New High: 48% Say Most Members of Congress Are Corrupt

What's even more surprising is that a majority think these candidates spend millions, sometimes out of pocket, for the job because of their patriotism, civil mindedness and big heart.

The belief that politicians use their office for personal gain is growing.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters believe that most members of Congress are corrupt. Just 28% disagree, and another 24% are not sure.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted on December 27-28, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

Paul: Iran justified in closing Strait of Hormuz

This after saying earlier that Iran is entitled to a nuclear weapon. The man is certifiable.

As Iran ratcheted up its rhetoric Thursday about closing the Strait of Hormuz, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul revisited his earlier criticisms of Western policy towards Tehran, adding that Iran would be justified in cutting off the strategic waterway in response to sanctions. ... At a campaign event in Iowa Thursday, Paul called Western sanctions imposed against Iran over its nuclear activities “horrendous” and “acts of war,” while repeating earlier assertions that Iran would understandably want to develop a nuclear weapons capability, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Obama Job Approval

Gallup: Obama "bump" is history. His lavish living in Hawaii can't be helping matters any.

41% Approve, 50% Disapprove.

Rasmussen: Romney 45% Obama 39%

Obama under 40%, WOW!

Mitt Romney has now jumped to his biggest lead ever over President Obama in a hypothetical Election 2012 matchup. It’s also the biggest lead a named Republican candidate has held over the incumbent in Rasmussen Reports surveying to date.

The latest national telephone survey finds that 45% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the former Massachusetts governor, while 39% prefer the president. Ten percent (10%) like some other candidate in the race, and six percent (6%) are undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

A week ago, Romney trailed Obama 44% to 41%. The week before that, he held a slight 43% to 42% edge over the president. The two candidates have been essentially tied in regular surveys since January, but Romney remains the only GOP hopeful to lead Obama in more than one survey. Despite Romney’s current six-point lead, his latest level of support is in line with the 38% to 45% he has earned in matchups with the president this year. However, Obama’s 39% is a new low: Prior to this survey, his support has ranged from 40% to 46% in matchups with Romney.

Congress ends corn ethanol subsidy

Long overdue.

Washington —The United States has ended a 30-year tax subsidy for corn-based ethanol that cost taxpayers $6 billion annually, and ended a tariff on imported Brazilian ethanol.

Congress adjourned for the year on Friday, failing to extend the tax break that's drawn a wide variety of critics on Capitol Hill, including Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Critics also have included environmentalists, frozen food producers, ranchers and others.

The policies have helped shift millions of tons of corn from feedlots, dinner tables and other products into gas tanks.

Home prices down in most major US cities

I've said it before, I'll say it again, untill this turns around the economy won't.

U.S. home prices fell in most major cities for the second straight month, further evidence that the housing recovery will be bumpy. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller index shows prices dropped in October from September in 19 of the 20 cities tracked. Prices in a majority of cities declined for the second straight month.

Sears to Close Up to 120 Kmart and Sears Stores

So much for the blockbuster Christmas sales season.

Between 100 and 120 Sears and Kmart stores will be closed, Sears Holdings said Tuesday, after terrible holiday sales during what is the most crucial time of the year for retailers.

Sears has yet to determine which stores will be closed, but there has been a clear shift in where the retailer will devote its resources.

The company is moving away from its practice of propping up "marginally performing" stores in hopes of improving their performance. Sears said it will now concentrate on cash-generating stores.

"Given our performance and the difficult economic environment, especially for big-ticket items, we intend to implement a series of actions to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model," said CEO Louis D'Ambrosio. "These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers."

Even profitable firms fleeing California

Gettin out while the gettin's good.

Democratic reaction to the news that Waste Connections, a $3.6-billion company and major Sacramento-area employer, is headed to Houston to seek a friendlier business climate tells other businesses all they need to know about the attitudes of those who run California's government.

State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, gave these clueless and snarky remarks in response to the news: "In this instance you have a company that is, in fact, profitable, making significant revenue gains in 2011 and 2010. That doesn't speak to a bad business climate here in California when a good company is able to thrive in that way. So whatever Mr. Middelstaedt's (company CEO) reasons are to leave the great state of California, I know I'm pushing back."

The California Democratic Party's attitude long has been that businesses are basically trying to rip off the public, and the source of all wealth and advancement can be found in the public sector, When businesses leave. Steinberg and Co. show little sympathy.

Merry Christmas!

Have a Joyous Christmas Eve

If you're one of the many families that has a Christmas Eve eating tradition please give us your best.

Personally my wifes family had one when we got married....Oyster stew and rice with raisins, it was vile! Thankfully I got her off that and for 20 years we've had Super Jumbo Atlantic wild caught Shrimp and Jumbo Stone Crab claws MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM gooooooood.

Please post what you'll be having.

Yes, Virginia, There Really Is Voter Fraud

Voter fraud IS rampant and it's perpetuated by the same party that disenfranchised blacks in the 1800s. Cancelling out a legitimate vote with an illegitimate one is the same as disenfranchisement by intimidation and violence.

The latest voter-fraud convictions in Troy, N.Y., must be very inconvenient to the public-affairs propagandists over at the DNC and the NAACP, as well as liberal media outlets like the New York Times. It just ruins their constant refrain that there is no voter fraud in the United States.

Eric Shawn at FOX News reports that two Troy city officials, the city clerk and a councilman, along with two Democratic political operatives, have pled guilty to forging absentee-ballot signatures and casting fraudulent ballots in the 2009 Working Families Party primary. The WFP is the political party associated with ACORN.

One of the citizens whose votes were stolen was stunned at what happened. She said that she was “sure this goes on a lot in politics, but it’s very rare that they do get caught.” This voter was right on the money with that observation — fraud is so easy to commit in our election system that it is rare that fraudsters get caught and even rarer that they get prosecuted.

As for the constant liberal claims that voter fraud does not occur, one of the Democratic operatives who pled guilty, Anthony DeFiglio, told New York State police investigators “that faking absentee ballots was a commonplace and accepted practice in political circles, all intended to swing an election.” And whose votes do they steal? DeFiglio was very plain about that: “The people who are targeted live in low-income housing, and there is a sense that they are a lot less likely to ask any questions.”

Economic Growth Revised Lower for 3rd Quarter

Well you could knock me over with a feather.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. economy grew more slowly in the summer than previously thought because consumers spent less than the government had first estimated. But economists expect growth in the current October-December quarter to be stronger.

The Commerce Department says the economy grew at an annual rate of 1.8 percent in the July-September quarter. That was the fastest growth this year, up from 1.3 percent in the April-June quarter. But it was down slightly from last month's estimate that the economy was expanding at a 2 percent rate in the summer.

The government now estimates that consumer spending grew at a 1.7 percent annual rate last summer, instead of 2.3 percent. The updated estimate reflects data showing less spending on hospitals.

Rasmussen poll shows Romney leading 25%, Paul 20%, Gingrich 17%

It looks like support is beginning to coalesce for Romney.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Texas Congressman Ron Paul are leading the pack in Iowa with just two weeks to go until Caucus Day. But large numbers of voters remain uncommitted and lots could change between now and January 3.

The new Rasmussen Reports survey of Iowa caucus participants shows Romney on top with 25% of the vote followed by Paul at 20% and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at 17%. Texas Governor Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, both at 10%, are the only other candidates in double-digits. Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann earns six percent (6%), former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman four percent (4%), while one percent (1%) prefer some other candidate and eight percent (8%) are not sure.

U.S. Official: North Korea Leader Died Just As Deal Was Struck To Halt Nuclear Program

The United States was about to announce a deal that would put a stop to North Korea's uranium enrichment program when it was announced that the country's leader, Kim Jong Il, had died, a senior U.S. official told CBS on Tuesday.

The Obama administration, according to the official, was due to announce that the U.S. would make a large donation of food aid to North Korea, and in turn North Korea was to announce the suspension of its controversial uranium enrichment program.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

Gingrich wins endorsements from American Family Association, Iowa speaker

Nice pick up.

Newt Gingrich rolled out a pair of high profile endorsements Tuesday, hoping to regain momentum in Iowa as recent polls have shown the one-time frontrunner slipping back into the middle of the Republican pack.

Don Wildmon, the founder and chairman of the American Family Association, announced his support for Gingrich Tuesday. The group, which promotes conservative Christian values and has a nationwide radio network of more than 180 stations, is a coup for Gingrich who has struggled to convince conservative voters to overlook a past that includes multiple divorces and admitted marital infidelity.

"Newt Gingrich recognizes the threat to our country posed by judges and lawyers imposing values upon the country inconsistent with our religious heritage, and has proposed constitutional steps to bring the courts back in balance under the constitution,” Wildmon said in a statement.

Palin Rattles the Cage

Brother could she turn this thing on it's ear.

In Fox Business Network interview, ex-Alaska Guv plays coy on whether she's still mulling a presidential bid.

Palin: "It's not too late for folks to jump in. Who knows what will happen in the future."

Saturday Funny

Thanks RR.

Obama: Only Three Other Presidents Might Outrank Me

Truely a legend in his own mind.

In his latest interview with CBS News's Steve Kroft, President Obama said "I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president -- with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln -- just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history." CBS edited the statement out of the televised version of the interview.

Obama’s Watergate Officials cover up culpability for gun smuggling and murder

A Special Prosecutor needs to be appointed and NOW.

A year ago this week, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered. He died protecting his country from brutal Mexican gangsters. Two AK-47 assault rifles were found at his death site. We now know the horrifying truth: Agent Terry was killed by weapons that were part of an illegal Obama administration operation to smuggle arms to the dangerous drug cartels. He was a victim of his own government. This is not only a major scandal; it is a high crime that potentially reaches all the way to the White House, implicating senior officials. It is President Obama’s Watergate.

'Dismal' prospects: 1 in 2 Americans are now poor or low income

Let's redistribute the wealth so we can all be poor.

WASHINGTON - Squeezed by rising living costs, a record number of Americans — nearly 1in 2 — have fallen into poverty or are scraping by on earnings that classify them as low income.

The latest census data depict a middle class that's shrinking as unemployment stays high and the government's safety net frays. The new numbers follow years of stagnating wages for the middle class that have hurt millions of workers and families.

Well, for at least the last 3+ years.

Video Grab of the Day

Funny. This image was displayed on Fox's America Live Wednesday. Considering Fox's cheerleading for Romney over the last 6 months, it was probably a legitimate screw up. Either that or the producer isn't on the Romney bandwagon.

Boxer: "Poison Pill" In GOP Payroll Tax Bill "Will Kill 8,100" People For Christmas

Boxer is hyperbole personified.

"They have attached a poison pill -- literally, colleagues -- because it will kill 8,100 more people more than would have otherwise been killed from pollution," Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Cali.) said on the Senate floor today about Republicans trying to roll back a Clean Air Act provision.

Barack Obama Would Lose All 12 Swing States Today, Poll Says

Long time to go but interesting nonetheless.

A survey of 12 swing states that Barack Obama carried in 2008 now finds the president losing to both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich there.

USA Today-Gallup -- polling registered voters in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin -- found Obama trailing Romney 43-48, and Gingrich 45-48.

Because Obama is expected to hold the big states of California, New York and Illinois, he maintains a popular-vote advantage nationwide, where he leads Gingrich 50-44, and edges Romney 47-46.

But the Electoral College math would deliver the White House to Republicans if they can carry the swing states, as the USA Today-Gallup poll shows.

CNN: Gingrich challenges Romney to a bet

Like him or not ya gotta love his moxie.

Londonderry, New Hampshire (CNN) – Newt Gingrich responded to a call Monday by GOP rival Mitt Romney to return the money he received from mortgage giant Freddie Mac by issuing his own challenge.

"If Gov. Romney would like to give back all the money he's earned from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain that I would be glad to then listen to him," Gingrich told reporters after a town hall, referring to the company Romney ran. "And I'll bet you 10 dollars, not 10 thousand that he won't take the offer."

Pakistan Says U.S. drones in its Air Space will be Shot Down

This is what the billions and billions of foreign aid have bought us.

ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan will shoot down any U.S. drone that intrudes its air space per new directives, a senior Pakistani official told NBC News on Saturday.

According to the new Pakistani defense policy, "Any object entering into our air space, including U.S. drones, will be treated as hostile and be shot down," a senior Pakistani military official told NBC News.

The policy change comes just weeks after a deadly NATO attack on Pakistani military checkpoints accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, prompting Pakistani officials to order all U.S. personnel out of a remote airfield in Pakistan.

Pakistan told the U.S. to vacate Shamsi Air Base by December 11.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Former Obama lawyer admits deceiving Congress

Remember the Gerald Walpin affair? Republican Sen. Charles Grassley does.

Walpin was the inspector general of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the organization that runs the AmeriCorps service program. In June 2009, Walpin received a call from Norman Eisen, who was then the Special Counsel to the President for Ethics and Government Reform. Eisen told Walpin he had an hour to either resign or be fired.

Eisen's call appeared to violate the 2008 Inspectors General Reform Act, which is designed to protect inspectors general from political interference. The Act requires the president to give Congress 30 days' notice, plus an explanation of cause, before firing an inspector general. In Walpin's case, the White House did neither.

In a meeting with Grassley, Eisen apologized for his statements to investigators. In the letter, Eisen writes, "It is now my understanding that I answered a few of the questions inaccurately, although at the time I thought they were accurate. Of course, it was not my intent to mislead staff in any way, but to the extent that I was unclear in my responses, or that my declining to answer questions created confusion, I regret it and I sincerely apologize."

Try that statement with the IRS.

Americans leaving US in record numbers

Interesting...

Ever dream of leaving it all behind and heading out of America? You’re not the only one. A new study shows that more US citizens than ever before are living outside of the country.

According to statistics from the US State Department, around 6.4 million Americans are either working or studying overseas, which Gallup says is the largest number ever for such statistic.

The polling organization came across the number after conducting surveys in 135 outside nations and the information behind the numbers reveal that this isn’t exactly a longtime coming either — numbers have skyrocketed only in recent years. In the 24 months before polling began, the number of Americans between the ages of 25 and 34 living abroad managed to surge from barely 1 percent to over 5.1 percent. For those under the age span wishing to move overseas, the percentage has jumped in the same amount of time from 15 percent to 40.

Survey USA Poll - Florida

This thing is very quickly becoming out of reach for Romney.

8 weeks to the Florida GOP Primary, Newt Gingrich resoundingly defeats Mitt Romney, with no other candidates worth discussing, according to a SurveyUSA poll of 500 likely Republican primary voters conducted for WFLA-TV in Tampa.

Gingrich gets 45%, Romney 23%, no one else is above 6%.

TV Stunt Goes Awry, Sends Cannonball Rocketing Through Homes

Speaking of loose cannons...

DUBLIN, Calif. (CBS) — A cast iron cannonball rocketed through two homes and landed inside a minivan Tuesday when a “Mythbusters” TV experiment went wrong.

Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage are hosts of the scientific experimentation show, which airs on The Discovery Channel. The pair was reportedly trying to figure out how fast a cannonball would travel, when it misfired and shot hundreds of feet in the air.

“This cannonball was supposed to go through several barrels of water and through a cinder block, and then ultimately into the side of the hill,” said J.D. Nelson of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department.

Instead the cannonball flew over the foothills surrounding Camp Parks Military Firing Reservation, before spiraling back toward Dublin like a cruise missile.

It flew straight though the front door of a home on Cassata Place, and bounced around like a pinball, flying up to the second floor before blasting through a back bedroom wall.

The wayward cannonball then blasted across a busy road and through a second home some 50 yards away, demolishing roof tiles.

Wednesday Funny

Gingrich 37%, Romney 22% Among GOP Voters Nationwide

Hmmmmm.

PRINCETON, NJ -- Newt Gingrich leads Mitt Romney 37% to 22% in Gallup's inaugural Daily tracking of Republican registered voters' preferences for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, with all other candidates in the single digits.

LGBT Activists Urge Christmas Shoppers To Boycott Salvation Army Donations

Gay and lesbian activists have accused the Salvation Army of discrimination against homosexuals because of its affirmation of traditional marriage and other Biblical viewpoints.

“We are urging a boycott of the Salvation Army because it uses its selective interpretation of the Bible to promote discrimination against LGBT people in employment benefits and leadership positions within the Army,” said Andy Thayer, co-founder of the Gay Liberation Network.

“It’s a sad day in America when gay rights become more important than giving to the needy,” said Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute.

“Here’s a better idea,” he added. “The next time you pass a Salvation Army bell-ringer, why not thank the volunteer and put a little extra in the kettle to make up for the LGBT grinches who will not be giving this year?”

I don't know about you all but I'll be giving significantly more to the SA this year.

First post-Cain poll finds Gingrich holding double-digit lead nationally

Most significant of all, Romney picked up 0% from Cains withdrawal.

Newt Gingrich is benefitting from Herman Cain’s exit from the GOP presidential race, according to a Poll Position survey released on Monday.

According to the survey of likely Republican primary voters and caucus-goers, which was taken after Cain announced his campaign’s suspension on Saturday, Gingrich took 37 percent of support of those surveyed, followed by Mitt Romney at 23 percent.

Rep. Ron Paul came in at seven percent, Rep. Michele Bachmann at six percent, Gov. Rick Perry at three percent, and Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum with two percent each.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Real Unemployment 11 Percent; Total Unemployment 15.6 Percent

Dig into the data and it's a lot worse than we would be led to believe.

In the last year, the civilian population rose by 1,726,000. Yet the labor force fell by 67,000. Those not in the labor force rose by 1,793,000.

In November, those "Not in Labor Force" rose by a whopping 487,000. If you are not in the labor force, you are not counted as unemployed.

Were it not for people dropping out of the labor force, the unemployment rate would be well over 11%.

Rhode Island governor gets rid of capitol 'Christmas' tree

The thing idiot Chafee fails to grasp is that the "holiday" IS Crristmas.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee does not like a Christmas tree being called a Christmas tree. So he is changing it. According to FoxNews, Gov. Chafee has said the Christmas tree in the State House Rotunda in Providence, as of this year, will be called a "holiday" tree.

Thus the War on Christmas continues. Those like Gov. Chafee don't like the fact that the Christmas tree is identified with the Christian faith.

But Rep. Doreen Costa, called the governor a "Grinch."

She has decided to erect her own Christmas tree - at the State House. And she plans on lighting it on Dec. 6 - the same day Chafee plans to host the official "holiday" tree lighting event.

U.S. Seals Court Records Of Border Patrol’s Murder

And the duplicity continues....

The Obama Administration has abruptly sealed court records containing alarming details of how Mexican drug smugglers murdered a U.S. Border patrol agent with a gun connected to a failed federal experiment that allowed firearms to be smuggled into Mexico.

This means information will now be kept from the public as well as the media. Could this be a cover-up on the part of the “most transparent” administration in history? After all, the rifle used to kill the federal agent (Brian Terry) last December in Arizona’s Peck Canyon was part of the now infamous Operation Fast and Furious. Conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the disastrous scheme allowed guns to be smuggled into Mexico so they could eventually be traced to drug cartels.

Instead, federal law enforcement officers lost track of more than 1,000 guns which have been used in numerous crimes. In Terry’s case, five illegal immigrants armed with at least two semi-automatic assault rifles were hunting for U.S. Border Patrol agents near a desert watering hole just north of the Arizona-Mexico border when a firefight erupted and Terry got hit.

On Newt's 'humane' immigration policy

Thomas Sowell nails it yet again.

Now that Newt Gingrich has become the latest in a series of Republican front-runners, he is getting the kinds of scrutiny and attacks that have done in other front-runners.

One of the issues that has aroused concern among conservative Republicans is that of amnesty for illegal immigrants, especially after Gingrich said that it would not be "humane" to deport someone who has been living and working here for years.

Let's go back to square one. The purpose of American immigration laws and policies is not to be either humane or inhumane to illegal immigrants. The purpose of immigration laws and policies is to serve the national interest of this country.

There is no inherent right to come live in the United States, in disregard of whether the American people want you here. Nor does the passage of time confer any such right retroactively.

Rep. Barney Frank won't seek re-election

That is one disgusting individual that I hope we don't here from ever again unless it's a statement after his conviction for corruption.

Washington (CNN) -- Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank, a prominent 16-term liberal Democrat and arch-enemy of political conservatives nationwide, will announce Monday he does not intend to seek re-election in 2012, according to a statement from Frank's office.

Frank will hold a news conference in his district to discuss the decision at 1 p.m.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Iran Threatens To Hit Turkey If US, Israel Attack

Oh, that will deter the Israeli's. All kidding aside this threat was probably directed at Obama and knowing him it may work.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran will target NATO's missile defense installations in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic, a senior commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Saturday.

Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guards' aerospace division, said the warning is part of a new defense strategy to counter what he described as an increase in threats from the U.S. and Israel.

Tensions have been rising between Iran and the West since the release of a report earlier this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency that said for the first time that Tehran was suspected of conducting secret experiments whose sole purpose was the development of nuclear arms.

Sandusky's Grandson Comes Forward With Allegations of Sexual Abuse

Geez, this just keeps getting worse and worse.

The allegations towards accused Penn State pedophile Jerry Sandusky continue with his grandson now coming forward with claims of sexual abuse.

A complaint was filed against the former assistant coach by the wife of one of his adopted sons, Matt Sandusky with Pennsylvania's Children's and Youth Services, his lawyer told ABC News.

“The allegations are ridiculous and unfounded. Jerry has absolutely denied any inappropriate contact with his grand kids.” Sandusky's attorney Joseph Amendola said.

Sandusky's daughter-in-law filed for a restraining order after his November 5 arrest to prevent her children from sleeping over.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sign of the Times

A west Georgia business owner’s sign.

Official Unofficial Thanksgiving Recipe Posting

Okay folks, the third year we have been doing this and it's time yet again. We're having a traditional dinner....a 18# Tom turkey deep fried in peanut oil, yams with brown sugar bacon drippings and multiple spices, green bean casserole, southern style mac and cheese, fresh frozen (Cherokee variety) sweet corn, reduced gravy from the drippings with Idaho Russet mashed potatoes, no dressing :(, wife hates "soggy bread"..

For the hardcore meat eaters ....4 racks of Pork Baby Back ribs cooked on the Bradley Smoker starting in about 2 hours.

Dessert: Pumpkin Divine....a combination of pumpkin pie and cake with a brown sugar and butter topping. This will give sex a run for the money.

Please, give up your best.

"Disastrous" bond sale shakes confidence in Germany

Like a row of Dominoes...

BERLIN (Reuters) - A "disastrous" German bond sale on Wednesday sparked fears that Europe's debt crisis was even beginning to threaten Berlin, with the leaders of the euro zone's two strongest economies still firmly at odds over a longer-term structural solution.

Financial markets were also unnerved by newspaper reports that Belgium may be pressing France for an expansion of a 90 billion euro ($120 billion) bailout of failed bank Dexia.

On top of this, a special report by Fitch Ratings suggested France had limited room left to absorb shocks to its finances like a new downturn in growth or support for banks without endangering its cherished AAA credit status.

After one of the least successful debt sales by Europe's powerhouse economy since the launch of the single currency, the euro fell and European shares sank to 7-week lows.

Futures Turn Lower After GDP Report

I'm shocked I tell you, shocked!

Futures edged lower Tuesday following a lower-than-expected GDP figure and following the previous session’s sharp sell off.

The U.S. economy grew at a slightly slower pace than previously estimated in the third quarter, but weak inventory accumulation amid sturdy consumer spending strengthened views output would pick up in the current quarter.

Gross domestic product grew at a 2.0 percent annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate on Tuesday, down from the previously estimated 2.5 percent.

The Puzzling Differences Between Michigan and Indiana in This Recession

Good article and accurate, read the whole thing.

This recession has been difficult throughout the Midwest. The nation’s two leading manufacturing states, Indiana and Michigan, have and still continue to feel the pain of this recession. Yet Michigan, which is less dependent on manufacturing, has had a much deeper and longer downturn than Indiana. This is a great puzzle. We have recently authored a study that attempts to frame the issues more clearly "The Puzzle of Indiana's Economy Through the Great Recession," for the Sagamore Institute.

In the wake of this recession the livelihoods and dreams of many in the Midwest have been impacted by high levels of joblessness and persistent unemployment. Unemployment peaked in Indiana at 10.8 percent, but rose to 14.9 percent in Michigan. Any economic model would predict either state would have had unemployment rates in the 13 to 15 percent range. Our study tries to explain this difference in outcomes between the two states. It is the puzzle that has a few answers.

First, it is pretty clear that the unemployment rate differences cannot be wholly explained by the structure of manufacturing. Indiana is more manufacturing intensive than Michigan, and the sharp drops in auto sales such as those seen in 2008 and 2009 are not correlated with increased volatility in Michigan’s unemployment rate. Of course, the auto industry matters. Indiana saw just one Big Three plant closing during the recession, while Michigan lost seven GM plants over the same time period. Indiana is also home to Honda, Toyota and Subaru plants. In 2010, Indiana was site of large announced investment by GM. Granted, the life cycle of a particular plant will effect closing and opening dates, so plant closings can be affected by such things as a discontinued product line or aging equipment. In the end, plant closings are heavily influenced by underlying economic factors, both local and national.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Kissinger Called Jews 'Self-Serving,' 'Bastards'

Considering they were fighting for their very existence, I'm inclined to cut them some slack. Unlike Obama, they wished to preserve that which they had.

Transcripts from 39years ago show that Henry Kissinger, a Jew who later served as U.S. Secretary of State Kissinger under President Richard Nixon, held anti-Jewish views. In 1972, then-Prime Minister Golda Meir asked Nixon to protest to the Kremlin over its levying of fees for exit permits for Jews who wish to emigrate.

The Associated Press quotes Kissinger as calling Jews "self serving" and using the word "bastards" in reference to them. At the time of the events, AP explains, the White House was "defending its strategy of quiet diplomacy" and sought to assure American Jews that Nixon was very concerned about the plight of Soviet Jews but that quiet diplomacy was the best approach.

A White House official, Leonard Garment asked Kissinger for help and guidance, saying he was flooded with letters and phone calls from concerned Jews. The late Alexander Haig, Nixon's national security adviser, had forwarded Meir's letter to him as well. Kissinger was Haig's deputy at the time. The transcripts show that Kissinger said to Garment: "Is there a more self-serving group of people than the Jewish community?"

Cain’s Knowledge-Deficit Disorder

I like Cain but I've seen too many "deer in the headlight moments". I'm afraid he's just not ready for primetime.

He is running for president knowing little about major matters of public import.

Poor Rick Perry. His “brain freeze” is indelible, otherwise it would forever be eclipsed by Herman Cain’s more cringe-inducing meanderings on Libya.

At a meeting with the editors of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Cain was asked whether he agreed with Pres. Barack Obama’s handling of Libya. You would think he had been asked who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan, Cain’s joshing description of a prototypical gotcha foreign-policy question. What ensued was the longest five minutes of an editorial-board meeting ever.

Cain paused. Then he asked for a lifeline by trying to confirm with his questioner that President Obama supported the Libyan uprising. He started to say why he disagreed with Obama, but stopped after realizing, “No, that’s a different one.” He hesitated again. “Got all this stuff twirling around in my head,” he explained.

Pic of the Day

Twomen going to work at the OWS protests in Manhattan.

Quote of the Day

John Adams: Property is surely a right of mankind as really as liberty. Perhaps, at first, prejudice, habit, shame or fear, principle or religion, would restrain the poor from attacking the rich, and the idle from usurping on the industrious; but the time would not be long before courage and enterprise would come, and pretexts be invented by degrees, to countenance the majority in dividing all the property among them, or at least, in sharing it equally with its present possessors. Debts would be abolished first; taxes laid heavy on the rich, and not at all on the others; and at last a downright equal division of every thing be demanded, and voted. What would be the consequence of this? The idle, the vicious, the intemperate, would rush into the utmost extravagance of debauchery, sell and spend all their share, and then demand a new division of those who purchased from them. The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. If “Thou shalt not covet,” and “Thou shalt not steal,” were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free

The 53%ers

Another ObamaCare Glitch

The longer Obama is in office the more "Putinesque he is becoming.

Even if ObamaCare survives Supreme Court scrutiny next spring, its trials will be far from over. That's because the law has a major glitch that threatens its basic functioning. It's so problematic, in fact, that the Obama administration is now brazenly trying to rewrite the law without involving Congress.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act offers "premium assistance"—tax credits and subsidies—to households purchasing coverage through new health-insurance exchanges. This assistance was designed to hide a portion of the law's cost to individuals by reducing the premium hikes that individuals will face after ObamaCare goes into effect in 2014. (If consumers face the law's full cost, support for repeal will grow.)

The law encourages states to create health-insurance exchanges, but it permits Washington to create them if states decline. So far, only 17 states have passed legislation to create an exchange.

This is where the glitch comes in: ObamaCare authorizes premium assistance in state-run exchanges (Section 1311) but not federal ones (Section 1321). In other words, states that refuse to create an exchange can block much of ObamaCare's spending and practically force Congress to reopen the law for revisions.

GOP’s Boehner embraces tax-raising plan

Republicans raise taxes....lose elections, it's that simple.

House Speaker John A. Boehner publicly blessed a Republican deficit-reduction plan Tuesday that would raise $300 billion in additional tax revenue while overhauling the IRS code.

In doing so, he bucked opposition by some GOP presidential hopefuls and colleagues wary of violating a longstanding point of party orthodoxy.

Mr. Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, spoke as time grew perilously short for agreement by the deficit-fighting supercommittee. The panel has until a week from Wednesday to vote on any compromise, but several officials said that, in reality, perhaps as little as 48 or 72 hours are available to the six Republicans and six Democrats.

While Mr. Boehner’s voice is important, his endorsement does not mean all Republicans will follow him or that a deal is in sight. Republicans have been unified for two decades in opposition to higher taxes, while Democrats on the supercommittee insist on additional revenue before they will agree to cuts in benefit programs like Medicare as part of a compromise.

2013 Ford Mustang gallops up to 200 mph (650hp)

Yet another argument for the contention that we’re living in a golden era for American muscle cars arrives with the 2013 Ford Mustang, which will sport a brace of tech and styling updates across its line — including the most powerful V8 engine sold by any automaker in the world. How much trouble could you get in with a 200-mph ‘Stang?

The original pony car has survived 46 years only through annual tweaking between major redesigns, and offering a broad enough model range to lure in everyone from high-schoolers to professional drag racers. Thanks to the competition with the revived Chevrolet Camaro, there’s more muscle in muscle cars than ever before; today’s base V6 Mustang has more grunt than the V8 flashed seven years ago.

DANG!

Gingrich Leads in PPP Poll, Followed by Cain

It's a PPP poll so be wary, interesting nonetheless.

Results from new poll of GOP primary voters from Democratic firm Public Policy Polling: Newt Gingrich (28 percent), Herman Cain (25 percent), Mitt Romney (18 percent), Rick Perry (6 percent), Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul (5 percent), Jon Huntsman (3 percent), Rick Santorum and Gary Johnson (1 percent).

One particularly interesting note from PPP: “There’s reason to think that if Cain continues to fade, Gingrich will continue to gain. Among Cain’s supporters 73 percent have a favorable opinion of Gingrich to only 21 percent with a negative one.”

Supreme Court will hear legal fight over health care overhaul

Let the games begin!

Setting the stage for a historic constitutional confrontation over federal power, the Supreme Court on Monday granted three separate cases on the constitutionality of the new federal health care law, and set aside 5 1/2 hours — probably in March — for oral argument. The Court, however, did not grant all of the issues raised and it chose issues to review only from three of the five separate appeals before it. It is unclear, at this point, whether all cases will be heard on a single day.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven Turns 40 Years Old

Dang, talk about feeling old.

Forty years ago an incredible classic rock band hit their creative peak when they released Led Zeppelin lV. I remember at age fourteen being handed this record for the first time, and being awe struck by stunning song-craftsmanship and lyrical prowess. The album itself which was released November 8th 1971 was a major success and sold 23 million copies alone in the United States, but only peaked at number 2 on the charts.

Many Zeppelin Fans know this album as the one that contains Stairway to Heaven, but among rock critics and fanatics of Zeppelin the whole album is a masterpiece. Led Zeppelin was never known for creating phenomenal singles, but created a name for themselves as a record band. They saw that every song recorded for the album should be done masterfully, and should compliment other tracks on the album. It’s not easy to convince the novice Zeppelin fan that Stairway to Heaven is not the best song on Led Zeppelin lV, but give them a few years and they will be hailing Zeppelin IV for songs such as “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” and “When The Levee breaks.” This album is a must for an classic rock enthusiast, and should be apart of any album collection.

Employer-based health Insurance Continuues to Trend Down

Go figure.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The percentage of American adults who get their health insurance from an employer continues to decline, falling to 44.5% in the third quarter of this year. This percentage has been steadily declining since Gallup and Healthways started tracking Americans' health insurance sources in 2008.

Fifty Percent Welfare Nation

Shocking and totally unsustainable.

It has become all too easy today to receive government assistance. Half of all babies born in the U.S. today receive food assistance, and half of all children live in a home that will use food assistance at some point during their childhood. 40 percent of the population in Washington, D.C. is on welfare. Between 2000 and 2010 the number of Americans receiving food assistance more than doubled, expanding to over 47 million, which is more than one-seventh of the population. Forty years ago, only 4.3 million Americans received food assistance. According to a Heritage Foundation study, means-tested welfare has grown faster than every other part of government during the past two decades, including Social Security, Medicare, education and defense.

Foreclosures regaining momentum, hit 7-month high

Always a very telling statistic and very bad news.

The U.S. foreclosure rate has climbed to its highest level in seven months, suggesting that lenders are moving beyond a "robo-signing" scandal that had temporarily slowed bank takeovers, according to a private firm that tracks the activity.

Foreclosure filings — including default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions — were issued on 230,678 homes in October, up 7 percent from September but 31 percent below the level of October 2010, according to the report issued by RealtyTrac Thursday.

And then there's this: Median home prices fall for 3Q in most US cities.

Former Ariz. US Attorney admits leaking memo smearing Fast and Furious whistle-blower

Former Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, who resigned in August, admitted late Tuesday that he leaked a document aimed at smearing Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent John Dodson, an Operation Fast and Furious whistle-blower.

“Dennis regrets his role in disclosing the memo but he’s a stand-up guy and is willing to take responsibility for what he did,” Chuck Rosenberg, Burke’s lawyer, said according to NPR. “It was absolutely not Dennis’s intent to retaliate against Special Agent Dodson or anyone else for the information they provided Congress.”

Rosenberg claims Burke is cooperating with congressional investigators.

"Stand up guys" don't leak lies for illegitimate partisan purposes.

Witness: Cain accuser hugged him during Tea Party meeting a month ago

From The Chicago Sun Times:

The Cain Encounter ...

They hugged each other backstage in a full embrace like old friends.

She grabbed his arm and whispered in his left ear.

She kept talking as he bent to listen, and he kept saying “Uh, huh. Uh, huh.”

Huh?

“I don’t know if what she was giving him was a sucker punch, but he didn’t put his arm down while she was talking to him,” said the Sneed source.

◆The “he”... is GOP presidential contender Herman Cain, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women.

◆The “she”... is Chicagoan Sharon Bialek, who held a news conference Tuesday as the only woman to PUBLICLY accuse Cain of sexual harassment.

Hmmmmm, something is not adding up.

New Woman Accusing Herman Cain Of Sexual Harassment Hires Gloria Allred

Much more of this and it's going to start to stick.

A new woman alleging sexual harassment by presidential hopeful Herman Cain will break her silence at a news conference with her powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred Monday afternoon in New York City, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The embattled GOP nominee has admitted that several women who worked at the National Restaurant Association during his tenure as president of the organization received settlements. Politico has reported that the settlements were given because of sexual harassment allegations.

The woman, who will be the first to go public on Monday, sought Cain's help with an employment issue and was allegedly sexually harassed by him. Allred and her client will discuss, in detail, what she alleges occurred with Cain.

Greek PM expected to resign after coalition government formed

Simply kicking the can down the road, it solves precisely nothing.

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will resign after the makeup of the nation's new coalition government is decided, officials said Sunday.

Sunday's Cabinet meeting will be the last with Papandreou as prime minister, a government spokesman said in a statement. The meeting will focus on issues relating to Monday's Euro group meeting, at which Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos will represent Greece, the statement said.

A spokesman for Papandreou's Socialist PASOK party said the prime minister will resign after the government is announced.

Solyndra Execs Reaped Bonuses Before Bankruptcy, Documents Show

Where's OWS?

Solyndra executives were awarded quarterly bonuses worth up to $60,000 apiece earlier this year as the California solar-panel company headed for bankruptcy, court documents show.

Documents filed by the company in U.S. bankruptcy court in Delaware show the well-paid executives at the firm were given bonuses in April and in July, just months before the company filed for bankruptcy in September and laid off 1,100 workers.

The details add to the narrative of what was happening behind the scenes in the year leading up to the company's financial collapse, though congressional Republicans investigating the matter are looking for more details. After the Obama administration turned over 20,000 pages of documents earlier this week pertaining to Solyndra, House Republicans on Thursday night served the White House and vice president's office with a subpoena for more Solyndra documents.

Vatican stunned by Irish embassy closure

The Vatican has only itself to blame.

(Reuters) - Catholic Ireland's stunning decision to close its embassy to the Vatican is a huge blow to the Holy See's prestige and may be followed by other countries which feel the missions are too expensive, diplomatic sources said on Friday.

The closure brought relations between Ireland and the Vatican, once ironclad allies, to an all-time low following the row earlier this year over the Irish Church's handling of sex abuse cases and accusations that the Vatican had encouraged secrecy.

Ireland will now be the only major country of ancient Catholic tradition without an embassy in the Vatican.

Fed slashes growth, employment projections

This should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who's been paying attention.

In an announcement that is likely to deepen concerns over the U.S. economic woes the Federal Reserve has slashed growth and employment projections for 2011 and 2012.

Data projections released by the Fed suggested that it had revised a measure of the average, or “central tendency,” for the U.S. economy's 2011 gross domestic product growth rate from the 2.7-2.9 per cent range to the 1.6-1.7 per cent range. Similarly, the central bank cut its 2012 projection for growth from the 3.3-3.7 per cent range to the 2.5-2.9 per cent range.

Unemployment which in June the Fed projected would hover between 8.6 per cent and 8.9per cent during 2011 was revised and projected to remain between 9 per cent and 9.1 per cent for the rest of the calendar year.

For 2012, the average unemployment rate was similarly revised upward from the 7.8-8.2per cent range to the 8.5-8.7 per cent range.

Syrian tanks open fire despite Arab League deal

Syria reneging on a deal, say it ain't so.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian activists say tanks mounted with machine-guns have fired on a city at the heart of the country's uprising.

The violence comes one day after Damascus agreed to an Arab League plan calling on the government to pull the military out of cities in hopes of easing the regime's 7-month-old crackdown on protesters that has killed thousands.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says the Baba Amr district of Homs came under heavy fire Thursday. He cited witnesses in Homs.

Holder sues South Carolina over immigration reform

SCOTUS here we come.The Obama administration has boosted its efforts to bar state-level enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws by suing South Carolina over its new immigration reform law.

The Monday announcement by the Department of Justice follows the news that the Department of Homeland Security has quietly canceled long-standing checks of transportation hubs for illegal immigrants.

Administration officials defended the controversial lawsuit Monday, despite the nation’s unemployment rate of at least 9 percent.

“Today’s lawsuit makes clear once again that the Justice Department will not hesitate to challenge a state’s immigration law, as we have in Arizona, Alabama and South Carolina, if we find that the law interferes with the federal government’s enforcement of immigration,” read a statement from embattled Attorney General Eric Holder.

Corzine’s MF Global files for bankruptcy

You all remember John Corzine, don't you?

Besieged broker MF Global filed bankruptcy today after a frantic effort over the weekend by CEO John Corzine to strike an out-of-bankruptcy sale came up short.

MF Global had a tentative deal to sell assets to Interactive Brokers Group as of late Sunday, but the agreement fell apart as talks continued overnight, people familiar with the matter said. Discussions ended around 5 a.m. Eastern Time, one of these people said.

MF Global had been considering filing just its holding company for bankruptcy protection and then executing the sale. That plan is now off the table, one of the people said. This person said MF Global's parent company would be included in the bankruptcy filing. Eighth largest corporate bankruptcy in history, what a guy.

Voluntary bankruptcy petitions for MF Global Holdings Ltd. and MF Global Finance USA Inc. hit the docket in a US bankruptcy court in Manhattan mid-morning Monday.

Scientist who said climate change sceptics had been proved wrong accused of hiding truth by colleague

Here they go again...

It was hailed as the scientific study that ended the global warming debate once and for all – the research that, in the words of its director, ‘proved you should not be a sceptic, at least not any longer’.

Professor Richard Muller, of Berkeley University in California, and his colleagues from the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperatures project team (BEST) claimed to have shown that the planet has warmed by almost a degree centigrade since 1950 and is warming continually.

But today The Mail on Sunday can reveal that a leading member of Prof Muller’s team has accused him of trying to mislead the public by hiding the fact that BEST’s research shows global warming has stopped.

Prof Judith Curry, who chairs the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at America’s prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology, said that Prof Muller’s claim that he has proven global warming sceptics wrong was also a ‘huge mistake’, with no scientific basis.

Prof Curry is a distinguished climate researcher with more than 30 years experience and the second named co-author of the BEST project’s four research papers.

Fact Check: Obama Exaggerates on Campaign Promises

How many people in the business world would still have a job with a 30% success rate?

During recent political rallies, President Obama ambitiously claimed that he has delivered 60 percent of his 2008 campaign promises, but the watchdog organization Politfact.com reveals that the President’s assertion is far from accurate. Speaking at two fundraisers earlier this week, Obama recounted a list of "accomplishments" which he has resolved during his first term in the White House, as he rattled off a catalog of completed initiatives, including financial regulation, healthcare reform, and pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq

According to PolitiFact’s data, the stark contrasts between candidate Obama and President Obama may help explain why so many "Hope" and "Change" posters have faded. The government watchdog calculated that of the 506 pledges candidate Obama offered during his 2008 campaign, he fulfilled only 151, or just below 30 percent. Tacking on campaign vows that the President compromised on, his "mission accomplished" score rises to a meager 39 percent. The Washington Times reported on one of Obama’s most politically crucial campaign promises...

Halloween Pic of Day

Now that's scary!

No cheap seats for Cain, Gingrich 'Lincoln-Douglas-style' debate

Someone dam% well should and probably will televise this, could and likely will be outstanding!

No television station has signed on to broadcast the “Lincoln-Douglas” debate between GOP presidential rivals Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich, and those hoping to attend the Nov. 5 debate will pay a steep price to see the drama unfold in-person.
General admission for the debate costs $200 – although the price includes a slice of “good ole apple pie,” according to the Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC, which is sponsoring the event.

Then there’s the “Patron Ticket,” which costs $500. Patron-level purchasers will get “prime seating” and admission to a “Nite Cap party after the debate,” as well as a chance to mingle with the candidates over drinks and hors d’oerves afterward.

Top-level donors will pay $1,000 for “the best seating in the house,” a special room at the Woodlands Resort in Houston for the Nite Cap party, and a “professional picture” taken with the candidates.

Students can get in for $150, but those tickets are sold out.

Cher's tears over 'Dancing' result

Perhaps your tears AND PARENTING EFFORT should have been applied years ago when it mattered. Now you have a his/her offspring that has no talent and is a virtual poster child for how totally screwed up we have become.

According to her Twitter account, Cher shed tears on Tuesday after her son Chaz Bono was voted off "Dancing With the Stars." The transgender star and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were kicked off the contest after ending up at the bottom of the leaderboard for their "Phantom of the Opera"-inspired tango.

Bono took the result in stride as he cited "struggling" youngsters as his inspiration for joining the show.

He said, "I took so much away from this. This was an amazing journey that really pushed me and showed me that I could do so much more than I ever thought I could. I came on this show because I wanted to show America a different kind of man. I dedicate everything I did to all the people out there like me, especially the kids and teens who are struggling. You can have a wonderful, great life and be successful and happy."

U.S. Consumer Confidence Unexpectedly Drops to Two-Year Low

More wonderful Obama milestones.

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Consumer confidence unexpectedly slumped in October to the lowest level since March 2009, when the U.S. economy was in a recession, as Americans' outlooks for employment and incomes soured.

The Conference Board's sentiment index decreased to 39.8 from a revised 46.4 reading in September, figures from the New York-based private research group showed today. This month's reading was less than the most pessimistic forecast in a Bloomberg News survey in which the median projection was 46.

Rasmussen: Obama Hits New Low Water Mark

The Titanic of presidencies.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 18% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty percent (40%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22 (see trends).

That’s the lowest level of Strong Approval ever measured for this president.

Just 21% favor the forgiveness of student loans while people remain evenly divided in their opinion of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Judge halts drug tests as condition of Florida payments

A judge on Monday halted a new Florida law that requires low-income parents seeking federal cash assistance to pass a drug test before receiving any money.

In a 37-page ruling in Orlando, District Court Judge Mary Scriven granted an injunction barring the state from enforcing the new law until the case is resolved.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida sued on behalf of a University of Central Florida student who refused to take the drug test when he applied for Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, a federal program that provides cash assistance to families with children.

The ACLU argued that the drug tests are unconstitutional in other situations.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Iraq rejects US request to maintain bases after troop withdrawal

Anyone who believes that this wasn't the Obama administration's design all along needs to contact me about some waterfront propery in Florida immediately.

The US suffered a major diplomatic and military rebuff on Friday when Iraq finally rejected its pleas to maintain bases in the country beyond this year.

Barack Obama announced at a White House press conference that all American troops will leave Iraq by the end of December, a decision forced by the final collapse of lengthy talks between the US and the Iraqi government on the issue.

The Iraqi decision is a boost to Iran, which has close ties with many members of the Iraqi government and which had been battling against the establishment of permanent American bases.

Quote of the Week

Hillary Clinton commenting on Gaddafi's death:"We came, we saw, he died" Aside from being a totally inappropriate comment from a Secretary of State, it's a lie.

Photo: Muammar Gaddafi Dead?

Looks legit, we'll see.

Update:It's confirmed.

Hotel cancels Tea Party event after learning that anti-Islam activist was due to be a speaker

Dhimmitude on parade.

A hotel in Texas cancelled a Tea Party event that was going to be held in their conference room because it didn't approve of the group's keynote speaker. Pamela Geller, a political activist and blogger, was schedule to headline the event and caused hotel representatives to deny the group use of their space.

Officially, the Hyatt Place Houston Sugar Land hotel cancelled the event citing 'changing security needs' after they learned that Ms Geller would be speaking.

This is not the first time that Ms Geller has ruffled feathers: the staunch conservative has written extensively against Islam and regularly attacks the religion because she deems it 'the radical most radical and extreme ideology on the face of the earth'.

'I'm not bashing Muslims. I'm not bashing people. I love people, It's why I do what I do,' Ms Geller said.

SEPTEMBER PPI SURGES 0.8%, WAY HOTTER THAN ESTIMATES

So as long as we don’t eat, heat our homes or go anywhere everthings hunky-dory.

The number is out, and it's HOT!

PPI hs jumped 0.8%, well above the 0.2% analysts had expected.

Core PPI, which excludes food and energy, was only up 0.2%, which is still above the 0.1% that analysts had expected.

The culprit? Blame food and energy.

TX High School Students Made to Recite Mexican National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance

Oh Brenda, so wise for being so young....

Students in a Texas public high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but the school district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.

Wearing red, white and green, students had to memorize the Mexican anthem and pledge and stand up and recite them in individually in front of the class.

That didn’t go over well with sophomore Brenda Brinsdon. The 15-year-old sat down and refused to participate. She also caught it all on video.

I just thought it was out of hand, I didn’t think it was right,” she told The Blaze. “Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.”

Cain Says His Deadly Fence Plan Was 'a Joke'

After watching some interviews with Cain over the past several months I've suspected he's not ready for prime time, now I'm pretty certain of it.

At two campaign rallies in Tennessee on Saturday night, the Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said that part of his immigration policy would be to build an electrified fence on the country’s border with Mexico that could kill people trying to enter the country illegally.

But by Sunday morning, in a dramatic change of tone, Mr. Cain, a former restaurant executive, said he was only kidding.

“That’s a joke,” Mr. Cain told the journalist David Gregory during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he was asked about the electrified fence. “That’s not a serious plan. I’ve also said America needs to get a sense of humor.”

Mr. Cain’s attempt to pass off incendiary comments as nothing but a joke may take more effort, however. In making the initial remarks about an electrified fence killing illegal immigrants, Mr. Cain was detailed and repetitive. He did not introduce his thoughts as anything but serious commentary, beginning with the words, “We have a crisis of illegal immigration.”

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

Congress, Governors Nix Obama's High-speed Trains

It's bad enough to spend money on a boondoggle when you have the money, but when you don't, it's shear insanity.

Dead. Kaput. Through. Finished. Washed up. Gone-zo.

That, I think, is a fair description of the Obama administration's attempt to build high-speed rail lines across America.

It hasn't failed because of a lack of willingness to pony up money. The Obama Democrats' February 2009 stimulus package included $8 billion for high-speed rail projects. The Democratic Congress appropriated another $2.5 billion.

But Congress is turning off the spigot. The Republican-controlled House has appropriated zero dollars for high-speed rail. The Democratic-majority Senate Appropriations Committee has appropriated $100 million in its budget recommendation.

That's effectively "a vote of 'no confidence' to President Obama's infrastructure initiative," concludes transportation analyst Ken Orski, "a bipartisan signal that Congress has no appetite for pouring more money into a venture that many lawmakers have come to view as a poster child for wasteful spending."

Issa Issues Holder Subpoena

About time.

Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent a subpoena Wednesday to Attorney General Eric Holder as part of his investigation into the gun trafficking operation known as "Fast and Furious."

"Top Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Holder, know more about Operation Fast and Furious than they have publicly acknowledged," the California Republican said in a statement. "The documents this subpoena demands will provide answers to questions that Justice officials have tried to avoid since this investigation began eight months ago. It's time we know the whole truth."

Romney says Christie would be on Vice President list

Two RINO peas in a pod.

Leading Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said on Wednesday that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would be on his short list for vice presidential running mate if he won the Republican presidential nomination.

A day after Romney won Christie's endorsement, the former Massachusetts governor appeared alongside Christie for an interview with NBC's "Today" show and said they were "great friends."

"We agree on a whole host of issues," Romney said. "We've spent time together over the last year getting to know each other better. I've asked for his counsel on policy matters and so I think we're pretty sympathetic on the issues that matter."

69% Oppose In-State Tuition To Illegal Immigrants

Well Duh!

While the battles over the budget underscore how polarized Americans have become, there is one issue that people across the political spectrum agree on: They oppose giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

Fully 69% of Americans in the latest IBD/TIPP poll say they don’t favor states giving in-state college tuition to illegal residents while charging higher fees for legal, out-of-state residents. Just 22% support such a policy.

73% of Republicans are opposed vs. 20% in favor. Independents have even stronger views: 74%-15%. Even Democrats are strongly opposed 58%-32%.

World's oldest running car fetches $4.6 million at auction

If I could auction off the "oldest running wife" I could be a billionaire.....just kidding....just kiding.

The world's oldest running car, an 1884 De Dion Bouton Et Trapardoux Dos-A-Dos Steam Runabout, made history Friday, fetching $4.62 million at RM Auctions' Hershey, Pennsylvania event. Before a packed house, the 127-year-old ride quickly eclipsed its $500,000 starting bid.

By the time the dust had settled, the gavel fell at $4.2 million. The final price included a ten-percent buyer's premium. The crowd began applauding as soon as the car crept onto the stage and the enthusiasm didn't wane until well after the sale.

The Runabout had been in the same family for 81 years prior to the sale, and is one of six De Dion tricycles known to still exist. A total of 20 of the three-wheelers were built. When new, the trike had a top speed of 38 mph and a range of 20 miles on one tank of water. The vehicle that sold last night was the only car to show up for the world's first auto race, where it averaged 16 mph over a 20-mile course.

New Czars Exercise Unprecedented Control over Government Policies and Programs While Operating Under a “Veil of Secrecy”

Totalitarianism in action...

Judicial Watch, the public interest organization that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released “ President Obama’s Czarspdf,” a special report on the President’s appointing of “policy advisors,” many of whom enjoy positions of power and authority in the administration and yet have not been subjected to vetting and confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Judicial Watch’s extensive investigation exhaustively documents these czar appointments and details the control these czars exercise over government operations.

From the report’s introduction:

“This Judicial Watch Special Report analyzes the proliferation of so-called ‘czars’ in the Obama administration. President Barack Obama has installed personal advisors in czar positions in the White House and has created new czar positions elsewhere in the Executive Branch. As of the date of this report, the number of czars that have been appointed by the President, or by others in his administration, appears to total 45. In addition, there are as many as 18 other unfilled or planned czar positions.

“Many of these ‘czars’ are unconfirmed by the Senate and are largely unaccountable to Congress. Further, their activities are often outside the reach of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), creating a veil of secrecy about their precise role in the administration.”

Tiger Worship

Foxsports has this headline: Tiger still in hunt at Frys. How ridiculous is that, he barely made the cut and is presently tied for 38th. The only think he's "in the hunt" for is the parking lot.

This reminds me of the infatuation of the media with Obama. It doesn't matter how terrible his performance is, he's still just wonderful.

Sunday Funny

Thanks RR.

DOE Warned Solyndra Loan Could be Illegal

Being that the current administration is above the law, who cares.

A new batch of Solyndra emails shows that the Energy Department was warned that their plan to aid the failing solar company could be illegal and should be cleared with the Justice Department.

The Treasury Department warned DOE that it could be illegal to allow private investors to be paid back ahead of taxpayers. The correspondence also reveals that Steve Spinner, a senior adviser on the loan program, lobbied officials at the Office of Management and Budget to speed up their review—despite saying he would recuse himself from the case because his wife worked for a law firm representing Solyndra.

Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval at 38%

Being that 46+ % of Americans are on some form of government support it appears that even the deadbeats are turning on the ONE.

Gallup tracks daily the percentage of Americans who approve or disapprove of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. Results are based on telephone interviews with approximately 1,500 national adults; Margin of error is ±3 percentage points.

Home ownership: Biggest drop since Great Depression

Obama's economy, bring back "the projects"!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The percentage of Americans who owned their homes has seen its biggest decline since the Great Depression, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The rate of home ownership fell to 65.1% in April 2010, 1.1 percentage points lower than it was in 2000. The decline was the biggest drop since the 1930s, when home ownership plunged 4.2%.

The most recent decade-over-decade drop, however, only tells half the story.

Home ownership during the 2000s "was really high in the middle of the decade, up to almost 70% at one point around 2004," said Ellen Wilson, a survey statistician with the bureau.

The crash from that peak was more than 4 percentage points in just about five years -- a far more dramatic decline than the 1.1% drop over the 10-year period.

Democrats: $250K isn't rich

Finally they get it. Now their biggest problem, taxing millionaires punitively won't generate enough revenue to amount to a tinkers damn.

Democrats are increasingly abandoning their biggest talking point on taxes: Families earning more than $250,000 a year are “wealthy” and should pay more.

That figure — $250,000 for a household — has been at the tip of the tongue of so many Democratic candidates and lawmakers in the past few elections that it’s become ingrained in the party’s tax philosophy. But they’ve taken a beating from Republicans and have grown increasingly divided on the issue, since that income level would not only cause tax increases for some small businesses but also hit upper-middle-class suburban voters in swing states.

So Democrats on Capitol Hill and the White House are settling on an easier sales pitch: Tax the millionaires, believing that public opinion is firmly on their side that the truly rich should pony up more cash as the economy struggles and the national debt continues to grow. The new rhetoric could force a serious rethinking of the Democratic approach toward the Bush-era tax cuts for high earners that they’ve vilified for the past decade, lawmakers said Wednesday.

Initial Jobless Claims Snap Back Above 400,000

Obama at the wheel and stuck in neutral.

Weekly jobless claims ticked back above 400,000, suggesting that the U.S. jobs market has not yet seen sustained improvement.

Some 401,000 Americans filed for unemployment in the week ended Oct. 1, according to the Labor Department. The latest update was up by 6,000 from the previous week's revised 395,000.

The four-week moving average decreased by 4000 to 414,000.

With the exception of the prior week, initial jobless claims have stubbornly clung above the 400,000 level since April of this year. The unemployment rate has remained above 9% since the spring of 2009.

Nearly $500K to send Michelle, family to Africa

I wonder if the White House had some advance warning of this coming out when they concocted that lame picture of MO in Target posed to look like one of the common people.

How much does it cost taxpayers to fly First Lady Michelle Obama, her two daughters and her mother, a niece and a nephew, a hairstylist and makeup artists to South Africa and Botswana to give a few speeches, meet Nelson Mandela, and enjoy a safari on a private game preserve?

Nearly half a million dollars, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) concerning Obama's June 21-27 journey.

Judicial Watch said the U.S. Air Force provided a C-32 - a Boeing 757 modified by the military for the purpose of flying big-wigs around the world - to fly the First Lady and her entourage to and from Africa, at a cost of $424,142. Another $928.44 was listed as the cost of providing 192 meals for the 21 people who made the trip

The Obama daughters were listed on the manifest as "senior staff."

House Republicans to Request Special Counsel to Probe Holder on 'Fast and Furious'

About damn time.

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are going to call for a special counsel to determine whether Attorney General Holder perjured himself during his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Operation Fast and Furious, Fox News has learned.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, is sending a letter to President Obama arguing that Holder cannot investigate himself and will request a probe by a special counsel.

The question is whether Holder committed perjury during a Judiciary Committee hearing in May. At the time, Holder indicated he was not familiar with with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives program known as Fast and Furious.

However, a newly discovered memo dated July 2010 shows Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Center, told Holder that straw buyers in the Fast and Furious operation "are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to the Mexican drug trafficking cartels."