NetRight Nation on HR 1388 and S 277 (G.I.V.E. Act)

Fellow Bloggers,

This week, the Democrats in the Senate and House introduced a devastating new bill – the so-called Generations Invigorating Volunteers and Education Act (S.277) – that would allow politicians to funnel billions of tax dollars to leftwing organizations that they could then use for political purposes. As a blogger, you are the front line for exposing what legislation does.

It's being done under the guise of enabling Barack Obama to build his $5 billion, 250,000-member “volunteer” youth corps – “just as powerful, just as strong” as the U.S. military, as he promised during his campaign. You may remember that chilling speech in Colorado Springs:

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

If the so-called GIVE Act is passed in its present form, groups like ACORN and Jessie Jackson's PUSH will receive multi-million-dollar grants for lobbying, community organizing, protests, strikes – and just about any other activity they believe would further their hard left agenda. And that would mean your tax dollars would be used to pass legislation and elect politicians you absolutely oppose!

Fortunately, Sen. Jim DeMint has introduced a vital amendment to GIVE that would prohibit “advocacy” groups or groups co-located with advocacy groups from receiving any assistance under the Act. The DeMint Amendment would automatically prohibit any organization “engaged in legislative advocacy” – or working hand in hand with such organizations -- from receiving assistance under the GIVE Act. And that, of course, is exactly how it should be.

Leftwing groups and blogs are flooding the Senate with angry demands that the DeMint Amendment be defeated. They know it could cost them hundreds of millions of your tax dollars – and prevent them from using your money to disrupt our entire political system.

That's why I am asking you to join me in matching them call for call. We must fight them on the blogosphere as well. You have the power to expose this bill for what it is—a shame! Time is of the essence. The DeMint Amendment prohibiting advocacy organizations from receiving assistance under the GIVE Act could come up for a vote at any moment. We still have time to keep this language in the bill. But, we must act now!

You are on the front line in this fight! Be sure to check out the story that Adam Bitely ran on NetRight Nation today and post your own on your blog.

Please contact your Senators immediately and let them know how the DeMint Amendment's prohibition on nonprofit advocacy will help saves billions of tax dollars and prevent leftwing organizations from corrupting our political system. Tell them to vote to keep the DeMint Amendment in the bill -- and keep your tax dollars from going to groups whose policies and politics you oppose.

Obama articles that caught my eye

Obama Administration: No on Nuclear Energy
More pieces fell into place today regarding the new Administration’s desire to end America’s access to low-cost energy, and replace it with high-cost wind and solar power.
Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee heard from Treasury Secretary Geithner, who said that it’s the wrong policy choice to “subsidize” oil, gas and coal producers by allowing them to operate as they always have.

A Backlash Against Obama's Budget
BusinessWeek - USAThe target is the aggressive domestic agenda laid out in President Barack Obama's first budget. Private health insurers are mobilizing to fend off Obama's ...

Obama’s ‘shared sacrifice’ means taking from rich
Houston Chronicle - United StatesBy JONAH GOLDBERG Barack Obama proclaimed many times during the campaign, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” He and his throngs of supporters preened ...

Critics Say Obama's Focus-Group Approach More Style Than Substance
FOXNews - USA
US President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the White House forum on health reform in Washington, March 5, 2009. REUTERS For the second time in as many ...

Senate preparing huge spending bill for Obama
The Associated PressWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate leaders hoped Thursday to clear for President Barack Obama a huge spending bill that awards big increases to domestic programs and ...

Barack Obama's UK PR Disaster - Nile Gardiner - The Corner on ...
Barack Obama's UK PR Disaster [Nile Gardiner]. Not content with throwing out a bust of Sir Winston Churchill from the Oval Office, President Obama did his best to keep the British press corps out as well from yesterday’s White House ...
The Corner - http://corner.nationalreview.com/

Why Mommy Is A Republican: Obama and His Teleprompter Addiction
By Lisa Graas Member Blog...
Why Mommy Is A Republican - http://genuinegopmom.blogspot.com/

The Intellectual Redneck: Obama reaffirms support for "card check"
By The Intellectual Redneck ... The Intellectual Redneck - http://bloggingredneck.blogspot.com/

Conservative Congressmen Hammer Geithner Over Obama's Planned Tax Hikes, Cap-and-Trade
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Three conservative Republican lawmakers -- Reps. Paul Ryan (Wis.), Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.) and Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.) -- pounded on Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner Thursday over the Obama administration’s plans to impose new tax increases and a national cap-and-trade program as the economy emerges from recession. Geithner said the administration would not call for tax increases or push for cap-and-trade until after the economy had begun to recover.

Biden Says Stimulus Is Aimed at Boosting Union Jobs
(CNSNews.com) - Vice President Joe Biden, expressing his solidarity with organized labor, told the AFL-CIO Executive Committee on Thursday that "rebuilding our broken economy gives us the opportunity to get it right and reward workers." Union workers. “We're going to make sure that in every policy, every decision, we don't lose sight of the folks that brought us to the dance,” he said -- a nod to organized labor’s support of the Obama-Biden ticket.

Pat Toomey says Challenge to Specter "now back on the table"

Former Congressman Pat Toomey (R, PA-15), the current Club for Growth President, just announced on Bobby Gunther Walsh's 1-On-1 Show, WAEB, 790AM, that a Primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter is "now back on the table." Mr. Toomey acknowledged that Senator Specter cast the deciding vote "on the very worrisome stimulus Bill, when he could have negotiated with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama for more productive tax cuts and less wasteful spending." Pennsylvanians need to do some soul searching about who will really represent us in the Senate. Pat Toomey would not be the 100th Person in the Senate. He would serve Pennsylvania through principled leadership and with acute thinking. As an entrepreneur, former investment banker, businessowner, co-founder of a local Lehigh Valley bank, Congressman, and national policy leader, Mr. Toomey will give instant credibilityand acumen to banking and finance issues on Capitol Hill. He is a fiscal and social Conservative.

RonS
Citizens for Ron Shegda 2010

A message from Ron Shegda to all members of Team Sarah Pennsylvania on Team Sarah!

(Note: Toomey had indicated he was going to run for Governor earlier, did not want to try again for Senate.)

Heritage Foundation: The Oath and the District of Columbia

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States ... No Person shall be a Representative who shall not ... when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.- Article I of the United States Constitution

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution.- Article VI of the United States Constitution

For all of its many ambiguities, on the matter of whether the residents of the District of Columbia can vote in the House of Representatives, the United States Constitution is crystal clear: no.

In 2000 the United States District Court for the District of Columbia affirmed this truth, writing: "The Constitution does not contemplate that the District may serve as a state for purposes of the apportionment of congressional representatives."

The Supreme Court later affirmed that decision.Despite the clarity of the law, Senate leaders have scheduled a vote today on S. 160, which would create two new seats in the House of Representatives and give one of them to the District of Columbia. The new fig leaf the left is using to push this blatantly unconstitutional measure is the argument that Art.1 sec. 8's grant to Congress to exercise "exclusive Legislation" over the District, gives them the power to grant the District a seat in the House. Heritage fellow Hans von Spakovsky exposes how specious this claim is:

The Constitution’s provision giving Congress the power to run the affairs of the District of Columbia — the seat of the nation’s capitol — doesn’t wipe out other parts of the document. Congress could not, for example, restrict the First Amendment rights of District residents.

Furthermore, the very same section of the Constitution also applies to “Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards” and other federal properties. But it would be ridiculous to assert, on the basis of that text, that Congress has the power to award House seats to an army base, federal office building, or Navy pier.

Conservatives are not alone in pointing out what a blatant violation of the Constitution S. 160 would be. Liberal constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley writes:

It would be ridiculous to suggest that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention or ratification conventions would have worked out such specific and exacting rules for the composition of Congress, only to give the majority of Congress the right to create a new form of voting members from federal enclaves like the District.

It would have constituted the realization of the worst fears for many delegates, particularly Anti-Federalists, to have an open-ended ability of the majority to manipulate the rolls of Congress and to use areas under the exclusive control of the federal government as the source for new voting members.

Some Senators appear to believe they can in good conscience vote for explicitly unconstitutional legislation if they include a provision in the bill that allows a Member of Congress to challenge the law in court. But such a provision would only clear statutory standing. Any plaintiff would also have to muster constitutional standing and as Heritage scholars Andrew Grossman and Nathaniel Ward detail, Congress has the power to play political games with voting in the House to prevent such a suit from ever happening.

Members of Congress take an oath to defend the Constitution. This makes them duty bound to oppose any legislation that is unconstitutional. It would be a black eye on the entire Congress if they chose political expediency over their solemn promise to the American people.

Tell Chuck Schumer you care

By Michelle Malkin • February 11, 2009 10:05 AM
Yesterday, I posted video of snarky Sen. Chuck Schumer telling his colleagues on the floor before the Generational Theft Act vote that Americans don’t care about the teeny, tiny pork amendments bloating up the bill.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/11/tell-chuck-schumer-you-care/

Arlen Specter

Here's what I've been able to find about opposition. Not much. If anyone knows of names to track, sites recruiting opposition, etc. please let me know. It sounds like Specter will have a tough race even without opposition. We don't want to lose the seat to a Democrat, but after today's vote I'm not sure it really matters. If he's going to vote like a Democrat, why shouldn't we try to support a strong conservative Republican instead?

Jan 10
Pennsylvania: Club for Growth head and Republican former Congressman Pat Toomey continues to stir speculation about a 2010 Senate primary challenge to Arlen Specter.
http://www.senateguru.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=498

Electoral Vote.com
(Obviously this hasn't been updated in a month or so, at least. Gregg is gone, Matthews was told not to run, and Toomey has said he's shooting for the Governor's seat).
Arlen Specter will be the Democrats #2 target (after Judd Gregg). He will be 80 in 2010, has incurable cancer, and is from a blue state. Furthermore, he may face a primary challenge from the right from Pat Toomey, who challenged him in 2004. But beating Toomey won't be enough. If Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) can be talked into challenging him, Specter is in huge trouble, but he will also have a big fight on his hands against any of the numerous Democratic representatives from Pennsylvania. Hardball host Chris Matthews may also be interested in the job.
http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2009/Senate/senate_2010.html

Dec. 2008
Former Rep. Pat Toomey said this week that he is considering a rematch of his 2004 challenge to Specter - a brutal contest Specter barely survived (the margin was less than 2%. Toomey then became president of the Club for Growth and thus funded a number of other challenges to Republican incumbents perceived as moderates, meeting defeat in a number of races (Rhode Island’s Senate race in 2006, AK-AL in 2008) and some short-lived success in others (MI-07 and MD-01, though Democrats defeated the Club-backed candidate in the general election in both districts this fall).
“He’s significantly more vulnerable now than he was in 2004,” Toomey said of Specter. He unveiled a very interesting argument: Tens of thousands of voters who were registered Republican in 2004 have since switched their party registration and can thus no longer vote in Pennsylvania’s closed Republican primary. Those voters were Specter’s natural constituency, giving Toomey a boost over their 2004 match-up.
Needless to say, another bloody primary would help Democrats in this race. If he survives, Specter would be softened up for the general election. If Toomey prevails, the Democratic nominee would have to be considered the favorite to pick-up the seat.
http://campaigndiaries.com/2008/12/04/matthews-toomey/

Stop the "Compromise" Stimulus

Newt outlines in stark terms exactly why this bill, as currently written, is not worthy of our support.

Call your Senators today at 202-224-3121 and tell them to oppose the stimulus package. And for good measure, send them an email too.

Let's be honest, it’s not really a stimulus bill. It’s a big government, pork-laden spending bill filled with wasteful projects.



http://www.americansolutions.com/Blog/Read.aspx?guid=dcda8b24-c6db-4d27-a4f8-fbe3b5fb740b

The Gallup Poll found that 54% of Americans either want to see major changes to the current plan, or they outright reject it. Other surveys are also indicating that public support is plummeting. Politicians can call it stimulus and they can call it change, but it's just more of the same - and the American people are starting to realize it.

That's why the time to act is now. With so much at stake, our elected officials need to hear from us.
Here is what you can do - pick up your phone and call your Senators right now at 202-224-3121. Let them know exactly what you think about how they intend to spend your hard-earned money.

House GOP Leaders Call for Democrats to Post Massive Omnibus Spending Bill Online

Now we just need to make sure none of our Republican Senators vote FOR the stimulus.

To our Senate Republicans: Filibuster time guys. Use the fact that it's not open and transparent to the public as a rallying call to hold off on the thing until it's posted online! Stand on your conservative principles.

House GOP Leaders Call for Democrats to Post Massive Omnibus Spending Bill Online
In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), House Republican leaders yesterday formally asked that the massive FY 2009 omnibus spending bill be posted online immediately. Posting the massive bill online would allow the American people to study the contents of the bill between now and the week after President’s Day, when the $500 billion legislation is scheduled to be brought to a vote, and would be consistent with President Obama’s call for greater transparency in government, Republican leaders noted.
http://republican-news-sweep.blogspot.com/2009/02/house-gop-leaders-call-for-democrats-to.html

Wake Up America on the Stimulus

Wake Up America movement is an all volunteer non-partisan grass roots network, as many of you know. A core team of volunteers have diligently examined the contents of the current bill before Congress - HR1. What we have learned about what's happening in Washington is no less than astonishing.

TAKE THE TIME TO READ THIS NOW
Your Future may depend on it. Once you do, you may think this is all too incredible to be true. SO COME SEE IT FOR YOURSELF at WAKE UP AMERICA WEBSITE
We have posted the entire HR-1 in exclusive downloadable form for signed in Volunteers, like yourself. W.A.M. also has opened a special page on website to see specific excerpts of
THE BIGGEST SWINDLE IN HISTORY!

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH - and EVERYONE you know should also BE AWARE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTS:

1. HR1 opens with a positive sounding statement about its contents being only for the purposes of immediate actions to support economic recovery. THIS IS NOT SO! As a hint of some of what's to come in its SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN pages - its introductory statement immediately switches the subject to the (very complicated) terms of the GRANT MONEY that it contains. Have you ever heard of an economy in crisis being saved by the circulation of funds being poured into GRANT MONEY?!

2. As reported on FOX news briefly, the presumed organizer of this self-destructive volume of insanity, is Rep. David Obey of Wisconsin, whose own son stands to gain millions in government investment if this measure passes. But THAT is only a drop in the bucket of pork barrel spending included in HR-1. But here is what's worse: The purpose of the bill's high volume of self-serving sub-clauses (each adding MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE in non-economic emergency expenditures) is for one end: to BUY THE VOTE of every Congressman required for HR-1 passage! This Obama strategy for bribing public officials is nothing new. He has used it successfully - with Axelrod's help - throughout his rapid-fire rise to power. Here is the REAL REASON for buying up Congressional votes at this critical time:

3. HR-1 is ONLY THE FIRST in a package of TEN BILLS preparing to be launched in our Congress. Together they represent the obliteration of the American way of life as we have known it. As the public knows T.A.R.P. BILLIONS came first - and is already being shown NOT TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY. They are claiming that's because it's just "not enough." Any logical criticism of HR-1 is now also being brushed aside on the basis "We know it's not perfect but we need to do something FAST."

4. Each of these TEN PIECES OF DESTRUCTIVE and COSTLY LEGISLATION has a politically correct sounding Title. Together these form a body of nearly-irreversible SOCIALISM and their underlying intention is clear: Flood so much currency and power into the hands of Obama's supporters that the influence of his backers becomes an unstoppable political machine pursuing its own agenda - and its agenda does NOT serve We the People it is supposed to represent!

5. This currently unreported package of TEN BILLS are under the vast umbrella of the "Obama Economic Recovery Plan." The strategy is simple, really: to manipulate the emotions of the American public and orchestrate the purse strings of Congress - all FALSELY DISGUISED as necessary to improve our current plight. Notice how the Media has stopped talking about the "bail-out" and is now using the term "Stimulus Plan." When the next bill package comes up for a rapid-fire slam-dunk, they'll just call that one by a different name and so on and so on.

6. Which brings us to the most critical question: WHO IS REALLY WRITING ALL THIS LEGISLATION that will affect our families for generations to come? On January 7, 2008: The 10 Bill Package of "Obama Economic Recovery Plan" was introduced in the House of Representatives. On January 14, 2008 each of these Bills was no more than a few paragraphs in length - with appealing Titles followed by a few vague sentences. That's all there was! Yet, before January ended the OPENING PIECE OF LEGISLATION - HR1 mushroomed to 647 pages long! Ask yourself: How could Congress possibly have written much material on so many sweeping topics in just a few weeks? Then go on to the bigger question: Who in our House of Representatives actually read every page in this bill - and studied the use of the BILLIONS of Dollars being handed out throughout these pages? IT IS OBVIOUS THE HOUSE PASSED THIS BILL ONTO THE SENATE WITHOUT ACTUALLY READING IT - and quite possibly NOT having authored it in Congress itself!!!

HERE IS A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT YOU MOST NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HR1 before it becomes the LAW OF THE LAND:

Despite Obama's statement that "less than 1%" of this bill includes costs unrelated to economic urgency, MOST HR-1 CONTENTS HAVE NOTHING AT ALL TO DO WITH RESOLVING THE ECONOMIC CRISES. Everyone willing to Vote It In is earmarked to get a piece of the pie for their own special interests.

These billions in pay-offs- built into HR! - are covering up subcategories within the legislation designed exclusively for Obama's self serving political ends- individually and collectively they threaten our usual rights as citizens in a free Republic. These include:

- Massive funding of ACORN, despite the fact that the organization is under indictment in at least 12 states!

- Additional funding for another Obama campaigning arm - under the guise of support for the Analog to Digital conversion

- A huge volume of surreptitious GRANT funding to be distributed for questionable purposes of an extended period of time.

- Enormous bundled funding for "technology advances" (to improve outreach of propaganda and invasions of privacy.)

- Unbelievable extravagances in the upgrades of federal buildings and vehicles completely contradictory to our emergency status.

LAST, BUT FAR FROM LEAST: over ALMOST TWO HUNDRED PAGES of new Laws & Government Expenditures to NATIONALIZE the records of all Health Care providers into ONE DATA BASE which requires every American's Health Records be accessible to ANY who have access to said DATA BASE. This measure also refers to usage of the database by the federal government for BIO-SURVEILLANCE.

To do something about the dangerous insanity currently overtaking CAPITOL HILL sign in to help Wake Up America - GET INVOLVED

To better inform others you know whose lives will also be effected by HR-1, forward them the following link: THE NEW CONGRESS

Another group working to stop the stimulus

I'm working with TCOT (http://moveovermoveon.posterous.com) and WAM (www.wam08.org) and keeping up with www.nostimulus.com, to try and stop the stimulus, but that doesn't mean I can't promote other groups who are working hard to fight this thing! We need millions of people contacting their Senators. The more groups like the three I mentioned and the one below, the better our chances of reaching people who are sleeping through what could turn out to be the greatest threat our country has ever faced.

ACTION ALERT: Tell Sen. McConnell to Rally Against the Obama Debt Plan!

Great American Patriots!

You have a chance to make a difference this week. In just three days our group "I Say No to the Stimulus Package" has over 1,250 members and growing!

Now here's what we can do- This week the bill will enter the Senate.

We need the Republicans in the Senate to unite against the bill. Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell must rally the troops to say no to the stimulus package. We've put together an Action Alert on TCU describing what YOU can do.

We've posted Bill info here-http://www.tcunation.com/notes/2009_Stimulus_Bill

Here is some of the pork first introduced in the bill:
$1 billion to Amtrack
$400 million to research Global Warming
$2.4 billion to show how green house gases can be removed from atmosphere
$650 million for coupons for people to convert to digital TV
$600 million to buy new fleet of govt cars
$75 million for program to help quit smoking
$21 million to re-sod DC mall
$2.25 billion to Natl Parks
$335 million for prevention and STD
$50 million for Natl endowment of arts.AND MORE!
see more here:http://www.tcunation.com/notes/2009_Stimulus_Bill

This group brought to you by:The Conservative Underground"the social network for conservatives"Join the Fight at: http://www.TCUnation.com

Video - Stop the "Stimulus"

Post this on all your blogs! Spread the word, get involved, call, write, fax... stop the stimulus.

Leon Panetta's Daughter a problem in confirmation?

Thus far it seems that no matter what is turned up about Obama's cabinet picks, they're going to sail through the confirmation hearings with only mini-waves of dissent. I've been working on compiling a listing of all the things being discovered about BHO's choices. I couldn't wait on this one... if we were looking at a Bush appointee, this would be enough to kill it and would be front page headlines. Hat tip to P.U.M.A., and to Political Warfare...

Linda Panetta- Anti-Us Agitator, Leon Panetta- CIA Director Nominee… Is there anything wrong with this picture?
By PUMA Pundit
January 18, 2009
While I don’t think it is reasonable to expect Leon to control his grown daughter’s actions, I question the wisdom in appointing as the head of the CIA a man who:
1) Has no intelligence background (although we’ve been informed he is a consumer of intelligence )
2) Has a daughter who is actively lecturing about the negative “implications of US foreign policy and the realities of war.” and who hangs out with enemies of the United States.

Compañera Panetta, with Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega
If the adult daughter of a CIA Director-designate hangs out with sworn enemies of the United States, it's a matter for the United States Senate to probe aggressively. And so the Senate really has to ask some very pointed questions about Linda Panetta, daughter of President-Elect Obama's pick to lead the CIA, and her ties to Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega and Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.
http://jmw.typepad.com/political_warfare/2009/01/daughter-of-next-cia-director-pals-with-chavez-and-ortega.html

Guess it's never too early?

I've run and worked on many campaigns in past years, been involved in politics for quite some time. I've never thought it was a good idea to publicly announce too early that your were running for a particular office. In the past, if you started a campaign two years out by the time the election rolled around a number of things had happened.

One, people were pretty tired of hearing the candidates name by the time the election cycle got heated up.
Two, the early start kept the election "out there" leading to more opponents cropping up than possibly would have happened if they'd waited.
Three, that candidate usually lost as they'd given their opponents plenty of time to research and come up with opposing views, and they'd given their opponents plenty of ammunition to shoot at them.

It usually worked better to prepare "behind the scenes". Candidates joined organizations, started making sure they were at the right place at the right time, they found good ways to get their names in the media, etc.

Timing may not be everything in an election, but it's important. Announce too soon and all of the aforementioned things might happen, too late and there's not enough time, etc., etc. You want to announce early enough to scare off any potential candidate who's on the fence about running (if you're a strong enough candidate).

There are so many ins and outs, rights and wrongs, involved in running a campaign it would make most crazy trying to keep up! I could go into more analysis and discuss this long enough to put you to bed early, primed for a long sleep, but I'm leading to a short news story I just read so will quit and post the article .

Sarah Palin already has an announced opponent on the Democratic side if she decides to run for Governor in Alaska again. I don't expect her to run again. I think she'll either run for President or she'll head to the Senate. In fact, because I believe she's going to run for President, part of what I'm doing in my "spare" time is trying to start now getting people on board to help her in the 2012 election.

So, knowing she's probably not going to run for Governor again anyway, here's the article from Anchorage Daily News (quite a lot of build up for this little ditty, wasn't it?):

First candidate begins campaign for governor
NAME RECOGNITION: He has almost none, so he's starting early.
By SEAN COCKERHAM
Published: January 7th, 2009 10:19 PM
Last Modified: January 7th, 2009 10:20 PM
Bob Poe says he is running for governor as a Democrat, and he's starting his campaign nearly two years before voters go to the polls.
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/646183.html

More trouble for Obama on the horizon? Rangel tees up...

Rangel Hits Obama Closer to Home
It certainly didn't take long for scandal to rear its ugly head in the new era of Democratic control. Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich saw to that, and in spectacular fashion.
But while most attention is fixed on the Blagojevich scandal -- coming as it does in President-elect Barack Obama's home state and replete as it is with enough tape-recorded talk of peddling a Senate seat, shaking down contributors and blackmailing journalists to make even FBI agents blush -- it may not be the most troublesome one for the new president.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122902161394098863.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

---

I do believe we're in for a roller coaster ride - at least until sometime after Jan. 20th when Obama gets his machine fully in place so the leaks and problems are shushed up.

The media closed their eyes to anything negative about Obama. They're starting to see through that euphoric shield they erected and it's not looking pretty.

The Lies Biden Told

"For all the focus on Sarah Palin's graceful performance in Thursday's vice presidential showdown, a more significant spectacle was taking place behind the other rostrum. That's where Joe Biden, speaking with the pompus self-importance befitting his 36 years in the Senate, told one baffling fib after another." -- New York Post

"The Lies Biden Told"
Editorial
New York Post
October 4, 2008

For all the focus on Sarah Palin's graceful performance in Thursday's vice presidential showdown, a more significant spectacle was taking place behind the other rostrum.

That's where Joe Biden, speaking with the pompus self-importance befitting his 36 years in the Senate, told one baffling fib after another.

Some, of course, were just Biden being Biden. He smeared Dick Cheney as "the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history."

To which we must take specific offense: After all, the founder of this newspaper, Alexander Hamilton, was killed in a duel by then-Vice President Aaron Burr. (Certainly Burr was a better shot than Cheney.)

But that's a matter of opinion.

Not so, some other Biden gems:

* It's "simply not true" that Barack Obama said he'd meet Iran's president without preconditions, Biden insisted.

Yet when Obama was asked if he would in a debate during the primaries, he said yes - a position Biden back then termed "naive."

* Biden said he's "always supported" clean-coal technology - after stating emphatically only last month, "We're not supporting clean coal."

* Biden asserted - repeatedly - that the US spends more money on three weeks' combat in Iraq than it's spent in Afghanistan since the war began.

That claim's only remotely intelligible if he limits Afghan expenditures merely to US rebuilding efforts - and even then, he's off by a factor of three, according to State Department numbers.

* Also on Afghanistan, Biden insisted - repeatedly - that "our commanding general in Afghanistan said the surge principle in Iraq will not work" there.

That may not be an out-and-out lie, but it took supposed foreign-policy neophyte Sarah Palin to bring any context or nuance to the statement.

What Gen. David McKiernan had said was that tribal realities in Afghanistan are very different than in Iraq - requiring a different form of cooperation.

But he flatly said more troops, and more local engagement, are needed.

Sounds like a surge to us.

* Then there was what might have been the biggest head-scratcher of the night. Said Biden of the Bush administration's supposed Middle East follies:

"When ... along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, 'Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't, Hezbollah will control it."

Huh?

Assuming that Biden was referring to when, in 2005, American and French pressure helped the Lebanese people kick Syrian troops out of Lebanon, who ever thought NATO occupation of that deeply divided country was a good idea?

As if America's NATO allies would have gone in the first place.

But hey, as long as it makes Biden sound presidential.

At some point, Americans have to wonder: Is this a fellow who should be a heartbeat away from the White House?

Read The Editorial