Sunday, February 28, 2010

Idiotic Quote of the Day

Commenting on Charlie Rangel's admonishment by the House ethics panel and his possible disqualification from the chamber's influential tax-writing committee Bela Pelosi states:

"No, it doesn't. No, it doesn't," Pelosi said. "The fact is, is that what Mr. Rangel has been admonished for is not good. It was a violation of the rules of the House. It was not something that jeopardized our country in any way."
Oh, OK, so that's the new standard.

Pelosi: Lawmakers Should Sacrifice Jobs for Health Care

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged her colleagues to back a major overhaul of U.S. health care even if it threatens their political careers, a call to arms that underscores the issue's massive role in this election year.

Lawmakers sometimes must enact policies that, even if unpopular at the moment, will help the public, Pelosi said in an interview being broadcast Sunday the ABC News program "This Week."
"We're not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress," she said. "We're here to do the job for the American people."
In other words, I'm safe but the rest of you guys need to take one for the team.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Saturday Funny

Obama Meets the Abyss

Overall, 43% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That is the lowest level of total approval yet measured for this President. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove. The President earns approval from 76% of Democrats while 86% of Republicans disapprove. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 38% approve and 61% disapprove. The President earns approval from 37% of men and 49% of women.
His "total approval" now matches his "strong disapproval". That figure is commonly referred to as the "abyssal zone" and it is a very bad sign for the President indeed.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Obama Hits Yet Another New Low

The 23% strong approval is essentially the same percentage of the population that believes Elvis is still alive
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows that 23% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -20. For President Obama, the Approval Index has been lower only once.

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That matches the lowest level of total approval yet measured for this President. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Imbecilic Quote of the Day

Shep "Mascara Boy" Smith on Fox commenting on the trainer killed at Sea World:
From what has been reported we might assume that Shamu pulled the trainer in [to the tank], I'm sure he didn't mean it"
Not enough AAAAs in ASININE for that comment.

New Home Sales Drop 11.2% in January, Record Low

Appears it's going to be Spring before we see any legitimate "green shoots".
Sales of newly built U.S. single-family homes unexpectedly fell to a record low in January, according to government data on Wednesday that hinted at potential trouble for the fragile housing market recovery.

The Commerce Department said sales dropped 11.2 percent to a 309,000 unit annual rate, the lowest level since records started in January 1963, from an upwardly revised 348,000 in December.

It was the third straight month that new home sales fell and the percentage decline in January was the largest in a year.

Fifteen Years With No Global Warming Doesn't Mean There's No Global Warming, Says EPA Chief

Up is down down, black is white, 2+2=5, etc. etc.
Fifteen years with no statistically significant increase in global temperatures does not mean that the human race is not causing the climate to change, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson told CNSNews.com on Tuesday.

Jackson reasserted her faith in manmade global warming in response to a question from CNSNews.com asking if she agreed with the recent statement by prominent climate scientist Phil Jones that there had been no statistically significant global warming since 1995.

Jackson also said “we need to move aggressively” to pass energy regulation legislation.
And btw, don't bother me with the facts.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

13 US Soldiers Die in the Name of Diversity

The military's Colin Powell doctrine of political correctness.
WASHINGTON - Army superiors were warned about the radicalization of Major Nidal Malik Hasan years before he allegedly massacred 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, but did not act in part because they valued the rare diversity of having a Muslim psychiatrist, military investigators wrote in previously undisclosed reports.

An obvious “problem child’’ spouting extremist views, Hasan made numerous statements that were not protected by the First Amendment and were grounds for discharge by violating his military oath, investigators found.

Examples of Hasan’s radical behavior have previously been disclosed in press accounts based on interviews with unnamed Army officials, including his defense of suicide bombings and assertions that Islamic law took priority over his allegiance to the United States.

But the Pentagon’s careful documentation of individual episodes dating back to 2005 and the subsequent inaction of his superiors have not been made public before.

Unemployment, The Real Numbers

Once again the government guilding the economic lilly...
Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. workforce lacked adequate employment in January and struggled to make ends meet with reduced resources and bleak job prospects, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.

In findings that appear to paint a darker employment picture than official U.S. data, Gallup estimated that about 30 million Americans are underemployed, meaning either jobless or able to find only part-time work.

The poll's estimate of U.S. underemployment is higher than official statistics. The Labor Department says 16.5 percent of American workers were without employment or worked part-time for economic reasons in January against Gallup's 19.9 percent.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Stupid, Self Serving, Self Involved Quote of the Day

"I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems,"

It's unfortunate that talent does not equal insight or intelligence. I'm beginning to believe that, for the most part, it tends to exclude it.

Rubio Increases Lead Over Crist

Florida is saying NO to RINO's...
Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio continues to lengthen his lead over Governor Charlie Crist in the contest for Florida’s Republican Senate nomination.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely Republican Primary voters finds Rubio leading Crist by 18 points, 54% to 36%. Four percent (4%) prefer some other candidate, and seven percent are undecided.

Those figures reflect a five point increase in support for Rubio compared to a month ago. Support for Crist has changed little over the past month.

In December, the two GOP hopefuls were tied at 43% apiece. The new findings mark Rubio’s best showing to date and Crist’s worst. The good news for Crist is that Florida Republicans don’t pick their nominee until an August 24 primary.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

World’s biggest coal company brings U.S. government to court in climate fraud

Get the popcorn.
The world’s largest private sector coal business, the Peabody Energy Company (PEC) has filed a mammoth 240-page “Petition for Reconsideration,” a full-blown legal challenge against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The petition must be answered and covers the entire body of leaked emails from ‘Climategate’ as well as those other ‘gate’ revelations including the frauds allegedly perpetrated under such sub-headings as ‘Himalayan Glaciers,’ ‘African Agricultural Production,’ ‘Amazon Rain Forests,’ ‘Melting Mountain Ice,’ ‘Netherlands Below Sea Level’ as well as those much-publicized abuses of the peer-review literature and so called ‘gray literature.’ These powerful litigants also draw attention to the proven criminal conduct by climate scientists in refusing to honor Freedom of Information law (FOIA) requests.

Peabody is, in effect, challenging the right of the current U.S. federal government to introduce cap and trade regulations by the ‘back door

Obama Hits Yet Another New Low Water Mark

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 22% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President.
This marks the lowest "Strong Approval" reading since Obama was inaugerated.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Harry Reid on the Filibuster, Then and Now

The brazen hyprocrisy is truly mind boggling.

Video HERE.

Smothers brother files for bankruptcy

Funny how well this renowned anti-capitalist knows how to game the system.
Dick Smothers may be renowned for his humor, but there is nothing funny about his current financial situation.

The 71-year-old comedic actor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Tampa earlier this month, listing $2 million in assets and $2.8 million in debts on homes he and his ex-wife, Denby Smothers, own on Bird Key and Golden Gate Point.

Smothers is the younger brother in a two-man comedy team. The brothers hosted the "Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" on CBS in the 1960s, and still perform together in concert halls across the country.

Dick Smothers could not be reached for comment. His bankruptcy attorney, John Cole, said he is on the road.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Rubio Wows at CPAC

The guys a comer...
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio whipped a crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference gathering into a frenzy on Thursday with a speech that delivered a stinging critique of President Obama. Rubio tried to solidify his conservative base in hopes of building a lead over Governor Charlie Crist in the race for the Republican nomination.

Rubio used part of his speech to poke fun at President Obama, although not without a certain amount of irony. Rubio joked about President Obama using Teleprompters, while standing in front of a set of Teleprompters during his speech.

Rubio's sudden ascension in the more conservative wings of the Republican Party has coincided with an increasing anger at President Obama and the rise of the so-called "Tea Party." The Tea Party has started to throw its weight around and is solidly behind Rubio for the Republican nomination.

Obama Writing Health Bill to Skirt GOP Filibuster

If he can't do it by hook he'll do it by crook.
President Obama is working on health care legislation intended to reconcile differences between House and Senate Democrats that could be attached to a budget bill and avoid a Republican filibuster, according to a published report.

The president's proposal, which is still being written, will be posted on the Internet by Monday morning, senior administration officials and Congressional aides told the New York Times.

By piggybacking the legislation onto a budget bill, Democrats would be able to advance the bill with a simple majority of just 51 votes, averting a Republican filibuster in the Senate.

The White House signaled Thursday that an aggressive, all-Democratic strategy for overhauling the nation's health system remains a serious option, even as Obama invites Republicans to next week's televised summit to seek possible compromises.
If he insists on pursuing this angle the fruition the repercussions will be monumental.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Fed Raises Discount Rate; Fed Funds Rate Unchanged

And awaaaaaay we go...
The Federal Reserve on Thursday raised its discount rate to 0.75% from 0.5%, an effort to return its lending facilities to more normalized levels.

The Fed said the move, along with other recent modifications to its credit programs, does not signal a change in its outlook for the economy or for monetary policy, and the more important fed funds rate remains in its range of 0% to 0.25%.

The Fed usually changes the discount rate at the same time it does the fed funds rate, but after the unprecedented steps taken to combat the financial crisis, the Fed is eager to start bringing rates back to more traditional levels, and Thursday’s move is a start.

The discount rate is the interest rate the Fed charges banks that borrow from the central bank itself for short periods. Last week, Federal chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed was mulling a “modest increase” in the discount rate “before long,” saying the bump up “should be viewed as further normalization…in light of the improving conditions in financial markets.”

Jobless Claims, Inflation Jump

In the last year I have yet to see unemployment figures adjusted downward.
Both the number of workers filing new applications for unemployment insurance and producer prices unexpectedly surged, dealing a setback to hopes the economy was showing a strong recovery.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 31,000 to a seasonally adjusted 473,000 in the week ended Feb. 13, up from an upwardly revised 442,000 the prior week, the Labor Department said.

Meanwhile, producer prices rose faster than expected in January as higher gasoline prices and unusually cold temperatures helped boost energy costs.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Pic of the Day

Ariz. Sen. Passes Bill Outlawing Sanctuary Cities

The state of Arizona appears to be significantly more right than their senior Senator.
Fed up lawmakers in a Mexican border state plagued with huge numbers of illegal immigrants are increasingly taking matters into their own hands by passing laws to control the crisis long neglected by the federal government.

Weeks after an Arizona State House panel approved a pair of measures intended to curb illegal immigration, the Senate has passed a law prohibiting sanctuary cities in the state. The measure allows illegal aliens to be charged with trespassing, makes it unlawful for anyone—documented or undocumented—seeking work to enter a vehicle stopped on the street and penalizes drivers who impede traffic in an attempt to hire a day laborer.

The bill, which moves to the House for the crucial approval that could make it law, will also prohibit all state and local governments from adopting policies that restrict the enforcement of federal immigration measures. In fact, it requires state and local governments to comply with and assist in the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Rassmussen: Just Third of Americans Believe Global Warming is Man Made

Don Quixote Obama still fighting those windmills regardless of public opinion...
Questions continue to mount over the science behind years of studies that say humans are chiefly to blame for global warming. But reflecting a trend that has been going on for more than a year, just 35% of U.S. voters now believe global warming is caused primarily by human activity.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 47% think long-term planetary trends are mostly to blame, down three points from the previous survey in January. Eight percent say there is some other reason, and 10% aren't sure.

But 56% say President Obama still believes that human activity is the main cause of global warming. That's the highest finding on that question since last March.The president went to a United Nations summit in Copenhagen in December in hopes of reaching an international agreement that would limit human activities that some scientists say contribute to global warming.

Pic of the Day

Accused multiple murderer Amy Bishop and husband. Sidenote: Hopefully, prison supplies female inmates with bras.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Monday Shocker: EVAN BAYH RETIRING

Sen. Evan Bayh will not run for re-election, a decision that will shock Democrats and Republicans alike in Indiana.

In prepared remarks, Bayh, 54, cited excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.

“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”
Oh yea, that's believable.

Breaking: Data Reveals New Insideous Cause of Global Warming

Aside from being (by far) the greatest contributor to Global Warming, Dihydrogen Monoxide asphyxia is the second leading cause of death in children!

Proof HERE.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

U.S. has best health care in world

Well knock me over with a feather.
As recently published by Investor Business Daily, a survey by the U.N. International Health Organization has reported:

Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis: U.S. 65 percent, Eng-land 46 percent, Canada 42 percent.

Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months: U.S. 93 percent, England 15 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months: U.S. 90 percent, England 15 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month: U.S. 77 percent, England 40 percent, Canada 43 percent.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Quote of the Day

If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in
your pocket and then give him only two of them.

Billboard of the Week

New mantra of "Hope and Change"?

Friday, February 12, 2010

Congressional Approval Hits 15 Year Low

The latest CBS News/New York Times Poll finds most Americans are now dissatisfied or even angry with government – and much of that frustration is directed at Congress, which now receives just a 15% approval rating. Levels of distrust and cynicism about government are at or near 15-year highs.

Dissatisfaction extends to both political parties as well – the Democratic and Republican parties are near record high unfavorable ratings in CBS News/New York Times Polls.
Perhaps, but remember, the party in power historically receives the lions share of the backlash.

Friday Funny

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Reid kills Baucus-Grassley jobs bill


Members of the Senate Finance Committee unveiled a long-awaited bipartisan jobs bill Thursday morning – only to have it scrapped within hours by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Reid killed the bill after hearing complaints from members of his own caucus who argued that Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) had gone too far beyond the core goal of job creation in order to win over Republican support.

It was a major rebuke for Baucus, who’d spent weeks working with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking Republican on his committee, trying to come up with a bill that Republicans would support.
Democrat bi-partisanship on parade.

Obama Reneges on Another Campaign Promise Open to Raising Taxes For Households Below $250K a Year

If he wasn't dead meat before, he is now.
President Obama says he is now "agnostic" about raising taxes on households making under $250,000 a year to help cut budget deficits, signaling a possible retreat from a campaign pledge.

In an interview with Bloomberg BusinessWeek on newsstands Friday, Obama said a presidential budget commission needs to look at all options for deficit reduction - including tax increases and cuts in spending on such programs as Social Security and Medicare.

"The whole point of it is to make sure that all ideas are on the table," Obama said. "So what I want to do is to be completely agnostic, in terms of solutions."

Obama repeatedly vowed during the 2008 campaign to spare households earning less than $250,000 a year from tax increases.

White House: 95,000 Jobs to Come Each Month

More figures pulled out of you know where...
WASHINGTON - The United States is likely to average 95,000 more jobs each month this year, while personal savings will remain high as credit remains tight, according to a White House report released Thursday.

The Council of Economic Advisers also trumpeted the $787 billion economic stimulus package, which it said has saved or created about 2 million jobs.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Wednesday Funny


Iranian threat of a stunning punch causes concern in D.C.

WASHINGTON (KMOX Radio) -- A warning earlier this week from Iran's supreme ruler that his country will deliver a "punch" February 11th that will "stun" the West is being taken seriously at the highest levels of the U-S government, according to Missouri's two Senators.

Democratic Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill described the concern about Iran today in Washington as a matter of "almost hyper focus."

"I know the military is monitoring it carefully. I know the intelligence community is monitoring it carefully. I can't share many of the details of that. But I will say that I think our government is very, very, very concerned."
It's a bit late to be worrying about it now. BTW, hasn't this nimrod ever heard the adage about "never letting an enemy know what you really think"? Thank are Founding Fathers for realizing the importance of giving these amateurs only 2 years before facing the voters.

China threatens economic warfare against U.S.

When as a country you spend yourself into oblivian you can only expect this kind of economic blackmail.
Military leaders in China called for the sale of U.S. debt securities on Monday, February 8, 2010 in response to arms sales recently made to Taiwan.

China's state-controlled media interviewed a group of senior Chinese military officers who are also telling Beijing's leaders to boost defense spending and expand force deployments. This is in retaliation for the Pentagon's announcement in January 2010 of the new $6.4 million arms package for Taiwan.

Some observers view any dumping of U.S. bonds as economic warfare. China presently holds nearly $800 billion worth of Treasury debt securities. The result would be to drive up interest rates and disrupt any U.S. economic recovery efforts.

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Clean Sweep in New Hampshire?

According to a new poll by the University of New Hampshire only 35% of likely voters approve of the job [Rep. Carol] Shea-Porter is doing in Congress. 40% disapprove. 24%are neutral or don’t know for sure how they feel. Even worse, all potential Republican candidates for Congress — even the lesser-known candidates — would defeat her if the election were held today. Former Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta performs best against Shea-Porter, defeating her in a hypothetical match up 43% -33%.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Smith said name recognition works for Republican Charlie Bass, who has 37 percent of the vote against Democrat Katrina Swett's 30 percent. Bass also is getting 39 percent support against Ann McLane Kuster's 28 percent.

In the Senate race, most eyes are on Democratic U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes versus Republican Kelly Ayotte. The poll shows Hodes with 33 percent support compared to Ayotte's 41 percent. But Smith said that even more concerning for Democrats is that even though Hodes leads his other contenders, he never breaks 40 percent. Hodes gets 38 percent against Republican Ovid Lamontagne's 29, 36 percent against Republican Jim Bender's 27 and 34 percent against Bill Binnie, who trails him by 4 points.
OUCH!

Pic of the Day


Night launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour yesterday.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Pic of the Day

Those of you paying attention know what this is all about. Good form Sarah.

White House press corps feels bypassed by Obama in favor of TV shows

Actually they're more akin to infomercials.
Six months ago, network executives were complaining that the White House was costing them tens of millions of dollars by pressing them to carry presidential news conferences in prime time.

Problem solved: President Obama hasn't held a full-scale news conference since July. Instead, he answered a dozen people's questions last week on YouTube, most of them easily finessed and -- extra bonus! -- no annoying follow-ups of the kind posed by real, live journalists.

It would be hard -- impossible, actually -- to argue that Obama hasn't been accessible to the media, not with his constant television interviews. The man has even done color commentary at a Georgetown basketball game. But the decision to bypass the White House press corps is no accident.You know Obama's in trouble when the co-dependent leftist media starts to whine.

"It's a source of great frustration here," says Chip Reid, CBS's White House correspondent. "It's important for us to hold the president's feet to the fire."

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Melt from Alaskan Glaciers Largely Overestimated in Previous Studies, Glaciologists Show

Oh c'mon, they only inflated the figure by 40+%
Glaciologists at the Laboratory for Space Studies in Geophysics and Oceanography (LEGOS -- CNRS/CNES/IRD/Université Toulouse 3) and their US and Canadian colleagues (1) have shown that previous studies have largely overestimated mass loss from Alaskan glaciers over the past 40 years. Recent data from the SPOT 5 and ASTER satellites have enabled researchers to extensively map mass loss in these glaciers, which contributed 0.12 mm/year to sea-level rise between 1962 and 2006, rather than 0.17 mm/year as previously estimated.

Obama Hits Yet Another New Low

The SOTU bounce has to be the least enduring in history...
The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 26% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove which gives Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -17.

Overall, 44% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance. That matches the lowest level of overall approval yet measured for this president. Fifty-six percent (56%) now disapprove.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Saturday Funny

Democrats chafe as White House wavers on health care bill


President Barack Obama has left Democrats as confused as ever over how the White House plans to deliver a health care reform bill this year, following two weeks of inconsistent statements, negligible hands-on involvement and a sudden shift to a jobs-first message.

Democrats on Capitol Hill and beyond say they have no clear understanding of the White House strategy – or even whether there is one – and are growing impatient with Obama’s reluctance to guide them toward a legislative solution.

At a White House meeting Thursday with Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed frustration with the slow pace of the negotiations and the president’s decision not to weigh in publicly on a path forward, according to a Democratic source familiar with the meeting.
Send them a jar, it's the least we can do.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Brown hits back at Kennedy for ‘joke’ candidacy dig

The only joke in this story IS Patrick Kennedy.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A stung U.S. Sen. Scott Brown lashed out at U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy today for insulting his landmark win by calling his candidacy “a joke.”

Brown said Kennedy’s remarks are “mean spirited,” especially coming on the day he was celebrating being sworn into office.

“I was elected and the votes are certified and I’m here to do my job. It’s unfortunate that he would use mean-spirited comments like that at a time when we’re just trying to solve the problems of the Commonwealth,” Brown said today on his first full day on the job.

January unemployment rate drops to 9.7 percent

You may ask how can this be given the graphic below. Simple, a huge number of unemployed have quit looking therefor they are inexplicably removed from the rolls of the unemployed. In actuality the unemployment rate in this country is closer to 17%.

Table A. Revisions in total nonfarm employment, January-December 2009,
seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)
_______________________________________________________________________
| |
| Level | Over-the-month change
|---------------------|---------------------------------
Year and month| As | | As | |
|previously| As |previously| As | Difference
|published | revised |published | revised |
_______________|__________|__________|__________|__________|___________
| | | | |
2009 | | | | |
January........| 134,333 | 133,549 | -741 | -779 | -38
February.......| 133,652 | 132,823 | -681 | -726 | -45
March..........| 133,000 | 132,070 | -652 | -753 | -101
April..........| 132,481 | 131,488 | -519 | -582 | -63
May............| 132,178 | 131,141 | -303 | -347 | -44
June...........| 131,715 | 130,637 | -463 | -504 | -41
July...........| 131,411 | 130,293 | -304 | -344 | -40
August.........| 131,257 | 130,082 | -154 | -211 | -57
September......| 131,118 | 129,857 | -139 | -225 | -86
October........| 130,991 | 129,633 | -127 | -224 | -97
November.......| 130,995 | 129,697 | 4 | 64 | 60
December (p)...| 130,910 | 129,547 | -85 | -150 | -65
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Jobless Claims Rise 8,000 to 480,000

More "change", the "hope" is pretty much gone.
The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week, evidence that layoffs are continuing and jobs remain scarce.

The rise is the fourth in the past five weeks. Most economists hoped that claims would resume a downward trend that was evident in the fall and early winter.

The Labor Department said Thursday that new claims for unemployment insurance rose by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 480,000. Wall Street economists had expected a drop to 460,000, according to Thomson Reuters.

The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, rose for the third straight week to 468,750.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Clarence Thomas Glad He Avoided State of the Union

During an appearance today at Stetson Law School in Gulfport, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says he intentionally skipped the President’s State of the Union speech last week – and he’s glad he did.

"I don’t go because it has become so partisan, and it’s very uncomfortable for a judge to sit there. And there’s a lot you don’t hear on T.V. – the catcalls, the whooping and hollering, under-the-breath comments," Thomas said.

"So we decided not to go. Some members continued to go and that’s fine, but one of the consequences is that now the court becomes part of the conversation, if you want to call it that, in the speech," he said.
I'll lay odds that there will be more that skip it next year, and for good reason.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Court: L.A. bomb plotter’s sentence too lenient

Rare judicial lucidity from the 9th circuit.
A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a 22-year prison sentence was too lenient for the al-Qaida-trained terrorist convicted of plotting to bomb Los Angeles International Airport at the turn of the millennium.

A divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out the sentence Tuesday. It also removed the Seattle trial judge from the case and assigned the re-sentencing of Ahmed Ressam to another federal judge.

Morris Predicts GOP Landslide

He's right a pretty fair amount of the time. When he's wrong he's really wrong. Lets hope this isn't one of those times. Video HERE.

Monday, February 01, 2010

Florida Republican Primary for Senate Rubio 49%, Crist 37%

Talk about a sea change...
Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio has now jumped to a 12-point lead over Governor Charlie Crist in Florida’s Republican Primary race for the U.S. Senate.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely GOP Primary voters in the state finds Rubio leading Crist 49% to 37%. Three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and 11% are undecided.

The new numbers mark a stunning turnaround. Crist was the strong favorite when he first announced for the Senate seat, and Rubio was viewed as a long-shot challenger.

But Crist’s support fell from 53% in August to 49% in October. By December, the two men were tied at 43% apiece.

Another Obama Bow

What is with this guy? This time he bows to Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio. Is it because she has some Asian backgound maybe? Whatever the reason(s)in his mind, it shows a serious lack of judgement.

Record Deficit Proposed

We are definately on the precipice staring into the abyss.
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.83 trillion budget on Monday that would pour more money into the fight against high unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy and freeze spending for a wide swath of government programs.

The deficit for this year would surge to a record-breaking $1.56 trillion, topping last year's then unprecedented $1.41 trillion gap. The deficit would remain above $1 trillion in 2011 although the president proposed to institute a three-year budget freeze on a variety of programs outside of the military and homeland security as well as increasing taxes on energy producers and families making more than $250,000.
For those not great with figures, we are spending close to twice what we are bring in.