• Barack Obama,  John McCain

    Senator John McCain Tweets Top Ten Pork Projects in Omnibus Spending Bill

    February 27, 2009 /
    john-mccain-tweets-pork

    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?

    Technorati Tags: ,

  • Chuck DeVore,  Oil

    California GOP Assemblyman Chuck DeVore’s Solution to California Budget Woes: Drill Baby Drill

    February 27, 2009 /
    California GOP Assemblyman Chuck DeVore speaking on the floor of the California Assembly, February 14, 2009

    Today, California GOP Assemblyman and U.S. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore addressed a group of energy lawyers in San Francisco. His prescription for increasing California tax revenues: Drill Baby Drill.

    Besides slicing and dicing Boxer during a red-meat speech to the California Republican Party convention last weekend, the state senator from Irvine let it be known that he will push a plan to get dollars flowing into California’s coffers without soaking average state taxpayers.

    His plan: Drill, baby, drill.

    DeVore says there are 9 billion barrels of oil waiting to be had beneath California’s coastal waters. He calls for an aggressive off-shore oil exploitation program, using slant drilling technology. He says tax revenues produced by increased oil operations may well grease the way to balanced state budgets.

    “Those are state waters,” he says. “That’s our oil.”

    This solution is almost too simple. But, the “Save the Whale” types in Santa Barbara and Monterey will continue to block drilling – even the slant drilling type because they fear oil spill and the despoiling of animal habitats.

    Now, new technology may alleviate the concerns for any oil spill mishaps but it will be a hard sell to these environmental zealots.

    Technorati Tags: ,

  • Tony Strickland

    Photo Essay: California Senator Tony Strickland Hosts Camarillo Community Coffee

    February 27, 2009 /
    Tony Strickland 2
    California State Senator Tony Strickland, (R- Thousand Oaks) greets community memebers to his citizen outreach event this morning in Camarillo, California

    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.)

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    Senator Strickland “working the room” – going to every table and meeting every community member

    Tony Strickland and Dennis Carpenter

    Senator Strickland talking with Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, Chief Deputy Dennis Carpenter who is the Chief of Police for the City of Thousand Oaks

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    Senator Strickland discussing an issue with a constituent while his Chief of Staff, Chris Wangsaporn checks his Blackberry

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    Senator Tony Strickland makes a point during his brief speech

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    Camarillo community members listen to Senator Strickland including @Flap Twitter Follower and Friend @erickbrockway

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    The question and answer session: John Zaruka, President of Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center makes the point as to how increasing California taxes is hurting his business.

    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.

    Technorati Tags:

  • Mike Huckabee,  Mitt Romney,  Sarah Palin

    Poll Watch: Sarah Palin Leads 2012 GOP Presidential Field – Mike Huckabee Second

    February 27, 2009 /
    Sarah Palin Samaritan Purse

    Governor Sarah Palin during her visit with the Samaritans Purse relief effort in rural Alaskan villages (Feb. 20, 2009).

    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.

    Technorati Tags: , ,

  • Barack Obama,  economics

    Citibank Crashes – American Economy in Free Fall?

    February 27, 2009 /
    citibank-in-the-sewer

    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.

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  • Del.icio.us Links

    links for 2009-02-27

    February 27, 2009 /
    • Barack Obama's Expensive Domestic Agenda Will Cost America's Middle Class -The 2% Illusion
      President Obama has laid out the most ambitious and expensive domestic agenda since LBJ, and now all he has to do is figure out how to pay for it. On Tuesday, he left the impression that we need merely end "tax breaks for the wealthiest 2% of Americans," and he promised that households earning less than $250,000 won't see their taxes increased by "one single dime."
      This is going to be some trick. Even the most basic inspection of the IRS income tax statistics shows that raising taxes on the salaries, dividends and capital gains of those making more than $250,000 can't possibly raise enough revenue to fund Mr. Obama's new spending ambitions.
      (tags: barack_obama economics)
    • Bloggers and unions form group to push Democrats to the left – FAR LEFT
      A group of liberal bloggers said it is teaming up with organized labor and MoveOn to form a political action committee that will seek to push the Democratic Party farther to the left.

      Soliciting donations from their readers, the bloggers said they are planning to recruit liberal candidates for challenges against more centrist Democrats currently in Congress.

      The formation of the group marks another step in the evolution of the blogosphere, which has proved effective at motivating party activists to give money and time to political campaigns, especially in local races.

      (tags: daily_kos SEIU)
    • Bill Clinton: GOP’s Only Hope At Comeback Is To Go Along With Obama
      Clinton said the GOP is in such a deep hole that their only prayer is to go along with President Obama’s agenda now and try to articulate a reality-based alternative vision over the long term. Here’s a transcript of what Bill said about the Republicans’ only route out of the wilderness:
      (tags: barack_obama BillClinton)
    • Obama OKs media photos of war dead
      News organizations will be allowed to photograph the homecomings of America's war dead under a new Pentagon policy, defense and congressional officials said Thursday.

      Defense Secretary Robert Gates has decided to allow photos of flag-draped caskets at Dover Air Force Base, Del., if the families of the fallen troops agree, the officials told The Associated Press.

      Gates planned to announce his decision later Thursday, they said. The current ban was put in place in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush.

      Some critics have contended the government was trying to hide the human cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

      But a spokeswoman for a military family group said the group was disappointed in the policy change. "This is a complete disregard for the will of America's military families and the need for their privacy during this solemn moment," said Meghan Tisinger, spokeswoman for Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission.

      (tags: barack_obama)