Unemployment Rate Among Young Explodes to Over 52%; Young Obama Voters Learn Meaning of "You Reap What You Sow"

Last year the media did not mince words in their race to announce that young voters were flocking to Obama. In fact, a google search I conducted while doing research for this entry yielded 210,000 results for the very specific search phrase "young voters flock to Obama". The link provided is to the first one on the list. It was hardly surprising after young people's ridiculous choice at the polls in 2006, when they helped usher in a new era of governmental horrors by voting in droves for Democrats thus handing them control of Congress.

Back in 2007 the new Democrat Congress passed a bill to raise the minimum wage, as promised. Businesses warned that this would make it more difficult to hire new employees, expand businesses and invest in research and development. They were politely told to "shut up" and to stop being so damned greedy. What do these stupid business owners think this is, anyway, capitalism? Sheesh! Well, now the young voters who have steadfastly supported liberals in the past two elections with the hopes of earning a higher minimum wage for flipping patties down at the Burger Barn are finding that the Burger Barn is no longer hiring. In fact, the entry level positions that young people depend upon in order to enter the workforce have all but vanished.

And so today there is a 52.2% unemployment rate among young people.

And worse, without a clear economic recovery plan aimed at creating entry-level jobs, the odds of many of these young adults -- aged 16 to 24, excluding students -- getting a job and moving out of their parents' houses are long. Young workers have been among the hardest hit during the current recession -- in which a total of 9.5 million jobs have been lost.

"It's an extremely dire situation in the short run," said Heidi Shierholz, an economist with the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute. "This group won't do as well as their parents unless the jobs situation changes."

Well, Heidi, unfortunately the "jobs situation" (that's what liberals call an unmitigated domestic policy disaster of their own doing...a "situaton") will not change anytime soon. The fact of the matter is that virtually no one, and I do mean no one, works for the minimum wage in this country anyway. Anytime a liberal on television starts asking you to imagine raising a family on the minimum wage, consider that only 1.5% (yes, the decimal really does go there) of all American workers actually earn the minimum wage. As the Heritage Foundation points out, when you exclude the number of workers who make minimum wage or less, but also earn tips, thus pushing them over the minimum wagee threshold, that number falls to 1.1%. Not 11%. 1.1%. The facts only get worse for liberals from there:

Most workers who earn the minimum wage or less fall into two categories: young workers, usually in school, and older workers who have left school. The majority of minimum wage-earners fall into the first category: 53 percent of those earning $5.15 or less per hour are between the ages of 16 and 24. [4] The remainder are 25 years of age or older...

...Even the vast majority of older adults who earn the minimum wage live above the poverty line. They have an average family income of $33,600 a year, well above the poverty line of $19,806 per year for a family of four. Most of them choose to work part-time, and a sizeable number are married. The average older minimum wage-earner simply does not fit the stereotype of a worker living on the edge of destitution.

Not that any of this matters. Even though the minimum wage was raised just two years ago, purportedly to help all these starving "families" who now can't find any job anywhere because we tried to "save" them, you can still hear screams from the left that the minimum wage is too low. The following articles were all written in the two years since the wage was raised from $5.15 to $7.25. I've translated the titles of the articles so they can be more easily understood to ordinary Americans:

Whaa!! Whaa!!
The Big Apple's Big Heart Ache
Boo Hoo!! Boooo Hooooo!
Blah Blah Blah living wage Blah Blah Blah
"Please Sir, I want some more."

That's a very small sample of the articles out there, although admittedly it's a far greater amount than the number of Americans earning minimum wage while supporting a family.

Now, if you're asking "Russ, when will it ever be good enough for these leftists boobs", then congratulations! You're a sane person and probably a certifiable patriot. But, if you're one of those asking "But, Russ, why doesn't the government force my employer to pay me even more" then I don't think you're exactly what the founders had in mind. Maybe you should move to Iran. The only rich people in Iran are in the government, and I hear the "average man on the street" just loves it there! I mean just look at them!


OK OK OK maybe that was a bad example, but I'm sure it's lovely otherwise! I hear on Fridays there are only 5 public stonings now instead of the traditional 8. So things are improving!

But what am I saying, I mean, nothing could ever compare to the miserable life of the minimum wage earner in America, most of whom are subjected to the humiliation of having a car, a home, a television, a refrigerator and other really terrible third world things like cell phones and computers. Don't you monsters have hearts! I mean we're talking about literally dozens of people here!

Seriously, though. Give me a break.

Now That's What I Call A Protest!

h/t Hot Air

Hardly a week after Nancy Pelosi nearly wet her panties worrying that healthcare protests and townall meetings could turn violent (whaa! whaa!), a worry being fueled by the mainstream media and left bloggers. But in the midst of the G20 protests by liberal anarchists and anticapitalists, we see what a violent protest actually looks like.Nice. Via Hot Air:

Of course, the media didn’t bat an eye at the larger implications of the real violence from the same leftist crowd in Saint Paul, Minnesota, during the Republican convention, either. It seems that conservatives exercising free speech in a passionate but responsible manner freaks out the national media far more than leftists engaged in actual political violence.

As Ann Coulter explains, the most popular argument for liberals is to throw things, usually food, although in this case it appears to be a giant dumpster presumably filled with the garbage that is the liberal idea of what America should be.

Fired Up! Ready To Go!

And they made fun of George Bush for being a former cheerleader. At least he never did this. Seriously, it's kind of embarrassing, Barry. Just stop it already.

Chris Dodd Facing Big Trouble In Connecticut

Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid's imminent demise notwithstanding, perhaps the most scrumptious victory Republicans have a more than good chance of having will be the defeat of Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut, a man whose fifteen minutes are finally up. The most recent polls show that Dodd's Republican challenger, Congressman Rob Simmons, now leads in the race by an average of over 6 points. Indeed, the most recent Rasmussen poll shows Dodd down by 10 points, a staggering number to say the least. It seems the people of Connecticut are really unimpressed by the Senator's financial misdeeds and are looking for someone a little more, well, ethical to represent them in the august chamber that is the U.S. Senate.

Good luck to Rob Simmons. You can donate to his campaign here.

Republican Prospects In 2010: A Look At Key Indicators

While ever mindful of the fact that polls can hardly be relied on as an indicator of election results that are still over a year away, I am also mindful of the fact that no one in the blogsphere today is not speculating on GOP prospects next year. And the reason for all of the speculation is because the prospects look so good right now for the Republican Party. If it looked as if next year were going to maintain the status quo, there would be no talk of GOP prospects because they would have none. My point is only that the chatter itself means the prospects are at least fair to midland.

In any case, let us look at some numbers that we can rely on because they require no sample or margin of error. Fundraising trends can tell us a more accurate story of how the electorat s feeling, and right now the Rupublican National Committee is awash in cash after experiencing a big bump in August:

Despite being in the minority in Congress, Republican campaign committees outraised Democrats by $1.7 million in August as they have aggressively collected political cash amid the rancorous debate over health care.
Republicans also held an edge over Democrats in the amount of money available, when counting debts, as both parties set the stage for the 2010 elections, in which more than three dozen competitive House and Senate seats are at stake...

...In the Senate, where Republicans are far outnumbered, their fundraising committee collected $3.1 million last month, compared to $2.2 million by the Democratic committee. It was the second month in a row that the Senate GOP committee outperformed Democrats — bringing its fundraising total for the year to $26.5 million, just $1 million less than the Democrats.

Brian Walsh, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said the committee has attracted more than 70,000 first-time donors this year as voters grew alarmed by President Obama's policies. "There are a lot of independents who may have voted for Obama who are now saying, 'This type of big government spending is not what we signed up for,' " he said.

This vindicates a recent Gallup poll showing that the GOP image is improving among voters. Take a look at that poll. The most interesting thing isn't the average voters' perception of the Republican party, but the perception of the party by party members themselves. In June support for the GOP among registered Republicans had fallen to 63%. Now it is back to 83% and will likely increase in the coming months.

Michael Barone, one of the best political analysts evah is now openly speculating about a GOP takeover of the House like we saw in 1994, when the Republicans wrestled a historical 52 seats from the Democrats in the House. As Barone points out, Real Clear Politics (a site all of you should be on everyday) currently shows Democrat leading Republicans by only 3 points on the generic ballot. But...:

But there’s a clear difference between the results shown by pollster Scott Rasmussen, who limits his surveys to those he determines to be likely voters, and other pollsters. Rasmussen currently shows Republicans leading 42%-38% and has had them ahead every week since the results he reported June 28—just about the time the House was passing the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill by a 219-212 margin.

This is no small matter. Barone even points to the noted liberal bloggers on www.538.com who are also seemingly weary of a possible, and even probable Republican resergence in 2010.

Again, I would not normally place so heavy an emphasis on polls. But fundraising numbers do not lie. We will stay on top of those numbers and keep you posted.

Children Taught To Sing Obama's Praises At Elementary School In New Jersey

Yes. This really happened. The original video was taken off of YouTube, but luckily our friends over at Hot Air dug it up. You really gotta read his piece on this. Here is the video:

Barack Hussein Obama
He said Red, Yellow, Black or White
All are equal in his sight
Mmm, mmm, mm!

Yes! Yes, my brothahssss!! Barack-uh. Is-uh Lawd-uh!! Gag me. Thanks also to Hot Air for pointing out that this scene is eerily reminiscent of this scene from one of the best films of all time, Cabaret!

Now Fatherland, Fatherland, show us the sign
Your children have waited to see
The morning will come
When the world is mine
Tomorrow belongs to me

I'm with the old man in the glasses. Oy vaht is vit deez crasy peepelz!?

Global Warming Doomsday Pushed Back For Now: North Pole's Ice Will Remain

Well, no kiddin'! Last summer, National Geographic was doing it's part to hype global warming claims by insisting that the North Pole would cease to have ice. Lest their warnings be too vague, they titled their story "North Pole May Be Ice Free For First Time This Summer." Yes, they really said that. Sayeth the author:

Arctic warming has become so dramatic that the North Pole may melt this summer, report scientists studying the effects of climate change in the field.

"We're actually projecting this year that the North Pole may be free of ice for the first time [in history]," David Barber, of the University of Manitoba, told National Geographic News aboard the C.C.G.S. Amundsen, a Canadian research icebreaker...

..."I would say the ice in the vicinity of the North Pole is primed for melting, and an ice-free North Pole is a good possibility," Sheldon Drobot, a climatologist at the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research at the University of Colorado, said by email.

Now I know what you're all saying. "But Russ. Russ, Russ. But Russ! Aren't we going to have an ice free planet soon because of all this global warming?!" I dunno, are we? The following was published by the same organization, National Geographic, this week, about a year after they predicted the North Pole would have no ice. Seeing as how the North Pole did, in fact, have ice, they decided they had some 'splainin' to do:

This year's cooler-than-expected summer means the Arctic probably won't experience ice-free summers until 2030 or 2040, scientists say.

Some models had previously predicted that the Arctic could be ice free in summer by as soon as 2013, due to rising temperatures from global warming.

Now, I'm not saying that climate models are stupid, all I'm saying is that they're retarded, and they are the only basis for the untold amount of untruths being told by well-known and highly respected climatologists and meteorologists like, ya know, Al Gore. No, wait. Nevermind.

Barry to Allies: "Screw You"

No longer content with destroying our nation on the domestic front vis a vis his healthcare reform proposals, President Obama today unleashed one helluva whopper today, essentially giving the finger to two American allies in eastern Europe. Demonstrating Democrats' staggering inability to forget anything that happened prior to this morning, our head of state and commander-in-chief decided to mark the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland by, well, giving Poland the finger. Our glorious leader, in all his wisdom, has decided to kill a planned missile defense system in that country as well as the Czech Republic.

All of this comes after increasingly hostile rhetoric from Moscow and after the Kremlin flatly refused to agree to sanctions againt Iran. Polish and Czech officials have confirmed America's betrayal:

A spokeswoman at the Polish Ministry of Defense also said the program had been suspended.

"This is catastrophic for Poland," said the spokeswoman, who declined to be named in line with ministry policy...

...Poland and the Czech Republic had based much of their future security policy on getting the missile defenses from the United States. The countries share deep concerns of a future military threat from the east -- namely, Russia -- and may now look for other defense assurances from their NATO allies.

"At the NATO summit in April, we adopted a resolution focusing on building a defense system against real, existing threats, i.e. short-range and medium-range missiles," Fischer said. "We expect that the United States will continue cooperating with the Czech Republic on concluding the relevant agreements on our mutual (research and development) and military collaboration, including the financing of specific projects."

By contrast, Russia may view the move as a diplomatic victory after complaining about the program consistently for years.

If you think the Poles are taking this lightly, think again. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (!) refused to take calls from Secretary of State Clinton. In case you're keeping score, Poland is one of the countries that stood steadfast with the United States in our war in Iraq, sending in troops along with our own.

While liberals squeal about George Bush's supposed squandering of our inernational trust, their crestened leader has now promptly betrayed two of our allies desperately needing assurances against growing Soviet aggression.

A disgrace of the first order.

FUB

The Republicans are SO mean! WAH

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has become increasingly concerned with the "anti government rhetoric" regarding President Obama's health care plan.

First of all, allow me to clarify, it's not an anti-government stance. It is a stance that is based on minimal government intervention let alone a government run by representatives who are not respecting the wishes of their constituents or even pretending to (re-visit Baron Hill). We on the right, are fine with government, as long as they know what they're doing, which obviously is not the case here.

Pelosi goes on to state that it reminds her of the anti-gay sentiment that was seen in California during the 70's. "Pelosi's office did not immediately respond to a request for examples of contemporary statements that reminded the speaker of the rhetoric of 1970s San Francisco." Gee, I wonder why. Could it be because she's making a feeble attempt to demean the voices of opinion that are justifiably speaking out against the atrocities that going on in Washington?

Let's take a look at some of the deplorable comments that have been said about some of our friends on the Right:

Nobel Prize Winner Betty Williams 2007: "Right now, I could kill George Bush," she said. "No, I don't mean that. How could you nonviolently kill somebody? I would love to be able to do that." The irony here is folks is that she was speaking to a group of over a thousand people regarding peace talks and explaining how 'violence is a choice'.

Russell Brand @ the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards:
"But I know America to be a forward thinking country because otherwise why would you have let that retard and cowboy fella be president for eight years?"

Wanda Sykes @ the 2009 White House Correspondents Dinner:
“Rush Limbaugh — I hope the country fails. I hope his kidneys fail, how about that?“He needs a waterboarding, that’s what he needs.”

Pelosi goes on to say: "Our country is great because people can say what they think and they believe," "But I also think that they have to take responsibility for any incitement that they may cause."

When did any of those individuals from the aforementioned quotes take proper responsibility for their actions? Some of their comments were even laughed at by our current President.

Sorry Nancy, respect is a two way street. If you wanna get it, you have to give it.

Two options: Bad and Worse

In attempts to distance herself from the plethora of ACORN scandals that have been leaked to the press recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the following to say regarding the legislative action taken against the group: "I don't even know what they passed," Pelosi told The Post yesterday. "What did they do? They defunded it?"

Really? I thought you worked there...When your the Speaker of the House and the best option you can come up with to confront an organization like ACORN is to play dumb, you've got a lot of explaining to do. Clearly the left would rather look incompetent than admit they made a mistake. Thank goodness they've mastered that sacred art, lest they fear looking foolish to the American people.

Game Over: Harry Reid Opposes Healthcare Reform Bill

It's the end. At least its the end of the "compromise" healthcare reform bill that was supposed to bring together Democrats and Republicans in a dizzying spectacle of bipartisanship not seen since Pearl Harbor. (I did not say "since 9/11" because I'm convinced a great multitude of Democrats were faking it). But, instead of that, not a single Republican is endorsing the bill and and now Harry Reid, the leader of the Senate Democra majority, says he will join his Democrat colleague, Senator Rockefeller, and oppose the legislation:

WASHINGTON - No sooner than the Senate Finance Committee's chairman released his long-awaited health care bill today than Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it's not good enough for Nevada.

Reid is concerned about the cash-poor state's inability to boost Medicaid spending as would be required under the bill.

I seriously doubt Mr. Reid is concerned about the welfare of his state. More likely, he is growing increasingly concerned about polls showing that either of his potential Republican opponents would topple him in the general election next year. If that happens it would be the second time in as little as six years the Democratic leader of the Senate has been purged from office. It happened to Senate Majority Leader Tom "Puff" Daschle in 2004. It would be another stunning rebuke of Democrat leadership on this issue and shows us what a lightening rod it truly is.

Since the beginning of this debate, President Obama has chosen to let the liberal Democrat leaders of the Congress manage this charade and the American people are not impressed. When he finally tried to take control of the issue with a speech to the Joint Session he failed spectatularly, with members of his own party saying it has made it even more difficult to reach an agreement. The reason is not that the American people do not understand the complexities of the issue. That's a demeaning and elitist argument the leftists use to make themselves look important and smarter than "Joe Six-Pack". The fact is that a majority of Americans oppose these proposals because they understand them perfectly well. The debate has breached the discussion of just healthcare, and now envelopes a national discussion about the proper role of government in our lives and the social contract between the governing and the governed.

Finally, a debate that actually means something!

"Baucus Compromise" Falling Apart; Cuts Medicare; Key Dem Opposes

Oh, dear reader, where do we begin? A few days ago, I reported that one of Maine's GOP Senators, Olympia Snowe, had advised the president that there would be "no way" a healthcare overhaul that included any form of government run healthcare would pass the Senate. I continue to doubt her loyalty to the party, which I believe to be demonstrably shaky at best, but it seems she's just not all that willing to risk her career to serve her White House masters. Yesterday she announcecd she would not support the bill coming out of the Finance Committee, otherwise known as the "Baucus Compromise". That means not a single Republican is supporting the so-called "compromise" which leaves one wondering what sort of compomise garners support from precisely zero from within the opposition's ranks. Trust, if even Olympia Snowe won't fall for it, it must be a whopper of a bill. And the Democrats panic proves, as Ed Morrissey notes, that the Democrats must not have the other 59 votes they need to pass the bill. That's because some Democrat senators do not like it, either.

This means that the Democrats will have to try reconciliation to get the bill through the Senate. Snowe’s rejection, however, hides another unpleasant fact that would have been apparent, which is that Democrats don’t have all of the other 59 votes needed, either. Other Democrats have already expressed unhappiness with individual mandates, IRS involvement, and the costs.

One of those Democrats is John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), who also announced yesterday he, too, will oppose the bill. Echoing the sentiments of Senator Snowe, Rockefeller said, "The way it is now, there's no way I can vote for the Senate package," and promised to have "many, many, many amendments" to add to the bill.

With Obamacare facing it's highest opposition ever, and only seven days after the messiah delivered his word to the masses on the Hill, perhaps the president could start changing his tune, starting with telling the truth. It turns out Joe Wilson, while admitting he acted inappropriately, was correct in calling the president a liar. His vindication coming when the Senate decided the fix the loophole in HR3200 that would have allowed illegal aliens to use universal health coverage. It also turns out the Baucus bill most certainly does cut Medicare, even after the president assured us in his Sermon on the Hill (get it?) that such claims were a myth.

But what does a raving racist lunatic like me know?

Say it ain't so Jimmy!

As if his reputation wasn't sullied enough, former disgrace President Jimmy "(pea)Nuts" Carter, decided to weigh in on Rep. Joe Wilson's now infamous outburst.

Taking a play from the Al Sharpton Handbook, Carter states that racism was the cause of the outburst. Carter said the following to ABC News:

"I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."
"That racism inclination still exists, and I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of belief among many white people -- not just in the South but around the country -- that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."

Let's get one thing straight Jimmy, Rep. Wilson's remarks were not the result of racism. It was based on the fact that Joe Wilson, like many Americans, was tired of hearing Obama's lies. End of story. By bringing up the race issue, Carter is hoping to detract from the main point: Obama is misleading the American people with respects to this health care plan. Don't let this man fool you---it's still the same guy who had to have Reagan step in to clean up after his mess.

As if the racial bit wasn't enough Carter continued to open his mouth to see just how far his foot could go---"The president is not only the head of government, he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect" stated Carter.

It's funny how the left is all about respect and decorum now that Obama is in office. These are the same individuals who disrespected President Bush and cheered on the art galleries or films that glorified his hypothetical assassination. Where was the respect then? It was no where to be found. Again we had Reagan in office who refused to take off his suit jacket for fear of disrespecting the dignity of the office to Clinton having extra marital affairs inside the Oval Office. And yet somehow they still have the audacity to lecture us on respect.

Carter, do us all a favor and stick to your peanut farm.

Patrick Swayze Dead at 57

Actor Patrick Swayze has died according to media reports. The star of Dirty Dancing and Ghost was one of my favorite Hollywood actors. Dead at 57. RIP.

It's Like Christmas In September: Senate Votes To End ACORN Funding

After three days and three videos (two of which are here and here) showing ACORN employees at three different ACORN locations aiding a pimp and his whore evade taxes, commit bank fraud, break immigration laws, and place children in dire situations, the Senate has voted to terminate all federal funding for the liberal front group and Barack Obama's favorite organization. Finally, a bill I can support out of this Democrat hell hole of a Congress. This comes just one day after the Census Bureau announced it will no longer use ACORN as an assistant during the national census next year.

There were seven dissenting votes on the ammendment, sponsored by Mike Johanns (R-NE), all of which were liberal Democrats and self proclaimed socialists. They are the usual suspects:

- Dick Durbin (D-IL)
- Roland Burris (D-IL)
- Robert Casey (D-PA)
- Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
- Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Hot Air is reporting that several Democrats voted against the amendment at the outset of the vote, only to change their minds. Many could be heard shouting, "I want to change my vote!" Among those who suddenly had a meeting with reason were (again all Democrats) Tom Udall, Frank Lautenberg and Herb Kohl.

Meanwhile, James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, the two young patriots exposing this catastrophe, are being threatened with lawsuits from ACORN. James O'Keefe says, "Bring it on!":ACORN stood to gain billions (!) of dollars from the stimulus. Maybe we could use all of that money to buy Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) a new face. Poor guy.

Snowe Levies a Bombshell: She's Not That Liberal

Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, one of the few Republicans you can count on to stab her own party in the back more than John McCain, has issued a dire warning to the White House. Snowe insists that there is "no way" a government run healthcare system will ever pass the Senate. Sayeth the thorn, “I’ve urged the president to take the public option off the table,” adding "it is universally opposed by Republicans," leaving many wondering if she was risking her "maverick" status at the New York Times by oddly including herself in the word "Republicans".

Remember, this is the same Olympia Snowe who supports a "trigger" that would put government run healthcare in place only if the private insurance industry doesn't "come through with the type of reforms that cover more uninsured people." So, perhaps the system is not "universally" oppposed by all Republicans, much less Snowe, a RINO if there ever was one. Either you support government run health care or you do not, Senator Snowe. On this issue there can be no compromise. Period. In any case, her insistence that there is "no way" this will pass and that she is begging and pleading with Barry to take it off the table is encouraging. Maybe the folks up in Maine have been making some phone calls.

Exit question: Is it just me or does Olympia Snowe look a lot like the witch from the movie Big Fish?

Joe Wilson Raises $700,000 since Friday; Also featuring other GOP heroes from 9/9/09

During the president's speech on Wednesday, Congressman Joe Wilson stunned a nation already on tenterhooks trying to figure out what the hell Barry was talking about. After the president claimed that the healthcare bill would not cover illegal aliens, Mr. Wilson decided he had had enough. "You LIE!", became the shot heard 'round the world, and Congressman Wilson had fired it. Since then, the good congressman (pictured below shouting the president down) has apparently raised $700,000. Not bad.

But Joe wasn't the only Republican out there disgusted by what he heard. He was only the loudest. Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas held a sign throughout the speech asking the president to reveal what mysterious plan he was speaking of, since it didn't seem to resemble any bill currently before Congress.Congressman John Shimkus of Illinois was so embarrased of just being in earshot of Barry's bellicose blather-fest that he walked out of the chamber.And when the president insisted that opponents of the current proposals offer solutions of their own, more than a handful of Republican representatives stood up waiving their own reform bills in the air.

But most of all I feel terrible for Congressman Wilson, who is being treated like common dirt (or as we call common dirt here at The Tusk, "an ACORN employee") for correctly calling the president a liar just moments after the president accused his opponents of lying. Indeed, right before Mr. Wilson let the cat out of the bag about Obambi's big fudge, the President had already accused his opponents of being dishonest and playing "games":

But what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government. Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise. Too many have used this as an opportunity to score short-term political points, even if it robs the country of our opportunity to solve a long-term challenge. And out of this blizzard of charges and counter-charges, confusion has reigned.

Well the time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed.

The Democrats should really look deep within themselves before accusing anyone of scare tactics. Every two years during any national election we hear the same thing said to poor people ("Tax cuts for the rich" and "the poor get poorer"), and to old people ("They'll take away social security" and "They'll end Medicare") and to minorities ("Racists!"). It's really old. Boring, even.

ACORN Part Deux

The vast right-wing conspiracy has struck again!!! Twice in little more than 24 hours, in fact. Gah-lee, the liberals must be absolutely quaking in their boots thinking of who the next victim of "gotcha journalism" will be. For now I'm content with ACORN, but some intense journalistic undercover type stuff could probably expose some absolutely hillarious things about other government laugh riots. Like AmeriCorps. Anyway.

In this segment of "Bend Over America: ACORN Loves Loose Women", we are taken to the ACORN headquarters in Washington, D.C., a headquarters brought to you by....YOURSELF! That's right, through your generous giving of mandatory taxes, you enable a bunch of filth to help sustain and create more filth! God bless America! In the following video, the same two folks who brought us the the first one are able to get completely different ACORN employees at a totally different site to do the precise thing the first ones did.

You see, folks, what this video shows is what some people in the law enforcement community call "evidence", evidence that ACORN is involved in a very elaborate scheme of helping criminals break the law. Let's review the laws broken:

1) tax evasion
2) bank fraud
3) falsifying a document for a taxing or other government agency
4) several immigration laws
5) child welfare laws
6) and in this case, probably campaign finance laws

It seems a stretch that these two brave undercover aspiring journalist were given precisely the same advice at two different locations. Both of the women in this video have also been fired. So, will there be anyone else out there who wants us to believe that the Baltimore incident was just an isolated instance of rogue employees? If so, maybe the next video via Glenn Beck will help you decide otherwise. This is the first in a 3 part series of videos. I encourage you to watch the others:When will there finally be an investigation of ACORN, an organization that has received $50,000,000 in taxpayer money so far and stands to receive billions more in surplus money? It's gotta stop. And you, America, are the only ones that can do that.

ACORN: Liberalism's Heart and Soul

Already credibly accused of committing approximately a zillion counts of voter fraud leading to more than one indictment, it now appears that the liberal front group the Association of Community Oranizers for Reform Now, better known as ACORN (cute, huh?), has some much bigger problems on its hands. And by the looks of Sonja, the ACORN "tax specialist" in the following video, its a really, really, really big problem (that was a reference to her being so damned fat). In the film below, you will see ACORN, which runs on the taxpayers' dime, advising a 20 year old woman and her "pimp" how to 1) commit tax evasion, 2) open a brothel, 3) employ underage children, 4) who are illegal immigrants 5) to be used as sex slaves.Sonja, the "tax specialist", should be shot, killed, dug up and killed again. She knowingly aided two people (working undercover) set up an illegal business, commit tax evasion and sell minors into an underground world of child rape! What makes her behavior particularly abhorrent is her apparent lack of concern for the children. But then again, what would be expect from a liberal who no doubt believes these young children should have been aborted to begin with.

Ladies and gentlemen, this video is the perfect portrait of how liberalism infects the conscience of it's host, producing a creature devoid of naturual human aversions to basic evil things like child rape and child prostitution. Other basic human morals, such as opposition to a life of selling yourself in a brothel or a tendency to obey the law, become obscure unimportant side issues. What this liberal ACORN worker cares most about is helping people break the law and robbing the government in order to fund their illegal activity. At least this video shows us the truth about liberalism. They do not care about "the children". Nor do they care about women, particularly those who feel trapped in a life of prostitution and self degradation. These people destroy other people's lives, and they're doing for a living and on our tax dollars.

Since ACORN is a liberal activist group supported by President Obama, there will be no massive media investigation into their ideological and completely illegal activities. Indeed, they will never be forced to admit any wrong doing. Instead, their initial reaction was thus:

A spokesman for ACORN, Scott Levenson, when asked to comment on the videotape, said: “The portrayal is false and defamatory and an attempt at gotcha journalism. This film crew tried to pull this sham at other offices and failed. ACORN wants to see the full video before commenting further.”

Hm. That's an interesting line of logic. "It's all a lie! We won't comment further until we've seen the tape." Well, is it a lie or have you not seen the tape yet? Then to make things really confusing, they fired the two employees. Hey! I thought it was all a made-up lie?!

ACORN explained the firing saying that the employee's, "did not meet ACORN's standard of professionalism." Professionalism?! These two women were caught helping commit prostitution, organize a prostitution ring full of minors, commit tax evasion, commit bank fraud and break a dozen different immigration laws and ACORN is harping about "professionalism". Call me crazy, but I'd say this falls far outside the realm of "professionalism" and right into the fiery ring of "criminal activity". They must be talking about the fact that Tanja is showing off so much cleavage is absorbs virtually all light from the room, putting it in clear violation of at least my employer's dress code.

These people are frauds. They are liars. They are cheats. They are animals. They destroy the lives of women and children and then bathe in the glow of the supposed moral superiority. They are dispicable. Unforgivable. Criminal enablers. My friends, they are liberals. And so I regret to tell you this video does not surprise me in the least. Not even a little. Not even at all.

You Lie! Thank you, Congressman Wilson

Besides breaking longstanding Congressional decorum, Congressman Joe Wilson is to be applauded for having the testicular fortitude to say what were we all thinking throughout the entirity of the president's speech last night. The video below is not presented so much to show you the spectacle, but because I think the "But how did you know!?" look on Pelosi's face is friggin' hillarious.In any case, Congressman Wilson has apologized for his remarks and has been roundly condemned by both Democrats and Republicans. But, not I. For while the networks and her Speakership will remain determined to focus on the act (shouting "you lie" at POTUS), I will focus instead on the assertion (that the President lied to the American people and to Congress about illegals being covered by his proposals).

The fact is that on two seperate occassions Congressional democrats had the opportunity to close the loophole in the bill that would allow illgals access to the coverage. While it is true that no explicit language in the proposals would grant taxpayer funded healthcare to illegal aliens, it is a fact that they would be given treatment under the program, that it would be illegal under the current law to deny treatment, and that the president knows all of this to be true. He lied to us anyway. If it were not true, why would congressional Democrats now be telling us they will move quickly to close the loophole exposed to us last night on live television by Congressman Joe Wilson?

Among three House committees to pass bills for health reform, only one expressly bans federal funding for proving health coverage to illegal immigrants.

"The Congressional Research Service has indicated that indeed the bills that are before Congress would include illegal aliens," Wilson said. "And I think this is wrong."

Indeed, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service study found that the House health care bill does not restrict illegal immigrants from receiving health care coverage.

House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner amplified the complaint that without proof of citizenship, illegal immigrants could be insured.

"There were two opportunities for House Democrats to make clear that illegal immigrants wouldn't be covered by putting in requirements to show citizenships," he said. "Both of those amendments were, in fact, rejected."

In the Senate, Democrats in the so called "Gang of Six," a group of bipartisan senators on the Senate Finance Committee which is the last panel yet to release its bill, began moving quickly to close the loophole that Wilson helped bring greater attention to.

So which is it? Did Congressman Wilson unjustly call the president a liar or was the president actually lying? Or is it the third possibility, and the most probable one, that the president hasn't the slightest clue as to what is in these bills and just wants something passed through the Congress so he can sign it and not look like a big fat political loser.

John Cornyn And The NRSC Turn Up The Heat On Healthcare Debate

Under the brilliant leadership of my own beloved senator, John Cornyn, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is going for a full court press against the Democrat leadership in the senate, painting them as being in complete disarray. It's not hard to do in the wake of the August recess, which saw Democrats struggling to stay on message...whatever the message is, exactly. Public option, or not? No one can be sure.

Can you blame John Cornyn and the NRSC for jumping all over the chaos within the Democrat party on this issue? In the words of Rahm Emmanuel, the president's chief of staff, "You should never let a good crisis go to waste." Tehehehehe

Did Obama Know About Release of Terrorist?

Our readers, being the very informed and responsble citizens that they are, are well aware of the release of one Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, "the only individual convicted in connection with the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. The event which killed 270 people, including all those on board, is now one of the most spoken of terrorist events in recent memory.



On August 20, the British government released him on "compassionate grounds." Megrahi has terminal prostate cancer. Boo-hoo.

The release of convicted terrorist Megrahi led the White House to issue a statement expressing "deep regret" for his release, explaining that it "expressed repeatedly to officials of the Government of the United Kingdom and to Scottish authorities, we continue to believe that Megrahi should serve out his sentence in Scotland." After crowds in his home country (predictably) greeted him as a national hero, the White House pretended to be surprised calling the reaction of Libyan citizens "outrageous and disgusting." However, those of us who remember this event from Iraq, circa 2005, in which U.S. contractors' bodies were burned alive and mutilated before being strung up from a bridge by "peace loving" Musilms, where not so surprised by the reaction of Libyans to the release of a terrorist.

All the same, though, it now appears that Barack Obama new all along that the release of Mr. al-Magrahi was imminent. Via Astute Bloggers:

British officials claim Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton were kept informed at all stages of discussions concerning Megrahi’s return

the officials say the Americans spoke out because they were taken aback by the row over Megrahi’s release, not because they did not know it was about to happen.

‘The US was kept fully in touch about everything that was going on with regard to Britain’s discussions with Libya in recent years and about Megrahi,’ said the Whitehall aide.

‘We would never do anything about Lockerbie without discussing it with the US. It is disingenuous of them to act as though Megrahi’s return was out of the blue.

'They knew about our prisoner transfer agreement with Libya and they knew that the Scots were considering Megrahi’s case.’

Now, I'm not saying I'm surprised that our bleeding-heart of a president is a lying pantywaste who can't even stand up to the Scots on a simple prisoner release, much less our enemies. We've known B.O. is a chump; sheep in wolves clothing, if you will. What is absolutely intolerable is the insulting of our intellect, to suggest that he was surprised by the release of Magrahi. In fact, some might call that suggestion "disingenuous". According to unnamed "British officials" who are fed up with the White House's moral indignation on this issue, Obama and Clinton only spoke out because they were so surprised that so many people were upset, and "not because they did not know it was about to happen."

This is the definition of liberal elitism, the inability to grasp what us backwoods hicks might have to say about the release of a convicted killer. We have seen this same "deer in the headlights" look from the administration with their healthcare proposals, their handling of the bailouts and the economy. "What?! We were sure you'd love a government virtual takeover of the car industry. You mean you didn't want an unemployment rate of nearly 10%? How could you oppose the release of terrorist? Didn't you know he has prostate cancer?" And on and on it goes.

Allahpundit puts it best.

He keeps his mouth shut until a critical mass of public outrage is reached, then he creeps behind the podium and offers tepid denunciations. Way to lead, champ.

Democrat Baron Hill Suddenly Caught in a "Compromising Position" on YouTube

Needless to say, afte this video floats around a bit, Baron Hill will not be running "his" congressional office much longer. Nor will he be able to congratulate himself about what a benefocent leader he is for allowing his constituents to attend "his" townhall meetings. Seriously, guys it's just too good to be true.
As our friends over a Hot Air point at, it's getting to the point where there are just "Too many Democratic congressmen behaving like jackasses for bloggers to keep up anymore". Alas, we do our duty, bravely showing Democrat blow hards in very, very compromising positions.

This is how they see you, America. You work for them and you owe them a lot, and I mean a lot of respect.

The Importance of Our Politics

I hear far too often from "moderates" and "independents" that politics is useless, or that our public discourse is too hardened by politics. They claim to hate partisanship and seem to believe that no matter what, they will never be heard.

News flash: You're never heard because you never participate in our politics. Or, perhaps more correctly, you were never heard until now. Everyday more and more Americans are finally realizing that anything having to do with public policy, foreign relations and an entire slew of othe issues is politics, and in any discussion which requires the utterance of opinion like-minded people will group. We call thes groups political parties, and they use their collective influence to protect and enforce what they believe is important to them. This is civics 101. The absence of moderates and "independents" from the process for literally years while simultaneously whining about "partisanship", reliably refusing to commit to anything or anyone, is what led to the election of a Democrat controlled Congress and a virtually tone deaf president. Now, in droves they throw up their hands and cry foul.

After the election of Barack Obama last year, I wrote a letter to a friend of mine regarding the massive Democrat sweep. "America has elected their liberal Democrat government, and now they're going to get it," I told him. And indeed they have. They just don't like what they see. We see trillion dollar deficits, government mandated health care on the horizon, government seizure of private business disguised as "bailouts". We even finally got to see liberals' idea of a "middle class tax cut"; haven't you noticed the extra $12 a week? Most of all we've been able to see how the elected officials of the self proclaimed "party of the people" react to everyday Americans. The comman man has been called a brown shirt and "astroturf" by Democats and the liberal Speaker of the House.

Now over half of America believes the liberal Democrats they elected are...too liberal! It's kind of like orderig the baked duck and then complaining that it tastes "too gamey". What exactly did you expect? And besides, what does "too liberal" mean? Is there even such a thing as "just the right amount" of liberal? I ask you, is there such a thing as "just the right amount" of aborted babies? Or "just the right amount" of released criminals? How about "just the right amount" of confiscated or outlawed guns? Or "just the right amount" of coddling to America's enemies? Or just the...you get the point. Vote conservative. Vote Republican.

This is politics. It's not pretty and it's not for pussies. Pick a party or start your own and start fighting for what you believe in. This country has little use for sniffling bench sitters.

Move Over Charlie

Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) managed to irritate this conservative twice today....granted it's not a difficult thing to do, but still.

Earlier Rangel threw down the race card while commenting on the ObamaCare bill stating: "Why do black people have to bargain for what is theirs? Why do we have to wait for the right to vote? Why can't we get what God has given us? And that is the right to live as human beings and not negotiate with white southerners and not court the votes. Just do the right thing," Rangel said. Rangel is absolutely right, it is about doing the right thing. Which is exactly why the majority of Americans are opposed to the bill. When in doubt, play the race card to garner support. This is more of the same typical liberal rhetoric that we can expect from the Al Sharptons, Sonia Sotomayors , and Charlie Rangels of the world...if things don't go your way throw in a race or gender card and you're sure to get your way! As a Hispanic female, their behavior is both disgusting and irritating.

The Washington Post later went on to report the following on Rangel:

Mr. Rangel's amended financial disclosure form, which exposes omissions from his
2002 through 2006 records, is a treasure trove of outrage. He neglected to
report a checking account with the Congressional Federal Credit Union and one
with Merrill Lynch, each valued between $250,000 and $500,000; the tens of
thousands of dollars he's earning from dividends from a number of mutual funds
and stocks; and the money made from the sale of a Harlem townhouse. As a result,
Mr. Rangel's reported net worth doubled, from between $516,015 and $1,316,000 to
between $1,028,024 and $2,495,000.

This is the exact type of character we can expect from the gentleman (and I am using the term very loosely) who runs the Ways and Means Committee. Fabulous.

Mitt Romney 2012?

All of you former Right Up Front readers know of my undying affection and unyielding loyalty to Mitt Romney. Indeed, he is my first choice for the nomination in 2012. Now it looks like the Stormin' Mormon may be testing the waters for an encore run at the GOP knod. Politico's Jonathan Martin has the details.

After a few stops in some early primary states and lavish fundraiser at a "trendy" Washington eatery, there are many reasons for any former Romney fan to be hopeful. And who better to go up against a now-obviously undisciplined current White House resident than the uber-disciplined, results oriented former businessman and governor?

Lucky for those of us squarely in the Mitt camp, it appears we're in good company. In March, he won the CPAC presidential preference straw poll for the third year in a row. He is consistantly among the top Republicans in poll after poll, including this one. And this one. He competes the best among the other GOP potentials against Barack Obama in that poll, and even ties the president at 45% in this one. Granted, dear readers, it is far, far, far too early to be vesting any weight in these polls. Not because they are not accurate. But because the situation right now will absolutely not exist in 3 years when we choose our (wo)man.

Or will it?

Thank you Captain Obvious

Writer for the Washington Post Dan Balz writes After a Bruising August, Time for Obama Team to Regroup. To coin a popular phrase "duh". I suspect Mr. Balz will eventually do a follow up article letting us know that the world is indeed not flat.

Obama won the votes of the American people based on a soundbite platform of change. What TeamObama didn't anticipate is the American people pounding on the doors of legislators looking to collect. Nearly every Gallup Poll done within the last few weeks shows Obama's approval rating falling at a rate that should make Rahm Emmanuel put down his fishing pole and reach for the James Carville playbook.

Obama currently faces opposition from both sides of the aisle with former sychophants like Nancy Pelosi challenging the President to return to his "more liberal" roots, especially in the health care reform arena. With the White House officially stating that the public health care options is now off the table, he is receiving heavy criticism from his very insistent base. "They are now threatening to turn the fight for retaining a public option in the bill into a crusade" states Blaz. With all this discontent from his legislative base, the White House staffers would still have the American public believe that their is a great level of cohesion among the left. It's no suprise his approval rating is falling, he can't even get his cronies on the same page.

If the townhalls were any indication of the level of support regarding the public health care option, you'd think the White House would go back to the drawing board rather than take leave for a vay-cay.

"Former Senate majority leader Bob Dole and former Democratic senator Bill Bradley weighed in with advice to the president over the weekend. Bradley said a grand bargain is still possible, but only if Obama is prepared to put tort reform on the table as an enticement to attract Republican support for universal coverage." Tort reform? I'm sure the Harvard Law grad who spent the majority of his career practicing law would be excited about this possible option...oh wait, no that's right Obama is merely a career politician. Whew. That would've been a toughie.

Granted, Obama does not have to worry about elections until 2012, the legislators who are headed back to Washington have the 2010 elections to worry about. After visiting with their irrate constituents they are far less inclined to be the unified "yes men" they once were, thus will be considerably more difficult to work with than they were prior to the August break.

And as such, I'll sit back and watch their return with a smug grin as they attempt to work out the health care issue.

Anyone got any popcorn?

Because I Said So

San Antonio health officials, along with the help of the of our beloved Major Julian Castro, and the San Antonio Restaurant Association have decided to change the way food is consumed in this city.

They are targeting local eateries and encouraging (read: threatening) them to offer healthier meal options, lest the restaurant be faced with future regulations or fines for non-compliance. The argue that the city is "getting heavier" and this is a viable options to combat that. Lest we succumb to the ravages of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for healthier options, but as it stands, they are out there already. If I've got an hour for lunch and I want to eat something nutritious, my first instinct is not to go to McDonalds (or for all you Texans Whataburger). Even if I do, for the sake of the argument, most fast food establishments and local eateries have healthier options already soup/salads etc. It's about knowing the facts behind what you eat and the willingness to pass up chips and salsa or the enchilada plate for a salad with light ranch. Either way, that is the choice of the patron not the restaurant or the government.

And since when did it become okay for government to attempt to regulate what restaurants serve? Talk about government intervention in the every day lives of citizens. As both a conservative AND a San Antonian I am beyond appalled and disgusted by this blatant display of governmental bullying and preying on the local small businesses in order to appear to take a stand on a liberal political issue. And please note, I stated appalled, not surprised. After all, it is Julian Castro who is governing our local sector. How much can you really expect from twin brother's who were raised on the 'south side' of San Antonio by a mother who was the founding member of La Raza Unida in SA, but yet in all her political indoctrination, she failed to teach her boys Spanish. So much for the "united race". Way to go Rosie.

The country has gone so far left, that it is now acceptable to tolerate this type of behavior from our representatives...and in my own beloved Red State no less!