• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 30th on 18:43

    April 30, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 30th from 18:43 to 18:55:

    • Gov. Jerry Brown undergoes surgery to remove cancerous growth on his nose – Gov. Jerry Brown had a cancerous growth removed from the right side of his nose in an outpatient procedure Friday in Oakland, according to a statement released Saturday by the governor’s office.

      After the procedure to remove basal carcinoma cells and some reconstructive surgery, Brown was released to return home. Basal cell carcinoma is one of the most common forms of skin cancer, can be caused by sun exposure and is very treatable.

      Brown’s office said the procedure was conducted under a local anesthetic at a doctor's office in Oakland. The procedure is called Mohs surgery, in which physicians remove microscopic layers of skin and examine them under a microscope to see if there are cancerous cells. If they are present, additional layers are removed and viewed until there is no more evidence of cancer.

      While Brown continues to work on gubernatorial duties, the statement said, he will not appear in public until his stitches are removed. An aide said stitches would be removed starting Friday.

      That decision forced the cancellation of Brown’s planned Sunday speech to the state Democratic Party convention in Sacramento. Democratic Party officials said the program would otherwise continue as planned.

      ======

      Wishing the best for Governor Brown. Cancer is not fun…..

    • The White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend, via Twitter #whcd #nerdprom – Before the White House Correspondents' Dinner even began, Twitter was buzzing with the "#whcd" and "#nerdprom" hashtags — the self-mocking nickname Washington's twitterati use for the dinner, which is the big night on the capital's social scene.

      With all the press real estate mogul Donald Trump has been getting lately, a fair share of tweets were about him. Trump is a guest at The Washington Post's table.

      Roll Call associate editor Paul Singer, an investigative journalist, wondered if the journalists in attendance could keep work and play separate.

      "Can you party w/a politician Sat nite; investigate his $$ on Mon? http://wapo.st/mLBDD9 #nerdprom #HowGovtWorks," Singer also tweeted Friday.

      Mother Jones Washington Bureau chief David Corn wondered if Trump could make a headline grabbing gaffes before the dinner.

      "Which reminds me: with 28 hours to go before #nerdprom, #Trump can still do even more to embarrass his WaPo hosts. Any predictions, mf'ers?," Corn tweeted.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 29th on 00:31

    April 29, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 29th from 00:31 to 07:59:

    • Former Obama aides launch independent fundraising groups with unlimited and undisclosed donors – Two former White House aides launched a pair of independent groups Friday to defend President Obama and fight the array of conservative efforts that poured money into the last elections, adopting the same tactics that have been condemned by the White House.

      Former White House Press Secretary Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, who served as a top aide to former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, said they were moved to create their own outside groups to fend off efforts by conservatives such as the Koch brothers and the groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, co-founded by Karl Rove. Veteran Democratic strategist Paul Begala will serve as a senior advisor to the Democratic efforts.

      Priorities USA has been formed as a 501(c)(4) organization – a nonprofit social welfare group that can raise unlimited amounts of money without disclosing the identity of its donors. It putatively is designed to focus on issues – in this case, “to preserve, protect and promote the middle class” – but can spend up to half its money on political activities. The use of such undisclosed money in elections was vehemently criticized by Obama last year, as well as by Burton, then his spokesman.

      But in a statement Friday, Burton said the decision by the Supreme Court in Citizens United that opened the door to unlimited corporate and union spending on elections created a new playing field on which Democrats have to engage.

      “While we agree that fundamental campaign finance reforms are needed, Karl Rove and the Koch brothers cannot live by one set of rules as our values and our candidates are overrun with their hundreds of millions of dollars,” Burton said. “We will follow the rules as the Supreme Court has laid them out, but the days of the double standard are over.”

      ======

      Read it all.

      Love the LEFT's Hypocrisy

    • @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-04-29 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – @Flap Twitter Updates for 2011-04-29 #tcot #catcot
    • Capitol Alert: Jerry Brown pulls plug on building San Quentin’s new death row – Capitol Alert: Jerry Brown pulls plug on building San Quentin's new death row
    • Flap’s Links and Comments for April 28th on 18:27 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links and Comments for April 28th on 18:27 | Flap's Blog – FullosseousFlap's Dental Blog
  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 27th on 16:01

    April 27, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 27th from 16:01 to 16:13:

    • Happy birth certificate, Mr. President – Behold the damage Donald Trump hath wrought. Every credible fact check has established that Barack Obama was born in this country. Yet on Wednesday, a reality TV show ringmaster forced the president of the United States to prove it.

      By asking why President Obama had not released his long-form birth certificate on numerous so-called news shows, Trump had even sensible people theorizing as to why the White House had not released the document. Was there something damning about the president's religion? His race? His parentage?

      My theory was simpler. In 2008, Obama released a certificate of live birth.

      Why did he wait until Wednesday to release the long form, which birth-deniers demanded? Easy. Who doesn't like watching their political enemies look like complete dolts? Obamaland no doubt felt a warm rush of satisfaction every time some nutjob right-winger put forth a contorted theory about the president's 18-year-old mother running off to a Third World delivery room to give birth and then, "Manchurian Candidate"-like, falsifying the paperwork. The debate debased conservative opposition.

      ======

      Dolts is a kind term for the birthers.

      But, Obama should have waited just a little longer for more of an advantage.

    • President 2012: Huckabee camp shoots down rumor he won’t run in 2012 – Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's camp is refuting a South Carolina blogger who suggested Wednesday that Huckabee told consultants in the state he wouldn't run for president next year.

      Speculation Huckabee was opting out of a 2012 bid spread after Red State's Erick Erickson tweeted a link to the blog post, along with the declaration, "Mike Huckabee is out. He won't be running for president."

      HuckPAC Executive Director Hogan Gidley dismissed it as "unfounded speculation" in a statement, insisting that no final decision has been made.

      "National polling consistently shows Governor Huckabee is the frontrunner – so we expect a certain amount of unfounded speculation, odd rumors, and sadly, the occasional lie lobbed our way," Gidley said. "But the Governor himself has been quite clear on this matter. He has truthfully and repeatedly stated that he is seriously considering a run for President but he won’t make that decision until this summer – and that has not changed."

      ======

      Huck is continuing to fund raise in California for Huck Pac, if that means anything.

      I think he runs…..

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 25th on 10:15

    April 25, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 25th from 10:15 to 10:36:

    • Boeing and the Wages of Subsidy – Is Boeing to Dependent Upon Obama to Fight? – Is Boeing too compromised by its dependence on Obama administration subsidies to fight a ruling by the administration’s National Labor Relations Board telling it where to build the 787? …  Even if you heroically assume the NLRB is independent of political influence, that doesn’t mean the administration couldn’t retaliate elsewhere if Boeing fights the NLRB too vigorously. Boeing has recently gotten $15 billion in loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank. Is the Ex-Im Bank insulated from political influence too? The Washington Examiner rightly points out that it was just assumed–not even a scandal, no surprise at all–that banks receiving TARP funds were inhibited when it came to contesting their treatment as creditors in the administration’s auto bailout. 

      =====

      If Boeing knuckles under, then you have your answer. But, my bet is that they fight.

    • Supreme Court turns down Va.’s request to expedite review of health-care law – ObamaCare – The Supreme Court on Monday turned down Virginia’s request that it rule immediately on the constitutionality of the nation’s health-care overhaul.

      The decision to reject Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II’s request for expedited review, announced routinely without elaboration or noted dissent, is not surprising. The court rarely takes up issues that have not received a full review in the nation’s appeals courts.

      ======

      Perfect…. SCOTUS will take up the matter in the middle of the 2012 Presidential campaign.

      Let the repeal begin…..

    • Rep. Dan Lungren on King and Spalding’s ‘Insult to the Legal Profession’ – California Republican Dan Lungren is chairman of the House Committee on House Administration. He just issued this statement regarding King and Spalding and Paul Clement:

       “I want to express my gratitude to former Solicitor General Clement.  I admire his unwavering commitment to his clients and his dedication to uphold the law – qualities that appear to be inconsequential at King and Spalding where politics and profit now appear to come first.

      “King and Spalding’s cut and run approach is inexcusable and an insult to the legal profession.  Less than one week after the contract was approved engaging the firm, they buckled under political pressure and bailed with little regard for their ethical and legal obligations. Fortunately, Clement does not share the same principles. I’m confident that with him at the helm, we will fight to ensure the courts – not the President – determine DOMA’s constitutionality.”

      =======

      Paul Clement has resigned from King and Spalding and now has joined the firm Bancroft PLLC. He will continue to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) for the House

    • DOMA’s Erstwhile Defenders – News reports this morning indicate that King & Spalding — the law firm whose partner, former solicitor general Paul Clement, was slated to defend the Defense of Marriage Act — has decided to withdraw. This follows a campaign of intimidation with threats from law schools and activist groups that retribution would follow if the firm continued to defend the law. This tantrum and its seeming success tell us that many on the left believe they have a veto on the principle that everybody deserves to be represented in court. It also suggests that there are few limits on what gay marriage supporters will do to marginalize those with whom they disagree. It’s worth remembering, as Maggie Gallagher says, that this is what “marriage equality” means. Paul Clement’s principled stand, which Kathryn has noted, is a much-needed grown-up decision and a very powerful rebuke to the intimidators.

      ======

      Intimidation worked for the firm but not attorney Paul Clement who has resigned.

    • Paul Clement law firm drops DOMA case because of protests – In a real victory for supporters of same-sex marriage — and marking what seems like real marginalization for its foes — a major law firm has reversed course and will refuse to represent the House of Representatives in defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

      King and Spalding Chairman Robert D. Hays, Jr., whose partner Paul Clement was to lead the defense, said in a statement through a spokesman, Les Zuke:

      Today the firm filed a motion to withdraw from its engagement to represent the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives on the constitutional issues regarding Section III of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Last week we worked diligently through the process required for withdrawal.

      In reviewing this assignment further, I determined that the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate. Ultimately I am responsible for any mistakes that occurred and apologize for the challenges this may have created.

      The statement is silent on the reasons for the decision, but the firm faced protests at its Atlanta office and a national campaign against it. And now the House majority may have to find a new lawyer.

      =====

      Of course, Paul Clement has now resigned from the firm.

      I thought law firms were to represent the innocent and guilty or disparate interests?

      Guess expedience is OK with King and Spalding

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 25th on 09:14

    April 25, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 25th from 09:14 to 09:32:

    • Boeing’s South Carolina 787 assembly line disappointing but not ‘unfair’ – IT was a blow to Puget Sound country when Boeing put its second 787 assembly line in South Carolina. It was also part of a hardball negotiation between the company and the International Association of Machinists. This page regretted Boeing's decision, but has never thought of it as something that could be, or should be, reversed by the federal government.

      The National Labor Relations Board has labeled Boeing's decision an unfair labor practice, and is asking a federal court to order the line to be moved to Washington. We would celebrate the day Boeing decided to do that — but it is Boeing's decision.

      The company and the union are both grown-ups here. Each knows its rights.

      The union has a right to strike. It may be unwise to strike at a particular time, such as the month Wall Street had its worst collapse in 75 years, but it is the union's right.

      The company has the right to build assembly plants. It can build them in South Carolina or in Afghanistan if it likes. Its decision may be unwise, but it is Boeing's.

      ========

      Read it all

      An unfair labor practice?

      Not a chance and should some federal judge tell Boeing where to locate its assembly plant in Washington state, anyone want to bet Boeing moves out of the United States?

      This is a gross overreach by the Leftists Obama has appointed to the National Labor Relations Board.

    • Bad News for Boeing – Boeing, the Chicago-based aviation company, already has one government-induced headache. Its main rival, Airbus SAS, has received from European nations about $20 billion in subsidies that are prohibited by international trade agreements. That is challenging enough for Boeing as it tries to compete in an international market.

      But when the U.S. government tries to dictate where Boeing can do business … that's even harder to stomach.

      This week, the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint over Boeing's plans to open a plant in South Carolina. Boeing is not seeking to outsource work to a foreign country. Boeing has chosen a manufacturing location in the U.S. based on cost and risk factors. It plans to open a second production line of its 787 Dreamliner plane there. The plant has been built.

      Boeing executives have acknowledged that they were reluctant to expand in Washington state because of the risk of a labor strike. Boeing's workers in Washington belong to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Its plant in South Carolina would be nonunion.

      =====

      John Galt anyone?

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 19th on 18:24

    April 19, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 19th from 18:24 to 18:34:

    • Global warming lawsuit: Supreme Court signals it will throw out lawsuit By California and other states – The Supreme Court justices indicated Tuesday they would throw out a huge global-warming lawsuit brought by six states against coal-fired power plants in the South and Midwest. And they will do so with the support of the Obama administration.

      Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal urged the justices to end the lawsuit, insisting the problem of global warming and greenhouse gases is too big and unwieldy for a single judge to handle. It is a regulatory problem for the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.

      Four years ago, the justices cleared the way for the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases under the Clean Air Act. Since then, the government has adopted stricter standards for motor vehicles. The agency is debating regulations for power plants, but has taken no firm action.

      But all the while, several states, led by Connecticut, New York and California, have pressed ahead with a lawsuit that calls carbon pollution a "public nuisance" and asks a federal judge to restrict emissions from power plants.
      During Tuesday's argument, most of the justices — liberal and conservative — said they were skeptical about turning over such a complicated and politically charged issue to a single federal judge.

    • Jon Huntsman’s ‘remarkable’ letters to Obama, Clinton reveal adulation for chief executives – Jon Huntsman, President Obama’s outgoing ambassador to China, is considering running against his boss in 2012 as a Republican.

      But two handwritten letters from Huntsman obtained by The Daily Caller raise the question of why he’s not campaigning for Obama instead.

      “You are a remarkable leader,” Huntsman wrote to Obama in an Aug. 16, 2009 note, underlining the word “remarkable,” “and it has been a great honor getting to know you.”

      The letter thanks Obama for “the graciousness and kindness you have shown me and my family – particularly your confidence in my ability to represent you in China.” Huntsman said he was “leaving behind a state we love – but anticipating an extraordinary experience in Beijing.”

      ======

      Read it all

      But, is Huntsman planning for 2012 or really 2016?

      My bet is the latter.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 19th on 09:57

    April 19, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 19th from 09:57 to 12:34:

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for April 18th on 10:17

    April 18, 2011 /

    These are my links for April 18th from 10:17 to 11:28:

    • President Barack Obama coming to Reno on Thursday – President Barack Obama is making a three-day swing to explain his vision for reducing the national debt and it concludes Thursday in Reno.

      The White House issued a press release that day Obama will come to Reno to discuss " the ways the leaders in Washington can come together and meet the expectations of the American people."

      It follows town hall meetings on Tuesday in northern Virginia and on Wednesday in Palo Alto, Calif.

      ======

      Hitting all of the key battleground states – Virginia and Nevada.

      Plus, fundraising in California.

      Obama does know how to run a campaign. Too bad he sucks as a President.

    • Former Sarah Palin aide Frank Bailey writing tell-all book – Due Out in May – When a book is called "Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin," you can guess it's not a happy story.
      An imprint of Simon & Schuster announced Monday that it had signed up "Blind Allegiance," a long-rumored tell-all by former Palin aide Frank Bailey. The imprint, Howard Books, will release Bailey's book May 24. Excerpts from an early draft were leaked to reporters earlier this year.
      Bailey worked with Palin while she was governor of Alaska and when she was John McCain's running mate on the Republican presidential ticket in 2008.
      Howard Books is calling "Blind Allegiance" a "chilling expose." Author Ken Morris and Alaska political blogger Jeanne Devon helped write the book.

      ======

      Now, this should be interesting summer reading – but only if Sarah is running.

    • Wisconsin’s Supreme Court Election Snafu Is a National Wake-Up Call – It's been over a decade since the Bush-Gore recount in Florida was supposed to spur a wholesale modernization of our election systems. But a stunning mistake made by a Wisconsin county clerk in a nationally watched state Supreme Court race reminded us of how far we have to go.

      Wisconsin voters went to the polls on April 5 in an election that could have flipped the state Supreme Court's majority from conservative to liberal. On the morning of April 6, liberal challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg declared victory by a margin of some 200 votes. But the next day Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus announced that she had excluded some 14,000 votes from the city of Brookfield when she gave her final tally to the Associated Press on election night. The revised tally put conservative incumbent David Prosser more than 7,000 votes ahead of Ms. Kloppenburg, and he has since been verified the clear winner.

      Ms. Nickolaus's error could have been easily avoided through transparency. She had ended the prior clerk's practice of reporting election results for individual cities because it was "not her responsibility" and she didn't "have the staff to enter all the data"—an absurd statement given that many smaller counties post such data on their websites. Many states, such as Kentucky, offer user-friendly websites to track returns statewide.

      Not so in Wisconsin—and if we don't view this month's mess as a wake-up call, we'll have only ourselves to blame if next year's presidential election turns into a rerun of Florida 2000. Americans know it could happen: The Brookings Institution reports that in a 2004 poll of 37 nations, Americans were more likely than citizens of any country save Russia to say that their elections are "very dishonest."

      Mexico—which has a national photo ID requirement for voting—spends roughly 10 times more per capita than the U.S. and has virtually eliminated charges of voter fraud or incompetence. We can vastly improve our system with much smaller investments.

    • Why California Should Tax Online Sales? Or Not… – On this “Tax Day” and throughout the year, millions of Californians do their part to sustain the schools, health care, public safety, and other foundations of a healthy state. But projections show today’s collection will come up at least $1 billion short of what is due because most Californians won’t add the sales tax they owe on online purchases to the bottom of their California income tax form. With the state once again facing tough budget times, these dollars could go a long way to close our gaping budget gap.

      Most Californians may not realize that if a retailer fails to collect the sales tax due on a book, a pair of shoes, or other purchase made online, the purchaser still owes the tax. This requirement is nothing new – it’s been part of state law since 1935. The hitch comes in trying to collect the tax. In fact, only 1 percent of those who buy online from out-of-state companies like Amazon.com currently pay the taxes due. As online sales soar, they also take a big, and growing, bite out of the state’s revenue collection.

      =======

      There is NO good reason and these leftists use the fairness argument to justfy their redistribution schemes and the right of the state to YOUR money.

      One problem which I have written about extensively is the loss of jobs and the fact the state of California really won't realize any more revenue.

      Oops….