Free Trade

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - GOP - Government - Health - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

159 Big Sepnding, Big Government Features of Obamacare

March 3, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

When Obama says that his Obamacare healthcare plan isn’t a big government take over of healthcare he really is simply lying outright to the nation (well, let’s be honest, it’s not really his plan because the Democrats wrote it and he had no real input into it).

Here is a list of 159 new programs, administrative boards, and bureaucracies that the Democrat Party’s healthcare bill creates:

(PS, remember that all the tax increases starts NOW, if this bill is passed, but none of the coverage starts for four years!)

1. Grant program for consumer assistance offices (Section 1002, p. 37)
2. Grant program for states to monitor premium increases (Section 1003, p. 42)
3. Committee to review administrative simplification standards (Section 1104, p. 71)
4. Demonstration program for state wellness programs (Section 1201, p. 93)
5. Grant program to establish state Exchanges (Section 1311(a), p. 130)
6. State American Health Benefit Exchanges (Section 1311(b), p. 131)
7. Exchange grants to establish consumer navigator programs (Section 1311(i), p. 150)
8. Grant program for state cooperatives (Section 1322, p. 169)
9. Advisory board for state cooperatives (Section 1322(b)(3), p. 173)
10. Private purchasing council for state cooperatives (Section 1322(d), p. 177)
11. State basic health plan programs (Section 1331, p. 201)
12. State-based reinsurance program (Section 1341, p. 226)
13. Program of risk corridors for individual and small group markets (Section 1342, p. 233)
14. Program to determine eligibility for Exchange participation (Section 1411, p. 267)
15. Program for advance determination of tax credit eligibility (Section 1412, p. 288)
16. Grant program to implement health IT enrollment standards (Section 1561, p. 370)
17. Federal Coordinated Health Care Office for dual eligible beneficiaries (Section 2602, p. 512)
18. Medicaid quality measurement program (Section 2701, p. 518)
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159 Big Sepnding, Big Government Features of Obamacare”

Barack Obama - Budget - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Elections - Frank Salvato - Free Trade - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Liberals - Media - Media Bias - Republicans - Socialism - Taxes - Tea Party

Some Tough Medicine for Getting Back to Good

March 3, 2010 by

-By Frank Salvato

I just watched an important video. It was a United News newsreel from December 2, 1945, and captured the official Japanese surrender proceedings aboard the USS Missouri, proceedings that brought World War II to an end. As I watched, I wondered how it must have sounded to my Father, who was fighting in the South Pacific during that time.

It would be impossible for me to be able understand how he must have felt at hearing Gen. MacArthur say,

“Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it, always. These proceedings are closed.”

My Father volunteered for military service during World War II, as did many who fought for the Allies from all countries. They did so not only because they understood the existence of evil in the world, but because they wanted to preserve the “way of life” their countries afforded them. For my Father it was to advance our American heritage – freedom, liberty, constitutionality and opportunity – to his children. It was for this belief that he risked life and limb in one of the bloodiest episodes in world history.
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Some Tough Medicine for Getting Back to Good”

Budget - Free Trade - Illinois - Liberals - Sam Adams Alliance - State Government - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

What have you heard about the Tea Parties?

March 2, 2010 by

This is a new video from the Sam Adams Alliance…

Most of us have had some experience with the Tea Party movement over the past year. Maybe you attended or organized a rally, watched one on t.v., or saw the media coverage given to these protests. You may have formed an opinion of this group of people through experience, or through the lens of others’ opinions, good or bad.

Recent attention to this movement has again revived, with the election of Scott Brown and growing media attention.

In January, SAM had the opportunity to conduct extensive market research with leaders of the Tea Parties, both through questionnaires and through in-depth one-on-one interviews.

What we found challenges much of the information currently on the market.

Now see what the activists themselves had to say about the Tea Parties: their motivations, their fears, and who they support for president in 2012.

Budget - Capitalism - Computers - Free Trade - Google - Inernet - Liberals - Net Neutrality - Scott Cleland - Technology

Foundem FCC Filing Documents Google Search Network Discrimination; Window into EU-Google Antitrust Case

March 2, 2010 by

-By Scott Cleland

Foundem, a UK vertical search competitor to Google, documents serial anticompetitive discrimination on Google’s search network, in a data-driven filing to the FCC in the FCC’s Open Internet regulation proceeding.

It is logical that the data-driven analysis in Foundem’s public FCC filing is an integral part of Foundem’s antitrust case against Google, which Foundem recently submitted to the EU, but which has not been released yet.

Therefore, Foundem’s FCC filing may be the best publicly available window into what the EU investigation of Google’s anticompetitive practices entails.

In essence, the Foundem filing accuses Google of monopolistic self-dealing and bundling.
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Foundem FCC Filing Documents Google Search Network Discrimination; Window into EU-Google Antitrust Case”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Elections - Free Trade - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Media - President - Public Employees Unions - Regulation - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

AP: Unions Stymied Under Obama?

March 1, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Associated Press posted a story lamenting that Big Labor has failed so far to get Obama to heel by their commands. Big Labor has said “jump” and Obama has but skipped. The article is correct, though, that Big Labor has failed in its two biggest goals: socialist healthcare and card check. At least, they’ve failed so far.

A third failure has also been forced upon Big Labor. As a result of newly seated Republican Senator Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts, Big Labor was not able to install Craig Becker as the head of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Becker was Big Labor’s back up plan in case Congress didn’t pass the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), or the card check bill. Being a former Big Labor lawyer and activist, labor groups expected that if installed as NLRB chief Becker would change rules, alter processes, and invent systems that would implement card check through the back door instead of through actual legislation.
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AP: Unions Stymied Under Obama?”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Congress - Elections - Free Trade - GOP - Government - Health - Jobs - Liberals - Public Employees Unions - Republicans - SEIU - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston - Washington

Washington State’s SEIU Bought Republican

February 26, 2010 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

On February 24, Moe Lane posted a short piece alerting one and all to the fact that one of the Republican candidates for Washington State’s 3rd Congressional District is a favorite of the hard-core lefties in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) — one of Obama’s favorite Big Labors cohorts. Mr. Lane, though, was sure that Jaime Herrera “regrets that endorsement now.” Unfortunately, I am not so sanguine because Herrera has been far more compliant with Big Labor’s goals than is evident from what Lane might have thought was a mere wayward endorsement.

There is a reason, it appears, that the SEIU endorsed Herrera. As a Republican she seems to be far more one of them than one of us at least as far as Big Labor’s needs go!

Moe Lane cited the Clark County Politics blog on the SEIU’s endorsement, but if you don’t want to believe the CCPblog — admittedly a right leaning site — here is a Progressive Voters Guide for Washington and here is the Voters Guide for Equal Rights Washington, both left-wing groups that show SEIU support for Herrera. On top of that here is SEIU Local 1199 NW’s endorsement page which also announces its endorsement of Herrera.

But, let’s address that possible “regret” that Mr. Lane so casually extends to Ms Harrera. Could Lane be right, could it be that Herrera was just by happenstance on the receiving end of an SEIU endorsement and now wishes it never happened? Was it all just an unfortunate incident? I have to say that after looking up some of her votes over the last few years, I must conclude that Herrera was given the thumbs up by the SEIU for a reason. Jaime Herrera was quite a friend to Big Labor.
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Washington State’s SEIU Bought Republican”

Britain - Budget - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - Government - Jobs - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Now The Brits are Having Tea Parties!

February 26, 2010 by 2 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

It’s just plain odd, but funny and telling all at the same time. Apparently the Brits are going to have their own tea party to protest their own plight of over taxation.

Accordingly, Member of the European Parliament Daniel Hannan is sponsoring a Brighton Tea Party to be held on February 27.

Hannan thinks that Brits have had enough of being raked over the coals as their government wastes tax money at a rate even higher than that of America’s profligate government.

The Tea Party Movement in the USA has demonstrated the huge scale of public opposition to excessive taxation. In the UK, tax is much higher and, in addition, British membership of the democratically unaccountable EU raises the issue of “no taxation without representation”. From the Boston Tea Party to the Brighton Tea Party, it’s time to demonstrate our opposition to excessive taxation.

Perhaps you’ll recall Daniel Hannan giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown the what fer last year? You might also remember that he became an instant celebrity with American conservatives, too!

One of my favorite lines…
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Now The Brits are Having Tea Parties!”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Democrats/Leftists - Energy - Environment - Free Trade - Government - Liberals - Media Bias - Science - Selwyn Duke - Taxes

Time to Turn Up the Heat on the Warmists

February 26, 2010 by

-By Selwyn Duke

At one time some would call them “deniers.” The more generous called them “skeptics.” But now, increasingly, it appears that they can be called something else: sane. Yes, the climate has certainly changed.

Even in the mainstream media, the less liberal organs are waking up. There is now a never-ending barrage of articles on the climate scam, with The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post firing some recent salvos. And these inconvenient truths are just adding to a case against the Climateers that has become dizzying.

Really, those issuing Chicken Little warnings had a tough sell from the get-go. We’re told that our world has seen at least five major ice ages, but, then again, I’ve also heard four. It has experienced numerous minor ones, although I’m not sure anyone knows precisely how many. In fact, we hear that the pattern is to have 100,000-year glacial periods followed by 12,000-year interglacials, with1500-year cycles of warming and cooling embedded within them. We’re told that during part of the Cryogenian Period — otherwise known as “Snowball Earth” — the world was completely blanketed with snow and ice and that during another period, glaciers were almost or completely gone. Furthermore, we’re informed that during the latter there was still, believe it or not, dry land and creatures to tread upon it.
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Time to Turn Up the Heat on the Warmists”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Government - Health - Liberals - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

‘One Problem, One Bill’: Real Health Care Reform

February 25, 2010 by

-By Dr. Peter Weiss

Instead of President Obama’s gargantuan bill, let’s take the problems one at a time and address them individually.

Pelosi tried and failed. Harry Reid couldn’t do it either. So President Obama has put his plan for health care reform on the table and now he wants to ram it through both the House and Senate.

The president is acting as if he came up with some new and improved concept for health care reform, when all he’s done is repackage an old, out of touch with reality proposal that nobody wants, except maybe Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
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‘One Problem, One Bill’: Real Health Care Reform”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Federalism - Free Trade - GOP - Government - Health - House of Representatives - Illinois - Liberals - Peter Roskam - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Congressman Peter Roskam: Obama’s Bipartisan Past

February 25, 2010 by

-By Congressman Peter Roskam (R, Illinois)

Mr. President: Business in Washington doesn’t have to be this way. You need not be pushed to the left and you can work across the aisle like you have in the past.

That is what I told President Obama a few weeks ago at the GOP caucus. He really does have an ability to work in a bipartisan manner. I know because we worked together for years to solve problems in the Illinois Senate.

Today’s health care summit doesn’t have to be a regurgitation of an unpopular health care bill. Nor does the President have to embrace Congressional Democratic leadership, which has systematically stiff-armed Republicans out of any conversation about solutions. Sure, health care is a contentious issue, but President Obama has successfully worked with Republicans under similar parameters.
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Congressman Peter Roskam: Obama’s Bipartisan Past”

Alexander Hamilton - Ben Franklin - Budget - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Federalism - Founders - Free Trade - George Washington - GOP - Government - History - House of Representatives - James Madison - John Adams - Liberals - Patriotism - Republicans - Rights - Senate - Taxes - Tea Party - Thomas Jefferson - Warner Todd Huston - Western Civilization

The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor

February 22, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

A group made up of some of the biggest names in contemporary conservatism got together a few days ago and crafted what they are calling the “Mount Vernon Statement,” a manifesto of sorts meant to give direction to today’s conservative movement. Put succinctly, it fails to fill the bill.

Taken as a whole this statement is fine as a short history lesson. It explains pretty clearly what the founders had wrought when their basic work was done with the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. But as a statement of principles that might guide today’s discussion I do not think the letter works.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that this effort is harmful. In fact, I think every young person should read it for its explication of our historically conservative American principles. The problem is that this thing doesn’t seem to speak directly to what we are facing today like a statement that perhaps aims to become boilerplate should.
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The Mount Vernon Statement, A Poor Man’s Manifesto… VERY Poor”

Budget - Business - Computers - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Google - Inernet - Net Neutrality - Scott Cleland - Taxes - Technology

How much should Google be subsidized?

February 22, 2010 by

-By Scott Cleland

Pending FCC policy proposals in the National Broadband Plan and the Open Internet regulation proceeding would vastly expand the implicit multi-billion dollar subsidies Google already enjoys, as by far the largest user of Internet bandwidth and the smallest contributor to the Internet’s cost relative to its use.

Interestingly, the FCC’s largely Google-driven policy proposals effectively would:

  • Promote Google’s gold-plated, 1 Gigabit broadband vision for the National Broadband Plan at a time of trillion dollar Federal budget deficits;
  • Recommend a substantial expansion of public subisidies for broadband that would commercially benefit Google most without requiring Google to contribute its fair share to universal broadband service; and
  • Regulate the Internet for the first time in a way that would result in heavily subsidizing Google’s out-of-control bandwidth usage.

I. Does Google need more subsidies?

Google is one of the most-profitable, fastest-growing, cash-rich companies in the world, with over $10b in annual free cash flow, 17% revenue growth and ~$25b in cash on hand.
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How much should Google be subsidized?”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Business - California - Capitalism - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Jobs - Media - Public Employees Unions - State Government - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Public Employees Unions Destroying California

February 21, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

Mark Tapscot echoes our current theme here on the blog by reporting that California is once again in a disastrous budget shortfall and one of the biggest reason that this is so is the undue power of the recalcitrant public employees unions. Tapscot says that California cannot get out of its mess because, “the unions refuse to consider relaxing their death grip on California’s rapidly shrinking legion of tax payers.”

Tapscot thinks that California is coming to realize that the unions are going to have to be confronted in order to solve the spiraling budget woes, but I am doubtful. Looking at the mess from the outside would certainly cause one to draw such a conclusion, but inside the legislature at Sacramento one sees no hint that the unions are becoming the bad guys as they should be.

Still, I hope that Tapscot is right and the California can finally lead the country in a good thing by breaking the public employees unions and, hope of hopes, eliminating them.

And why are these unions so dangerous? Tapscot’s conclusion is a refrain we’ve been touting for years.

It’s not only that public sector unions are driving many state and local governments into fiscal insolvency by forcing them to accept contracts providing compensation benefits that far exceed those in the private sector for comparable work and that cannot be paid for without crippling tax increases.

We agree, of course.

Add this report to the mounting number of individuals coming to the same conclusion we came to here on the blog.
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Public Employees Unions Destroying California”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Congress - Constitution - Dan Scott - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Energy - Federalism - Free Trade - Freedom - Government - Liberals - Oil - Senate - Socialism - Taxes

What James Madison said about Hope and Change

February 20, 2010 by

-By Dan Scott

What would the Founding Fathers say about our handling of the country if they were able to comment on the current state of affairs? It is easy to put words in their mouths but fortunately, we have for posterity recorded their words and intents to refer to for clarity in times of need. Some may say that this is a new day and age, therefore what the Founding Fathers had to say is simply not relevant to our current circumstances. Those who say this do so in ignorance of human nature and for self-serving reasons. Humans over the past 5000 years of recorded history may have advanced in terms of knowledge; however, their motivations and emotions are still no different now then they were in the past. It is motivation and emotion that govern human character, not knowledge and the Founding Fathers knew well the passions that influence those in power.

We were warned 200+ years ago against fickle governments. In fact, we were warned that the point of fickleness in government was for the few to gain an advantage at the expense of the many. Here is what James Madison had to say about Hope and Change as espoused by Barack Obama when he said he wanted to remake our society:
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What James Madison said about Hope and Change”

Business - Capitalism - Constitution - Free Trade - Illinois - Illinois Alliance For Growth - Illinois Policy Institute - Sam Adams Alliance - State Government - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

NYT Article: Tea Partying in Chicago

February 19, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The NYT had a nice write up on Chicago’s own American Liberty Alliance and its leader Eric Odom. This piece also discusses several other conservative efforts in and around Chicago. Groups like Hartland Institute, the Sam Adams Alliance, and Ed Lasky’s American Thinker also based out of Chicago.

It is interesting to note that some very strong conservative ideas are coming out of this bluest of blue states where politics is rough and disassociated from any control by voters. Odom makes that point, too, when discussing his move here from Nevada.

“You come from Nevada, where you have the entire Legislature on your cellphone,” Mr. Odom said. “It is a small government compared to here, where it is all union-run and it is a huge bureaucracy, and there is no way you’re going to get meetings with anybody.”

But there is hope, folks. With people like Ed Laskey, Odom and groups like the ALA, Sam Adams Alliance, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois Alliance for Growth, and The Heartland Institute, as well as the local chapter of Americans for Growth we do have a fighting chance.
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NYT Article: Tea Partying in Chicago”

Budget - Business - Computers - Free Trade - Google - Inernet - Net Neutrality - Scott Cleland - Technology

FCC: Forced Access Uneconomics & Selective Math?

February 19, 2010 by

-By Scott Cleland

The FCC just signaled it is considering requiring forced access and more special access as part of its soon to be released National Broadband Plan.

Colin Crowell, a top aide to FCC Chairman Genachowski told Bloomberg that mandating that competitors lease their facilities to other competitors “has a lot of appeal as part of a national strategy” in order to help small businesses grow and aid job creation.
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FCC: Forced Access Uneconomics & Selective Math?”

Budget - Business - Free Trade - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - State Government - Warner Todd Huston

Illinois Policy Institute: 6 Percent

February 18, 2010 by

Not So Stimulating
One year after the infamous $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, how’s that much-touted economic stimulus working out? According to even the most optimistic reports, not so well, and only 6 percent of Americans believe it has created jobs. ABC News has a quick summary of the gigantic government spending blowout and its long-term impact—or lack thereof—on jobs.

Who’s Getting Rich From Big Government?

Join Us Next Thursday…
Speaking of government largesse, we’ll be hosting “Obamanomics” author Tim Carney next Thursday evening for an evening of cocktails, appetizers, and engaging discussion. Bestselling author Jonah Goldberg calls Carney’s book an “indispensable field guide to the Obama years”—RSVP today to save your seat!
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Illinois Policy Institute: 6 Percent”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Liberals - Norvell S. Rose

The Green Shoots of Obama’s Green Police

February 17, 2010 by

-By Norvell S. Rose

Despite its creepy implications, I was going to let that odd Super Bowl car commercial featuring the Green Police just ride quietly into the sunset. Until the even creepier announcement the following day from the Obama White House. That’s when the worlds of fiction and fact, denial and disdain collided with a big, bad bang.

About that commercial — you know the one from Audi — offering a disturbing glimpse into a future envisioned no doubt by environmental extremists of the ultra-lib left. A future where a meddlesome Green Police force swarms through neighborhoods, into homes and businesses, looking for any evidence of crimes against the planet. You know, awful infractions, like using plastic grocery bags, trashing old batteries and drinking from styrofoam cups.

Now whether the ad for Audi’s new “green” car was supposed to be a spoof, a satire, a lampoon — whatever — it was weirdly hair-raising. And also consciousness-raising, but not necessarily in the way the eggheads at Audi intended. Viewed as an omen of ugly things to come, it was a super chilling moment during the Super Bowl.
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The Green Shoots of Obama’s Green Police”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Government - Jobs - Liberals - Pensions - Public Employees Unions - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Status of Obama’s PLA Order

February 14, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

CNSNews did a story today giving an update on Obama’s Executive Order number 13502 requiring all federal construction projects to operate under Project Labor Agreements (PLAs). Thus far the EO has been stymied by the commission that Obama set up to handle the initiative.

A PLA is a contract agreement that would force union rules, union dues, and union control of any construction project that the federal government undertakes. The PLA rules would even descend upon any non-union labor hired for the work meaning that employees would be forced to pay dues even if they do not belong to a union.

This PLA requirement is only another Obama payoff to unions and the construction industry says that PLAs will make any federal project go over budget, take longer to complete making the projects needlessly expensive.
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Status of Obama’s PLA Order”

Anti-Americanism - Budget - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Jobs - Liberals - Maryland - Taxes - Teachers Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Maryland’s Toxic Teachers Union

February 10, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

We all know the drill, right? Unions curry favor with compliant politicians, the unions then donate campaign cash to them hoping for political favors later down the line. Yes, that’s the drill… unless you are the Montgomery County, Maryland teachers union. See, in that case candidates are expected to pay the union for its favors, not the other way ’round, apparently.

As the Washington Post says, this upside down relationship “distorts and perverts the political process.” Folks, if even the left-wing Washington Post understands that unions are bad for our democracy, you have to know things have gotten horribly out of hand.

In some unusually harsh language, the WP takes after these union thugs big time:
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Maryland’s Toxic Teachers Union”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Jobs - Journalism - Media - Media Bias - Newspapers - Pensions - SEIU - Senate - Socialism - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

How Media Chooses Words Adds to Bias

February 9, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Politico had a story about Big Labor penned by Jeanne Cummings, the reporter famed for going after Sarah Palin’s Party purchased wardrobe during the 2008 presidential campaign, that was an object lesson in Old Media bias. Her piece headlined “Labor helps kill its own top priority” is a great example of using language to subtly shade the arguments, in this case those of Big Labor, to elicit a positive view of the ideology contained in the issue. Her piece very subtly shades the goals of Big Labor in a positive light easily giving the reader a feeling that Big Labor’s goals are good and noble and is a perfect example of how the media creates emotional appeal for the left’s actions.

Because it is such masterfully crafted example of subtle bias, it deserves to be studied closely.

Cummings Begins her propping up of Big Labor by saying that Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts is “bad news for health care” and will mean that Republicans can “block the Employee Free Choice Act,” and so she immediately casts the possible actions of the GOP in a negative light at the outset. “Bad news for health care”? It is said as if the GOP was against “health care.” It isn’t. And of course “block” is certainly a negative action. In any case, she started by shrouding the GOP in negativity right away.
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How Media Chooses Words Adds to Bias”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Communism - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Government - Health - John Boehner - Liberals - Republicans - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Start Over on Healthcare: Now I Give John Boehner a Pat on the Back

February 9, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

The other day I was slapping Congressman John Boehner (R, OH) around for his absurd claim that there was no difference between the Tea Party movement’s principles and the GOP establishment’s principles (or lack thereof). Well, today I have to give our Congressional Minority Leader a pat on the back for his letter to Obama about healthcare.

For those unaware, Obama has offered to come have another one of his odious “summits” with the GOP. Obama is claiming he wants to “listen” to the Republican’s ideas and that its time to work together. It’s all a sandbag, though. Obama is a liar and doesn’t intend to “listen” to anyone. It’s a move for show, a bright shiny bauble that the Old Media wonder at like the lap dogs they are.

Obama’s played this lie out many, many times in the past. It was his common mantra when he was a State Senator here in Illinois. He’d make all sorts of soothing noises about “listening” to all sides and “working together.” Then he would ignore all offers of collaboration and all ideas offered as he would go on to propose a strictly, down-the-line socialist styled liberal agenda. He’s never once in his life ever included any ideas from the other side in anything he’s ever done in politics. The man is simply a liar. There just isn’t any other way to say it.
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Start Over on Healthcare: Now I Give John Boehner a Pat on the Back”

Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Conservatives - Constitution - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - Jobs - Journalism - Liberals - Media Bias - Nancy Pelosi - President - Republicans - Society/Culture - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles

February 9, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well I’ve now written six — this makes seven — articles criticizing certain failures of the Tea Party movement thus far. They are all meant to be constructive criticisms, though, not dismissive nor derogatory of them. It’s measured introspection I employ in each of these articles. No name calling, no laughing, no hate. There is just no logical way to construe what I’ve written thus far as hate against the Tea Party movement. But this whole Tea Party thing reveals several things to me. First of all it shows that there is still a lot of passion for them and that is a very good thing. I want the Tea Party groups to succeed and I want them to become a force that can teach the GOP a lesson. The other main thing it shows me is that too many people can’t read for comprehension these days.

The sad thing is that these days even the slightest criticism of a thing is seen by too many as outright hostility. Everyone is so hypersensitive that even a mild criticism meant as an exercise in introspection is seen as an over-the-top attack. It doesn’t just happen on the right, either. Look at what happened to all those Hillary Clinton supporters during the run up to the 2008 presidential elections. The constructive criticism that Hillary fans offered the Democrats was pounded down so hard by the left that many Hillary supporters found themselves aligned — and some permanently — with the side they thought they opposed; the Republicans.

Naturally there’s the name callers and nay sayers always floating around out there. I had one guy, for instance, say, “who asked you for your opinion” of the Tea Parties? This same guy then went on to give me HIS opinion of them evoking the obvious rejoinder of just who the hell asked him for his opinion, anyway? Obviously he wasn’t bright enough to “get” that concept!
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Some Letters Beating Me Up Over My Tea Party Articles”

Budget - Computers - Democrats/Leftists - Free Trade - Google - Inernet - Net Neutrality - Scott Cleland - Technology

FCC Reclassification is Eminent Domain, but with No Just Compensation or Authority

February 7, 2010 by

-By Scott Cleland

At core the FCC’s contemplation of reclassifying, or effectively treating, unregulated broadband info services as regulated telecom services, would be tantamount to the FCC declaring “eminent domain” over private broadband providers, i.e. justifying a government takings of private property for public uses, but doing so “without just compensation” or any statutory authority.

The U.S. Constitution’s Fifth Amendment requires: “nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

A gaping missing element in all the FCC’s discussions of all the new “public uses” it envisions for broadband in its pending National Broadband Plan and its proposed preemptive Open Internet regulations is any consideration at all of the potential hundreds of billions of dollars of un-budgeted liability to the U.S. Treasury that could result from the takings of private network property without just compensation — at a time of skyrocketing trillion dollar Federal budget deficits and rapidly mounting public debt.

The FCC appears to be operating under the sweeping and heroic presumption that any prospective FCC regulatory action it may take here is essentially cost-free to the U.S. taxpayer and will be completely shouldered by broadband shareholders; in other words, the Fifth Amendment appears to be irrelevant to FCC decisionmaking.
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FCC Reclassification is Eminent Domain, but with No Just Compensation or Authority”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Capitalism - Communism - Congress - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Government - Jobs - John Armor - Journalism - Liberals - Media - Senate - Socialism - Society/Culture - Taxes

Obama: ‘I am not an ideologue’

February 6, 2010 by

-By John Armor

Last week, I wrote about 11 factually false statements in President Obama’s State of the Union address. Normally, one should not repeat the same subject next week. But, did you see the appearance of Obama before the Republicans meeting in Baltimore? I know that a few hundred of you are political junkies like me, and you saw that live.

I’m going to ask you a question. Don’t think. Don’t pause. Answer with the first thing that comes to mind. What occurred to you, when you heard Obama say, “I am not an ideologue.”?

I thought of Richard Nixon, toe to toe with Dan Rather (back when Rather was actually a reporter), Nixon answering, “I am not a crook.” Did you think the same thing? If so, here’s why.

When people have their backs to the wall, they will tell an obvious lie, perhaps just to fool themselves. Is Obama an ideologue? Here’s some of the evidence.

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Obama: ‘I am not an ideologue’”

Business - Capitalism - Congress - Conservatives - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - GOP - Government - House of Representatives - John Boehner - Republicans - Senate - Taxes - Tea Party - Warner Todd Huston

John Boehner is Kidding Himself

February 5, 2010 by 4 Comments

-By Warner Todd Huston

Yesterday our Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives proved that he still isn’t seeing the problem with the GOP. He’s living in denial, at least he is if we can take his words at face value.

On the Mike Gallagher radio show yesterday, leader Boehner insisted that there is no substantive ideological differences between the Tea Party folks and the Republican Party.

(As reported by The Hill)

“There really is no difference between what Republicans believe in and what the tea party activists believe in,” Boehner said during an appearance on the conservative Mike Gallagher’s radio show.

Boehner went on to say that the GOP has a job ahead of it to, “prove it to the tea party activists that we really are who we say we are.”

I can only shake my head at Mr. Boehner’s blather. Granted it might be mere bombast and hopeful talk from a man hoping to convince voters to buy his product. He may know he’s blowing smoke in part. But let’s assume he’s dead serious.
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John Boehner is Kidding Himself”

Anti-Americanism - Business - Capitalism - Congress - Democracy - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Elections - Free Trade - Freedom - GOP - Government - Liberals - Pensions - Rights - SEIU - Senate - Society/Culture - Taxes - Unions - Warner Todd Huston

Heritage: Unions Ate Your Raise

January 31, 2010 by

-By Warner Todd Huston

James Sherk has a very good post over at the Heritage Foundation’s The Foundry blog about how unions have hurt us all by fighting for tax increases.

Unions almost never go on strike anymore. Instead, they fight to get more for their members by lobbying for tax increases. Unions spent tens of millions of dollars last year campaigning for higher taxes across the country: Illinois. California. Minnesota. Washington State. Arizona. In many cases they have succeeded.

Nearly every day now we are visited with more proof of how public employees unions are a danger to this country and Sherk has shown us yet another example.

Sherk reports that in Oregon the public employees unions spent $700 million dollars to increase taxes on the people of Oregon. The unions wanted higher taxes to protect their undeservedly high salaries and rich benefits while the regular folks of the Beaver State lost jobs, had their pay cut, and were generally finding hard times — like the rest of normal, non-government worker America.

Not only are unions working against the best interests of the voters, but they are also working to allow out-of-control spending and irresponsibility in government to grow.

Unions are not only antithetical to good government, they are dangerous to our individual prosperity.
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Heritage: Unions Ate Your Raise”

Budget - Free Trade - Google - Inernet - Liberals - Net Neutrality - Policy - Scott Cleland - Technology

GoogleMonitor.com Launches Today

January 31, 2010 by

-By Scott Cleland

Will spotlight Google’s lack of transparency and accountability

WASHINGTON – A new web site designed to make Google more transparent and accountable launched today. GoogleMonitor.com is a crowd-sourcing site which will keep watch on the Web’s top watcher of everyone.

“Google is the most powerful company in the world, dominates the Web’s business model for information discovery and monetization, and watches most everything that happens on the Web,” Scott Cleland of Precursor LLC and GoogleMonitor.com’s publisher said. “Given all that un-checked power, Google has a dangerous dearth of transparency and accountability.”
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GoogleMonitor.com Launches Today”

Budget - Business - Capitalism - Free Trade - Illinois - Illinois Policy Institute - Taxes - Warner Todd Huston

Ill Policy Institute: Supremely Inappropriate

January 28, 2010 by

Scolding the Supremes
If you missed last night’s State of the Union address, you missed one particularly colorful moment: the president scolding the entire Supreme Court. You can watch the whole awkward run-in between the two branches of government by clicking HERE..

“Radical” Policies…or Common Sense?
A mother wants to send her son to the best school in her neighborhood, but that school happens to be private. Does that make her a radical parent? Of course not—and vouchers can make it happen. In his latest column, Collin Hitt details how this “radical” policy could be coming to Illinois soon.
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Ill Policy Institute: Supremely Inappropriate”

Anti-Americanism - Barack Obama - Budget - Business - Capitalism - Democrats/Leftists - Economy/Finances - Free Trade - Freedom - History - Liberals - Nancy Pelosi - Taxes - Thomas Brewton

The Obama Road to Serfdom

January 28, 2010 by 1 Comment

-By Thomas E. Brewton

During 2009 we travelled far along the downward economic spiral that Friederich von Hayek in 1944 accurately foresaw for Great Britain under the post-War socialist Labour Party government.

This Wall Street Journal editorial lays out the nauseating hypocrisy of Obama’s phony PR gesture in the direction of fiscal probity.

Only blind faith in the secular religion of socialism can explain Obama’s rush to subordinate every aspect of our lives to the control of socialistic ideologues like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, David Axelrod, Bill Ayers, and Bernadine Dohrn. Obama and his people presume to omniscience, because they have been “educated” by elite socialistic universities. They assume arrogantly that the American people are dunces who can’t find their way to the bathroom without guidance from the intellectuals. In their ideology the only just and desirable society is based upon what Franklin Roosevelt termed security, what in earlier periods of history was called serfdom.
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The Obama Road to Serfdom”