State Run Media: "Fox is not News!"

At Fox News they have a saying "We report, you decide". This weekend the Obama administration came out with the slogan for everybody else "We decide, what you report".

You think I am kidding? Watch how Anita Dunn talks about how proud she was of their organizational capability to control what the media was talking about.


Only one problem. Fox News. They don't seem to be goose stepping like the other networks to the same drum that is being beat by the Obama administration. So they have ways (pronounced 'veyz') of dealing with that. Over the last week, several administration officials have appeared on the more friendly networks to declare war on Fox News. Red Meat for the faithful. I liked Newsmax.com's synopsis of what took place best.

Last week, White House communications director Anita Dunn said Fox News operates "almost as either the research arm or the communications arm of the Republican Party."

Just Because her organizational expertise has been able to corrupt and control every news outlet except for Fox News means that they must have a political slant! And MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, & NBC don't? NBC and MSNBC are the worst offenders. Both are owned by Jeff Imelt's General Electric. Jeff is on the administrations economic council. GE stands to receive billions of tax dollars from the first stimulus package wrapped as green jobs. They are sooooo on board. ABC had their opportunity to host the administrations prime time infomercial for health care that provided them with a blessed ratings bonanza opportunity. Hell, the administration has even elevated the telemundo network above Fox News by including them in the weekend talk show health care promo blitz, where they excluded Fox News.

On Sunday, Rahm Emanuel, President Barack Obama's chief of staff, said, "It is not a news organization so much as it has a perspective."

Well, if it wasn't for Fox News you would have never heard of the ACORN scandal. You would not have heard about the extreme communistic beliefs of Van Jones. The list of things that the administration would have preffered that you were not able to hear about is vast. They talk about transparency but they crave secrecy and choreography.

Appearing on ABC's "This Week," senior Obama adviser David Axelrod said Fox News shouldn't be treated as a news organization. "And the bigger thing is that other news organizations, like yours, ought not to treat them that way, and we're not going to treat them that way," he said.

As Bugs Bunny once bravely said; "Of course you realize, this means war!".

Really? Do ya think?

To be filed under painfully obvious.

Bernanke urges US to cut budget deficit

Bernanke calls for US to `substantially reduce' budget deficits to combat global imbalances 

-AP

No kidding! Wow! Nice to know that someone is paying attention. And here is his plan.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called Monday for the United States to whittle down its record-high budget deficits and for countries like China to get their consumers to spend more.

I dunno Ben, I know you are the Chairman of the Federal Reserve and all, but I don't think those guys on Capitol Hill and in the White House are listening. If this administrations history to date is any indication of future performance, then your comments will be classified as another idea that "needs to be looked at".

It doesn't seem that they heard your message when sent by the  hundreds of thousands of Tax Day Tea Party participants across the country. And when 2 million protesters brought your message directly to them by marching through the streets of Washington DC, they still chose to ignore the message.

This administration is like a political Lindsay Lohan. They worked hard for their new found star power, and no one is going to stop this party! Messages from millions of previously non-politically active citizens alarmed at how the Presidents ideas for "change" are shaping up won't convince him to put down the bong. Friendly chats with European contemporaries who have already been to socialism rehab can't convince the president to slow this party down. And now finally, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke (essentially Obama's fiscal chauffeur) is telling the President that he really shouldn't drive down to the clubs for a while because he's concerned about how this is beginning to look.

Is there any type of intervention that will work?

Obama adresses 'feisty' crowd in New Orleans town hall

Nope, it's not what you think.

Addressing another conveniently gathered group of well wishers, Obama received an overwhelming reception at the University of New Orleans. He began his speech by introducing some notable attendees. First on the list was the Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal, who the crowd began to boo. Even Obama could not get the crowd to stop until what  seemed like a good deal of time went by. Watching the president trying to hush the be-loving crowd turned angry was a sight to see. Moving on the president introduced various members of his cabinet, getting the crowd back to the roaring cheers. After all, the president has had a couple of tough weeks and he had come to New Orleans to feel some love. After several arousing sets of applause, he quieted the crowd and said "you guys are a feisty crowd!".

Feisty? Yeah! If they were anyone else other than die hard, blind faith supporters the media would have characterized them as an angry mob, and since Bobby Jindal is of Indian descent, they must be racist too.

Let's see if this makes the Nightly News!

The Emperor's New Clothes

What a joke!

President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize -AP

The presenter was heard to say that

"This years Nobel prize for peace goes to Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts in international diplomacy"

How funny is that? Following the weekend where even Saturday Night Live began to open their eyes and roasted the president for his lack of accomplishments, the world community saw it proper that he be given what used to be a prestigious award for accomplishments in making the world a more peaceful place.

The really funny part is that the deadline for submitting nominations for the prize was the first week in February! Obama had only been in office for 2 weeks! I guess that is just another demonstration of the Audacity of Hope. I would desperately love to read that nomination. What did it say? I guess it doesn't matter. Even if it's invisible you're just supposed to pretend to see it, nod, and comment on how wonderful those achievements are.

"When every cop is a criminal
and all the sinners saints.
When heads is tales just call me............."

Ladies and gentlemen, "The emperor has no clothes"!

96% of medicare recipients are happy with their coverage,

96% of medicare recipients are happy with their coverage, the other 4% are dying and all of the others are dead!

My parents are part of the demographic that are perfectly happy with their coverage. Then again they have the Medicare Advantage plan. They, like most other people, are deluded into thinking that their Medicare Advantage plan is a government managed program. It's not. It's run by private insurance and subsidized with government funds. If these Medicare Advantage customers who are so happy with their coverage and are promoting the public plan so that others may share in their bliss they need to do a little forward thinking, and maybe even start acting defensively.

Medicare for Dummies

Too bad all that great coverage will be going away under Obamacare. Hey, it's supply and demand! If you want to let more people into the store get ready to wait in line! And if you don't have the Medicare Advantage plan and you still insist you love your medicare? Get ready to pray for some hope and to live with the change.

The War on Specialists

PAY ATTENTION! Naive people like my Mother, wonderful Grand Mother of my children, think that what Obama is going to do is to provide the same coverage that 90% of Americans enjoy through their employers to those people who can't afford it on their own. That's not what they are proposing. They are looking to turn health care on it's ear. Break it down and rebuild it.

If you like your plan you can keep it! Yeah! Unless your employer decides to drop your plan because they can save a lot of money and you have a government option you can get anyways!

All Patches has to fear, is fear itself!

Manufactured Fear

I will try to keep this post tempered such that it will not startle or scare Mr. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) should he read this, but I find the remarks that he made at last Saturdays 'manufactured bliss' health care rally offensive.

Kennedy warns health-care debate could turn violent

Kennedy is the only member of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation not to have hosted a public forum devoted to health-care legislation moving through Congress. Saturday’s event, hosted by the AARP, was open to the media, but attendance was limited to a select group that largely supports a health-care overhaul.

It appears as though Rep. Kennedy would like to explain away his absence from the debate, and his abdication of representing the people of his district because of the dangerous and perilous atmosphere.

opponents of Democrat-backed health-care legislation had gone too far. He cited, as an example, 10,000 signs distributed at a recent Washington protest that read, “Bury ObamaCare with Kennedy.”

First, let's make it clear that he apparently didn't get the talking points memo from Ms Pelosi. The ruling party has refused to even acknowledge that 10,000 people were in attendance, never mind being handed placards. Secondly, is he out of his mind? The poor man. Who ever told him this information does him a great disservice. By all first hand accounts the amount of 'offensive' protest signs was minuscule. If you canvas any of the video from that day you can see that well over 90% of the signs were large, homemade, personalized signs and slogans made by individuals. And, of the small amount of pre-made distributed to people who had no sign of their own, there were far more 'don't tread on me' and 'more Liberty and Life' signs than there were 'Bury Obamacare with Kennedy' signs.

It’s a terrible thing when people think that in order to get their point across they have to go to the edge of violent rhetoric and attack people personally,” Kennedy told the nurses, union officials and AARP members

Violent? What violence? He's not so vain to think they were talking about him, is he? Clearly the signs refer to his father who was already dead. By natural causes, no violence involved. Was he talking about the demanor of the people at the protest? Zero arrests, and not exactly an angry mob by any standard. Especially the standard used by liberals when they take to the streets and protest.

Do you see an angry mob? Hell, can you find a 'Bury Obamacare with Kennedy' sign? Here it is. I did spot one. Look how tiny they are!

It is obscene that the ruling party is so desperate to drown out any opposition because they fear a debate of ideas that they change the subject by using the politics of fear and the accusation of racism. The free market 'Tea Party' protests are the most peaceful protest (other than a candlelight vigil) that you could ever attend, but you can't or won't know that unless you attend because the 'State run Media' won't show them to you in any substantive fashion, and certainly not live. They want you to think that they are worse than the G-20 protests conducted by leftists, liberals, and anarchists.

I don't remember any of the Tea Party protest needing police in riot gear? I don't remember any tear gas being used at any of the Tea Party protests? I never heard any reports of sconic weapons being used at any of the Tea Party events?

Yet Rep Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi have the nerve to scream fire in a theater by getting choked up and emotional to dramatize for you the fear that you should feel about people who do not believe what they want to do to the health care system is the right thing!


If you can't kill the message (No to Obamacare), then kill the messengers (protesters).
Oh? I guess I shouldn't have said kill.
Puhleeeease

Where is Jack Bauer?

Well, if you are in New York City today, then be on the look out for him!

It is extremely difficult to not let the imagination run wild, but I feel like I might be in, or maybe I am missing a season finale episode of '24'.

If you turn on the news right now you will see reports of what appears to be a feverish investigation of a terror plot. It started several days ago, when a Colorado man who recently returned from Pakistan visited friends in New York City. On his departure and during his flight back to Colorado, Police and Federal investigators raided the homes of several contacts of this man from Colorado. It was reported that the raids were related to a terrorism investigation. The day after arriving back in Colrado Mr. Najibullah Zazi was taken in for questioning. He participated in two days of questioning.

Finally Mr. Zazi was arrested for lying to Federal Investigators. Not a really big charge in comparison to conspiracy to commit terrorism, but apparently they needed to get him off of the streets. One can only conjecture that the plot was unfolding, Mr Zazi was starting to crack maybe, and they could not let him tip off the rest of the cell.

Further conjecture might lead you to believe that the remaining cell members, now cut off from one of their key operatives, is in panic. Maybe they have decided to accelerate their plans before the Feds come rushing in.

And now, fast forward to today. The second day of government warnings to law enforcemnt and homeland security agencies.

Federal counterterrorism officials warned local police to patrol stadiums, hotels and entertainment complexes for suspicious activity

Meanwhile, right now, Limousines are strolling up 5th Avenue, delivering world leaders to the UN to either give or listen to speeches from other world leaders. And right now, President Obama is preparing to board Marine One, the helicopter that will deliver him to NYC where he will address the UN General assembly. There are lot of people with diplomatic immunity walking around the city of New York this week. Potential 'agents provocateur'?

Where is Jack Bauer right now?

Buh, Bing, Buh, Bing, Buh, Bing, Buh, Bing.........

The Existance Tax

I remember asking my Dad when I was very young "What is a meal tax?". There was a sign in the restaurant we were eating at that said "5% meal tax". He went on to explain what taxes were, and that the government didn't tax food, clothing or other essential elements that are required for us to exist. "Like the air?" I replied. "Yes, like oxygen. They would never tax the air you need to breathe".

Well, those were the 'good old days'. Over the weekend Mr Obama argued pretty hard and very ineffectively that his plan for an individual mandate for health insurance is not a tax. I'm sure the video is all over YouTube, but it's better to read his words. You don't hear the same arrogant brush offs and the condescension when you read his replies. You just get to read what he actually said.

Obama's Nontax Tax
-WSJ

Whether Mr Obama thinks it is a tax or not is irrelevant. It is a Tax. To me this is truly a landmark turning point in how government treats and views its citizens. It could be the end of the last concept you could point to and say we are/were in fact a free people. The idea that your very existence now requires you to pay a tax, and pay it every year is a monumental sea change. Now, I have always thought that the tax levied on you when you cease to exist, the death tax, was wrong and unjust as well as being heavy handed, but the new tax on your existence makes that argument trivial.

They do not point to it in the WSJ Op/Ed piece, but in some of the the video you can see and hear Mr Obama point to mandates for car insurance as a precedent for mandating health insurance. He's wrong. Mandates for car insurance do not violate the concept of not taxing the essential element of life that you need to exist. You don't have to buy a car. It's sort of the inverse argument of the meal tax. You can argue that the meal tax really is a tax on food, but the reasoning that you didn't have to choose to have a nice meal at a nice restaurant means it's not a tax on an essential.

Taxing your very existence is wrong, and it is unjust. It is the type tax that would make Thomas Paine jump up and scream and write another pamphlet. Taxing your existence is wrong because you do not get a choice!

Then again, they probably have some free counseling available to convince you that existing really is a choice.

Preaching to the choir

Rather than the fake town hall meetings that were scripted to the extent that they were nothing more than live infomercials, the administration has had the good sense to shed the pretense and only take their message to safe audiences.

For instance, yesterday the president gave a speech to the AFL-CIO convention. He called on them for their support. Their support? Other than pure "quid pro quo" politics the unions have no dog in the health care reform fight. They are being payed off by receiving the "leave my health care alone" provisions those silly teabaggers and deathers are screaming for. One of the ideas in the still being crafted reform is for 'gold plated' health plans to be taxed. Well guess what; unions have gold plated plans. So now the plan is to tax gold plated plans 'except' for unions. Most unions are big enough to be self -insured so they don't have to worry about competing with the government. They have a captive customer base. And now, they don't have to worry about being taxed for the gold plated insurance plan most of us will never be able to afford. In return all they have to do is support the plan that screws everybody else. Oh, and if you (union thugs) could club down any one who opposes the plan, and decides to be vocal about it? That would be great!

In another tabernacle like performance, today the president gave his stump speech to college students in College Park, Maryland. In what will be portrayed as a victorious speech given to cheers with demonstrated support on tonight's evening news, the president cake walked through his talking points. Incredibly he won over the college kids who are still on mommy and daddies insurance plan, and have not yet paid their first bill, with his peace and love, hope and change promotion! Wow! What an accomplishment!

Revisionist History

You have to get it on national television, and get the story out into the theaters before the masses can start asking questions and talking back!

A blog on the Washington Post has an interesting piece on Micheal Moore's new Movie.

44 The Obama Presidency

It's hard to believe that this guy is for real and that so many people believe what he says

the film spends quite a lot of time building up last fall's financial bailout as the ultimate showdown between Wall Street interests calling in their Washington chits and a vanguard of hardy populists in Congress standing in their way. Left unsaid is that a larger proportion of House Republicans than Democrats voted against the bailout --

I have not seen the movie, but I can already hear and visualize the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy diatribe that he will use to place blame for the melt down and the bailout. Apparently he does go after Sen Dodd for being cozy with the wall street fat cats, but we'll have to wait and see if anything other than friendly acquiescence is laid at his feet.

The article really gets interesting near the end when it talks about revising history.

when asked whether the film had glorified the anti-bailout position assumed by so many conservative Republicans, saying that what he had really set out to do was to reclaim the bailout critique for skeptics of capitalism, away from the anti-government types.

"I wanted to stop the revisionist version of how the bailout is remembered," he said. Republicans "are trying to ride some phony populist wave because they know there's anger brewing. Beneath the surface, history is full of people taking advantage of [populist anger] and taking this country to an extra reactionary place."

Which revisionist version? And yesterday President Obama got into the act as well. The timing could not be choreographed any better either. Moore's movie premiere last night was at the same AFL-CIO convention that the president is speaking at today. Like yesterdays speech that he gave to Wall Street, I am sure we will here the same message that puts the bloody knife into the hands of the Wall Street fat cats.

giving loans to those who they knew could never repay

Now, he's right, of course. But, by not giving you the whole story, or by not sharing the blame with bad govt policy, and lack of enforcement of existing regulations, he effectively revises history to place all of the blame on Wall Street and the Republicans.

Never mind that it was the Community Reinvestment Act signed into law by Jimmy Carter which was

designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.^[1][2][3] Congress passed the Act in 1977 to reduce discriminatory credit practices against low-income neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining.

Never mind the  Financial Services Modernization Act signed into law by President Bill Clinton

which repealed part of the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, opening up the market among bankingsecurities companies and insurance companies. The Glass-Steagall Act prohibited any one institution from acting as any combination of an investment bank, a commercial bank, and/or an insurance company. companies,

 Never mind that in September of 1999

the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders.


Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

 In that same New York Times article, there were those who were already sounding the alarm.

''From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,'' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. ''If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.''

I wonder if Barney Frank makes an appearance in Mr Moore's new movie?

What They Said About Fan and Fred

 Rep. Frank: I do think I do not want the same kind of focus on safety and soundness that we have in OCC [Office of the Comptroller of the Currency] and OTS [Office of Thrift Supervision]. I want to roll the dice a little bit more in this situation towards subsidized housing. .