Rafsanjani Comes Out With Pro-Protest Sermon

It seems that Rafsanjani has now picked his side and has come out forcefully behind the protesters by taking their grievances to the Friday sermon airwaves.

The cleric got tears in his eyes as he spoke of how Islam's Prophet Muhammad "respected the rights" of his people. He said the founder of Iran's Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, "would always say that if the system is not backed by the people, nothing would stand."

For Iranians listening across the country, the weekly Friday sermon in Tehran is the voice of the leadership and a symbol of its backing by God.

This part is especially telling and should be pushed forward by anyone who is opposed to Iranian nukes.

Inside the prayers, worshippers traded competing chants with some hard-liners in the congregation. When the hard-liners chanted "death to America," Mousavi supporters countered with "death to Russia" and "death to China," a reference to Ahmadinejad's alliance with both countries.

A truly democratic Iran allied with the West will prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It is just that simple. I think it might be time for Obama to throw his weight behind a reformer like Rafsanjani rather then Khomeini and Almadinijoke.

Holy Crap! ObamaCare Bill Will Make It So You Can't Change Your Individual Health Insurance Carrier?

Yup it sure seems that way according to this. This comes from page 16 of the bill that probably no one has read yet.

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

So if you own your own business and buy individual coverage I hope you like it because you are stuck with it. So what happens if Humana changes some of the rules on you or raises your co-pay or something. You can't take your business to Blue Cross/Blue Shield because you are stuck with Humana by law.

Or you can simply enter the public plan and be at the whim of the same people that gave your the DMV and the Post Office. It is such a sneaky little way to get people into the public plan that it is ingenious. Freeze people in their insurance carrier and then force them to either sign up for the government plan or pay a 3.5% penalty for not having insurance. This one paragraph is a dagger aimed right at the heart of the private contractor industry.

Americans Don't Want to Pay To Fight Global Warming

I could have told you this.

With the climate change bill narrowly passing in the House, a new poll released by Rasmussen Reports shows that a majority of Americans - 56 percent - are unwilling to pay more to support the fight against global warming. Only 14 percent of Americans are willing to pay more than $100 a year to fund the cap and trade measure.

It seems that only politicians care about cap-and-tax. While Americans don't want to pay higher taxes on everything they buy just to maybe reduce temperature by a minuscule amount 20 years from now.

"Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Mainstream Americans say they are not willing to pay higher taxes and utility costs to generate cleaner energy and fight global warming, compared to only 17% of the Political Class," reported Rasmussen Reports.

National Black Chamber of Congress CEO Goes After Senator Boxer For Playing the Race Card

I sure wish more people testifying before Congress would tell it like it is like Harry C. Alford did. This is regarding Cap-and-Tax as well.

CBO Director Pours Cold Water on ObamaCare

I think this Elmendorf guy may the last line of defense when it comes to us not having to default on our debt due to insane costs. His words should make the Dems slow down and think these costs through and figure out how to pay for these things without raising taxes.

Explained Elmendorf: "In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount. And on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs."

Even if the congressional legislation doesn't add to the federal deficit over the next years, Elmendorf said costs over the long run would keep rising at an unsustainable pace.

Americans Split on Health Care Reform

It seems that the idea that Americans are behind the Congress and the President on Health Care reform according to these polls. The problem with the government option is that it will eventually be the only option left. If your insurance company is crappy you can always switch them out for another one. Not so with the government plan.

On one key question, the poll found Americans split over the benefits of being able to buy insurance from a new government program. While 40 percent said they thought it would lower the quality of their care, 21 percent said it would improve the quality and 36 percent said it wouldn't make any difference. The rest had no opinion.

Health Insurance Doesn't Promote Healthy Living

Now this has to be the most wrong-headed thing I have read in a while.

But there's no reason to suppose that taking a tiny sliver of the incomes of the top 1 percent will reduce all that much of their ardor to invest, innovate, and hire in the future. Yet if this tiny sliver means affordable health care for a far larger number of Americans, who will be able to get regular checkups and thereby stay healthy and productive, the positive effect on the American economy is likely to be far greater.

What will reduce their ardor to invest and innovate is the the 8% charge that they will be hit with if they expand their business to more then 26 employees.

Also having health insurance will not automatically make people go to the doctor more often. I mean there are 150 million people with health insurance provided by their companies and they are still fat, still smoke, and still live unhealthy lives.

Even if there was a magic multi-trillion dollar single payer system; that insured every American so that everything was 100% free; we would still have huge numbers of fat people, people that don't exercise, and smokers like President Obama.

Our lifestyles are just so much different then Europeans and our diet is just 10x worse then the Japanese. It doesn't matter who is paying for the insurance we are still going to keep on living how we are living.

University of Oregon Journalism Department Wears its Partisanship on Its Sleeve

Is there any wonder why the Liberal Media perpetuates itself then this should be case in point.

The University of Oregon (UO), where I study journalism, invested millions annually in a diversity program that explicitly included "political affiliation" as a component. Yet, out of the 111 registered Oregon voters in the departments of journalism, law, political science, economics, and sociology, there were only two registered Republicans.

Now that is some real "diversity of opinion." I would be willing to bet even money that those 2 Republicans are in the economics department as well. Now this outburst might have come from a fired up Leftist student but nope it was from a professor:

He was eager to chat, and after five minutes our dialogue bloomed into a lively discussion. As we hammered away at the issue, one of his colleagues with whom he shared an office grew visibly agitated. Then, while I was in mid-sentence, she exploded.

"You think you're so [expletive] cute with your little column," she told me. "I read your piece and all you want is attention. You're just like Bill O'Reilly. You just want to get up on your [expletive] soapbox and have people look at you."

From the disgust with which she attacked me, you would have thought I had advocated Nazism. She quickly grew so emotional that she had to leave the room. But before she departed, she stood over me and screamed.

"You understand that my column was basically a prophesy," I shot back. I had suggested right-leaning ideas weren't welcome on campus and in response the faculty had tied my viewpoints to racism and addressed me with profanity-laced insults.

The problem is that this writer wasn't some Pat Buchanan clone but is actually not a Republican or right of center at all. He was merely advocating the liberal idea of diversity of opinion. He was a college kid promoting the idea of the free expression of thought. There was no call for such extreme behavior by people that are supposed to be educating him and his ilk.

I think the problem with the left is that they are just not open to any discussion or backtalk when it comes to their plans. All they want to hear is people agreeing with them even if they are wrong. If they are approached with facts they stick their fingers in their ears and storm out of the room like this hapless professor did.

It is single payer even if it costs trillions, pull out of Iraq even if we leave a civil war in our wake, or impose knee-cap-and trade even tough the Chinese and Indians will never sign on. If they got together and actually talked out some of these ideas they would understand that taxing small businesses during a recession will just backfire when the economy is tryng to recover. Oh well, I guess they will have to find out the hard way in 2010.

Rangel Version of ObamaCare is a Jobs Killer

It seems that the Dems in Congress are actively trying to kill off any recovery before it even starts.

Democrats claim these tax increases on the rich won't do any economic harm. They should read the work of Christina Romer before she became chief White House economist. Ms. Romer and her husband, David Romer, a Berkeley economist, have published multiple studies on the impact of tax policy changes over the past 100 years. One of their findings is that "tax increases appear to have a very large, sustained and highly significant negative impact on output." In other words, tax hikes are an antistimulus.

The jobs killing nature of tax hikes on small business is being touted by the White Houses own economist in her prior work. I mean she should know what she is talking about since Obama is her boss and vetted her.

It just seems like Congress sits awake at night trying to think of ways of keeping jobs from being created. I think if Obama is a 1 termer he has only people like Rangel and Pelosi to blame.

Intel Smashes Numbers; Raises Margins As well

Wow Intel had a great quarter judging from these numbers they just posted.

The Santa Clara, Calif. chipmaker posted an adjusted profit of $1 billion, or 18 cents a share. That is down from the 28 cents in the year-ago period but more than twice the 8-cent pro forma profit target analysts had for the stock, according to Yahoo! Finance.

I think that this knowledge will be the most important thing to seeing the stock go up tomorrow

Gross margins swelled 5 percentage points to 50.8% in the quarter as Intel managed to balance its high costs with lower sales levels. Looking ahead, Intel says it expects further margin expansion to 53% in the third quarter. The chip shop also expects sales to be in the range of $8.5 billion, that's well above the $7.8 billion Wall Street was expecting.

You would think that margin expansion would be kind of difficult in this environment but Intel was able to pull it off. I was also interested to know how selling tons of low margin Atom chips would do to Intels margin as well. It seems to not had much effect since they raised the margin by 5%. I think we might even see a decent rally in the NASDAQ tomorrow based on these numbers.

New ObamaCare Plan Will Fine You If You Don't Buy Health Insurance

Now we have the government in the position to penalize both employers and employees if they don't have health insurance.

Employers who do not offer coverage would be required to pay 8 percent of each uninsured worker's salary, with exemptions for smaller firms built into the legislation.

Individuals who refused to buy affordable coverage would be assessed as much as 2.5 percent of their adjusted gross income, up to the cost of an average health insurance plan, according to the legislation.

Yup, they want you to pay 2.5% of your gross income if you don't take some sort of health insurance. I have no idea how they will assess this fine though. Would you put it on your taxes or if you don't pay taxes then do you get a bill from the government?

Also if a person loses their job do they suddenly get hit with a 2.5% penalty on their unemployment insurance once their COBRA runs out? Or if the person is young and generally healthy and they want to use the money allocated for health insurance for something else they will be hit with a fine for non-compliance? Also what if you don't pay the fine? Do you go to jail for not having health insurance?

That 8% hit to employers sounds like a jobs killer right there. I can see some companies reducing their staff or making everyone a private contractor in order to not be fined and not have to pay thousands in insurance costs. Or they can simply dock peoples pay by 8% in order to pay the fine. Any way you look at it it is going to hurt small businesses.

Stimulus Bill Created Jobs! Each One cost $8.32 Million?

You have to be kidding me. The Stimulus bill that was supposed to rescue us from 8.5% unemployment has created all of 50 new jobs for New Hampshire only 37 of which are full time.

Roughly speaking, those 50 jobs cost the American taxpayer $8.32 million per position. If we calculate part-time positions as one-half of a full-time job, the cost per full-time job would be $9.9 million. At that rate, the $787 billion Porkulus package should generate about 79,495 jobs across America — or about what we lose today by 1:37 pm in new unemployment claims. And of course, all of those would last only as long as the stimulus money kept coming to fund them.

The sad part is that Obama is saying the stimulus is working as intended. I think it is just Hope and $1.50 in Change. That is all we will be left with after they blow billions on worthless "jobs" that will run out when the stimulus runs out.

Get Some Sleep Obama People, then Fix the Damn Economy

It seems that the Obama people are burning the candle at both ends and are not doing so well.

Obama is now testing the limits of his staffers' endurance. So far, there is a palpable sense of pride in the West Wing that treaties are negotiated, complex legislation is crafted and banks are bailed out -- all on very little sleep.

No wonder we have that weak-kneed response on Iran, the failed stimulus, and the cut-and-paste nature of the world apology tour. These people are running on no sleep and are probably making errors right and left. How can you be working on fixing the economy when you are doing micro sleeps, have poor judgment, and have mood swings from the lack of proper rest.

What is funny though is Putin can now say "I looked into Obama's eyes and saw red lids and deep bags. I can now run him!" I'm pretty sure Putin sleeps 12 hours a night knowing that his enemies are working their asses off just simply to "reset" things with him. Look for other bad actors and dictators to keep on wheedling these people. They will break eventually as all sleep deprived people end up doing.

Green Energy Initiative Fails in Austin

It seems that renewable energy is still not able to compete with other forms of energy without massive subsidies.

Austin Energy officials say that times have changed and that the nation's most successful (by volume of sales) green-energy program, which offers the renewable energy only to those who select it, might no longer be the best way to carry out the city's goals. It now costs almost three times more than the standard electricity rate.

The problem with Cap-and-Tax is that this three times cost disparity will be put right on the back of the consumer that cannot afford it. The rich won't feel a jump in electricity but the poor will be decimated by it. Imagine if your electricity bill tripled and how it would effect your business or your household. I still think the only interim solution is a close-fuel nuclear system. Any other solution will cost too much and cannot compete with coal and oil.

Netflix Could be Aquired by Amazon?

Hmm it made the stock shoot up but it would make sense for both companies to join forces.

But combined, the two would offer a very formidable combination. The reason is that while Netflix mostly offers older titles through its streaming service, Amazon offers all the new movies. Netflix of course sends out new movies via DVD by mail, but that service will one day go away in favor of streaming or downloading.

Another thing that could be a result of the pairing is that they can create synergies in their distribution networks if they consolidate with one another. That means you might be able to buy stuff on Amazon from an Xbox360 (maybe even using Microsoft points) or maybe from kiosks if Netflix decides to directly compete with Redbox. Also consolidating their fulfillment centers might make for millions in savings on shipping as well.

Holy Crap! We are Now $1 Trillion in the Hole?

Now that is one heavy debt load.

The Treasury Department said Monday that the deficit in June totaled $94.3 billion, pushing the total since the budget year started in October to nearly $1.1 trillion.

The deficit has been propelled by the huge sum the government has spent to combat the recession and financial crisis, combined with a sharp decline in tax revenues. Paying for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan also is a major factor.

The funny part is that Obama wants to take this deficit and blow it out even more. Also the bad part is that $787 billion of that money is already part of a wasted "stimulus." I wish we could back out the money not yet spent and just split it up and give it to Americans in a cash payment. Maybe $2000 for each tax payer in monthly installments. I think most Americans wouldn't mind an extra $200 in each paycheck to spend.

Cats Actually Control Humans?

That sure seems the case when it comes to a hungry cat.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

"The embedding of a cry within a call that we normally associate with contentment is quite a subtle means of eliciting a response," said Karen McComb of the University of Sussex. "Solicitation purring is probably more acceptable to humans than overt meowing, which is likely to get cats ejected from the bedroom."

I Just Hope There Are Some Jobs in that Ass

President Obama shows he sometimes gets distracted at those boring G8 meetings. It seems his mind was on a different kind of "stimulus package."

The 10% Unemployment Ribicon

It looks like we are going to cross it soon enough but this article points out the damage it can do to Obama's plans.

Perhaps most ominously for the Obama administration, the job cuts are affecting voters across the board. Adult male unemployment has already hit 10 percent and is affecting most core Democrats — voters at lower income and education levels. African-American men are already out of work at a 14.7 percent clip.

I had no idea that it was this bad for Obama's core supporters. If I were the Dems I would would be pushing a real jobs bill as fast as I can. Not a job destruction bill like Cap-and-Tax or something convoluted as Health Care reform.

Especially given the administration’s earlier commitment to keep unemployment below 8 percent, further grim job numbers will make it more difficult for the administration to push for health care reform and cap-and-trade energy policy. If the tripwire is hit, many will question whether the president is spending adequate time on the deteriorating job and economic front versus longer-term problems.

Hell it even has the Daily Show questioning why Obama is fooling around in Russia and fooling with Cap-and-Tax with its new segment. That's Great Now Fix the Economy.

Blue Dogs Push Back on ObamaCare: Some of the Tax Ideas are Downright Scary

It seems the Blue Dogs are getting wary about the insane tax hikes that would go into any version of ObamaCare that is moving through the House.

"We need to slow down and do it right," Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., said outside a meeting of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of 52 moderate to conservative Democrats. "It needs to do a much better job of cost containment" within the health care system, he added.

Other lawmakers said they were concerned about proposed tax increases, the rules on any government-sold insurance, and other issues that are key to implementing President Barack Obama's call for sweeping legislation.

This has to be the craziest tax to have come done the pike in years. I'm not sure how this tax will be applied or even if it is feasible. It just sounds like a lot of work for tax preparers for an extra $100 billion.

As an alternative, Democrats are considering raising taxes on wealthy investors to help pay for health care legislation, along with numerous other options, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. The proposal to extend the current 1.45 percent Medicare payroll tax to capital gains earned by high-income taxpayers would bring in an estimated $100 billion over 10 years.

The scramble for new taxes to fund this monster is laughable as well.

In addition to the tax on capital gains, officials said other options include a fee on insurance companies or drug manufacturers, a plan to allow states to issue health care bonds, and possibly a tax on sugary drinks.

An income tax surcharge on the wealthy was also on a list in circulation, as was Obama's proposal from last winter to limit the value of itemized deductions for those with the highest income.

So we have a tax on insurance companies and drug companies I guess for simply being in business in the first place. We can have the states go further into debt (I would hate to own something as scary as a California State health care bond. *shiver*) Or Congress can simply tax Juice Boxes or "No Child's Drink Left Untaxed." There is nothing like paying for health insurance through your kids stomach. Or we can simply soak the rich with a surcharge or just rob the charities to pay for this crap like Obama wanted to do. That is ingenuity when it comes to Congress.

At Last I Can Praise Pelosi: She Strikes Down Michael Jackson Resolution

It is a rare day when I can say that Pelosi has done something good but I have to applaud her for this.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shut the door Thursday to a resolution honoring Michael Jackson because debate on the symbolic measure could raise "contrary views" about the pop star's life.

Lawmakers are free to use House speeches "to express their sympathy or their praise any time that they wish," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution."

I think Michael Jackson was a great dancer and singer but lets slow down when we are praising him from the Congress. He was a world-class strange-o that admitted to sharing his bed with young boys. I think House Resolutions should be awarded to people deserving of them.

Iranians Take to the Streets Again: Media Turn your Eyes Back to this Story

After waiting for the appropriate amount of time to let the US media get over their Michael Jackson disease (or I like to call it Vitiligo of the brain) they are taking to the streets again.

Thousands of protesters streamed down avenues of the capital Thursday, chanting "death to the dictator" and defying security forces who fired tear gas and charged with batons, witnesses said.

Turning garbage bins into burning barricades and darting through choking clouds of tear gas, the opposition made its first foray into the streets in nearly two weeks in an attempt to revive mass demonstrations that were crushed in Iran's postelection turmoil.

French are the World's Worst Tourists

I thought the Americans were supposed to have the top spot but the French are beating us.

French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.

They finish in last place in the survey carried out for internet travel agency Expedia by polling company TNS Infratest, which said French holidaymakers don't speak local languages and are seen as impolite.

Alcoa Starts Off Earnings Season on a Good Note

It seems that the green shoots are everywhere even in aluminum.

The Street finally got a taste of what's ahead in corporate earnings. Aluminum giant Alcoa posted a third quarterly loss after the closing bell, but beat analyst expectations. The company sales forecast also beat Street estimates. Alcoa said it lost 26 cents a share last quarter, compared with Wall Street's estimate of a 38-cent loss. Sales fell 41% from 2008.

I wonder if there is more demand then usual for aluminum in the car parts and building industry or it is just more aggressive cost cutting by Alcoa? The former might make for a nice rally if it were true.

Dems Looks At Income Tax Surcharge to Fund Obamacare?

You have got to be joking. They want to pay for health care on the backs of the rich who are already getting their taxes hiked.

Numerous officials say that under the proposal, an income tax surcharge would be imposed on individuals earning more than $200,000, with a higher threshold for couples.

What kind of idiocy is this? You never raise taxes during a recession. It is just that simple. I think the Dems are hell-bent at driving us into the next Great Depression and are just pulling out all the stops in order to get it done.

Why Aren't People Hiring? Government Might Be to Blame

Well after job losses went south again to the tune of 467,000 more jobs in June which is up 122,000 jobs from May you have to start asking serious questions. This economist makes a lot of sense why companies are not hiring right now.

America isn't hiring precisely because of government policy. Small business owners, who are usually the first into and the first out of the job pool, are standing by the fence and watching. They are paralyzed by regulatory uncertainty. If they hire someone who ends up doing poorly, will they be able to fire that person? Will they have to pay their health care bills after they've been terminated? If so, for how long? Who will pay for all these stimulus checks? If it will turn out to be small business, why would they hire instead of keeping costs low to prepare for the big tax bill? Where will the market move? Are you in the right business or are your clients in a politically disfavored industry? Are your clients in health care (being nationalized), autos (already nationalized), banking (somewhat nationalized) or any energy production process which uses carbon (pulverized)? Until you know, you don't grow, and until you grow your market, you don't grow your payroll.

Yup uncertainly breeds a bunker-down mentality. Why hire when you might get taxed heavily if your business grosses over $250,000 a year? That is the problem with vast redistribution of wealth across all parts of our economy. You take from the productive job creators and give to the currently unproductive.

The problem is that this unproductive person that gets government money will never receive the same amount of money that a good paying job will pay him. All it does is create a permanent underclass that is dependent on the government dole. Kind of like the mob of Rome. This Rome parallel even kind of extends to bread (the "stimulus" bill) and circuses (Michael Jackson's death.)

Saddam's WMD Bluff was Aimed at Iran

Ah now we see some method to this man's madness.

The FBI reports, released on Wednesday, said Saddam asserted that he was more concerned about Iran discovering Iraq's weaknesses and vulnerabilities than the repercussions of the United States for blocking the return of UN weapons inspectors who were searching for WMD.

"In his opinion, the UN inspectors would have directly identified to the Iranians where to inflict maximum damage to Iraq," according to the documents obtained and released by the National Security Archive, a nongovernmental research institute.

This makes sense since they fought a massive, bloody, 8 year war against one another. The messed up part from Saddams perspective was that his government was overthrown because the US called his bluff. If he let the inspectors in he would still be in power, no doubt about it.

The good thing is we might actually get a somewhat decent democracy out of Iraq instead of your standard Middle East kleptocracy. Also the doctrine of Take-then-hold-then-build as a way to stop insurgents may be a long term benefit of the 6 years of chaos that led up until now.

Also the idea of bonding with the people and working together (instead of retreating to bases outside of the civilian areas) could be our military MO from here on in. The Iraq war has taught our military how to fight insurgent uprising that might translate to big gains going forward.

I can easily see if, for instance, Obama sent the Marines into Darfur how we would crush the insurgents with overwhelming force then build up the areas that we hold after we are done. Then when we left Sudan we would leave behind a stable and hopefully prosperous country in our wake.

Marines Launch Operation Khanjar

Well Operation Khanjar is underway in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

The southern offensive was launched shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday (4:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, 2030 GMT), as thousands of Marines poured from helicopters and armored vehicles into Taliban-controlled villages along roughly 20 miles of the Helmand River in Helmand province, the world's largest opium poppy-producing area. The goal is to clear insurgents from the hotly contested region before the nation's Aug. 20 presidential election.

It looks like they are going to do the Take-and-Hold-then-Build strategy that they used in Iraq. I wonder if the Pashtun tribesman will be as cooperative as the Sunni Sheiks were in Iraq? That will be the key I think to driving out the Taliban forever.

How McDonalds Won the French

This is a very interesting story on how a global icon like McDonalds was able to make France the number 2 most profitable part of its empire.

As I moved closer, I discovered that no food was being sold; instead, McDonald's was feeding its guests corporate propaganda. Large, colorful placards ringed the display, documenting the amount of French beef, poultry, and vegetables that McDonald's used, detailing the nutritional value of the food it served, and describing the company's eco-friendly practices. The words were accompanied by lots of pastoral imagery—cows, potatoes, sheaves of wheat.

This refers to how McDonalds uses 70% of its produce from French farmers and thus is more a part of France most people think. Also McDo as it is called in France just provides cheap food that students and retirees can both enjoy without breaking the bank. They also invented McCafes in France that they were able to transplant quite easily into the US. It is interesting to see that McDonalds alters their product for the market that they are in so easily like that.

More Cap-and-Tax Fallout: Now It Might Cause Starvation?

You have to be kidding me this Bill just keeps getting worse and worse as people delve into it.

If you tax carbon, you tax fertilizer and pesticides. If you tax these things, you tax food, and by no small amount. A $15/ton CO2 tax would increase fertilizer production costs directly by about $60/ton, with the cap-and-trade bill’s increased transport costs inflating the burden still more. That’s enough to make many farmers use less fertilizer, and less fertilizer means less food.

And less food means less grain, fruits, and soybeans exported to foreign countries that might have trouble feeding themselves. Everyone remembers that food prices shot up when oil prices went to $140+ last summer. Now imagine if food prices are artificially higher just because of the Cap-and-Tax Bill. Then lets say we see another oil spike in 2010 or 2011 when the world economy improves and oil demand heads back up. Get used to $15 a box cereal and $5 each for apples. And they have the gall to say that it will only cost Americans pennies a day.

Obama's Honeymoon is Over: Poll Shows First Negative Approval Rating

I think the GM takeover and screw-job on their bondholders is the first hole in the boat. Now Americans are finally coming to the realization that we can't afford all of Obama's plans and dreams.

"The raw numbers of pretty straightforward — 31 percent of Americans strongly approve of the way Barack Obama is handling his job, 33 percent strongly disapprove," Rasmussen said.

"Before the last week we never had a circumstance where the number who disapprove outweigh the number who approve. So we're in new territory. Right now the approval index at minus two is as low as it's been.

I think this is the most heartening part of the poll by a long shot:

"When we talk about healthcare reform and the proposal the president is talking about, the country is fairly evenly divided. But those who have strong opinions tend to oppose the plan more than support it.

"On the cap and trade legislation [to reduce carbon emissions], 42 percent believe it's going to hurt the economy. Only 19 percent believe it's going to help.

I think Americans are still on the fence about healthcare reform because they want to see the economy getting better before we have to borrow another $1.6 trillion dollars from the Red Chinese.

Also the idea of taxing every American when they can barely find jobs, for some negligible reduction in temperature in 20 years, is a bad idea no matter what Obama says. I'm pretty sure that most Americans would not want the economy to tank even further just so Al Gore can be the first Climate Billionaire.

Cap and Tax Bill Just Keeps on Sucking: Now Homeowners will be hit

There is nothing like burdening homeowners with extra costs right at the time that home price drops are starting to slow down.

Home Sellers Beware. Having a hard time selling your home? Here’s one more hurdle to jump: all homes sales are conditioned upon an energy audit and a new energy rating assessment and energy labeling program for your home that’s outlined in the Democrats’ bill. And if you thought you could improve your property with a fresh coat of paint and some granite counters? Think again! Now your home will be subjected to a new energy rating assessment and energy labeling program that will penalize you for older windows, original fixtures, and dated appliances. So the Democrats’ bill would bring down the value of your home!

So if you are already underwater and want to sell your home Cap and Tax will put you a few $1000 more underwater just to sell your home. Sounds like some real unintended consequences.

Here is the text of the stupid bill that they passed so even more nuggets can be mined from its 1300 pages. I'm glad Congress loves to vote on things that they don't read. I guess they will have plenty of time to read it when they are out of office. I sincerely hope that that is what happens to the 8 GOP members that voted for economic ruin. This is the list of the Cap and Tax 8 and their office numbers:

Mary Bono Mack (CA) (202) 225-5330
Mike Castle (DE) (202) 225-4165
Mark Kirk (IL) (202) 225-4835 (And he’s seriously considering running for Senate!)
Leonard Lance (NJ) (202) 225-5361
Frank LoBiondo (NJ) (202) 225-6572
John McHugh (NY) (202) 225-4611
Dave Reichert (WA) (202) 225-7761
Chris Smith (NJ) (202) 225-3765

The Us Pulls out of Iraqi Cities

At least we were able to leave at the head of the column and not on our shields or sneaking out in the middle of the night.

We all recall the delighted leftist claims that Iraq had entered a hopeless civil war. Wrong. That Iraqis preferred al Qaeda to us. Wrong. That Shia militias represented the people. Wrong. And that Iran would seize control. Wrong again.

Looking back over six years of good intentions, tragic errors, generosity, arrogance, partisan vituperation, painful deaths and ultimate vindication, two things strike me: the ever-resisted lesson that human affairs are more complex than academic theories claim, and the simple truth that most human beings prefer a measure of freedom to immeasurable repression.

I still think L Paul Bremer needs to be brought up on dereliction of duty charges for disbanding the Iraqi Military. That mistake extended the war by 5 years and cost 1000s of extra lives. That might go down as one of the biggest blunders of all time.

I've Heard of Acid Reflux but What is Bile Reflux?

This is kind of a sad state of affairs when doctors seem disinterested or not knowledgeable about something that afflicts quite a few people. Maybe it is time for a drug company to step up and get rid of this thing.

Although the condition is certainly not unknown, there is a relative lack of information on it in major medical journals read by nonspecialists. Mr. Kozma said his wife had now developed Barrett’s esophagus and, instead of being offered treatment, was told to return in three years to have another endoscopic look at her damaged esophagus. “What are we supposed to do? Wait and see if this develops into cancer?”

I wonder if we could get the Mayo Clinic to run the entire health care system? They always seem to be on the cutting edge of any breakthrough.

Both acid reflux and bile reflux may afflict the same person, which can make diagnosis a challenge. But the stomach inflammation that results from bile reflux often causes a burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen that is not felt with acid reflux, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic. Other symptoms of bile reflux may include frequent heartburn (the main symptom of acid reflux), nausea, vomiting bile, sometimes a cough or hoarseness and unintended weight loss.

Coleman Conceeds, Al Franken to Serve Out His One Term

Ah the NY Carpetbagger and "funnyman" is now Senator Franken for that one term after which he should probably lose to just about anyone with a pulse.

Coleman announced his decision at a news conference in St. Paul hours after a unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that Franken, a former "Saturday Night Live" comedian and liberal commentator, should be certified the winner.

"The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results," Coleman told reporters outside his St. Paul home.

Radio-host to Senator is too big a jump and I will be willing to bet there won't be a 30 year career in the Senate ahead of him. I can see Coleman trouncing him in 6 years after the Dems blow up the economy if things like Crap-and-Trade pass. The filibuster-proof margin might be big but I'm pretty sure the Dems don't want to ram through alot of crap in a partisan manner and be stuck with the consequences.

Now Obama is "Has Doubts" About Cap-and-Trade War Bill

This is exactly why Congress needs to read bills before they vote on them. The part of the bill that would create tariffs on countries that don't have the same carbon measures as the US in place is just asinine. I guess Obama kind of agrees in a wishy-washy way.

President Obama, speaking to reporters Sunday, didn't say whether he would veto the bill if the measure remains a part of it, or whether he will work to remove it in negotiations with Congress. "At a time when the economy world-wide is still deep in recession, and we've seen a significant drop in global trade, I think we have to be very careful about sending any protectionist signals out there," he said. He added that he was "mindful" of the need to level the playing field internationally for U.S. business.

Uh, yes Mr. President protectionist signals are what Great Depressions are made of. If this passes the Senate then Americans will deliver a massive hiding to the Democrats come 2010. Especially because this thing will hit every single American right in the face. I'm sure the domestic oil companies (if the don't all move to Switzerland or Dubai or something) and utilities will remind the consumers of the fact that they had to raise rates due to Congress just to cover their own asses.

Germany Floats Tax Cut Plan

It seems the Germans are trying to cut taxes to goose growth while we try to knee-cap ourselves with that asinine Cap-and-Tax bill.

The conservative parties' election platform promises tax cuts worth €15 billion ($21 billion), but gives no time frame. The parties plan to cut the lowest income tax rate to 12% from 14% at present, raise the threshold for paying the top income tax rate of 42%, and reduce the degree to which a rising income leads to a progressively higher tax rate.

If that plan goes through and the Germans are able to cut spending at the same time we might see some impressive growth numbers coming out of Germany in the near future. It would be interesting to see the Germans leading the rest of Europe out of a recession.

CBO Releases Debt Numbers and they are Staggering

Now this should give every Congressman heart palpitations from its gravity.

To put it bluntly, the fiscal policy of the United States is unsustainable. Debt is growing faster than gross domestic product. Under the CBO's most realistic scenario, the publicly held debt of the U.S. government will reach 82 percent of GDP by 2019 -- roughly double what it was in 2008. By 2026, spiraling interest payments would push the debt above its all-time peak (set just after World War II) of 113 percent of GDP. It would reach 200 percent of GDP in 2038.

I think it is time to argue that we need immigration reform as soon as possible. Most of this huge interest expense comes from aging population and older people consuming more health care then they are paying in. So we need to open the gates and start bringing in skilled immigrants to pay taxes and buy things to stabilize our debt load.

Trade War with China and India in the Cap-and-Tax Bill

You have got to be kidding about this Cap-and-Destroy the Economy Bill. There is a trade clause in the thing that might start a trade war with China and India.

But it isn't clear how much of the sprawling House bill will survive in the Senate, where moderate Democrats and Republicans could form a majority that backs less ambitious action. Among the potential problem areas: the House bill has a provision that would impose tariffs on goods imported from countries that don't match U.S. carbon dioxide restrictions -- a slap at China and India that some business interests fear could provoke a trade war.

Oh yes, that means it is a trade war with just about every country in the world except for a handful like Iceland and Sweden. This is not just kind of like Smooth-Hawley this IS Smoot-Hawley all over again.

That Tariff caused a trade war that wrecked the world economy for decades and indirectly led up to WW2. This asinine Cap-and-Trade War bill will act in exactly the same way as China and India retaliates against us. The Senate better kill this piece of crap or the world will pay the consequences.

Dems Barely Pass the Cap-and-Destroy the Economy Bill

The one good thing is that the thing passed by such a narrow margin that the Senate will hopefully put this crap out of its misery.

The vote was 219-212, capping months of negotiations and days of intense bargaining among Democrats. Republicans were overwhelmingly against the measure, arguing it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs.

The whole argument that it will "grow green jobs" does not say that these jobs will be in the future at some uncertain date. At this time these "green jobs" are little more then guys that install solar panels and have basically failed in Spain. These jobs will be there if the government funds the research instead of penalizing every single American for using any energy at all.

We don't need to go into the Second Great Depression just so we can reduce the temperature by .0013 degrees by the end of the century. I think if this thing actually passes the Senate (by some miracle) this will be the Smooth-Hawley Tariff of this century in lead us into 10 years of economic ruin.

Think Tank Now Believes that ObamaCare will Cost $4 Trillion?

A Healthcare economist (what a dismal job) from the University of Minnesota, named Dr. Stephen T. Parente testified in front of Congress and broke out the real numbers on ObamaCare and they are staggering.

CBO scored the Kennedy Bill last week at approximately a 30% reduction [of uninsured people]for 1 trillion over ten years. Using the ARCOLA model, we found nearly everyone would be covered if all elements of the Kennedy bill were enacted at a ten year cost of 4 trillion. At this time, we are the only group yet to score the full Kennedy proposal. (If you would like to see the full analysis of this bill including how they got to their budget numbers)

That will cover all but 1% of the uninsured at what might be the insolvency of the debt of the United States. As this article pointed out the total federal budget for 2010 is $3.6 trillion and that is with all the TARP and stimulus and other crap thrown in. Now that is a big pile of money I hope the Red Chinese have their checkbooks out.

15 More Reasons Why Cap-and-Tax Will Rob America of Growth

Ugh, some of these things sound make this thing sound like the greatest regressive tax of all time.

National Energy Tax: This is a tax that will affect constituents in every aspect of their lives. From transportation, to food, to electricity, to income - this is the ultimate regressive consumption tax to the tune of nearly $3,000 per year according to the Heritage Foundation. The costs per family for the whole energy tax aggregated from 2012 to 2035 are estimated to be $71,493.

Nothing like taxing people an additional $3000 a year when there is 10% unemployment in the nation. Plus anything that makes food prices go up hits poor people right in the wallet since most of their cash goes to food. I think every Congressman that votes for this thing should be branded an economic criminal and thrown out of office. The Senate better fix this thing or we will be feeling its ill effects for the next 30 years.

Cap and Tax Might be an Economic Disaster

Now this is sobering news now that the green shoots of an economic recovery are just coming up.

As we've said before, capping emissions is capping economic growth. An analysis of Waxman-Markey by the Heritage Foundation projects that by 2035 it would reduce aggregate gross domestic product by $7.4 trillion. In an average year, 844,000 jobs would be destroyed, with peak years seeing unemployment rise by almost 2 million (see charts below).

Consumers would pay through the nose as electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket, as President Obama once put it, by 90% adjusted for inflation. Inflation-adjusted gasoline prices would rise 74%, residential natural gas prices by 55% and the average family's annual energy bill by $1,500.

Yup cap-and-trade has the potential to cripple the US economy while it doesn't do anything to stop the Red Chinese from building 2 coal power plants per week or the Indians from increasing their energy usage. I mean both countries will fight like mad against any world carbon emissions scheme because they know it will cut their growth in the trillions of dollars range. This bill will strait up have the ability to put us into a second Great Depression.

Lightswitch Tax Moves Closer to Getting Through the House

The Senate better kill this thing quickly because there is no way we can afford to raise any taxes during a recession and hope for a V-shaped recovery.

Obama on Thursday called it "a vote of historic proportions ... that will open the door to a clean energy economy" and green jobs.

"It will create millions of new jobs," Pelosi insisted.

This is the most BS thing I have read recently. This thing will strait up destroy jobs right now and might create jobs in the future but probably won't. Those carbon credits will result in higher prices for anyone who turns on a lightswitch and will cost many more people in manufacturing their jobs.

It would be so much easier and cheaper for many companies to move whatever jobs are left to Malaysia where a company doesn't have to deal with this cap-and-rob crap. About the only people happy about this are the Wall Street types running the carbon marketplace and people that are going to get rich from selling offsets.

If they really wanted to create millions of new green jobs they should give tax incentives for companies to switch over. Call it a green tax cut and pay for it out of the stupid stimulus bill. Use that $700 billion waste of money to build a nuclear plant for every coal or oil power plant in the country.

Then create a multi-billion dollar energy research grant program to work on new power solutions. In other words pay for the R&D of solar, nuclear, and wind companies. Then when we have the technology in place put down the carbon limits. Don't do it backwards so people are stuck with a regressive tax for decades. Hoepfully the Senate will make the House come to their senses on this thing.

ObamaCare Infomercial Draws Hardly Any Viewers

I think this whole Health Care fix-it plan from the Dems only seems to resonate in some place where the majority of Americans do not live.

The one-hour ABC News special "Primetime: Questions for the President: Prescription for America" (4.7 million viewers, 1.1 preliminary adults 18-49 rating) had the fewest viewers in the 10 p.m. hour (against NBC's "The Philanthropist" debut and a repeat of "CSI: NY" on CBS). The special tied some 8 p.m. comedy repeats as the lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

Actually the funniest part may be that ABC sold its integrity for a show that lost to a rerun of CSI and a probably soon-to-be-cancelled NBC drama. It goes to show you that people don't seem to care as much about health care as the Dems will have you believe.

Nokia Sells the Iranian Regime a Way to Catch Protestors

Well there seems to be a boycott in the works against Nokia. I've only owned one Nokia phone but I will not be buying another one for any reason.

Telecommunication companies in the United States and other countries are required to provide this so-called “lawful intercept” capability so that domestic law enforcement agencies can eavesdrop on calls to investigate criminal activity. “Lawful,” of course, means different things in different countries. In the U.S. such interception generally requires a court order.

Yup in Iran you don't need any court order to get you and your whole family "disappeared." Nokia did yoemans work helping the regime catch their foes. The Basij Militia will probably send them a nice fruit basket for making their job so much easier. I have no idea why this telecom equipment was sent to them without this "feature" crippled.

I can just see the new Iranian Telecom Whitepaper thanking Nokia for their service.

It was so hard in the past to catch enemies of our regime who were using cell phones in order to communicate. So we turned to our friends at Nokia who provided us with a solution to this very pressing problem. Using Nokia's technology we are able to listen in on cell phone calls so we can tell exactly when and where we need to be to intercept their lawlessness.

Nokia's Solutions helps our very own Basij Militia crack heads and kill people with axes more efficiently and effectively with no wasted time trying to find the troublemakers. Then we are able to trace the calls back to their families in order to make the protestors pay for their transgressions.

We don't even need to question the detained protesters or plant moles in their organizations because Nokia has done the work for us. Nokia's superior technology has literally brought the tools of repression right into the homes of the hated enemies of our regime. Thanks again Nokia!

Yours with lotsa love,

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Holy Crap! US Beats Spain 2-0 at Confederations Cup!

Now this is something I thought would never happen.

The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Wednesday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans' biggest soccer victories.

Yup the hapless US team knocked off the Worlds Number 1 team. Now they will probably take on the 5 time World Cup champ Brazil who has already beat them 3-0. Normally I would say they have no chance but stranger things did actually happen.

North Korea Directly Threatens the Existence of the US

Well I am curious to hear what Obama has to say about this latest rhetoric salvo the crazies in North Korea lobbed at us.

North Korea has said it would consider interception of its ships a declaration of war, and on Wednesday accused the U.S. of seeking to start another Korean War.

"If the U.S. imperialists start another war, the army and people of Korea will ... wipe out the aggressors on the globe once and for all," a dispatch from the official Korean Central News Agency said.

Now I haven't heard this from a sovereign nation in quite a long time and should be taken as a direct threat against the US. The problem with North Korea is that the US end wars that are started against us. Kim Jong Il will be crawling out of a spider hole in 6 months time if they dared to declare war against us.

SC Governor Sanford Found: He was in Argentina With Some Woman

Who knew that the Appalachian Trial led all the way to Argentina?

Questions about Sanford's whereabouts arose early this week. For two days after reporters started asking questions, his office had said he had gone hiking on the Appalachian Trial.

Cornered at the Atlanta airport by a reporter, Sanford revealed Wednesday morning that he'd gone to Argentina for a seven-day trip.

The funny part about it is this:

He told reporters he spent "the last five days of my life crying in Argentina" and the affair is now over. Sanford, a rumored 2012 presidential candidate, refused to say whether he'll leave office.

Um, why did he have to sneak off to Argentina to break up with this woman? He could have done it over the phone or just waited until she was back in the States. Instead he flies off like a CIA operative going on a clandestine mission and alarms the people of South Carolina.
I guess it is time for him to resign because lying about being in the country is something that governors shouldn't be doing.

Is Obama Turning Us Japanese?

I sure hope not. The idea of 10 years of economic malaise has created all sorts of problems in Japan. Reason thinks we might be going down that road.

Redbox vs. Netflix: Not as Much a Threat as You Might Think

Well there has been some rumbles on how Redbox can compete with Netflix and I have to say they may be overblown at this point.

To that end, Redbox tracks rentals to predict the right mix of titles and the right number of copies for each location. It also lets customers go online and reserve a DVD in a specific kiosk, then pick it up in person. The $1 price may be the initial draw, but most people end up paying to keep DVDs for two or three days.

If Redbox grows into a serious challenge to Netflix, it will have done what two much larger companies, Blockbuster and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., could not.

I'm still not sure why a person would rather go to a kiosk in order to buy a DVD when they can just make a few clicks and either get it by mail or stream it on their TV or Xbox. I can see some people using these kiosks when they are in the supermarket instead of buying the DVD at Wal-Mart but not huge numbers.

Looking at the site makes me not want to rush out use their service. Most of the reason is that I would hate to reserve the thing online then drive to some place, park, go into the store, hope there wasn't some online mix up, and pull the DVD out of the machine and then take it home to watch. Then I only get to watch the movie for 1 night and then have to return the thing. This would be even harder with a bunch of kids in tow.

I'm not sure if Redbox is even a leg up from the Blockbuster experience in anything except for the price. With Redbox you can't browse around for a movie that you might not have picked normally like you can at Blockbuster. I see Redbox as more of a Blockbuster in a box and not a serious contender for Netflix at this time.

Senior Clerics Might Scrap the Supreme Leader Concept in Iran

Now this is a potential game changer in Iran.

Members of the assembly are reportedly considering forming a collective ruling body and scrapping the model of Ayatollah Khomeini as a way out of the civil crisis that has engulfed Tehran in a series of protests,

The discussions have taken place in a series of secret meetings convened in the holy city of Qom and included Jawad al-Shahristani, the supreme representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who is the foremost Shiite leader in Iraq.

An option being considered is the resignation of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as Iran's president following condemnation by the United States and other European nations for violence and human rights violations against unarmed protestors.

This could be huge since according to this article Ayatollah Sistani is supposed to have all kinds of sway in the Shiite world. This new, proposed, ruling body kind of sounds like an Islamic Senate but instead of being voted in they are appointed by their fellow clerics.

Also according to the article Ayatollah Sistani seems to be quite a pragmatist from his statements. If this man is brought into the fold to offer legitimacy we might see the rise of a pragmatic government in Iran.

Why? Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in 2007 made two very critical statements: that "I am a servant of all Iraqis, there is no difference between a Sunni, a Shiite or a Kurd or a Christian," and that Islam can exist within a democracy without theological conflict. You will never hear such words slip past the lips of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei. Ever.

Mayo Doctors Use Ipilimumab To Get Rid of Prostate Cancer in 3 patients

I hope to hell that ObamaCare doesn't screw doctors like Dr. Kwon and Dr. Blute up in the future. In any case though this might be a great breakthrough in medicine of it can be repeatable to the rest of the people in this Phase 2 study.

With Nelson, Dr. Blute spent more time in the OR than planned. “I was cutting away scar tissue, while trying to find cancer cells. The pathologist was checking samples as we proceeded and sent word back asking if we had the right patient. He had a hard time finding any cancer. I had never seen anything like this before. The pathologists were floored.” The same story played out for Solano-Revuelta. In that case there were two phone calls from pathology, one asking if he was operating on the correct patient.

Whatever this combo did it got rid of all of the cancer cells. From the article it was hormone thearapy, then they used a drug called Ipilimumab (which is made by Medarex and Bristol Myers Squibb,) then surgery to cut away whatever cancers cells are left.

This drug is supposed to do something to the T-cells that cancer shuts off to get them running again. The doctors aren't even sure what is happening yet. What may make this a breakthrough though is that you might be able to repeat it on breast and ovarian cancer since they are dependant on homones as well. In any case more data will be in order but the idea that the cancer was essentially "cured" is a big deal.

Obama's Chicago Style Politics

This is an interesting article that hits on the exact problem I have with the Obama administration. He thinks about long term plans but doesn't execute on the minutiae. This part on the economy is what I don't like the most:

Second, he does not seem to care much about the details of policy. He subcontracted the stimulus package to congressional appropriators, the cap-and-trade legislation to Henry Waxman and Edward Markey, and his health care program to Max Baucus. The result is incoherent public policy: indefensible pork barrel projects, a carbon emissions bill that doesn’t limit carbon emissions from politically connected industries, and a health care program priced by the Congressional Budget Office at a fiscally unfeasible $1,600,000,000,000.

I'm not sure that Obama's stimulus plan would have been better but the Congress one is a dismal failure so far. You can hear him say "we need healthcare reform" over and over but then relies on Congress to hammer out the details. Then when their Budget Office says the thing will cost $1.6 trillion the Obama people have to scramble to convince people that we can afford such a staggering sum. Even cap-and-trade will be dismal failure and too much of a hard sell during recession like this one.

ObamaCare Starting to Cloud up a Little

It seems that the cost is starting to kill ObamaCare little by little.

That is why Democrats admit that it was a public relations disaster this week when the Congressional Budget Office issued a report this week concluding, from a partial draft of a Senate health committee bill, that the plan would cost $1 trillion over 10 years but only provide coverage for 16 million of the estimated 50 million Americans who are uninsured.

That $1 trillion is equal to $62,500 per year per insured person or $5208 a month. Most people pay less than a $1057 a month for a family or $392 a month for single coverage. So the government plan will cost taxpayers 5x to 13x more then a private plan? That just seems too nuts to fathom. Just give me the $62,500 in tax credits so I can buy my own insurance and be done with it. Hell, I'll buy the insurance for half that amount and pocket the rest.

Well, on the bright side it means that $634 billion "healthcare downpayment" in the budget can be taken right out of there as a deficit cutting measure. Maybe they can take that money and provide a business tax break or something that will actually stimulate the economy.

Khamenei Readying the Crackdown

Well, it looks like Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is going to go the way of the forgotten man of history as he might be choosing a Tiananmen Square style ending to the conflict.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sternly warned Friday of a crackdown if protesters continue their massive street rallies, escalating the government's showdown with demonstrators demanding a new presidential election.

I think Saturday will be a crucial day in the history of Iran. If the government cracks down hard they might go the way of the Shah or they might bully people into submission this time. The army will be the key because if they side with the marchers or refuse to fire on their own people the revolution will be on.

In any case I think the young Iranian's just got a whiff of freedom and solidarity and might never back down again. My guess is that the regime will last 10 more years at most even if there isn't a crackdown. When these marchers get into positions of power in the army and the old Islamic radicals that overthrew the Shah start to die of old age it will be the end of the regime.

Congress Passes Cash for Clunker Bill

I didn't like how they stuck it onto a war spending bill but the results are pretty damn cool. I love the idea of financial incentives to do something. Now they need to pass a Chili's Texas Cheese Fry Bill and I will dub this Congress a success.

Under the proposal, car owners could get a voucher worth $3,500 if they traded in a vehicle getting 18 miles per gallon or less for one getting at least 22 mpg. The value of the voucher would grow to $4,500 if the mileage of the new car was 10 mpg higher than the old vehicle. The miles per gallon figures are listed on the car window's sticker.

Owners of sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks or minivans that get 18 mpg or less could receive a voucher for $3,500 if their new truck or SUV got at least 2 mpg higher than their old vehicle. The voucher would increase to $4,500 if the mileage of the new truck or SUV was at least 5 mpg higher than the older vehicle.

ObamaCare is Not As Popular As You Might Think

According to this there was much more enthusiasm for HillaryCare in 1993 and 1994 then for ObamaCare today.

In ‘93 the Cold War was over, the economy was coming out of a recession considerably weaker than this one, and we were 15 years further removed from facing Medicare doomsday than we are now. Fast forward to 2009, with the U.S. stuck in two wars and Obamatopia landing us trillions in the red and it’s only natural that we’d find priorities have hope-n-changed.

One thing interesting that jumped out at me from looking at those poll numbers people that want to rebuild the health care system are only more than 50% in 2 categories. Only if you are a Democrat and if you are making less then $30,000 per year. In 1993 the only people that had less then 50% in support were the GOP (of course,) college grads, and people making $75,000 per year.

I think the idea that we are throwing another $1.5 trillion in new spending right after we have blown $1.75 trillion already is what is throwing off most Americans. Then they think that spending all that money will just end up both not insuring everyone and force you to wait 6 months for hip surgery or something.

I think the main problem with ObamaCare is not just the crushing costs but it is so easy to demonize the issue. Doctors can say you are ripping them off since they will be making far less but malpractice is not capped. Businesses can say that ObamaCare will raise their costs of doing business and they will have to lay off more workers. Hospitals can say that there will be less reimbursement if the government can low-ball insurance companies. Insurance companies can say that they can't compete with the government's low-ball offers. Patients can say that ObamaCare will make them have to wait in line to get surgery.

It is going to be a tough sell any way you slice it. I think Obama needs far more then just one ABC infomercials to get people to back his plan. If I were him I would back-burner this until the economy improves and you can pay down some of that deficit. Americans will back sweeping reform when it doesn't make an $11 trillion deficit into a $12.5 trillion+ deficit.

The 4 Scenarios to Resolve the Iran Crisis

Now this is an interesting take on what Time Magazine things are 4 ways the crisis in Iran could be resolved.

1. Government Falls. They say this one is highly unlikely and I would tend to agree. Hundreds of thousands in the street will only succeed in toppling the government if the military switches sides. They might be able to battle the Republican Guard and the Basij militia who support Ahmadinejoke and the result will not be pretty. This would result in a civil war and no one in that region would want to see that.

2. Tehran Tiananmen-style Massacre: This would damage the government to the core and thus I think it will be unlikely as well. There is no way they could keep the massacre quiet and nations all over the world will be outraged. Iran will fritter away their legitimacy and standing in the world for what would end up as a short term solution. Obama or any other world leader would never sit down with Ahmadinejoke who will have gotten his job over a massive pile of Iranian corpses. This will also create an insurgency in Iran that will be in place for decades.

3. Re-Vote after Guardian Council Acknowledges Irregularities: This is the scenario that I would do if I was in Khamenei's shoes. This one allows him to save face and say we are deferring to the "wise" councilmen. Then have a run-off between Mousavi and Ahmadinejoke.

You would then have a chance to rig an Ahmadinejoke win but without the vote so fake. Or you could could just let whatever true result of the election stand. Then you simply block anything that Mousavi does that you don't agree with. The whole time you will work to drive a wedge between the pragmatists and the reformers. This is the divide and conquer method but you get to placate the people and look like the "voice of reason."

4. Power Sharing: Time says this will only happen if Mousavi backs down or feels threatened enough to back down. This will allow Khamenei to have his boy, Ahamdinejoke in power but have some kind of power sharing arrangement with pragmatists and reformers mixed in with hard liners.

If I was Khamenei I would not make this bargain because this will put the pragmatists and reformers into one coalition against the hard liners. You are counting on disunity in order to rule and that just seems too unpredictable to me. This is especially bad because this coalition will have the power of the mob behind them and thus may be emboldened to play out a strong hand. Plus any failures will end up pinned on you and your boy, Ahamadinejoke instead of on Mousavi.

Jon Minus Kate; Who Gets the 8?

Well, it looks like it is splitsville for the two most annoying reality fixtures of all time.

The source says that Kate recently met with a divorce lawyer. Another source told RadarOnline.com that the couple had previously agreed to separate by July 15.

But that timetable has now been pushed forward.

I would love to see them divorce from their TV show and see their 15 minutes of fame come to an end but that won't be happening anytime soon. Mark my words, we will get wall-to-wall Jon and Kate divorce proceedings including a courtroom camp-out. Then we will have wall-to-wall custody hearings right afterward.

Yes, this will be the top story for the next few news cycles while North Korea might be proliferating nukes and Iran might going into meltdown mode. I love how the MSM keeps their priorities strait.

Obama Remains Popular But Cracks Appear from His Handling of Economy

It seems that Americans are starting to be leery of historically high deficits and government run car companies.

Nearly seven in 10 have serious reservations about the federal government’s ownership stake in General Motors. Almost 60 percent say that President Obama and Congress should worry more about keeping the deficit down — even if that means it will take longer for the economy to recover. And fewer than half of Americans have confidence in the president’s policies to improve the economy.

That last one sounds pretty bad if I was the Obama people. That means all the stimulus and all the trillion dollar budgets full of Health care down payments and such have been a waste of time. I think America should be rightfully afraid because massive debt will crush us in the future no doubt about it. You can't blame Bush anymore because these are your debts and your car companies now Mr. President.

ABC Promises that Obamacare Infomercial Unbiased

The funny thing is that all of their coverage will be from the White House.

The dustup began when officials at the Republican National Committee got wind that ABC News would devote extensive coverage to the topic, including an interview with President Obama and the First Lady on "Good Morning America," a White House-set telecast of "World News" and a one-hour prime-time town-hall type discussion with the President on health care on June 24.

Here is ABCs response to the criticism:

Not so fast, said ABC officials, who maintain all sides of the argument will be represented.

"In the end, no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions," ABC News Senior Vice President Kerry Smith said in a letter to the RNC.

All sides meaning the White House side and some mealy mouthed talking heads complaining about costs. I will be willing to bet even money that no one will mention the words " health care rationing" or it will cost 1.5 trillion extra dollars at any time during the infomercial.

If ABC had any kind of integrity they would have Obama and whatever critic that the RNC chooses debate the issue like a town hall style election debate. Now that would be true debate and understanding instead of some infomercial.

Olive Garden Pulls their Ads from Late Show with David Letterman

Now this is the only way for these "comedians" to understand that all jokes aren't created equal. Hopefully other people like John Stewart should understand that when you go after a politician the children are off limits. If not then your sponsors pull their money. They should keep in mind that 56.3 million Americans voted for the other guy in the last election.

In an email to a Letterman critic obtained by POLITICO, a spokeswoman for the Italian restaurant chain wrote that “there will be no more Olive Garden ads scheduled for ‘The Late Show’ with David Letterman in this year's broadcast schedule,” citing the talk show host’s “inappropriate comments.”

“We apologize that Mr. Letterman’s mistake, which was not consistent with our standards and values, left you with a bad impression of Olive Garden,” wrote Sherri Bruen, the company’s guest relations manager.

Another Massive Crowd Gathers in Iran

This crowd was marching in remembrance of the 7 people shot by pro-government militia groups.

Independent witnesses said that, based on previous demonstrations at the site, the size of the crowd appeared to be in the hundreds of thousands. Foreign news organizations are barred from reporting on Tehran's streets.

The demonstrators had marched silently until they arrived at the square, where some chanted "Death to the dictator!" one witness said. Press TV showed them making V-for-victory gestures and holding pictures of Mousavi and signs that say "Where's our Vote?"

Top 10 Most Wasteful Stimulus Projects

Well I said it once before that the stimulus was a big fat waste of money and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) is pointing it out with his Top 10 List of Most Wasteful Projects. Here are the Top 5 and they don't add up to a whole bunch compared to the $789 billion. However this is my money being wasted for this stupid crap so someone needs to be held accountable.

1. Perkins, Oklahoma where accepting $1.5 million in stimulus money for a waste water plant forced the city to borrow $5.875 million more. That shot up sewer rates by 60%. There is nothing that stimulates the economy more then raising rates by 60%.

2. Futurgen in Mattoon, Illinois, $1 billion wasted dollars on a Blagojevich sponsored project to build a next gen coal plant. Too bad the next gen was 2003 and better tech is already available.

3. River Road, Wisconsin where they are spending $15.3 million to fix rural bridges instead of fixing 1256 structurally deficient bridges. My bet is it will take years of permits and bidding to get the bigger bridges fixed so the dinky ones came first. Too bad the big bridges are only going to be fixed when we are already out of the recession.

4. John Murtha Airport, Pennsylvania will get another $800,000 to repave the backup runway for an airport that serves 9,733 passengers a year. I'm willing to bet that Murtha and his cronies make up the bulk of that number as well.

5. Lake Jackson, Florida Eco-Passage will cost $3.4 million to make a tunnel for turtles under US 27. Why can't they just build a bunch of fences along the highway so turtles don't come onto the road? It seems some community activists have already built a temporary fence so just give them the money to expand their work.

Scary Assessment on What Might Go Down in Iran

This is some sobering thinking from Forbes on the issue.

It is clear that the regime is committed to a carefully planned, extremely violent campaign in the next few days. Will this silence millions of people who are desperate for change? Even if the authorities successfully clear the streets, could Ahmadinejad's government effectively govern after such a campaign? The strategy could backfire as it did in 1979 with Shah's regime. But every dictator feels entitled not to learn from the past and instead make mistakes of his own.

The hardliners should know that the violence and brutal crackdown in 1979 is what caused the Shah's government to fall apart. In fact they were the rock throwers in the street getting gunned down by the Shahs men. The funny thing is they hope that no one will be watching when they do it to this generation. But it isn't 1979 anymore and the world is actually watching via the Internet.