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Flap’s Links and Comments for March 24th on 05:40

March 24, 2011 /

These are my links for March 24th from 05:40 to 07:44:

  • MO-Sen: Sen. Claire McCaskill sees tax bill increase – Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill's tax bill continues to grow, much to the delight of Republicans.

    The first-term Democrat will likely have to pay close to an additional $40,000 to St. Louis County to cover interest and penalties related to her failure to pay personal property taxes on a private plane stored at the Spirit of St. Louis airport.

    McCaskill has already sent the county's Department of Revenue checks for more than $287,000 to cover the personal property taxes owed on the plane for 2007 to 2010.

    That left her with an outstanding balance of $32,000, although that could change, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 

    The senator has yet to receive a final tax bill and has been making payments proactively to rectify the matter, according to her office.

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    The private plane that keeps on giving

  • In-Sen: There is a reason for a primary challenge to Sen. Dick Lugar – But NOT this Reason – Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) has never been a favorite of movement conservatives, and certainly not since President Obama was elected. He’s been a pushover on Obama’s extreme nominees (both on judges and on State Department picks such as Harold Koh, whose writings on deference to international law set off alarm bells on the right.) He’s flacked for the administration on START. But until now, he has not played the isolationist card. That appears to be changing. He’s put out yet another cringe-inducing statement on Libya:

    “There needs to be a plan about what happens after Gadhafi,” Lugar said. “Who will be in charge then, and who pays for this all. President Obama, so far, has only expressed vague hopes.”

    “Congress has been squabbling for months over a budget to run the federal government for a fiscal year that is almost half over,” Lugar said. “We argue over where to cut $100 million here and there from programs many people like. So here comes an open-ended military action with no-end game envisioned.

    With the Arab League already having second thoughts, and Turkey nixing NATO taking over, today there are even more questions. We also have to debate how all this effects the Saudis, Bahrain and Yemen.”

    “The facts are that our budget is stretched too far and our troops are stretched too far,” Lugar said. “The American people require a full understanding and accounting, through a full and open debate in Congress.”

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    Sorry Jennifer, I cannot agree.

    There is NO national interest in involvement in Libya. Let Europe carry the ball.

    And, if Afghanistan does not turn around soon, I say get out of there too.

    This is not only a conservative position but the common sense one as well.