Sarah Palin Will Not Accept Raise

Well, as I wrote earlier about the failure of the do-nothing Congress to curb spending, including their own pay raises for their most excellent work (sarcasm...), Governor Sarah Palin will not accept her pay raise.

She is a real person who understands these times are real bad. She was vilified on the campaign trail because of that. People who put her down continually for her lack of experience are now ready to embrace Caroline Kennedy for Senate in NY, despite nothing in Ms. Kennedy's background except being the daughter of a President and niece of a raging alcoholic Senator.

Good for Sarah...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would not accept a pay raise recommended by a state compensation commission, according to a spokesman.
The State Officers Compensation Commission, appointed by the former GOP vice-presidential candidate, recommended boosting the governor's pay from $125,000 to $150,000. It also suggested raises for the lieutenant governor, department heads and legislators.

If the commission follows through with the pay raise, Palin will not accept the money, spokesman Bill McAllister said. "Her view is, it's just not appropriate to accept a pay raise in the middle of the term," McAllister said.

The Failure of Congress... The Voted Themselves a Pay Raise!

As the US Congress muddles themselves with inefficiency and single-digit approval ratings, what do they do? They voted themselves a pay raise! Way to make yourselves look even more useless...

A crumbling economy, more than 2 million constituents who have lost their jobs this year, and congressional demands of CEOs to work for free did not convince lawmakers to freeze their own pay. Instead, they will get a $4,700 pay increase, amounting to an additional $2.5 million that taxpayers will spend on congressional salaries, and watchdog groups are not happy about it.

Nothing should surprise us anymore but this is a bit excessive. At the same time when they are throwing our money out the window to bail out private corporations, they also want to make sure their own coffers are taken care of.

A$$holes.

BREAKING: Bailout Maina Continues...

Via the Wall Street Journal...

The White House on Friday unveiled a $17.4 billion rescue package for the
troubled Detroit auto makers that avoids bankruptcy. "Allowing the auto
companies to collapse is not a responsible course of action," President George
W. Bush said.

Speaking from the White House, he said that a bankruptcy was unlikely to work for the auto industry at this time and would deal "an unacceptably painful blow to hard-working Americans" across the economy.

The deal would extend $13.4 billion in loans to General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC in December and January, with another $4 billion likely available in February. The deal is contingent on the companies' showing that they are financially viable by March.

My analysis... The autos will not be financially viable by March. They will come crawling to Chairman Obama for more money. Obama is beholden to the UAW and Unions in general and will give them more money...

Just keep printing that money... Then watch the value of the dollar fall flatter than a pancake...

Caught in a Lie?

Well, well, well... It sure seems like perhaps The Anointed One did not necessarily escape the corruption of Illinois...

It seems that The One's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, had numerous discussions with Gov. Rod Blagojevich...

From today's Chicago Sun-Times...

President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff Rahm Emanuel had a deeper involvement in pressing for a U.S. Senate seat appointment than previously reported, the Sun-Times has learned. Emanuel had direct discussions about the seat with Gov. Blagojevich, who is is accused of trying to auction it to the highest bidder.

Emanuel talked with the governor in the days following the Nov. 4 election and pressed early on for the appointment of Valerie Jarrett to the post, sources with knowledge of the conversations told the Sun-Times. There was no indication from sources that Emanuel brokered a deal, however.

A source with the Obama camp strongly denied Emanuel spoke with the governor
directly about the seat, saying Emanuel only spoke with Blagojevich once recently to say he was taking the chief of staff post.

Someone is lying... Color me surprised it might be Obama's camp...

Michael J. Totten: On the Hunt in Baghdad

Michael J. Totten is a citizen journalist and blogger who has been chronicling the events on the ground in Iraq. With our troops. Not sitting cozy in Baghdad's hotels.

This new dispatch from him is very real and quite gripping. It evokes a place that is filed with uncertainty and danger. It also shows that we are winning the war in Iraq, contrary to what the mainstream media would portray.

Michael J. Totten: On The Hunt in Baghdad

BREAKING NEWS: MTA Approves Doomsday Budget

This plays nicely into the story below. The MTA is poorly run, the system is poorly maintained. Employees are wasteful and take no pride in their work.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has passed a 2009 budget that ultimately would raise subway and bus fares in New York while cutting service.

The agency says it needs to raise fare and toll revenues by 23 percent in order to plug a budget gap worsened by the global financial crisis. Board members say they still hope for a bailout from Albany or Washington that might allow them to avoid the
increases. Details of the hikes and cuts won't be finalized until early next year. Under the worst-case scenario, a single bus or subway ride could rise to $2.50, and a monthly pass could cost around $100. Service cuts would include the elimination of bus and subway lines in areas where there is either low ridership or a duplication of services.

Taxation Up The A**

It's getting harder and harder to live in New York State... The level of taxation here is tremendous. The burden is placed on all of us. That, in addition to the higher prices overall, higher rents, and huge cost of living, this place is certainly not a place to consider long-term.

That said, Gov. David Patterson discussed his plans for the budget for FY 2010. Included in his proposals are CUTS (that's a good thing...) in hospital and school subsidies and the elimination of more than $1 billion in aid that City Hall hoped would help it weather the worst economic downturn in at least a generation. However, spending would still increase by 1% overall.

Here is the list of taxes...
* An "iTunes tax" of 4 percent on videos, music or pictures downloaded from the Internet.

* A 4 percent tax on taxi, limo and bus rides. That means a $10 cab ride would cost 40 cents more.

* A 4 percent entertainment tax on tickets to movies, concerts and sporting events. That would add nearly 50 cents to a $12 movie ticket or $1.80 to the cheapest $44.50 seat at a Knicks game.
* The tax on beer increases 24 cents per gallon, or more than double the current rate, which means about 30 cents a case.

* An 18 percent tax on nondiet soft drinks, which aims to reduce child obesity. A $1.50 can of Pepsi would then cost at least 25 cents more.

* A 4 percent tax on cable TV and satellite services, raising a $100 bill by $4.

* Hiking the cost of "personal" services - including haircuts, manicures, pedicures, massages and gym memberships - by 4 percent.

* A 4 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes under $500, except for two weeks out of the year.

* Elimination of the law that caps the state sales tax on gasoline at 8 cents per gallon.

* Boosting the average vehicle registration fee for drivers by $11, from $44 to $55. Fees for new or renewed licenses also would increase 25 percent, or increase from $50 to about $62 to renew a license over eight years.

In addition, all drivers would have to get new, "reflectorized" license plates at a fee of $25 each.

The plan also calls for the state to allow wine to be sold in grocery stores.

It would introduce video slot machines at Belmont Park.

New York could also join other states in their lottery games.

INSANITY... I'm sure the final budget will NOT include many of these but it's the ultimate in Nanny-Stateism... There is less and less of a reason to live here..

The Plot Thickens...

Check out this interesting piece from The Wall Street Journal...

Conventional wisdom holds that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald ordered the FBI to arrest Rod Blagojevich before sunrise Tuesday in order to stop a crime from being committed. That would have been the sale of the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

But the opposite is true: Members of Fitzgerald’s team are livid the scheme didn’t advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald’s office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

The precise timing of Tuesday’s dramatic, pre-dawn arrest was not dictated by Fitzgerald, nor was it dictated by the pace of Blagojevich’s alleged “crime spree.” It was dictated by the Chicago Tribune, according to people close to the investigation and a careful reading of the FBI’s affidavit in the case.

At Fitzgerald’s request, the paper had been holding back a story since October detailing how a confidante of Blagojevich was cooperating with his office.

Gerould Kern, the Tribune’s editor, said in a statement last week that these requests are granted in what he called isolated instances. “In each case, we strive to make the right decision as reporters and as citizens,” he said.

But editors decided to publish the story on Friday, Dec. 5, ending the Tribune’s own cooperation deal with the prosecutor.

Wow. So the Chicago Tribune had enough and decided that it was time to go public with this bombshell... The questions becomes, were they blowing the lid on the Federal wiretap to protect a very big fish? Someone much, much bigger and more powerful than little ol' Gov. Blago?

Stay tuned...

The Church Of Global Warming is in Session...

The Associated Press published a story yesterday from Seth Borenstein that shows why the cult of Global Warming is very dangerous. Mr. Borenstein writes the following:

WASHINGTON – When Bill Clinton took office in 1993, global warming was a slow-moving environmental problem that was easy to ignore. Now it is a ticking time bomb that President-elect Barack Obama can't avoid.

Since Clinton's inauguration, summer Arctic sea ice has lost the equivalent of Alaska, California and Texas. The 10 hottest years on record have occurred since Clinton's second inauguration. Global warming is accelerating. Time is close to running out, and Obama knows it.

Talk about hyperbole. Now, while summer Arctic sea ice may have lost that equivalent, the Antarctic ice shelf is actually growing at a rate not seen in decades. And then, there is this parting shot at the end of the story:

Mother Nature, of course, is oblivious to the federal government's machinations. Ironically, 2008 is on pace to be a slightly cooler year in a steadily rising temperature trend line. Experts say it's thanks to a La Nina weather variation. While skeptics are already using it as evidence of some kind of cooling trend, it actually illustrates how fast the world is warming.

OK, so the fact that this year will be cooler than last, is 'PROOF' of how fast the World is warming? Of course, the author gives no facts to backup this irrefutable proof. I've email Mr. Borenstein and hope that he will respond, as I remain very curious how this is proof.

All the while, stricter environmental regulations under the guise of slowing 'Global Warming' will push us further off the economic cliff and really hurt American business.

Preisdent Bush's Last Trip to Iraq and Afghanistan

So, President Bush made what will likely be his final visit to Iraq and Afghanistan as Commander-in-Chief. Of course, the big news is not that he actually made another visit to these countries (which takes some guts, Mr. Obama) but what happened during his media session in Baghdad with Iraq PM Maliki...

Zaidi jumped up as Bush was holding a press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday, shouted "It is the farewell kiss, you dog" and threw two shoes at the US leader. The shoes missed after Bush ducked and Zaidi was immediately wrestled to the ground by security guards and frogmarched from the room. It is not known where Zaidi is currently being held.

So, this clown hurls his shoes at the President, who ducks them with great dexterity. I hope this idiot realizes if he did this to Saddam, he and his family would have ended up hung and quartered.

My question is what happened to the Secret Service? They certainly did not leap right in to protect the President. Isn't that their job? Mr. Obama, best of luck to you...

News from the Church of Global Warming

Via Reuters...

POZNAN, Poland (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will let President-elect Barack Obama
sign up to a U.N. pact to fight global warming in late 2009 even if U.S. climate
laws are not yet in place, U.S. Senator John Kerry predicted on Thursday.

But Kerry, designated head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said
on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Poland that China, India and Russia
would also have to promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions to win Senate
blessing of any pact.

"It will be like the difference between night and day," Kerry, of
Massachusetts, said of Obama's enthusiasm for action against climate change
after what he said were eight years of inaction under President George W.
Bush.

So exciting! Wow, let's further hamper industry by agreeing to 'global' terms of an agreement which will be impossible to reach without overwhelming expense... While it's important to preserve the Earth, I continue to say, in the grand scheme of things, we're just not that significant... Of course, we always expected Obama to worship at the Altar of the Church of Global Warming, or Climate Change, or whatever the heck it's called now...

Auto Bailout Fails in Senate

A nice dose of realism as Senate Republicans refused to back Federal aid for the auto industry... Good...

So, of course, Senate Majority Leader 'Dingy' Harry Reid says, "a loss for the country". Not really. It's a win. We're in enough debt and the American people are saying 'no more' to their elected officials.

Sen. Reid now says that President Bush should take the funds for the auto industry from the $700 Billion banking bailout bill.

Ugh. Hold on to your wallets my friends.

Interesting... And Telling...

Here is a 'Stat of the Day' from CrossingWallStreet.com and a big WOW...

In 2007, Toyota sold 9.37 million vehicles.

In 2007, General Motors sold 9.37 million vehicles.

In 2007, Toyota made $17.1 billion.

In 2007, General Motors lost $38.7 billion.

Selling Obama's Senate Seat: Did The One Know? UPDATE: The Mighty Oz Has Spoken UPDATE: Story on Post-Elex Meeting

1:30PM EST:
Ah Ha! Obama and Governor Blagojevich met on November 5... Read the article.

CHICAGO, ILL. -- Now that Barack Obama will be moving to the White House, his seat in the U.S. Senate representing Illinois will have to be filled. That's one of Obama's first priorities today.
He's meeting with Governor Rod Blagojevich this afternoon in Chicago to discuss it.

12:55 PM EST:
An official from the Barack Obama transition office says that Rod Blagojevich should resign...

ORIGINAL POST:
President-Elect Obama responded to pal Rod Blagojevich's arrest yesterday with this commanding statement of leadership...

"Obviously like the rest of the people of Illinois I am saddened and sobered by the news that came out of the US attorney's office today, but as this is a ongoing investigation involving the governor I don't think it would be appropriate for me to comment on the issue at this time."

All right. No call for resignation? All right...

Then when asked if he talked with the governor about it, The One said...

"I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening."

All right... However, appearing on Fox Chicago Sunday on November 23, Obama's chief advisor David Axelrod (a noted Blagojevich pal) said...

"I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of
which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

Well, something here is amiss... And always the one to cover his tracks, Axelrod released a statement on Wednesday night...

"I was mistaken when I told an interviewer last month that the President-elect has spoken directly to Governor Blagojevich about the Senate vacancy. They did not then or at any time discuss the subject."

Interesting... Are we getting our ducks in a row now? Why all of a sudden did we misspeak? Are we lying? The plot thickens.

Talk about a culture of corruption... Conservatives tried to warn America of what we'd get when we elect the Chicago Machine politics...

Joe the Plumber: "McCain Appalled Me"

Joe Wuerzelbacher, known to everyone as 'Joe the Plumber', who was able to bring the socialist identity of Barack Obama to light, is not speaking out about his feeling of uneasiness about campaigning with John McCain, specifically when talking with McCain about the bailout bill...

"When I was on the bus with him, I asked him a lot of questions about the bailout because most Americans did not want that to happen," Wurzelbacher told Glenn Beck. "I asked him some pretty direct questions. Some of the answers you guys are gonna receive they appalled me, absolutely. I was angry. In fact, I wanted to get off the bus after I talked to him."

Wurzelbacher said he stayed on the trail with McCain "honestly, because the thought of Barack Obama as president scares me even more."

I know how you feel Joe... Voting for McCain required my holding my nose... I still hold that Mitt Romney may not have defeated Barack Obama but he would have taken the fight to him. He darn well would have used Rev. Wright against him...

WH and Congressional Dems Agree on Detriot Bailout Terms

Isn't it funny that a supposedly GOP president cannot come to terms on this deal with members of his own party? Oh, that's right, House GOP leaders are against this bailout, as should any clear minded Americans...

WASHINGTON--A government "car czar" with the power to force U.S. automakers into bankruptcy would dole out $15 billion in emergency loans to the failing industry
under an emerging deal between the White House and congressional Democrats.

STOP THIS BAILOUT MANIA! NOW!

Obama to Give Major Address in Islamic Capital?

From AFP:

WASHINGTON, (AFP) – President-elect Barack Obama plans to give "a major address" in an Islamic capital soon after taking office as he seeks to mend America's
image in the Muslim world, a Chicago Tribune interview said."I think we've got a unique opportunity to reboot America's image around the world and also in the Muslim world in particular," Obama said in the interview published late Tuesday on the Tribune's website. Obama promised an "unrelenting" desire to "create a relationship of mutual respect and partnership in countries and with peoples of good will who want their citizens and ours to prosper together." The world "is ready for that message."

Oh boy... This is exactly the type of thing that makes the Islamofascists think we are a bunch of paper tigers... I'm glad that his concern is our perception around the world... Just like any true narcissist would believe...

What An Arrogant (Bleep) UPDATE

11:45AM EST UPDATE:
There is increasing speculation that Senate Candidate #5 descibed in the criminal complaint appears to be Jesse Jackson, Jr. Candidate #5 was ready to exchange funds for the Senate seat.

ORIGINAL REPORT:
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) was taken into custody by the FBI yesterday on the accusations of a 'corruption crime spree' that would "make [ Abraham] Lincoln roll over in his grave."

The governor and his chief of staff, John Harris, were simultaneously charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and solicitation to commit bribery as part of what officials say was a wide-ranging scheme to shakedown campaign donors and politicians for high-paying posts and millions of dollars in campaign contributions. Allegedly for sale: state jobs, state contracts and regulatory favors. In one surreal development, prosecutors said Blagojevich even tried to get critical editorial writers from the Chicago Tribune fired in exchange for helping parent Tribune Co. with a state plan to finance the purchase of Wrigley Field.

Of course, a very important point in all of this is that the Governor was wiretapped by the Feds... They have him on tape saying nuggets like this regarding the available Obama Senate seat...

The affidavit quoted the governor on a telephone call the day before Obama won his historic presidential victory talking about driving a "hard bargain." Blagojevich called the Senate seat "a [expletive] valuable thing. You just don't give it away for nothing." "I've got this thing and it's [expletive] golden and uh, uh, I'm not just giving it up for [expletive] nothing," he said two days later, according to the affidavit.

Nice... Classy... Of course, there is nothing directly implying that President Elect Zero had any knowledge or involvement in this but as I will write about later, he put his foot in his mouth yesterday, while talking about it and showed no real sign of leadership and moral standing...

BREAKING: Corrupt IL Gov Taken Into Custody

Update 9:35AM EST:
"Blagojevich was taken into custody hours after the Tribune reported that the investigation into allegations of pay-to-play politics within his administration had been expanded to include his pending choice of a Senate replacement for Obama. The Democratic governor has said he expects to make a decision on the state's next senator in weeks."



Chicago Tribune:
"A source said today that Gov. Rod Blagojevich was taken into federal custody at his North Side home this morning. The U.S. attorney's office would not confirm the information.

A Blagojevich spokesman said he was unaware of the development. "Haven't heard anything -- you are first to call," Lucio Guerrero said in an e-mail."

Opinion: Nationalization of the Auto Industry...

Is this really where we are headed? We are a successful country because we used to not buy into the European system of nationalizing industry. Now, under the guise of the economic meltdown, we have investment banks being in the Government's reach... And now, the Government seems to want to take a role in the auto industry... This is what the Dems have always wanted. It's incredible to believe that a 'GOP' President is delivering it to them...

A free-market answer is the only way. We have got to let the auto industry work out of it or move to the side. Bankruptcy protection will allow the automakers to consolidate, end their terrible Union contracts and work their way back. All of the airlines basically got into bankruptcy and have emerged, some to gobble up their competitors (see, Delta/Northwest)...

We cannot continue to print money... Inflation is going to skyrocket and then, we will truly be in an crisis.

The Obama New Deal

On Saturday, President-Elect Zero announced that his administration will lead the charge on a massive government spending increase meant to deliver the largest public-works program since President Eisenhower instituted the construction of the interstate highway system in the 1950's.

According to The Washington Post, Obama's plans include "a renewed effort to make public buildings energy-efficient, rebuild the nation's highways, renovate aging schools and install computers in classrooms, extend high-speed Internet to underserved areas and modernize hospitals by giving them access to electronic medical records."

Oh boy, if the government is offering the $$ for the work, bureaucracy will almost surely get in the way. Where is ALL this money coming from? How long will our kids and grandkids be paying for it...

The Failing NY Times...

Further proof that the Mainstream Media is failing...

The New York Times Company plans to borrow up to $225 million against its mid-Manhattan headquarters building, to ease a potential cash flow squeeze as the company grapples with tighter credit and shrinking profits.

The company has retained Cushman & Wakefield, the real estate firm, to act as its agent to secure financing, either in the form of a mortgage or a sale-leaseback arrangement, said James Follo, the Times Company's chief financial officer.

The Times Company owns 58 percent of the 52-story, 1.5 million-square-foot tower on Eighth Avenue, which was designed by the architect Renzo Piano, and completed last year. The developer Forest City Ratner owns the rest of the building. The Times Company's portion of the building is not currently mortgaged, and some investors have complained that the company has too much of its capital tied up in that real estate.

More from The War on Christmas

From the Charlotte (NC) Observer:

CHAPEL HILL For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas trees adorned with lights and ornaments have greeted holiday season visitors to UNC Chapel Hill's two main libraries. Not this year.

The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kept in storage this year at the behest of Sarah Michalak, the associate provost for university libraries.

Michalak's decision followed several years of queries and complaints from library employees and patrons bothered by the Christian display, Michalak said this week.

BREAKING NEWS: OJ TO PRISON

Goodbye sucker!

O.J. Simpson was sentenced Friday to at least 15 years in prison for armed robbery and kidnapping in a failed attempt to recover sports memorabilia from two collectibles dealers. There will be the possibility of parole after six years, Judge Jackie Glass said.

FDNY to Close Firehouses Overnight?

Now the cost cutting is hitting the FDNY. The City is looking to save funds by cutting staff at some firehouses during the overnight hours. Critics claim this will only cause already inflated response times to rise even more.

It's impossible to get around this City, much less expect the NYPD or FDNY to get to emergencies quickly. Cutting some of their services may lead to more people not making it to the hospital on time for life-saving procedures... These cuts, if pulled off, will sting...

From the NY Post.

The FDNY will be slashing nighttime staff at a handful of firehouses around the city in a belt-tightening move that critics say threatens to increase response times and that has residents and union officials seeing red.
The department expects to save $9 million by deactivating three engine companies and one ladder for the overnight shift when the plan goes into effect on Jan. 17.

Poor November Jobs Report

I'm sure this will have an extremely detrimental impact on the market today. Small business is hurting, big business is hurting. Things are bad out there, no question about it. Is there a lot of hype as well? Absolutely...

This is the worst single month's job loss report in 34 years...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Skittish employers slashed 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years, catapulting the unemployment rate to 6.7 percent, dramatic proof
the country is careening deeper into recession.

6.7% represents a 15 year high in unemployment. Not good as we head into the Holiday Season.

Keep your chin up America. If you're more than 5 years from retirement, keep investing... Save, save, save... And for God's sake, if you can't afford it, don't buy it!!!

State Commission Speaks - NY Cost of Living to Skyrocket!

YAY!!! Higher taxes for all!!!!!!

The state commission charged with finding new sources of revenue for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is releasing its report today, which recommends tolls on the East River bridges and a payroll tax for everyone in the region.

Led by former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch, the commission announced its recommendations with Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg at his side.

Instead of raising fares by the proposed 23 percent, which the MTA had earlier discussed, Ravitch suggests an 8 percent increase on fares.

But the report also recommends implementing a toll on the East River crossings. In the past, East River tolls never got past the proposal stage. With the economy in recession and the MTA's $1.4 billion budget deficit, lawmakers may be forced to give in to the idea.

Ravitch recommended that the tolls only be instituted if the proceeds go toward increasing bus services, which the committee found to be a major weakness of the transit system.

Big 3 Back in DC

So the Big 3 automakers are back in DC looking for their handout. This time they have been emasculated by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry ('Smells Bad') Reid in that they are all driving down to DC from Michigan. Wow... Why not have them ride a bike to reduce emissions?

Anyway, the Big 3 want their money. And while I understand the tough economic implications of having them declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it would allow them time to reorganize and get out from under the iron fist of the UAW.

Citi Field - Almost Done!

I'm personally excited that my beloved New York Metropolitans are getting a new home in 2009. I've been following construction since groundbreaking and now, she's almost done. Mets COO Jeff Wilpon led members of the NY media on a tour yesterday of the almost-complete facility and provided some incredible new photos.

So You Wanna Steal Some Property?

This is a fascinating piece on the ineptitude of NYC government. Apparently investigative teams from the NY Daily News applied for and was able to briefly transfer ownership of the Empire State Building to themselves yesterday. It took all of 90 minutes... That's right... 90 minutes!

In one of the biggest heists in American history, the Daily News "stole" the $2
billion Empire State Building. And it wasn't that hard. The News swiped the 102-story Art Deco skyscraper by drawing up a batch of bogus documents, making a fake
notary stamp and filing paperwork with the city to transfer the deed to the property.

A further disturbing aspect of it all is this:

The massive ripoff illustrates a gaping loophole in the city's system for recording deeds, mortgages and other transactions. The loophole: The system - run by the office of the city register - doesn't require clerks to verify the information.

So, we ARE a City being run by careless and lazy employees... I KNEW IT!

Read it all.

GA Senate Race - There Will Be No 60...

In the great state of Georgia, the Barack Obama coat-tails did not do their trick, as Republican Senator Sexby Chambliss fought off Democratic challenger Jim Martin in a Senate runoff yesterday.

This means that as of now, the Dems have 58 votes in Senate and with 1 race to be decided (in MN) they will not get their supermajority of 60. Thus, if the GOP does not break apart in Senate, nonsense like Amnesty, FOCA and other leftist-liberal tactics may ever come to a vote...

Perhaps a small bit of good in an otherwise dismal election season... Maybe there is hope for the Republic after all...

Harry Reid - Man of the People

From the DC Examiner... Real classy!

The Capitol Visitors Center, which opened this morning, may have tripled its original budget and fallen years behind schedule, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid found a silver lining for members of Congress: tourists won't offend them with their B.O. anymore. "My staff tells me not to say this, but I'm going to say it anyway," said Reid in his remarks. "In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it's true. "But it's no longer going to be true, noted Reid, thanks to the air conditioned, indoor space. And that's not all. "We have many bathrooms here, as you can see," Reid continued. "Souvenirs are available." $621 million well spent.

We Warned India in October

Sadly, it seems as if the Indian authorities did not take the threats seriously... I guess too many people believe that the War on Terror is just a bumpersticker...

U.S. intelligence agencies warned their Indian counterparts in mid-October of a potential attack "from the sea against hotels and business centers in Mumbai," a U.S. intelligence official tells ABCNews.com. Intelligence agencies warned Indian counterparts of potential attacks in Mumbai.

A second government source says specific locations, including the Taj hotel, were listed in the U.S. warning. One month later, Nov. 18, Indian intelligence also intercepted a satellite phone call to a number in Pakistan known to be used by a leader of the terror group, Lashkar e Taiba, believed responsible for the weekend attack, Indian intelligence officials say. The Indian intercept also revealed a possible sea-borne attack, the officials say.

The Great Coverup - Victory in Iraq

So, while the media and Democrats and Liberals bloviate over how dreadful a decision it was to go into Iraq and liberate 25 Million people from the regime of Saddam Hussein, they have had a startling lack of coverage of the success of late...

While U.S. combat casualties in Iraq were at an all-time low in November 2008 – five reported combat deaths -- coverage of the war was sparse in The New York Times and The Washington Post compared with previous election cycles, an analysis of the Nexis news database shows.

In The New York Times, four front-page stories mentioned Iraq in the headline in November 2008 compared with 13 in November 2006, the last time a national election was held -- a drop of 70 percent. Most of those front-page stories in The New York Times concerned a security pact between U.S. and Iraqi officials.

Similarly, The Washington Post ran just four front-page stories with Iraq in headline in November 2008 compared with 15 in November 2006 -- a drop of 73 percent. One of last month’s reports focused on arms shipments from Bulgaria to Kurdish officials, while the other stories concerned the new security accord approved by the Iraqi Parliament.

Hmmm... So the main stories are about diplomacy... Not war... And five combat deaths? Quite the non-story... THANK YOU to our troops.

This is a derelection of duty. But it is not surprising.

Freedom of Choice Act: UPDATE

(CNSNews.com) - Bishop Paul Loverde of the Roman Catholic diocese of Arlington, Va., said last week that if the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) should become law and a Catholic hospital in his diocese is forced to provide abortions, he would refuse to let the hospital comply, but he would also not close the institution.

Though there are no Catholic hospitals in his diocese, the bishop nevertheless was defiant: “I would say, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to close the hospital, you’re going to arrest me, go right ahead. You’ll have to drag me out, go right ahead. I’m not closing this hospital, we will not perform abortions, and you can go take a flying leap.’ ”

Wow... Since FOCA looks like it is going to be passed under President-elect Zero, this is a very intriguing situation... Good for Bishop Loverde!

Terror In India

Thanksgiving is over and while we were enjoying our turkey, terrorists reminded the World that even Barack Obama's election will not have them dropping their weapons (as some of his most ardent supports believed...)

Mumbai, India was the scene of a multi-day siege. The likes of which we never could have imagined. The attacks and their success were highly disconcerting. Indian police and special forces were not prepared. Police in Mumbai do not carry guns... I believe this attack was planned in Pakistan by groups close to Al Qaeda and Kashimirist separatists. It would not surprise me if the Pakistani government was also involved. This attack on a Democratic government that is soft on anti-terror, is a clear message that the hard policies we presently have on terror are the way to go. I can only hope that Mr. Change will not make us less safe.

All in all, this will not help relations on the Subcontinent.

This article from today's Wall Street journal is an excellent synopsis of what is a very intricate attack and an intriguing story.

Happy Thanksgiving... To Remember Why We Celebrate...

As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made the following proclamation and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish
constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

NFL Picks for Turkey Week

So, yeah, here are my picks for the three Turkey Day games... None are real good... In addition, I'll pick games for the local NY teams...

Tennessee -10.5 DETROIT
TEN 20 Det 7

DALLAS -13 Seattle
DAL 24 Sea 10

PHILADELPHIA -3 Arizona
ARZ 31 Phi 17

NY Giants -3.5 WASHINGTON
Nyg 20 WSH 17

NY JETS -8 Denver
Nyj 24 DEN 17

Picks by Spread: Tennessee, Dallas, Arizona, Washington and Denver

Change You Can Believe In?

Here is yet another commentary on the Third Clinton Admin...oops... I meant the Obama Administration... From Rich Lowry and National Review...

Barack Obama has succeeded where Hillary Clinton failed. She hoped to win a third Clinton term, but it is her vanquisher who is reconstituting the Clinton Administration.

Very true. This begs the question of whether some kind of back room deal was made between the Clintons and Obamas.

Few would have guessed back when Obama rose from the snows of Iowa that highly
experienced economic technicians would represent “change we can believe in.”
Thankfully, Obama’s airy rhetoric about a new kind of politics was more a pitch
for impressionable new voters than a description of his governing style.

True... Impressionable voters (see, youth vote and folks who like free stuff...) were responsible for his victory. While all of a sudden it seems, the 'change' promised is turning out to be a lot like what Hillary's presidency would have brought...

Read it all...

NY Post Editorial

Today's lead editorial in the NY Post lambastes the management at Citi for running the business into the ground...

Already gone, though not soon enough, is former Director Robert Rubin - the one board member who seems to have been wide awake the whole time. Rubin, the Clinton administration treasury secretary who successfully engineered the bank
deregulation that made so much of the current mess possible, was appointed to the Citi board in 1999. Then, it seems, things began to happen. That is,
Rubin apparently undertook to test the limits of his new banking rules.

In a 4,076-word autopsy of Citigroup's "rush to risk," The New York Times on Sunday labeled Rubin "an architect of the bank's strategy." It describes him as having "pushed to bulk up the bank's high-growth fixed-income trading," including risky debt instruments. Risky is hardly the word for it - though in mid-2007, according to the newspaper, Citi brass claimed that the likelihood of subprime mortgages actually defaulting "was so tiny that they [were] excluded from their risk analysis."

Robert Rubin is also a main economic advisor to President-Elect Zero. So, clearly, he has his hands in too many cookie jars...

Read the entire piece...

The Great Example...

I guess President-Elect Zero wants to really further anger those who decry him as a 'phony' Christian...

Obama Skips Church, Heads to Gym...

Classy.

Civic Literacy Test

Go ahead, take it... Give it a try... Our Congress critters score in the 40% range...

Comment and post your score...

Civic Literacy Test

Citi Needs A Bailout? Ugh...

Well, we keep printing money for these global conglomerates and they keep taking it... Does it do ANY good? Do they go about changing their business practices that got them into this mess? Doesn't really seem like it...

Ahhhh... I'll bet Citi wishes they did not come to a 20 year naming rights deal with the Mets for Citi Field now, eh

Enjoy The Weekend!

Have a great weekend folks... Here is a pic from Vacation 2008... Ahh... Warm weather, bright sun and friendly faces!

Enjoy!

Here We Go... Through The Looking Glass...

Basking in the warm, wonderful, forgiving glow of newly minted President-Elect Zero, it appears that a Long Island school is already giving The One the honor bestowed on great leaders of our country...

From Channel3000.com in Madison, WI...

NEW YORK -- It was only a matter of time. A New York school has been renamed in honor of President-elect Barack Obama.

The former Ludlum Elementary School, in Long Island's Hempstead Union Free School District, was renamed at a school board meeting Thursday -- effective immediately. School officials say most of the 440 students there are black or Hispanic, and Obama's victory is a source of great pride.

Hope! Change!

Hat Tip: Molly J.

Bloomies Property Tax Rebate Issue

Mayor Mike Bloomberg (Billionaire-NY) is now saying that due to the City's current awful fiscal state, that the mandated $400 property tax rebate owed homeowners will not happen in 2009. Why? There is just no money.

Mayor Bloomberg suggested yesterday that he won't send out the annual $400 property-tax rebate to small homeowners - even if legally forced to do so by the City Council. "We have no money," said the mayor. "I think that's what you have to understand. This is not a legal issue; this is a fiscal issue."

I get on Mayor Bloomberg a lot but in this case he is right. If we have no money for this giveback, we can't give it back... Unless the City decides further cuts in services are required. Now, I am not for raising taxes at all, but I do think the City can save some $ by reducing the overwhelming numbers of municipal employees, most of whom are just living off the government dime and not doing much of anything (trust me, I know, I've worked with them...)

So I support the Mayor on this. A one-year moratorium on this rebate.

Market Since the Obama Election...

This is all you need to know about investor confidence in President-Elect Zero...

Market Close, November 3, 2008: 9,625

Market Close, November 20, 2008: 7,552

That is a drop of 2,073 or 22%...

THIS Is Contested?

It's pretty clear who this person voted for? So why is Al Franken contesting it? Why, he's trying to steal an election!

Fun With the MTA!

So, the NYC MTA has a huge gap to fill... Well let's raise fares... OK, fine... While we are at it, let's cut service too!!! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Here are some exciting highlights...

Up to a 23 percent increase in bus. subway, LIRR and Metro-North fares...

Scrapping bus and subway lines.

Reducing service on all other lines and LIRR and Metro-North.

Increase in Express Bus fares from $5 to $7.50...

This 'doomsday' budget is bad but most likely will only get worse... BTW, if I continue commuting as is, it would cost $50 per week... For this level of service, NYC can go to hell...

More Good News!

This morning's good news comes from the International Herald Tribune...

Iran has now produced roughly enough nuclear material to make, with added purification, a single atom bomb, according to nuclear experts analyzing the latest report from global atomic inspectors.

Incredible. As we sit here and bask in the warm, radiating, satisfying glow of The Zero, the homicidal maniacs running Iran are still busy working hard at their 'peaceful' nuclear energy program...

Well our allies in Israel are not sitting idly by...

"We are ready to do whatever is demanded of us" in order to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, IAF commander Maj. -Gen. Ido Nehushtan told German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview published Tuesday.

Good... I get the feeling that they have until January 20, 2009 to do it with our full support. I do not expect President Zero to 'approve' of a pre-emptive Israeli strike on Iran... You know, because we REALLY want the World to like us...

Return of the Barbary Pirates?

There has been a recent rash of pirate takeovers of ships, including a Saudi Oil Tanker... These pirates are sailing in inadequate ships and are coming on board and taking over large vessels... And yet, nothing happens to them...

My remedy... Blow them away...

Zawahri Called Obama What???

So, Al Qaeda's number 2 (or 1 if you believe Osama is dead...) has chimed in with his words to President-Elect Zero... Saying that Americans electing him show that we are defeated in Iraq (good to know that Al-Q believe electing the Zero was equivalent to our admission defeat, like we all said...)

And then, there is this:

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader used a racial epithet to insult Barack Obama in a message posted Wednesday, using a demeaning racial term implying that the president-elect is a black American who does the bidding of whites.

The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Arabs that Obama does not represent a change in U.S. policies. Ayman al-Zawahri said in the message, which appeared on militant Web sites, that Obama is "the direct opposite of honorable black Americans" like Malcolm X, the 1960s African-American rights leader.

In al-Qaida's first response to Obama's victory, al-Zawahri also called the president-elect — along with secretaries of state Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice — "house negroes."

Wow... 'House negroes"... Obama, welcome to the real world. Do you think these monsters want to sit down and chat?

MN Senate Race UPDATE

Here is the latest from the Land of 1000 Lakes...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- When Minnesota election officials begin recounting the nearly 3 million votes in the Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken, they will face a logistical task of gargantuan proportions -- one that may provoke more commotion than bring about closure.

Republican incumbent Norm Coleman currently leads his Democratic challenger Al Franken by 206 votes out of 2.9 million cast -- a margin of seven one-thousandths of one percent. Under Minnesota law, a hand recount is required because the margin between the two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.

So, Al Franken is closing in... What a joke if this moron wins a seat in the Senate... If he does, the Dems will have 59 seats... Too close for comfort...

Excellent Op-Ed by Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, my selection in the NY State Republican Primary, writes an excellent Op-Ed piece today in the New York Times (yes, they actually printed it...)

IF General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for yesterday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won’t go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course — the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

Of course, Romney is right. He's a brilliant financial mind... Too bad he wasn't the nominee...

Read it all...

AK Senate Race UPDATE: Stevens Out...

The Dems now own 58 seats in the Senate... Things are getting bad...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Sen. Ted Stevens, the longest serving Republican in Senate history, narrowly lost his re-election bid Tuesday, marking the downfall of a Washington political power and Alaska icon who couldn't survive a conviction on federal corruption charges. His defeat by Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich moves Senate Democrats within two seats of a filibuster-proof 60-vote majority.

Irresponsible Is Not The Word For This...

This is absurd... From today's Cleveland Plain Dealer... This article discusses this major Cleveland, OH bridge and it's major weak point... In color and DETAIL...

It's like putting a 'kick me' sign on someone...

Are we asking to be attacked again?

The Beggars of Detroit?

So, representatives of Detroit's Big Three automakers have their hands out on Capitol Hill today... They are asking Congress to bail them out to the tone of $25 Billion... When you look critically at this, you would say it's important to save these companies. However, you realize that these companies are in dire straits because of Union contracts and government controls...

Forcing these companies to declare Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, as most major airline did, will allow for these companies to realign and regroup. It will allow everyone to see how dire their economic situation is. Perhaps they will renegotiate with the UAW in order to reduce their pension and benefits plans for retired employees, as well as cut salaries, which are significantly higher than that which are paid by Japanese auto makers in their US factories.

I support our US auto industry but handing out money to them without remedying their ills is insanity...

Article on the Situation...

Join In! Victory in Iraq Day!

The United States of America and our allies have won the War in Iraq. Please join Conservative bloggers in celebrating Saturday, November 22 as Victory in Iraq Day!

We and our allies have defeated all enemies in Iraq, including Al Qaeda in Iraq. We have brought peace and security to major hot spots in the country such as Fallujah and Basra. We captured and executed members of the previous terrorist regime. We assisted in the development of a new constitution for Iraq and a parliamentary government and fought back the remaining insurgency via the troop surge policy.

Celebrate our troops! Celebrate a victory of good over evil! Celebrate Victory in Iraq Day!

Key Legislation: Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)

Over the course of the coming months, I plan on discussing key legislation set to come up for a vote in front of the solidly Democratic legislative and executive branches. The first of which to discuss is the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).

The basics: The official summary of this act, as presented in the United States Senate in 2004 is as follows:

To prohibit, consistent with Roe v. Wade, the interference by the government
with a woman's right to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy, and for
other purposes.

Status: This bill, introduced in 2004 and sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA) and co-sponsored by Sen Jon Corzine (now NJ gov.), Sen. Patty Murray (WA), Sen. Frank Lautenburg (NJ), Sen. Hillary Clinton (NY), Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA), Sen. Jim Jeffords (retired-VT), Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT), Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA), Sen. Paul Sarbanes (retired-MD), and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD)

Prognosis: The House will overwhelmingly pass this legislation in 2009. As presently constituted, the Senate will pass with less than 60 votes. If Republicans can win one Senate race in either MN, AK or GA, they can filibuster it. President-Elect Zero will sign this bill.

This bill basically codifies the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court ruling and prohibits any Federal Government prevention of any abortion techniques, including a repeal of any ban on Partial-Birth Abortion.

This is consistent with the virulent pro-abortion stance of Barack Obama.

Our Friends the Russians...

How could this possibly be seen as a bad thing? I mean seriously...

MOSCOW – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev plans to travel this month to Cuba and Venezuela, which have increasing military and trade ties with Moscow.

To quote my uncle, 'We're Doomed!'

Madame Secretary?

So, it appears that President-Elect Zero is considering none other than Hillary Clinton for the all-important post of Secretary of State.

President-elect Barack Obama is considering the New York senator and former first lady for secretary of state - an appointment that would go a long way toward healing the wounds left by their bruising Democratic primary.

Although, I must say Hillary is a more palatable option than say, John Francois Kerry...

Catholic? Voted for Obama? No Communion For You

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest has told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him "constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

Hurrah! Read it all...

GMA: Bill Ayers Interview

This morning on ABC's Good Morning America, anchor Chris Cuomo interviewed Bill Ayers, co-founder of the terrorist group Weather Underground and lately, noted for his connections with incoming President Zero (oh, wait, that's an O)...

Here are some nuggets...

"It's not terrorism because it doesn't target people, to kill or injure," Ayers
insisted

Right... So bombing the Pentagon and Capitol and 1 PP in NYC was just for s**ts and giggles...

He added, "I don't buy the idea that guilt by association should have any part
of our politics," he said.

Right... So then it is ok that Ayers and Obama were pals and Obama went to Rev. Wright's racist church for 20 years...

"Frankly, I don't think we did enough, just as today I don't' think we've done
enough to stop these wars," he said.

Back in the past he said something similar. They wish they did more bombings... Nice. Today' of course, he calls for nonviolent resistance... For those of us who think that his 'revolution' is happening because his Manchurian candidate is in power, well then, he's won...

Despite Obama's attempt to portray their relationship as a distant one, Ayers,
in a new afterward to his book "Fugitive Days," describes Obama as a "neighbor
and family friend."

Family friend huh? Interesting... I seem to consider family friends close...

He added, echoing a phrase that Obama used to describe Ayers, "I am a guy around
the neighborhood."

There seem to be a LOT of shady people in that neighborhood...

Bottom line, Ayers is not remorseful for his bombings in the past and he feels that the right wing blogosphere and the GOP campaign was false in their accusations... Yeah, right...

Change You Can Believe In?

Roll Call reports that Joe Biden has asked Ron Klain, Al Gore's former chief of staff, to serve in the same position for him.

Wow... So, I guess 'Change You Can Believe In' means hiring all former Clinton Administration staff...

The very same Clinton administration who brought us the proliferation of Al Qaeda and 9/11... Sounds great! Eh, but the slackers are getting free stuff!

Financial Watch - Wal-Mart Profits

So, why does the nation's largest retailer continuously rake in profits? Could it be they sell items for less? Could it be they don't have to answer to Unions that would likely break them?

Perhaps...

Wal-Mart's 3rdQ Profit Rises 10%

Senate Watch - GA Senate Race

In Georgia, GOP Sen. Saxby Chambliss is up for reelection versus Democratic challenger Jim Martin and Libertarian nominee Allen Buckley. The final tallies for the GOP and Dem candidates...

Chambliss 1,864,015 49.77%

Martin 1,753,030 46.81%

Since no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, there must be a run-off election. That is scheduled for December 2.

Senate Watch - AK Senate Race

Alaska is still awaiting the outcome of a race between recently-indicted GOP Sen. Ted Stevens and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich...

The latest.

Ted Stevens, the felonious Republican senator from Alaska who refuses to give up his seat or acknowledge that he was convicted, continues to lead Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich by 3,257 votes -- 106,594 to 103,337 votes for the challenger.

But six days after the polls closed, more than 90,000 ballots have not been counted.
That means nearly 29% of the vote in the race has yet to be tallied.

Stay tuned...

Senate Watch... MN Senate Race

Three of the Nation's Senate races are undeclared at this time. If the Democrats win each of these seats, they will have the 60 vote power they crave to ram through the entire Obama agenda...

So, we now look at the Minnesota race, where GOP incumbant Sen. Norm Coleman is battline comedian turned political idiot Al Franken. This race should not be close, but then again, Minnesota voters elected Jesse Ventura as governor.

The latest...

There are worries about what's up in that Minnesota Senate race where Republican incumbent Norm Coleman was ahead of Democrat Al Franken by 725 votes the morning after the election.

But Franken has narrowed the gap to about 200 even though a recount is not yet underway. That is because election officials are correcting supposed typos in how the numbers were reported. Those corrections have added 435 votes to Franken while taking away 69 from Coleman, and virtually all of Franken's new votes came from just three of the more than 4,100 precincts.

The campaigns are also negotiating ballot security standards after an unsuccessful challenge by Coleman to halt the counting of 32 absentee ballots that were supposedly left for days in the trunk of an election official's car.

Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty says, "These changes seem to disproportionally — overwhelmingly favor Al Franken."

Shenanigans? NAH... Never...

Godless Holidays?

Well, I guess when you elect a Secular-Progressive-Socialist government, you get what you vote for...

But the purchase of advertising space for the means of calling for a 'godless' holiday season is getting worrisome...

The ads ask commuters, “Why believe in a god?” and encourages them to “Just be good for goodness sake.”... “Morality doesn’t come from religion. It’s a set of values based on empathy, fairness, and experience – and these all happen to be the essence of the humanist worldview.”

I disagree... Morality does come from a fundamental understanding of religion and the purpose and dignity of all life... As religion is pushed further and further away, you see less emphasis on the dignity of life... We see that with our soon-to-be-President...

Read it all...

Hat tip: Molly J.

Back to Business

Well, the election was close only in poplar vote, but not in the Electoral College. Clearly, a majority of Americans bought into fancy rhetoric about hope and change, with nothing but radicalism to back it up.

So now we shall see. We will wait and watch and see how Barack Hussein Obama will govern this nation.

Election Day

Today we choose our future direction. Let's keep it sane people. We are not a socialist society. Do not fundamentally destroy 230 years of representative democracy because of emotion.

Vote for John McCain.

Countdown to the Election: 1 Day to Go

Tomorrow is Election Day.

Tomorrow we elect a new leader. Hopefully, we will elect a man worth of the office of President of the United States. Do we wish to remain a global superpower? Do we want to become like France or Sweden? So we want to hold our heads high and be proud of everything our veterans have given us and fought for? Or do we wish to be ungrateful, living for the moment, entitlement-laden people?

Think before you choose. Do you want future generations living in a society that believes it is their right to college education, jobs, housing and healthcare? Or do you want to teach future generations that you can achieve anything with hard work. That handouts are not a solution to life's problems...

Tomorrow might change everything...

Countdown to The Election: 4 Days to Go!

As the campaigns are running like mad to get their final message out, remember that we are a federal republic, which gets its power from the people. We pull the levels and mark the ballots. We can choose to continue as we have for 230 years. The change Barack Obama wishes to bring forth will fundamentally change the system HE benefited from...

Think of that...

Off for Vacation...

Well, of course, the election will come and go and I am off for vacation. There will be some intermittent blog entries over the net few days but I will back on November 11 to talk about the upcoming McCain-Palin Administration or to be watching the future Obama-Biden Administration VERY closely.

See you real soon! And keep checking back in...

Sarah Palin Hung in Effigy: UPDATE

Well, the West Hollywood homeowners have pulled down the Sarah Palin mannequin that was hung in effigy...

Good news... Maybe there is some sanity and perhaps, taste left in people...

Sarah Palin in Effigy No more!

Obama's Defense Policy?

So, with Rep. Barney Frank (D-Fannie Mae) saying that we must cut the military budget 25% under an Obama Administration, Obama, in his televised Half-Hour Comedy Hour last night, said that he would "rebuild the military"...

OK, so that thought is scary enough. On Wednesday he said this...

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."

What the heck is that? You know, the Gestapo was a civilian national security force, too... Just sayin'

Ugh...

Phillies are World Champions... I can't stand it...

Looking Forward to Baseball 2009...

I am so sick of this election... We're also on the brink of the end of the 2008 World Series... Here's looking forward to 2009 for my beloved Mets. This pic is courtesy of Chris, AKA, 'islandxtreme' who has been a great photographer of the Mets new home...

IBD's Michael Ramirez Is On The Money...

Michael Ramirez is a Pulitzer-Prize winning cartoonist for Investor's Business Daily. This is an excellent cartoon...

Why I Support John McCain

People who know me know I do not love John McCain. I voted for Mitt Romney in the NY GOP Primary. However, for President I support John McCain and Sarah Palin. Here are my 10 reason why I am for John McCain.

1. John McCain is Pro-Life

2. John McCain is in favor of smaller Federal Government and is against earmarking and pork barrel spending.

3. John McCain supports a strong National Defense.

4. John McCain is committed to winning the War on Terror and not enabling our enemies.

5. John McCain will extend and enhance provisions of the Patriot Act

6. John McCain will extend Bush tax cuts and cut Capital Gains taxes

7. John McCain is a Genuine American Military hero

8. John McCain has 25 years of experience in the US Congress

9. John McCain is in favor of free market solutions to health care and the current economic crisis

10. John McCain believes in self-reliance to achieve the American Dream.

Palin Subway Ad

So, riding the subway home last night, I see this tasteless ad from Manhattan Mini Storage. If you can't read it, it says, "What's More Limited, Your Closet or Her Experience?" And the person has a button on that says CHOICE with a strike through.

Of course, the clever folks at Manhattan Mini are poking fun at Sarah Palin as they have done With President Bush and VP Cheney. It's tasteless but of course, they are playing along to the NYC crowd who probably feels very similar.

Tasteless and typical.

Rev. Wright... The BEST? Am I on Jupiter?

So, once again, we see what excellent judgment the man who would be President has... This is quite an interesting comment from 1995...

The folks at Stop the ACLU have uncovered a telling video... Obama: Rev. Wright is the 'Best of What the Black Church Has to Offer'

No Voter Fraud Over Here Folks...

WTF?

Judge Rules Ohio Homeless May List Park Benches (Yes) as Address

This is Not a Hate Crime...

So, the ever-vigilant LA County Sheriff's Department has responded to this Halloween 'display' with the following noodle-spined assessment...

"I'm not defending this; I'm not criticizing it. It doesn't rise to the level of hate crime,"

Great, so this is not a hate crime, but would the hanging in effigy of, say, Barack Obama be?

Researching Obama in Chicago - Comapring US to Nazi Germany? What Next?

Folks are digging deep into Chicago Radio Station WBEZ-FM's archives to find more interviews done with then State Senator Barack Obama. Well, after finding the 2001 interview where Obama advocates socialism in America, he later advocates another position with regard to 1960's America...

“...just to take a, sort of a realist perspective...there’s a lot of change going on outside of the Court, um, that, that judges essentially have to take judicial notice of. I mean you’ve got World War II, you’ve got uh, uh, uh, the doctrines of Nazism, that, that we are fighting against, that start looking uncomfortably similar to what we have going on, back here at home.”

Wow... So State Senator Obama felt that American tactics in the 60's and 70's (assuming in the Civil rights movement) were similar to tactics of Nazi Germany? Forgive me but I do not recall 6 Million people being exterminated in order to form a more 'perfect' society.

And this man wants your vote...