Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
The Enablers of Charlie Rangel
Great column by Michelle Malkin on corruption in Congress: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the world's worst cleaning lady. How has she fulfilled her vaunted promise to "drain the swamp" and preside over the "most ethical Congress in history"?
The Enablers of Charlie Rangel - HUMAN EVENTS
The Enablers of Charlie Rangel - HUMAN EVENTS
End free ride for PA Turnpike wokers?
Who says there's no such thing as a free ride? Some 2,100 Pennsylvania Turnpike employees ride the toll road for free, even when they're on vacation, according to published reports.
A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to end the perk.
"Were going to have make some changes on that, whether they like it or not," Senate Transportation Committee Chairman John Rafferty, R-Chester County, told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The free rides are especially galling while the state faces a fiscal crisis.
"I think that's part of the problem with our agency heads," Rafferty said. "Over the years, they've become so insulated that they don't realize that the public does not want that type of use or misuse."
Read the full story at the newspaper's website.
Tony Phyrillas on WCHE 1520 AM in West Chester
Tony Phyrillas will be the guest on Life Unedited with John Aberle Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon on WCHE 1520 AM in West Chester.Topics of discussion will be the Tea Party movement, immigration, Barack Obama's falling job-approval numbers, the November midterm elections, property tax relief and ongoing corruption in Harrisburg.
You can call the station with questions or comments at 610-701-WCHE (9243)
If you can't pick up the radio station's signal, Aberle's program is simulcast live online at www.WCHE1520.com
Memo outlines Obama backdoor 'amnesty' plan
The Obama Administration is working on an underhanded way to grant amnesty to 12 million illegals, bypassing Congress and the will of the American people. Obama has to be stopped in November by voting out every Democrat in Congress or you'll never recognize this country again.
From The Washington Times:
From The Washington Times:
With Congress gridlocked on an immigration bill, the Obama administration is considering using a back door to stop deporting many illegal immigrants - what a draft government memo said could be "a non-legislative version of amnesty."Read the full story at the newspaper's website.
The memo, addressed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas and written by four agency staffers, lists tools it says the administration has to "reduce the threat of removal" for many illegal immigrants who have run afoul of immigration authorities.
"In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, USCIS can extend benefits and/or protections to many individuals and groups by issuing new guidance and regulations, exercising discretion with regard to parole-in-place, deferred action and the issuance of Notices to Appear," the staffers wrote in the memo, which was obtained by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican.
The memo suggests that in-depth discussions have occurred on how to keep many illegal immigrants in the country, which would be at least a temporary alternative to the proposals Democrats in Congress have made to legalize illegal immigrants.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Keith Olbermann Has No Moral Compass
A.W.R. Hawkins, writing at HumanEvents.com, offers this dead-on assessment of MSNBC resident-scuzzball Keith Olberman:
Keith Olbermann Has No Moral Compass - HUMAN EVENTS
Keith Olbermann is a goon, a serial embellisher, and an attack dog for the Left. He is devoid of civility and decorum, and lacks even the restraint that most parents hope to have instilled in their children by age five. He is ruled by illogical passions (leftist ideology is, by its very nature, illogical), and apparently lacks a strong enough grasp of the differences between right and wrong to correct his course.Read the full column at the link below:
Perhaps comedian Nick Di Paolo put it best when he said of Olbermann: "The guy has no moral compass."
Keith Olbermann Has No Moral Compass - HUMAN EVENTS
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Catch Tony Phyrillas on the radio Saturday
Tony Phyrillas will be the guest on "Life Unedited" with John Aberle Saturday from 11 a.m.-noon on WCHE 1520 AM in West Chester.Topics of discussion will be the Tea Party movement, Barack Obama's falling job-approval numbers, the November midterm elections, property tax relief and ongoing corruption in Harrisburg.
You can call the station with questions or comments at 610-701-WCHE (9243)
If you can't pick up the radio station's signal, Aberle's program is simulcast live online at www.WCHE1520.com
Obama officials throw lavish parties at taxpayer expense
While millions of American families struggle to put food on the table, Obama Administration officials are throwing lavish parties for themselves - and billing the taxpayer.From a post by Connie Hair at HumanEvents.com:
A new oversight report released yesterday by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) exposes millions of dollars in Department of Justice (DOJ) funds are being spent on parties.
The review of recent activities sponsored by DOJ grantees identified luaus, a Mardi Gras party, block parties, a film festival, a carnival, skateboarding, dancing, fashion shows, and even a doughnut eating contest among the recreational activities made possible with federal crime prevention funding.
"With our nation facing the heightened threats of domestic terrorism and unprecedented debt and financial challenges, taxpayers should be shocked to learn DOJ crime prevention grant programs are paying for parties and rollercoaster rides for children rather than focusing on investigating crimes, locating and prosecuting terrorists, and administering justice," Coburn said.
Coburn's scathing, 42-page report entitled "Party at the DOJ" comes amid new Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings that DOJ does not track amounts spent on recreational activities nor does it assess impact outcomes of these expenditures.
Read the full post at the link below:Taxpayer Funded ‘Party at the DOJ’ - HUMAN EVENTS
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Valley Forge branch of Tea Party launched
The Tea Party movement continues to grow. Will it make a difference in November by ousting the permanent political class that has ruined this country?
Valley Forge branch of Tea Party launched (video) - The Mercury (pottsmerc.com)
Valley Forge branch of Tea Party launched (video) - The Mercury (pottsmerc.com)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
A cautionary tale of big government
The Washington Post ran a series of articles this week about the massive growth (and apparent lack of accountability) of the U.S. intelligence community since 9/11. The Bush Administration, followed by the Obama White House, have allowed scores of of alphabet soup government agencies to grow without any checks-and-balances or regard for expense.
Are we safer today after billions of dollars have been spent to bolster America's intelligence-gathering apparatus after the failures that led to 9/11? That's debatable.
From an editorial summarizing the series:
SINCE SEPT. 11, 2001, the United States has increased its spending on intelligence by 250 percent and created or revamped 263 organizations. Yet the problems that gusher of money and bureaucracy were meant to solve -- such as the failure of existing intelligence organizations to share information or "connect the dots" about terrorism threats -- have not been alleviated. Instead, as a series of articles in The Post this week documented, the vast expansion of agencies, programs and personnel -- including tens of thousands of private contractors -- has overwhelmed many of the policymakers and military commanders it was meant to serve.Read the full editorial, "The overgrowth of intelligence programs since Sept. 11," at the newspaper's website.
You can also read the series, "Top Secret America," here.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sen. Mensch calls for cut in PA income tax
State Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist., is pushing legislation he has introduced to reduce Pennsylvania's personal income tax as a way to spur the state's struggling economy and put more Pennsylvanians back to work.From a Mensch press release:
"Pennsylvania families and businesses have been hard hit by the current economic downturn," said Mensch. "By putting more money back into the hands of consumers, we can help promote additional economic growth and provide a needed boost to businesses. Similarly, reducing the tax burden on businesses will provide some breathing room for companies that are struggling to survive."For more information, visit Mensch's campaign website at www.mensch2010.com
Mensch noted that roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvanians are employed by small businesses. He said a tax break will enable business owners to invest in their business and create new job opportunities
Legislation introduced by Mensch, S.B. 1361 will decrease the personal income tax -- paid by both individuals and businesses -- from 3.07 percent to 2.99 percent.
Mensch said that last year, he and other Republicans in the legislature stood up to Governor Ed Rendell's demand to increase the personal income tax by 16 percent to fund new spending proposals. That proposed increase was on top of the personal income tax hike Rendell sought and won approval for in 2003 that raised the personal income tax from 2.8 percent to the current rate of 3.07 percent. The Commonwealth Foundation conducted analysis of that tax hike and said it resulted in a 36,000 decrease in jobs created in the years immediately following the increase.
"At a time when Pennsylvania families are struggling to make end meet and make tough household budget decisions, state government should be doing the same," said Mensch. "We need to take a hard look at opportunities to cut waste, fraud and ineffective government programs so that we can allow working families and businesses to keep more of their hard-earned dollars and reinvest in the state's economy."
Mensch is running on a platform of returning fiscal responsibility to Harrisburg, opposing tax increases on working families and seniors, improving the state's economic environment and job creation, and enhancing local open space preservation efforts.
Facebook apologizes to Palin
Why do these things only happen to conservatives?
Facebook apologizes to Palin - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com
Facebook apologizes to Palin - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com
JournoList: Is 'call them racists' a liberal media tactic?
From The Christian Science Monitor:
JournoList was an informal online discussion group involving several hundred left-leaning journalists. In excerpts released Tuesday, some of their discussions appeared to veer toward collusion, from how to protect Barack Obama to how to tar conservative critics.JournoList: Is 'call them racists' a liberal media tactic? - CSMonitor.com
Who will be Bruce Castor's running-mate in 2011?
Veteran Montgomery County political observer Margaret Gibbons writes about the jockeying for next year's race for Montgomery County commissioner.Incumbent Bruce L. Castor Jr. will be one of the Republican nominees, but forget about Turncoat Jim Matthews for other spot. Matthews has maneuvered himself into Arlen Specter territory. He's a man without a party and will be tossed away by both parties.
From Gibbons' column:
The jockeying for the county Republican Committee's two county commissioner endorsements in next year's elections is already under way.PhillyBurbs.com: Above, beyond call of caring
GOP incumbents Bruce L. Castor Jr. and James R. Matthews, former running mates who do not like each other one bit, have said they will be running for re-election next year. No surprise there.
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However, there are others who believe that Matthews, who was censured by party leaders for his unprecedented alliance with Democratic Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel III, cannot win that second GOP endorsement and they want it for themselves. And, to date, these believers are all women.
The three women who have expressed an interest in that second endorsement include county jury commissioner Marie N. Cavanaugh of North Wales, Lower Merion commissioner Jenny Brown and Lower Merion GOPer Jill Govberg, who sought the endorsement four years ago but bowed out when she did not secure enough votes. Govberg has been attending the commissioners' meetings regularly for more than a year. It will be interesting to watch this play out.
Alleged stalker of Jennifer Aniston traveled to L.A. from Pa.
From a story by Carl Hessler Jr. in today's edition of The Mercury:A West Norriton man who allegedly drove cross-country, stalked and professed his love for actress Jennifer Aniston previously faced eerily similar charges of stalking a township woman.Read the full story at the link below:
Jason Peyton, 24, formerly of Reagan Court, during a trial in Montgomery County Court in April 2009, was determined to be not guilty by reason of insanity in connection with charges he harassed and stalked a township woman, who he claimed was "in love" with him, on numerous occasions in 2008, according to court records.
Norristown defense lawyer Richard D. Winters, who represented Peyton in the Montgomery County case, confirmed on Wednesday that Peyton is the same man now being held under an emergency mental health commitment in California in connection with his alleged obsession with Aniston, a star of the former hit TV show "Friends."
Alleged stalker of Jennifer Aniston traveled to L.A. from Montco (VIDEO) - The Mercury (pottsmerc.com)
Thomas Sowell: Nothing Post-Racial About Barack Obama
Thomas Sowell is one of the most brilliant minds in the United States. A noted economist, social critic and author, Sowell is also one of the most respected political columnists in the country. Sowell also happens to be black. And Thomas Sowell is disgusted by the constant use of the race card by Barack Obama and his liberal minions as a way to disparage critics of Obama's failed policies.From a new Sowell column in Investor's Business Daily:
Some Obama supporters have long regarded any criticism of him as racism. But that they should have to resort to such a banner to bolster their case shows how desperate they are for any evidence.Read the full column at the newspaper's website.
Among people who voted for Barack Obama in 2008, those who are likely to be most disappointed are those who thought they were voting for a new post-racial era. There was absolutely nothing in Obama's past to lead to any such expectation, and much to suggest the exact opposite. But the man's rhetoric and demeanor during the election campaign enabled this and many other illusions to flourish.
Still, it was an honest mistake of the kind that decent people have often made when dealing with people whose agendas are not constrained by decency, but only by what they think they can get away with.
On race, as on other issues, different people have radically different views of Barack Obama, depending on whether they judge him by what he says or by what he does. As Obama's own books point out, he has for years cultivated a talent for saying things that people will find congenial.
There is not now, nor has there ever been, anything post-racial about Barack Obama, except for the people who voted for him in the mistaken belief that he shared their desire to be post-racial. When he leaves office, especially if it is after one term, he will leave this country more racially polarized than before.
Hopefully, he may also leave the voters wiser, though sadder, after they learn from painful experience that you can't judge politicians by their rhetoric, or ignore their past because of your hopes for the future. Voters may even wise up to race card fraud.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Newspaper: It's time to end the special funds for state lawmakers
While running up more than $4.3 billion in deficits over the past two years, Gov. Ed Rendell and the Legislature also spent $210 million on Walking Around Money, which comes from taxpayer-funded slush funds incumbent politicians use to help them get re-elected.
Still think there's no need for a clean sweep in Harrisburg?
Check out this editorial in the Reading Eagle:
It's time to end the special funds for state lawmakers (7/20/10)
Still think there's no need for a clean sweep in Harrisburg?
Check out this editorial in the Reading Eagle:
It's time to end the special funds for state lawmakers (7/20/10)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Newspaper: No On Kagan
Investor's Business Daily says Elena Kagan does not deserve a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court because of the contempt she has demonstrated for the Constitution. She will use her lifetime appointment to the court to chip away at basic rights in the Constitution, the newspaper argues.
Read the full editorial at the link below:
Why No On Kagan - Investors.com
Read the full editorial at the link below:
Why No On Kagan - Investors.com
The Blame Game - Democrats faulted on unemployment extension
Who's to blame for Congress' delay in extending unemployment benefits? The Democrats, of course. They control Congress. They decide all government spending.From Investor's Business Daily:
President Obama, for example, leveled an attack Monday at Republican lawmakers, essentially saying they were denying extended unemployment benefits for millions of jobless Americans. "It's time to do what's right, not for the next election, but for the middle class," he said, implying that the GOP's only concern was politics.The Blame Game - Investors.com
We're not surprised. It's in the grand tradition of political bad-mouthing to claim the opposition is heartless and hateful. But the president forgets: It was the Democrats who insisted on a new system for budgeting, to make sure the deficit didn't grow. Republicans, in fact, support the $34 billion extension of jobless benefits; they just want Congress to find an equivalent amount in cuts, as required by the Democrats' own rules.
Remember last February? Trying to convince Americans they were the fiscally responsible party — despite pushing the U.S. deficit to $1.4 trillion, or 10% of GDP, and adding trillions to our nation's debt — Democrats passed a "Pay-Go" law requiring that any added spending would be offset with cuts.
They got a lot of political mileage out of that. But before the ink on the bill was dry, they began ignoring it, spending more on health care, aid to the states, jobless benefits, expansion of the child tax credit and government loan programs for small businesses, among other goodies, with no cuts.
In short, they had it both ways — posing as deficit-cutters while at the same time spending vast sums of money on various forms of "stimulus." As we all know, the Keynesian stimulus has been a tragic failure, denying millions of Americans the right to meaningful work by killing off the economic growth that is the source of an expanding work force and rising wages.
AHI Statement on 36th Anniversary of Turkish Invasion of Cyprus
The American Hellenic Institute (AHI) has issues the following statement on the 36th anniversary of Turkey’s brutal invasion of the Republic of Cyprus on July 20, 1974:Today we remember the solemn 36th anniversary of Turkey’s brutal invasion of the Republic of Cyprus.The American Hellenic Institute is an independent non-profit Greek American public policy center that works to strengthen relations between the United States and Greece and Cyprus, and within the Greek American community. AHI
On July 20, 1974, Turkey illegally invaded the Republic of Cyprus with the illegal use of U.S.-supplied arms and equipment in violation of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, the United Nations Charter, the NATO Treaty, and customary international law. Turkey occupied about four percent of Cyprus during the initial phase of its invasion. Turkish pilots flying American planes dropped American-made bombs, including napalm bombs, on Greek Cypriot communities.
Furthermore, on August 14, 1974, three weeks after the legitimate government of Cyprus was restored, Turkey launched the second massive phase of its invasion of Cyprus. As a result of its two-phase invasion of Cyprus, Turkey grabbed 37 percent of Cyprus’s sovereign territory, killed innocent civilians, raped women ages 12 to 71, forced 170,000 Greek Cypriots from their homes and properties, and committed mass destruction of Cyprus’s cultural and religious heritage, including its churches and cemeteries. Approximately 1,600 Greek Cypriots and five American citizens of Cypriot heritage went missing and a large majority of these cases remain unresolved.
For 36 years, the people of Cyprus have endured an illegal occupation and massive violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms by Turkey, an ally of the United States. Current efforts to find a solution under United Nations auspices have yielded minimal tangible results. Under the new leadership of Mr. Dervis Eroglu, the Turkish Cypriots, with the support of Turkey, continue to present proposals and positions that are outside the parameters of the UN high-level agreement and European Union principles. Clearly, the problem, as well as the solution to the Cyprus issue, rests in Ankara.
AHI contends the U.S can play a crucial role by getting realistic with Turkey and eliminating its double-standard policy that has rewarded Turkish aggression and ignored countless violations of the rule of law in Cyprus—a valued friend and supporter of the U.S. on counter-terrorism and security issues in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In addition, AHI continues to:support a settlement of the Cyprus problem through negotiations based on a bi-zonal, bi communal federation in a state with a single sovereignty and international personality, incorporating the norms of a constitutional democracy embracing key American principles, the EU acquis communautaire and EU Founding Treaty, UN resolutions on Cyprus, the pertinent decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and of other European Courts -- as is the best interests of the United States;Regarding Iran, Turkey has publically supported the Iranian dictator, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader and its fraudulent election returning Ahmadinejad to the presidency. Turkey has denounced Iran’s opposition party and the mass demonstrations over the legitimacy of the elections. In a CNN interview, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan rebuffed President Obama’s call for tough new sanctions on Iran.
call for the withdrawal of Turkey’s 43,000 occupation troops illegally in Cyprus;
call for the return of the 180,000 illegal Turkish colonists/settlers in Cyprus to Turkey and for a halt to the illegal bringing of more colonists/settlers from Turkey to occupied Cyprus to illegally change the demographics of the island and of the Turkish Cypriot community, all of which is in violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949;
call for the restoration of property illegally taken in the northern-occupied area of Cyprus to their rightful owners, and payment by Turkey to the owners for deprivation of the use of their property;
urge the U.S. government to direct Turkey to tear down the green line barbed wire fence across the face of Cyprus that makes Nicosia the last divided capital in Europe; contend Ankara must not manipulate the direct talks or restrict Mr. Eroglu during negotiations; and
call on Ankara to normalize relations with the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the European Union (a body to which Turkey aspires to join), and as agreed to by Turkey.
AHI will host a documentary presentation and forum on Capitol Hill titled “Cyprus Still Divided: A U.S. Foreign Policy Failure” on July 21, 2010, 2pm, 2456 Rayburn House Office Building, to observe the 36th anniversary of Turkey’s invasion of the Republic of Cyprus.
Finally, AHI draws attention to Turkey's recent foreign policy direction that is not in the best interests of the United States.
Regarding Israel, Prime Minister Erdogan has attacked Israel on many occasions for its actions in Gaza, including the “Flotilla Incident” that occurred May 31, 2010. He publically attacked former Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 29, 2009, and recently, excluded Israel from an annual NATO air force exercise in Turkey called Anatolian Eagle. The U.S. and others refused to participate, and as a result, the exercise was canceled.
Our position has long been that the United States, in its own best interests, should critically review and reassess its relations with Turkey. The recent actions and statements of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other members of his government, regarding Israel, Iran, Syria and Sudan, which are contrary to U.S. policy and interests, only serve to underscore the need for a critical reevaluation of U.S. relations with Turkey.
Watchdog group endorses Toomey for U.S. Senate
The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste Political Action Committee has formally announced its endorsement of former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) in the race for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.From a CCAGWPAC press release:
"Pat Toomey is a proven leader in supporting limited government and eliminating excessive spending," said CCAGWPAC Chairman Tom Schatz. "Pat Toomey's voting record as a three-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives demonstrates that he will always represent the best interests of the taxpayers.For more about CCAGWPAC, which supports political candidates who will fight to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in government and represent the best interests of taxpayers, visit the group's Web site at www.ccagwpac.org
He was recognized by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) as a 'Taxpayer Hero' with a lifetime rating of 95 percent for his three terms in the House of Representatives and was a 'Taxpayer Super Hero' in 2001 for receiving a perfect score of 100 percent. With this type of record, taxpayers can take comfort that if elected to the U.S. Senate, Pat Toomey will continue to work to eliminate waste, fraud, and mismanagement in government.
On the other hand, Pat Toomey's opponent, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) received a CCAGW vote rating of zero percent in 2009 and has a lifetime CCAGW rating of 5 percent.
These ratings reflect the fact that Rep. Sestak supports pork-barrel earmarks and wasteful government spending as well as tax increases. These policies have not resulted in creating jobs or helped to improve the U.S. economy."
On May 11, 2010, Rep. Toomey signed CCAGW's "No Pork Pledge," meaning he will not request any earmarks if he is elected to the Senate. In contrast, Rep. Sestak secured wasteful pork-barrel earmarks for 99 projects worth nearly $102 million from fiscal years 2008-2010. CCAGW this week will be challenging Rep. Sestak to renounce his earmark addiction and sign the "No Pork Pledge."
"Rep. Toomey has a demonstrated ability to lead Congress to improve the future economic outlook. America needs leaders who say 'no' to wasteful spending and the ongoing pork-fest in Washington. Pat Toomey will work to cut the record budget deficit and reduce taxes, which will improve the lives of every Pennsylvanian and all taxpayers," concluded Schatz.
Monday, July 19, 2010
PA GOP Launches PuntPelosi.com
Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement regarding Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's fundraiser in Philadelphia on behalf of Pennsylvania Congressional Democrats:"Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi know that the fate of the Democratic majority in the House rests in the hands of Pennsylvania voters who will be casting ballots in ten contested Congressional contests," Gleason said. "While San Francisco liberals will certainly re-elect Speaker Pelosi this November, Pennsylvania voters have the chance to strip the gavel out of her hands by voting to elect Republican candidates who will form a fiscally responsible majority. That is why our Party is excited to launch PuntPelosi.com, a site that allows visitors to support our efforts to win Pennsylvania Congressional races and punt Pelosi out of the Speaker's chair."
In response to Speaker Pelosi’s visit, our Party launched www.PuntPelosi.com where voters from Pennsylvania and around the nation can donate to support our efforts to elect Republicans to Congress in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania is home to ten contested Congressional races and will no doubt play a major role in deciding which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
Gleason added, "Furthermore, Pennsylvania Congressional candidates, like 7th Congressional District candidate Bryan Lentz, are showing their true extreme liberal colors by openly campaigning with Biden and Pelosi, two architects of the failed big government agenda that has saddled our country with record debt and near double-digit unemployment. Bryan Lentz just sent a message to voters in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District that he supports higher taxes, more spending and that he’ll serve as a rubberstamp to Speaker Pelosi!"
Today, Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi campaigned for Democratic Congressional candidate Bryan Lentz (PA-7) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Philadelphia.
Dick Morris: Obama race bating will backfire
Dick Morris says Obama's decision to play the race card in a desperate attempt to reverse his dramatic slide in the polls will backfire. By claiming that anyone who criticizes Obama's failed policies is a racist, the president will lose more of his Democratic base, Morris said.From his new column:
Now, Obama is letting his supporters strip away his image of a post-racial president by their increasingly racial rhetoric and his support for radical black activists.Read the full column, "The End of the Post Racial Presidency," at Townhall.com
Attorney General Eric Holder's refusal to prosecute the New Black Panthers so obviously guilty of racial intimidation at the Philadelphia polling places in 2008 is of a piece with the NAACP's loud denunciation of the tea party movement as racists, likening it to the White Citizens Councils of the segregationist past. And the Obama administration's decision to sue to overturn the Arizona immigration law -- despite the fact that Americans approve of the statute, and disapprove of the lawsuit to void it, by 59 percent to 28 percent -- is an attempt to foundation his appeal to Latino voters in racial terms.
In a bid to increase enthusiasm and, therefore, turnout among minority voters, Barack Obama is sacrificing his white support and his non-racial image.
Already, the results of this disastrous strategy are apparent. The latest FoxNews/Opinion Dynamics survey shows that his job approval among Democrats has fallen from 84 percent two weeks ago to a mere 76 percent today. This fall has led to a drop in his overall approval from 47 percent at the end of June to 43 percent in the middle of July.
But the political implications of Obama's lurch to the left and his efforts to polarize his administration racially are only part of the problem. Obama, as president of the United States, is increasingly taking sides in the old racial debates, reigniting them and lending new fuel to their flames. He is no more the president of all the people, but is retreating into the racial cocoon of a supportive minority vote.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: June
Unemployment still holding at 9.2% - further evidence the Obama "stimulus" package is a bust.
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: June
Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: June
Friday, July 16, 2010
Route 422 to close in both directions Sunday
Route 422 will be closed in both directions and detoured between the Route 202 and Route 23 interchanges in Upper Merion and Tredyffrin townships on Sunday from 6 to 10 a.m., according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.The road closing, which is dependent on the weather, is to allow for the resetting of overhead utility wires by PECO Energy, PennDOT says.
During the Route 422 closure, the following detours will be in effect:
Route 422 East Detour: Eastbound Route 422 traffic will exit at Route 23; turn right at Route 23; turn left at Gulph Road; and take Gulph Road to Route 202;Route 422 motorists are advised to allow additional time for travel Sunday morning during this operation, which is dependent on the weather.
Route 202 North to Route 422 West Detour: Northbound Route 202 traffic will turn left at Gulph Road; take Gulph Road to Route 23; turn right at Route 23 and then turn left at the ramp to Route 422 West; and
Interstate 76 East/West and Route 202 South to Route 422 West Detour: I-76 and southbound Route 202 motorists will take the ramp to the Swedesford Road exit; turn right at Swedesford Road; turn left at South Warner Road; turn left at Gulph Road; turn right at Route 23 and turn left at the ramp to Route 422 West.
PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on major highways before heading out.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Poll: Public confidence in Barack Obama hits a new low
From POLITICO:Public confidence in President Barack Obama's ability to make the right decisions for the country's future has hit a new low, according to a new Washington Post-ABC poll out Tuesday.Read more at the link below:
Fifty-eight percent of the 1,288 adults polled nationwide said that they have "just some" or no confidence in the president, the low mark of his presidency in the poll.
While Obama's numbers have dipped, he's still in better shape than either Democrats or Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Sixty-eight percent said they do not have confidence Democrats while 72 percent said the same of Republicans.
Obama gets a 50 percent approval rating in the poll. But 43 percent approve of the president's handling of the economy while 44 approve of his approach to regulating the financial industry while 40 percent said the same of his management of the federal budget deficit.
Poll: Confidence in Barack Obama hits low - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
NRA urges Senate to reject Kagan
The National Rifle Association is urging the U.S. Senate to reject the nomination of Elena Kagan for the U.S. Supreme Court based on her radical record and her opposition to the Second Amendment.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
13th ANNUAL WACKY WARNING LABELS CONTEST WINNERS
The Foundation for Fair Civil Justice has a little fun each year by conducting its Wacky Warning Labels Contest.The contest is designed to both entertain and alarm the nation about "the lawsuit-happy culture and the lengths to which companies must go to avoid lawsuits," according to the Foundation.
Here are the winners of the 13th annual Wacky Warning Labels Contest, selected by the studio audience for "Stossel" on FOX Business Network:
-- This year's Grand Prize Winner is "Never operate your speakerphone while driving," a warning attached to the Jabra "Drive 'N' Talk" speakerphone for use with a mobile cell phone."Once a year, millions of people around the world get a collective laugh from our winners," said Bob Dorigo Jones, Senior Fellow at Foundation for Fair Civil Justice. "The truth is, this is no laughing matter. In fact, every family of four in America pays a 'litigation tax' of more than $9,000 a year on products and services we buy."
The label was submitted by Courtney Pike of Bay City, Michigan, who wins the $1,000 grand prize and a copy of Wacky Warning Labels Contest host Bob Dorigo Jones' bestselling book, "Remove Child Before Folding: 101 Stupidest, Silliest and Wackiest Warning Labels Ever."
-- The Second Prize Winner is "This product moves when used," a warning attached to a Razor motorized go-cart.
-- The Third Prize Winner is "Use of a headset that covers both ears will impair your ability to hear other sounds," a warning on the Plantronics Bluetooth full headset.
For more about the contest or the group's work, check out its website at www.foundationforfairciviljustice.org
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
ObamaCare: Dream Turned Nightmare
You've heard the Democrats' lies, now prepare for the reality of ObamaCare: health care rationing, higher premiums, lost coverage and death panels.Don't say you weren't warned.
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
Key provisions of the president's health care reform are about to take effect. Don't expect any of it to be pretty.Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site:
It turns out that — as predicted by health experts, and reported on this page — ObamaCare will make health insurance premiums rise rather than fall. This and other unpleasant truths are revealed in a new report from two Republican senators, which charges that "when measured against the administration's own stated goals, the new health law fails to address the top health care concerns of the American people."
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and John Barrasso of Wyoming are the only two members of the U.S. Senate with M.D.s, and their prognosis in the report, titled "Bad Medicine: a Check-up on the New Federal Health Law," is far from good.
"Independent experts have found that the new health law will increase the cost of health insurance and health care services," the two doctor-senators say, noting the Congressional Budget Office concludes that "premiums for millions of American families in 2016 will be 10%-13% higher than they otherwise would be. This represents a $2,100 increase per family, compared with the status quo."
Two thousand dollars more? Did something hidden in the 3,000 pages of the ObamaCare bill, which the White House and leading congressional Democrats moved heaven and earth to get passed, make those evil health insurers even greedier?
ObamaCare: Dream Turned Nightmare - Investors.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Monday, July 12, 2010
AP: Pa. legislators tapped grants while deficit grew
Another glaring example of Harrisburg insiders fiddling while Pennsylvania burns.
From an investigative piece by Marc Levy of The Associated Press:
Even as the state government staggered under a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall that crimped public services and forced layoffs, the Legislature continued to tap a hush-hush pool of grant money set aside for lawmakers' pet projects back home.Read the full story here.
All told, legislators have requested about $210 million since the money was approved in July 2008, according to an Associated Press analysis of documents released by the governor's office under a Right-to-Know request. That works out to $830,000 in taxpayer money for each of the state's 253 legislative districts, where the grants are spent on everything from playground equipment to police cruisers, and festivals to ball fields.
The grants — nicknamed WAMs, for "walking-around money" — enable lawmakers to take credit for bringing home the bacon and give a handful of top lawmakers outsized influence over directing disproportionate sums of money to their own districts.
Between October and April, as tax collections stubbornly lagged projections by about $1 billion, legislators' grant requests increased by about $30 million.
The just-signed $28 billion budget for 2010-11 appears to set aside tens of millions of dollars more for the grants. Following a three-month budget stalemate and a multibillion-dollar deficit last year, top legislators say they decided against inserting more money for the grants into the 2009-10 budget that passed in October.
Gov. Ed Rendell has not stopped approving the grant requests.
"We must and should keep this commitment," Rendell's chief of staff Steve Crawford said two weeks ago. "It's a matter of trust and honor. If the Legislature wanted to use the money to reduce the deficit, that's something we would be more than willing to discuss."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Columnist: Rendell Thinks You're Stupid
From a terrific new column by John Baer in the Philadelphia Daily News about the contempt professional politicians like Ed Rendell have the taxpayers of Pennsylvania:Too many of those long in power think the rest of us are stupid.Read the full column at the newspaper's website.
Take Gov. Rendell (please). His defense for pouring public money into new facilities honoring fellow longtime pols - the late Johnstown Rep. Jack Murtha and Ed's old boss/buddy Arlen Specter - is that the projects are terrific job-creators to make our economy hum.
He said this with a straight face.
The implication is that in the entirety of Pennsylvania, at a time the state is slashing services, there aren't two other multimillion-dollar job-creating projects that better benefit more citizens.
We're asked to believe that a Murtha public-policy center in Johnstown and a Specter library in Philadelphia were selected on merit in the highest interest of the people.
Is anyone that stupid?
Ed's other defense is the money's borrowed and doesn't come from the General Fund. The implication is it's free.
We're expected to believe that annual debt service and fees for borrowed money paid back out of the General Fund somehow doesn't count.
It does. Debt service and fees are among "mandated" costs Rendell often points to as reason for required cuts in, for an ironic example, public-library funding.
The Murtha/Specter projects surfaced in a capital-budget list released late on Friday of the July Fourth weekend (proving that some traditions endure), each authorized at $10 million. The administration notes that the Specter library is scaled back, so state share is reduced. This is like saying (since it's not their money) $10 million, $2 million, yeah, whatever.
There's no defense for these going-away gifts from a governor known for giving gifts - with other people's money.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Poll: 50% Rate Obama’s Economic Performance As Poor
The Obama Kool Aid is wearing off for most Americans.
From Rasmussen Reports:
50% Rate Obama’s Economic Performance As Poor
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From Rasmussen Reports:
Obama administration officials continue to insist that the economy is showing signs of improvement, but most voters aren't buying it.Read more poll results at the link below:
The Discover Consumer Spending Monitor shows that just 28% of Americans think the economy is getting better, while 48% say it's getting worse.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 50% of voters now view President Obama's handling of the economy as poor. This is the president's highest negative rating in this area since he took office in January 2009.
50% Rate Obama’s Economic Performance As Poor
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania calls budget 'failure' and 'fantasy'
With Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature conspiring with Gov. Ed Rendell to bankrupt Pennsylvania, it seems the only political force willing to speak the truth is Pennsylvania's third-largest political party.From a press release issued by the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania:
The state legislature keeps finding new ways to disappoint Pennsylvanians at budget time. While our last budget was unconscionably late, this one is a mix of failure and fantasy.For more about the Libertarian Party, visit www.LP.org or www.LPPA.org
This budget fails to cut spending at a time when our fiscal position is precarious. General fund spending increased from $27.8 to over $28 billion while the state’s total operating budget jumps from $65.9 to $66.4 billion. The budget ignores the past two years of revenue collection decreases that led to a general fund $1.2 billion gap last year and a $3 billion gap the year before.
The budget fails to cut pork and reintroduces "Walking Around Money" (WAM) reported by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review to be between $65 and $100 million. In addition, it provides millions for the construction of the John P. Murtha Center for Public Policy and the Arlen Specter Library Project Center. It irresponsibly ignores both the coming public pension crisis that will require a $5 billion increase in annual payments in 2010 and the coming loss of federal stimulus funds in 2011-2012 fiscal year.
In June, The Commonwealth Foundation released “A Taxpayer's Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania” which identified opportunities to cut over $4 billion in wasteful state spending in Gov. Rendell's proposed FY 2010-2011 budget. Their report also offered a series of recommendations for resolving the current revenue shortfall and reducing the size and burden of government on Pennsylvanians. The budget failed to take advantage of these opportunities.
Instead, our state legislature fantasizes in their budget calculations that Pennsylvania will see a 3.2 percent increase in revenue collections at a time when unemployment is growing and business is receeding. An even greater fantasy is that the budget calculation assumes $850 million in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funds that have yet to pass Congress. According to Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, "No one, including the governor, thinks we'll receive $850 million."
Commented Brian Bergman, State House Candidate in the 119th district, "Yet again, Pennsylvania's government has failed to pass either a balanced budget or an on-time budget. Where are the incentives to do either? There is nothing currently in the PA Constitution or statutes that puts any penalty on the representatives in Harrisburg if they fail in their duties. It's time to hold them accountable - vote them all out and elect new people that will truly work FOR the citizens of Pennsylvania and will enact consequences when the Legislature fails so completely in their duties."
Mark Crowley, LPPa Media Relations, summarized "It's no surprise that this budget was created behind closed doors. They suspended the rule requiring a public comment period. The disappointing result certainly shows this lack of transparency."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
'November' signs stirs up controversy in Berks
From a story in The Kutztown Patriot about a Berks County business owner who is not shy about sharing his political views with customers or anyone else who passes by his business:Anyone who drives through Mertztown on a regular basis could tell you that the used-car salesman is not a fan of President Obama. That's because, for the past two years, Howell has been devoting one side of the sign for his business, R.A.H. Auto Sales, to sharing his political views with customers and passersby.Read the full story by Cara Meglio at the newspaper's Web site.
The sign currently reads, "We can see November from Mertztown."
Other highlights from the past have included "If Bush was for big oil, Obama is for ACORN," "Fraud Alert: Obama gets Nobel for reading teleprompter," and, during the holiday season, "Merry Christmas, Impeach Obama."
Though many of the messages are jokes, Howell sees the state of the country as no laughing matter.
"I try to be funny with the sign, but I'm a serious guy, and what's going on is serious," Howell said. "People just aren’t paying attention."
Howell said his sign reached its "peak" last summer during the Cash For Clunkers program. Angry with the government for controlling how he ran his business, he vented his frustrations using the sign.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
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