Sorry, Democrats, but government spending (or “stimulus”) does NOT stimulate the economy. It is a fallacy that misleads us all and empties our wallets for no reason.
Congress
Irregularities in Skilled Healthcare Trial
-By Warner Todd Huston
Last month I wrote about the California healthcare case involving Skilled Healthcare LLC. The Nursing Home company was accused by trial lawyers of violating California’s regulations governing how many staff members per resident that is required to operate a healthcare facility and lost its case.
What struck me is that this case seemed to have been brought to court by trial lawyers and without actual victims or injury and, worse, the $671 million award could bankrupt the company putting thousands of elderly patients out on the street and eliminating hundreds of jobs.
Now there is an update on this case that takes it to a whole new level of craziness. Aside from the absurdity of the case in the first place, now it seems that there were all sorts of irregularities with the jury and the judge during the case.
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Irregularities in Skilled Healthcare Trial”
Prairie Stater: Debbie Makes it Three, Another Taxpayer-Funded Direct Mail Piece
From the Prairie Stater’s John Reynolds
We previously reported here and here about the taxpayer funded direct mail pieces being send out at your expense by Congresswoman Debbie Halvorson (D-11).
Well, today, she made it three: that’s three taxpayer-funded direct mail pieces in as many weeks.
Today’s mail piece was about veterans’ issues.
We again note the irony in the fact that her first mail piece was about “reining in spending” and her efforts to be fiscally responsible.
Is sending out three self-promotional direct mail pieces at taxpayer expense while our country faces a $1.47 trillion deficit really fiscally responsible?
Again, we must ask: how much of our money is Debbie spending to send out these mailers?
Democrat Lobbyist Charged With Campaign Contributions Violations
-By Warner Todd Huston
Paul Magliocchetti, president of the lobbying firm PMA Group Inc. of Arlington, Virginia, was arrested on August 5 and charged with using friends and family to make illegal campaign contributions in order to skirt federal campaign finance laws.
His firm has been under investigation since 2009.
In a statement the Justice Department alleged, “Magliocchetti orchestrated a scheme to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal conduit and corporate federal campaign contributions in an effort to enrich himself and PMA by increasing the firm’s influence and prestige.”
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Democrat Lobbyist Charged With Campaign Contributions Violations”
More Taxes and Less Jobs, Enough is Enough — Let’s Stop the Overtaxation on September 18th!
The Democrats are showing their true colors once again. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has plans to increase the Illinois income tax — continuing his policy of killing jobs and stagnating the economy.
In a recent Bloomberg article, the Illinois budget director shined the light on Quinns tax increase plan:
“Lawmakers will likely increase the personal tax to 5 percent from 3 percent, generating $6 billion of new revenue,” the budget director, David Vaught, said in an interview.
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More Taxes and Less Jobs, Enough is Enough — Let’s Stop the Overtaxation on September 18th!”
Kagan Gets the Nod With 5 Republicans Voting Yes
-By Warner Todd Huston
Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan, was just given the official nod to take her seat on the highest court in the land. Five Republicans voted yes and one Democrat voted no. The vote was 63-37.
The five Republicans that voted yes are as follows: Lindsay Graham (R,SC), Judd Gregg (R, NH), Susan Collins (R, Maine), Richard Lugar (R, IN), and Olympia Snowe (R, Maine).
Kagan’s confirmation is the sixth most contested since WWII. Kagan’s 37 no votes as measured against the following:
Robert Bork (58 nos)
Clement Haynsworth (55 nos)
G. Harrold Carswell (51 nos)
Clarence Thomas (48 nos)
Samuel Alito (42 nos)
Elana Kagan (37 nos)
Of those nominees Bork, Haynsworth and Carswell were rejected while Alito and Thomas were confirmed.
Conservatives have criticized Kagan as one who has a radical, left-wing ideology. The document dump from early June on Kagan’s work in the Clinton administration showed Kagan as an anti-gun advocate, pro-assisted suicide, pro-abortion, for some human cloning experimentation, and very supportive of the whole global warming theology. Conservatives feel she will help push the court in a leftward direction.
Democrats: Say, Let’s Exempt Rich People in Blue States From Tax Hike!
-By Warner Todd Huston
If this doesn’t exemplify the left’s propensity to act in the mode of for-thee-but-not-me, nothing does. The Wall Street Journal (by way of the Wash. Examiner’s Mark Hemingway) reports that at least one Democrat has suddenly realized that when the Bush tax cuts fade away his state will be hit by a massive tax hike on the same rich people that donate to his election campaign.
The Journal notes that the “irony” of the tax increase coming on January 1 is that the bluest states will be hardest hit. New York, California, Connecticut, and New Jersey will be hit pretty hard and this poses a “problem” for those pro-tax Democrats that will suddenly find rich constituents who will be angry about the new hit on their income.
But, Representative Jerrold Nadler (D, NY) has come up with the perfect solution. Nadler wants to pass a law that exempts his rich constituents and those of other taxpayers in areas with a higher cost of living, i.e. other Democrats. The Journal reveals that Nadler’s new law would “require the IRS to adjust tax brackets proportionally in regions where the average cost of living is higher than the national average.”
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Democrats: Say, Let’s Exempt Rich People in Blue States From Tax Hike!”
Roskam Declares August 4th Debt Dependence Day
From the Office of Representative Peter Roskam…
Starting Today Every Dollar U.S. Spends in 2010 Must Be Borrowed
Rep. Roskam: “Though most families won’t celebrate Debt Dependence Day with fireworks and parades, this August 4th, every American should take note of the huge and growing share of our national debt with their name on it.”
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Roskam Declares August 4th Debt Dependence Day”
Sharron Angle Ad: Nevada’s Property Rates Plummeted Under Harry Reid
-By Warner Todd Huston
Sharron Angle released her newest TV ad slamming Harry Reid for presiding over the falling home values in Nevada.
Over the last few weeks the Angle campaign has seen an influx of new, more veteran campaign wranglers head out to Nevada to help in her campaign.
There have been a lot of complaints just after her primary win that the Angle campaign was reticent to listen to folks outside her own circle and opportunities have been lost to push her message successfully. She’s made some small errors but perhaps this loose campaign is tightening up.
Recently Angle has taken on some more seasoned campaigners. Jerrod Agen formerly of Rudy Giuliani’s campaign signed onto to Team Angle and last month she took on some other more seasoned hands such as John Yobb and other consultants.
Angle is no where near out of the race, though, despite some bumps in her efforts thus far. Polls show she is about even with Harry Reid so she has a lot of time to roar back and capture the seat. Polls showing the two at a tossup is really far worse news for Reid than it is for Angle. For an incumbent to be even with an opponent traditionally augers ill for the incumbent’s chances of re-election.
It would be quite an event if Republicans could “Daschle” the Democrat Majority Leader in the Senate, for sure.
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Sharron Angle Ad: Nevada’s Property Rates Plummeted Under Harry Reid”
The Era of Obama: Clorox Co. Loses Net Income to Taxes?
-By Warner Todd Huston
In a harbinger of profit statements to come, Clorox Co. — maker of numerous household cleaning products — reports that it’s net income was nearly flat despite a one percent rise in revenue.
The reason? Taxes.
Clorox Co. says its fourth-quarter net income was nearly flat, even though its revenue rose one percent, because it paid higher taxes and had smaller margins.
The laundry giant said that it earned $171 million in the last three months and had revenue of $1.52 billion last quarter. Clorox also reports that it expects to earn enough to keep in line with estimates.
So, sales have not been hurt by this recession for Clorox Co., at least. That is a good thing. But that its tax burden went up so much as to flatten its net income is unconscionable.
Businesses are in business to make money not forever break even. Breaking even is no incentive to push for higher achievement and invites sloth and eventual disinterest.
Without innovation and a return on the effort our economy will stagnate even further. As that happens tax receipts fall.
Obama is playing a dangerous game with our economy, folks. It’s one we are all bound to lose.
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The Era of Obama: Clorox Co. Loses Net Income to Taxes?”
Missouri Votes to Repeal Obamacare… Prop C Passes By Over 70%
-By Jim Hoft of GatewayPundit.com
MISSOURI VOTERS REJECT OBAMACARE!
Prop C passes in Missouri!
Over 70% of voters reject the democrat’s nationalized health care plan.
WOW! The Show Me State showed Obamacare the door tonight.
Over 70% of Missouri voters rejected Obamacare by passing Prop c.
It’s too bad local KMOV St. Louis Channel 4 could not find any one who voted for the proposition.
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Missouri Votes to Repeal Obamacare… Prop C Passes By Over 70%”
Down Economy: America’s ‘Oldest Family Farm’ Up For Sale
-By Warner Todd Huston
In a sign of these dismal times, the oldest family farm in America is up for sale because its owners just cannot survive this down economy. After 378 years of contiguous family ownership and operation, the Tuttle family of Dover, New Hampshire is selling its 134-acre farm.
Founded in 1632 by John Tuttle fresh off the boat from the Old World, the Tuttle family farm has moved on with the times, improved and changed to continue operating. But, at long last, this economy is too much for them to bear.
Curiously, the Associated Press worked very hard to downplay the economic side of this argument in its coverage and instead played up the fact that the Tuttles are aging and have decided to discourage their own sons from taking up the family business. The APs story also turned the focus away from the bad economy and toward blaming WalMart and the “growth of supermarket chains.”
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Down Economy: America’s ‘Oldest Family Farm’ Up For Sale”
Jamal Greene: Why I Am a Conservative?
Jamal Greene took to his video camera to tell us why he is a conservative. His effort is a serious and worthy explication of conservatism and his words should be listened to.
Jamal Greene: “In this video I speak about the ideas and beliefs that hold true. As a young educated black male I wanted to show the other face of the Conservative Movement: Me. There are many of us out here. Thanks to Glenn Beck for having them on his show. As a young educated black I constantly face down the stereotype that all blacks are Liberal and vote democrat. I am a member of the Tea Party, so the liberal media lies about the tea party being racist are completely untrue. This video dedicated to freedom, life, and liberty of the American Spirit. The Best is still yet to come for America.” As seen on Mr. Greene’s FaceBook.
Small Businessman Raped By Legal System
A small businessman that owns rental property was sued by a woman claiming “mental distress” because he left on her door notices that informed her of repairs, notices that he was required by law to leave for her knowledge.
This is the sort of abuse of the system that drives up costs for all of us. In Chicago it now costs renters a starting monthly rental fee of $1,000 a month for a small one bedroom apartment (sometimes two depending on what part of town). One thousand a month is absurd and in outlaying areas of the city is the amount you can get for a mortgage!
It is easy to see that constant regulations and the revolving door of the legal system because owners are being sued by every other renter causes rental prices to soar. This is why we need tort reform as this stuff acts as a corruption tax that makes the cost of living higher for all of us.
Small Businessman Raped By Legal System”
Lt. Col. Allen West: Now THIS is a Real American
Lt. Col. Allen West (Army, retired) is running for Congress in Florida’s Second Congressional District.
This video speaks for itself, but I just have to say that THIS man is a perfect example America’s best and brightest…
Colonel West’s YouTube Channel
On FaceBook
On Twitter
House Republicans: Help Us Cut Spending
This is from Eric Cantor, the House Republican Whip…
The YouCut project is focused on solutions – when we ask for ideas to cut spending, we don’t ask if it is a Republican idea or a Democrat idea, we just ask if it is a good idea.
This week’s YouCut item had the promise of bipartisanship. Last week, four House Democrats proudly announced their own ideas for spending cuts – we took one of their ideas and offered it on the House floor for a vote. We didn’t change their proposal.
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House Republicans: Help Us Cut Spending”
Virginia Challenge of Obamacare Wins One in Court
-By Warner Todd Huston
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson refused to dismiss Virginia’s lawsuit against Obamacare, today, allowing the suit against the federal government to continue on to the next stage.
The federal government sought a dismissal of the suit that challenges the Constitutionality of the part of Obamacare that requires every citizen to buy healthcare insurance.
In his report, Judge Hudson said:
The guiding precedent [on the Commerce Clause] is informative but inconclusive. Never before has the Commerce Clause and Necessary and Proper Clause been extended this far. At this juncture, the court is not persuaded that the Secretary has demonstrated a failure to state a cause of action with respect to the Commerce Clause element.
The chief claim of Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli is that the mandate to buy insurance violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. The federal government was attempting to have Virginia’s lawsuit thrown out with the claim that it doesn’t and should be thrown out because it is obvious that Obamacare does not violate the Constitution.
The judge, however, disagreed that it was so obvious and has allowed the suit to go forward.
It is Attorney General Cuccinelli’s contention that the insurance mandates expand federal power to never before seen heights of power in violation of the Constitution. It is an obvious conclusion, too.
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Virginia Challenge of Obamacare Wins One in Court”
Howard Zinn, Left’s Favorite Historian Now Proven Member of US Communist Party
-By Warner Todd Huston
Howard Zinn (1922 to 2010) is the left’s favorite contemporary historian. As an historian he is a child of the Beardian revolution yet he has for decades been able to straddle that line between legitimate historical observer and anti-American leftist. America’s intellectual society, in both the social movement and universities, have looked to him as a paragon of American virtue. He’s always been held up as just the right mixture of American leftism coupled with true scholarship.
But those of us on the right that have paid attention understand that he is not American in outlook and never was. Until now, though, it’s been hard to pin down his final loyalties. Now, with the revelations made due to a recent FOIA request, Zinn’s FBI files reveal the truth that Zinn fought his whole life to hide from the public. Howard Zinn was a card carrying member of the Soviet funded Communist Party USA (CPUSA).
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Howard Zinn, Left’s Favorite Historian Now Proven Member of US Communist Party”
Is The American Middle Class Disappearing?
-By Warner Todd Huston
Michael T. Snyder has a disheartening piece in the New York Post today that lays out 25 statistics that shows that the American middle class is dying. Snyder tells us his statistics “prove that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America.” Further he says, “the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate.”
Snyder’s main point is that increasing government regulations on business is making it more and more expensive to employ people and that, in turn, is causing middle income jobs to disappear.
This echos the recent post I made where economics professor Richard Timberlake said that this current recession was made by overweening government regulations not by a failure of the market.
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Is The American Middle Class Disappearing?”
After a Year in Office, Biden Says Afghan War Policy Still Developing
-By Warner Todd Huston
Vice President Joe Biden wants everyone to just calm down. He says that it’s “much too premature” to judge the Obama administration’s efforts in Afghanistan. Apparently, after a year of focusing on “the right war,” America is still waiting for the Obama administration to “develop” its policies there.
But one thing seems sure, the Obama administration has already excluded the possibility that more troops will be sent if Biden’s comments can be believed. When asked if the additional 30,000 troops are successful, will the administration send even more after them, Biden did not hesitate to say, “I do not believe so.”
So, success seems to be right off the table. After a year of the administration’s flaccid talk about our efforts in Afghanistan, after a decision to send fewer troops than generals have requested, and after a year of “developing” policy, the one thing that might be successful — more troops — has been preemptively taken off the table before anyone even knows if the first deployment will work.
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After a Year in Office, Biden Says Afghan War Policy Still Developing”
Hultgren for Congress (14th District): Bill Foster Campaigns at Taxpayers’ Expense
An interesting note from the Hultgren for Congress campaign (14th District)…
St. Charles, IL – The second taxpayer-funded advertisement in one week from Bill Foster’s congressional office arrived yesterday in voter’s mailboxes ahead of the August 4th deadline to stop government paid mail from Members of Congress.
“Bill Foster is using taxpayer funds to pay for campaign propaganda he sends to voters,” said State Senator Randy Hultgren. “People throughout the 14th district are outraged at this abuse of the taxpayers trust.”
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Hultgren for Congress (14th District): Bill Foster Campaigns at Taxpayers’ Expense”
Joel Pollak: Jan Schakowsky Says Charles Rangel is ‘My Leader’
From the Pollak for Congress campaign (9th District)…
NILES, IL- A newly discovered YouTube video reveals the close ties between Jan Schakowsky and Charles Rangel, chair of the House Ways & Means Committee, who is currently facing serious ethics charges.
The video was uploaded by the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (NLBCA) on March 20, 2010
It contains footage of a speech Schakowsky gave at an NBLCA event on Capitol Hill on March 17, 2010–two weeks after Rangel was forced to take a “leave of absence” as chair of his committee on March 3.
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Joel Pollak: Jan Schakowsky Says Charles Rangel is ‘My Leader’”
Heartland Institute Luncheon: This Recession Caused By Over-Regulation Not Market Failure
-By Warner Todd Huston
I just returned from a nice little luncheon given by the Heartland Institute (www.heartland.org) in beautiful downtown Chicago, Illinois. The purpose of the gathering of free-market supporters and like-minded individuals was to celebrate the life’s work of famed economist and Nobel Prize winner Milton Friedman.
The principal speaker was Richard H. Timberlake*, student and friend of the celebrated economist and an accomplished free-market economist in his own right.
I’ve done several such events for some of the conservative think tanks and state policy groups in the Windy City and I enjoy these events in Chicago because I always get the uneasy feeling that our little conclave of right-thinking fellows well met is the last vestige of civilization and that we are putting on the timbers to secure the gates as the barbarians mount their attack. The barbarians of which I speak are, of course, the city full of Democrats and socialists that looms on all sides surrounding our little events.
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Heartland Institute Luncheon: This Recession Caused By Over-Regulation Not Market Failure”
Speaker of House Recommits to Card Check
-By Warner Todd Huston
Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, recently appeared before the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and reaffirmed that she wants to push the woefully misnamed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), or card check, through the upcoming lame duck session of Congress.
This legislation would end the ability of employees to hold a secret ballot leaving them open to union intimidation and would also force federal arbitration on every union vote.
Of course, Pelosi is trying desperately to give big paybacks to unions that donated hundreds of millions of dollars to Democrats in the 2008 election and card check was their dream law.
The bill, however, has met with little enthusiasm in the halls of Congress and has not come to a vote due to a lack of support from all but the most left-wing, committed union supporters.
But in this lame duck session, it is expected that the Democrats will try one last, hard push for all their most unpopular policies in expectation that it’ll be even harder to get them through once the next Congressional session is begun. These Democrats know that they have no support from the voters, but they really don’t care.
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Speaker of House Recommits to Card Check”
Rep Peter Roskam (R,IL) Returns from Israel after meeting with Netanyahu
<p>From the Office of Illinois Representative Perter Roskam…
<p>Greetings from Washington! In this town, it’s easy to get swept up in the critical domestic issues facing our country each day. With the mid-term elections less than four months away, a Democratic majority unable to draft a budget, and unemployment near ten percent, there is plenty keeping us busy.
<p>However, our country is also facing critical security issues on the international stage. Recently, I had the privilege of leading a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Israel – our nation’s only democratic ally in the tumultuous Middle East – to get a first hand account of the situation on the ground as it relates to American interests. As the co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus, this trip was particularly insightful.
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Rep Peter Roskam (R,IL) Returns from Israel after meeting with Netanyahu”
Now Congress Is Fighting Over Sports Teams
-By Warner Todd Huston
In one of those “it’s gotten so bad that…” stories, McClatchy’s James Rosen reported today that Congress is so rife with partisan warfare that they can no longer even agree to sign onto each other’s harmless resolutions that celebrate sports teams for one success or another.
“The once-routine resolutions honoring hometown squads or stars sailed through Congress for years with nary a discordant note or vote — but no more,” Rosen gravely wrote.
Rosen went on to reveal that our elected officials are finding resistance to their once easily passed resolutions meant to honor local, hometown sports teams in both the House and the Senate.
So what is going on?
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Now Congress Is Fighting Over Sports Teams”
(10th District) Robert Dold Launches Second Radio Ad
Dold has launched the campaign’s second radio ad. The 60-second ad titled “There is a Better Way” is running on Chicagoland radio, along with the first radio ad called “Meet Robert Dold.”
New Chart Reveals the Impossible Complexity of Obamacare
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Republicans of the Joint Economic Committee have come out with a chart that shows the shocking and just plain idiotic complexity that is Obamacare. (Download .pdf file)
Four months after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously declared “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it,” a congressional panel has released the first chart illustrating the 2,801 page health care law President Obama signed into law in March.
Developed by the Joint Economic Committee minority, led by U.S Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas and Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the detailed organization chart displays a bewildering array of new government agencies, regulations and mandates.
Sadly, Obamacare is so complex that even this chart can only show about 1/3 of the foolishness involved. There is so much intertwined, serpentine connections that there was no physical way to even get it all on one chart.
New Chart Reveals the Impossible Complexity of Obamacare”
Tax Calculator Tells You What You’ll Pay With and W/O Bush Tax Cuts
-By Warner Todd Huston
We all know that time is running out for Congress to extend the Bush tax cuts and if it doesn’t do so we will all see our taxes go up. To help you figure out what your tax burden will be with and without the Bush tax cuts the folks at the Tax Foundation have created an excellent new “tax calculator” that will show you how much your tax burden will be for 2011. You can try the calculator out at: www.mytaxburden.org/
The calculator shows you what you’ll pay if the Bush tax cuts remain in place, what you’ll pay with them removed (as they are about to be), and what you’ll pay under Obama’s tax proposals.
You have to know your income for 2011 (or at least an estimate), your filing status, dependents, and all the usual basic info that affects your filing.
Obama is about to preside over a massive tax hike, folks. The Tax Foundation’s calculator will help you understand how it will affect you.
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Tax Calculator Tells You What You’ll Pay With and W/O Bush Tax Cuts”
Dan Juneau On Impact of Oil Moratorium on Citizens of Louisiana
-By Warner Todd Huston
Here is a very interesting interview with Dan Juneau, President of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). LABI is a combination of the state chamber of commerce and the state manufactures organization and represents the business interests of the state. There are 35,000 members, companies of all sizes in the Pelican State.
Juneau discusses how bad this oil moratorium will be on the economy of the entire Gulf region.
Dan Juneau On Impact of Oil Moratorium on Citizens of Louisiana”