a certain lavender scent!

Red Eye Revelations!

Idaho is a state!

Environmentalists are a bunch of dopes...

Politico Chick

Reason #18 Obama is NOT Qualified to Be President

#18: Don't Mess With Our Vets!

If this doesn't show a lack of respect for our military, I'm not sure what else could convince anyone. I was more than just a tad irritated last month when I saw the headlines proclaiming that The Big O was thinking about making Vets pay for their health care. It's just dishonorable. Can we dishonorably discharge The Big O from his CIC duties? Guess not...That darn Constitution pretty much hampers us there...;)

The plan was to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in such cases where they've suffered injuries and disabilities due to military service.

Veterans groups met at the White House with The Big O, and didn't come away too happy. Shocker...

In this piece in The Buffalo News by David Goldstein, he writes "The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries. The plan would be an about-face on what veterans believe is a long-standing pledge to pay for health care costs that result from their military service."

Paul Rieckhoff, exec. director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said that “Veterans of all generations agree that this proposal is bad for the country and bad for veterans. If the president and the OMB [Office of Management and Budget] want to cut costs, they can start at AIG, not the VA.”

What do Veterans Currently Get From the Gov't?

In a nutshell, the gov't covers all military related health care expenses. Those not related to military service, are not covered unless a Vet has no private insurance or is permanently disabled. "Other technicalities" may apply, after all this is the gov't at work with health care--and people want nationalized health care...

What Would Happen If The Big O's Plan Were To Succeed:

The American Legion believes that "the proposed requirement for these companies to reimburse the VA would not only be unfair, says the Legion, but would have an adverse impact on service-connected disabled veterans and their families. The Legion argues that, depending on the severity of the medical conditions involved, maximum insurance coverage limits could be reached through treatment of the veteran's condition alone. That would leave the rest of the family without health care benefits. The Legion also points out that many health insurance companies require deductibles to be paid before any benefits are covered. Additionally, the Legion is concerned that private insurance premiums would be elevated to cover service-connected disabled veterans and their families, especially if the veterans are self-employed or employed in small businesses unable to negotiate more favorable across-the-board insurance policy pricing. The American Legion also believes that some employers, especially small businesses, would be reluctant to hire veterans with service-connected disabilities due to the negative impact their employment might have on obtaining and financing company health care benefits."

The American Legion's solution-have Medicare reimburse.

Reaction From Congress:

Democratic Senator Patty Murray, WA said: “Dead on arrival. . . when our troops are injured while serving our country, we should take care of those injuries completely." She's on the Veteran's Affairs Committee. A Democrat with common sense, I like it!

Democratic Senator Daniel Akaka, HI assured us that the "VA's sacred duty is to care for veterans injured in honorable service to our nation, and the department should not turn to wounded warriors' private insurance to pay for combat injuries. Under my chairmanship, the Veterans' Affairs Committee will not advance any such legislation."

Reaction From Vets & Vet Groups:

In a letter by Vet groups sent to the White House, they wrote “There is simply no logical explanation for billing a veteran's personal insurance for care that the VA has a responsibility to provide. While we understand the fiscal difficulties this country faces right now, placing the burden of those fiscal problems on the men and women who have already sacrificed a great deal for this country is unconscionable."

Legislative Director at Disabled American Veterans Joe Violante said, “It’s a betrayal. My insurance company didn’t send me to Vietnam, my government did. The same holds true for men and women now fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s the government’s responsibility.”

David K. Rehbein from The American Legion said after meeting with The Big O, "It became apparent during our discussion today that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan. He says he is looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be compromised by it."

A member of The American Legion noted "that the argument about the government's moral obligation to treat wounded soldiers, sailors and Marines fell on deaf ears during the meeting."

"The president deflected any discussion when it got into any moral issue here. Any attempt to direct the conversation (to the moral discussion) was immediately deflected."

First Response From The White House:

It's not finalized yet. We're just considering it. No decicions have been made yet by TOTUS...

Robert McFibbs said--apparently with a straight face--"This president takes very seriously the needs of our wounded warriors that have given so much to protect our freedom on the battlefields throughout the world."

The Big O just didn't get it--he's increasing their VA budget, so how could they complain about his little plan? He wants for private insurance to pay their fair share. But he didn't seem willing or was unable to grasp the ramifications of what this would do to Vets as noted above in the paragraph from The American Legion.

Final Response From The White House:

Robert McFibbs, tail between legs, noted "In considering the third-party billing issue, the administration was seeking to maximize the resources available for veterans. However, the president listened to concerns raised by the [veteran service organizations] that this might, under certain circumstances, affect veterans' and their families' ability to access health care. Therefore, the president has instructed that its consideration be dropped."

After major verbal rebellion and the threat of political capital getting obliterated--Vets are a large political constituency after all--the idea was scrapped! For now...remember they have intricate ways of doing backdoor schemes and ruses on Capitol Hill...

--

Common sense would dictate to try for the Medicare option of reimbursement that VA groups are recommending.

So even though they're not considering it anymore, the fact that The Big O did, just shows they're not above reprehensible behavior when it comes to our Vets. And that's a low down dirty shame...

Lesson Learned: Don't Mess With Our Vets!

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #16: Limbaugh vs. Carville

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 16: RUSH VS. CARVILLE

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

For as much as Limbaugh had been lambasted for wanting The Big O's economic/socialist leaning policies to fail, it turns out that Carville wanted Bush to fail--the day of 9/11 in fact--and it was buried by the media (shocker!) until now. So when the news broke about that little juicy tidbit, then it was Limbaugh vs. Carville at the watercoolers across America...

Bill Sammon at FOX News writes about how on the morning of 9/11, Carville was speaking with reporters about Bush 43 and said "I certainly hope he doesn't succeed."

Further: "Minutes later, as news of the terrorist attacks reached the hotel conference room where the Democrats were having breakfast with the reporters, Carville announced: 'Disregard everything we just said! This changes everything!'"

Sammon ponders, "The omission was understandable at first, as reporters were consumed with chronicling the new war on terror. But months and even years later, the mainstream media chose to never resurrect those controversial sentiments, voiced by the Democratic Party's top strategists, that Bush should fail."

Sammon goes on to compare this media coverup with regard to Carville and the recent "feeding frenzy" on Limbaugh.

Recent commentary by Carville on CNN: "The most influential Republican in the United States today, Mr. Rush Limbaugh, said he did not want President Obama to succeed. He is the daddy of this Republican Congress."

Limbaugh responds to Carville: "The difference between Carville and his ilk and me is that I care about what happens to my country. I am not saying what I say for political advantage. I oppose actions, such as Obama's socialist agenda, that hurt my country. I deal in principles, not polls. Carville and people like him live and breathe political exploitation. This is all a game to them. It's not a game to me. I am concerned about the well-being and survival of our nation. When has Carville ever advocated anything that would benefit the country at the expense of his party?"

Carville Gleefully Spouts off to Politico: "The television cameras just can't stay away from him. Our strategy depends on him keeping talking, and I think we're going to succeed." They've succeeded so much so that no one is talking about it anymore...

2006 Poll Among Democrats: 51% wanted him to fail.

And of course, not to be shot down by Limbaugh, Carville came out swinging like the Ragin' Cajun we know him to be with these parting words: "Thank God that I had the good sense to realize that the United States was at war and that changed everything. Once I found out that the country was at war, I said: Whatever I said, disregard it; it's inoperative."

"Unlike Mr. Limbaugh," he added, who "kept insisting that he wanted the president to fail at a time of war." Really Carville, we're at war?! Better fire up the presses and notify J-NO since they're not using the word "WAR" nor "TERROR" anymore...In fact the only war I've noticed lately is The Big O's PC War On Words...

Politico Chick

Let The Tea Parties Begin! #15: Limbaugh vs. Obama #5

Stimulus Porkulus: What the Hell Have
We Got Ourselves Intous?
PT 15: RUSH VS. OBAMA #5

Over the couple of weeks leading to Tax Day (April 15), I'm going to be dissecting the economy and the stimulus, budget and the various other issues that have unfolded between banks to AIG to tea parties all over the country! I had bookmarked a lot of articles since the end of January and it's interesting to read them with perspective and "read between the lines."

The Limbaugh Distraction Unravels Even More!

When Limbaugh hit the news big time last month, it was a water cooler moment--everyone was talking about it! And now, not so much...The stimulus passed so maybe they didn't need the "distraction" anymore. And maybe they realized it just fired up the conservative base and they can't have that! So they backed off. At any rate, there were quite a few articles and pundits who threw in their 2 cents of CHANGE on the matter:

Peter Roff at the FOX Forum noted of Limbaugh "He, like few others who occupy positions of intellectual leadership on the right, can move large numbers of people to action. Hence the efforts of the Obama White House to exploit the divisions among its opponents, seizing the opportunity to divide and conquer and to distract from their agenda to tax, spend, borrow and regulate the American people into submission"

In response to Jonathan Martin at the Politico who revealed that "an unidentified 'senior White House aide' has been given the responsibility of 'helping to guide the Limbaugh strategy,' " Roff declares that something is Rotten in Washington DC: "A political operative, based inside the White House, employed by the president of the United States and receiving a salary from the American taxpayer, goes to work every day to help direct a strategy against a broadcaster whose opinions are supposed to be covered by every protection the First Amendment can provide."

"Rush Limbaugh has the right to speak his mind. Millions of people tune in to his program to hear him do it every day. And we should all acknowledge that he should be able to do what he does free from fear, fear the White House may manipulate the vast resources at its disposal to make his life, in a word, difficult."

Aside from the jackass twins Carville and Begala and a bevy of other White House dogs, liberal "think tank" groups and ads run amok, the Washington Post actually ran a piece by David Plouffe referring to Limbaugh as the Republican Party's "Minority Leader."

I'm not sure what he was smoking or if he actually had a straight face when he wrote this goofball gem: "When Limbaugh reiterated the sentiment this weekend, hundreds of Republican conservatives cheered him on. But instead of rebuking the radio personality or charting their own course, Republican leaders in Washington are paralyzed with fear of crossing their leader. Less than 24 hours after committing the unforgivable sin of criticizing Limbaugh, RNC Chairman Michael Steele felt compelled to publicly apologize. He was not the first and will certainly not be the last." Yeah we're so scared that this is now a non-issue now that the stimulus is passed. Lame.

Does Robert McFibbs know the art of war? Or is he just a whiney bore? Discuss...

Writing for The Hill, Sam Youngman notes that besides reading Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, Gibbs finds the Limbaugh Disctraction: "Fun!" It's funner than all this fun stuff that really matters to our fun country. Fun that!

McFibbs wants you to know that, no matter how much FUN he's having, it's just a total coincidence and has nothing to do with all the stuff Carville has been ADMITTING to. No siree, it's “not part of a larger strategy.” Wink Wink.

Karl Rove believed the White House totally misfired on Limbaugh and broke it all down in this Wall Street Journal piece:

"Team Obama -- aided by Clintonistas Paul Begala, James Carville and Stanley Greenberg -- decided to attack Rush Limbaugh after poring over opinion research. White House senior adviser David Axelrod explicitly authorized the assault. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel assigned a White House official to coordinate the push. And Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gleefully punched the launch button at his podium, suckering the White House press corps into dropping what they were doing to get Mr. Limbaugh."

"Such talk also shortens the president's honeymoon by making him look like a street-fighting Chicago pol instead of an inspirational, unifying figure. The upward spike in ratings for Rush and other conservative radio commentators shows how the White House's attempt at a smackdown instead energized the opposition."

He believes it was a diversionary tactic: The War on Rush. And why not, there doesn't seem to be a War on Terror anymore...

"In the face of our enormous economic challenges, top White House aides decided to pee on Mr. Limbaugh's leg. This is a political luxury the country cannot afford, and which Mr. Obama would be wise to forbid. Or did he not mean it when he ran promising to 'turn the page' on the 'old' politics?"

Once again, seriously, when he said change, he was referring to our "pocket change..."

Politico Chick

Bailout Humor Going Around the Net...

Reason #17 Obama is NOT Qualified to Be President

#17: He Can't Keep His Campaign Promises Straight!

Here's an interesting piece, "Obama's Top Five Broken Promises," by Phil Kerpen who is director of policy at Americans for Prosperity.

The 5 Broken Promises Are:

Promise #5: Sunlight Before Signing

Obama wanted to review bills because they are too often rushed through Congress. Yet he failed to do that...

Promise #4: Lobbyist Revolving Door

Obama pledged to have no lobbyists and he appointed them.

Promise #3: No Tax Hikes on the Poor

Obama pledged to not tax any family making less than $250,000. Yet the tax on smoking will affect those making under 250,000. "Obama signed this bill knowing that the majority of smokers in the United States are working poor, and one in four lives below the federal poverty line." He also includes in his budget an energy tax that will affect everyone who fills up at the pump or buys anything grown/shipped/manufactured, or pays an electric bill.

Promise #2: Pork Barrel Earmark Reform

He said we couldn't accept this process any longer--which fails "to address the real needs of our country." But the stimulus porkulus contained tons of earmarks.

Promise #1: Big Government

The Big O said: “Not because I believe in bigger government — I don’t.”

And then he proposed "a budget that is breathtaking in scope, a blueprint for the biggest permanent expansion of government in history right on the heels of a sweeping trillion dollar stimulus plan. The budget lays the foundation for a government takeover of the health care and energy sectors and dramatically increasing spending across the board, other than defense weapons programs. Spending as a percentage of the economy under this budget will reach the historic level of 27.7 percent this year. The deficit as a percent of the economy, at 12.3 percent, is set to be the biggest in the entire history of the country outside of the four peak years of World War II. Anyone who offers such a budget can only fairly be described as a believer in bigger government."

Politico Chick

Reason #16 Obama is NOT Qualified to Be President

Pirates?! In 2009? Do they still wear eye patches and hooks for hands? Swagger around the decks of their scary ships with a parrot on their shoulder shouting Shiver Me Timbers while sending people off the plank to Davy Jones' Locker?!

These Somali "pirates" look more like the East Coast West Coast Rap Scene gone even more terribly awry than it already is...

We've all heard about the pirates over the last year and all the booty they've been taking. Villas all along the coast of Somalia built by the spoils of their plunder! Argh Mateys! But did they bury any and perhaps leave a treasure map behind on one of their black market blackberrys?! Just sayin'...

So it was with dismay when we all got the news the other day about them actually taking on an American ship! I thought to myself, "Boy do these guys have no clue what they're getting into! Our military will wipe the sea floor with their A$es!"

And here we are...DAYS later...and The Big O won't even make a statement about it!

And I realized something about these "geniuses"--they KNOW EXACTLY WHO they are dealing with! An inexperienced president who doesn't know $#!& about foreign policy and probably just wishes this would all go away so he can spend more time picnicking with HilBil...Awe.

There's no doubt in my mind, our military could wipe them out, bomb their villas, and dessimate their ships. Our Navy Seals could whip up out of the ocean and bomb them back to the stone ages. So that's clearly not the problem here...

The problem is an appeasor with the inability to be a leader--and this--mark my words, is just the beginning...

Politico Chick