All the Ways the Feds have Screwed up the Oil Spill Clean-up

Yup that red tape is a bad deal when it comes to preventing a slow-motion disaster.

Federal regulatory red tape has gotten in the way of the cleanup, including: 1) missed opportunities to burn off more of the oil because of overblown air pollution concerns; 2) holdups in the use of dispersants; 3) permit delays in allowing the state of Louisiana to create artificial barriers against the encroaching oil slick; 4) failure to waive reg­ulatory prohibitions against foreign assistance; and 5) failure to approve barges and booms in time to block oil from reaching Alabama’s Magnolia River.

Here is all the crap the White House has engaged in that did nothing to clean up spilled oil or cap the leak:

Instead of providing leadership and properly coordinating the response, the Obama administration has chosen to shift blame and politicize the disaster, including: 1) “not-at-all veiled shot[s] at the Bush Administration” for the state of the Minerals and Management Service; 2) vague threats of criminal prosecution from Attorney General Eric Holder; 3) a moratorium on offshore oil drilling which could kill 120,000 jobs in the Gulf alone; and 4) pushing caps on carbon dioxide emissions which have no hope of cleaning up a single drop of oil spilled.

I guess you can chalk all this up to the fact that government can't solve certain problems and if a blame-shifting neophyte is at the helm things can only get worse. I have to agree that the "Get BP" mentality is getting old and doesn't do anything to stop the leak or clean a pelican.

Great Article on Turkey's Overreach on Iranian Nuke Issue

I have to agree that whenever the Ottomans tried to do anything in the east and south of their countries they always ran into trouble. Now they are trying to meddle in the Middle East and it might come to their own grief.

Their joint intervention on the Iranian nuclear program gives an impression of naive over-eagerness. If the two countries had wanted to play a serious and constructive role (and there was room for them to do so) they would have needed to inform themselves more fully about the state of play, build confidence among the current group of six countries who have been handling the issue (the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany), and take a proposal to Iran that had a realistic chance of being accepted by both sides. The proposal they submitted to the Iranians was sloppy and ill-advised, clearly doomed from the start. Even very casual conversations with Russia and China would have told the Turks and Brazilians that this was a non-starter.

If I were playing the Great Game as Turkey I would partner with the other anti-Iran Gulf states in order to make their government fall. The idea of a nuclear armed power to your southeast should make you rethink your equation. I mean the Iranians could care less about Turkey in any other capacity then simply a "useful idiot" on the Security Council.

A Democratic Iran would be a far greater partner for Turkish business interests and trade then what you have now. Also close trade ties with a vibrant, growing, oil rich power (that is no longer encumbered by sanctions) would actually bring money into the dirt-poor east and south of your country. Just having more oil pipelines that pass through your country and into Europe would mean billions more a year.

These pipelines also strengthens your hand when it comes to joining the EU. You no longer enter as a country with a terribly poor east and south but an established oil player. You will also be the gateway to the emerging powers that a Democratic Iran and Iraq would be in 20 years time.

Also with prosperity comes complacency when it comes to the Kurds living in your country. A prosperous Kurdish population that you have built up with your ties to Democratic Iran will be less likely to rebel or form their own nation. You also counter Iraqi Kurdish money and influence in your southern regions as well.

BP Agree's to $20 Billion Shakedown

I have never seen the hubris of an administration that can impel a foreign company to put aside $20 billion dollars without any sort of court order.

President Barack Obama and BP reached agreement Wednesday on a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the giant British company's chairman apologized to America for the worst spill in U.S. history.

BP is suspending its dividends to shareholders to help pay for the costs, said chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg.

Obama announced the agreement after a four-hour meeting with BP officials. He also said the company had agreed to set up a separate $100 million fund to compensate oil rig workers laid off as a result of his six-month moratorium on deepwater drilling.

That first line has Obama talking like a dictator and he is lucky that BP is playing ball. I think they might have a legal recourse to get out of this coercion. Also the idea of making BP pay for the salaries of their competitors who have been put out of work by the White House is ludicrous. Also no talk of suspending the Jones Act so we can get some state-of the art Swedish and Danish oil skimmers out there.

Al Gore May have been Getting a Little Side Action with Larry David's Ex-Wife

I guess you can't trust this guy around your friends ex-wife any more then you can trust him around your carbon.

In the June 28 issue of Star, on sale Wednesday, we report that Al and Tipper's breakup didn't come as much of a surprise to one Hollywood player — Laurie David. Star has learned that Al has been having an affair with Laurie, who divorced Seinfeld creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David in 2007 amidst reports she was cheating with the caretaker of their Martha's Vineyard summer home.

“Al and Laurie went from friends to lovers," an insider tells Star. "It couldn’t be avoided

."

Mars Covered in Water?

It sure seems like it was the case a few billion years ago.

The ocean -- which likely covered about 36 percent of the planet and contained 30 million cubic miles of water, about ten times less than Earth's oceans -- was fed by at least 52 river deltas which were in turn fed by countless river valleys and tributaries. Half of those deltas were at similar elevations, most likely marking the ocean's boundaries.

The next questions to answer are where did the water go and if that ocean had any life living in it.

Colorado Man Goes After Bin Laden

Too bad he didn't succeed.

An American man has been detained in the mountains of Pakistan after local authorities found him carrying a sword, pistol and night-vision goggles on a Rambo-style solo mission to hunt down and kill Osama bin Laden.

Friends and family say construction worker Gary Brooks Faulkner is a devout, good-humored Christian who often talked about building a porch or framing a house — not taking down the world's most-wanted terrorist. They had few clues to explain his 7,300-mile journey.

I guess it is a pretty good deal that he was caught by the police. If the Taliban found him they would have tortured the crap out of him before cutting off his head. Instead he could be a minor celebrity if he plays his cards right.

Democrat Congressman Roughs Up Some Students

I guess this is what Congress really wants to do to the voters.

The video was posted on websites owned by Andrew Breitbart, the conservative Web entrepreneur who also released video of workers for the community organizing group ACORN counseling actors posing as a pimp and prostitute.

It shows two men approaching Etheridge with a camera on a Washington street. He swats at the camera and repeatedly asks the men who they are. When they say they are students, he grabs one by the wrist and quickly by the back of the neck before pulling him against his side.

A simple no-comment would have sufficed. Instead we have Congress-scum lashing out (literally) against the people who dares to take their picture. I think they should consider pressing charges against this guy.

Iranian Cleric Admits: Yeah we Want the Bomb

It seems like they are finally going to drop the pretext of "peaceful enrichment."

The hardline spiritual mentor of Iran's president has made a rare public call for producing the "special weapons" that are a monopoly of a few nations — a veiled reference to nuclear arms.

The Associated Press on Monday obtained a copy of a book written by Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi in which he wrote Iran should not deprive itself of the right to produce these "special weapons."

"The most advanced weapons must be produced inside our country even if our enemies don't like it. There is no reason that they have the right to produce a special type of weapons, while other countries are deprived of it," Yazdi said.

I'm sure Obama still would like to negotiate with these people "without preconditions." The Green Revolution just can't come fast enough.

Obama's Hypocracy Trap

I have detected quite a few of the things that were pointed out in this article.

Even if Republicans were responsible for every evil attributed to them by Democrats, why bang on about it after 17 months in office? The only answer is self-preservation, which is an unattractive trait in someone who's supposed to be leader.

But because he is stuck in a defensive crouch on the BP spill, the economy, Afghanistan, Israel, the bungling political maneuvers of his operatives, and more, Obama has no alternative but to play the blame game.

Yeah, but he is constantly talking about how he hates the Washington blame game but then blames everyone other then himself. This part had me laughing out loud.

The interview is already famous for Obama's line about relying on experts to tell him whose "ass to kick." The line is funny because what was supposed to be proof of his red-blooded American anger came off as clueless. What kind of leader needs advice on ass kicking?

The funniest part is that Obama has to "rely on experts" to kick ass in the first place. That has to be the wimpiest thing an American President has said in a long time. This isn't tough talk about bombing but tough talk about stopping an ecological disaster. I know he really can't do anything other than saying "faster, faster BP" but the finger-pointing is really getting to be a joke now.

This part is the best description I have read of the Obama White House by far as well.

Pragmatists have turned their backs on the president after finding that the last, best argument that Democrats made in 2008 -- Obama's competency under pressure -- was actually decision-making paralysis masquerading as coolness.

This paralysis as coolness is rampant in the Obama White House. It happened with the protesters in Iran and on the backlash against Obamacare. You could chalk those up to inexperience now there are no more excuses.

Louisiana Politicians Call for End on Drilling Ban

It seems to be by bipartisan margins as well.

Louisiana lawmakers have railed against the moratorium, saying it could put more than 100,000 people out of work, shutter businesses and destroy livelihoods. A bill asking the administration to shorten the moratorium passed the Legislature unanimously.

But persuading the administration to take such action could prove to be extraordinarily difficult at a time when globs of oil are fouling marshes and beaches, images of oil-soaked birds are a fixture in the news and no apparent end to the spill is in sight.

I have to agree with one lawmaker that calls it grounding all airplanes in the US because one of them crashed. If they have to do a safety audit of all the blow-out preventers then we better get a progress report soon. If they aren't doing that and just stopped deep water drilling to limit political damage then Obama needs to get out of the way and let these people get back to work.

Only 3 Months After the BP Oil Rig Exploded; Obama Meets With the Families

And people wonder why the dispassionate act is hurting him.

The president's private meeting with the families in the State Dining Room is part of his effort to show the public, unhappy with the handling of the catastrophe by the government and the well owner, BP PLC, that he is on top of the situation.

I'm sure Bill Clinton would have met with the families first and not waited until he had to "get on top of the situation" to do it. I mean it isn't just a bunch of pelicans that died in this spill but 11 people did too. Finally, Obama is getting around to acknowledging that fact.

It is also good to see that the British government coming to the aid of their company at least noting how economically important the company is to people in Britain.

BP PLC got its first public sign of support from the British government Thursday as the U.K.'s Treasury chief cited the "economic value" of BP in the U.K. and the U.S. In addition, the U.K.'s new prime minister said he expected to discuss the company in a weekend call with U.S. President Barack Obama.

Ashton Kutcher Dings the GOP about the Oil Spill while Driving a Giant Freakish Pickup

I think this may be the worst case of hypocrisy outside of the United Nations courtesy of a brain dead celebrity.

“If you could go back to the Republican National Convention and look the guys in the eyes that were saying, ‘DRILL, DRILL, DRILL,’ at the Republican National Convention, those guys, there you go… that’s what we got, like, we did it, we drilled drilled drilled,” said Kutcher.

I guess he forgot there are about 4000 other rigs in the Gulf of Mexico that were there long before 2008. Actually much of the reason all of these rigs are out there is so Americans can drive giant pick-up trucks like this one:



Wait who is that behind the wheel? The aforementioned Ashton Kutcher. They want to "drill, drill, drill" so you can drive around this monstrosity that gets 7 miles a gallon. What is even more rich is he is not hauling iron ore but is driving it to get some Starbucks or something. Now this has to be the biggest case of "do as I say not as I do" of all time.

Obama Looks for "Ass to Kick" on Oil Spill

I guess someone finally told him that the detached Spock act is not going to get the job done here. I wonder if he will kick his own ass since he only seems to be reacting emotionally 2 months after the damage has been done.

He told NBC he was looking for some "ass to kick" as recriminations mount and oil reaps a dreadful toll on seabirds, Louisiana wetlands, teeming fishing grounds and idyllic beaches.

He rejected claims he had been too cool, or slow in his response.

"I'm going to push back hard on this because I think that this is an idea that got into folks' heads and the media is running with it.

"I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf," he said.

Um, people were certainly paying attention on May 2nd when he first went down to the Gulf and flew around in his helicopter. I like how he blames the media as well for pointing out how he didn't seem to care about things happening in the Gulf until just recently. I mean he had time to meet with Marv Albert and talk about the NBA he should have had more time for the spill.

Helen Thomas Resigns after Advocating the Destruction of the State of Israel

Well at least she lost her job for what many on the far left think but dare not say.

Known for her confrontational questioning, Thomas apologized for comments that were captured on video and have spread widely on the Internet. On the May 27 video, Thomas says Israelis should "get the hell out of Palestine" and suggests they go to Germany, Poland or the U.S.

In other words Thomas would like to see the Jews kicked right out of their nation and forced to relocate in Europe or the US. In other words she wouldn't mind seeing the destruction of the State of Israel just like Iran and Hamas. Now that is keeping with some interesting company for the gargoyle of the Press Corps. Her apology is a strait-up joke as well:

She added: "They do not reflect my heart-felt belief that peace will come to the Middle East only when all parties recognize the need for mutual respect and tolerance. May that day come soon."

Yeah, in her mind peace in the Middle East can only be achieved after all the Jews leave their country. The sad part is that she echos much of the thinking on the far left. With them the Israelis are the bad guys and even when they are protecting themselves. Israel will always be held to a double standard. I mean Obama is condemning them building in eastern part of their own capital.

This Newsweek Line Had me Thinking of Nazi Germany at the End of WW2

I just thought this was kind of funny coming from the slowly dying liberal magazine like Newsweek:

This year, careful planning, internal GOP conflict, an improving economic climate, and yet-to-be-introduced technologies have the potential to limit Democratic losses to less-than-catastrophic proportions.

That last bit got me to think of the so-called Wunderwaffe that Goebbels was talking about just before the Allies closed in on Germany. These wonderful unnamed technologies and the godlike prescience of the guy that got Obama elected, David Plouffe will save to day for the rapidly dying Democratic brand.

I think it will take more than a few Me-262s and the Democrat Rommel (or maybe Zukov would be more apropos if you subscribe to the "Obama as Lenin" school of thought) to keep the Dems from losing a whole lot of seats in November.

The Nuclear Option is Off the Table in the BP Oil Leak

Well, there is nothing like a controlled nuclear explosion a mile below the Gulf of Mexico to make people a little nervous. I guess they would use a neutron bomb instead of a regular nuclear warhead that could aid radiation to the list of things that they would have to clean up.

But William J. Broad of the New York Times reported Thursday that the Obama administration had ruled out going nuclear on the well. Indeed, he reported, "The nuclear option was not — and never had been — on the table, federal officials said.

"'It's crazy,' one senior official said."

If this spill actually lasts until August or the relief wells fail to stop the leak then the nuclear option will probably be the last bullet in the gun. In that case you can pretty much forget deep water drilling from here on in.

The Gaza Crisis Solved: Give Gaza to Turkey

It seems as long as there is an Islamist government in Turkey that is pro-Hamas it sure makes sense to do this:

So I have a modest proposal: if Turkey is so concerned with the welfare of Gazans, why not let Turkey run the place. Israel doesn’t want it, and never has; it tried to give it back to Egypt several times, but Egypt doesn’t want it, either. Meanwhile, Gaza is controlled by a terrorist government that is both cruel and incompetent; and Israel is not going to lift its siege to long as Hamas is in charge.

If this was still the Grand Game period it would be the perfect move to just outright sell Gaza or gift it to the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and wash their hands of it. I mean the Turks did once rule that entire area in the 1800s. Then all Israel would have to do is strengthen their border from everywhere except by sea.

I'm sure the Turkish military would love to patrol a desolate wasteland full of refugee camps and try to rebuild a country shattered by Hamas. However, you can count down the number of days until Hamas uses a suicide bomber against the "Turkish occupier." But that is besides the point.

Israel's next move would be to make a separate peace with Fatah in the West Bank and normalize relations with this Palestinian State. Israel gets rid of the missiles pointed at their cities and hands the problem off to another nation to solve. If missiles are fired at them from Gaza then it would like an attack from Turkish territory and carry the consequences of that action. If Turkey can't provide security in Gaza then who can?

It Seems the White House did Offer Some Pay for Play

Well at least for now we can believe that Obama wasn't contacted about the details of the thing. That may let him beat the impeachment rap yet again.

President Barack Obama was unaware a top aide encouraged a Colorado Democrat to apply for an international development job instead of challenging the candidate whom the president favored in a Senate race, the White House said Thursday.

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs faced fresh questions about another backroom political deal — the first involving a Pennsylvania candidate, now a Colorado hopeful — that put the Obama administration on the defensive. The White House acknowledged that it had contacted former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff about possible jobs in hopes of persuading him to skip the Senate primary.

I bet the new media would not have given Bush this kind of wide leeway if he was cooking up these kind of offers so that Republicans didn't have to run. If any media member does break away we might actually get a Watergate 2 on our hands so I bet they will keep a lid on it.

I n any case I think the "Chicago Way" might not be such a good idea going forward unless the White House is itching to hear the dreaded words: President Joe Biden.

The President Loses Jon Stewart Again This Time on the Oil Spill

I thought I was watching an anti-Bush tirade after Katrina but this one is all-Obama.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Spilling Fields
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

Turkish Paper Declares "Aid Mission" a Trojan Horse

It seems that Israels enemies are getting even more crafty then usual. This is a plan right of of Sun-Tzu.

Media reports in Ankara on Wednesday revealed that three out of the four Turkish citizens that were killed during the raid declared their wishes to become shahids (martyrs). Another Dutch report claimed a Dutch activist who was arrested by the IDF is suspected of being a senior Hamas operative.

Wow, senior Hamasniks and martyrs-to-be lurking on the "aid mission." In fact it looks like the activists were actually armed to the teeth and were just waiting for the IDF to board the ships:

These men were organized and well-trained, with a clear chain of command — there were leaders, deputies, and footsoldiers, divided up into specific groups, located in pre-designated locations on the top deck of the boat waiting for the soldiers to board.

They were fully equipped for battle. A search of the ship found weaponry — knives, axes, metal poles — as well as protective gear, bulletproof vests, masks, and night vision goggles. When they were apprehended, none of them carried any form of identification, and most of them had thousands of dollars in their pockets.

I bet Obama is thanking his lucky stars that he did not go knee-jerk and "condemn Israel in the strongest possible terms" for a so-called "massacre of the innocents." He would have lost the 40% of Jews that were still left in his corner.

It is interesting how the world declares Israel guilty until proven guilty whenever it comes to defending themselves. Israel is the Charlie Brown of the world. They just can't win.

The White House Allegedly Offers More "Drop Out from the Race" Jobs

I thought this was the most ethical administration of all time. First Sestak and now Andrew Romanoff?

Romanoff said in a statement Wednesday that Obama's deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, called him shortly after his plans to run for Senate became public in September. Romanoff says Messina never made any guarantees, and no job offer was ever made.

Romanoff says the three jobs that were mentioned were deputy assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, director of Democracy and Governance, and director of U.S. Trade and Development Agency.

Um, that sound you hear is the White House throwing Messina under the bus. My money is on his resignation within a few weeks if this story actually goes wall-to-wall. However, with the media in the pocket of the White House we might have to rely on the National Inquirer or someone to actually run with the story.

Hatoyama resignation tanks Yen

I guess political turmoil in the worlds 2nd biggest economy is starting to weigh on the safe-haven status of their currency.

(CUR_USDYEN 92.1300, +1.1600, +1.2750%) bought ¥92.13, up from ¥91.02 late in North American trading Tuesday, while one euro bought ¥112.54, up from ¥111.40.

That was a 1.27% weakening in just one day. I wonder if more money will flow out of the Yen until Japan can get some kind of handle on their political situation?

Hatoyama Steps Down

Wow first his ugly shirt now he is looking for a job. Japanese politics is cruel.

The prime minister faced growing pressure from within his own party to resign ahead of July's upper house elections. His approval ratings had plummeted over his bungled handling of the relocation of the Marine Air Station Futenma, which reinforced his public image as an indecisive leader.

Hatoyama is the fourth Japanese prime minister to resign in four years.

If our government changed hangs 4 times in 4 years then there would be widespread fear of collapse. I guess the Japanese are more willing to see constant change at the top spot. The problem is the North Koreans are looking on with a greedy eye. I would be willing to bet they will fire a few missiles over Japan as a test of their resolve.

BP's Live Oil Spill Cam

This is quite fascinating viewing. Right now it looks like mud is flowing out of the thing but it was oil before. It is so interesting to see nearly a mile down below the ocean in real time like this.

Watch BP Live Spillcam Feed

Countries all over the World Try to Confiscate Miner Profits

Well we have more talk of "super taxes" on the windfall profits of mining companies.

And yet Australia may have started a trend. Government officials in Brazil -- which, with Australia is the world's most important iron ore producing country -- have said as far back as February that they're considering the taxation of commodities shipments or the hiking of royalties payments. (At the time, however, the remarks from Brazil's energy and mining minister, Edison Lobao, were interpreted as the government's way of pressuring Vale to invest more in Brazilian projects.)

Also it seems that China, India, and Chile are thinking of imposing similar taxes. Only the Canadians are going to keep their low taxes in place. What this means though is that suddenly everything that you need aluminum or steel to make are going to rise in price.

Also you will see a mass exodus out of Australia by many mining companies as well as big cuts in mine spending. I mean why would you spend billions to upgrade a copper mine in Australia if the government is simply going to confiscate double the amount of taxes you paid just a few years ago? That means a Joy Global or a Fluor will see far less profits then before. Just the talk of it has hurt the Australian Dollar.

I just don't understand how governments can look at an industry and say "you are making too much money" and just slam down the tax hammer on them. It was the same thing with the "windfall profits" BS that the Congress was peddling in 2008.

It might be tied up with "resources nationalism" where the Aussies want to keep their copper, iron ore, and gold from going overseas to fund the Chinese growth machine. Instead they want to either keep it in the ground where they can control it. It would be interesting to see the consequences of trade protectionism when it comes to natural resources.

The Public Turns Against Obama in Oil Spill

Well it has been 5 weeks already and people are started to get anxious (or news fatigue is starting to set in.)

In the five weeks since an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig sent hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico, Obama had largely escaped political fallout. But as BP attempts yet again to seal the leak, a new USA Today/Gallup Poll finds a majority of Americans unhappy with Obama's handling of the spill. According to the poll, 53 percent rate Obama's handling "poor" or "very poor"; 43 percent believe Obama is doing a good job.

That is a -10% rating and if it gets much worse it will by Obama's Katrina.

Yet the poll also finds that the public tends to blame others in the mess more than it blames the White House. Asked broadly about the federal government's role, 60 percent rated the response "poor." BP got the lowest marks: 73 percent of Americans gave the company's handling of the spill a "poor" rating. Still, a whopping 68 percent say BP should remain in charge of the cleanup.

I like how the public understands that BP should stay in charge of the clean up until they have exhausted all avenues of attack. I think the government needs to step in and at least help out in the clean up phase while BP can concentrate 100% capping the well. Hopefully the "ton-kill" will work.

Could the Liberals be Losing the Culture War?

It might be the last casualty of this entire economic crisis according to this.

They sense — and Woody and Friedman sense with a different reaction — that the Culture Wars are turning. It’s partly the Tea Parties, but it’s more than that. It’s the zeitgeist. The times, they are definitely a-changin’. Liberalism, as we have known it for decades, is on the defensive. With the welfare state unsustainable, it has nowhere to turn and its adherents are turning tail in every direction. They are mad and they are, in many cases, unmoored. Lifetime ideologies are beginning to crumble. Personality constructs are at risk.

I think the problems in Greece and the rest of Europe might be the last nail in the coffin of cradle-to-grave government intervention in the economy. It shows that you can't retire at 50 with an 90% pension and keep the model going hoping that some other guy pays the taxes for it. People riot and bank workers are burned to death when that happens.

One of the cornerstones of liberalism is that the government can take care of you economically. That model failed in Greece, as well as in California, and Illinois. What is worse people are actually realizing the real reason that the model is failing is that the government spends too much on worthless crap. They don't want to be be taxed any more because they know that extra money will simply be spent to prop up a union or bail-out someone that is not them.

They also see that workers unions pretty much cut unfair sweetheart deals and are bailed out if they can't pay for their largess. These unions can run auto makers into the ground, beat up black people, and terrorize the children of bankers and they are applauded by the people in charge.

They have been given the power to run their model and it seems that only about 30% of the people are actually supporting them. They thought Obama becoming President gave them a mandate to create a European Socialist state. Then the whole idea of the European Socialist state with their green jobs, their huge pensions, and their free health care collapsed when nobody wanted to lend them any more money.

Then you have the added humiliation that the oil spill is causing them. The idea that the all-powerful government is powerless while a private corporation is doing everything it can to fix a problem must be galling. The calls for the government "to take over" would actually make the disaster worse since they have no idea how to cap a leak a mile under the ocean. The whole idea that they need to drill a mile down was because guys like Woody Allen do not want them to drill in shallower water and mess up the view from their million dollar mansions.

All the government can do is "put the boot on the neck" of BP and hope for the best. Hated big oil is the only people that can prevent a slow motion disaster and all the "giant brains" in the White House and Congress can do is watch and pound the table. No amount of wealth redistribution or "windfall profits taxes" or even the nationalization of the oil industry will get that well capped. That is powerlessness.

Obama Militarizes the Mexican Border

I have to say it is about time we secure the border.

Obama will also request $500 million for border protection and law enforcement activities, according to lawmakers and administration officials. The moves come as chances for action on comprehensive immigration reform, Obama's long-stated goal, look increasingly small in this election year. But Obama is under pressure to do something with the issue front and center after Arizona's passage of a tough crackdown law.

I'm not sure if national guardsmen are supposed to do law enforcement activities unless we are under marital law. So I'm not sure if they will be setting up checkpoints or flying drones around to catch illegals sneaking into the country. It doesn't fit the Constitutional smell test but I guess they can swing it by saying it is to protect national security.

I can see Glenn Beck saying that these national guardsmen are going to take over law enforcement from the Arizona PD and create a communist "police state." Then they will be used for other nefarious purposes like setting up camps for conservatives or something.

I hope he doesn't take the bait because conservatives have been clamoring for this for years and Obama is giving them what they want. In fact I think 1200 isn't enough and we need to mobilize at least 5000 or more to fan out along the entire border. I mean the drug gangs are getting through along with the illegals and it is a matter of time before they simply take over a border town (or just build an out of the way compound) to use as a transshipment point. Hmm I wonder if we can have US National Guard vs. the Zetas on Spike's Deadliest Warrior show?

Federal Oil Watchdogs on Meth and watching Porn at Work?

I guess they can now apply for a job at the SEC since their porn credentials are all in order.

In a related matter, the Interior Department's acting inspector general outlined in a memo released online Tuesday that a number of inspectors with the Minerals Management Service have fraternized with oil industry employees and that MMS employees may have been under the influence of crystal methamphetamine at work. Mary L. Kendall also told Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in a report that some MMS employees viewed pornography while at work and passed it on to other employees.

Wow meth and porn that must be some kind of record for a federal agency. I wonder if the inspector that checks the blow-out protector actually had a mess of video files open when he should have been looking at the things safety record. Or maybe he confused the blow-out protector with actual blow. I guess you can finally say "these inspectors must be smoking meth" and actually be right on the money.

Neurocrine Biosciences Finds "statistically significant and clinically meaningful" results in the battle against Endometriosis

The stock doubled after hours and since this disease might afflict up to 5 - 10% of all women this is a pretty good deal.

“The Daisy PETAL study was successful, all primary and secondary efficacy endpoints were met, and provided exactly the information we need to move this program forward,” said Chris O’Brien, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Neurocrine. “We now have confirmation that the daily scales for menstrual and non-menstrual pelvic pain, developed with extensive input from the FDA and patients, function well in a clinical trial setting. These daily endpoints reflect the way women with endometriosis experience their symptoms and also demonstrate improvement with elagolix.”

The drug is used mostly to reduce pelvic pain from this disease and is a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist. I guess that means it is a specialized hormone pill since Gonadotropin is used as a fertility drug for men. What is interesting is that Manny Ramirez was suspended last year for 50 games for taking this hormone.

The drug seems pretty safe as well with only 4.4% of people dropping out of the study with the biggest side affect being nausea. Sounds like it could be a pretty good drug if it gets to market.

Hubble Catches Star Eating a Planet

Now this must be one hellish world indeed.

The Hubble space telescope has discovered a planet in our galaxy in the process of being devoured by the star that it orbits, according to a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

The doomed planet, dubbed WASP-12b, has the highest known surface temperature of any planet in the Milky Way -- around 1,500 degrees Celsius (2,800 degrees Fahrenheit).

The star system is only 600 light years away and will still be around for 10 million years before it is eaten by its sun. Dispatch a science vessel at once Number One.

Some Ways to Fix Social Security

Some of these will be quite painful but I kind of advocate this one as a fix.

Modify the Social Security tax cap. Workers pay into the Social Security system on earnings up to $106,800 in 2010. About 83 percent of worker earnings were subject to Social Security payroll taxes in 2008. If all earned income above $106,800 annually were subject to Social Security contributions but did not count toward benefits, Social Security's projected deficit would be completely eliminated. If the higher income counted toward Social Security benefits, about 95 percent of the shortfall would be absolved. Other ideas: apply a new Social Security formula to earnings above the current cap or raise the amount of the income cap to apply to 90 percent of all worker earnings.

This is kind of a rob the rich thing but it would probably be the most politically palatable. I guess the cap was originally put in because rich people do not get any added benefit to Social Security so they shouldn't pay any extra into the system. I think I could stomach higher Social Security taxes as long as they do something like cut capital gains taxes or something similar.

Some Interesting Insight on How to Get rid of Kim in North Korea

I had no idea that North Korea has been set up in such a way to make almost all dissent practically impossible. Also the idea of using hunger and forced labor as a way to hold on to power if monstrous and shows how Kim certainly took Stalinist method to heart. However, there is one small glimmer of hope that capitalism can conquer all:

For all of these reasons, North Korea could not and still cannot develop the kind of dissident infrastructure that grew in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. But within this bleak picture, one institution has finally emerged that the state cannot crush: the free market. Markets now provide most of the food that North Koreans eat, and increasingly, they also deliver cell phones, radios, DVD players, and South Korean consumer goods, junk food, movies, and TV programs:

Where there is cell phones there is the seeds of a rebellion. The case-in-point is what happened in Iran. If Obama had been JFK and supported the Green Rebellion we might have had a regime change. Instead he stood on his hands and let the protesters get killed and thrown into jails. I think the US, South Korea, and China needs to start bombarding North Korea with the free market.

2012 Olympic Mascots: What the Hell are the Brits Thinking?

What are these monsters supposed to be?



They are supposed to be called Wenlock (L) and Paralympic mascot Mandeville (R.) But it appears that Wenlock is an avowed Nazi by giving us his best Hitler Salute. He might be a bit confused because he looks like he has the hand of communist rebellion emblazoned on his chest. Or maybe it is a hand holding a grenade it is hard to tell.

While Mandeville appears to have wet his pants or has conspicuously displayed his crotch for some horrible reason. Plus both of them have grotesquely staring cyclopean eyes. No wonder Obama hates Britain if this is the horror show they come up with for Olympics mascots.

I wonder what would be wrong with a cartoon lion wearing a Coldstream Guard outfit? Or maybe a bulldog with a appropriately English looking hat? Even a plate of anthropomorphous fish and chips would have been better then the Nazi cyclops and his pal the cyclops that had an "accident" in his pants.

Yankees Top the Most Valuable Team Brand List

It is the first time since Forbes has been doing this brand value deal that they have passed up Manchester United.

The Yankees brand is worth $328 million (21 percent of their $1.6 billion total team value), while we calculate the Man U name to be worth $285 million (16 percent of their $1.835 billion value). The two teams swapped spots as the Yankees saw a merchandising frenzy thanks to a 27th World Series title and the opening of their new stadium. Gross sales of World Series and Yankees championship-emblazoned products totaled $450 million last year, while the new ballpark spurred 40 percent growth in sponsorship revenue. Local TV ratings on YES Network (Forbes is a partner in a show on YES) were up 11 percent, even as most baseball teams saw ratings decline. Also helping push the Yanks to the top was a strengthening U.S. dollar, which gained 17 percent on the British pound over the 12-month period we reviewed.

HP Beats Street on Revenues and Earnings

They also raised their full year estimates as well.

Revenue rose to $30.8 billion, better than the $29.8 billion that analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected. In the same quarter a year earlier, revenue was $27.4 billion.

For 2010, HP is now predicting revenue of $123.7 billion to $124.9 billion, which topped analysts' forecasts for $123.0 billion. HP's earlier prediction was for revenue of $121.5 billion to $122.5 billion.

The company now expects profit of $4.45 to $4.50 per share, excluding special items. Analysts were expecting $4.45 per share. HP's previous forecast was for $4.37 to $4.44 per share.

One thing that is interesting is that HP Services are now the most profitable part of the business even beating out their overpriced ink. Too bad it is growing at only 2% this last quarter.

Tea Party Candidate Wins Kentucky Primary

It seems that we have a new political dynasty in the making.

Paul -- the son of Texas congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul -- was projected by CNN, the Associated Press and others to be the winner about an hour after polls closed in Kentucky. He'll face either Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo or Attorney General Jack Conway in the fall. The race between those two Democrats hasn't yet been called.

He is the son of Ron Paul of the wacky-gold standard fame. It will be interesting to see if he beats the Democrat or not. Also I wonder if hated Arlen Specter will hold on to his seat or not.

Tea Party Feminism?

It sure seems that way according to this:

If the Tea Party has any legitimate national leadership, it is dominated by women. Of the eight board members of the Tea Party Patriots who serve as national coordinators for the movement, six are women. Fifteen of the 25 state coordinators are women. One of the three main sponsors of the Tax Day Tea Party that launched the movement is a group called Smart Girl Politics. The site started out as a mommy blog and has turned into a mobilizing campaign that trains future activists and candidates. Despite its explosive growth over the last year, it is still operated like a feminist cooperative, with three stay-at-home moms taking turns raising babies and answering e-mails and phone calls. Spokeswoman Rebecca Wales describes it as a group made up of "a lot of mama bears worried about their families." The Tea Party, she says, is a natural home for women because "for a long time people have seen the parties as good-ole'-boy, male-run institutions. In the Tea Party, women have finally found their voice."

Yup, and they aren't marginalized or subject to the misogyny coming from the Left who are supposed to be pro-woman. I mean some of the anti-women things thrown at Hillary and Palin are truly shocking.

Muslim Woman Wins Miss USA: Countdown to Extremists Threatening Her Begins

Well it seems we have our first Muslim American as Miss USA.

Rima Fakih of Dearborn, Mich., won the pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip after strutting confidently in an orange and gold bikini, wearing a strapless white gown that resembled a wedding dress and saying health insurance should cover birth control pills.

I would be willing to bet that the same Muslim crazies that went after South Park are sharpening their "threat machine" to go after her. One unfortunate thing is that she was not able to keep "off the pole:"

Mojo In The Morning producers have been contacted by representatives of Miss Universe requesting more photographs and information regarding Miss USA Rimah Fakih's involvement in the "Stripper 101" contest. When asked if Fakih's status as Miss USA was in danger, pageant representatives would not answer.

It seems that she was fully clothed so it should be okay. I think we might have these kind of "scandals" whenever we have a new Miss Anything. I guess the Miss USA vetting is being done by the same people that vetted the White House staff.

Major Twitter Developer Leaves for BankSimple

The developer of the Twitter API is leaving the company in order to work at a new online back called BankSimple.

As he tweets today and writes on his personal blog, Payne has quit Twitter to join the social banking startup BankSimple as a co-founder. More on that in a second. First, a little bit more about Payne’s time at Twitter, and his departure.

I looked at BankSimple and it seems like a pretty interesting service. I'm waiting until I see if they will give you a higher interest rate on savings or give you a better rate on CDs. Also they have a bevy of free services like Free Bill pay and free checking. I also want to see if they reimburse ATM charges as well.

People Drop Out of Mortgage Mod. Program in Droves

I think they are simply walking away from their homes and renting.

More than 299,000 homeowners had received permanent loan modifications as of last month, Treasury said. That's about 25 percent of the 1.2 million who started the program since its March 2009 launch. They are paying, on average, $516 less each month.

However, the number of people who started the process but failed to get their mortgages permanently modified rose dramatically in April.

To complete the program, borrowers must make at least three payments on time. About 277,000 homeowners, or 23 percent of those enrolled, have dropped out during this trial phase. That's up from about 155,000 a month earlier, or a 79 percent increase.

So you have to fight for a year with the bank and maybe you will be able to pay $516 less on a home that is probably underwater? That does not sound like a good deal at all. Just walk away from the home and you might be able to pay $1000+ to rent instead. Also if you are out of work paying $516 less on a mortgage doesn't mean you still won't still lose your house.

I think the government should just pull back all of the programs and let the last gasp of foreclosures clear out the inventory once and for all. That way the banks can start again on an even footing and people can get back into the mortgage market after a period of renting.

Hatoyama's Ugly-Assed Shirt

Oh man this thing seriously belongs back in the 80s with Day-Glo and L.A. Gear shoes. His approval rating has dropped a further 9 points since he sported this mess. I wonder what would be wrong with a nice suit shirt with the sleeves rolled up and no tie? That says relaxed world leader. This shirt says I not only dressed in the dark but I bought the shirt and paid for it in the dark as well.

On the Heels of Arizona's Ethnic Studies Crack-down we Have a Downside to Racial Awareness

This is quite an interesting study and that it comes out of Cal Berkley makes even more important.

Chatman attributes the low climate scores in area and ethnic studies precisely to the instruction students receive in those classes. "Students in area and ethnic studies should have learned to recognize prejudicial communication and should be more sensitive to communication that might be prejudicial," he writes. Whereas a math student might hear a remark and think nothing of it, an African American Studies student might discern prejudice and stereotyping. Does this mean that students in area and ethnic studies are more perceptive and accurate in their assessment of campus climate, or have they acquired in their classes a "warped lens" (Chatman's term) that sees social life in overdone racial categories? Chatman even draws a logical possibility that might appall area and ethnic studies instruction, that is, that the climate in those fields is a lot worse than it is in engineering classes and labs. One wonders how area and ethnic studies professors would feel if they were ordered to undergo diversity sensitivity sessions themselves to try to straighten out their problems.

I wonder if these ethnic studies programs deserve to have greater scrutiny shown toward them? I mean if the climate is so harsh there then maybe there should be a change. I know most of the social sciences at the University level is of dubious worth in the real world. I would be willing to bet that a Hispanic kid with an engineering degree will probably make 100x more than one with a Latino Studies degree. There is a good chance that he will be much more successful as a member of society as well.

Henry Louis Gates of the Beer Summit Fame Exposes Myths about the African Slave Trade

His new book must be really controversial and he will sure be made into an enemy in the "blacks need reparations" camp.

Gates argues that the role Africans played was “considerable” and included the very kingdoms in western and central Africa that are praised as examples of Africa’s historical greatness every February during “Black History Month” celebrations.

How did this African involvement in the slave trade work?

Gates references the historians John Thornton and Linda Heywood of Boston University — who estimate that 90 percent of the slaves shipped to the New World were captured and enslaved by Africans before being sold to European traders and commercial agents.

In essence, the slave trade would have been impossible on the scale it occurred without African business partners.

I read about this when I read the book Bury the Chains. Most of the white slave traders had no way of getting into the African interior without either being killed or catching a fatal disease. So they relied on their partners in West Africa. Many of those West African chiefs became fabulously wealthy due to enslaving their own fellow Africans.

Surprisingly America Approves of Arizona's Immigration Law

I find these polls quite eye-opening for the most part.

A new Pew Research Center Poll finds fully 73% of the country thinks police requesting immigration status documents is fine, while 67% think detaining someone for a status check is OK.

The poll reports that, overall, 59% approve of the law's broad provisions, while less than a third (32%) now oppose them. That is up significantly from a similar poll earlier this month.

Democrats, a large majority of whom originally opposed the law, are now....

... evenly split 45-46% approve-disapprove. The number of Democrats supporting the measure has been growing as more information spreads about its legal provisions and safeguards.

That last part really seems like a change to me. I think this is all due to the job situation. The idea of illegals doing "jobs Americans don't want to do" disappears when there are people out there who haven't had a job in 2 years. The idea of people not paying their fair share seems to not apply only to the rich. Also if you are a legal immigrant this all must be really galling as well.

Arizona Goes After Ethnic Studies

I think this might be the case of what might be a sensible bill that will again be attacked by ethnic groups.

The measure signed Tuesday prohibits classes that advocate ethnic solidarity, that are designed primarily for students of a particular race or that promote resentment toward a certain ethnic group.

The Tucson Unified School District program offers specialized courses in African-American, Mexican-American and Native-American studies that focus on history and literature and include information about the influence of a particular ethnic group.

For example, in the Mexican-American Studies program, an American history course explores the role of Hispanics in the Vietnam War, and a literature course emphasizes Latino authors.

So in effect this class will ban a White Supremacist course (if there was such a thing) that teaches that all other races are inferior. I wonder if this ban might grow in other states as well? I mean race and class hatred should not be taught in any way what-so-ever.

ObamaCare Could Cost $115 Billion more?

It seems that we just broke the $1 trillion mark for the price tag for ObamaCare.

President Barack Obama's new health care law could potentially add at least $115 billion more to government health care spending over the next 10 years, congressional budget referees said Tuesday.

If Congress approves all the additional spending called for in the legislation, it would push the ten-year cost of the overhaul above $1 trillion — an unofficial limit the Obama administration set early on.

The spending isn't mandatory but I will be willing to bet that it will actually be too low. This ObamaCare thing is the gift that keeps taking.

People Walking Away from the Their Homes at Record Rate

I think people need to stop all of the various plans to keep people in their homes and just let the market take its course. As more Americans in an underwater home start to realize they can just walk away and have the bank take it the more these "strategic defaults" are going to take their toll.

"Strategic" defaults accounted for at least 12 percent of all defaults in February, up from about 4 percent in mid-2007, according to a recent Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS - News) report. Analysts led by Vishwanath Tirupattur classified a default as strategic when a homeowner who hadn't previously been delinquent made an on-time mortgage payment one month; skipped payments for the next three months; and stayed current on other consumer debt of $10,000 or more.

I mean many people are just not sure why they need to stay in a negative equity McMansion and pay $5000+ a month when they could just rent a similar place for like $3000. Then they can hopefully use that $2000 savings to pay down the rest of their debt.

You also couple this with the fact that the White House and Congress keeps painting the big banks as bad guys and people just think they are "sticking it to the evil banksters that blew up the economy" when they walk away from their mortgage. I guess all that overheated anti-bank rhetoric is going to have a boomerang effect after all.

Obama Puts the XBox and the IPad on the Enemies List

I'm not quite sure what he is trying to say here.

"You're coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank all that high on the truth meter," Obama said at Hampton University, Virginia.

"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation," Obama said.

Um, how hard is it to work an Ipod? I thought this guy was supposed to be President Spock? I guess that was supposed to be a self-deprecating joke but it makes him sound like a backwards hick. Also information as a "tool of empowerment and emancipation" was shown in shining colors during Iran's abortive Green Revolution. Too bad Obama ignored the whole thing until it was too late to affect the outcome.

I do agree that critical thinking takes a nosedive due to the Internet. You never get the whole story on anything unless you dig deeper and do your own research. I guess Obama laments that the Left can't lie as effectively through the mouthpiece of the dying newspapers and network news.

I mean people would love him if not for Fox News, the bloggers, and the Tea Partiers organizing with social networking. It isn't his policies or him spending more money on more failed crap then any other President before him. Maybe Obama will think up a dirty tricks group like Nixon did to "silence the IPad and destroy the evil Xbox." Do we get to see some Obamaites sneaking into a Cupertino psychiatrist's office to dig up some dirt on Steve Jobs?

Obama's Jewish Support Plummets

I think the anti-Israel nature of the Obama Administration is finally starting to create some consequences.

The US Jews polled were asked whether they would: (a) vote to re-elect Obama, or (b) consider voting for someone else. 42% said they would vote for Obama and 46%, a plurality, preferred the second answer. 12% said they did not know or refused to answer.

In the Presidential elections of 2008, 78% of Jewish voters, or close to 8 out of 10, chose Obama. The McLaughlin poll held nearly 18 months later, in April 2010, appears to show that support is down to around 4 out of 10.

From 80% support to 40% support in just a years time. Now wait until Iran gets the bomb on Obama's watch. I guess he will "condemn in the strongest possible terms Israel provoking Iran to act in self defense." I wonder if this is the start of Jewish flight away from the Democratic party? I mean Dems have shown over and over again how they dislike Israel and do everything that they can to embarrass their leaders. The Left has a long history of backing the Palestinians over our only democratic ally in the area.

Coverage for 20 Somethings Will Drive Up Family Insurance Plans

I thought ObamaCare was going to "bend the cost curve downward." So far it is only bending things upward.

The new benefit will cost $3,380 for each dependent, raising premiums by 0.7 percent in 2011 for employer plans, according to the department's mid-range estimate. Some 1.2 million young adults are expected to sign up, more than half of whom would have been uninsured.

So each family pays $3380 extra a year to insure about 500,000 people? Of course these are the people least likely to need health insurance so this is just pure profit for the insurance companies. The more we get his with ObamaCare the more it seems like it was written by the insurance companies for the insurance companies.

Failure on the BP Rig Explained

It seems that it was a methane bubble that shot up the drill hole when they were converting the rig from an exploration rig to a production rig.

Up on the rig, the first thing workers noticed was the seawater in the drill column suddenly shooting back at them, rocketing 240 feet in the air. Then, gas surfaced. Then oil.

"What we had learned when I worked as a drill rig laborer was swoosh, boom, run," Bea said. "The swoosh is the gas, boom is the explosion and run is what you better be doing."

The gas flooded into an adjoining room with exposed ignition sources, he said.

What seems to forgotten in this whole mess is that 11 people died in that explosion. All this talk of keeping the boot on the neck of BP kind of flies in the face of those people pretty much dying in an accident probably because a part failed. It is a dangerous job bringing up oil from 3000 feet below the surface of the water at the White House needs to acknowledge the fact that 11 people died so we can drive our SUVs to the mall.

IAEA to Go After Israel

When Obama shows contempt toward Israel this is what happens.

The 35-nation IAEA board is the agency's decision making body and can refer proliferation concerns to the U.N. Security Council — as it did with Iran in 2006 after Tehran resumed uranium enrichment, a potential pathway to nuclear weapons.

A decision to keep the item would be a slap in the face not only for Israel but also for Washington and its Western allies, which support the Jewish state and view Iran as the greatest nuclear threat to the Middle East.

If the Israelis stonewall the IAEA then Iran gets all kinds of bargaining leverage. If the Israelis declare themselves a nuclear power then all of their enemies might be able to go nuclear to in their words "counter the Zionist threat." Whenever there is daylight between Washington and Jerusalem you see this kind of thing happen.

Trading Error at Fault for Market Meltdown?

Ah it seems that someone put in a $15 billion order to sell P&G stock instead of a $15 million order and that is what caused to market to implode.

"That doesn't happen unless someone made a huge mistake," a trader that declined to be identified for this story told TheStreet about the P&G trade. The same trader said the latest speculation was that Citigroup(PG) was the firm behind the wrong trade, mistakenly putting in a 15 billion sell order, instead of a 15 million one, but the company would not confirm or deny that.

This $15 billion sell order in a stock that is supposed to be a safe haven dropped the market past key technical points and this caused the robots to sell shares as well. This is why the market dropped 1000 points in a few minutes. The market was already worried about Greece and was looking for any excuse to sell off.

Now what I am wondering is if the market will climb a wall of worry or it continues to sell off. I guess it all comes down to whether the Germans are going to do about bailing Greece out. If they nix the idea and the Greeks default on their debt then we are in for a double dip recession. I think the EU should seriously think about kicking Greece out of the union to avoid further damage to the Euro.

10 Unwritten Rules of Baseball

This is an interesting article that talks about all of the unwritten rules in baseball.

Last month, when A's pitcher Dallas Braden(notes) called out Alex Rodriguez(notes) for cutting across the Oakland Coliseum mound, the country was informed of a small slice of baseball's Code that had lain mostly dormant in recent memory.

It was only one of a litany of unwritten rules that covers major leaguers' actions, designed essentially to preserve a baseline level of respect between competitors. They constitute the moral fabric of the game.

I never heard of the cutting across the mound rule and I have been watching baseball for years. Some of the other ones on this list are pretty obscure for most people watching the game.

Send in the Black Conservatives

I guess you can point to Obama for this new resurgence in black conservatives running for office.

Among the many reverberations of President Obama’s election, here is one he probably never anticipated: at least 32 African-Americans are running for Congress this year as Republicans, the biggest surge since Reconstruction, according to party officials.

I think one thing the GOP should do is point to the fact that they have been champions of equal rights and that the Democrats were the party of the bigots in the South. It was Democratic filibusters that kept the Equal Rights Amendment from being voted on. Also it was the Republicans who started many of the traditionally black colleges. I also think that the GOP should push the fact that black people are not any better off financially after supporting the Democrats for 30 years.

David Obey to Retire From the Senate

I guess he just doesn't want to actually run for his seat in the Senate.

Obey won the first of 21 terms in 1969 — when a special election was held after President Richard Nixon tapped Melvin Laird to be his defense secretary. He faced a potentially bruising re-election campaign this fall, and his retirement is likely to make it easier for Republicans to pick up his seat.

Wow 21 strait terms? I guess it is time for him to exit stage left. It seems that his GOP opponent might be sitting pretty now:

Sean Duffy, 38, a Republican district attorney, is seen as the favored candidate in the GOP primary, and his candidacy has attracted the backing of Republicans in Washington as well as the party's 2008 vice president nominee, Sarah Palin, and tea party activists.

Times Square Bomber Almost Escapes

Well, we can chalk up yet another near failure of the "no-fly" list.

By the time Customs and Border Protection officials spotted Shahzad's name on the passenger list and recognized him as the bombing suspect they were looking for, he was in his seat and the plane was preparing to leave the gate. They knew to look for him because of updates to the no-fly list made earlier in the day.

At the last minute, the pilot was notified, the jetliner's door was opened and Shahzad was taken into custody.

Why doesn't the no-fly list come up when the person is paying cash for the ticket at the counter? You would think that was fairly rare and the ticket taker would raise a red flag. I have a feeling that they didn't pull this guy out of the line and wand him neither. I guess you can't eliminate human error even when the flight originates in the US.

Why People Dislike the Unions: Written By a Democrat

I had to look up the author of this article because I swear he was from the GOP but no this guy is Willie Brown a retired life-long Democrat politician.

As the private economy has faltered, we increasingly have a two-tier economy: If you're an insider, a unionized government employee, you're in good shape. Even if you don't do a very good job, you won't be fired. Even in hard times, Washington will spend billions in stimulus funds so that you don't get laid off. You won't even have to take much of a pay cut. And you can retire like an aristocrat at taxpayer expense. But if you're an outsider, trying to survive in a world of $10-an-hour jobs, competing with immigrant labor, paying for your own healthcare, forced to send your children to lousy public schools run by unfireable teachers and $100,000-a-year bureaucrats — well, good luck to you. But be sure to vote Democratic.

This has to be the entire problem that people have with unions in a nutshell. The government bails them out at the expense of everyone else. We see them cut sweetheart deals and have pensions that bankrupt their states. The government even has to take over car companies just to keep the UAW in a job.

This two-tier union system that Brown talks about might eventually become one of the deepest fault-lines in the Democratic party. The other potential fault-line is illegal immigrants versus poor American citizens who can't find work. I think the idea that jobs that Americans don't want died when people are reaching 2 years of unemployment.

British Sniper Now Holds Sniping Distance Record

Now this is one awesome feat of shooting.

Corporal of Horse Craig Harrison fired his consecutive shots from such a long distance that they took almost three seconds to reach their targets.

This was despite the 8.59mm bullets leaving the barrel of his rifle at almost three times the speed of sound.

The distance to his two targets was 8,120ft, or 1.54 miles - according to a GPS system - and about 3,000ft beyond the weapon's effective range.

I wonder what a sniper like Vasily Zaytsev could have done with a rile that could shoot nearly 1.54 miles? He could just find a hiding spot and snipe Taliban all day long and they would never know what hit them.

Greece to Be Bailed Out

Well at least we won't have a Euro-zone crisis at least until Greece runs out of this money.

Euro-region ministers agreed to a 110 billion-euro ($146 billion) rescue package for Greece to prevent a default and stop the worst crisis in the currency’s 11-year history from spreading through the rest of the bloc.

The funny part is that this is just a rounding error compared to the amount of debt the US has to roll over every few months. The Greeks are so grateful that they are rioting in the streets.