Yesterday the U.K. Daily Mail reported that a United States customs officer had stated that weapons of mass destruction have been found inside the United States.

The article reported:

“In the interview screened by San Diego’s 10News, Al Hallor, assistant San Diego port director, said ‘weapons of mass effect’ had been found, although he did not specify exactly where or what they were.

“Reporter Mitch Blacher asked Mr Hallor: ‘Do you ever find things that are dangerous like a chemical agent or a weaponised device?’

“‘At the airport, seaport, at our port of entry we have not this past fiscal year, but our partner agencies have found those things,’ the customs official replied.”

I guess the good news is that whatever the weapons were, they were found by authorities before anyone had a chance to use them.

Please follow the above link to the article.  It provides some interesting insight into what the American government is attempting to do to keep us safe without creating panic.

Today’s Washington Post posted a story about the Obama Administration’s suggested plan for a national high-speed rail system.  The program will spend $53 billion over six years.  Even if you could build a high-speed rail system that would make money (which is not likely), this is not the time to be spending money that is not absolutely necessary to spend. 

The article reminds us of the lessons of Amtrak:

“Passenger rail service inspires wishful thinking. In 1970, when Congress created Amtrak to preserve intercity passenger trains, the idea was that the system would become profitable and self-sustaining after an initial infusion of federal money. This never happened. Amtrak has swallowed $35 billion in subsidies, and they’re increasing by more than $1 billion annually.”

The article points out that in order to make money, a high speed rail line would have to charge high fares.  If the rail charged low fares, the amount of money received from the government would need to increase.  There is no way this makes sense.

The article concludes:

“Governing ought to be about making wise choices. What’s disheartening about the Obama administration’s embrace of high-speed rail is that it ignores history, evidence and logic. The case against it is overwhelming. The case in favor rests on fashionable platitudes. High-speed rail is not an “investment in the future”; it’s mostly a waste of money. Good government can’t solve all our problems, but it can at least not make them worse.”

Now is not the time to build a high-speed rail system.

This is the link to the Rockets Into Roses website.  This is an amazing concept that is totally new to me.

None of us can imagine what it is to live in fear of neighborhood rocket attacks that happen on a regular basis.  The town of Sderot in Israel has built a bomb shelter in the form of a tunnel in its children’s playground so that the children can run into it when the rocket attacks start.  Again, I can’t imagine what it would be like to raise a family in a place where rocket attacks are a normal occurrence. 

Yaron Bob, in the town of Ashkelon, Israel, takes the spent Kassam rockets and uses them to create beautiful metal roses.  A portion of the profit from the sale of each rose will be donated to Operation Lifeshield (to build bomb shelters in Ashkelon).

This is what the website says about the roses:

“The sculpture’s base is a map of Israel with the rose growing out of the border with Gaza. The stem is mounted on a base in the shape of Israel, with each rose “growing” from the region where most of the have rockets landed.

“Although the rose, stem and base are made of Kassam remains, there is no sign the flower comes from rocket metal.

“The larger more detailed roses can take significantly longer to create, especially the bouquets.

“The premium and ultimate rose have a rounder shape flower. They also have drooping greenery below the flower. The petals are finer, thinner and more elegant than the standard and long-stemmed rose. There is significantly more work, craftsmanship and attention to detail involved.”

It is unfortunate that the world chooses to look the other way while these rockets fall on innocent Israeli civilians every day. 

On January 4, 1919, His Royal Highness the Emir Feisal ibn-Hussein, representing and acting on behalf of the Arab Kingdom of Hedjaz, signed an agreement to abandon all claims of his father to (Western) Palestine if he secured Iraq and Eastern Palestine as Arab territories.  Later that year, 75 percent of the land promised to Israel was given to the Hashemites (that land was known as Transjordan).  The tribe of Ibn Saud and the Wahabi Muslims had driven the Hashemite Tribe out of Mecca and Medina, where they had been custodians of the two cities for centuries, and the British gave the Hashemites Transjordan (carved out of the land the British had promised Israel).

My point in the above history lesson is that if anyone has a right to be angry about the distribution of land in the Middle East, it is the Jews–not the Arabs.  Meanwhile, until the Arabs agree to accept the existence of the State of Israel, we will not have peace in the region.

On Friday, Scott Johnson posted an article at Power Line about the recent Congressional testimony of James R. Clapper.  Mr. Clapper replaced Dennis Blair as the Director of National Intelligence. 

The article reports on some of the process that put Mr. Clapper in his position:

“(Representative Pete) Hoekstra was the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee and a serious man. Politico reported that Hoekstra had related the existence of “bipartisan opposition” to Clapper’s nomination, and complained that Clapper failed to brief Congress on “an extraordinarily sensitive program.”

“Politico’s report also suggested that several more prominent candidates for the position declined it. They apparently prefer not to play second banana to the CIA in the bureaucratic turf wars that the position entails. The CIA was happy with Clapper. Politico pointed out that CIA Director Leon Panetta, who clashed with Blair, praised Claper’s nomination, calling Clapper “a highly qualified intelligence professional” who “[t]he men and women of the CIA look forward to working closely with … to strengthen America’s national security.””

Well, the events of last week called into question the abilitiess of both Mr. Clapper and Mr. Panetta. 

These two events were reported in the article at Power Line:

“Yesterday Panetta announced that Hosni Mubarak would likely be leaving office later in the day. By the end of the day, Mubarak was still there. Our Egyptian intelligence is obviously not all that it might be. What compelled Panetta to open his trap and prove it?

“And yesterday Clapper told a House Intelligence Committee hearing that the Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood — which seeks to render Egypt an Islamic state ruled by sharia law — is “a very heterogeneous group, largely secular, which has eschewed violence and has decried Al Qaeda as a perversion of Islam.””

Wow.  The boy scouts have taken over the Muslim Brotherhood.  I don’t think so. 

The article reports:

“The current Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Muhammad Badi’, gave a sermon in September 2010 stating that Muslims today “need to understand that the improvement and change that the [Muslim] nation seeks can only be attained through jihad and sacrifice and by raising a jihadi generation that pursues death, just as the enemies pursue life.” In short, the Muslim Brotherhood remains committed to supporting militant activities in order to advance its political aims. From looking at the biographies of its most prominent graduates, one can immediately understand the organization’s long-term commitment to jihadism.”

I hope America finds its Winston Churchill soon.  Our government does not seem to see the growing threat.

Last week the Center for Security Policy posted an interview with Douglas Murray, director of the Centre for Social Cohesion in the UK.  The interview is posted at YouTube. 

David Reaboi, who did the interview, comments in the article:

“I asked him (Douglas Murray) about the current revolutions in the Arab world- from Tunisia to Lebanon to Egypt- and what it portends. We discussed the reaction to the anti-regime protests in Egypt by both Western governments and certain conservative commentators who, unfamiliar with the Muslim Brotherhood or its ideology, have taken to cheering on the dissolution of one of America’s regional allies.”

It is a very thoughtful interview and needs to be listened to carefully.

Yesterday the Huffington Post posted a story about some of the federal budget cuts proposed by the Republicans.  The story complained about the cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Americorps.  I am still trying to figure out why the government funds the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in the first place.  Most of my grandchildren have “Tickle Me Elmo” Dolls.  Doesn’t the sale of licensed products raise money for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting?  If a television or radio show is worth airing, won’t it be able to find sponsors?

The article states:

“”They probably think that no one will notice these cuts in the midst of so many others. But the millions of listeners and viewers who rely on public broadcasting for Sesame Street, All Things Considered, and independent journalism will notice,” said MoveOn.org in an urgent E-mail just sent out. “We need to tell Republicans that cutting off funding was unacceptable last time they were in charge, and it’s unacceptable now,” said MoveOn.”

Why is MoveOn.org so concerned about funding for public broadcasting? 

The aricle quotes a New York Times report:

“It blocks the spending of about $2 billion in unused economic stimulus money and seeks to prevent the Internal Revenue Service from enforcing the new health care law. The measure also cuts financing directly from the office of the president.”

The economic stimulus fund was not meant to be a slush fund to be used for political purposes.  Unfortunately, that is what it has become.  It needs to be stopped before any more political cronyism takes place.

I support the idea of a $61 billion savings in the budget.  Our government is spending too much and is currently out of control. 

The following chart is from the Heritage.org website.  It shows how much the rate of growth of spending has increased in the past five years.

To freeze spending at this point is to lock the barn after the horse has run away.  Hopefully the Republican budget cuts will go through.  If they don’t, we can expect higher taxes, a struggling economy and unemployment rates above 9 per cent.  We need the budget cuts.

Last Sunday, Israel Today posted an article about the revolution that has just occurred in Egypt.  It tells a story that I have not heard anywhere else.

Here are a few paragraphs from the article:

When the demonstrations first began in Cairo on January 25, they were led by a large group of students with a list of specific demands. Having himself clearly learned the lesson of the shah’s overthrow, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak subsequently agreed to most of those demands, most importantly the demand that this be his last term in office and that he not establish a dictatorial dynasty with his son taking over next.

A Christian source in Cairo (whose name is being withheld for his own safety) says the uprising should have died down then and there.

“As we followed the unfolding of events including the announced change in government and president Mubarak’s speech, we wondered why the international news media is focusing only on the thousands in Tahrir Square who are escalating their demands and refusing dialogue,” said the source.

According to this man, something changed in the uprising after the first few days, after Mubarak had already agreed to most of the reforms demanded by the original protestors.

“What is happening now has nothing to do with this original protest. What is happening right now is a conspiracy to topple Mubarak from outside the country,” he said. That change coincided with the more visible participation in the uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood, a radical Islamic group with ties to extremists across the region.

But this Christian source suggested the situation is far more grave, and more methodical than just a handful of Brotherhood provocateurs entering the crowds.

“Only a few people (hundreds?) are still there from the original protesters,” he noted. “They have been slowly replaced by other highly organized groups that all carry the same model of cell phones and have the same blankets.

The west (as usual) has been snookered by people who understand how to play the western media and who have a serious long-term objective.  We have been sold the story that this is about democracy in Egypt.  It is not.  It is about establishing an Islamic, Sharia state in Egypt.  This is no longer a movement by the Egyptians.  The revolt was hijacked early in the process. 

Israel has an understanding of what is happening because their security is at stake.  The article reports:

Israeli officials are furious at the way the US and Europe are handling the situation.

“I think the Americans still don’t realize the extent of the catastrophe into which they have pushed the Middle East,” Labor Party leader and former Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer told Army Radio.

Ben-Eliezer slammed the Obama White House’s inability to learn from the past:

“We learn from history. We remember what was said when Carter proposed that the Shah of Iran give up nicely and allow Khomeini to take his place. In Gaza, too, when the Americans came in, they supervised the democratic elections [via which Hamas came into power]. If there are elections in Egypt the way the Americans want, I will be surprised if the Muslim Brotherhood does not win. This will be a new Middle East – radical, Islamic and extremist.”

Likud lawmaker Ayoub Kara told visiting Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee that “it needs to be understood that if the Egyptian government will fall, the Muslim Brotherhood will take its place.” Kara said that Obama should also be learning from the mistakes in Iraq, where an American-style democracy has led to a “saturation of terror.”

A leading columnist for Israel’s largest daily newspaper, Yediot Ahronot, was even harsher, blasting Obama “selling Mubarak for a pot of lentils,” and “not understanding the Middle East.”

“Our conclusion in Israel needs to be that the man sitting in the White House is liable to ‘sell’ us over night,” concluded the columnist. “The thought that the US might not stand by our side in the day of need causes chills. God help us.”

God help all of us.

Bloomberg.com is reporting today that General Motors and Chrysler, both of which recieved large amounts of taxpayer money to continue operations, may award some managers bonuses of as much as 50 percent of their salary, said four people familiar with the plans.

Normally, I don’t think it is anyone’s business how much money someone earns or what their salary or bonuses are; however, when it’s my money, I tend to pay attention.

The article reports:

“GM plans to pay bonuses to most managers equal to 15 percent to 20 percent of their annual salary and as high as 50 percent to less than 1 percent of its 26,000 U.S. salaried employees, said one of the people, who asked not to be named revealing internal plans. Bonuses for Chrysler’s 10,755 salaried workers will average about $10,000, with a small group getting as much as half of their salary, one of the people said.

“…The payouts come as GM, Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. prepare for contract talks this year with the United Auto Workers, which is seeking a share of the industry’s growing prosperity. Ford, the only U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy in 2009, is expected to pay bonuses equal to 10 percent or more of base pay to some salaried staff, said a person familiar with the plan.”

The battle at Chrysler and General Motors is between the unions and the companies.  The unions were given favorable treatment in the settlement with Chrysler (breaking existing bankruptcy laws) and the unions received favorable treatment when General Motors was funded by the government. 

General Motors will be paying its union members bonuses of about 5 percent of their annual pay as part of their profit sharing plan.  Chrysler union workers will receive about 1.3 percent.  Ford will pay about 8.3 percent.

The article reports:

“UAW President Bob King has said he aims to recover some of the $7,000 to $30,000 in concessions each worker gave up since 2005 to help the U.S. automakers survive. The union surrendered raises, bonuses and cost-of-living adjustments. The UAW also agreed to a two-tier wage system in which new hires earn about $14 an hour, half the amount paid to senior production workers.

“”All the sacrifices that our members made to turn these companies around were part of the process that’s really led to this amazing turnaround,” King said in an interview last month. “We want our membership to share in a very meaningful way in the upside of these companies.””

What about all the sacrifices the taxpayers made?

This story is from the Weekly Standard Blog.  Another promise of Obamacare has been broken–the bill will not create jobs–it will cause unemployment.  This fact was made clear during Congressional testimony yesterday by Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Elmendorf.  The testimony went as follows:

Chairman [Paul] Ryan: “[I]t’s been argued…that the new health care law will create jobs and increase labor force participation. But if I recall from your analysis, it was quite the opposite. Is that not the case?”

Director [Douglas] Elmendorf : “Yes.”…

[…]

Rep. [John] Campbell: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, we’ll — and Dr. Elmendorf — and we’ll continue this conversation right now. First on health care, before I get to — before I get to broader issues, you just mentioned that you believe — or that in your estimate, that the health care law would reduce the labor used in the economy by about 1/2 of 1 percent, given that, I believe you say, there’s 160 million full-time people working in ’20-’21.  That means that, in your estimation, the health care law would reduce employment by 800,000 in ’20-’21. Is that correct? 

Director Elmendorf: Yes. The way I would put it is that we do estimate, as you said, that…employment will be about 160 million by the end of the decade.  Half a percent of that is 800,000.

How many broken promises will it take before this awful law is repealed? 

The Associated Press via Yahoo News is reporting that there is dancing in the streets in Egypt as President Mubarak has stepped down and control of the government has been given to the military.  Recently named Vice President Suleiman also seems to have lost his new found position.

The article quotes Vice President Suleiman’s statement:

“In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic,” he said. “He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor.”

We will see what happens next.  The article reports:

“Earlier in the day, the council vowed to guide the country to greater democracy. It said was committed “to shepherding the legitimate demands of the people and endeavoring to their implementation within a defined timetable until a peaceful transition to a democratic society aspired to by the people.”

“Abdel-Rahman Samir, one of the protest organizers, said the movement would now open negotiations with the military over democratic reforms but vowed protests would continue to ensure change is carried out.

“”We still don’t have any guarantees yet — if we end the whole situation now the it’s like we haven’t done anything,” he said. “So we need to keep sitting in Tahrir until we get all our demands.”

“But, he added, “I feel fantastic. …. I feel like we have worked so hard, we planted a seed for a year and a half and now we are now finally sowing the fruits.”

“Sally Toma, another of the organizers, said she did not expect the military would try to clear the square. “We still have to sit and talk. We have to hear the army first,” she said.”

There is some good news here.  If the military keeps its pledge to move toward democracy, the protestors will go away and the country will stabilize.  Also good news is the fact that the Egyptian military has worked closely with the United States on defense for a number of years.  Many of the military leaders are pro-western and appreciate the military aid the United States has given their country.  The unknown here is the role of the Muslim Brotherhood.  When the Muslim Brotherhood was given a role in the Lebanese government as it became a democracy, they simply waited for the opportune moment to make their move.  Five years later they simply took over the government.  That scenario needs to be avoided in Egypt.

Today’s Jerusalem Post reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that a new Middle East is emerging out of the protests in Egypt–one that will have no signs of Israel and U. S. interference.  That is not a friendly statement.  One of the many reasons I have lost faith in the United Nations is that they used to have rules (which they actually took seriously) about one member country threatening another member country.

Iran is marking the 23rd anniversary of the 1979 revolution that brought the Islamists to power in that country. 

The article at the Jerusalem Post reports:

“On Thursday, Iranian opposition leader Mahdi Karroubi announced via his website, Sahamnews.org, that he has been placed under house arrest, because he called for a rally in support of anti-government demonstrations in Egypt.

“Karroubi petitioned the government for permission to hold a rally, but State Prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi rejected the request, warning of repercussions should a demonstration take place.”

As we watch the rapidly unfolding events in Egypt, we need to remember that a revolution in the Middle East is not always good news.  I would love to see a true democracy arise in Egypt, but I am not optimistic.  Democracy and Sharia law are incompatible, and the majority of Egyptians support many of the tenets of Sharia law.  I am glad that the torture and human rights violations that went on under President Mubarak will end (I think), but I am concerned about exactly what will follow.

Yesterday the Houston Chronicle posted a story about some changes in the methods we use to access our energy sources in America.  One of the things we have to keep in mind as we strive for energy independence that is environmentally sound is that we are a carbon-fuel-based society.  It would be nice to depend on ‘clean’ energy overnight, but the countries that have attempted that have found that it was extremely expensive and cost thousands of jobs rather than creating them.  If you doubt that, google “Spain + wind energy” and see what you come up with.  There have also been previous stories on the subject on this website.

Innovation is one of the hallmarks of the American economy.  Now, a new drilling technique has been developed that will allow America to access its vast oil and natural gas resources scattered across North Dakota, Colorado, Texas and California.  As usual, environmentalists are suspicious, but so far they have not stopped the production of oil.

The article reports:

“Environmentalists fear that fluids or wastewater from the process, called hydraulic fracturing, could pollute drinking water supplies. The Environmental Protection Agency is now studying its safety in shale drilling. The agency studied use of the process in shallower drilling operations in 2004 and found that it was safe.

“In the Bakken formation, production is rising so fast there is no space in pipelines to bring the oil to market. Instead, it is being transported to refineries by rail and truck. Drilling companies have had to erect camps to house workers.

“Unemployment in North Dakota has fallen to the lowest level in the nation, 3.8 percent — less than half the national rate of 9 percent. The influx of mostly male workers to the region has left local men lamenting a lack of women. Convenience stores are struggling to keep shelves stocked with food.”

That is good news.  The article reports on current and future implications:

“Still, a surge in production last year from the Bakken helped U.S. oil production grow for the second year in a row, after 23 years of decline. This during a year when drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the nation’s biggest oil-producing region, was halted after the BP oil spill.

“U.S. oil production climbed steadily through most of the last century and reached a peak of 9.6 million barrels per day in 1970. The decline since was slowed by new production in Alaska in the 1980s and in the Gulf of Mexico more recently. But by 2008, production had fallen to 5 million barrels per day.

“Within five years, analysts and executives predict, the newly unlocked fields are expected to produce 1 million to 2 million barrels of oil per day, enough to boost U.S. production 20 percent to 40 percent. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates production will grow a more modest 500,000 barrels per day.

“By 2020, oil imports could be slashed by as much as 60 percent, according to Credit Suisse’s Morse, who is counting on Gulf oil production to rise and on U.S. gasoline demand to fall.

“At today’s oil prices of roughly $90 per barrel, slashing imports that much would save the U.S. $175 billion a year. Last year, when oil averaged $78 per barrel, the U.S. sent $260 billion overseas for crude, accounting for nearly half the country’s $500 billion trade deficit.

“”We have redefined how to look for oil and gas,” says Rehan Rashid, an analyst at FBR Capital Markets. “The implications are major for the nation.””

The two solutions to the current recession are very simple–less government and more innovation.

Hugh Hewitt posted an article at Townhall.com blasting the Republicans recently elected to the House of Representatives for not keeping their pledge to cut spending back to the pre-stimulus spending levels of 2008. 

He opens his article with the following comments:

“The number of Republican Members of Congress who appeared on my radio show between their “thumpin'” in 2006 and their return to power in 2010 who admitted with apparent remorse that “We lost our way” is easily in double digits.

“That was the mantra, and embedded within it an implied pledge that, if the voters would just give them another chance, all would be different.

“How different? Vastly, completely, transcendently different. And the House Republicans took that implied pledge, made it explicit, and put it all in a “Pledge to America” that promised in key language on page 21 that if a new GOP majority was sent to D.C. it would act immediately to cut spending.” 

Mr. Hewitt points out that if the Republicans do not keep their pledge, no one will ever believe them again. 

The Republican tide in November was the result of the enthusiasm and involvement of the Tea Party Patriots in the election.  The Republicans ignore the wishes of the Tea Party at their own peril.  I feel very strongly that if the Republicans do not significantly cut the federal budget, there will be a third party–it will be the Republican party.  The enthusiasm in the Republican Party comes from the Tea Party–the Tea Party is looking for serious change in Washington.  If the Republicans do not bring that change, I believe the Tea Party will grow and both the Republicans and Democrats who continue the runaway spending in Washington will be voted out of office.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  The first clue that the new Republicans might not get their way was the fact that the House leadership did not change when they took office.  If the current Republican leadership cannot hear the wishes of the voters, they need to be replaced.

The Wall Street Journal posted a list of the suggested budget cuts on Wednesday.

Mark Steyn on

“Relighting the Lamps of Liberty:

Standing Up For Freedom in a Darkening World”

Ahavath Torah Congregation, Stoughton, Thursday, February 24, 7:30 PM

Mark Steyn, international best-selling author and human rights activist, will speak on “Relighting The Lamps of Liberty: Standing Up For Freedom in a Darkening World,” at Ahavath Torah Congregation, 1179 Central Street, Stoughton, MA on Thursday, February 24th at 7:30 PM.   Steyn’s book America Alone: The End of The World as We Know It was a bestseller in the United States and Canada.  In his new book Lights Out: Islam, Free Speech and the Twilight of The West he discusses his legendary battle with Canada’s Human Rights Commission.

Steyn is a visiting fellow at Hillsdale College, a popular guest host of America’s number one radio show, The Rush Limbaugh Program, and of the popular cable show Hannity.  Steyn’s writing on politics, arts and culture is published regularly throughout the English-speaking world.  In the US his column appears in newspapers including The Washington Times, The Philadelphia Bulletin, The Orange County Register in California,  Investors’ Business Daily and The Wall Street Journal.  He also writes for The New Criterion and National Review.  In Canada Steyn is a contributing editor to Maclean’s, the Dominion’s oldest and biggest-selling news weekly.  His writing also appears in The Jerusalem Post, the Middle East’s leading English-language daily; The Australian, Australia’s national newspaper; Investigate and Hawke’s Bay Today in New Zealand; and, in Italy, Il Foglio (in translation).  Steyn also appears weekly on The Hugh Hewitt Radio Show.

Admission is $10 per person.  A VIP “meet and greet” with Steyn will be open to donors/sponsors of the event at $100 per person or $1000 per organization at 6:30 PM.  For more information contact Ahavath Torah Congregation at 781-344-8733 or e-mail office@atorah.org

I am not sure if both of these articles reflect an actual plan to end Obamacare–one article details a plan to end it–the other article details a move that if successful will end it intentionally or not.

Politico reported Monday that a group of ‘moderate Democrats’ are looking for a way to roll back the part of Obamacare that requires everyone to purchase health insurance. 

The article reports:

“And it’s not just health care.  The senators are prepared to break with the White House on a wide range of issues:  embracing deeper spending cuts, scaling back business regulations and overhauling environmental rules.  The moderates most likely to buck their party include Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana–all of whom are up for reelection in 2012 and represent states Obama lost in 2008.”

Meanwhile, yesterday the Wall Street Journal reported that the House is planning to defund Obamacare before any money can be spent to implement the program.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

“The House last month approved a bill to repeal the health law outright, but the measure was rejected last week by the Senate. The GOP’s backup plan calls for repealing specific portions of the law, such as its requirement that all individuals buy health insurance. The GOP amendment reflects yet another strategy: choking off the money needed to put the law into effect.

“The spending bill will also have to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate, which is unlikely to support a defunding provision. That means that Mr. Obama’s signature health initiative will be one of the major sticking points in passing the government-wide spending bill known as a continuing resolution.

“The measure is needed to keep the government running after March 4, when the current stop-gap spending bill expires. House Republicans are using the bill as a vehicle for making deep cuts in spending for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.”

It seems to be understood that repealing the requirement that everyone purchase health insurance would make the financing of the bill impossible.  That is the provision that the courts have recently declared unconstitutional.  Because Obamacare is the President’s signature legislative accomplishment, this is going to be a very heated battle.  Start the popcorn, and sit back and watch the fireworks!

I realize that this article is going to sound like whining.  I apologize for that–but I am whining.  The amount of time and money this President has spent on recreation and vacations is staggering.  If the economy were in better shape, it might not be so obvious, but the excesses in the President’s Hawaiian vacation and the excesses in the First Lady’s Spanish vacation were in sharp contrast to the current financial situation of many Americans. 

Now the Democrat Party has chosen to follow that example.  ABC News reported yesterday on the recent Democrat and Republican retreats.  Last month, the Republicans held a retreat at the Library of Congress.  Meanwhile, the Democrats have left town for a three-day retreat at a swanky 573-acre resort outside of Charlottesville called the Boar’s Head Inn. 

Mitch McConnell chose to be tactful in his comments on the retreat location, saying that where the Democrats chose to retreat was their decision.  However, not everyone was so charitable. 

The article reports:

“”Just because they’re super-wealthy and don’t have a problem taking off to a four-diamond resort during the middle of the work-week doesn’t make them out of touch. What makes them out of touch is that they think it’s a good idea to raise taxes on jobs and energy during the middle of a recession,” sniped a senior GOP aide.”

Being elected to a national office should not qualify you for a life of luxurious retreats at other people’s expense.  The location of this retreat at a time when America is in the middle of a recession and has an unemployment rate of over 9 per cent is totally unacceptable.

Representative Ted Poe, who represents Texas’ 2nd Congressional District, posted an article at Human Events today about the ongoing battle between Texas and the federal government. 

Representative Poe reports:

“Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership continued their game of hardball by stripping Texas of its authority to issue greenhouse gas permits. It is painfully obvious that the EPA is making an example out of Texas. Out of the 13 states that initially objected to the EPA’s efforts to regulate, Texas is the only one who has not surrendered to the intrusion of the federal government. As a result, the EPA is punishing Texas for not giving in to their demands.”

The issue is whether or not the Obama Administration can implement the Cap and Trade legislation that did not pass Congress by using the Environmental Protection Agency.  Representative Poe introduced H. R. 153, the Ensuring Affordable Energy Act, to stop efforts to use the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a program that Congress failed to pass. 

Representative Poe states:

“Instead of making an example out of Texas, perhaps the EPA should use Texas as an example. Texas has simultaneously improved its environment and economy. The Texas Flexible Permitting Program has been successful in reducing emissions and allowing industries in Texas to thrive. According to a report from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the ozone levels in Texas decreased by 27 percent between 2000 and 2009. The national average decrease in ozone levels over this same time period was 12 percent. Our state is dedicated to finding cleaner energy alternatives, but we also know that we need to utilize our known sources of energy effectively and safely.”  

Thank you, sir, for your willingness to stand up to the government when it oversteps its authority.

NBC News in Chicago reported yesterday that Rod Blagojevich says that there is a missing undercover tape that will prove his innocence. 

The article reports:

“”To be certain, the evidence of such a phone call is purely circumstantial.  In their filing, the attorneys note that a report issued by the Obama transition team found that “between the time Mr. Emanuel decided to accept the position of Chief of Staff in the White House, and December 8, 2008, Mr. Emanuel had about four telephone conversations with John Harris, Chief of Staff to the Governor, on the subject of the Senate seat.”

 

“They argue that the government has only tendered three of those conversations. 

 

“”The fourth and final phone call is the call that is mysteriously missing,” writes defense attorney Lauren Kaesberg.  “The government never turned over this pivotal recording, nor a transcript of this call.””

I don’t mean to be cynical, but somehow I am a little skeptical that this tape will ever be produced.  It may actually exist, but I doubt the jury in the case will ever hear it!  Both sides of this case are due in court in two weeks.  Stay tuned.

If you watched the interview of President Obama by Bill O’Reilly on Super Bowl Sunday, you saw the President claim that “didn’t raise taxes once.”  Well, there are a few people who were doing some fact checking on that interview.

Yesterday CNS News reported that Americans For Tax Reform disputes that claim.  Hot Air also posted an article yesterday detailing the reasons why that claim is false.

According to Hot Air:

“The idea that Obama did not raise taxes is just plain wrong. He signed legislation raising taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products soon after taking office; that money goes to pay for children’s health insurance programs. The law went into effect in 2009. He also signed the health care law, which includes taxes on indoor tanning that went into effect last year. (Regular PolitiFact readers will remember our fact-check of reality TV star Snooki and her complaint about the new tax last year.)

“The new health care law also includes a tax on people who decide not to have health insurance, as an incentive for them to get coverage. The tax phases in gradually, starting in 2014. By 2016, the tax would be $695 per uninsured person up to a maximum of three times that amount, or $2,085. The law includes exemptions for people who can’t find affordable insurance, and a few other special circumstances.

“More significantly, the health care law includes new taxes on the wealthy, starting in 2013. Individuals who make more than $200,000 and couples that make more than $250,000 will see additional Medicare taxes of 0.9 percent. They will also, for the first time, have to pay Medicare taxes on their investment income at a 3.8 percent rate. (Current law is that all workers and employers split a 2.9 percent Medicare tax; the self-employed pay all of it.)”

The CNS News article cited President Obama record on taxes:

“Responding on Monday, ATR said Obama’s claim of being a net-tax-cutter “rests on the temporary tax relief he has signed into law. “That tax increases Obama has signed into law have invariably been permanent.  In fact, Obama signed into law $7 in permanent tax hikes for every $1 in permanent tax cuts,” ATR said. 

“”Over 90 percent of the dollar value of the tax cuts Obama signed into law are only temporary,” said ATR. “100 percent of the tax increases Obama signed into law are, however, permanent … Permanent changes to tax law signed by Obama amount to a net tax hike of $618.7 billion.””

Don’t forget the new tax on medical device manufacturers, a higher tax on withdrawals from health savings accounts, a cap on flexible spending accounts, a surtax on investment income, an excise tax on comprehensive health insurance plans, a hike in the Medicare payroll tax, and a tax on indoor tanning services,

That sounds to me that the claim by President Obama that he has not raised taxes will not hold water.

Investors.com posted an editorial about the dangers of including the Muslim Brotherhood in the new Egyptian government.  The editorial points out that if the Muslim Brotherhood is included in the government of Egypt, they would be part of a regime that has an active WMD program.

The question becomes whether or not the Muslim Brotherhood is a radical Muslim group or simply a nice group of moderate Muslims who want democracy in Egypt. 

The editorial points out:

“As retired Army Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis wrote in Human Events this week, “An Egyptian government dominated by the Brotherhood would quickly cast aside its democratic and nonviolent facade to establish Egypt as an Islamic state.”

“Not scary enough for you? Senior investigative producer Robert Windrem of MSNBC reports that “Egypt has quietly carried out research and development on weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical, biological and missile technology.”

“This R&D, he adds, has “continued virtually without pause over the past three decades,” based on interviews with U.S. officials and reviews of intelligence.”

The article further reports:

“Don’t worry, we’re told — Mohammed Badie, the recently elected head of the Brotherhood, is really a “moderate.” For the record, here’s what Badie had to say in one sermon last year:

“”Arab and Muslim regimes are betraying their people by failing to confront the Muslim’s real enemies — not only Israel, but also the United States. Waging jihad against both of these infidels is a commandment of Allah that cannot be disregarded. Governments have no right to stop their people from fighting the U.S.””

This does not sound like a moderate Muslim.  Secretary of State Clinton encouraged the Muslim Brotherhood to be involved in the negotiations that will determine the future of Egypt.  That may be a practical move since they are going to be there anyway, but it seems very naive.  Hopefully, she knows what she is doing.

Today’s Daily Caller is reporting that the House of Representatives will vote to block funding of Obamacare next week.  The amendment to block funding will be part of the consideration of the budget.  All spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, where the blocking of funds for Obamacare is likely to be successful.  The battle will come when the Senate begins to deal with the issue of the budget.  Stay tuned.

Today’s Christian Science Monitor is reporting that the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) is suspending its operations due to a lack of funds.  The Democratic Leadership Council was formed by moderate Democrats in 1985 in response to Ronald Reagan’s re-election in 1984.  The group was supposed to bring the Democrat party back to the center of the political spectrum after the party had drifted significantly left. 

The Los Angeles Times reported today:

“This week, the DLC said it was shutting its doors because of financial problems. The move was hastened by the departure of its leader, Bruce Reed, who was hired by Vice President Joe Biden as his chief of staff.”

There have been other organizations that have grown out of the DLC that also claim the ‘centrist’ label (although many of them are left of center). 

According to the Christian Science Monitor:

“And there are plenty of other centrist Democratic organizations picking up the slack. The Progressive Policy Institute, a think tank that spun off from the DLC in 2009, is alive and well. So is the New Democrat Network and Third Way.  The Center for American Progress, founded by Clinton White House alumnus John Podesta, also qualifies as centrist and has the benefit of close ties to the Obama White House. The last DLC-er who could make that boast – the group’s CEO, Bruce Reed – just left the organization to become Vice President Biden’s chief of staff.  He had just completed a stint as executive director of Mr. Obama’s fiscal commission.”

I will admit to being very skeptical about President Obama’s ‘move to the center.’  I am more inclined to watch his actions, not his words, during the next two years.  Unfortunately the ‘blue dog’ Democrat is becoming an endangered species.  There are only 25 ‘blue dogs’ left in Congress at this point.  The DLC at least provided the possibility of compromise between Republicans and Democrats.  Now that the DLC is gone, I find communication and compromise much less likely. 

Today’s Washington Examiner reports that Chrysler aired the longest Super Bowl advertisement in history yesterday.  The ad is supposed to have cost ‘less than $9 million’ according to CEO Sergio Marchionne.  At the same time, Chrysler is seeking a ‘better deal’ on its government loans. 

The article states:

“That’s right: Chrysler took $15 billion from taxpayers, to which it wasn’t entitled, and at an industry convention its CEO calls taxpayers a word that is defined as “someone who acts in a disreputable, unethical, or unscrupulous way, especially in the practice of law, politics and used car sales.” Message received: “Taxpayers’ money saved a car company from bankruptcy and all they got was this lousy Super Bowl commercial.”

“And what a commercial. Chrysler turns to America to say that because Detroit has been “through hell and back” it has endured the “hottest fires which makes the hardest steel,” and that the reason people don’t know that is because newspaper reporters “don’t know what [people in Detroit] are capable of.””

There are a few problems with Chrysler’s claims about its current situation.  First of all, the government program that allowed Chrysler to avoid bankruptcy broke many of the country’s existing bankruptcy laws–the unions were given preference over the preferred stockholders and there were other financial irregularities.  Second of all, Detroit is not at all out of the woods, and third, the article says that newspaper reporters do know what Detroit is capable of and also can see a potential for good things in the future for the city. 

Anyway, I love the quote, “Taxpayers’ money saved a car company from bankruptcy and all they got was this lousy Super Bowl commercial.”  Good grief!

Hot Air posted an article yesterday about Israel’s quest for energy independence.  That makes a lot of sense.  Israel is surrounded by countries that have publicly stated that they do not want Israel to exist.  Israel depends on some of these countries for her energy needs.

According to My Way:

“The explosion in Egypt’s northern Sinai Peninsula on Saturday came amid a popular uprising against longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The blast set off a massive fire that was contained by shutting off the flow of gas to Jordan and Israel. Egypt’s natural gas company said the fire was caused by a gas leak, but local officials said an explosive device was detonated inside the terminal.”

The article at My Way also reports that under a deal signed three years ago, Egypt will supply Israel with 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas a year for at least 15 years.  Egypt supplies up to half of the energy Israel uses to power its electrical plants.  It should be noted here that some of the protestors in Egypt are already claiming that the peace treaty with Israel was between Mubarak and Israel–not Egypt and Israel.  I don’t think I would depend on any new regime to honor the energy contract.

Israel has recently discovered large reserves of natural gas in Israeli waters and is rapidly moving to tap them. 

The article at Hot Air concludes:

“Good for them. Of course, we’re sitting on massive reserves of natural gas here in the United States, only the government seems to be taking the opposite approach and hindering our efforts to capture and utilize it. Similarly, Canada and Alaska have large reserves, but the U.S. government is botching efforts to build the pipelines and other infrastructure required to take full advantage of it across all of North America.

“Israel is quick to recognize that energy security is every bit as important to stability and security as all other elements of defense. It’s a lesson that a few people in Washington could use a refresher course on.”

We need to follow the example of Israel and stop bankrolling our enemies because we refuse to develop our own energy resources.

On Saturday, Larry Kudlow posted an article at the Daily Caller about the unemployment numbers for January that were released on Friday.  According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the blizzards across America caused 886,000 workers to report “not at work due to bad weather.”  In past years the average for January was about 300,000.  The numbers released also report a 4.9 million jump in the part-time workforce. 

Mr. Kudlow reports that numbers from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) are consistent with the government’s report that Manufacturing jobs in the United States rose 50,000 in January.  The numbers also show that average hourly earnings increased by four-tenths of 1 percent. 

Mr. Kudlow states that he believes that the economic recovery is happening, regardless of the continuing high unemployment numbers.  He also points out that the numbers released show increased inflation pressure.  The price of oil has recently increased and the price of groceries is also climbing.  Those two items could seriously hinder a return to economic growth.