PolitiQuips
In Las Vegas, Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney, leaving some of his supporters wondering whether he really hit the jackpot or not.
In this election year, President Obama has found religion. The president who seldom attends church spoke at a National Prayer Breakfast, solemnly citing Scripture to justify his policy agenda -- from health care reform to more government regulations to higher taxes on the most successful income earners.
Just when you thought the election campaign couldn't get any crazier, news come that Roseanne Barr is running for president as a Green Party candidate. Her platform: legalize marijuana and guillotine bankers.
Al Gore saw his shadow on Groundhog Day and predicted six more weeks of global warming.
Mitt Romney defeated Newt Gingrich handily in the Florida Republican primary in a high-spending campaign and probably feels like it was worth every million.
Sources told ABC News Romney requested and has received Secret Service protection. Was it something Newt said?
"Richer than Romney, cuter than Newt, as slick as Rick and twice as tall as Paul. Why not?" - Lucianne Goldberg's description of potential presidential candidate Donald Trump.
It's a strange world in politics when Barack Obama, a Democrat, has nicer things to say about Ronald Reagan than Republican Newt Gingrich.
It's hard to imagine Rush Limbaugh not having an opinion on anything and everything. But on the eve of the Florida primary the conservative radio talk show host, a Palm Beach resident, insisted he was undecided on which candidate he would support.
Only in Washington
The Environmental Protection Agency fined companies $6.8 million for failing to use cellulosic ethanol, a fuel mandated by the government but which doesn't exist because it is impossible to produce commercially.
If you missed out on the $5 raffle for a chance to sup with President Obama, you've still got another opportunity, if you live in Beverly Hills, Calif. A Hollywood re-election campaign fundraiser offers a "Platinum Package" for $71,400, which allows a couple to attend a private reception with the president and first lady.
While the Obama administration impedes oil exploration and production in this country, the U.S. is going to lend $2 billion to Brazil's state-owned oil company to finance exploration of a huge offshore discovery. But Americans won't benefit. Brazil has signed oil contracts with two huge Chinese companies.
Arlington National Cemetery officials dispute reports that $12 million of its funds are missing. But Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who's leading an investigation isn't satisfied. She'll leave no tombstone unturned to find the truth.
A new survey shows that more than half of American workers spend an average of $1,000 a year on coffee. That might help explain why the CEO of Starbucks makes $16 million a year.
While it's not quite on the grand scale of the half-billion-dollar Solyndra solar scandal, a failed Indiana company is another example of wasteful government spending. Ener1, a manufacturer of batteries for electric cars, received $118.5 million in federal stimulus funds and a visit by Vice President Joe Biden (who called it "Enron1"). A year later the firm has filed for bankruptcy.
Congressional investigators are haunted by the spooky disappearance of $12 million allocated to Arlington National Cemetery. Taxpayers hope they'll keep digging to find out where it's buried.
Good news: one federal agency is shrinking, but not because of any demands by Congress or the administration. The Government Printing Office has reduced its work force and cut spending by $17.9 million this fiscal year -- thanks to online delivery of the Congressional Record and other printed materials.
Instead of putting the squeeze on income earners in the private sector, President Obama ought to turn his attention to Washington. IRS records show federal employees owed $3,420,168,684 in unpaid taxes for 2010, up 3 percent over the previous year.
Warren Buffet's secretary may be in a higher tax bracket than her boss (who owes back taxes, by the way) but it's hard to feel sorry for her. Forbes magazine points out if she's taxed at more than 15 percent (Buffet's rate) she would have to be earning more than $200,000 a year.
Here's a clue to what the president thinks about the intelligence of members of Congress. Academics say his State of the Union address was written on the eighth-grade reading level.
In all of his bragging in the State of the Union speech about what he claims to have accomplished, President Obama tried to make jobless Americans forget that since he took office the price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 83 percent, ground beef has gone up 24 percent and bacon 22 percent.
"There's a simple question that middle-class families should ask themselves that reveals the true state of our union. Are you better off than you were $4 trillion ago?" - Sen. Jim Demint, R-S.C.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly complimented Obama on his SOTU speech, but probably thought to herself: "I could have done better."
Although Mitt Romney paid $3 million in income taxes last year and estimates his tax bill at $3.2 million for this year, President Obama probably will claim he's not paying his "fair share."
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney made a pre-emptive strike when he told skeptical reporters President Obama is spending a "relatively small" amount of his time campaigning for re-election -- knowing that his boss planned three days of travel to five battleground states after his State of the Union address.
Despite the fact that Ron Paul is running last in the Republican presidential race, he has achieved "Super Hero" status -- at least among toy doll manufacturers. His PAC is offering an action figure of Paul wearing a white cape and blue boots with "RP" on his chest for $95, plus shipping.
In the swirl of media commentary about the overnight success of Newt Gingrich as a Republican presidential contender, has any pundit analyzed the effect of his endorsement by Chuck Norris?
In this election year, President Obama has found religion. The president who seldom attends church spoke at a National Prayer Breakfast, solemnly citing Scripture to justify his policy agenda -- from health care reform to more government regulations to higher taxes on the most successful income earners.
Just when you thought the election campaign couldn't get any crazier, news come that Roseanne Barr is running for president as a Green Party candidate. Her platform: legalize marijuana and guillotine bankers.
Al Gore saw his shadow on Groundhog Day and predicted six more weeks of global warming.
When First Lady Michelle Obama gave Tonight Show host Jay Leno a gift of White House honey, he quipped, “with a different president that could mean a whole different thing.”
Campaigning for her husband in Hollywood, Michelle Obama said, “we’ve made some remarkable progress on the economy.” She made that claim on the same day American Airlines announced the layoff of 13,000 workers.
Mitt Romney defeated Newt Gingrich handily in the Florida Republican primary in a high-spending campaign and probably feels like it was worth every million.
Sources told ABC News Romney requested and has received Secret Service protection. Was it something Newt said?
"Richer than Romney, cuter than Newt, as slick as Rick and twice as tall as Paul. Why not?" - Lucianne Goldberg's description of potential presidential candidate Donald Trump.
It's a strange world in politics when Barack Obama, a Democrat, has nicer things to say about Ronald Reagan than Republican Newt Gingrich.
It's hard to imagine Rush Limbaugh not having an opinion on anything and everything. But on the eve of the Florida primary the conservative radio talk show host, a Palm Beach resident, insisted he was undecided on which candidate he would support.
Only in Washington
The Environmental Protection Agency fined companies $6.8 million for failing to use cellulosic ethanol, a fuel mandated by the government but which doesn't exist because it is impossible to produce commercially.
If you missed out on the $5 raffle for a chance to sup with President Obama, you've still got another opportunity, if you live in Beverly Hills, Calif. A Hollywood re-election campaign fundraiser offers a "Platinum Package" for $71,400, which allows a couple to attend a private reception with the president and first lady.
In the Republican presidential race, Herman Cain has endorsed Newt Gingrich. He didn't say if he was speaking for America's philandering husbands.
Barack Obama says the rich should pay more to support education. And the millionaire president sets the example by sending his daughters to a private school.
While the Obama administration impedes oil exploration and production in this country, the U.S. is going to lend $2 billion to Brazil's state-owned oil company to finance exploration of a huge offshore discovery. But Americans won't benefit. Brazil has signed oil contracts with two huge Chinese companies.
Arlington National Cemetery officials dispute reports that $12 million of its funds are missing. But Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who's leading an investigation isn't satisfied. She'll leave no tombstone unturned to find the truth.
A new survey shows that more than half of American workers spend an average of $1,000 a year on coffee. That might help explain why the CEO of Starbucks makes $16 million a year.
While it's not quite on the grand scale of the half-billion-dollar Solyndra solar scandal, a failed Indiana company is another example of wasteful government spending. Ener1, a manufacturer of batteries for electric cars, received $118.5 million in federal stimulus funds and a visit by Vice President Joe Biden (who called it "Enron1"). A year later the firm has filed for bankruptcy.
Congressional investigators are haunted by the spooky disappearance of $12 million allocated to Arlington National Cemetery. Taxpayers hope they'll keep digging to find out where it's buried.
Good news: one federal agency is shrinking, but not because of any demands by Congress or the administration. The Government Printing Office has reduced its work force and cut spending by $17.9 million this fiscal year -- thanks to online delivery of the Congressional Record and other printed materials.
Instead of putting the squeeze on income earners in the private sector, President Obama ought to turn his attention to Washington. IRS records show federal employees owed $3,420,168,684 in unpaid taxes for 2010, up 3 percent over the previous year.
Warren Buffet's secretary may be in a higher tax bracket than her boss (who owes back taxes, by the way) but it's hard to feel sorry for her. Forbes magazine points out if she's taxed at more than 15 percent (Buffet's rate) she would have to be earning more than $200,000 a year.
Here's a clue to what the president thinks about the intelligence of members of Congress. Academics say his State of the Union address was written on the eighth-grade reading level.
In all of his bragging in the State of the Union speech about what he claims to have accomplished, President Obama tried to make jobless Americans forget that since he took office the price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 83 percent, ground beef has gone up 24 percent and bacon 22 percent.
"There's a simple question that middle-class families should ask themselves that reveals the true state of our union. Are you better off than you were $4 trillion ago?" - Sen. Jim Demint, R-S.C.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton publicly complimented Obama on his SOTU speech, but probably thought to herself: "I could have done better."
Although Mitt Romney paid $3 million in income taxes last year and estimates his tax bill at $3.2 million for this year, President Obama probably will claim he's not paying his "fair share."
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney made a pre-emptive strike when he told skeptical reporters President Obama is spending a "relatively small" amount of his time campaigning for re-election -- knowing that his boss planned three days of travel to five battleground states after his State of the Union address.
Despite the fact that Ron Paul is running last in the Republican presidential race, he has achieved "Super Hero" status -- at least among toy doll manufacturers. His PAC is offering an action figure of Paul wearing a white cape and blue boots with "RP" on his chest for $95, plus shipping.
In the swirl of media commentary about the overnight success of Newt Gingrich as a Republican presidential contender, has any pundit analyzed the effect of his endorsement by Chuck Norris?
SOTU is not a vegetarian health food. It's the Washington acronym for State of the Union, the president's annual report to Congress -- which may, or may not, have any meat.
"The man who came to Washington on a wave of euphoria has had a presidency with all the joy of a root canal ... the president is maddeningly naive." - New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd.
Newt Gingrich, in thanking those who helped him win a 40 percent victory in the South Carolina primary, should have included CNN's John King, who fed him the debate question about his ex-wife's infidelity charges that enabled Gingrich to overshadow his opponents with his rhetoric.
South Carolina: Gingrich 54 percent, national media 14 percent (Public Policy Polling).
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia isn't too concerned about people being upset by the flood of Super PAC ads on TV. "If they don't like it," he said, "they'll shut it off."
Comedian Stephen Colbert added a light touch to the buzz created by an ex-wife of Newt Gingrich alleging he wanted an "open marriage." He called the former House Speaker a "southern gentleman" because he asked his wife's permission to have an affair.
Gingrich defenders stress that "nobody's perfect" and that certainly applies to a key rival, Mitt Romney. Syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker revealed that Romney has a weakness for Cool Whip.
Could Barack Obama be next year's "American Idol" winner? He did a brief tryout during a campaign stop at the Apollo Theater, singing a line from the Al Green song, "Let's Stay Together." Not to be outdone, Republican Mitt Romney, who hopes to free up Obama for a new career, sang "Happy Birthday" to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at a campaign rally.
President Obama's re-election campaign rolled out the first TV ad of the general election campaign, dipping into a $1 billion campaign treasury to air a 30-second blast against billionaires.
Vice President Joe Biden is the leading cheerleader for the 2012 Democratic ticket, but he might have weakened his hold on that role by telling a fundraiser crowd in 49er-crazy San Francisco that "the Giants are on their way to the Super Bowl."
Rick Perry is out of the Republican race for president, but with all of the gaffes he has made he's a prime candidate for vice president.
White House image mis-managers did it again, scheduling a speech by President Obama at Walt Disney World in Florida promoting tourism, but forcing one of America's top tourist attractions to be closed to tourists for his appearance.
One more strike against the Iowa caucuses being a valid indicator of Republican presidential nominee preference: more than two weeks after the Jan. 3 balloting GOP officials reported that instead of Mitt Romney winning by 8 votes, Rick Santorum actually outran him by 34 votes.
Is it any wonder voters are confused? Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., who gave Mitt Romney a strong endorsement, has joined his rivals in calling for him to release his tax returns now.
Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney received one endorsement he wasn't looking for. It came from SeekingArrangements.com, known as the "elite sugar daddy dating site."
President Obama is said to have ordered a facility that could hold a huge crowd for his acceptance speech on the final night of the Democratic National convention in Charlotte, N.C., and he got it: the 74,000-seat Bank of America stadium, named for one of the financial firms that plunged the country into deep recession.
While Mitt Romney's rivals are beating up on him for his career as a venture capitalist with Bain Capital, President Obama named as acting director of the Office of Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients -- a former Bain employee. Interesting.
"He sure didn't tell me I was gonna win. But I know I'm doing God's will for my life." - Rick Perry, to South Carolina voters.
The Republican candidates debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. covered a wide range of topics, both foreign and domestic. But nobody asked how they stood on Iran cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls.
Political office-seekers spend money on many types of advertising. The Atlantic magazine reports the typical high-budget candidate spends $225 million to fund "media strategy" firms, $8 million on campaign signs and $16,000 for temporary tattoos for fans.
Jon Huntsman said his third place finish in New Hampshire gave him a "ticket to ride" to South Carolina, but he decided to take a detour -- back to Utah.
Pundits say Rick Perry needs to regain his swagger. For a Texas politician, that's an occupational necessity.
After three years on the political scene, some leaders of the tea party movement think it's time to get organized. The South Carolina Tea Party Coalition, meeting in Myrtle Beach, went on record for "firmly establishing organizational substructure and networking."
Reacting to a new book's assertions that she imposed her will on White House aides, First Lady Michelle Obama told CBS News in no uncertain terms that she is not "some kind of angry black woman."
In Washington, just because it's chiseled in stone doesn't mean it can't be changed. The National Park Service is redoing a quote on the Martin Luther King Memorial after complaints that it had been edited to change the original meaning.
President Obama's new plan to streamline the federal government would be like painting racing stripes on a snail. Congressional Republicans should expand the initiative to make real progress.
Using tax dollars for self-serving purposes is an outrage, says the Washington Examiner. The newspaper cites a grant of $35,000 by the Environmental Protection Agency to fund the "Promoting Purchaser Demand" initiative of the Asthma Regional Council of New England.
The Los Angeles Times reports Rick Perry called on a mannequin with its hand raised at a town hall event in South Carolina. Supposedly it was a joke.
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has been endorsed by a group of prostitutes in a Nevada brothel and praised by arch-liberal TV talk show host Bill Maher. Yet he continues to make impressive showings in the polls. How dumb!
A group of high school students laughed at President Obama when he told them "you inspire me", but his wife got a different kind of reaction from some middle schoolers. They greeted Michelle Obama's remarks about the healthy food initiative for school lunch menus with a loud chorus of "boos."
How many airline passengers forced to empty their pockets at security checkpoints told TSA agents to "keep the change"? There must have been a lot, because the agency reports finding $409,085 in spare change left unclaimed last year.
Mon dieu! Mitt Romney is not fit to be president because he speaks French, declared his rival Newt Gingrich -- who neglected to say he's also bilingual and cited dozens of French language sources in his 1971 doctor dissertation.
Republicans might as well give up on defeating President Obama, with the news that singer Beyonce is designing shirts for his re-election campaign -- along with Russell Simmons, Sean "Diddy" Combs and other celebrities.
Solyndra, the California company that got a $500 million federal loan guarantee package from the Obama administration and then went broke, now is asking a bankruptcy court to allow doling out up to half a million dollars in bonuses to key employees. Talk about gall!
Big Brother -- or rather, Big Sis -- is watching. Janet Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security is monitoring a selective list of social media, blogs and multimedia on the Internet for reasons that are unclear. Included, among others, are Facebook, Twitter, Drudge Report, Huffington Post, New York Times blog and YouTube.
The maker of Twinkies couldn't live off the fat of the land and has gone bankrupt. Hostess Brands, which also produces Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread, filed a Chapter 11 petition. It looks as if First Lady Michelle Obama's crusade against obesity is working.
President Obama's chief of staff is going back to Chicago, exiting to a chorus of "Won't You Go Home, Bill Daley."
It's a topsy-turvy world in Washington when the president plans to gut the military but give pay raises to civilian bureaucrats.
Mitt Romney said he likes 'being able to fire people" who don't provide good health insurance services ... but insists he's not stealing Donald Trump's lines.
Newt Gingrich's sagging campaign got a real boost: a $5 million contribution from a Las Vegas casino mogul and an endorsement by Todd Palin.
He's b-a-a-ck -- Herman Cain missed his chance to be on the ballot in the New Hampshire primary but got a good consolation prize: a spot with Sarah Palin on Fox as a commentator on the election.
The Obamas have come to routinely flaunt their reckless spending on personal pleasures. But in their first yeat in the White House they took pains to cover up a wild "Alice in Wonderland" theme bash because officials were "nervous about how a splashy, Hollywoodesque party would look to jobless Americans." It's all in a new book by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor.
"This do-nothing Congress must be defeated." - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., presumably including Democrats in both the House and Senate.
"Let us not forget that this great nation was founded by a bunch of men wearing wigs." - Drag queen RuPaul, assuring New Hampshire voters he is not the same person as Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
Many observers expressed surprise that Mitt Romney's rivals didn't attack him strongly as expected in the ABC News debate in New Hampshire. They didn't have to. Network commentator George Stephanopoulos, betraying a Democratic bias from his days in the Bill Clinton White House, did that with his accusatory questions.
By now, after so many debates, and the field is down to six white men, you'd expect a certain amount of sameness. But Rick Perry called for sending troops back into Iraq, Jon Huntsman spoke a sentence in Mandarin and Rick Santorum wore a different color sweater vest.
Flip-flopping Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi applauds President Obama's blatantly illegal recess appointments. But in 2005 she blasted President George W. Bush for naming John Bolton United Nations ambassador while the Senate was unquestionably not in session.
President Obama, in his weekly radio and Internet address, said he would do "whatever it takes" to improve the economy -- short of resigning, we presume.
Only in Washington: While the right hand proceeds to impose President Obama's health care plan on American families, the left hand grants waivers from the law to those in favor, including labor unions representing more than half a million workers.
With the field of Republican presidential candidates narrowing and competition getting sharper, Washington Times columnist Jennifer Harper wonders, "will long knives be part of the preferred accessories" when six contenders gather for another debate in the first primary state, New Hampshire.
"To the victor belong the spoils." After Michele Bachmann dropped out of the presidential race, Mitt Romney grabbed one of her lines and accused President Obama of being a "crony capitalist."
Rick Perry fell short in Iowa but he deserves a round of applause for picking interesting places to campaign. One of his stops was the Gigglin' Goat in Boone, Iowa. Now he's scheduled for an appearance at the Squat 'n Gobble in Bluffton, S.C.
Rick Santorum's exuberant remarks after placing second in the Iowa caucuses -- "With your help and God's grace, we will have another fun night a week from now" -- raises the question: can God vote in New Hampshire?
Newt Gingrich, who came in fourth in Iowa, says he can see himself aligned with surging Rick Santorum to put the skids to Mitt Romney. Santorum says, "Newt who?"
Mitt Romney won an Iowa caucus victory by 8 votes. It would be a nice gesture for him to take those folks to lunch.
President Obama was a "no surprise" winner in the Iowa Coffee Bean Caucus. Customers at the Hamburg Inn No. 2 restaurant in Iowa City filled jars with 6,442 coffee beans for Obama, who also won this unofficial poll in 2008.
As if U.S. relations with China weren't already troubling enough, it's reported that Vice President Joe Biden will take the lead in formulating the Obama administration's China policy. (He couldn't even be trusted to do the job of selecting the White House china for state dinners.)
A certain New York congressman gained notoriety last year by sending naughty photos to women on Twitter. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch attracted similar attention by tweeting his support for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum in the Iowa caucuses.
Will Rogers said his qups about Congress "don't do no harm. But with Congress, every time they make a joke it's a law. And every time they make a law it's a joke." Wonder what he'd say about the 40,000 new laws enacted by Congress and other legislative bodies that took effect Jan. 1?"Speak for yourself, sister!" Can't you imagine Michele Bachmann thinking that on learning that 2008 loser Sarah Palin had said "it is not her time" and advised her to pull out of the race for president? Palin ended speculation about her own candidacy months ago but said recently "it's not too late" to throw her hat into the ring.
We already know which candidate is going to win in Iowa and New Hampshire -- for the Democrats. Barack Obama is the hands-down favorite. But his troops are campaigning in both states anyway.
December 2011
Michele Bachmann has ended her quest for the Republican nomination for president and now can concentrate on being the biggest thorn in President Obama's side in Congress.
Consumers are finding it hard to tell whether the switch is on or off regarding new expensive light bulb efficiency standards. Despite opposition in Congress and a measure blocking funding for their enforcement, the law is still in effect and the timer is set for January 1. Adjust your 2012 budget accordingly.
Campaigning for the Republican nomination for president is getting sillier day by day. Newt Gingrich compared his exclusion from the Virginia primary to the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, and Mitt Romney compared Gingrich to Lucille Ball (in her classic skit being overwhelmed by the assembly line at the chocolate factory).
Here we go again. President Obama plans to ask Congress for a $1.2 trillion increase in the government's debt ceiling to allow the country's bills to be paid on time.
If you wonder why your elected lawmakers seem to be out of touch with the people, consider the Washington Post analysis showing that while family incomes have taken a beating as the country suffered through a recession members of Congress have increased their wealth in the same period.
When a baby stuck his fingers in President Obama's mouth during an outing in Hawaii, he acquired a new title: Pacifier-in-Chief.
President Obama isn't the only powerful Democrat politician enjoying a winter vacation in sunny Hawaii. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., checked in at a favorite resort hotel in Kona where she spent the last two Christmas holidays in a fancy suite that rents for $10,000 a night.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum not only went searching for votes in Iowa, he also took time out to go pheasant hunting.
Ex-Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., the disgraced former head of MF Global, insists he doesn't know what happened to $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. But President Obama and the Democratic National Committee knew about $71,000 in campaign contributions from Corzine, and they quickly returned it.
President Obama drew criticism when he told a foreign audience that Americans had gotten lazy, but he admits the adjective applies to him as well. Asked by ABC's Barbara Walters to name the trait he most deplores in himself, he replied "laziness."
Michele Bachmann has ended her quest for the Republican nomination for president and now can concentrate on being the biggest thorn in President Obama's side in Congress.
Consumers are finding it hard to tell whether the switch is on or off regarding new expensive light bulb efficiency standards. Despite opposition in Congress and a measure blocking funding for their enforcement, the law is still in effect and the timer is set for January 1. Adjust your 2012 budget accordingly.
Campaigning for the Republican nomination for president is getting sillier day by day. Newt Gingrich compared his exclusion from the Virginia primary to the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, and Mitt Romney compared Gingrich to Lucille Ball (in her classic skit being overwhelmed by the assembly line at the chocolate factory).
Here we go again. President Obama plans to ask Congress for a $1.2 trillion increase in the government's debt ceiling to allow the country's bills to be paid on time.
If you wonder why your elected lawmakers seem to be out of touch with the people, consider the Washington Post analysis showing that while family incomes have taken a beating as the country suffered through a recession members of Congress have increased their wealth in the same period.
When a baby stuck his fingers in President Obama's mouth during an outing in Hawaii, he acquired a new title: Pacifier-in-Chief.
President Obama isn't the only powerful Democrat politician enjoying a winter vacation in sunny Hawaii. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., checked in at a favorite resort hotel in Kona where she spent the last two Christmas holidays in a fancy suite that rents for $10,000 a night.
Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum not only went searching for votes in Iowa, he also took time out to go pheasant hunting.
Ex-Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., the disgraced former head of MF Global, insists he doesn't know what happened to $1.2 billion in missing customer funds. But President Obama and the Democratic National Committee knew about $71,000 in campaign contributions from Corzine, and they quickly returned it.
President Obama drew criticism when he told a foreign audience that Americans had gotten lazy, but he admits the adjective applies to him as well. Asked by ABC's Barbara Walters to name the trait he most deplores in himself, he replied "laziness."
"They pick corn in Iowa, they actually pick presidents here in New Hampshire." - Republican candidate Jon Huntsman, thumbing his nose at the Iowa caucuses.
The Obamas are living it up on their Hawaiian vacation, the president dividing his time between the golf course and the beach and the first lady stepping out in a dress valued at $2,000. The couple dined in an expensive restaurant where entrees are $75 to $110. But they took time out from play to visit Pearl Harbor, Obama's first since taking office. Well, it's an election year and he's all about patriotism.
It takes a heap of taxes to support the giant bureaucracy. The image of federal civil servants chained to their desks in Washington is shattered by the report that travel expenses for official business totaled $9.57 billion this year.
A liberal by any other name ... A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows that "progressive" - the Democrats' newest ideological label - has a 67 percent approval rating, far greater than "liberal." Isn't there a law against false advertising?
The "Cornhusker Kickback" (which occurred when the Obama administration sweetened the pot to get Sen. Ben Nelson's vote on health care) might have led the Nebraska Democrat to retire. But he'll still be sitting pretty. The Hill newspaper quotes Washington sources as saying Nelson could earn top dollar as a lobbyist.
This has to be the weirdest wish on anybody's gift list. Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., when asked what he's hoping for this Hanukkah, listed a new book by right wing commentator Glenn Beck.
"Video games, robot dragons, Christmas trees, and magic museums. This is not a Christmas wish list, these are just some of the ways the federal government spent your tax dollars" - Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., releasing a report highlighting some $6.5 billion in wasteful spending. www.coburn.senate.gov
"Spend the night with Mitt Romney for $1." That headline is a bit misleading. What it means is that if you donate $1 to Romney's campaign you get a chance to spend election night in New Hampshire with him. That's undercutting Barack Obama, who offered a similar deal for $5, later lowering it to $3.
It remains to be seen how much American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson's endorsement of Ron Paul will help him in the Iowa caucuses, but it was very good for her personally. After voicing her support for Paul, her new album's sales surged 200 percent.
Even on a vacation estimated to cost $4 million, Michelle Obama put a hand out for campaign donations for her husband's re-election. From the sunny clime of Hawaii, she sent emails asking for a $3 gift to close out the year. One blogger drew a comparison to Warren Buffett standing on a street corner with a tin cup.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi's daughter said her mother wants to retire from Congress, but an aide to the House minority leader denied the report - bringing smiles back to the faces of Republicans who view her as a valuable campaign fundraising asset.
Here's some sobering news as we celebrate the end of another year: the U.S. national debt has grown to $15,132,096,871,838. Each citizen's share of this debt is $48,507. And President Obama wants Congress to raise the debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion.
Republican-turned-Independent Donald Trump uses Twitter to toss insults at people like retiring Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, whom he said "looked disgusting - nipples protruding - in his blue shirt before Congress. Very, very disrespectful."
"When I said, 'change we can believe in,' I didn't say 'change we can believe in tomorrow'" - President Obama (nominated for Obamateurism of the Year at http://hotair.com).
No last minute Christmas shopping for President Obama. After flying to Hawaii with Bo, the White House dog, to join the rest of the first family, he spent five and a half hours on the golf course before retiring to their beach front vacation rental.
From the administration that wants to convince everyone that all good things come from the government: First Lady Michelle Obama answered calls from children calling the North American Aerospace Defense Command tracking line to find our where Santa Claus was on Christmas Eve.
Yes, St. Newt. There is a Virginia. Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich failed to get on the Virginia primary ballot because his campaign didn't gather the required 10,000 petition signatures. Neither did fellow contender Rick Perry. Maybe he forgot.
The economy can't be all that bad if shoppers are defying pepper spray to shell out $180 for a pair of athletic shoes.
"Just barely above a pedophile." - Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., on the 5 percent approval rating of Congress.
"Right now there are people running for President I would not trust to look after my plants." - Andy Borowitz
Was "occupy" the most overused word of 2011? Students at Michigan's Lake Superior State University put it high on their annual list of expressions that should be banished. And along with that, how about the "occupy" movement, probably the most media overrated occurrence of the past year.
New FAA rules allow airlines to cut times of long flight by flying over the North Pole - with a special Christmas Eve warning to watch out for a sleigh pulled by reindeer.
With the rest of his family vacationing in Hawaii, President Obama took their dog Bo Christmas shopping, buying $40 worth of pet toys. With the payroll tax extension, now other families can also blow the $40 a month they saved.Looking for work? Here's a chance to be "a leader in your field" at the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency is advertising an opening for an "invitations coordinator" with a salary of $53,500 to $102,900 per year and five weeks vacation. That's if you don't mind working for Richard Cordray, President Obama's questionable recess appointee.
Facing one of his biggest challenges, White House spokesman Jay Carney sought to "calm the jeers caused by President Barack Obama's claim to rival or surpass the accomplishments of presidents Lyndon Johnson, Franklin Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln," reports The Daily Caller, "but instead padded his boss' resume."
President Obama didn't have to create a photo card to send out to friends (and voters); he just called in the White House photographer to take a warm and fuzzy shot of the first family, all holding hands. The Democratic National Committee, rightfully, pays for mailing these re-election campaign materials.
The violent and destructive street protest movement endorsed by President Obama and other leading Democrats is costing the nation's cities dearly. The mayor of Los Angeles says more budget cuts will be necessary to offset the millions of dollars in expenses brought about by the Occupy LA movement.
"There are lots of unemployed twentysomethings still living at home but only one gets to rule North Korea." - Andy Borowitz
Nominaton for overused expression of the year: "Kick the can down the road."
It's probably a great surprise to troops returning from Iraq to learn that Vice President Joe Biden said the Taliban is not an enemy of the United States after years of fighting the militant Islamic group that gave a haven to Al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden. A leading Virginia Democrat, former Gov. Doug Wilder, is urging Biden be dropped from the 2012 ticket.
Book idea for First Lady Michelle Obama: "1,000 Places to See at Taxpayers' Expense Before Our Term is Up."
Sheriff Obama carves another notch on his gun: Osama bin Laden, Moammar Gadhaffi, Kim Jong Il.
Just when you thought the Republican presidential nomination picture couldn't get more confused, Reuters reports that tea party champion Sarah Palin says it's not to late to consider a run for the White House. The 2008 vice presidential nominee earlier had ruled out a candidacy for 2012.
Attorney General Eric Holder has played the race card in resisting calls for his resignation because of the "Fast and Furious" Mexican gun-running scandal. Holder told the New York Times that critics of him and President Obama are motivated by "the fact that we're both African-American.
Christmas seems to get more expensive each year. Take the cost of the Obamas' vacation in Hawaii. Expenses for the 17-day roundtrip for the president, his family and staff are estimated at more than $4 million.
Republican presidential contender was ridiculed for having a fuzzy memory about the Supreme Court, but he's not alone. At a Hanukkah ceremony, President Obama had to check his notes for the name of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Someone forgot to put a muzzle on Ron Paul before he went on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He made some outrageous cracks about his fellow Republican candidates, saying Michele Bachmann "hates Muslims" and Rick Santorum doesn't like "gay people and Muslims."
Light bulb traditionalists are enjoying a shining victory. Opponents of a scheduled phase-out of incandescent bulbs succeeded in blocking funding for implementation of new standards requiring more efficient, but more expensive, devices for lighting their homes. Now about all those fluorescent stockpiles ...
If Texas Gov. Rick Perry doesn't get that White House job, he won't starve. Under the state's retirement system, he's able to retire early, at 61, and draw a monthly annuity of $7,698 and still collect his $150,000 annual salary. Even in Texas, those are big bucks.
White House scandal! First Lady Michelle Obama has accepted a date to a ball with a guy who's not her husband. Marine Lance Corporal Aaron Leeks did seek the president's permission for his wife to accompany him to the Marine Corps Ball next November. She said, "I'd love to." (Regardless of the election outcome?)
"Senators can say things congressmen can't," reports the Washington Examiner. The paper says House members may not use the words "Merry Christmas" in their tax-paid mailings to constituents, but such holiday greetings are allowed in the Senate.
"We didn't know what the hell was going on." - Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif., in a candid admission about passage of the $825 billion Obama economic stimulus legislation.
Isn't it ironic that in just a little over a month after President Obama issued an executive order to cut unnecessary government travel, First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters proceeded with plans to take a 17-day taxpayer-paid holiday trip to Hawaii without waiting for him.
When Newt Gingrich said that some people choose to be gay in the same way that others choose to be celibate, some people might wonder what he knows about celibacy?
Ego-driven politicians naturally like to receive awards, but there's one Rick Perry probably didn't welcome. The Texas Monthly chose Perry as "Bum Steer of the Year" for 2011. Editor Jake Silverstein said the "honor" is conferred on someone "we feel has been responsible for the biggest screw-up, gaffe, fumble, stumble, train wreck, or humiliation of the past twelve months."
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has seized upon the raw milk issue to try to win support in New Hampshire. The Texas doctor-lawmaker won applause at a town hall meeting when he promised to restore the right to drink raw milk. A state law prohibits sale of the product in stores.
In case you're wondering: Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., says he's not running for president. Coburn, a sharp critic of government waste, candidly admitted he probably doesn't have the "skill set" necessary.
Talk about fair weather friends. Actor Gary Busey announced that although he'd never met Newt Gingrich he had decided to endorse him for president. Five days later he withdrew the endorsement. He didn't say if he had met the GOP frontrunner in the meantime.
The U.S. Postal Service has put a slowdown on the slowdown. The cash-shy mail carrier agreed to a five-month delay in closing post offices and processing centers to give Congress more time to work on postal reform. That's like putting brakes on a snail.
Using terms like "arrogant" and "alienating", California congressman Dennis Cardoza says he thinks President Obama "might prefer to be a university professor rather than do the job he holds today." And he's a Democrat!
It's a disturbing sign that more media attention has been paid to the debate that wasn't (December 27 Newsmax panel with Donald Trump as moderator cancelled when only two Republican candidates accepted) than the series of real faceoffs.
What if Dick Cheney were president? The former veep said that instead of asking Iran to return a drone aircraft that went down in that country the U.S. should have made an air strike and destroyed it.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., is such a blind partisan, she refuses to face facts. In a Fox News interview, the Democratic National Committee chairwoman argued that the unemployment rate hasn't gone up since Barack Obama took office. The jobless rate was 8.2 percent in February 2009. It went up to 10.1 percent in October 2009, held at around 9 percent for several months, and now stands at 8.6 percent.
It has come to this: In past presidential campaigns, candidates have signed "no tax increase" pledges. Republican frontrunner Newt Gingrich, who has admitted having extramarital affairs, signed a "no adultery" pledge circulated in Iowa.
Michele Bachmann has introduced a new name into the Republican field of candidates for president: "Newt Romney" -- she says "there's not a dime's worth of difference" between Gingrich and Mitt. Rick Perry continues to stumble along the path for the Republican presidential nomination. He referred to "eight unelected ... judges" on the Supreme Court (there are nine justices), including "Montemayor" (instead of Sotomayor).
"I want to go back to my little grass shack ... " President Obama, who was in Hawaii in November for an economic summit will return for a 17-day vacation with his family in December. They won't be staying in a "grass shack" but rather a $3,500-a-day beach front residence on the island of Oahu. Estimated cost to taxpayers: more than $1 million.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is off on a diplomatic mission to Myanmar -- probably too busy to send a sympathy note to Mrs. Herman Cain.
Herman Cain not only is getting lower poll ratings from women, but he lost the support of the mustache lobby. The American Mustache Association rescinded its endorsement of the only Republican candidate with facial hair, citing evidence of a "fake theater quality upper lip garment."
When Herman Cain jokingly referred to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as "Princess Nancy", he drew criticism, and rightly so. She already had been crowned the "Botox Queen."
Did the president who spends a vast amount of time on leisure activities like golf accuse his constituents of being lazy? It sounded that way when President Obama said in Hawaii that America's economic problems are partly a result of its citizens being "a little bit lazy" and the country has "gotten a little soft." Couch potatoes, arise!
Unlike the 9 percent of Americans who are out of work, Vice President Joe Biden is secure in his job and government salary -- at least until November 2012. But he's padding his income with $2,200 a month from the Secret Service for agents who protect him to stay in a rental cottage in Delaware. At least he hasn't raised the rent.
"Too much coffee" is the excuse given by Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., for yelling obscenities at a woman who questioned him at a public meeting about bank bailouts. His coffee-drinking constituents might not be too forgiving at election time.
"Oops!" - Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in the Michigan Republican presidential candidates debate, when he couldn't remember the third of three government departments he would shut down if elected. He told a reporter, "I stepped in it out there."
The Agriculture Department quickly halted plans for a 15-cent tax on fresh cut Christmas trees after the news spread like a forest fire. President Obama didn't want to be seen as a grinch while campaigning for re-election.
A key Senate committee, in a display of bipartisanship, rejected his President Obama's jobs plan and unanimously approved a bill to repair the nation's infrastructure that would create 1 million jobs in two years. But don't expect Obama to shout it out. It makes better campaign fodder to blame Congress - especially Republicans - for blocking job creation.
Add this to the Obama legacy: He is the first president to impose a "Christmas Tree Tax." The Agriculture Department will collect 15 cents on each fresh Christmas tree from sellers of more than 500 trees per year to support a new federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees. Naturally that charge will be passed along to buyers. Bah, humbug!
Another example of the Obama administration's hostility toward the American heritage has emerged. The Bureau of Land Management is opposing a Republican-sponsored bill to add President Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day prayer to the World War II Memorial in Washington.
It's hard to imagine anyone wanting to have dinner with a pair of terrorist ringleaders, but the Illinois Humanities Council is offering that chance. For $2,500 one lucky bidder and five friends can dine with Weather Underground leaders Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. The sponsor is funded by the taxpayer-supported National Endowment for the Humanities.
"We truly regret these passengers feel they had a bad screening experience." - TSA's response to complaints by four elderly women who said they had been strip searched. (Is there such a thing as a "good" screening experience?)
Who made the biggest misstep in the Republican candidates debate at Drake University in Iowa? It's a tossup between Mitt Romney, who offered to make a $10,000 bet with Rick Perry regarding the Massachusetts health care program, or Michele Bachmann, who associated herself with the former candidate nobody talks about -- Herman Cain.
Last year, reports the New York Times, the federal government sealed 77 million official documents. Is it any wonder the citizens look upon Washington with distrust?
"I always believed that this was a long-term project. It was going to take more than one term. Probably takes more than one president." - President Obama, on the high unemployment problem.
Democrats from President Obama on down have voiced strong support for the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, but they seem to have developed a case of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard). In Charlotte, N.C., site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention, city leaders are working to pass an ordinance to ban tents, camping equipment and "noxious substances" (like human excrement?) in downtown spaces as a "public nuisance."
"I knew I’d actually made it when I had my own name in the Drudge Report." Homeland Security Secretary Janet "Big Sis" Napolitano.
"We never need an excuse for a good party." - President Obama, at a White House Hanukkah celebration, almost two weeks early.
For those who think Congress just fritters away the time: The House of Representatives, in a bipartisan vote, approved legislation to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating "farm dust."
Surging in the polls, Newt Gingrich is so confident of being the Republican nominee for president he's already shaping his administration. He says he'd like former U.N. ambassador John Bolton as his secretary of state. And he told one interviewer his chief rival, Mitt Romney, would be on his short list for vice president.
It would be wrong to call it a "happy meal" but at least 20 people were willing to pay $35,800 each to dine with President Obama at a re-election fundraiser in downtown Washington. He's raised more than $150 million so far.
The 2009 Fort Hood massacre of 13 people by an Army major inspired by Islamic extremist Anwar al-Awlaki had all the aspects of an act of terrorism, but the politically correct Obama administration classified it as "workplace violence." This has provoked a somewhat violent reaction in Congress.
President Obama says he won't begin his 17-day winter vacation in Hawaii with the payroll tax issue in limbo, but that doesn't apply to First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters. They'll go ahead as planned, and hang the extra cost. Take that, taxpayers.
Ron Paul declares the so-called Donald Trump debate is "beneath the office of the presidency." This from a man who, according to the New York Times, wears fake eyebrows that won't stay glued?
Here's a big scoop from Watergate scandal reporter Bob Woodward: he says sitting next to Al Gore at a dinner party is "taxing" and "unpleasant." Now, that's scandalous!
How Your Taxes Are Spent
"The United States is fighting terrorism - one snow cone at a time." - From a newspaper report of 13 western Michigan counties receiving 13 snow cone machines costing $11,700 from the Homeland Security department, supposedly to make ice for use in medical emergencies.
Another scandal brewing in the Republican camp. A woman from Newt Gingrich's past hints at some dark secrets. It's Nancy Pelosi. The California Democrat implies that she might reveal what happened behind closed doors in the 1990s ethics investigation of Gingrich.
The man responsible for the flying safety of Americans is grounded. Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt resigned after being charged with drunk driving. At least he wasn't piloting a plane.
Pushing Congress to pass his legislative proposals now, President Obama emulated "Rough Rider" Teddy Roosevelt in a speech in Kansas. But he stopped short of mounting a horse and yelling, "Charge!"
our Government at Work
"Diary of a Single Mom" is a soap opera that will make you want to cry ... when you learn that your tax dollars helped pay for it. The Washington Times reports nearly $1 million in economic stimulus money intended to help boost broadband Internet service in underserved areas was diverted for the Web-based show.
"A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." - The late Sen. Everett Dirksen, R-Ill.
In making arrangements for a meeting between Donald Trump and Newt Gingrich, the biggest problem was finding a place to meet large enough for both egos.
"Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." - Mark Twain
"When alien scientists study why our society fell, they may note that Lady Gaga had more Twitter followers than Obama." - Andy Borowitz
Jon Huntsman has something none of the other candidates for president has: three spunky daughters who recorded a parody of a tune called "SexyBack", calling the rest of the Republican field a "circus act."
Only 24 shopping days till Christmas ... but time enough to order a copy of "The Ron Paul Family Cookbook", which will allow you to prepare meals with as little government intervention as possible.
In Washington, they say it can't be done. But across the country states are cutting taxes. In the face of a slumping economy states that are hard pressed for cash have put in place a net decreased of $584.2 million in new taxes and fees. States also are cutting spending. Take a lesson, Congress.
A woman who claims she had a 13-year affair with Herman Cain told a TV interviewer he's not fit to be president. How can she say that, when according to her he's no different from a number of past presidents.
"From time to time we all will get something wrong." - Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, following his latest in a series of gaffes: saying the voting age is 21 (it's 18) and the 2012 presidential election is November 12 (instead of November 6).
Herman Cain might not get the Republican nomination for president, but he's in the running for "Ladies Man of the Year."
"What the hell are we paying you for?" - Question directed at President Obama by Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., calling him "a bystrander in the Oval Office" for not getting involved in the congressional supercommittee's effort to reach an agreement on debt reduction.
Bad news for President Obama: his job approval rating is 43 percent. Good news: the number is holding steady.
Buoyed by his surge in the polls, Newt Gingrich has challenged President Obama to a debate -- and he's offered to level the playing field: "If he wants to use a teleprompter, then it would be fine with me."
Gingrich is receiving support from one source he might just as soon not have -- Bill Clinton. The former president, in a NewsMax interview, was complimentary of his position on longterm illegal immigrants, which his opponents have branded amnesty.
Just what we need: an addition to the bloated bureaucracy. The new Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, a part of the State Department, is supposed to help the agency become more "forward looking" in its national security response.
Although Mitt Romney lost the endorsement of New Hampshire's leading newspaper to rival Newt Gingrich, he can take some solace in being the Republican presidential candidate with the best head of hair. At least that's the opinion of Leon de Magistris, who has styled his hair for more than two decades. No dye, no gel, no mousse, swears Magistris. Can Newt say that?
Reggie Love may be ready for a rest when he leaves the position of personal aide to President Obama at the end of the year. During the Thanksgiving holiday Obama took him out of the White House to play golf and the next day to a basketball court to shoot hoops.
President Obama has given himself a new title. In his videotaped Thanksgiving address, he proclaimed himself "commander and chief." The video and the official White House transcript confirm his gaffe.
Folks in other countries must be looking at the United States and wondering which is more violent: the Occupy protests or the "Black Friday" shopping mobs.
According to news reports, President Obama didn't go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. But he did go golfing - for the 30th time this year. His outing on the Andrews Air Force base course was the 88th of his presidency.
He's b-a-a-c-k! Politico.com reports President Obama's former "green energy" czar Van Jones, a controversial liberal who resigned under fire in 2009, "has become a superstar of the resurgent left, founding - with MoveOn.org - the American Dream Movement, a grass-roots political force modeled after the tea party." Sounds more like a nightmare.
What is more American than apple pie? Pumpkin's the first choice for Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. - and not just on Thanksgiving. Declaring her dislike for apple pie is "a bold (and potentially risky) move", according to The Hill newspaper.
Is President Obama trying to outdo the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters by creating gridlock in Manhattan? It would seem so, with his plan to arrive in a motorcade for a fund-raiser and party on the same day the streets will be jammed by the Rockefeller Plaza tree-lighting ceremony.
President Obama reinstated the American Bar Association's ratings of judicial appointments, halted by his predecessor who believed the ABA discriminated against conservative jurists. And guess what? The vetting process showed a significant number of Obama's nominees "not qualified" - slowing efforts to fill vacant judgeships.
Headline: "President Obama Pardons Turkeys" - but not the ones in his administration.
In Connecticut, a person who was not running won an election. Could that happen to Hillary Clinton in 2012?
Adding to the drain on the economy: The violent Occupy protests in cities across the country have cost local taxpayers at least $13 million. How can the president and his fellow Democrats endorse such a movement?
Questions were raised about Michele Bachmann possibly leaking some intelligence about Pakistan's nuclear capability in the Republican candidates' foreign policy debate. There seems to be no concern about Herman Cain doing that.
A leading GOP candidate had an "oops" moment during the CNN debate. When the moderator launched into self-introductions, he said: "I'm Wolf Blitzer, and yes, that's my real name." When it was Willard Romney's turn, he said Mitt is his first name. Wrong!
President Obama doesn't want to be known by the company he used to keep. That includes Tony Rezko, a former campaign fundraiser in Chicago who drew a 10-year prison sentence for extortion and corruption.
Millionaire filmmaker Michael Moore and actor Alec Baldwin have made cameo appearances at Occupy Wall Street rallies, the Washington Times reports. These limousine liberals have become "limousine Occupiers."
Conservative radio talk show personality Rush Limbaugh has hurled a new epithet at President Obama, accusing him of "uppity-ism." He says that's why First Lady Michelle Obama was booed when she attended a NASCAR race in Miami.
"I tasted a beer and tried a cigarette once, as a wayward teenager, and never did it again." - Mitt ("Mr. Clean") Romney, sending shock waves through the Republican ranks in an upcoming profile in People Magazine. But did he inhale? A Mormon, Romney says he doesn't drink or smoke for religious reasons.
The joint congressional supercommittee charged with coming up with a plan to reduce the deficit threw in the towel, and we all know who's to blame: Democrats and Republicans. Well, it's hard to see how the public approval of rating of Congress could get any lower than 9 percent.
Guess who's calling Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney a flip-flopper? Sen. John ("I voted for it before I voted against it") Kerry, D. Mass., the 2004 Democratic nominee.
Guess who's calling Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney a flip-flopper? Sen. John ("I voted for it before I voted against it") Kerry, D. Mass., the 2004 Democratic nominee.
Guess who's accusing Republicans of partisanship? Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the highly partisan former chief of staff for the highly partisan president, Barack Obama.
Michele Bachmann might have surprised her male companions when she poured water for them in a Republican candidates forum in Iowa. They probably were just relieved that she didn't waterboard them.
"Go get a job right after you take a bath." - Newt Gingrich's message to "Occupy Wall Street" groups protesting in the streets.
Useless news from the Internet: An item at Gawker.com says a 20-year-old "Black History Minute" video made by the president when he was a student at Harvard "reveals that Obama's voice used to be sexier."
Herman Cain is on the verge of showing voters he knows more about pizza than foreign affairs. The former head of the Godfather's chain has stumbled twice lately: an awkward silence when asked by a Milwaukee newspaper editorial board about the Obama administration's policy toward Libya, and later in a Florida news conference implying that the Taliban posed a threat to the Libyan government. He could use a geography lesson.
What'd Chu say? Energy Secretary Steven Chu said "no apology for fleecing taxpayers for Solyndra", in the words of a Washington Examiner headline.Under questioning by a congressional committee about the approval of a $535 billion federal loan guarantee for the now-bankrupt solar panel maker, the Obama appointee said: "Was there incompetence? Was there any undue influence? I’d have to say no."
General Electric filed a 57,000-page federal tax return this year, but did not pay taxes on $14 billion in profits -- legally. Anyone for tax reform?
"It's a match made in heaven!" - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., commenting on NBC's hiring of Chelsea Clinton, who joins Meghan McCain as a network contributor.
In his career, Newt Gingrich has been accused of cheating on his taxes and cheating on his wives. Now he has to convince voters he's not cheating on the truth when talking about how much he got paid for consulting with Freddie Mac.
In his career, Newt Gingrich has been accused of cheating on his taxes and cheating on his wives. Now he has to convince voters he's not cheating on the truth when talking about how much he got paid for consulting with Freddie Mac.
More revelations about the party in power favoring friends with government contracts. A new book reports Robert Kennedy Jr. received a $1.4 billion bailout for his "green" company, BrightSource, through a loan guarantee arranged by a 2008 fundraiser for Barack Obama who landed a job at the Energy Department.
Republican presidential contender Rick Perry is calling for a part-time Congress, and the Democrat-controlled Senate seems to think that's a good idea. Only three times this year has the upper chamber held votes on Friday.
Members of Congress take junkets to the far corners of the world at taxpayers' expense, but that's not all. Corporations, non-profits and trade associations have spent more than $5 million to send lawmakers to places like Tunisia, Israel and Las Vegas this year. The trips are still allowed despite passage of an ethics reform package in early 2007.
Can a Supreme Court justice who was a cheerleader for Obamacare before the president appointed her to the court rule fairly on the law's constitutionality? That's the question being raised about liberal justice Elena Kagan, who advocated for the legislation as Obama's solicitor general.
When a U.S. president visits another country it's normal for his host to present gifts of various kinds. But a crocodile insurance policy? That's a bit out of the ordinary. The chief minister of Australia's Northern Territory arranged for $51,000 worth of insurance coverage because that region has a very large number of crocodiles.
On a visit to an organic farm in Hawaii, First Lady Michelle Obama was told by a worker that arugula was a favorite food of his. "My favorite, too," she replied. "Arugula and steak."
President Obama isn't too choosy about the people he associates with. (Examples: America-hating minister Jeremiah Wright, federal building bomber Bill Ayers.) The pattern continued when he hit the golf course in Honolulu with Bobby Titcomb, who was arrested earlier this year as part of an undercover prostitution sting.
The Washington Post got it wrong when it reported that Ford's Theatre had banned the sale of Bill O'Reilly's best-selling book, "Killing Lincoln." Although the National Park Service had recommended the book not be sold in the Ford's museum bookstore because of some errors that have since been corrected, the director chose to let visitors judge the book for themselves. All the liberal newspaper accomplished was to generate more publicity for the Fox News commentator's book.
Michelle Bachmann, who is seeking to become the Republican to defeat Barack Obama in November 2012, says there's someone she'd want to beat -- literally. That's former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, accused of sexually abusing young boys. She said if it were one of her children, she'd "beat him to a pulp."
In the latest Republican presidential candidates debate, Rick Perry added the State Department to his list of federal agencies he would target if elected. He vowed to start foreign budgets at zero.
From the Los Angeles Times: "A company controlled by a longtime political donor gets a no-bid contract to supply an experimental remedy for a threat that may not exist." The Obama administration awarded a $433 million contract to buy an unproven smallpox drug for the nation's biodefense stockpile. The firm's controlling shareholder is Ronald O. Perelman, a longtime Democratic party donor.
From the Los Angeles Times: "A company controlled by a longtime political donor gets a no-bid contract to supply an experimental remedy for a threat that may not exist." The Obama administration awarded a $433 million contract to buy an unproven smallpox drug for the nation's biodefense stockpile. The firm's controlling shareholder is Ronald O. Perelman, a longtime Democratic party donor.
Nearly 1,000 employees of the Tennessee state agency that administers the food stamp program are themselves drawing the federal aid. The Washington Examiner calls this example of "bureaucrats literally feeding at he trough" its "Daily Outrage."
CBS is being called the big loser in the South Carolina Republican presidential debate. CBS News, a co-sponsor with National Journal, broadcast only the first hour of the debate, and a live webcast carrying the last half hour became overloaded and crashed. Several candidates complained of being deliberately ignored.
President Obama has been branding Congress as a dysfunctional body that doesn't get its work done. But while lawmakers engage in critical negotiations to avoid a government shutdown the junketing president will be basking in the tropical sun of Bali. Obama decided to stick with plans for a nine-day trip to Hawaii, Australia and Indonesia to pursue diplomatic goals.
Vice President Joe Biden, who issued dire warnings that failure to pass the administration's jobs bill would lead to more rapes and other criminal violence, is somehow conspicuously silent on the wave of sexual assaults in the Occupy movement in various parts of the country. Two-faced Joe has done it again.
Only in Washington
A former staff member for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, R-Calif., who helped sell the Democrats' message during the health care debate, now works for a coalition that includes some of the strongest opponents of the law. The revolving door keeps spinning.
"The least of my concerns, at the moment, is the politics of a year from now." - President Obama, as his campaign staff arranged for future fundraisers and other appearances.
"If you were Vice President of the United States, what would you want the President to assign you to do first?" - Herman Cain to fellow Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, in a two-man debate in Houston.
Oklahoma had a 5.6 magnitude earthquake. The Sooner state hasn't been shaken up that much since Henry Bellmon was elected the first Republican governor in 1962.
This just leaked out. The Hill newspaper reports that Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has introduced legislation to allow states to use federal stimulus money to buy diapers. A rather childish gesture, wouldn't you say?
"I'm the wrong gender." - Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, a Clinton administration Democrat, on why Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain hasn't asked to meet with her. Nonsense. Wrong political party.
"I'm the One!" President Obama did it again, blocking the face of India's prime minister in a group photo of world leaders at the G-20 meeting in Cannes. In New York at the UN in September, his hand went up in front of the president of Mongolia. It's the height of arrogance. After rewarding its top executives with fat bonuses, government-controlled mortgage giant Freddie Mac has its hand out for another taxpayer-funded bailout. The agency is asking for $6 billion in additional aid ... following its worst quarterly loss this year.
ACORN falls again. Congress cut off funding for the disgraced former organization but a front group that was formed afterward has been tied to the Occupy Wall Street protests. New York Communities for Change is reported to be paying $100 a day to homeless people to participate in demonstrations.
"I was born on election day (November 4, 1879). That's why I've always had it in for politicians." - Will RogersIs God a Democrat? President Obama seemed to make that claim when he invoked the name of the Almighty in (falsely) blaming Republicans for failure of Congress to pass his $447 billion jobs program already. Obama said, "God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work."
White House spokesman Jay Carney misquoted the Bible in telling reporters "the Lord helps those who help themselves." That's not in the Scriptures. Maybe Obama should bring in his Chicago minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, as a consultant.
Liberals who favor European style government are trying to get their foot in the door with a "transaction tax" on financial firms. Bills authored by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., resemble a proposal released by the European Union. Harkin said, "It's a significant way to raise some needed revenue," and added: "Quite frankly, I bet nobody would even feel it." Anyone want to take that bet?
While fighting allegations of sexual harrassment, Herman Cain also is being pounded because his campaign manager took a puff on a cigarette in a TV ad. Where was all this righteous indignation when President Obama was an admitted smoker? He says now he's kicked the habit, but are reporters checking?
In the depressed Obama economy, many workers are suffering loss of income after being laid off. John Corzine is an exception. The former New Jersey governor and senator is out of a job after the Wall Street firm he headed, MF Global, went bankrupt. But Corzine won't be in the unemployment line. He's expected to get a $12.1 million severance package -- the kind of "golden parachute" critics of Wall Street excess, like his friend, President Obama, have condemned.
Republican presidential contender Herman Cain had some explaining to do after news media unearthed an alleged sexual harassment incident that occurred 15 years ago while he was head of the Washington office of the National Restaurant Association. Worse than that, the anti-Washington candidate was exposed as having once been a – ugh! – lobbyist.
Herman Cain doesn't have to read the polls to know he's regarded as a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination when a CBS talk show host accuses him of promoting smoking in a campaign ad and politico.com brands him with thinly-sourced, decade-old sexual harassment allegations.
While fighting allegations of sexual harrassment, Herman Cain also is being pounded because his campaign manager took a puff on a cigarette in a TV ad. Where was all this righteous indignation when President Obama was an admitted smoker? He says now he's kicked the habit, but are reporters checking?
In the depressed Obama economy, many workers are suffering loss of income after being laid off. John Corzine is an exception. The former New Jersey governor and senator is out of a job after the Wall Street firm he headed, MF Global, went bankrupt. But Corzine won't be in the unemployment line. He's expected to get a $12.1 million severance package -- the kind of "golden parachute" critics of Wall Street excess, like his friend, President Obama, have condemned.
Republican presidential contender Herman Cain had some explaining to do after news media unearthed an alleged sexual harassment incident that occurred 15 years ago while he was head of the Washington office of the National Restaurant Association. Worse than that, the anti-Washington candidate was exposed as having once been a – ugh! – lobbyist.
October 2011
How the Government 1 Percenters Live
How the Government 1 Percenters Live
Some top executives at government-sponsored mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were given more than $12 million in bonuses … and that was after these agencies received nearly $170 billion in bailouts – paid for by taxpayers.
What, another Solyndra? A Massachusetts company that received a $43 million Energy Department loan guarantee last year filed for bankruptcy. Of course, that’s small potatoes compared to California-based Solyndra, which got $535 million in tax dollars, then went belly up and laid off 1,100 workers.
Herman Cain doesn't have to read the polls to know he's regarded as a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination when a CBS talk show host accuses him of promoting smoking in a campaign ad and politico.com brands him with thinly-sourced, decade-old sexual harassment allegations.
Only in Washington
The Federal Aviation Administration frowns upon airline passengers exposing themselves, but sees nothing wrong with a skydiving couple having sex for all the world to see.
A new survey shows that two-thirds of Americans would be okay with a cutback of postal service to five days a week, just so long as they can use email and Internet social media 24-7.
Attention online shoppers: There may be a sales tax in your future. A move is being made in the Democrat-controlled Senate to allow state governments to collect taxes on purchases made over the Internet. With the power to tax Web transactions, what comes next?
Fannie Mae is joining fellow mortgage giant Freddie Mac in putting the squeeze on taxpayers. The government-controlled agency said it needs $7.8 billion more in federal aid to stay afloat following a third-quarter loss in this shaky housing market. This raid on the Treasury would come after receiving $112.6 billion in bailout funds.
Herman Cain's campaign staff needs to take a page from the Bill Clinton playbook and form a "Bimbo Squad" to protect him from his accusers.
What Herman Cain should do is look straight into the camera, waggle his finger, and say: "I did not sexually harrass that woman. And now I've got to get back to work." Worked for Bill Clinton.
Open mike, insert foot in mouth. Microphones left on after the G20 meeting in Europe picked up some candid comments by the U.S. and French presidents. A French website reported Nicolas Sarkozy told President Obama, "I cannot stand" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - "He is a liar." To which Obama replied: "You're fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day."
Only in Washington
A man who used the White House for target practice was charged with trying to assassinate President Obama -- who was out of town at the time of the shooting.
Trailing in the Iowa caucus polling, Rick Santorum says it's a "great thing" not to have a boomlet. Well, nobody wants to peak at 6 percent.
Democrats love Hollywood stars. Maybe that's why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew back from Asia, at taxpayers expense, for 36 hours to join President Obama, Caroline Kennedy and others at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.
Can so-called "snail mail" get any slower? The U.S. Postal Service is about to prove it can by ending next day delivery.
Herman Cain carved a niche in U.S.political history when he opened a new campaign headquarters and suspended his campaign on the same day.
Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., was low in the polls when he withdrew as a Republican presidential candidate, but he's at the top of a new list in GQ magazine: No. 1 among "The 25 Least Influential People Alive." The spoof article also lists President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
Democrats love Hollywood stars. Maybe that's why Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew back from Asia, at taxpayers expense, for 36 hours to join President Obama, Caroline Kennedy and others at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington.
Can so-called "snail mail" get any slower? The U.S. Postal Service is about to prove it can by ending next day delivery.
Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., was low in the polls when he withdrew as a Republican presidential candidate, but he's at the top of a new list in GQ magazine: No. 1 among "The 25 Least Influential People Alive." The spoof article also lists President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi abused the office of House Speaker by using government aircraft for frequent trips between Washington and her California district. Now we learn that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is doing the same thing -- every weekend. West Coast Democrats must think they get special privileges.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
President Obama has increased his personal fortune as an author, and taxpayers have unwittingly helped. The Washington Times reports the U.S. State Department spent more than $70,000 buying copies of his autobiography more than a decade after its release to use as Christmas gifts and to stock "key libraries" around the world ... in this campaign season.
"20 percent flat." Is that Rick Perry's new tax plan or a description of his campaign?
Campaigning for re-election, President Obama is getting out with the people. He told a group of gay rights activists: "I took a trip out to California last week, where I had some productive bilateral talks with your leader, Lady Gaga."
President Obama took his wife out for dinner for their 19th wedding anniversary. Maybe he was making up for calling her "Michael" instead of Michelle in a recent speech. Those teleprompters can be troubling.
Want to know what's really scary? On Halloween the average American's share of government debt will be more than his or her yearly earnings.
House Republicans had a good comeback for President Obama's "we can't wait" campaign. Speaker John Boehner said, "this idea that you're just going to go around the Congress is just - it's almost laughable." And he challenged Obama to help move more than 15 bipartisan jobs bills that are stalled in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
Headline: "Obama Miracle is White House Free of Scandal" - In an article for Bloomberg View that reads like a news release from Obama re-election campaign headquarters, former Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter postulates that Barack Obama's administration is "scandal-less." Well, unless you count Solyndra, LightSquared, the multi-billion-dollar stimulus program and the Justice Department's gun-running operation "Fast and Furious."
Calls for Attorney General Eric Holder to resign are coming "Fast and Furious" because of the scandal of the same name.
The "Occupy Wall Street" movement is guilty of many stupid mistakes, not the least of which is bad timing. A massive snowstorm and freezing temperatures in a wide area of the Northeast could curb the protesters' violent outdoor demonstrations.
President Obama's new student loan policy eases the financial burden on those going to college at the expense of working class Americans. It looks like a blatant attempt by candidate Obama to buy votes among the disenchanted 20-something geographic.
Real estate tycoon Donald Trump says the "birther" issue is a good one for Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry. But not good enough for the Donald, who pulled out of the race after President Obama produced a birth certificate?
"It's a tough-ass job." - Country music superstar Toby Keith, referring to the presidency, adding that President Obama is no longer a young rock star ... "it doesn't take them long to start aging."
On the heels of the revelation that the State Department used taxpayers' money to buy $70,000 worth of Barack Obama's books comes news of a gala dinner hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the department's Diplomatic Reception Rooms. And they want to raise your taxes!
"She is not running for Congress." - Spokesman for Chelsea Clinton, responding to rumors Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., might step down to make way for a race by Bill and Hillary Clinton's daughter.
"It's so bad sometimes I tell people I'm a lawyer." - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., commenting on the 9 percent approval rating of Congress in a New York Times/CBS poll.
"I'm going to wait until everybody is voted off the island." - President Obama, in response to Jay Leno's question about watching the Republican presidential debates.
Having told a TV interviewer recently that "all the choices we've made have been the right ones", President Obama said in a campaign speech in San Francisco, "I've made mistakes on occasion. Michelle reminds me of those frequently."
Only in Washington
President Obama expressed support for the "Occupy Wall Street" protesters, then turned around and hired a former lobbyist for big banks and corporations as senior adviser for his re-election campaign.
Obama probably turned off some potential campaign volunteers when he told a Hollywood crowd at a $35,800 per head dinner: "This election will not be as sexy at the first one."
Ronald Reagan would be having a field day if he were alive and quipping about government programs. Farmers in Southern California are being paid more than $500 an acre not to farm their land. State officials say it's to save water.
Steve Jobs was a remarkable man, but who knew that former president Bill Clinton sought advice from him on how to handle the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal in 1998? It's one of the revelations in a new biography.
The Obama administration can slough off tea party attacks on a decision to raid Gibson Guitar facilities in Tennessee, but one critic will be hard to ignore. Country music legend Charlie ("The Devil Went Down to Georgia") Daniels is mad and sounding off about what he calls political persecution of one company.
Good news for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney: he received a campaign contribution and some nice words from a well-known tea party supporter. Bad news: it was Christine ("I'm Not a Witch") O'Donnell.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
The Federal Election Commission has awarded $18 million to each of the two major party 2012 national conventions. The Washington Examiner protests: "Neither party needs this kind of welfare. Both are perfectly capable of raising money."
"There is no sadder thing than a young pessimist, except an old optimist." - Mark Twain
Washington Post columnist Al Kamen got a surprising response when he inquired about a State Department notice decreeing the Dead Sea Scrolls to be "culturally significant." A spokesperson returning his call said she knew nothing about any "Dead Sea Squirrels."
"I believe all the choices we've made have been the right ones." - President Obama, in an ABC News interview. Narcissistic arrogance personified.
Here's another example of the Obama administration wasting taxpayers' money under the guise of creating jobs. The government spent two years and $20 million overhauling the USAJobs.gov website but private sector experts say the original site was better.
Blue Dogs bite. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., has announced his retirement Congress with a slap at President Obama's record. He is the sixth Democrat and the third member of the moderate Blue Dog Caucus to decide to quit. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is probably glad to see them go.
Is this part of the Obama jobs plan? The U.S. Energy Department gave a $529 million government loan guarantee to a start-up electric car company called Fisker whose partners include former vice president Al Gore. But a contract to assemble the first line of cars, creating 500 manufacturing jobs, went to a firm in Finland.
"We came, we saw, he died." - A jubilant Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, upon being informed that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had been killed by revolutionary forces.
Don't be surprised if Vice President Joe Biden comes to your door on Halloween. He has embarked on a campaign to scare everybody into supporting President Obama's agenda. Failure to approve Obama's new stimulus spending proposal will result in more rapes and murders, he says. And without a surtax on millionaires, "people die, and people's homes burn to the ground."
"I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, we can't have illegals." - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, explaining why he fired a landscaping firm working on his property because it hired illegal immigrants.
How's that again? Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, "It's very clear that private sector jobs have been doing just fine." Then why is there 9 percent unemployment, senator?
"Wild Animals on the Loose" - That story happened in Ohio, but the headline could very well describe the Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas, where Herman Cain was fair game and Mitt Romney and Rick Perry were at each other's throats. No tranqulizer guns were necessary, however.
President Obama drew smaller crowds than 2008 during his re-election bus tour in Virginia and one big name cheerleader was conspicuously absent. Former Gov. Tim Kaine, who was chairman of the Democratic National Committee before becoming a candidate for Jim Webb's Senate seat, had a "schedule conflict." The same thing happened last April.
Who says Congress isn't doing anything? Members of the U.S. Senate put partisan differences aside and united behind a Republican amendment to oppose an Obama administration proposal to put limits on potatoes in school lunchrooms. Democrats and Republicans saw eye to eye on the matter of allowing unlimited servings of French fries and other starchy vegetables.
The Occupy Wall Street protest movement is gaining support. Latest to join President Obama and the Democratic National Committee are the American Nazi Party, the American Communist Party, Socialist Party USA, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and Communist China.
"Some of them I jokingly say, 'I want to find out who their tailors are.' I love their clothing." - Real estate mogul Donald Trump, commenting on the OWS protesters.
Some candidate must be in a hurry to take over the White House. A truck carrying President Obama’s presidential seals, podiums and his invaluable teleprompter was stolen near Richmond, Va.
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain says we're all paying invisible taxes. But his magic 9-9-9 plan will make them all disappear.
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain says we're all paying invisible taxes. But his magic 9-9-9 plan will make them all disappear.
"We shouldn't elect a president, we should elect a magician." - Will Rogers
At the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial dedication, Rev. Al Sharpton spoke of "faith that brought us from the back of the bus to the White House." So what did President Obama do? He got on a bus to go campaigning.
It wasn't quite the same as Marilyn Monroe's musical birthday wish to John F. Kennedy. Former president Bill Clinton was serenaded at a belated celebration of his 65th birthday by Lady Gaga, who also did a strip tease interspersed with smutty comments.
"You've got to go with what you have." - Conservative commentator Ann Coulter reluctantly endorsing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
"I stand on the shoulders of giants." - President Obama, crediting Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement for his success in politics.
Government bureaucrats just don't like to be the target of jokes. A bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives that would criminalize satire of the Transportation Security Administration. Oh, well ... TSA agents leering at naked body scanners or groping old ladies and small children are walking satires.
Hang the Constitution, full speed ahead, says Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill. He wants President Obama to declare a national emergency and take "extra-constitutional" action without approval of Congress to tackle unemployment. Jackon's plan: direct hiring of 15 million jobless Americans at $40,000 a head -- a $600 billion stimulus program.
"Debates are not my strong suit." - Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican candidate for president, stating the obvious.
Hillary Clinton has won an election and she's not even running for anything. The former first lady and current secretary of state was the number one choice of readers participating in a politico.com poll to pick an independent presidential candidate "who could harness the public's hunger for something new, different and inspiring." In second place was David M. Walker. Who?
"When I hear 999, I want to call 911." - Anita Perry. Well, with her husband trailing Herman Cain badly in the Republican presidential race, there is indeed an emergency situation in the Perry household.
Apparently the IRS is too busy squeezing blood out of turnips ... err, taxpayers ... to find out how to tell whether a Social Security number belongs to a dead person. Criminals are using that scheme to collect millions of dollars in tax refunds. - The Washington Examiner's "Daily Outrage."
"We rolled up our sleeves, our pant legs, we were in our gym shorts working like the devil ..." - Vice President Joe Biden, on efforts to get the Obama administration's jobs bill passed. He's also warning that without the bill there will be more rapes and murders. Joe needs a tranquilizer.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
Monroe, La. has a new $36 million terminal at its regional airport, built with taxpayer money from the Obama economic stimulus program. There's just one problem. The passenger loading and unloading bridges are too short to connect to airplanes. But it's a very nice white elephant.
The New York Times has hit a new low in its biased reporting on Republicans. An article on the New Hampshire debate actually inferred that Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was wearing false eyebrows and that one of them slipped out of place. That allegation is enough to raise eyebrows even among liberals.
Campaigning in Orlando, Fla., where he had a beer with jobless construction workers, President Obama had little to say about the expected Senate rejection of his jobs bill. But he declared himself to be "heartbroken" because the NBA season will be delayed.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
The Barack Obama Parkway was unveiled during the president's visit to Orlando. It's a mile-and-a-half road that cost $10.5 million.
Jon Huntsman is vying to become the leading quipster of the Republican field of presidential candidates. Referring to former pizza chain head Herman Cain's "9-9-9" tax plan, Huntsman said when he first heard it, "I thought it was the price of a pizza."
Remember Joe the Plumber? He hopes Ohio voters will recall his confrontation with Barack Obama in the 2008 campaign in defense of small business. Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher has filed papers to be a Republican candidate for Ohio's 9th district House seat.
One of Rick Perry's opponents didn't mince any words in blasting a Baptist preacher from Perry's home state for saying fellow GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney was not a "real Christian" and labeling his Mormon faith a "cult." Jon Huntsman, also a Mormon, called megachurch minister Robert Jeffress a "moron."
"Hot dogs are meant to be enjoyed, not weaponized." - Weiner and sausage lobbyist Janet Riley, denouncing a hot dog toss at Tiger Woods during a PGA tournament.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., could be accused of introducing "bedroom politics" into the 2012 presidential race. At the Values Voter Summit in Washington he said: "When you look at someone to determine whether they'd be the right person for public office, look at who they lay down with at night."
President Obama wants to have it both ways, and he's succeeding. In his speeches he lambastes bankers but he's not ashamed to take their money. A study by the Sunlight Foundation shows Obama has received more campaign donations from Wall Street than any other politician over the past 20 years.
Oklahoma City ranked second in a recent poll of the nation's manliest cities, and Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., knows the reason why. Pointing to his footwear, he told a reporter, "That's because of cowboy boots!"
Your Government at Work
Federal agents turned out in force to conduct raids in two Tennessee cities. Rooting out illegal drugs? No, they swooped down on Gibson Guitar plants in Memphis and Nashville, seizing pieces of wood alleged to have come from protected forests overseas. As the Wall Street Journal said: "The government seems to be questioning whether some wood sourced from India met every regulatory jot and tittle." Music lovers, arise!
President Obama's "follicular fixation" continues, according to The Hill newspaper. Reporter Judy Kurtz points out that Obama has made frequent mentions of his hair turning gray. He even called attention to it in a Texas classroom of preschoolers. Maybe he was hinting to borrow a black crayon?
Maybe it's time for an "Occupy Washington" movement, directed toward the president and members of Congress, telling them to stay on the job rather than spend so much of their time out campaigning.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
While Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is running wild in the Senate, rewriting rules to curb the power of minority Republicans, taxpayers are funding a monument to him in the form of the $2 million Harry Reid Research and Technology Park. Another Economic Development Administration grant, also totaling $2 million, will subsidize a "culinary amphitheater" and wine tasting room in Richland, Wash.
A writer for politico.com is predicting a depression. Ben Smith writes that with Sarah Palin's decision not to enter the 2012 presidential race, the future of a "thriving cottage industry" is now in danger. "Palin lovers, Palin haters, a half-dozen publishing houses, and elements of the mainstream media who tracked her plans long after the Republican campaign bypassed her suddenly face a future without their entertaining, unpredictable, and now scarcely relevant subject," he said.
It was an odd remark for a candidate to make, saying he was glad an opponent hadn't gone naked in the past. Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., earned money as a college student by posing nude for Cosmopolitan magazine. When Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who is running for his seat, was asked how she paid for college, she said, "Well, I didn't take my clothes off." Brown's all-too-quick retort: "Thank God." The Boston Herald said that was hitting below the belt.
We've reached the point in the 2012 presidential race where more people are saying "no" than "yes" about running. Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, Marco Rubio ... but then there's Donald Trump.
It's ironic that with the announcement of the death of American tech genius Steve Jobs came word that India has introduced the world's cheapest tablet computer, selling for as little as $35.
President Obama appears to be trying to make lemonade out of a lemon: the "Obamacare" tag opponents attached to his health care initiative. He told a St. Louis fundraiser crowd: "They call it Obamacare? I do care. You should care, too."
President Obama has two staff members we hadn't heard about before the Judicial Watch group pried loose details of First Lady Michelle Obama's trip to Africa last June. Documents obtained via the Freedom of Information Act showed the trip, which included a safari for Obama family members, cost taxpayers nearly half a million dollars. The two Obama daughters were listed on the flight manifest as "senior staff."
Memo to Vice President Joe Biden: Van Jones previously served as the "Green Czar" in the Obama-Biden administration. When asked about the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, Biden commented, "you have on the one end Van Jones' guys, whoever he is ..."
Somebody needs to get their stories straight. The Obama campaign folks are telling supporters that Republicans are blocking the president's jobs bill. But it was a Democrat, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who killed an opportunity for a vote by opposing a motion by the Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell, to proceed on voting on the bill.
Low public approval ratings for the president, and even lower ones for Congress, are common knowledge. But now we learn that the Supreme Court isn't regarded much better. A new Gallup poll reveals that the high court's approval has gone down from 61 percent to 46 percent in the past year. The public just doesn't trust anyone in Washington, it seems.
President Obama tried blaming the previous administration and a balky Congress for the country's problems and that strategy didn't work. So with 55 percent of Americans believing he'll be a one-term president, he's trying to position himself as an "underdog." Enjoying all the perks of the presidency and a $1 billion re-election campaign fund, that's a hard sell.
Show business liberals like Roseanne Barr can get by with saying outrageous things like millionaires who don't share their wealth should be beheaded. But when country music legend Hank Williams Jr. ridiculed the recent golf match between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner as being as ludicrous as Hitler playing golf with Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, he was widely condemned and ESPN lopped off his intro song for Monday night's NFL game. Go figure.
One pundit, commenting on the Republican presidential race, says it's time to raise Cain -- Herman Cain, that is. The conservative black businessman has gone up in the polls since winning the Florida straw poll. And an article by Michael Barone, senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner, is headlined: "Time to raise Cain to contender status."
An AP photographer caught First Lady Michelle Obama, wearing a baseball cap, shopping in a Target store. But it was not a lucky shot. The photog was tipped off by the White House.
2008 Democrat slogan: "Hope and Change"
2012 Republican slogan: "There's Hope for a Change"
If you want to know what's uppermost in the minds of Democrats in Congress, just listen to what's coming out of the deficit reduction supercommittee. "They've raised the idea of doing taxes first," a source told Reuters news service.
If you want to know what's uppermost in the minds of Democrats in Congress, just listen to what's coming out of the deficit reduction supercommittee. "They've raised the idea of doing taxes first," a source told Reuters news service.
Is it any wonder voters get confused? Arch-liberal Bill Maher, an outspoken supporter of Democrats, demeaned President Obama on his TV show, saying he acts more like a substitute teacher than the only adult in the room. And arch-conservative Republican Ron Paul sounded more like a liberal in protesting that terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki should not have been "assassinated" because he was a U.S. citizen.
With the Solyndra, LightSquared and other scandals brewing in his administration, we have to wonder why President Obama would even mention ethics in a talk to schoolchildren. But he even went so far as to say, "I don't think ethics" was his favorite subject in school.
Ex-president Bill Clinton is rich and famous, but he's acting like a crybaby. He whimpered to an audience at his presidential library in Arkansas that he deserves more credit for reforming welfare and balancing the budget during his second term. "I go crazy every time I read the conventional wisdom," he whined.
Straight from the veep's mouth: "This is a referendum on Obama and Biden ..." - Vice President Joe Biden, telling Florida radio station WLRN that voters should hold President Obama, not former President George W. Bush, accountable for the poor state of the economy.
What's wrong with this picture? A video showing the launch of China's first space station module was supposed to be a patriotic tribute to the country's technological prowess. But it was set to the tune of "America the Beautiful" -- thus glorifying China's biggest rival.
"Fast and Furious" is an apt description of the way President Obama tried to dodge questions from Latino news media about the Justice Department's bungled operation of the same name, which involved the sale of firearms to Mexican drug cartels. It is fast developing into one of the worst scandals of the Obama administration.
Act now and you might have a chance for dinner with the president at the bargain basement price of $3. The Obama reelection campaign has been offering raffle tickets for $5, but with approval ratings dropping First Lady Michele Obama offered the closeout deal to supporters on the eve of the September 30 deadline.
How about this, Mr. and Mrs. Voter -- A Washington Examiner editorial says that in the space of two days, "two prominent Democrats have called for less responsive government that ignores public input." The paper cites an article by former White House Budget Director Peter Orszag on "Why we need less democracy" and a serious-sounding call by North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue for an unconstitutional suspension of congressional elections for two years.
Here's a novel idea: Gov. Beverly Perdue, D-N.C., in a speech to a civic club, suggested suspending congressional elections for two years so that Congress can focus on economic recovery and not the next election. A spokesperson said she was using hyperbole to make a point.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., has a growing number of future campaign workers because of a baby boom in his office. In less than four years, members of his staff have given birth to 11 children ... and two more are on the way. Well, Inhofe is pro-life.
"After four years of this big-eared bean pole in the White House destroying the economy, I think a fat man will be very attractive." - Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who among others is pushing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to get into the Republican race for president.
Timothy Geithner, the tax evader President Obama appointed as Treasury Secretary, doesn't dispute a Harvard economist's estimate that each job in the president's jobs plan would cost $200,000. But he insists it's still a bargain and there's no other option. Oh, yeah?
American taxpayers are facing a possible heavier burden from Washington, and now it appears they'll have to help pay for a new United Nations building in New York. The Heritage Foundation exposed U.N. plans to build a high-rise office building on a playground near its headquarters costing $350-475 million. The U.S. already foots the bill for 22 percent of the U.N.'s budget.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
The North Florida Broadband Authority received $30 million in economic stimulus money to build 3,274 miles of high-speed Internet network. After a year and a half, $7 million has been spent, but no miles built.
Has President Obama caught the Joe Biden virus? In a speech repeating his stand on higher taxes for the rich, he said he didn't care if people called him a class warrior for merely "asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew." Oops! He corrected himself to say "janitor."
Has President Obama caught the Joe Biden virus? In a speech repeating his stand on higher taxes for the rich, he said he didn't care if people called him a class warrior for merely "asking a billionaire to pay the same tax rate as a Jew." Oops! He corrected himself to say "janitor."
Here's a sobering thought: The Obama administration has already increased the national debt in fiscal 2011 by $1.165 trillion, an amount greater than the cost of the entire federal government in fiscal 1970, when Richard Nixon was president ($1.142 trillion in inflation-adjusted dollars). Total current federal debt is $14.726 trillion.
"Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’." - President Obama to Congressional Black Caucus dinner audience.
Just when you thought the field of Republican presidential contenders had come down to Mitt Romney and Rick Perry, that upstart businessman Herman Cain outdistanced both of them and won the Florida straw poll. It's an important sign of voter discontent, which is a matter of concern for both parties.
President Obama may wish he'd never heard of Solyndra. That's the California company that went bust after receiving a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government. The deal was approved a week after George Kaiser, the firm's single largest shareholder and an Obama campaign donor, met with White House officials. The scandal is under congressional investigation.
It's a case of blatant political backscratching -- at taxpayers' expense. A Missouri company, Wind Capital Group, got a $107 million federal tax credit to develop a wind power facility. The firm's owner, Democrat Tom Carnahan, is listed on the Obama campaign's website as a host of a $25,000 per person fundraiser in October. A "son of Solyndra?"
NASA's dead satellite has crashed and now we can get back to tracking President Obama's plunge in the polls.
A watchdog report shows the federal government doled out more than $600 million in benefit payments to dead people over the past five years. More than 89,000 economic stimulus payments of $250 each went to recipients who were either dead or in prison.
If you tend to get confused about Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, two Republican business leaders who ran for office in California last year and lost after spending tons of money -- it gets worse. Whitman, former CEO of Ebay, has been named CEO of Hewlett-Packard, a post formerly held by Fiorina. No future political plans have been announced for either woman.
If you tend to get confused about Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman, two Republican business leaders who ran for office in California last year and lost after spending tons of money -- it gets worse. Whitman, former CEO of Ebay, has been named CEO of Hewlett-Packard, a post formerly held by Fiorina. No future political plans have been announced for either woman.
"My dogs have created more shovel-ready work than Obama has just this week alone." - Rush Limbaugh on his radio talk show.
"My next-door neighbor’s two dogs have created more shovel-ready jobs than this current administration.." - Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in the Republican debate hours later.
As one might expect, NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr., is a strong champion for space exploration. But unexpectedly, he's rooting for China. He rationalizes that progress by a fierce rival might motivate the U.S. to follow suit.
President Obama couldn't resist a campaign-type wave while posing for a group photograph with other world leaders while in New York for the United Nations meeting. His hand obscured the face of the president of Mongolia and the embarrassing photo (not a fake) received wide distribution.
Most taxpayers probably will never know how good a $16 muffin or an $8 cup of coffee can taste, but they paid those prices for the Justice Department to serve at conferences on enhancing judicial skills. This is just one example of "extravagant and wasteful" spending reported in an audit by the department's Office of Inspector General.
Does President Obama know what he's saying? According to Vice President Joe ("foot-in-mouth") Biden, Obama unleashed him on the campaign trail, saying: "Look, Joe, just go be Joe. So he let me loose." That's good news for humor writers.
Did the $5 billion weatherization funding from the stimulus bill put people back to work and reduce energy costs as President Obama said it would, or was it just another sinkhole of waste, fraud and abuse? The Daily Caller has a well-documented article showing how the program has been a failure in at least three states: Illinois, Delaware and Tennessee.
In a rare statement by a politician, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said he won't "pick your pocket by writing a book about myself" or resort to finger-pointing partisanship. Instead the Republican presidential non-contender has authored "Keeping the Republic: Saving America by Trusting Americans", in which he urges everyone to stand fast in the face of the national debt, disunity and the rumored erosion of the country.
A Gallup poll shows Americans believe the federal government wastes 51 cents of every dollar it spends. That makes President Obama's demand for higher taxes and more spending a pretty hard sell.
"They are the establishment today." - Conservative commentator George Will, on the tea party movement.
Hard Times: The United Auto Workers union won $5,000 signing bonuses and other generous benefits as part of a new contract with taxpayer-subsidized General Motors Co. The company received a $49.5 billion government bailout two years ago and is still part-owned by the U.S. Treasury.
Hard Times: Couples paid $35,800 to attend a fundraising event for President Obama at a penthouse in the Foggy Bottom section of the nation's capital and heard him talk about the sour economy and Americans out of work.
First Lady Michelle Obama's latest move in her anti-obesity campaign prompted this comment by Craig Bannister of cnsnews.com: "So, let me get this straight: at the same time liberals are fighting parental notification requirements for minors who want abortions, they want to require parental consent for kids to get French fries?"
"You have to learn to deal with every jackass who walks through the door." - Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, drawing a life lesson from working at his family's bar and serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said in a TV interview, "I've been hoping for sometime" to get fired. Evading payment of income taxes didn't keep President Obama from appointing him, so it would appear his job is safe.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth's quote, "If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody come sit next to me" comes to mind in view of the Obama campaign's new website attackwatch.com. Using bold red and black colors (think of the Nazi flag) it's an open invitation to share gossip and smears about the president. The Washington Post reports the site has become the "laughing stock" of the Internet.
Republican Bob Turner pulled a turnaround in New York's 9th congressional district, winning a special election seen as a referendum on President Obama's record. Voters picked the retired businessman to replace disgraced Democrat Anthony (Twitter stripperWeiner in the apparent belief he will help increase employment and not embarrass them.
"Give me a win, give me a break, love me." - President Obama, sounding desperate and insecure in a North Carolina campaign speech.
President Obama scheduled a trip to a North Carolina plant to boost his plan for creating jobs -- in other countries. WestStar Precision, which has 25 U.S. employees, opened a facility in Costa Rica to take advantage of low labor costs.
While House Press Secretary Jay Carney became the victim of an occupational hazard when he lost his fancy new glasses. How was he supposed to be able to read the Democrat talking points?
A conversation between two national leaders detracted a bit from the seriousness of President Obama's call to pass his jobs bill. While awaiting the president's arrival to address a joint session of Congress, Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner chatted about their golf games -- until someone told them they were talking into live mikes.
Remember that giant killer alligator captured in the Philippines? Animal rights activists want the 20-foot one-ton monster released. They're worried that if held in captivity the gator might develop "abnormal behavior." Area fishermen think that's a croc.
Urging voters to press Congress for action on jobs, President Obama told a Virginia crowd to "send a carrier pigeon" to Washington. Wouldn't that be cruelty to animals?
Rick Perry's fellow Texan, Rep. Ron Paul, is branding him as "Al Gore's Texas cheerleader." The former vice president said he was "happy to have (Perry's) support" when he ran for president in 1988, but added: "I don't know what has happened to him since then."
How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent
The Federal Highway Administration provided a $60,000 grant to Colorado officials to pay for a three-panel "interpretive" sign for a new buggy museum.
President Obama announced a $447 billion jobs plan, but it's not another "stimulus" program. He never used that word in his speech to a joint session of Congress. And Democrat House leader Nancy Pelosi has banned the s-word. Could it be because the earlier stimulus plans failed?
The president has called on Congress to "stop the political circus" on the economy. But if he did, humor writers and late night TV show hosts might join the unemployed.
Obama told the lawmakers 17 times to "pass this bill" but gave no details on how to pay for it -- is it like the Democrat health care bill, "pass it so we'll know what's in it?"
The exchanges between Rick Perry and Mitt Romney in the Republican debate in California sounded like a chorus of, "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better." Frontrunner Perry might have shot himself in the foot by vociferously calling Social Security a "Ponzi scheme."
Is there a "draft Hillary" movement in the making? Former Vice President Dick Cheney, in an ABC interview, called Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a "formidable individual" and said "it's not a bad idea" for her to challenge President Obama. Wouldn't Republicans enjoy that!
In presenting his plan of 59 proposals on taxes, regulation, trade, energy, labor, human capital and fiscal policy, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney could have added one more promise: "No New Teleprompters." In a dig at President Obama, Romney spoke from a handful of notes.
In presenting his plan of 59 proposals on taxes, regulation, trade, energy, labor, human capital and fiscal policy, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney could have added one more promise: "No New Teleprompters." In a dig at President Obama, Romney spoke from a handful of notes.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is taking hits for including politicians but no prayers at the 10-year remembrance of the 9/11 attacks at ground zero. Conservative actor Jon Voight called the decision "a great injustice."
Looking for that perfect belated birthday gift to send to President Obama? He'd probably love one of those new video games that lets the player slaughter "Tea Party Zombies."
“Only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation.” - President Obama.
"You are the only folks keeping the barbarians from the gates." - Vice President Joe Biden at an AFL-CIO rally, referring to Republicans.
"President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these sons of bitches out." - Teamsters union president Jimmy Hoffa Jr., referring to tea party supporters.
President Obama takes credit for having "pulled our country back from the brink." But can he pull his poll ratings up from the pit?
The White House announced that President Obama will release a detailed deficit-reduction plan soon after his much-ballyhooed jobs speech to Congress. One miracle at a time, folks.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis says she's "excited" about the jobs plan President Obama will reveal this week. Why? She already has a job.
"Labor Day, I suppose set by act of Congress. How Congress knew anything about labor is beyond us ... " - Will Rogers
Arizonians may think it's a crime for the state to charge a $25 fee to visit prison inmates. Prisoner advocacy groups are protesting. State legislators say they're just trying to reduce the deficit.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is trying hard to earn the nickname "Nutty Newt." On Fox News he presented a $1 trillion solution to America's debt dilemma: sell Alaska to Brazil. Can Sarah Palin speak Portuguese?
Something for the new joint congressional supercommittee on the debt to consider: the German city of Bonn taxes prostitutes and has begun to use a parking meter-like machine for collections.
President Obama surprisingly pulled the plug on new environmental rules to tighten ozone standards, a plan that would have imposed a cost of up to $90 billion annually on the U.S. economy. Guess he got his head out of the smog and saw the light.
Update on President Obama's plan to create more jobs -- in other countries. His labor secretary, Hilda Solis, has bought a new crossover SUV which was built and assembled in Canada from parts also made in Canada.
"An American icon is broke. The collapsing clunker: not a car make, not a bank. It's the United States Postal Service" - From House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's new Postal Service website.
August 2011
Not only have the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan cost precious lives of American fighting forces but they also have stuck taxpayers with $60 billion in wasteful spending. A bipartisan commission reported the money was lost through waste and fraud from poor planning, ineffective oversight of contractors and payments to warlords and insurgents.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett sided with President Obama in saying the rich should pay more taxes. But now it's revealed that his company, Berkshire Hathaway, is a tax delinquent -- owing taxes from as far back as 2002. He should pay up, or shut up.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett sided with President Obama in saying the rich should pay more taxes. But now it's revealed that his company, Berkshire Hathaway, is a tax delinquent -- owing taxes from as far back as 2002. He should pay up, or shut up.
The current "great recession", as the White House calls it, is driving people to desperate measures. An Illinois warehouse worker ripped off his employer. He and a partner stole truckloads of toilet paper and plastic utensils. And in Atlanta thieves broke into a beauty supply shop and made off with some costly human hair extensions.
Reports that Mitt Romney has a plan to stop the surging campaign of Rick Perry, the current Republican frontrunner, have sparked curiosity. Has his staff uncovered a secret photo of the Texas governor being bucked off a mechanical bull?
The Michele Bachmann presidential campaign appears to be right on track. She has the obligatory memoir coming out in November.
Some Washington bureaucrats have nothing better to do than draw up regulations on goat herders. The Obama administration is setting new workplace rules to assist foreign workers who fill goat herding positions in the U.S. Among the dictates are that employers must provide comfy beds and good lighting.
On the heels of an earthquake that shook things up in the nation's capital, former Vice President Dick Cheney promises there will be "heads exploding all over Washington" when people read his new book. Sounds like "In My Time" could be a 5.8 magnitude best seller.
According to The Hill newspaper, neither "an earthquake, the onset of a hurricane, the anemic economy and the developing situation in Libya" can cause President Obama to end his vacation in Martha's Vineyard and get back to his desk in the Oval Office. After all, the veep Joe Biden is back from his foreign junketing and on the job.
In press releases about the Obama administration's response to Hurricane Irene, the White House renamed the federal government the "federal family." Talk about a dysfunctional family.
Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state in the last Republican administration, accused former Vice President Dick Cheney of taking "cheap shots" against him in his new book. Come on, general. You asked for it when you became a turncoat and endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008.
"Greenpeace is neither green nor peaceful", says The Daily Caller. The newspaper reports that Australian police arrested two activists who took pictures of themselves destroying a government crop-biotechnology experiment, causing $300,000 in damage.
Colin Powell, who served as secretary of state in the last Republican administration, accused former Vice President Dick Cheney of taking "cheap shots" against him in his new book. Come on, general. You asked for it when you became a turncoat and endorsed Barack Obama for president in 2008.
"Greenpeace is neither green nor peaceful", says The Daily Caller. The newspaper reports that Australian police arrested two activists who took pictures of themselves destroying a government crop-biotechnology experiment, causing $300,000 in damage.
Headline: "Obama takes charge at hurricane command center." After he tames Irene maybe he can do something about creating jobs.
The lemonade police are branching out. In Massachusetts, state troopers shut down the stand of a 12-year-old offering green tea for sale. Presumably no tea party supporters were involved.
A new report forecasts that half of the U.S. population will be obese by the year 2030. First Lady Michelle Obama has her work cut out for her. She doesn't set a very good example by raving about how much she likes french fries.
The lemonade cops strike again. U.S. Capitol police arrested three people who were participating in a national demonstration against a spate of recent lemonade stand shutdowns by local authorities. The culprits were caught selling lemonade on the lawn of the Capitol building.
If you thought Washington was a place of dull, soulless drones, think again. A leading date site chemistry.com puts the nation's capital 10th on a list of cities full of romantic, expressive, "high estrogen" men ... as well as a few creeps.
"Where the hell has he been the last two-and-a-half years?" - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post columnist and Fox News commentator, on President Obama and his failure to "change how Washington works" and now promising a new economic plan.
Vice President Joe Biden, on a charm mission to China, played down his role as the No. 2 U.S. officeholder. "I used to have an important job when I was chairman of the (Senate) Foreign Relations Committee," he said "I had a big office, large staff. Then I became vice president."
President Obama's 10-day vacation in the resort town of Martha's Vineyard drew ridicule in the foreign press. The London Daily Mail led a story this way: "With the economy in turmoil, the national debt rising and millions of American families struggling to make ends meet, Barack Obama today decided to practise his golf swing." The newspaper also reported that First Lady Michelle Obama and their two daughters flew separately to the Massachusetts retreat, only 500 miles from Washington, arriving a few hours earlier, which "cost taxpayers thousands in additional expenses."
While the federal government is getting ready to force Americans to pay outrageous prices for light bulbs, the U.S. Export-Import Bank is busy loaning money for solar power projects -- in India. So far this fiscal year the bank has provided $75 million in financing to help promote solar energy in India and another $500 million is in the pipeline.
With a massive debt that resulted from years of wild spending, Washington could take a lesson from a government right next door. Virginia ended the last fiscal year with a nearly $545 million surplus. Gov. Bob McDonnell called for using part of it to establish a reserve fund to deal with the impact of the tumultous federal budget situation.
At last, some bright economic news. President Obama is creating jobs ... in Canada. Those two million-dollar-plus buses he used for his "non-campaign" tour were custom-built by a company based in Quebec.
Former Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell walked out of an interview with CNN's Piers Morgan, accusing him of rude treatment. What did she expect, Sean Hannity?
One in seven Americans is now on food stamps and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says that's "putting people to work." Talk about warped logic.
"They used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me." - President Obama, comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln.
"Before we get started, let's all say 'happy birthday' to Elvis Presley." - Michele Bachman, to a crowd in South Carolina -- an odd thing to say on the 34th anniversary of his death.
One in seven Americans is now on food stamps and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says that's "putting people to work." Talk about warped logic.
"They used to talk about him almost as bad as they talk about me." - President Obama, comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln.
"Before we get started, let's all say 'happy birthday' to Elvis Presley." - Michele Bachman, to a crowd in South Carolina -- an odd thing to say on the 34th anniversary of his death.
The president takes a helicopter to Andrews Air Force Base (burning 1,320 gallons of fuel), boards Air Force One (which uses a gallon of jet fuel per second), and flies to Michigan where he takes a motorcade of gas guzzling vehicles to a plant where he makes a speech on fuel efficiency.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
Democratic staffers used taxpayers' money to go to Maui a full week before a field hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. Why was the meeting scheduled in Hawaii and not Washington? Because it's the home state of the committee chairman, Sen. Daniel Akaka, and he's on vacation.
The Heavy Hand of Big Government
A Florida family of four returning from a trip to Israel was slapped with a $300 fine when U.S. customs agents in Newark, N.J. found an apple, a tomato and three cucumbers in a child's backpack they had forgotten about. Transportation Security Administration inspectors confiscated a pregnant traveler's insulin and ice packs as she attempted to board a flight.
Sign on Democrat Harry Truman's desk: "The buck stops here."
Proposed sign for Democrat Barack Obama's desk: "The buck stops anywhere but here."
Sign on Democrat Harry Truman's desk: "The buck stops here."
Proposed sign for Democrat Barack Obama's desk: "The buck stops anywhere but here."
President Obama's annual trip to Martha's Vineyard with his wife and two daughters to relax in luxurious accommodations and play golf is not a vacation, according to White House spokesman Jay Carney. It's a getaway to "spend some time with his family," he said. He could do that by cutting out some campaign travel.
Sony Pictures hosted a political fundraiser for Obama in the spring of 2011 and now we learn that the studio will release a movie about the Osama bin Laden raid less than a month before the 2012 presidential election. Coincidence? Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. is investigating reports the Obama administration gave classified information to the moviemakers.
A ceremony for the return of the remains of 30 American troops killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan was closed to news media. The Pentagon claimed any public depiction of the scene would violate the wishes of bereaved families. But a White House photographer was allowed to take a picture of the president saluting and it was widely distributed. How crass can it get?
Don't expect much bipartisanship on the new deficit reduction supercommittee. Among Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's three appointees are Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who heads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. That's about as partisan as you can get. The DSCC website has a banner headline: "Medicare is off the table."
How to get even with your ex: Former California governor and adulterer Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted wearing a T-shirt with "I Survived Maria 1977-2010" on the back.
Maybe it's the August heat that has produced a wave of profanity in the news:
America is "pretty darned f___ed." - Former Obama economic adviser Christina Romer on the effect of the credit downgrade.
Headline: "Gore: Climate skeptics are peddling 'bulls__t.'"
"She's a great lady, mother and wife, and that's more important than the (expletive) the media spreads about her." - Pro football Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, praising Sarah Palin.
How to get even with your ex: Former California governor and adulterer Arnold Schwarzenegger was spotted wearing a T-shirt with "I Survived Maria 1977-2010" on the back.
Maybe it's the August heat that has produced a wave of profanity in the news:
America is "pretty darned f___ed." - Former Obama economic adviser Christina Romer on the effect of the credit downgrade.
Headline: "Gore: Climate skeptics are peddling 'bulls__t.'"
"She's a great lady, mother and wife, and that's more important than the (expletive) the media spreads about her." - Pro football Hall of Fame coach Mike Ditka, praising Sarah Palin.
Speaking of name-calling, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin had some choice words for the people of the United States. He accused Americans of "living beyond their means" and being "like a parasite' on the global economy. Sticks and stones, comrade.
Rep. Gabriel Giffords, D-Ariz., survivor of an assassination attempt, made a surprise appearance on the House floor to cast a vote for the compromise debt ceiling increase bill. Enough members, Republicans and Democrats, held their noses to pass the measure 269-161.
The debt ceiling crisis is eased. The re-election crisis begins.
Joe Biden is an enterprising vice president. He charges the Secret Service rent on a cottage adjacent to the waterfront home he owns in a Wilmington, Del. suburb. Biden has collected more than $13,000 from the agency that protects him and his family.
Pat Boone a political mover and shaker? According to politico.com the "baby boomer's American idol" has endorsed nearly 90 congressional contenders who meet his conservative standards. Will he help get votes with "Friendly Persuasion?"
July 2011
July 2011
The mayor of Sheboygan, Wis., may be out of a job. A city council committee asked Bob Ryan to step down after he was involved in a late-night bar room scuffle which started when he allegedly made some drunken comments about female bar patrons. Well, he could always run for Congress.
President Obama's attempt to create a debt crisis mood seems a bit unconvincing when in the midst of crucial votes in Congress he steps out to announce new mileage standards for automobiles in 2025.
"I stuck my neck out a mile" for a debt-ceiling deal with the White House, said House Speaker John Boehner ... and he found 22 conservative Republican House members waiting with axes.
"I weigh too much because I eat too much." - Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J.
It's a sad state of affairs when Apple, the world's largest tech company, has more cash ($76.2 billion) than the U.S., the world's largest sovereign government ($73.8 billion). Why? because Apple collects more money than it spends.
"We're trying to save life on this planet as we know it today." - A Nobel scientist? No, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., expessing Democrat opposition to Republican budget deficit proposals.
The old "blame America" theme is being played again, this time by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y. She claims weak U.S. gun laws helped a Norwegian anti-Muslim fanatic conduct a terrorist attack that left 68 dead. That's quite a stretch.
With President Obama and other Democrats pushing for tax hikes to fight the debt problem, a remarkable thing happened. Congress actually allowed a tax - on air fares - to expire. No relief for taxpayers, however. The airlines are pocketing the savings.
At least one high profile liberal Democrat believes the president should not just be handed the party's nomination. "I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition," says Rep. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont "independent" (he's actually a Socialist) who caucuses with the Democrats. Obama's just not liberal enough for him.
Michelle Obama is no Hillary Clinton. The first lady made it clear in a magazine interview she has no desire for a career in politics after she leaves the White House. "The answer is N-O. Period, dot," she said.
"This is your government speaking. A partial shutdown has been ordered for the Federal Aviation Administration. That means one-third of the air traffic controllers may go home and take naps."
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., says "we cannot as a country fail to deal with the debt threat." Yet Conrad and his fellow Democrats who control the Senate have not produced a federal budget in two years.
With Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., facing a possible ethics probe of a sexual misconduct accusation against him, his best bet might be to follow the example of disgraced Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. and resign. They could even form a consulting partnership. Weiner-Wu has a certain ring to it.
President Obama, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and a number of other congressional debt crisis negotiators are quite well off. Maybe the way to solve the problem is simply to pass the hat.
The Budget Battle of the Cliches
"I've been left at the altar." - President Obama.
"The White House moved the goal post." - House Speaker John Boehner.
Rep. David Wu, who once sent out a bizarre picture of himself in a tiger costume, has been caught tomcatting. The Oregon Democrat has been accused of an "unwanted sexual encounter" with the teenage daughter of a longtime friend. Wu is being treated for an unspecified mental health condition.
President Obama, who fought hard to come to Washington and become a power figure in the government process now is trying to claim the role of an outsider for his 2012 re-election campaign.
First Lady Michelle Obama is making a guest appearance on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to be aired in October. No, the White House isn't in need of renovation yet. The show will focus on 15-year Navy veteran Barbara Marshall and her family. Obama's role is part of her initiative to support military families.
If President Obama wants something to brag about for his time in office, he can cite crime reduction. Police have busted childrens' lemonade stands all over the country.
President Obama, who fought hard to come to Washington and become a power figure in the government process now is trying to claim the role of an outsider for his 2012 re-election campaign.
First Lady Michelle Obama is making a guest appearance on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" to be aired in October. No, the White House isn't in need of renovation yet. The show will focus on 15-year Navy veteran Barbara Marshall and her family. Obama's role is part of her initiative to support military families.
If President Obama wants something to brag about for his time in office, he can cite crime reduction. Police have busted childrens' lemonade stands all over the country.
The Russians have made a great discovery, and they've made it official. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed a bill into law that officially classifies beer as alcoholic. Up to now, anything containing less than 10 percent alcohol has been considered a foodstuff.
Bureaucrats Deserve the Best?
In Detroit, a city office was furnished with $210,000 intended for poor people. Among other things, the money was used to buy three $315 trash cans with motion sensor lids and a $3,000 mahogany-finish conference table.
Here's an item for all those who are out of work: there's a job opening in Memphis. The Peabody Hotel wants to hire an assistant "duckmaster" to help feed and care for its five famous ducks. A tradition for 75 years, the ducks take two daily walks from their penthouse suite to a marble fountain in the hotel lobby, to the delight of hundreds of spectators.Despite a campaign aide's protest that Mitt Romney is running "a really lean campaign", it's a little hard to buy his story that he can't afford to campaign in Iowa after he spent $80,000 on hotel rooms in Las Vegas and $125,000 on private jets.
Does it say anything about Sen. John Kerry's aspirations that the Massachusetts Democrat's favorite comic book character is Charlie Brown, "because he's always screwing up"? Another lawmaker with an inferiority complex is Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who says he tries to be like Superman, but "I fail every time I try."
"Spenditol" - A new parody drug introduced in Washington as the "answer to all the painful problems Americans face."
Republicans are putting out debt-ceiling plans to be debated and voted on, but White House spokesman Jay Carney says President Obama is a better leader by not doing so and following a closed door strategy. Strange logic.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
A State Department contract specialist steered more than $52 million in taxpayer-funded contracts to a company owned by her husband and daughter, reports The Daily Caller, a Washington newspaper. What a sugar mama! But the news story got her fired.
While other lawmakers were fiddling away their time on Capitol Hill, D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton got down to serious business at a downtown hotel, where she unveiled a plaque to commemorate Washington as the birthplace of a legendary drink, the "Rickey." Norton said she preferred this event to those involving a hard hat and a shovel.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has been a big fan of Barack Obama, but various news sources report the "Oracle of Omaha" is not happy about the president's class warfare rhetoric about so-called tax breaks for corporate jet owners. It's the old "whose ox is being gored" thing.
Bantering with reporters about his forthcoming 50th birthday, President Obama said he was looking forward to getting senior discounts. Mr. President, those expensive restaurants, hotels and shops you and the first lady patronize don't give those.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
Taxpayers' money was used to help fund research on the size of gay men's sex organs. A $900,000 study subsidized by the National Institutes of Health sought to determine if there was a correlation between size and sexual health and psychological problems. Write your congressman for more information.
"I'll be turning 50 in a week." - President Barack Obama, having a senior moment about his birthday, three weeks off.
President Obama can't seem to make up his mind about high income earners. He invited some prominent rich people to the White House to promote an effort to persuade well-off Americans to "give the majority of their wealth to philanthropy." But he's also saying he wants them to give more to government to support his big spending programs.
Fed up with the hassle of air travel? Take a cue from some bloggers and bikers in California, who staged a race with a Jet Blue flight from Burbank to Long Beach. A cycle group made the trip in about an hour and 30 minutes. A blogger had to leave his house, arrive at the airport an hour before flight time, check in, get through security and board. The cyclists were already in Long Beach before the plane took off.
Some interesting statistics reported by the Washington Examiner: Through the second quarter of 2011, President Obama now has 552,000 contributors to his 2012 re-election campaign. During the same two quarters, the U.S. economy generated 260,000 jobs. "In other words," the newspaper stated, "Obama attracted twice as many campaign donors as his economic policies created new jobs."
It had to happen sooner or later and at Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix a gropee became a groper. Yukari Mihamae, 61, was arrested after she grabbed a female TSA agent's breast and squeezed it "without the victim's permission." The tables are turned.
Political apathy reached its height in Tar Heel, N.C. Races for mayor and three commission seats are wide open in this small town ... because nobody has bothered to run. Voters will have the option to cast a write-in ballot in the fall election.
Democrats can claim at least one congressional victory. Their team outscored the Republicans 8-2 in the 50th annual Congressional Baseball Team. And the victors were playing without one of their former star outfielders, Anthony Weiner, who resigned his New York House seat after lying about an Internet scandal.
"I don't sign pledges -- other than the Pledge of Allegiance and a pledge to my wife." - Republican presidential contender Jon Huntsman, who refused to sign the "Cut, Cap and Balance" pledge.
Obama said, "I've had enough."
He left the debt talks in a huff.
He had his talk out,
And staged a walkout.
He got going when the going got tough.
Obama said, "I've had enough."
He left the debt talks in a huff.
He had his talk out,
And staged a walkout.
He got going when the going got tough.
TSA agents took time out from feeling up women and small children to pat down former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. Rummy joked about the incident, blaming "two titanium hips and a titanium shoulder" for setting off a metal detector alarm.
TSA has announced plans to roll out a "trusted traveler" program to speed up travel. If they can't trust Don Rumsfeld, a key leader in the George W. Bush administration's "war on terror", who can they trust?
Maybe the reason President Obama wants to get the debt crisis resolved right away is so he can celebrate a big-spending birthday bash with a clear conscience. He turns 50 on August 4 and the night before he's planning an extravagant fundraising celebration in a Chicago ballroom with a ticket price of $35,800 per couple.
Maybe the reason President Obama wants to get the debt crisis resolved right away is so he can celebrate a big-spending birthday bash with a clear conscience. He turns 50 on August 4 and the night before he's planning an extravagant fundraising celebration in a Chicago ballroom with a ticket price of $35,800 per couple.
Anthony Weiner is gone from Congress, but not forgotten. Weiner, who resigned his New York House seat after an Internet "sexting" scandal, had been a star player for the Democrats in the annual congressional baseball game. But he got benched by his misbehavior.
The White House press office has a new rule: no shouting at the president. TV crews and print reporters were barred from the pool covering President Obama's debt talks with congressional leaders, effectively banning shouted questions.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani could become known as the "last resort" candidate. He told The Daily Caller he will join the 2012 presidencial race if he feels no other Republican can beat Barack Obama. Isn't Donald Trump saying the same thing?
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., has taken a stand against federal sugar subsidies. He says they were "concocted by law to favor a very few." He picked an odd place to make that pronouncement -- the "Candy Dish", a popular confectionary in Nashville, Ind.
The scaremongers are out in full force. Liberal TV commentator Keith Olbermann implores President Obama to fight budget cuts and save old people from "eating dog food." And Obama says he can't guarantee Social Security checks going out on time unless a debt limit deal can be struck.
House members didn't see the light after all. Despite voter anger about Big Brother government, Republicans failed in an effort to stop the enactment of new energy-saving standards for illuminating your home. Get ready for $50 light bulbs.
Calling for the largest deficit reduction deal possible, President Obama told congressional Republicans it's time to "eat our peas" and "get this done." His remark drew the support of the pea lobby (USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council) and this message from an L.A. blogger: "Give peas a chance."
Someone needs to tell 68-year-old Joe Biden he's not a member of the younger generation. At one point in the deficit reduction talks when Republicans were arguing that higher taxes were bad for jobs, the vice president exclaimed, "C'mon man! Let's get real!"
Make phone calls, answer mail, go to the House floor for a quorum call, perform a wedding -- all in a day's work for Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. The Hill newspaper reports Connolly "kept his cool" when he officiated at an outdoor ceremony for a longtime staffer and his bride on one of July's hottest days.
Democrats and Republicans are far apart on a debt ceiling deal, but they have one thing in common: they're equally bad in the eyes of voters. A poll conducted for The Hill newspaper showed constituents believe "both parties are motivated more by a desire for partisan advantage than enacting good policy."
Fast-food chains, media companies and other opponents of First Lady Michelle Obama's obesity crusade are spending millions of dollars to block government guidelines on nutrition. Guess who's leading the effort? President Obama's former White House communications director, Anita Dunn.
Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin says "there needs to be a larger field" of GOP candidates for the 2012 election -- maybe large enough to include her?
"What would Jesus do?" - Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., a notorious tax cheat censured by his colleagues for various ethics violations, taking the moral high ground on the debt limit controversy.
Is this the museum to end all museums and monuments in Washington, D.C.? Probably not, but a National Museum of American People, proposed by Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., would be a step in the right direction. The effort has the backing of nearly 150 ethnic and minority groups nationwide.
"I did this all for the unions." - President Obama's auto bailout czar Ron Bloom, to a dinner audience in 2009, quoted by a Detroit News reporter. Bloom told a House committee he was misquoted.
It's common knowledge that President Obama likes to travel, but taxpayers might not know that nearly 90 percent of his domestic trips in the first six months of this year has been either partially or entirely political, according to an analysis by whitehousedossier.com. Almost all the costs are borne by taxpayers.
"A government job is a gift that keeps on giving." - Former Department of Labor official Don Todd, joking about the Obama administration allowing him and other Bush administration political appointees to continue receiving taxpayer-funded credit cards in the mail. He destroyed the card.
Republican House members want government bureaucrats to see the light and realize that Americans don't want to be told what kind of light bulbs to use. They're seeking to repeal the federal ban on the incandescent bulb, contained in a 2007 energy law.
After President Obama charged Congress with dereliction of duty, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., canceled the Fourth of July recess for the first time in decades, but senators weren't "terribly overworked," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Two votes were taken, neither of which involved creating actual legislation.
Obama senior political adviser David Plouffe predicts Americans won't base their votes on the unemployment rate in the next election. Multi-billionaire Warren Buffett says he'll bet the jobless rate is below 8 percent by election day in 2012 -- but only $1.
"We don't need new taxes. We need new taxpayers, people that are gainfully employed, making money and paying into the tax system." - Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.
President Obama held a "Twitter Town Hall" to gather public opinion, but he didn't like some of the questions, such as one from House Speaker John Boehner: "Where are the jobs?" He said the question was skewed.
"It is perplexing why the president continues to bash an industry that is responsible for thousands of ... jobs." - James K. Coyne, head of the National Air Transportation, reacting to President Obama's attack on corporate jet owners in his recent press conference.
Rumors that the Obama re-election campaign might dump Vice President Joe Biden from the 2012 ticket apparently are just wishful thinking. Obama aides denied a report that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo would be the president's running mate and Cuomo dismissed it as "just political chatter and silliness." At this early stage, there's a lot of that.
Democrats do disagree, but when a top party official is at odds with her president, it's news. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., head of the Democratic National Committee, is a hardliner on Cuba, while Obama favors a more lenient approach. That's a key difference in her swing state of Florida, as well as with Cuban-American voters elsewhere.
"The GOP has become the Wahhabis of American government." - MSNBC host Chris Matthews, comparing Republicans to a relisious sect of Islam often tied to terrorism.
President Obama's economic stimulus program cost taxpayers $278,000 per job created. That's not a Republican charge. It comes from a report by the White House's Council of Economic Advisors. The government spent $666 billion and added or saved just under 2.4 million jobs. Do the math.
While the Democratic president conducts a campaign-oriented class warfare crusade against America's business community, another prominent name in the party is taking an opposite stance. Former President Bill Clinton told a group in Aspen, Colo., the corporate tax rate is "uncompetitive" and called for lowering it as part of a "mega-deal" to get agreement on raising the debt ceiling.
In Fairfax County, Virginia, low-income residents are getting tax subsidies to pay for resort-style housing in affluent neighborhoods. Some of the perks include swimming pools, billiard rooms, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The Washington Examiner calls it "an outrage."
Mark Kelly is no John Glenn. The first American to orbit the Earth served as a U.S. senator from Ohio from 1974 to 1999. Kelly, husband of shooting victim Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. and recently retired astronaut, has quashed speculation that he might run for public office ... at least for now.
The U.S. Constitution is cited to justify all kinds of human behavior. A jail inmate in Michigan has claimed his civil rights are being violated because he can't have access to pornography.
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." - Erma Bombeck
"I instinctively reject the Gucci-shoed D.C. divas’ dysfunction that deems what’s nuts is normal." - Rep. Thaddeus McCottrell, R-Mich., who declared his candidacy for president at a music festival outside Detroit. The five-term conservative congressman
plays a mean guitar.
The U.S. Senate cancelled a planned July 4 recess to work on the debt limit. But two days after scolding Congress for not staying in Washington, President Obama skipped out to the Camp David presidential retreat to spend some time with his family and celebrate his daughter Malia's 13th birthday (or is it 14?). The House took a break before the holiday weekend.
"He doesn't have the cajones." - MSNBC contributor Pat Buchanan, expressing doubt the president would risk a government shutdown to settle the debt ceiling controversy. And he didn't get suspended like the cable network's senior analyst Mark Halperin.
There's a movement afoot for 13 counties in Southern California to secede from the state. Good grief! Can this country take two Californias?
The 2012 presidential election is going to be very dirty -- that from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who hasn't said whether he will enter the race. The current president, Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Putin, hasn't made up his mind either. And the election in Russia is next March.
The 2012 presidential election is going to be very dirty -- that from Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who hasn't said whether he will enter the race. The current president, Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded Putin, hasn't made up his mind either. And the election in Russia is next March.
What do network TV commentators really think about President Obama? MSNBC senior political analyst Mark Halperin, thinking he was not on the air, applied a mildly dirty word in giving his view of Obama's conduct during a recent news conference. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney called Halperin's bosses and he was suspended indefinitely.
First Lady Michelle Obama is on the campaign trail. She told a Massachusetts crowd, in deeply personal terms, what a toll the president's job takes on her husband. A reporter covering the event wrote that "despite the relatively small and friendly audience", she used a teleprompter.
June 2011
June 2011
President Obama lashed Congress for spending too much time away from Washington, saying, "you need to be here, I've been here." He said this in between campaign trips to Iowa and Philadelphia.
The president really needs to stay home more so he can keep up with his children's birthdays. In a news conference where he said his daughters could be role models for Congress, he said: "Malia's 13, Sasha's 10." Malia is 12 years old, Daddy.
"I would have been a good president. Maybe a great one." - Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the 2004 Democratic nominee, throwing all modesty aside on the Don Imus show.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was about to plunge into a crowd but his car beat him to it. He forgot to set the brake before stepping out of his big black Mercedes. The only injury was to his dignity.
The White House has dropped its "secret shopper" campaign to spy on doctors. The plan was to hire workers posing as patients to call physicians' offices and ask questions about primary care. The New York Times exposed the scheme, calling it a "stealth survey.""I would have been a good president. Maybe a great one." - Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the 2004 Democratic nominee, throwing all modesty aside on the Don Imus show.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was about to plunge into a crowd but his car beat him to it. He forgot to set the brake before stepping out of his big black Mercedes. The only injury was to his dignity.
It didn't take freshman Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., long to learn how to be an obstructionist. He threatened to use the power of a single senator to block "unanimous consent" requests to try to force Democrats to move forward with a budget plan. After making his point, he allowed the Senate to go ahead with its business.
"I have been blessed to have had her in my corner for some 37 years and 23 moves." - Gen. David Petraeus, referring to his wife Holly during his Senate confirmation hearing to become CIA director.
Is it just a coincidence that President Obama scheduled an appearance in Iowa the day after Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., launched her campaign for president in that first caucus state -- and on the same day Sarah Palin premiered her self-promoting documentary, "The Undefeated"?
The U.S. State Department was "instrumental in sealing the deal" for pop-rock star Lady Gaga to perform at a gay pride rally in Rome. That admission by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raises the question: Is this really what our ambassadors are supposed to be doing?
Obama re-election campaign hucksters are now trying to raffle off both the president and Vice President Joe Biden for $5 a ticket. Earlier four winners were promised a casual dinner with just President Obama. This 2-for-1 deal is supposed to be better?
Your Government at Work
It was bad enough that TSA agents detained a 95-year-old woman dying of leukemia for 45 minutes for an extensive search, but they also ordered her to take off an adult diaper so they could complete a body patdown. Her daughter has filed a complaint.
"I am very serious about what I want to do."- Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., after Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked her, "Are you a flake?"
President Obama decided to become involved in the congressional budget deficit talks saying, "we can't simply cut our way to prosperity." He needs to be reminded that his plan to "spend our way" to a better economy didn't work.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has demanded a seat at the table for final negotiations on the national debt limit. That means one more voice calling for higher taxes just as House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., a tax hike opponent, pulled out of the talks
"He's got to get off the golf course and he's got to get engaged." - Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., urging President Obama to get directly involved in the budget talks with Congress.
"Fortunately, we have help from the media." - First Lady Michelle Obama, in a public admission that the Obama family has received favorable treatment. She expressed gratitude for "the support and kindness that we've gotten."
When political opposites join forces for a common cause, it's news. Liberal Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, have introduced a bill that would remove marijuana from the list of federal controlled substances.
How bad are things in Washington? A Federal City restaurant has introduced a new 48-ounce cocktail. It takes six cocktail shakers to make this giant martini, called the "Big Dirty." Even the most hard-drinking lobbyist is not likely to have three of those at lunch.
Treasury Secretary told a House committee taxes on small business must be increased so the Obama administration won't have to "shrink the overall size of government programs." What happened to the "soak the rich" philosophy?
First Lady Michelle Obama told a group of young people in South Africa her favorite food is French fries. "I can't stop eating them. But eat your vegetables!" Do as I say, not as I do.
In his 13-minute speech announcing withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, President Obama said "I" at least 12 times but failed to make one mention of Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the surge operation. But that's all too typical of his speeches.
Republicans have an "exit strategy" -- not for Afghanistan, but for Obama to exit the White House in 2012.
Can somebody put a muzzle on Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke? After he told Congress outlook that the U.S. economic outlook remains "unusually uncertain", stocks took a dive.Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has called for a raise in taxes to help reduce the federal deficit. Isn't he the guy who didn't pay his own taxes before he was put in charge of the Internal Revenue Service?
Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor and ambassador to China, has announced he's running for president. That's "Jon", not "John", as his staff spelled it on the press passes for his campaign kickoff.
Make way for another Republican candidate. Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter says he will soon decide whether to make a White House bid in 2012. He's even less well known than Jon Huntsman.
First Lady Michelle Obama has gone traveling again – off on a weeklong trip to Africa. She took daughters Malia and Sasha for another overseas vacation, along with a niece, a nephew and her mother. All at taxpayers’ expense.
Noting that the Bipartisan Policy Center and Aspen Institute are sponsoring a series of “Conversations on Civility” in Washington, Washington Times columnist Jennifer Harper raises the question, “Do we need manners police?”
What is it about interning for the Clintons? Monica Lewinsky became the center of a sex scandal that led to the impeachment of her boss, Bill Clinton. Now we learn that a former intern for Hillary Clinton – Sammie Spades – has turned into a porn star.
Leaders of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials are miffed at President Obama for skipping their annual conference for the third straight year. Makes you wonder if Democrats just take the Latino vote for granted.Attorney General Eric Holder's assertion that America's courts are the "most effective terror-fighting weapon" has drawn ridicule and scorn from national security experts. "That's utter nonsense ... it is simply lunatic," said military analyst Ralph Peters, a former soldier.
Here's more good news for disgraced former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y.: he gets to keep his membership in the House gym, where he took pictures of himself wearing only a towel to send to young women over the Internet.
Conservatives criticized President Obama at the Republican Leadership Conference and elsewhere. Liberals slammed the president at the Netroots Nation conference. Well, you can't please everybody.
"This thing's going to be over before you know it." - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., referring to the Libya military operation (not a war!).
"Michelle's general view is we're done." - President Obama, when asked about fatherhood and possibly adding a son to the family.
Is the nation's top law enforcement officer breaking the law? Both Democrats and Republicans have accused President Obama of violating the War Powers Act by authorizing the Libyan military operation without the consent of Congress. And he's supposed to be an expert on constitutional law.
Federal authorities might not have been effective enough at blocking illegal immigrants from crossing the Mexican border into the U.S., but they stopped 159 pounds of iguana meat dead in its tracks. Customs agents seized the hot property, hidden in coolers of fish, estimated to be worth $4,500, and arrested a suspected smuggler.
"Shovel-ready was not as — uh — shovel-ready as we expected." - President Obama making light of the failure of his economic stimulus program.
Members of Congress often blast the press, but some of them apparently think it's a good investment. At least 60 members of Congress hold assets in 19 major news or media organizations "that are supposed to be their watchdogs," reports the Center for Responsive Politics.
"Weiner Roasted" - Headline for story about Rep. Anthony Weiner's announcement about his resignation from Congress. Don't feel too sorry for the New York Democrat being jobless with a pregnant wife. His congressional pension and other benefits could total more than $1 million. And he got a job offer from porn magazine publisher Larry Flynt.
There is life after Congress. Former Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., has become a novelist. "Keys to the Kingdom" is a spy thriller that draws on his experience as Senate Intelligence Committee chairman and his meticulous note-jotting habit.
Recession? What recession? Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has seen her wealth grow by 62 per cent during the past year while countless numbers of Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Her net worth is estimated to be at least $35.2 million.
War in Libya? What war in Libya? The White House asserts President Obama had authority to continue a military campaign in Libya without congressional approval because U.S. operations - which cost the Pentagon $716 million the first two months - "do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces."
Only in Washington: Debt reduction talks are occurring "round the clock," said Vice President Joe Biden, "three days a week."
"There are days where I say one term is enough." - President Obama on the "Today" show, aligning himself with millions of Republicans and other voters dissatisfied with his performance.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry appears to be inching toward a decision to run for president in 2012. In six weeks he has moved from "not on my radar screen" to "thinking about it" to "giving it the appropriate thought process."
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., made quite an impression in the New Hampshire Republican debate, even at a liberal-leaning TV network. MSNBC's Martin Bashir referred to her as "the thinking person's Sarah Palin."
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachman was the attention-getter in the New Hampshire Republican debate, not only because she was the only woman but she also used the televised event to announce she is running for president.
From the Tim Pawlenty camp comes a boast that the former Minnesota governor went bowling and had a score of 151, making him a better bowler than President Obama. But, as The Hill newspaper asks, "who isn't?" In 2008 Obama joked about a score of 37 in a match prior to the Pennsylvania primary.
President Obama picked the wrong place to discuss job creation when he visited Cree LED Light Company in Durham, N.C. The company received $39 million in economic stimulus funds and hired more workers -- but they were at a Cree plant in China.
It's bad enough that taxpayers pay for a nice gym for their elected representatives to keep fit, but for Internet hustler Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. to use it as a studio to photograph himself in various stages of undress is outrageous.
Republican Sarah Palin is ridiculed for her version of U.S. history, but the two top House Democrats can't seem to agree on who discovered America. Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., a second-generation Danish-American, says he argues with Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that explorer Leif Ericson made the discovery, "notwithstanding the public relations job that was done for Christopher Columbus. Pelosi is of Italian descent.
Some of the top aides who bailed out of the Newt Gingrich presidential campaign shouldn't have a problem finding employment ... that is, if Texas Gov. Rick Perry gets into the Republican race. They used to work for him.
"Shocking: Palin Emails Show Phrases Like 'Holy Flippin' Crap'" - Headline on column by breitbart.com blogger P. J. Salvatore.
Here's some encouraging news for American humor writers. The people of our country have been named the funniest in the world in a recent global poll. Our Congress might have skewed the amusement index a bit.
Headline: "Romney leaves TPaw a straw draw" - Translation: "Mitt Romney’s decision not to compete in presidential straw polls ahead of next year’s Republican primaries appears likely to have the most impact on Tim Pawlenty." politico.com
With friends like Charlie Rangel, scandal figure Rep. Anthony Weiner needs no more critics. Rangel, his senior New York Democrat colleague, who was censured by the House for ethics violations, damned Weiner with faint praise, saying: he wasn't "going with prostitutes. He wasn't going with little boys."
President Obama's "golf summit" might not be as peaceful as his "beer summit." In addition to Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner, Ohio's bombastic Republican governor, John Kasich has been invited to make a foursome.
While Newt Gingrich and his wife were cruising in the Mediterranean, his presidential campaign crew jumped ship, creating a wave of corny metaphors that failed to beach the determined candidate.
Mitch Daniels might have taken himself out of the running for the Republican presidential nomination, but there's still hope for a Harley on the White House lawn. With the bike-riding Indiana governor on the sidelines, ex-Gov. Jon Huntsman, R-Utah, is testing the waters by riding his Harley-Davidson Road King around New Hampshire.
Are Al and Tipper Gore back together? The estranged couple made a joint appearance in Washington, but apparently it was only to celebrate their daughter Kristin's new novel "Sweet Jiminy."
He had safe sex with other women on the Internet, but Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., and his wife are expecting a baby, friends say. You may send him a Happy Father-to-Be card at 2104 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515-3209.
New York City has had some colorful mayors, but is the Big Apple ready for a Big Ham? Actor Alec Baldwin of "30 Rock" fame is said to be mulling a run now that Rep. Anthony Weiner appears to have "sexted himself out of the 2013 race", reports TheDaily.com.
A Michigan man used food stamps to buy lobsters and porterhouse steaks, which he resold for profit. Owners of a store in Lansing, Mich., exchanged cash, drugs and guns for federal food assistance benefits, defrauding the government out of more than $462,000. All were caught and charged, but how many others out there are abusing this program?
When the going gets tough, Clintonistas get out of town. Instead of standing by her man, Huma Abedin, wife of scandalized Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., accompanied her boss, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a weeklong trip to Africa.
Donald Trump isn't likely to be an early guest on Katie Couric's new daytime talk show for ABC next year. The network-hopping TV newscaster said Trump had been "acting like a jackass." "It's as if he was abducted by aliens temporarily," she said.
New York Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner, who admitted sending lewd photos of himself to young women via Twitter reported on his website authoring a bill titled Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators ... unless he lied about that, too.Too late for Congressman Weiner, but this month's issue of Playboy magazine offers tips to members on how to cheat on your spouse. One of them: avoid dating constituents ... presumably including online dates.
The Hill reports that President Obama has stopped receiving the daily economic briefing that he requested when he took office. Well, who can blame him for not wanting to hear the bad news every day?
Will Hillary Clinton join Sarah Palin as a Fox News contributor after she leaves the Obama administration? Not likely. But the cable network's conservative boss, Roger Ailes, said he would like to hire her. "She'd get ratings," he said.
After a bumpy start on the presidential campaign trail, former House speaker Newt Gingrich took off on a two-week vacation to an undisclosed location, thus missing a key appearance at the Faith & Freedom Conference in Washington. His video message was not well received by the pro-family delegates. Hope he got a good tan.
"Taxpayers are still subsidizing billionaire bankers." - Headline in the Washington Examiner, which reports giant U.S. banks have been profiting "through an implicit guarantee of their debt above and beyond the bailout funds they have already received." It's Your Government at Work.
On the day after his wife unveiled the government's new healthy eating guide, President Obama, campaigning in Toledo, Ohio, wolfed down two chili dogs and extra bowl of chili ... and yes, he had fries with that.
"He ... warned the British that they weren't going to be taking away our arms by ringing those bells ..." - Sarah Palin in Boston, taking liberties with the historic ride of Paul Revere to warn the colonists, "the British are coming!"
"I think she could win." - Former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, warning Democrats that a Republican, like Sarah Palin, could defeat President Obama in 2012.
"I don’t like vampires personally, I don’t know any." – Mitt Romney, in an interview after announcing as a Republican candidate for president.
"Women should sleep their way to the top." - Arianna Huffington, founder of Huffingtonpost.com, adding, "I mean literally sleep", not become workaholics on the road to success.
Even Sarah Palin's friends don't compare her with Abraham Lincoln but Chris Matthews, one of Palin's harshest critics, put her on the same pedestal, charging that both Palin and Lincoln had caused civil wars.
You can tell someone's a conservative if they like meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy, a liberal if their preference is chicken curry with vegetable biranyi. That's according to Hunch, an online research group that gauges cultural trends. What about independents? Bread and water?
"You know, I can't say with certitude." - Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., when asked if a suggestive photo sent from his Twitter account to a young woman was of his body.
"You know, I can't say with certitude." - Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., when asked if a suggestive photo sent from his Twitter account to a young woman was of his body.
This wouldn't happen in the U.S. Congress ... would it? Australian Sen. David Bushby touched off a row by meowing like a cat at Finance Minister Penny Wong during a hearing. Bushby opponents said his behavior was sexist and feral.
Remember the Salahis -- the Washington socialites who crashed a White House state dinner in 2009? The Daily Caller reports the couple was in Hollywood shooting a new television series. Anyone surprised?
More than 77,000 federal government employees throughout the country earn more than the governors of the states in which they work. The number of limousines in the federal fleet has increased 73 percent under the Obama administration. No wonder taxpayers get angry.
One more Republican is "thinking" about running for president. Joining Texas Gov. Rick Perry in that category is Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., who says frustrated conservative activists have pleaded with him to make the race.
"Celebrity Apprentice" host Donald Trump has a constituency of one urging him to change his mind about not running. After sharing pizza with Sarah Palin, he said the 2008 vice presidential nominee would like to see him get back in the race.
May 2011
Headline: "Electric cars get renewed push on Capitol Hill." Wouldn't most drivers prefer a car that doesn't need a push?
It's tough to kick the tobacco habit ... but does President Obama really have to chew gum during a memorial service? http://tinyurl.com/3skgu2j
Big Brother government is at work in Charlotte, N.C. The city slapped a fine of $4,000 on a church for trimming its trees ($100 per branch cut) - a practice that has been followed for years.
"I one-upped you, buddy." - Text message from President Obama's autopen to his teleprompter.
"There's no education in the second kick of a mule." - Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on why he won't run for president again.
"We're back to H.M.S. Pinafore." - Naval issues blogger John Howland, complaining the U.S. Navy is becoming too politically correct.
"We already know that talking too much leads to all kinds of problems." - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, after a coughing spell during a speech.
Do we really need a president? Not to sign bills apparently. President Obama was in France when the Patriot Act expired so a mechanical device known as an autopen was used to affix his signature to an extension measure.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, rips Republicans for opposing the 2009 bailouts for U.S. carmakers, accusing them of favoring foreign cars. Yet the Schultz family owns a 2010 Infiniti and a Nissan, both Japanese-made.
"One Nation" is not the name of a new musical group on tour. The phrase is emblazoned on the side of a brightly-painted bus Sarah Palin is using to carry the message to various parts of the country that she hasn't yet decided whether to run for president.
Exercising sick shrimp on a treadmill ($500,000) and building a robot to fold laundry ($1.5 million) are just two of the taxpayer-funded National Science Foundation research projects spotlighted in a report by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Oh, and Jello wrestling in Antarctica.
Budget crisis? What budget crisis? The Los Angeles Times reports members of Congress from both parties paid out bonuses to their staffs at the end of last year. Defeated and retiring lawmakers paid an average bonus of about $4,000.
Only in Washington
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood held a ceremony to unveil new fuel economy window stickers for cars and trucks. He arrived at the event in a big black SUV which gets 12 miles to the gallon.
Maybe it's too soon to count Donald Trump out of the 2012 presidential race. News reports say he's looking into the possibility of running as an independent. Who does he think he is, Ross Perot?
Enjoying an excursion in Europe, President Obama doesn't seem to care much about image. American TV viewers saw split-screen video of him playing table tennis while rescue workers in Joplin surveyed the tornado devastation. Later he and the first lady dined in Buckingham Palace, sipping wine valued at $1,000 a bottle.
During a dizzy whirl in London, Obama must have had his mind on campaigning. He signed the Westminster Abbey guestbook and dated it May 24, 2008.
Your Government at Work
A Government Accountability Office report shows many beneficiaries of the administration's economic stimulus program are tax cheats. A review found that at least 3,700 recipients awarded $24 billion in stimulus grants owed more than $757 million in taxes.
"I'm not a Washington figure." - Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who served 20 years in Congress, trying to convince voters he's an outsider.
President Obama found it difficult to make much progress in his European tour when one of the limousines in his motorcade got stuck in Dublin. The fault was traced to former president George W. Bush. The vehicle was a carryover from his administration.
Can a candidate who is identified in headlines as TPaw win a presidential campaign? Tim Pawlenty, the former Minnesota governor, not only has to establish name recognition in the Republican field but also must avoid confusion with TPaw, an e-book and software publishing company. TR was successful, but, then, everybody knew Teddy Roosevelt.
President Obama decided to explore his Irish roots during his week in Europe. His itinerary included a stop at Moneygall (an appropriate name for a creature of Washington). He supposedly is descended from an Irish shoemaker. But don't look for Barack Obama to be changing his name to Barry O'bama.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels had been wavering about whether to get into the Republican race for president. Then he got knocked in the head at a gym and shortly afterward he announced he would not run. Some other potential contenders should get such a head-knocking.
President Obama is taking some time away from the golf course for a weeklong trip to Europe. During a stopover in England he and the first lady will have lunch with Queen Elizabeth and perhaps get to see some wedding pictures.
Texas still has the problem of a multi-billion dollar budget deficit, but the legislature has dealt with the question of noodling. Citizens of the Lone Star state now may engage in the time-honored Southern practice of catching catfish by hand without fear of being arrested.
There's a happy alligator hide salesman in South Carolina, thanks to President Obama. Bobby Gerald Wilson of Summerton, S.C., who was convicted of trafficking in illegal American gator hides, was one of eight prisoners receiving presidential pardons.
It's reported that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife ran up a half-million bill for jewelry purchases at Tiffany and Co. Maybe they should change their name to Blingrich.
Sarah Palin says she has "fire in my belly" to run for president in 2012. The former Alaska governor had better be sure it's not just indigestion from eating mooseburgers.
Republican businessman Herman Cain isn't counting on the world to end on Saturday, as some doomsayers have predicted. He scheduled an announcement at high noon in Atlanta on whether he plans to run for president.
Gary Johnson picked up a big name endorsement in his campaign for president, but it didn't last long. Country music icon Willie Nelson, a co-founder of the TeaPot Party, had second thoughts about the former New Mexico governor and said he might back Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio. Both Johnson and Kucinich are for legalizing marijuana.
Former vice president Dick Cheney's book, "In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir", is ranked No. 2 on an Amazon list ... and it won't even be out until August 30.
"Those budget brawls are breaking up that old gang ..." Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., pulled out of the so-called "Gang of Six" after a spat in the bipartisan group over cuts in domestic spending.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., appears to be getting in shape to run for reelection next year. After his recent participation in a 5K race for the 30th straight year,The Hill newspaper said the 79-year-old senator had solidified his status as "the greatest jogger in Congress." Lugar has said he will seek a seventh term in 2012.
If you think the price of gasoline is too high, wait till you see what you'll have to pay for a 100-watt light bulb next year. The energy-guzzling incandescent bulbs will disappear from stores in January and the government-mandated LED bulbs will cost about $50 each. Candle sales may skyrocket.
"HELL No!!!" - That's reported to be Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's response to a request to meet with former president Jimmy Carter and get a report on his unauthorized trip to North Korea.
The Hill reports: "Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) is the unofficial co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus Co-Chairman Caucus." According to an informal analysis by the Washington newspaper, Smith tops his colleagues with 11 co-chairman positions. He's made his mark.
Why did former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reveal he had fathered a child with a household employee over a decade ago? Well, when a kid turns 10 and starts asking for an allowance, saying "I'll be back" ...
"With allies like that, who needs the left?" - House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, reacting to fellow Republican Newt Gingrich's attack on his proposed Medicare reforms.
Before Donald Trump backed out of running for president, NBC wanted to be ready to replace him on "Celebrity Apprentice", just in case. Among names being mentioned were Sarah Palin and Charlie Sheen. Bor-ing!
International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn, arrested for sexual assault in New York, has been considered a strong candidate for president of France. Did he think hitting on a hotel maid would enhance his reputation among French voters?
Democrats never seem to run out of ideas for new taxes. The Obama administration is floating a plan to tax automobile drivers on how many miles they drive. Big Brother wants to bug your car?
"All the factors say go, but my heart says no." - Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, announcing he will not seek the Republican nomination for president.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got a surprise when she traveled 2,000 miles to Greenland to deliver a message calling for a global response to climate change. She learned the citizens believe global warming has been good, expanding tourism and economic opportunity and giving farmers a longer growing season.
"The day I die, I will either be fat or hungry." - Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who admits he has a voracious appetite but is on a weight-loss program again.
While President Obama continues to tout his health care plan as the greatest thing since sliced bread, his administration is quietly excusing hundreds from participating in it. The Hill newspaper reports 204 new waivers were granted over the past month, bringing the total to 1,372.
Here's another promise President Obama may or may not keep: The White House announced it is ending its long-running practice of having presidents re-enact televised speeches for news photographers following major addresses to the country. No more faking reality?
Russian Prime Minister vladimir Putin had an embarrassing moment, and it didn't even involve sex or alcohol. During a visit to the Autovaz car plant in the Samara region, he decided to take a test drive of the "Lada Granta," marketed as Europe's "cheapest car." But it took five attempts for him to start the vehicle.
Congress is taking a shot at legislating modesty. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, wants a provision in the law to ban naming taxpayer-funded roads, buildings and other facilities after sitting members of Congress. Turner says the so-called "monuments to me" are a conflict of interest.
Are we headed for another William Howard Taft in the White House? Taft was the country's fattest president, weighing over 300 pounds. Pudgy former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has thrown his fat into the ring. And Chris Christie, the heavy-set governor of New Jersey, is being courted to run for the GOP nomination ... now that rotund Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has dropped out.
President Obama added a little levity to the White House poetry night, which had aroused controversy because a cop-hating rapper was invited. "I have actually submitted a couple poems to my college literary magazine," he told the audience, "and you will be pleased to know that I will not be reading them."
Bristol Palin is doing her part to keep the family name in the news. She had "corrective jaw surgery" which improved her looks, but she insists it was necessary for medical reasons. That, and her new reality TV show coming later this year.
Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., became the first member of Congress to see photos of Osama bin Laden taken right after he was shot in the head, and he described a ghastly scene. He said the fearsome world terrorist leader was wearing nothing but what "you would call underwear."
The Obama White House is getting rapped for inviting a rapper named Common to an arts event hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama. The criticism is coming not only from political opponents but also from the union representing New Jersey state police because of his lyrics praising a convicted cop-killer. Common sense is sorely needed.
On Memorial Day, President Obama engaged in traditional wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, then headed to the golf course. The London Telegraph found his behavior disrespectful. Britons are still shaking their heads over Obama's gaffe in delivering a toast to the Queen while the national anthem was being played.
Vice President Joe Biden hammered another coffin nail into the administration's claim of transparency when he participated in political fundraising events in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati that were closed to news media coverage.
"I never, ever thought I was breaking the law." - Former Sen. John Edwards, D-S.C., charged with accepting illegal campaign contributions to cover up an extramarital affair.
Let's have a picnic! While economic, budgetary and foreign policy problems remain unsolved, President Obama and the first lady invited members of Congress to the White House for a picnic.
House Republicans push "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill. Tea party forces demand "Cut, Cut and Cut."
"Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun: tinyurl.com/y8ufsnp." - White House response to Twitter complaint that the debt limit discussion was "not nearly as entertaining as yesterday's."
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., had a snappy comeback when MSNBC host Chris Matthews slammed his politics saying, "sounds like he's in loony land." Said Kelly: "I may work in loony land but I live in Northwestern Pennsylvania."
"Psst! Don't worry." President Obama privately tells heads of big banks there won't be a default if the debt ceiling isn't raised, while publicly issuing ominous warnings that old age pensioners might not get their monthly checks. Politics at its worst.
"Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun: tinyurl.com/y8ufsnp." - White House response to Twitter complaint that the debt limit discussion was "not nearly as entertaining as yesterday's."
Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., had a snappy comeback when MSNBC host Chris Matthews slammed his politics saying, "sounds like he's in loony land." Said Kelly: "I may work in loony land but I live in Northwestern Pennsylvania."
"Psst! Don't worry." President Obama privately tells heads of big banks there won't be a default if the debt ceiling isn't raised, while publicly issuing ominous warnings that old age pensioners might not get their monthly checks. Politics at its worst.
American taxpayers are paying for medical research in China, to the tune of $30 million the past two years. That's how much the National Institutes of Health gave to Chinese scientists to study such matters as the lives of prostitutes ($367,686).
After being accused again of making unwanted sexual advances to young women, Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., announced he is resigning -- after the debt crisis is over. National Review's Jonah Goldberg said "Wu should be allowed to stay for a little while longer, but he has to wear the tiger suit the whole time."
Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan isn't worried about a U.S. default following S&P's decision to downgrade the country's credit rating. "We can always print money," he said. Isn't that the attitude that got us into this mess?
How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent
The Caribbean American Mission for Research, Education and Action spent $2 million in federal funds to send high school students from the Philadelphia area on environmental junkets to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Washington Examiner said the students stayed in a hotel with a "luminous white sand beach" and spent less than half their time on studies.
Liberal school kid's excuse: "The Tea Party ate my homework."
Vice President Joe Biden used his new Twitter to send President Obama a greeting for his 50th birthday. Guess he's too cheap to send a card.
Another day in Congress, another scandal -- almost. As Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was leaving a meeting on the debt agreement he ducked into the restroom. But it was the women's restroom. Waiting reporters helped him realize his blunder and he quickly turned around ... with a red face, no doubt.
A leading House hypocrite, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she wants all sessions of the deficit supercommittee to be open to the public and aired online. This newborn champion of transparency presided over the making of the Obamacare legislation when she was House Speaker, and it was largely done behind closed doors.
What, another default crisis? The Postal Service warns it could default on payments it owes the federal government unless there's "substantial legislative change." The agency lost $3.1 billion in the April-to-June period, largely because emails have replaced old-fashioned letters.
Washington is going through a "pizza boom," according to The Hill newspaper. Pizza has been a popular tension easer during a number of presidential administrations, and it was on the table (along with several options) during the debt-limit negotiations. As the paper put it, "In times of crisis, politicians need their pizza."
"I'm tired of dealing with the crazies." - Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., expressing frustration.
It may be hard times in much of America but it's party time in the White House. President Obama celebrated his 50th birthday with a gaggle of glamorous guests who joined him and the first lady in dancing barefoot in the Rose Garden. More than 200 people attended the five-hour barbecue bash.
How worried are liberal Democrats about the Tea Party movement? Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., implores the news media to "not give equal time" to what he calls "a group of absolutists" who don't know what they're doing. They kept tax increases out of the debt limit bill, didn't they?
A novelty product bearing an Obama likeness and labeled "DisappointMints" was pulled from the shelves of the University of Tennessee bookstore at the request of a Democratic state representative. The store manager said a similar package of mints poking fun at former president George W. Bush was allowed to be sold.
How Your Tax Dollars Are Spent
The Caribbean American Mission for Research, Education and Action spent $2 million in federal funds to send high school students from the Philadelphia area on environmental junkets to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Washington Examiner said the students stayed in a hotel with a "luminous white sand beach" and spent less than half their time on studies.
Liberal school kid's excuse: "The Tea Party ate my homework."
Vice President Joe Biden used his new Twitter to send President Obama a greeting for his 50th birthday. Guess he's too cheap to send a card.
Another day in Congress, another scandal -- almost. As Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., was leaving a meeting on the debt agreement he ducked into the restroom. But it was the women's restroom. Waiting reporters helped him realize his blunder and he quickly turned around ... with a red face, no doubt.
A leading House hypocrite, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she wants all sessions of the deficit supercommittee to be open to the public and aired online. This newborn champion of transparency presided over the making of the Obamacare legislation when she was House Speaker, and it was largely done behind closed doors.
What, another default crisis? The Postal Service warns it could default on payments it owes the federal government unless there's "substantial legislative change." The agency lost $3.1 billion in the April-to-June period, largely because emails have replaced old-fashioned letters.
Washington is going through a "pizza boom," according to The Hill newspaper. Pizza has been a popular tension easer during a number of presidential administrations, and it was on the table (along with several options) during the debt-limit negotiations. As the paper put it, "In times of crisis, politicians need their pizza."
"I'm tired of dealing with the crazies." - Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., expressing frustration.
It may be hard times in much of America but it's party time in the White House. President Obama celebrated his 50th birthday with a gaggle of glamorous guests who joined him and the first lady in dancing barefoot in the Rose Garden. More than 200 people attended the five-hour barbecue bash.
How worried are liberal Democrats about the Tea Party movement? Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., implores the news media to "not give equal time" to what he calls "a group of absolutists" who don't know what they're doing. They kept tax increases out of the debt limit bill, didn't they?
A novelty product bearing an Obama likeness and labeled "DisappointMints" was pulled from the shelves of the University of Tennessee bookstore at the request of a Democratic state representative. The store manager said a similar package of mints poking fun at former president George W. Bush was allowed to be sold.
President Obama and congressional leaders can stop patting themselves on the back for bringing the country back from the brink of economic disaster. A poll shows Americans think the debt deal they worked out will make the economy worse, not better.
If you think we already live in an overregulated society, hear this: the Obama administration added 608 regulations in July only - at a cost of $9.5 billion.
Some members of Congress are knowledgeable in foreign affairs, others in economic policy. Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill. is a bed bug expert. The lawmaker, who is president of a family-owned pest control company, will speak at the second annual North American Bed Bug Summit in Chicago in September.
President Obama and congressional leaders can stop patting themselves on the back for bringing the country back from the brink of economic disaster. A poll shows Americans think the debt deal they worked out will make the economy worse, not better.
If you think we already live in an overregulated society, hear this: the Obama administration added 608 regulations in July only - at a cost of $9.5 billion.
Some members of Congress are knowledgeable in foreign affairs, others in economic policy. Rep. Robert Dold, R-Ill. is a bed bug expert. The lawmaker, who is president of a family-owned pest control company, will speak at the second annual North American Bed Bug Summit in Chicago in September.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
A federal program, the Universal Service Fund, is being used to provide free cell phones for people on public assistance. The New York Post pointed to Pennsylvania, where the program is paying for phones and 250 minutes per month as a "civil right." Nationally it's costing taxpayers $4 billion a year.
Your Government at Work
An 11-year-old Virginia girl saved the life of a baby woodpecker and then got slapped with a $535 fine for illegal transportation of a migratory bird. Skylar Capo made sure the bird was able to fly and then released it. But meanwhile she and her mother had a chance encounter at a store with a Fish and Wildlife agent who issued a citation. The agency later said that was a mistake and made an apology.
"Allowing an international outlaw to oversee international arms control efforts is just plain wrong." - Statement by a coalition of 28 human rights groups protesting the selection of North Korea to chair the United Nations Conference on Disarmament.
What does a president running for re-election whose approval rating is below 40 percent do? Barack Obama set forth on a bus tour using two brand new buses costing over $2 million, paid for by taxpayers, blasted Republicans and tried to call it official business.
President Obama does have one consolation about his slump in the polls. Congress has only a 13 percent approval rating.
The president says he will announce a plan to create jobs in September. First he will take a 10-day vacation. Well, he's waited this long to come up with a plan -- what's another month?
Tim Pawlenty went to the hometown of Michele Bachmann in Iowa and met his Waterloo.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says he expects the Tea Party movement to fade away. Wishful thinking won't do it, Senator.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
The National Institute on Drug Abuse spent more than $2.6 million on research projects which involved persuading monkeys to drink alcohol and take drugs to see how they reacted. The Washington Examiner highlighted this government waste as a Daily Outrage.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the Republican presidential race with a vow to "get America working again" by giving a pink slip to one particular government employee: Barack Obama.
Perry pointedly decided not to mingle with other GOP media hogs at the Iowa State Fair. Guess he didn't share Sarah Palin's appetite for fried butter on a stick.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stumped for his father, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who finished second in the Iowa straw poll. Asked about his aspirations for the presidency, he slyly replied, "One Paul at a time."
Presidents and other politicians like to make hypocritical pleas for bipartisanship, but Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is having none of that. "We've had too much bipartisanship," he told Iowa voters. "It's the bipartisanship that we've had that has endorsed all our problems" -- primarily runaway government spending and wars.
President Obama does have one consolation about his slump in the polls. Congress has only a 13 percent approval rating.
The president says he will announce a plan to create jobs in September. First he will take a 10-day vacation. Well, he's waited this long to come up with a plan -- what's another month?
Tim Pawlenty went to the hometown of Michele Bachmann in Iowa and met his Waterloo.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says he expects the Tea Party movement to fade away. Wishful thinking won't do it, Senator.
How Your Taxes Are Spent
The National Institute on Drug Abuse spent more than $2.6 million on research projects which involved persuading monkeys to drink alcohol and take drugs to see how they reacted. The Washington Examiner highlighted this government waste as a Daily Outrage.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the Republican presidential race with a vow to "get America working again" by giving a pink slip to one particular government employee: Barack Obama.
Perry pointedly decided not to mingle with other GOP media hogs at the Iowa State Fair. Guess he didn't share Sarah Palin's appetite for fried butter on a stick.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stumped for his father, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, who finished second in the Iowa straw poll. Asked about his aspirations for the presidency, he slyly replied, "One Paul at a time."
Presidents and other politicians like to make hypocritical pleas for bipartisanship, but Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is having none of that. "We've had too much bipartisanship," he told Iowa voters. "It's the bipartisanship that we've had that has endorsed all our problems" -- primarily runaway government spending and wars.
President Obama and his family might have to eat out a lot while they're vacationing at Martha's Vineyard. The house they rent for $35,000 a week had a small kitchen fire. If the Obamas don't mind the smell they can always get carryout.
"America has got to learn how to take a joke." - Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain.
Politicians have oversized egos. President Obama recently compared himself to Abraham Lincoln. Vice President Joe Biden, in a talk to students in China, drew a comparison between himself and King George VI. Both overcame a serious stuttering problem in their earlier days.
Followers of the tea party movement have been branded terrorists by some leading Democrats in Washington and now one of the most vocal members of the party that lost control of the House in the last election has let us know how she feels about millions of taxpayers who want smaller and more responsive government. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., told constituents: "The tea party can go straight to hell."
The 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake was major news in the nation’s capital. Democrats blamed it on the Tea Party. The White House blamed it on George W. Bush. Monuments and memorials were closed, but not because of budget cuts.
California Gov. Jerry Brown sent a message to Virginia: “Not my fault.”
Commentator Ann Coulter quipped: “Capitol evacuated. Nation experiences brief economic recovery.”
The tremor was felt as far north as Martha’s Vineyard, where it caused President Obama to miss a putt.
Animals in the National Zoo in Washington sensed the quake was coming and sounded an alarm. Where were they before the last market dive?
In faroff Alaska, Levi Johnston, who fathered a grandchild of Sarah Palin, sent shock waves through media circles by announcing that he has decided not to be a candidate for mayor of Wasilla. Bristol Palin’s former fiance was declared the most unpopular person in politics by Alaskans last year.
Governmental agencies are being directed by the White House to cut red tape. Let's hope they don't adopt the plan proposed by the late Jim Boren, president of the International Association of Professional Bureaucrats, to cut it lengthwise.
There's a move on to reverse the decision by the House of Representatives to end the congressional page program and taxpayers might be glad. Alex Treadway of The Daily Caller, a former page, writes that instead of saving $5 million as House leaders claimed, it will actually cost an additional $9 million to continue the pages' work.
It's common knowledge that politicians are easy targets for comedians. New figures show that late night TV hosts generate well over 100 jokes a week about national leaders and lawmakers. Humor columnists are grateful for all the material they supply.
Headline: "Obama takes charge at hurricane command center." After he tames Irene maybe he can do something about creating jobs.
The lemonade police are branching out. In Massachusetts, state troopers shut down the stand of a 12-year-old offering green tea for sale. Presumably no tea party supporters were involved.
A new report forecasts that half of the U.S. population will be obese by the year 2030. First Lady Michelle Obama has her work cut out for her. She doesn't set a very good example by raving about how much she likes french fries.
Global warming windbag Al Gore is tilting at windmills again. He said in an interview that people should eat less meat and go organic. And he said this with a straight face (as if he had any other kind).
"Now there's a crack in it. Is that a sign from the Lord?" - Televangelist Pat Robertson, referring to damage to the Washington Monument following the Virginia earthquake.
Donald Trump has a new take on U.S. policy on Libya. He's upset that we haven't taken all of Muammar Gadhafi's oil. "All those rebels are going to be richer than the people of this country," he said.
The lemonade police are branching out. In Massachusetts, state troopers shut down the stand of a 12-year-old offering green tea for sale. Presumably no tea party supporters were involved.
A new report forecasts that half of the U.S. population will be obese by the year 2030. First Lady Michelle Obama has her work cut out for her. She doesn't set a very good example by raving about how much she likes french fries.
Global warming windbag Al Gore is tilting at windmills again. He said in an interview that people should eat less meat and go organic. And he said this with a straight face (as if he had any other kind).
"Now there's a crack in it. Is that a sign from the Lord?" - Televangelist Pat Robertson, referring to damage to the Washington Monument following the Virginia earthquake.
Donald Trump has a new take on U.S. policy on Libya. He's upset that we haven't taken all of Muammar Gadhafi's oil. "All those rebels are going to be richer than the people of this country," he said.
No prizes were awarded, but a Kentucky Democrat, Rep. John Yarmuth, has come up with "the stupidest thing" that President Obama has done: promising the stimulus program would produce job growth. Coming in a close second was Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who said Obama's assurances that the trillion-dollar stimulus package would lower unemployment rates was "dumb" and a "false prediction."
One of the revelations in former vice president Dick Cheney's forthcoming book (that is supposed to have "heads exploding" in Washington) is reported by The Daily Caller: Cheney's dog Dave was banned from the main lodge at Camp David for attacking President George W. Bush's dog Barney.
Those who serve our country in the military are supposed to follow orders, but Marines on duty in Afghanistan must be having a tough time. In consideration of the Afghan national soldiers working with them, first they were told not to cuss, then to avoid talking about politics, religion or girls. But here's the latest: audible farting has been banned because it offends the Afghans. Good luck on enforcing that rule.
"It's always been a dream of mine to write comedy and be creative." - President Obama's financial reform speechwriter Jon Lovett, leaving the White House to go to Hollywood.
Sarah Palin has been the target of some unfair ridicule about how sharp she is, especially about international
Texas Gov. Rick Perry went to Florida for the CNN Tea Party debate and was confronted by a Texas taxpayer. Another Republican running for president, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, complained that "my taxes have gone up."
First, President Obama urged people to use carrier pigeons to send a message to Congress to pass his $447 billion jobs bill. Now he suggests: "Use one of those airplane skywriters." Isn't that a little too suggestive of a "pie in the sky" scheme?
Former Vice President Al Gore announced plans to conduct a 24-hour campaign to spur people to action for the environment. Isn't he concerned about being accused of being a windbag contributing to global warning?
Billionaire businessman Donald Trump, an on-and-off presidential candidate, met with Texas Gov. Rick Perry and said he was "impressed with him." So iimpressed that he referred to the Republican frontrunner as "Jim."
It's sad to note that only 31 percent of Americans have a working knowledge of the Constitution. A free online course is available from Montpelier, home of James Madison, "Father of the Constitution." http://center.montpelier.org.
Mitt Romney's campaign for president might have suffered a damaging blow by almost being endorsed by Former President Jimmy Carter. "I'm not taking a position," said Carter, "but I would be very pleased to see him win the Republican nomination.
Hard Times: Members of Congress rake in lots of extra income from private sector jobs and companies they own. A new analysis of financial disclosure statements shows that in 2010 outside earnings by 68 lawmakers totaled $27.5 million.
One of the strongest anti-Washington Republican presidential candidates, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, has found one redeeming value in the nation's capital: it's a good place to raise campaign funds. He's scheduled a $1,000 per person fundraiser for September 27at a hotel near the White House.
Another "Daily Outrage" from the Washington Examiner: In Florida taxpayer-funded welfare cards "were used to withdraw at least $190,733 from ATMs in liquor stores, strip clubs, bingo parlors, a dog race track and other inappropriate vendors since 2009."
More reasons President Obama's approval ratings are plummeting: a pair of fancy diamond cuffs on the wrist of First Lady Michelle Obama appearing at a Democrat fundraiser in New York. The designer jewelry carries a price tag of $42,150, which is out of the price range for jobless Americans.
September 2011
Do the Census Bureau numbers crunchers need to take a sex education course? The agency reports it miscounted the number of same sex couples in the last census.
Even a pledge of $2 gasoline if elected president hasn't done much to improve Rep. Michele Bachmann's standing in the polls. But she's still pounding President Obama while her GOP rivals are beating up on each other.
Organized labor's jobs plan: force companies to hire more workers. If they don't, brand them as being unpatriotic.
The White House has announced plans for an Internet online suggestion box called "We the People." Not that President Obama will take any of the people's suggestions ...
Sarah Palin has been the target of some unfair ridicule about how sharp she is, especially on foreign affairs. But she is just asking for it by announcing she's going to South Korea in October to address the World Knowledge Forum.
"Economic growth is virtually stagnant. Except for jobs plan speechwriters. They are in huge demand." - Los Angeles Time political writer Andrew Malcolm.
"Maybe they'll need a moat. Maybe they'll want alligators in the moat." - President Obama, on his first trip to the U.S.-Mexico border, mocking lawmakers calling for tighter security.
Some members of Congress want to impose higher taxes on "fat cat" millionaires, but an Illinois lawmaker is targeting fat children. State Sen. Shane Cultra says parents of obese children should lose a $2,000 state tax deduction. He probably has a fat chance of getting that approved.
Another government giveaway? The Library of Congress is now offering a free interactive website featuring 10,000 historic sound recordings. National Jukebox includes popular music, opera and early jazz, as well as speeches, poetry and humor. www.loc.gov
A bare-chested Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Ill., made the cover of Men's Health magazine as "America's fittest congressman." Now if Congress only could make some progress toward fiscal fitness ...
In California, ex-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver jointly announced they are separating after 25 years of marriage. Well, when the Kennedy daughter married a Republican, folks said it just wouldn't work.
Sometimes you just can't win, if you're a public official. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal released his birth certificate in response to a critical editorial and was branded a "birther." Jindal is being mentioned as a possible choice for No. 2 on the 2012 Republican ticket.
"I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure." - Mark Twain
Photos have been released showing Osama bin Laden watching himself on television ... which just shows that vanity is not confined to American politicians.
Your Government at Work
Fannie Mae, the quasi-governmental mortgage buyer, lost $8.7 billion in the first three months of 2011. So naturally the company has asked for more federal aid: an additional $8.5 billion. The cost of bailing out Fannie Mae is close to $100 billion.
President Obama avoided saying "mission accomplished", which drew criticism for his predecessor George W. Bush, but he came close in remarks to soldiers at Ft. Campbell, Ky., about the effect of Osama bin Laden's death on the Al Qaeda terrorist group. "We have cut off their head," he said.
Despite what First Lady Michelle Obama preaches about healthy eating, her husband the president warned a Cinco de Mayo crowd at the White House: "You do not want to be between Michelle and a tamale."
Liberal TV commentator Bill Maher called Barack Obama a "black ninja gangster president" - and appeared to be paying him a compliment.
Is there anything Donald Trump won't do to call attention to his undeclared presidential campaign? It seems so. "The Donald" was chosen to drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 May 29, but he has put on the brakes - saying such an appearance would be "inappropriate."
Arnold Schwarzenegger is living proof there is life after politics. The former California governor has gone back to making movies. He is returning to the screen in a drama titled "Cry Macho" - apparently not a story about "girlie men."
"Obama killed Osama and we got 72 versions." - The lucianne.com Quote of the Week.
President Obama is so dependent on teleprompters to get his message out that he wants to make sure he does it right. The Washington Times reports the White House is paying "tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars" to a Democratic image maker described by Hillary Clinton as an "extraordinary media coach" who helped her master the teleprompter.
Flash! Arch-conservative Rush Limbaugh and liberal-leaning Jon Stewart agree on something. Both said photos of Osama bin Laden's corpse should be released.
"The budget is like a mythical bean bag. Congress votes mythical beans into it, then reaches in and tries to pull real ones out." - Will RogersDumping a dead terrorist's leader's body into the ocean, you might say, is post mortem waterboarding.
It's ironic to learn on World Press Freedom Day that a White House official had called a small newspaper in Pleasanton, Calif., to ask that an unflattering line about Michelle Obama be removed from a feature story on the Marine One helicopter "because it reflected poorly on the first lady", according to the publisher.
Osama bin Laden is dead. Or is he, really? Donald Trump probably will demand to see a long form death certificate.
Your Government at Work: Community Development Block Grant money is supposed to be used to help improve poor neighborhoods. The Washington Examiner reports that the City of Newport Beach, Calif., decided to spend the funds on "decorative sidewalks" and other frivolous projects.
A new poll shows Americans think Bill Clinton is best suited to succeed Hugh Hefner as head of the Playboy empire. Other "natural" choices are Charlie Sheen, Tiger Woods and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Hef, 85, gives no signs of slowing down. He's marrying a 25-year-old "bombshell" in June.
Only in Washington: The federal government is going to teach those Amish farmers a thing or two. Agents conducted a yearlong sting on a Pennsylvania farm that was selling milk.
They should be as aggressive about sales of medical marijuana.
"I do chase women, like the prime minister of Italy, but that’s about it." - Arne Moltis, a candidate for West Virginia governor, confessing.
Please don't refer to your dogs, cats or parakeets as pets. It's not politically correct. The Journal of Animal Ethics decrees that the proper name is "companion animals."
President Obama may have set a new record by going golfing five weeks in a row. His latest outing was cut short by rain and, oh yes, the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.
In line with his usual behavior, Donald Trump's reaction to the pounding he took from President Obama and SNL head writer Seth Meyers was off-the-wall: "I was honored by the fact that they devoted most of their speeches to me." It's hard to trump the Trumpster.
"TRUMP FOR PRESIDENT: We Shall Overcomb" -- Bumper sticker spotted in San Francisco (reported by Washington Times "Inside the Beltway")
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