Archive for December, 2010
Posted by Flap in Day By Day
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A judge ruled Friday against Joe Miller's (R) challenge of the vote-counting process in the Alaska Senate race, delivering Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) to the brink of victory in her bid to become the first successful write-in candidate for the Senate since Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) in 1954.
In the ruling, Alaska Superior Court Judge William Carey said that Miller had failed to prove his claim of widespread fraud in the November election.
"Nowhere does Miller provide facts showing a genuine issue of fraud or election official misfeasance," Carey wrote. "Instead, the majority of the problematic statements included in the affidavits are inadmissible hearsay, speculation, and occasional complaints of sarcasm expressed by [Division of Elections] workers. Nothing rises to the level showing genuine material facts of fraud."
Miller has until Tuesday to appeal the decision to the state supreme court.
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Looks like the end of the road for Joe Miller
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Barack Obama won the great tax-cut showdown of 2010 – and House Democrats don't have a clue that he did. In the deal struck this week, the president negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 stimulus package. It will pump a trillion borrowed Chinese dollars into the U.S. economy over the next two years – which just happen to be the two years of the run-up to the next presidential election. This is a defeat?
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I see no advantage to the American people with this deal – just more debt.
Let the Bush tax rates expire and come back in January with massive cuts in spending and tax rate reform – like Reagan.
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Senate Democrats plan to move ahead with a bipartisan tax package, despite strong objections from House Democrats.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) unveiled a bill Thursday evening that keeps the deal between President Obama and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) largely unchanged, but includes environmental provisions that may soothe angry liberals.
Reid has scheduled the first vote on the package for Monday. Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) have vowed to filibuster it.
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Now, conservative/Tea Party Senators have more of a reason to KILL THE BILL
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Senate leaders have released a summary of the Obama-GOP tax deal that is now pending on the Senate floor. A first test vote has been scheduled on it for Monday afternoon. The following details were provided by the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The actual legislative text of the amendment is 74 pages
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In order to get the LEFT on board, I am positive that Harry Reid will be adding sweeteners over the weekend before Monday's vote.
The Senate GOP will have to decide whether to just swallow the changes or KILL THE BILL and go home for Christmas.
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President Obama voting “PRESENT” again.
Bill Clinton implored Democrats to back the tax-cut deal that President Barack Obama negotiated with Republicans as the former president made a surprise appearance at Obama’s side in the White House briefing room Friday.
“I don’t believe there is a better deal out there,” Clinton told reporters who’d been summoned at a moment’s notice to see the former chief executive back the current one. Clinton and Obama had just finished a private meeting in the Oval Office.
Obama said it was a “terrific meeting” and then turned the podium over to Clinton.
The voluble former president took it away, and Obama left part-way through his remarks, saying he had holiday parties to attend.
“Both sides are going to have to eat some things they don’t like,” Clinton told reporters. “We don’t want to slip back into a recession. We’ve got to keep this thing going and accelerate its pace. I think this is the best available option.”
Sheesh, now Obama is bringing in Bubba to do the triangulation for him.
I am increasingly skeptical of this Bush-Era Tax cut deal with President Obama.
When Harry Reid starts to add the pork over the weekend to the deal “framework,” the GOP should say thanks but no thanks.
The Republicans who gain control of the House and more Senate seats in January should vote to extend unemployment benefits for a short period of time (maybe three months) and vote for the continuing resolution to keep the government operating.
The Senate Republicans should then filibuster/block the rest of the lameduck seesion, knowing a better outcome will come with the new year.
Tags: Bill_Clinton
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Existing fillings sometimes need to be replaced due to wear, chipping, or cracking. Many people use this opportunity to replace their silver amalgam fillings with natural, tooth-colored composites. Their reasons may be aesthetic, or concern over the safety of amalgam filings, which contain mercury.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review science behind ruling on mercury in dental fillings.
Less than 18 months after concluding that mercury in dental fillings was not harmful to patients, the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the scientific basis for its decision.
A panel of outside experts will meet next week to consider challenges from four consumer and dental groups to the analysis that FDA used to justify its conclusion that mercury released from dental amalgam fillings is too low to cause harm.
Agency officials said Thursday there’s no new evidence contradicting that assessment, and that “at this time FDA is not modifying its existing guidance.”
The FDA’s position is supported by the American Dental Assn., which says that treatment decisions should be left to patients and their dentists.
Opponents say FDA used flawed science in setting the safe level for mercury exposure too high, especially for pregnant women and children.
They want dental amalgam either banned or subject to extensive testing to prove safety.
The advisory committee will not vote on specific recommendations, but will discuss a series of technical questions about how exposure to mercury is measured, whether safe levels of exposure have been set correctly and the reliability of studies of mercury on humans.
This is political payback by the Obama Administration to the “Holistic Dentistry” quacks who want to outlaw dental amalgam.
Earth to FDA – most dentists are no longer using amalgam in restorations because of patient demand and the availability of better tooth-colored materials.
Should dental amalgam be banned only the poor children who receive these long lasting and LESS EXPENSIVE restorations as a result of Medicaid or other government programs will be harmed.
So, do your study again, waste more public money and come to the same conclusions.
Tags: Dentistry, FDA
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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev. gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010 Maybe not.
Democrat Senate Majority leader Harry Reid’s attempt at political payback to Harrah’s and MGM looks like it has failed and gaming pundits are not optimistic.
The odds of federal approval for online poker are fading with Republicans due to take over the House of Representatives, an analyst said Thursday.
Gaming equipment suppliers like International Game Technology, WMS Industries Inc. and Bally Technologies Inc. could react negatively to a scuttled bill, though casino operator MGM Resorts International would have more room to maneuver, wrote Ryan Worst of Brean Murray, Carret & Co.
Las Vegas’ MGM may be able to enhance its business through other avenues, such as campaigns to improve Las Vegas revenue and visitation.
Senator Harry Reid said Wednesday that his attempt to hook the online poker bill to the tax cut extension bill is unlikely to work. And he thinks Republican domination of the House next year will hurt the bill’s chances further.
The online poker legislation Reid has been pushing would allow poker games over the Internet but limit initial licenses to casinos and racetrack operators that have been in business at least five years. The online gambling industry generates an estimated $5 billion a year for offshore operators. A slice of that revenue would be been a boon for U.S. casinos that have been hammered by the economic downturn.
Indian Tribes in California will attempt their own bill for California residents but for now the prospects of online poker do not look good. But, will the gray area of offshore poker sites blossom with legal challenges to the UIGEA?
How will increased federal scrutiny by the Department of Justice/Treasury of offshore poker sites hurt the industry? How about House Congressional hearings subpoenaing sponsored poker pros with possible ownership interests in the sites?
Or will Poker Stars, Ultimate Bet and Full Tilt Poker simply fade away and be relics to poker’s past?
Tags: Poker
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Posted by Flap in Day By Day
Day By Day by Chris Muir
The lesson to be learned is like the motto on the entrance of the Los Angeles Veteran’s Administration Hospital: Freedom is on Display Here.
Indeed, my father’s generation who fought in World War II were the “GREATEST GENERATION” who fought the Nazi and Japanese totalitarianism to deliver us the freedom and liberty Americans enjoy today.
Those old ex-military geezers not only deserve a “tab” but also a free drink – every once in a while.
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My colleague Dan Mitchell has already written about the tax deal reached between President Obama and congressional Republicans. But there might be something in the package for people wishing to play poker freely online.
Sen. Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is apparently circulating draft legislation to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which blocked financial institutions from processing transactions with online gambling companies. I would characterize that as a good move overall, apart from three quibbles. First, the draft legislation would — you guessed it –place a tax on the wagers (you didn’t think you’d get your freedom back without conditions, did you?). Second, the bill applies only to poker, and continues to prohibit “Internet gambling” more broadly. And third, the fine-print sounds problematic from a trade policy (and trade law) point of view:
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Read it all
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For agreeing to a temporary extension of all the Bush tax cuts, President Obama is now facing a full-fledged revolt within his party. The responses from congressional Democrats have ranged from chilly to angry to threatening.
One asked, "Could we have a little fight before we cave? Why go right to surrender?" Another accused Mr. Obama of saying, "let 'em eat cake." Another called the compromise "an absolute disaster" and "an insult." Another complained, "we got screwed."
Liberals outside Congress are even more bitter. MoveOn.org demanded Democrats not "capitulate to the GOP on this terrible deal." Some have talked of primary challenges to Mr. Obama.
It won't be easy for Mr. Obama to push the compromise through Congress. Nancy Pelosi doesn't see where the votes will come in the House. Harry Reid's spokesman says simply that the majority leader "plans on discussing it with his caucus."
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It will come down to the wire and at this time it is unknown whether Obama has the votes.
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