Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog

Here is GOP Senator John McCain’s list of the top ten porkiest projects in the Omnibus Spending Bill.

1. $1.7 million for pig odor research in Iowa
2. $2 million “for the promotion of astronomy” in Hawaii – because nothing says new jobs for average Americans like investing in astronomy
3. $332,000 for the design and construction of a school sidewalk in Franklin, Texas – not enough $ for schools in the stimulus?
4. $2.1 million for the Center for Grape Genetics in New York – quick peel me a grape.
5. $650,000 for beaver management in North Carolina and Mississippi
6. $1 million for mormon cricket control in Utah – is that the species of cricket or a game played by the brits?
7. $300,000 for the Montana World Trade Center – enough said
8. $200,000 “tattoo removal violence outreach program to could help gang members or others shed visible signs of their past” REALLY?
9. $475,000 to build a parking garage in Provo City, Utah
10. $1.7M “for a honey bee factory” in Weslaco, TX

Tax and spend = Obama Administration and his Democrat cronies in Congress.

The next time you purchase a gallon of gas or see your paycheck with its witholds of payroll taxes remember all of those tattoos you are helping remove.

How ridiculous is this?

As a part of his community outeach effort, Senator Strickland hosted an informal coffee (at the Camarillo Marie Callender’s restaurant) with a brief speech followed by a question and answer session. The public was invited.

Here is the event in photos. (A reminder to all: these photos were all taken by Flap, are copyrighted, all rights reserved. The Creative Commons License for use is here.)

During the event, Flap sat with Mike Osborn who is the Chairman of the Ventura County Republican Party. We discussed the ongoing technology rebuilding of the county party structure and outreach programs. Flap will have more on this at a later time.

After 90 minutes, the event wrapped up and Senator Strickland was off to his opening of his new California State Senate district office in Santa Barbara later in the day.

Strickland said he will be doing these community events every two weeks or so when the California Legislature is in session.

The latest CNN poll is out and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is leading but within the margin of error with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

The Poll (The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey was conducted February 18-19, with 429 Republicans questioned by telephone, sampling error = 4.5%):

• Sarah Palin – 29%
• Mike Huckabee – 26%
• Mitt Romney – 21%
• Bobby Jindal – 9%
• Someone Else – 10%

Among Republican women, however, Sarah Palin is the clear winner.

“Among GOP men, the same pattern emerges — no clear advantage for Palin, Huckabee or Romney. But among Republican women, it’s a different story. Palin has a 10-point edge among Republican women, winning 32 percent support among them to 22 percent for Huckabee and 20 percent for Romney,” adds Holland. “With the sampling error, that’s not enough to say for sure that Palin is in the lead, but it does indicate that if the primaries were held tomorrow, Palin would have a good chance of being the favorite among GOP women.”

With GOP Presidential primary schedule set to remain the same, Flap anticipates a battle royal in Iowa and South Carolina between Palin and Huckabee.

But, it is very early.

Secretary of State Debra Bowen has posted draft copies of the California May 19 Special Election ballot arguments here.

Anyone want to guess what the voter turnout will be?

One of America’s largest banks is being bailed out again by the United States government and the economy is in the tank.

The economy contracted at a staggering 6.2 percent pace at the end of 2008, the worst showing in a quarter-century, as consumers and businesses ratcheted back spending, plunging the country deeper into recession.

The Commerce Department report released Friday showed the economy sinking much faster than the 3.8 percent annualized drop for the October-December quarter first estimated by the government last month. It also was considerably weaker than the 5.4 percent annualized decline economists expected.

Looking ahead, economists predict consumers and businesses will keep cutting back spending, making the first six months of this year especially rocky.

The new report offered grim proof that the economy’s economic tailspin accelerated in the fourth quarter under a slew of negative forces feeding on each other. The economy started off 2008 on feeble footing, picked up a bit of speed in the spring and then contracted at an annualized rate of 0.5 percent in the third quarter.

And, the equity markets are not responding to the Obama Administration’s ambitious tax and spend “BIG GOVERNMENT” solution.

Looks like the 2010 election cycle has already started – as a referendum on the Democrat’s/Obama’s failing economic policies.