• Del.icio.us Links

    links for 2009-09-21

    • It would be a mistake to dismiss this story as unimportant because there is no jaw-dropping angle like ACORN staffers’ apparent complicity in trafficking in under-age children for prostitution. Consider what is happening: the NEA is encouraging artists to create propaganda for a president’s policy initiatives. This is a corrosive precedent — and what’s more, it illustrates the overarching danger of the Obama administration: government, by increasingly taking over various aspects of American society, threatens to bend society to the will of a single man.

      It would also be a mistake to dismiss the story as old just because the basic contours of the story were revealed in August. Since then, the NEA and the Obama administration have denied pursuing a legislative agenda in the call; today it is clear that they lied. What’s more, they tried to cover it up with the reassignment of Sergant. And the media played right along, for the most part acting as though that was the end of it.

    • One final point: note how Buffy Wicks' solicitation of artists to join in a propaganda campaign to sway public opinion in favor of President Obama's policies represents the precise opposite of the supposed mission of the agency for which she works, "to allow ordinary Americans to offer their stories and ideas regarding issues that concern them and share their views on important topics." Talk about Astroturf! What is supposed to be a bottom-up opportunity for average Americans to be heard is turned into a top-down effort to use the powers of the federal government to organize propaganda in support of the administration's policies.

      In short, we have by no means gotten to the bottom of the NEA story. Further investigation is in order.

    • Former Gov. George Pataki, a Republican, said it was wrong for Obama to inject himself in New York politics.

      "To weaken and undermine the governor beyond the weakness that already exists to me doesn't serve the interest of our state, doesn't serve the interest of our country and I would just focus a lot more on policy than politics if I were leading the county today," Pataki said.

    • As noted over at Contentions, Russia has greeted our decision to scrap a land-based missile-defense system partially based in Poland by . . . going forward with plans to deploy their own missiles in Kaliningrad, a Russian territory that borders Poland.

      Way to go, Mr. President. We make a concession, they concede nothing.

    • It has been nearly a month since the car-buying frenzy of the Cash for Clunkers program ended, and many area auto dealers are longing for the good old days of July and August.
      Like consumers nationwide, Massachusetts residents rushed to take advantage of the federal voucher program, which offered them up to $4,500 on old gas-guzzlers to be put toward the purchase of new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. About $65 million worth of vouchers were handed out statewide during the monthlong program that ended Aug. 24.

      But once the federal money dried up, so did the sales rally. Now, customers at dealerships like Silko Honda in Raynham are few and far between, and inventory is once again accumulating.

    • House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Sunday that the health-care plan that President Barack Obama is pushing in Congress is now dead and will not pass.

      Boehner made the observation in an interview this morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he appeared after President Obama.

      “There’s been no bipartisan conversation on Capitol Hill about health care,” Boehner said in an interview with "Meet the Press" host David Gregory. “At some point when these big government plans fail—and they will, the Congress will not pass this—it’s really time for the president to hit the reset button, just stop all of this and let’s sit down and start over in a bipartisan way to build a plan that Americans will support.”

      “So you think the plan is dead?” asked Gregory.

      “I think it is,” said Boehner.

      (tags: Obamacare)
    • The president said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

      "I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them," Obama told the editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade in an interview.

      Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced S. 673, the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act," that would give outlets tax deals if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations. That bill has so far attracted one cosponsor, Cardin's Maryland colleague Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).

    • (tags: Day By)
  • Barack Obama,  Joe Biden

    Slow Joe Biden on 2010: If GOP Flips House Seats Then Its Over for Barack

    Senator and now Vice President Joe Biden

    The gift which keeps on giving. How about nationalizing a referendum on “The One” with regional or state Congressional elections almost a year before said elections.

    Vice President Joe Biden said today that if Democrats were to lose 35 House seats they currently hold in traditionally Republican districts, it would mean doomsday for President Obama’s agenda.

    Biden said Republicans are pinning their political strategy on flipping these seats.

    “If they take them back, this the end of the road for what Barack and I are trying to do,” the vice president said at a fundraiser for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) today in Greenville, Delaware.

    Republicans need to pick up 40 seats next November to take back control of the House.

    There are 49 seats currently held by Democrats in districts that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) won in last year’s presidential election.

    Biden said these House seats are Republicans “one shot” at breaking the Obama administration’s agenda. But if Democrats can hold on to those seats, “the dam is going to break,” he said, and a new era of bipartisanship will begin.

    The GOP is jumping for joy in readying the television and radio spots using Slow Joe’s quotes.

    Does anyone think Biden will be on the ticket in 2012?


  • Barack Obama,  Dmitry Medvedev,  Missile Defense,  Polling

    Poll Watch: 31 Per Cent Agree With Obama’s Decision to Kill Missile Defense for Poland, Czech – Russia Stands Pat

    europeanmissileshield Obama Administration Officials Head to Poland and Czech Republic to Kill Missile Defense?

    But, only 38 per cent disagree.

    Voters have mixed feelings about President Obama’s decision to halt the deployment of a proposed anti-missile shield in Eastern Europe, but many worry that it will hurt America’s relationship with its European allies.

    A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 31% of voters agree with the decision to stop the shield, but 38% disagree. Thirty-two percent (32%) are not sure what’s best to do.

    Fifty-eight percent (58%) of Republicans oppose the president’s decision, a view shared by the plurality (43%) of voters not affiliated with either major political party but only 15% of Democrats.

    Among all voters, just 23% think the decision not to deploy the ground-based system will help America’s relationship with European countries. Forty-three percent (43%) say it will hurt that relationship, while 12% say it will have no impact. Twenty-two percent (22%) aren’t sure.

    Let’s face it this issue is not on the front burner for most Americans. But, ONLY 31 per cent support “The One’s” decision.

    How far has the mighty O fallen?

    And, how have the Russians taken the news?

    Russia’s top general said on Monday that plans to deploy missiles in an enclave next to Poland had not been shelved, despite a decision by the United States to rethink plans for missile defense in Europe.

    The piece gos on to say that maybe the Russian missile depoloyments will be changed but the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will have to talk to Obama about it when they meet up later in September (in a few days).

    Ok, so, in other words, we will see.

    Nice move, Mr President – insult our allies, destabilize Eastern Europe, weaken United States defense and for what?

    A chat?


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  • Day By Day

    Day By Day by Chris Muir September 21, 2009 – End Times



    Day By Day by Chris Muir

    I don’t think a newspaper bailout bill will gain too much traction except from the FAR LEFT. The print media has just lost way too much money to any longer be a reasonable business model.

    But, then again as a branch of the government it may not matter, right?

    Look at the United States Post Office.

    Nahhhh, it won’t happen. There is NOT enough money left for them will all of the other bailouts.

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