Monthly Archives: January 2010
Money Bomb for Mike McPadden
With the national debt rising and our Constitutional liberties threatened daily, we need someone in Congress who will fight to reduce the debt by promoting strong fiscal constraint and adhering to the Constitution. Mike McPadden is running for Congress in Virginia’s 5th District, and he is a candidate who will fight to restore our country by fighting for a limited government and reducing government spending. Lately, McPadden’s candidacy has been gaining traction, and my friend (and new blogger), Clay Ramsey has been working hard to ensure that McPadden will become the candidate to take on Tom Perriello in the General Election. You can learn more about McPadden by going to his website. Also, check out his video on health care reform.
Michael McPadden for Congress – Health Care Reform from Michael McPadden on Vimeo.
McPadden will need help on the grassroots and financial levels to win. Please consider making a donation by going to his website. Any amount will help.
Real Solutions to Restore Confidence in Our Economy
Guest Post by Congressman Bob Goodlatte
Earlier this week President Obama delivered his first official State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The President articulated to the American people in very frank terms, what most Americans know all too well – economic uncertainty continues to plague our nation. In this tough economic climate, Americans are looking to the government for leadership.
President Obama laid out his domestic agenda for economic growth and job creation. While I particularly welcomed the President’s call for fiscal discipline, I am greatly concerned that the Democrat controlled Congress continues to pursue a job-killing, tax-and-spend agenda.
A year ago, the Congress passed the so-called “economic stimulus” legislation which was supposed to put Americans back to work. However, as recent reports have shown this legislation has been a failure. 2.74 million more jobs have been lost since last March. Not only did the stimulus legislation fail to create jobs but it is now estimated to be costing American taxpayers around $1.2 trillion including interest.
Just last month the President signed into law an omnibus spending bill which included a twelve percent increase in spending. It is these reckless policies that have cost us nearly three million jobs and caused our national debt to explode in the last year. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office and the Office of Management and Budget, our national debt will grow an additional $9 trillion over the next decade to more than $20 trillion.
As a member of the House Republican Economic Recovery Solutions Group, I am working to find real solutions to address our nation’s unemployment crisis and restore confidence in our economy. The first thing we must do is restrain federal spending. That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation which amends the United States Constitution to force Congress to rein in spending by balancing the federal budget. This legislation ensures that the federal government is held accountable and that the money our citizens work so hard to earn is not squandered on wasteful spending and programs.
Secondly, we must remove barriers to employment including the threat of higher taxes, new government regulations and costly mandates. It is common-sense that you should not raise costs and taxes on employers at a time when unemployment is at record levels.
Our economy continues to face historic and unprecedented challenges. Meeting these challenges with unprecedented spending of taxpayers’ dollars is simply not the answer to this current crisis. I remain committed to working with the President and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to focus on real solutions that will create American jobs and restore confidence in our economic future. To contact me about this or any other matter, please visit my website at www.goodlatte.house.gov.
RNC Winter Meeting
The winter meeting of the Republican National Committee will be this weekend, January 29-31, 2010 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa.
The Hawaiian shirt, lei-wearing, RNC Chairman, Michael “GOP-Money” Steele says:
We’re working hard out here,…This is not a vacation,…this is a working meeting. This is our winter meeting, wer’re here to do the business of the party, and we’ll get it done.
House minority whip, Eric “Bank Money” Cantor, adds:
Do I want voters to think that Republicans do nothing but go to beach resorts in January? No.
Please help keep the Party going, and DONATE TO THE RNC, today.
Aloha!
Olbermann Loses It Again
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Okay, for those on the right (and maybe there is a glimmer of hope for those on the left), we all know that Keith Olbermann is one marble shy of having a complete meltdown (one that requires restraints or handcuffs). However, this recent display of his recent meltdown pegs all Obama critics as being racist. Huh?!?
When Olbermann and other liberal commentators slammed George W. Bush (yes, even I slammed Bush at some extent) for his many actions, did we refer to them in derogatory terms? No. However, when President Obama stood before a joint session of Congress to address the nation and did not offer any clear directions on his policy (rather droning on…), we are “racist” to criticize his policies, etc.
The shoe fits on both feet…I guess it feels rather rough to be attacked for your wrongdoings…huh? Meanwhile, the COUNTDOWN to Olbermann’s return to ESPN Sports Center continues. He should stick to mouthing off about sports, rather than spewing his liberal agenda.
POTUS SOTU Notables
Here are some notable highlights from the President’s pout-fest otherwise known as his first State of the Union address. On shared power:
To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills. And if the Republican leadership is going to insist that 60 votes in the Senate are required to do any business at all in this town — a supermajority — then the responsibility to govern is now yours as well. Just saying no to everything may be good short-term politics, but it’s not leadership. We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let’s show the American people that we can do it together.
See that? That’s right, we’re talking about you.
With just one Senate seat, you are now going to be responsible for all that’s wrong in the United States. The upcoming double-dip recession? That will be on you. Speaking of misogynistic cavemen, …
We’re going to crack down on violations of equal pay laws — so that women get equal pay for an equal day’s work.
No word yet on whether the Obama Administration will look unto hiring inequities disfavoring women in coal mining or off-shore drilling . Wait, what? Oh, we are not allowed to do any of that. Okay. Clean energy? What’s that?
There’s no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains, or the new factories that manufacture CLEAN ENERGY products.
…
We should put more Americans to work building CLEAN ENERGY facilities — and give rebates to Americans who make their homes more energy-efficient, which supports CLEAN ENERGY jobs.
…
You see, Washington has been telling us to wait for decades, even as the problems have grown worse. Meanwhile, China is not waiting to revamp its economy. Germany is not waiting. India is not waiting. These nations — they’re not standing still. These nations aren’t playing for second place. They’re putting more emphasis on math and science. They’re rebuilding their infrastructure. They’re making serious investments in CLEAN ENERGY because they want those jobs.
Okay, I get it. The focus groups react positively when you say “CLEAN ENERGY.” If you say it enough times, it’s like a “Jedi mind trick” to get everyone invested in that term, so that you can define it any way you please. Impressive. Apparently, “CLEAN ENERGY” does sounds a lot better than dirty energy. So, does “CLEAN ENERGY” have anything to do with energy causing real air pollution, or are you really talking about that scam with carbon emissions?
There is also a lot of talk about competing with China, Germany and India for “CLEAN ENERGY” jobs and their emphasis on math and science. This doesn’t make any sense. Just before, there was all this talk about women in the workplace, but now we need to compete in math and science. You need an education to compete in math and science, but since most of our educational system is devoted to female-friendly fields (e.g., political “science,” marketing, buzzword linguistics, sociology, psychology, advertising, women’s studies, etc.) how can we possibly change our focus. What will all these “educated” women do? Get pregnant? Have you seen them, lately? Who’d wanna get with that? What does your economic adviser, Larry Summers think about this? Better yet, don’t remind him. Speaking of which, what about the economy?
Now, as we stabilized the financial system, we also took steps to get our economy growing again, save as many jobs as possible and help Americans who had become unemployed.
Does anybody really believe this? What about the terrorists?
That’s the work we began last year. Since the day I took office, we’ve renewed our focus on the terrorists who threaten our nation. We’ve made substantial investments in our homeland security and disrupted plots that threatened to take American lives. We are filling unacceptable gaps revealed by the failed Christmas attack, with better airline security and swifter action on our intelligence. We’ve prohibited torture and strengthened partnerships from the Pacific to South Asia to the Arabian Peninsula. And in the last year, hundreds of al-Qaida’s fighters and affiliates, including many senior leaders, have been captured or killed — far more than in 2008.
Okay, good we are still killing terrorists although they keep popping up like whack-a-mole. We’re sure those were terrorists, right? Oh, you can’t tell us because it’s a matter of national and homeland security. Okay, sure. No, no,…I’m not questioning, and no, I’m not suggesting we go soft on terror. No. Since I intend on always being tough on terror, when we have to start more wars after the blowback from all the drones yours sending through Pakistan and Yemen (even more than Bush, ironically), I just wanted to know if you are going to require women to register with selective service? Oh, equal pay for equal work only applies to things women want to do, so we do not compare that to things men have to do. Understood.
Was there anything on campaign finance?
With all due deference to separation of powers, last week the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections. I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I’d urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to correct some of these problems.
Wow, the POTUS has some scrotus criticizing the SCOTUS to their faces, with one of the SCROTUS uttering back “you’re wrong.” Presumably, McConnell’s memo only applied to unruly Republican legislators like Joe Wilson.
Taken as a whole, the entire SOTU Address appeared as the rantings of someone completely out of touch with reality. Is this what happens when you start believing your own public relations? The best lesson that can be drawn is by analogy to the title character of Scarface, and what happens when you start doing your own product. Hopefully we will not have to say hello to the POTUS’ little friend.
Keith Fimian's Response to the State of the Union Address
Keith Fimian, candidate for Congress in the 11th District, released this statement after President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address.
“Tonight the President said he planned to make job creation and controlling wasteful spending a priority. I commend him for that and hope he carries through on his pledge. So far we have seen too many broken promises from this White House and members of Congress like Gerry Connolly. The problem is that the agenda in Washington is being driven by career politicians who cut their back room deals and leave taxpayers like you and me to pay for it all. Or worse, who borrow the money from China and obligate our children and grandchildren to pay it back. That’s just plain wrong and it has to stop.”
“I believe in a different course of action. I am businessman who has actually created hundreds of jobs and a CPA who knows how to balance a budget. We need to stop playing the games the insiders play and stop cutting deals with special interests. We must stop the failed stimulus. Too many of the President’s proposed reductions in spending are somewhere off in the future when what we really need are real spending cuts right now. Let’s start a serious audit of the federal government now to make serious cuts. Then we need to have government stop trying to create ‘temporary jobs’ with more spending, and instead give small businesses and the American people the freedom to grow, expand, and create jobs in the private sector.”
Fimian makes good points here. One thing Obama should remember is to rely on the free markets, instead of playing “Mr. Fix-It.”
Tonight's SOTU Theme Music
Guest Post by Modest Mouse
OMG! I do not think I could have had a better time tonight. Hell, after three beers and one tequila shot later, and reading over the live blog, CCC and I thought it would be best to share what we were listening to prior to the speech and after. We call this our SOTU mix.
First, we started off the night with a tribute to former U.S. Senator and fallen Presidential candidate, John Edwards, with a little Britney Spears.
Second, we couldn’t resist the “Pants on the Ground” reference, which CCC did a slight parody of tonight…
CCC’s parody
“Obama’s ratings are on the ground, Obama’s ratings are on the ground
Obama looks like a fool with his ratings on the ground”
Last, but not least, our good friend, Steveegg at No Runny Eggs, reminded us of our so-called “drunk blogging” tonight with a favorite: George Thorogood’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.”
It was a great time. CCC surprised me by having two beers tonight and not falling to the wayside. On the other hand, I will be paying for my bad ass behavior tomorrow morning. I just found out that I will be a part of the CCC team for the long haul. You mean, she actually has sympathy for Mets and Jets fans…I am so touched by this display of love from a die hard Yankees fan.
Gin and Juice at the local Giant???
If Governor Bob McDonnell and the legislature can privatize Virginia’s ABC stores, this might become reality sooner than you think. H/T to Reason.tv.
Stay Tuned for State of the Union Updates
Starting this evening at 7:30, both myself and Modest Mouse will be providing live blog coverage of President Obama’s State of the Union address. It will be arranged through Cover It Live and should be a fun time.
