Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Amazing Onorato
Also check out Dan's Land Of Make Believe, an anti-Onorato blog that launched in March.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Record number of DUI arrests in PA
How's this for a good news-bad news scenario: Pennsylvania State Police made a record number of DUI arrests in 2009 but the number of alcohol-related deaths on Pennsylvania roads was down by 14 percent last year.From a State Police press release:
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police made a record number of arrests for driving under the influence last year, while alcohol-related fatalities in crashes investigated by troopers dropped by 14 percent from 2008, Commissioner Frank E. Pawlowski announced today.For more information, visit www.psp.state.pa.us
"It's clear that our efforts to keep impaired drivers off our roads in Pennsylvania are having a positive impact," Pawlowski said. "Our troopers are helping to save lives by cracking down hard on those who drink and drive."
Pawlowski said troopers made 16,900 DUI arrests in 2009, an increase of 4 percent over the 16,156 DUI arrests reported the previous year. He said the number of alcohol-related fatalities decreased from 161 in 2008 to 141 in 2009, while the number of alcohol-related crashes investigated by troopers declined slightly under 1 percent from 4,664 in 2008 to 4,625 last year.
Pawlowski said expansion of the department's drug recognition expert program and continuation of its Operation Nighthawk program have played a role in the department's DUI-enforcement success.
The drug recognition expert program trains troopers and municipal police officers to identify drivers operating under the influence of illegal or prescription drugs and other substances.
"Although alcohol is the intoxicant most often responsible for impaired driving, it's not the only one that renders individuals incapable of safely operating a vehicle," Pawlowski said.
Drug recognition experts last year conducted 1,118 drug influence evaluations, an increase of 61 percent over the 693 evaluations conducted in 2008.
Pawlowski said 63 troopers and 18 municipal police officers in Pennsylvania have been certified as drug recognition experts since 2004.
The department's Operation Nighthawk program provides troopers and municipal police officers with classroom training regarding DUI-related issues on two consecutive evenings. The officers then immediately take part in roving patrols to identify and arrest operators who are under the influence.
Pawlowski noted that troopers and municipal officers made 61 DUI arrests, 10 underage drinking arrests and seven drug law arrests during an Operation Nighthawk program held in April in Berks County. One or two more programs will be conducted this year, he said.
Pawlowski said that while state police and municipal police have ramped up their anti-DUI efforts in recent years, the responsibility to end all DUI-related crashes and fatalities rests with individual drivers.
"Every person has the responsibility to stay out of the driver's seat if they are impaired by alcohol or other drugs," Pawlowski said. "Our enforcement efforts help to save lives, but we need the cooperation and help of every motorist in ending impaired driving."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Kiss of death for Arlen Specter?
Is this the kiss of death for Arlen Specter?
Based on Barack Obama's track record of campaigning for Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, his endorsement of Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter probably means Specter goes down in the May 18 Pennsylvania primary.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Columnist: The welfare state's death spiral
Robert J. Samuelson, writing in The Washington Post, warns Barack Obama and his socialist administration that the collapse of the Greek economy should be a lesson for the United States.From Samuelson's latest:
What we're seeing in Greece is the death spiral of the welfare state. This isn't Greece's problem alone, and that's why its crisis has rattled global stock markets and threatens economic recovery. Virtually every advanced nation, including the United States, faces the same prospect. Aging populations have been promised huge health and retirement benefits, which countries haven't fully covered with taxes. The reckoning has arrived in Greece, but it awaits most wealthy societies.Read the full column at the newspaper's Web site.
Americans dislike the term "welfare state" and substitute the bland word "entitlements." Vocabulary doesn't alter the reality. Countries cannot overspend and overborrow forever. By delaying hard decisions about spending and taxes, governments maneuver themselves into a cul-de-sac. To be sure, Greece's plight is usually described as a European crisis -- especially for the euro, the common money used by 16 countries -- and this is true. But only to a point.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Incumbent watch: Who's next to go?
Arlen Specter's political career may end on May 18.
Incumbent watch: Who's next to go? - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com
Incumbent watch: Who's next to go? - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com
Pat Toomey endorsed by 3 major newspapers
Republican Pat Toomey continues to collect endorsements for the upcoming May 18 primary.Three major Pennsylvania newspapers - the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Harrisburg Patriot-News and the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - recommended Toomey election in weekend editorials.
From the Patriot-News endorsement:
Toomey believes strongly that what unites Republicans in Pennsylvania and much of the country is push back against big government and continued overspending.Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
His track record backs that up. He was a three-term congressman representing the 15th District, which covers most of the Lehigh Valley and beyond to all of Northampton and parts of Berks and Montgomery counties. During that time he voted against his party and the Bush administration on the farm bill and Medicare expansion. He also was a vocal critic of the financial bailout, believing the government should have let the giant American insurance company AIG fail instead of propping it up with billions in financial support.
From the ultra-liberal Post-Gazette:
He is socially conservative, doesn't like taxes, believes strongly in the free market, opposes excessive government spending, including taxpayer-funded bailouts and is against what he terms the government-controlled health care plan that recently became law.Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
The Post-Gazette endorses Pat Toomey as the best choice to carry forward Republican hopes for a Senate seat.
From the Tribune-Review editorial:
Simply put, Toomey's conservative credentials are rock solid and he's a voice of economic sanity so rare in politics today.Read the full editorial at the newspaper's Web site.
Republicans should do on May 18 what they should have done in 2004 -- make Pat Toomey Pennsylvania's Republican nominee to the U.S. Senate.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Rohrer: PA is 'insolvent right now'
From a profile by Chris Brennan of Republican gubernatorial candidate Sam Rohrer in today's edition of the Philadelphia Daily News:State Rep. Sam Rohrer calls himself a "constitutional Republican," the kind of guy who seems tailor-made for the tea-party angst that has roiled conservative and libertarian voters.Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.
Rohrer, who since 1992 has served nine terms in the state House from Berks County, has courted that movement's cultural and partisan passions as he seeks the Republican nomination for governor.
But Rohrer, the underdog to state Attorney General Tom Corbett in the May 18 primary, is not playing to that crowd with bumper-sticker slogans.
Instead, the man who spent two years managing a radio station and 12 years as marketing director for a company that sold baby products, offers dry analysis of the state's financial woes and ideas on how to fix them.
"We are insolvent right now," Rohrer said, noting that the state brings in about $24 billion a year and spends $28 billion. "I'm really running because I'm concerned about where we're going to be two years from now."
The plain-spoken Rohrer has emerged in the crowded field - two Republicans, four Democrats - as the man most willing to speak his mind. He calls for significant cuts in state spending on welfare, corrections and education.
On welfare, Rohrer says he has anecdotal information that state intake workers are not requiring applicants to prove citizenship.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Rendell Fatigue Sets In
Brad Bumsted says Pennsylvania is tired of Ed Rendell and his never-ending calls for more taxes. State spending has increased by more than $8 billion under Rendell, but he is leaving office with a $4.25 billion budget deficit. Where did all that money go?
From his latest column in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Tired of the 'Tax King' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
From his latest column in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Like a bad dream, Rendell is back for another bite out of taxpayers' wallets before leaving office in January.Read the full column at the link below:
He's never met a tax he didn't like. And he has quite a few dangling out there now -- from taxes on oil company profits, natural gas and smokeless tobacco, to higher gasoline taxes and driver's license fees, to an expanded state sales tax. Such hikes are supposed to address a projected $1.3 billion budget shortfall and a stated $3.5 billion annual need to repair roads and bridges. On transportation issues, Rendell would say he is just throwing them out for lawmakers to consider.
Tired of the 'Tax King' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
2 Tough Mudders
Two of my colleagues at The Mercury, Brandie Kessler and Diane Hoffman, recently competed in the Tough Mudder endurance challenge last week at Bear Creek Mountain Resort.
Honestly, how bad could it have been? I heard 8 out of 10 contestants were men.
Check out their first-hand account of surviving the event at the link below.
Tale of two tough mudders - The Mercury: (pottsmerc.com)
Posted using ShareThis
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Monday, May 10, 2010
Rep. Joe Pitts: Beware of Greeks (and levels of debt)
Beware Greek Levels of DebtBy Congressman Joe Pitts
Last week the international bond rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the bond ratings of both Spain and Portugal and reduced the rating of Greece to "junk." The International Monetary Fund and European Nations appear close to an agreement to bailout Greece and prevent the nation from going into default, but over the next few years this could require payments of $150 billion or more.
How did Greece get here? An unhealthy business climate, lavish public pensions and benefits, and government accounting gimmicks are just some of the reasons.
One of the factors contributing to a poor business climate has been a high value added tax (VAT). Like most European nations, Greece has instituted a VAT on many consumer goods. Essentially, the VAT is a hidden sales tax applied at each stage of production.
Currently, the VAT on most products in Greece is 21 percent. Under new austerity measures enforced to win financial support, Greece will raise this tax to as high as 24 percent.
Despite income tax rates just above those in the U.S. and revenue from the VAT, Greece still is in way over its head because of spending. Higher tax rates do not make a government more fiscally responsible. In fact, the ease of raising the VAT tax has encouraged most European nations to rapidly expand the size of government in the past few decades.
Because raising taxes can only go so far, Greece has also cut back on pensions, benefits, and public employee salaries. Union resistance to these measures has led to violence in the streets and economic paralysis, further harming the Greek economy.
If you think the United States would be immune from such civic unrest, you have to look no further than across the Delaware River to New Jersey. Facing a huge budget deficit, Gov. Chris Christie (R) has pushed for a freeze in teachers' salaries. In response, a leader in the teachers' union posted a sarcastic prayer wishing for the governor's death. Teachers in Paterson, N.J. encouraged a student walkout that led to 17 arrests for disorderly conduct.
As Greece applied to be part of the Euro Currency Zone, they hid the financial health of their government from European neighbors and their own people. Even now, private accountants are calling into question the official Greek government analysis of the public debt.
Here in the U.S. we very recently saw a vigorous debate about whether government is covering up the true costs of new healthcare legislation. A favorable Congressional Budget Office score cited by proponents of the bill, only accounted for the first ten years of the program. While many of the bill's taxes start immediately, benefits don’t start until 2014. Greece shows us that you can only cover up costs for so long.
I think that Greece is a clear warning to the United States, one that we shouldn't take lightly. While the U.S. currently holds a AAA bond rating, another bond rating agency, Moody's, has warned that we could lose this rating in the coming decade.
By the end of the decade, the U.S. national debt could be near $20 trillion. Even if interest rates were to stay consistently low, we would be paying over $700 billion each year in interest payments. That's more than the federal budgets for homeland security, energy, education, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in a single year.
Much credit has been given to President Obama for convening a debt commission to offer solutions. Unfortunately, I believe this falls far short of the leadership that we need right now. The commission needs to focus on spending cuts and not tax increases. I’m currently working with my colleagues to write a letter to the commission opposing new VAT taxes and supporting government restraint.
The President already commands an Office of Management and Budget with a staff of 500 experienced accountants and policy experts. Upon assuming office, President Obama could have easily directed his staff to construct a long-term plan to balance the budget. I wish we could hear directly from the President about his ideas to confront our budget crisis with spending reductions.
In the coming weeks, I'm going to work with my colleagues on the Republican Study Committee to release a balanced budget plan focused on reducing government spending. It might not appeal to all Democrats, but I hope that it's a starting point for a vigorous debate. There is no precedent for bailing out the world's biggest economy. The longer we wait to get our finances in order, the harder it will be.
Rep. Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District, which includes parts of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
'Iron Man 2' rules weekend box office
The 2010 summer movie season got off to a strong start with "Iron Man 2" earning an estimated $133.6 million over the May 7-9 weekend.It appears a lot of moms went to the movies this weekend.
From Brandon Gray at BoxOfficeMojo.com:
Striking with an estimated $133.6 million in a blazing start to the summer movie season, 'Iron Man 2' shot past the debut of the first 'Iron Man,' which kicked off with $98.6 million on the same weekend in 2008. The sequel also rocketed to fifth place among the highest-grossing opening weekends of all time, slotting behind 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest's' $135.6 million launch. In terms of estimated attendance, though, 'Iron Man 2' would chart ninth on that list.Here is this week's Top 5 films based on studio estimates:
'Iron Man 2' showed on close to 10,000 screens at a record 4,380 theaters and, in three days, already ranks as the fourth highest-grossing picture from 2010. Its gross included 181 IMAX runs, which generated an estimated $10.2 million. That set the 2D IMAX opening weekend record, eclipsing 'Star Trek's' $8.5 million from last year.
While 'Iron Man 2' didn't receive as much of a second movie bump as 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' 'The Matrix Reloaded,' 'The Dark Knight' or even 'X2: X-Men United' among others, it's important to note that the norm is audience erosion for pictures performing at this level, making 'Iron Man 2's' 35 percent increase over the first movie's opening a success.
1 Iron Man 2 $133,600,000 - $133,600,000 cumulativeOriginally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
2 A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) $9,170,000 - $48,530,000 cumulative
3 2 How to Train Your Dragon $6,760,000 - $201,093,000 cumulative
4 3 Date Night Fox $5,300,000 - $80,854,000 cumulative
5 4 The Back-Up Plan $4,345,000 - $29,415,000 cumulative
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Obama's Big Fat Greek Bailout
From Timothy H. Lee at the Center for Individual Freedom:Amusing entertainment news this week comes out of Britain, where Deadline London reports an upcoming Barack Obama miniseries based upon journalist Richard Wolffe's book, The Making of a President.Read the full article here.
Here's an idea for a better title: Obama's Big Fat Greek Bailout.
After all, Obama’s enormous and unsustainable entitlement agenda perilously tracks Greece's, and the future consequences will be the same unless someone interrupts his bad sequel.
That British entertainment news dovetails with less humorous news elsewhere in Europe this week, as the Greek fiscal meltdown suddenly escalated into a European contagion. Subsequent credit downgrades in Portugal and Spain triggered alarm that the entire euro zone faces a debt crisis, and increasingly-panicked investors abandoned euro zone stocks and bonds. Additionally, the cost of insuring European companies against debt defaults jumped following this news, and the euro’s value declined.
Previous cost estimates of a €45 billion ($60 billion) Greek bailout suddenly reached €120 billion ($160 billion).
Beginning to sound familiar?
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Cyprus Has A Long And Ingrained Greek History
This an excellent letter to the editor from the Cyprus Action Network of America published in The Washington Times in response to some Turkish-lover attempting to defend Turkey's illigitimate claims to Cyprus.
Turkish troops have occupied large portions of Cyprus since 1974 and have refused numerous United Nations resolutions demanding an end to the occupation.
Cyprus has a long and ingrained Greek history - Washington Times
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Turkish troops have occupied large portions of Cyprus since 1974 and have refused numerous United Nations resolutions demanding an end to the occupation.
Cyprus has a long and ingrained Greek history - Washington Times
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Friday, May 07, 2010
The Lonely Guy: Rep. Bryan Lentz
Poor Bryan Lentz, the state representative who is serving as token opposition for soon-to-be Congressman Pat Mehan in Pennsylvania's 7th District. Lentz's campaign has sputtered so far. A recent example of the lack of interest is a town hall meeting in which a handful of people showed up.The Republican Party of Pennsylvania has some good-natured fun at Lentz's expense by compiling a list of "Top 10 List Of Songs For Future Bryan Lentz Town Hall Meeting."
From a PA GOP press release:
Bryan Lentz, the Democrat candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, recently had a turnout of five members of the public for two town hall meetings he hosted on Monday and Tuesday evening in Brookhaven and Radnor. In an effort to help liven up future events, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania today released a list of the Top 10 possible theme songs for Lentz Town Hall meetings.Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
"It's not surprising that Bryan Lentz does not seem to be generating interest from voters or even his constituents in his own state House district," said Mike Barley, spokesman for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. "It doesn't seem like anyone in the 7th Congressional District wants to support a candidate who will be just another tax-and-spend vote in Washington, DC."
In an effort to provide some musical interludes at the otherwise deserted Town Halls, Republican Party of Pennsylvania has assembled a list of Top 10 Songs for future Lentz Town Hall Meetings. Members of the public can visit the Republican Party of Pennsylvania Web site and facebook group can suggest other appropriate songs."I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany
2. "All by Myself" by Shirley Bassey
3. "It's My Party (I Can Cry If I Want To)" by Lesley Gore
4. "I Ain't Got Nobody" by Louis Prima
5. "Only the Lonely" by Roy Orbison
6. "Are You Lonesome Tonight" Elvis Presley
7. "There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" by Louis Jordan
8. "Dancing with Myself" by Billy Idol
9. "Solitary Man" by Johnny Cash
10. "Me and My Shadow" by Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.
Video: GM lying about paying back gov't
Rep. Paul Ryan (WI), House Budget Committee Ranking Republican, wants Americans to know the truth behind recent claims made by General Motors (GM). GM and Obama Administration officials have said that the automaker's bailout has been fully repaid to the American taxpayer but this is not accurate. As Ryan said in a recent statement, "the automaker simply transferred $6.7 billion dollars from one taxpayer-funded TARP account to another."
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Tom Corbett: Why Obamacare is unconstitutional
Health care reform law is unconstitutionalBy Tom Corbett
Guest Columnist
The following is an op-ed by Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett explaining why he joined the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Health Care Reform law.
We can all agree that health care reform is necessary.
As Pennsylvania's attorney general, I have made health care a priority. In 2009 alone, the attorney general's Health Care Section assisted more than 4,700 consumers and saved Pennsylvanians more than $4.2 million.
In addition to providing such direct services to consumers, I believe we must work together in a bipartisan fashion to develop legislative solutions instead of engaging in mere rhetoric.
I believe we need meaningful health care reform in this country and that Pennsylvanians deserve access to quality health care.
However, it is my belief that the Health Care Reform law as written is unconstitutional, and Congress has exceeded its authority by requiring citizens to purchase government-approved health insurance. Those who fail to comply with the mandate will be punished with an annual tax penalty.
This analysis is shared by my colleagues who have joined me in filing a lawsuit challenging the act's constitutionality. Thus far, five additional states have indicated that they will join this litigation and that number is expected to increase.
The individual mandate contained in the legislation is unprecedented and will have implications for the future of American liberty — far beyond health care.
If Congress is permitted to impose its will on the citizens of our country and this commonwealth without the proper constitutional foundation, what will prevent Congress from enacting other mandates? Will they be permitted to compel citizens to purchase certain products, further dictate individual choices and penetrate even deeper into the personal lives of all American citizens, under the guise that it is in the public's best interest?
It begs the question: Do the ends justify the means?
I understand there is great passion on both sides of this issue.
Critics argue that filing such a challenge is an attempt to derail health care reform; however, they are missing the point. This litigation is not about health care reform but calls for a judicial determination of whether Congress exceeded its authority under the U.S. Constitution.
Some also have charged that expending funds for this litigation is a waste of taxpayer funds.
Although I would disagree with that statement, I can assure you that I am using the existing resources of my office to litigate this matter. I have not, and will not, request additional funds for this purpose.
The attorneys general who have signed on to this litigation understand that we cannot sit idly by while Congress encroaches on the authority of the states and the rights of their citizens as set forth in the Constitution. To simply look the other way to avoid potential criticism would be doing a disservice to the citizens of the commonwealth.
As this litigation proceeds in the coming months, there will continue to be spirited debate with respect to this issue.
There is one thing that we can all agree on, that improving access to quality health care is a laudable goal, but at what price?
In my view, the ends do not justify the unconstitutional means.
Tom Corbett is a Republican serving his second term as Pennsylvania attorney general. He is also a candidate for Pennsylvania governor.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Thursday, May 06, 2010
PA Dems go negative
Three of the four Democratic candidates for Pennsylvania governor have launched negative ads attacking each other's record. (The only candidate staying above the fray is Auditor General Jack Wagner). In the ads posted here, Anthony Williams attacks Dan Onorator for what he claims is a misleading record on economic issues. Hoeffel takes jabs at both Onorato and Williams for what he claims is "flip-flops" on key issues. I haven't been able to find a copy of the Onorato ad hitting Williams for voting "yes" on the infamous middle-of-the-night pay raise in 2005, but there's a story about the ad at pa2010.com
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
UNITEPA endorses Rohrer for PA governor
A coalition of grassroots political activists has endorsed Berks County state Rep. Sam Rohrer for governor of Pennsylvania.UNITEPA is a non-partisan grassroots organization comprised of five Pennsylvania chapters in Lancaster, Reading/Berks, South Eastern PA Region, Pottstown and Chester County with more than 1,000 members.
The groups are "dedicated to upholding the principles and values set forth by our Founding Fathers" and have vetted each gubernatorial candidate in accordance with those principles and values, according to a UNITEPA press release.
More from the group's endorsement of Rohrer, a Republican challenging Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett for the Republican nomination on May 18:
It has become crystal clear to UNITEPA, that Rep. Sam Rohrer, a true constitutional conservative, is the only gubernatorial Candidate that reflects our principles and values. He is the epitome of what our Founding Fathers and William Penn envisioned when they passed the baton onto the next generation of statesmen. This is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to finally see the return of a "culture of honor and integrity". Rohrer has been a humble servant to the people of Pennsylvania for over 18 years, and has a Constitutional voting record of over 20,000 votes. He wholeheartedly supports the second amendment, personal privacy rights, the 10th amendment, and the elimination of school property tax. He is a champion for the 'right to life', religious freedom, the expansion of school choice and is a sponsor for the Pennsylvania Marriage Protection Amendment.UNITPA goes on to say that its endorsement is a 'Principled Statement' - not a financial endorsement on behalf of the organization. "We have asked our members to support Sam Rohrer as individual citizens for the survival of our Constitution through financial contributions to his campaign and volunteering."
UNITEPA's mission statement is "To educate and motivate voters to affect elections, preserve the principles and values set forth by America's founding documents and uphold the ideals of our Founding Fathers." We have educated and motivated voters and upheld the ideals of our founding fathers - it is time to affect elections by making a choice for Governor, before the choice is made for us!
This decision to "come out of the political closet" was not taken lightly as many of us are simply just concerned citizens moving into the political spectrum. But our hope is that by UNITEPA spearheading this endorsement effort, other Grassroots organization will follow suit. We are in a 'Freedom Recession' and this election is about Freedom, Liberty and Truth. With the encroachment and commandeering of the Federal Government on our Commonwealth, we have to elect a Governor that has conviction in what he/she believes. They must have humility, integrity, honor, good judgement and believe in personal responsibility. Sam Rohrer represents those values.
For more on Rohrer, visit his campaign Web site at www.samrohrer.org
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Newspaper: Gulf spill is Obama's Katrina
As the Gulf Coast braced for an ecological disaster, President Obama yukked it up with White House correspondents, notes Investor's Business Daily, adding that Obama's Saturday radio address didn't even mention the oil spill. "President Bush, call your office."Exhibit A in the latest case of liberal media bias is the free pass Obama and his administration have received following the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
From an editorial in Investor's Business Daily:
Rarely has media sycophancy been on such sharp display as in the largely indifferent response to President Obama's own indifference to the oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. The coverage has been far different from that given to President Bush's handling of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Read the full editorial, "Obama's Katrina," at the newspaper's Web site.
Other than mobilize the resources of the federal government, there's little the president personally could have done. But words are important, Obama has said, and pictures are worth thousands of words. We remember President Reagan's stirring words and the images of a nation comforted after the Challenger disaster. We will not remember the jokes at Saturday's correspondents dinner.
We also remember the harsh and largely unwarranted criticism of President Bush after Hurricane Katrina, although the state of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans, both governed by Democrats, dropped the ball as first and primary responders.
During his presidential campaign, Obama vowed that the federal government would never again let the residents of the Gulf Coast down, a pointed rehash of criticism that the Bush administration had been slow to respond to Katrina. On this vow, the jury is still out.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says it could be 90 days before a relief well is completed to address the Gulf spill. Nearly two weeks after the oil rig exploded, Obama appears at the site of a disaster not yet under control. Heckuva job, Mr. President.
Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Few sympathize with fan who ran onto field
There is little sympathy for the teen who ran onto the field at Monday's Philadelphia Phillies game only to be brought down by a Taser fired by a Philly police officer.
The vast majority of readers voting at The Mercury's Web site (nearly 8 in 10) say the teen deserved what he got.
Here's the question and the results so far.
Do you think the Boyertown teen should have been tasered for running onto the field during the Phillies' game?Originally posted at TONY PHYRILLAS
Yes, he violated the rules, he deserved it. (78%)
No, it was excessive. (22%)
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