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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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"?

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

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 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.

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.

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."

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 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.

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
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

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.

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.

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.

Real Greenbacks, Faux Green

It's easy to be cavalier with other peoples money when you can spend it like this with impunity.

When CBS News reporter Sharyl Attkisson dug into the latest House expenses filing for the climate confab, she found that the cost for a hotel room for the congressional delegation of 15 Democratic and six Republican members of Congress and 38 staffers was $2,200 per person per day -- more than most Americans spend on their monthly mortgages. In addition, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members flew on three military planes, at an estimated cost of $168,000. Many staffers, however, flew on commercial airlines, at fares ranging from $4,163 to $10,038.

The tab for the House delegation -- not including the military planes -- was $553,564. We still do not know the price tag for the 60-plus administration officials who, like President Barack Obama, attended the summit. Ditto the unknown bill for the two senators -- John Kerry, D-Mass., and James Inhofe, R-Okla. -- and 30-plus Senate aides.

I asked Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill about the $2,200-a-day tab. "We don't get to pick the hotel we stay in," he answered; the State Department picks hotels for congressional delegations, and it chose a five-star Marriott with a six-night minimum during the summit -- hence the $4,406-per-room tab for a 48-hour stay. My journalist pal Ola Tedin of Ystad, Sweden, suggested, "They would have found a better deal in Malmo, Sweden," where many attendees stayed. No, I am told, the delegation worked nonstop and didn't have time for the 35-minute train ride.

Pic of the Day

Solar Power? Fuhgettaboutit

If you've ever contemplated putting in a solar power system in your home READ THIS FIRST.

TV host's 'black Obama' praise backfires, stirs row

Never forget that it's the left that insists on emphasizing racial distinction. The right would embrace racial neutrality in this country. Unfortunately, racial neutrality negates the demagouguery of victimhood.

Five little words — "I forgot he was black" — have exposed a contradiction in the idea of a post-racial nation.

The comment came from MSNBC host Chris Matthews after President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech on Wednesday. "He is post-racial, by all appearances," the liberal host said on the air.

"I forgot he was black tonight for an hour. You know, he's gone a long way to become a leader of this country, and past so much history, in just a year or two. I mean, it's something we don't even think about."

Matthews meant it as praise, but it caused a rapid furor, with many calling the quote a troubling sign that blackness is viewed as a handicap that still needs to be overcome. But his comments instantly exploded online, especially on Twitter. Ninety minutes later, he clarified his comments on the air.

Economy soars 5.7 percent in Q4, fastest in 6 years

Anyone wanna bet next month this is revised down significantly?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The economy grew at a faster-than-expected 5.7 percent pace in the fourth quarter, the quickest in more than six years, as businesses made less-aggressive cuts to inventories and stepped up spending.

The Commerce Department said on Friday its first estimate put fourth-quarter gross domestic product growth at its fastest pace since the third quarter of 2003. The economy expanded at a 2.2 percent annual rate in the third quarter.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast GDP, which measures total goods and services output within U.S. borders, growing at a 4.6 percent rate in October-December period.

New US jobless claims, factory orders disappoint

Only if you expected better, those of us paying attention did not.

WASHINGTON — A drop in new U.S. jobless claims came in short of expectations and factory orders rose only slightly, fresh evidence the economy is recovering at a slow, uneven pace.

The Labour Department said Thursday that first-time jobless claims dropped by 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 470,000. Analysts had expected a steeper drop to 450,000, according to Thomson Reuters.

The four week average, which smooths out volatility, rose for the second straight week to 456,250. The average had fallen for 19 straight weeks before starting to rise.

Two weeks ago, claims surged by 34,000 due to administrative backlogs left over from the holidays in the state agencies that process the claims, a Labour Department analyst said. Those delays may still be affecting the data, the analyst said.

SOTU Falsehood

Obama's SOTU was chock full of mischaracterizations and some just plain blatant lies. One of the more agregious of those is HERE. He went on to say "Citizens United v. FEC "open[ed] the floodgates for special interests - including foreign corporations - to spend without limit in our elections."

Shame on you Mr President and shame on the co-dependent Democrat Congress that enables you.

Nap Naps

This pic summarizes Obama's SOTU speech far better than I ever could.

Nelson Says He Planned to Filibuster for Stupak All Along

Yep, before it before he was against it...

First Sen. Ben Nelson (D., Neb.) said the Cornhusker Kickback was just a "placeholder," and that he planned on securing the same deal for all states or stripping the measure from the final bill. Now he says that his "compromise" on abortion language was never meant to make it. The senator was just waiting for the bill's final pass through the Senate to swoop in and filibuster for the stronger Stupak amendment.

Wednesday Funny

Toomey over Specter by 14 points

How long before the Democrats don't want him either.

Former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey has opened up a 14-point lead among likely voters in his bid to deny U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter a sixth term, according to the latest Daily News/Franklin & Marshall Poll.

Poll director G. Terry Madonna said that the results reflect a growing national Republican resurgence mixed with a lack of Democratic enthusiasm as the two parties battle over issues like health care and the economy.

Specter, who switched from Republican to Democrat in April, was tied at 30 percent in a general election match-up with Toomey among registered voters, with 35 percent undecided, the poll found.

But Toomey jumped out to a 14- point lead when the poll targeted "likely voters," people who said they are certain to vote and are paying close attention to the race.

Rubio Edges Crist In Florida Gop Senate Race

Oh what a difference 6 months can make.

Former State House Speaker Marco Rubio has squeaked past Gov. Charlie Crist in the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination, leading 47 - 44 percent and topping Gov. Crist on trust, values and conservative credentials, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Rubio beats the leading Democrat, South Florida Congressman Kendrick Meek, 44 - 35 percent in a general election matchup, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Crist leads Meek 48 - 36 percent.

President Barack Obama is under water in Florida as voters disapprove 49 - 45 percent of his job performance, down from a 48 - 46 percent approval rating October 21.

Home sales tumble as first-time buyers back off

One of the many recent indicators of a double dip recession.

WASHINGTON - Sales of previously occupied homes took their largest drop in more than 40 years last month yet managed to end 2009 with the first annual gain in four years.

Still, prices plunged by more than 12 percent last year — the sharpest fall since the Great Depression. The price drop for 2009 — to a median of $173,500 — showed the housing market remains too weak to help fuel a sustained economic recovery. Total sales for 2009 were nearly 5.2 million, up about 5 percent from 2008.

'Chemical Ali' executed in Iraq

Better get used to the chemical component of brimstone.

BAGHDAD - Iraq's government spokesman says Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin "Chemical Ali" was executed Monday about a week after being sentenced to death for the poison gas attacks that killed more than 5,000 Kurds in 1988.

News of the hanging came shortly after three suicide car bombs struck downtown Baghdad. It was not immediately clear whether the attacks were linked the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh confirmed the execution took place.

More UN climate claims undermined

Sunshine in the form of scutiny is truly the ultimate disinfectant for BS.

THE UN climate science panel faces new controversy for wrongly linking global warming to a rise in natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change based the claims on an unpublished report that had not been subjected to routine scientific scrutiny - and ignored warnings from scientific advisers, The Australian reports.

The report's author later withdrew the claim because the evidence was too weak.

The link was central to demands at last month's Copenhagen climate summit by African nations for compensation of $US100 billion from the rich nations.

However, the IPCC knew in 2008 that the link could not be proved but did not alert world leaders, who have used weather extremes to bolster the case for action on climate change.

Kevin Rudd last November linked weather extremes to the debate over the Government's emissions trading scheme.

Ellie Light Sockpuppet Extraordinaire

Someone appears to be doing a little Astroturfing for Obama.

In recent days, a letter defending Obama has appeared in dozens of newspapers throughout the country — all signed by an “Ellie Light.” In the letters, which all use identical language, Ms. Light explains that Obama never promised to fix all our problems quickly or painlessly. She declares:

Today, the president is being attacked as if he’d promised that our problems would wash off in the morning. He never did. It’s time for Americans to realize that governing is hard work, and that a president can’t just wave a magic wand and fix everything.

Editors all over the country found Light’s message strangely compelling. It was reprinted at The Politico; the Philadelphia Daily News; the San Francisco Examiner; the Washington Times; and a USA Today blog. In addition, the letter has appeared at literally dozens of small-town papers across the country, with names like the Los Banos Enterprise, the North Adams Transcript, and the Danbury News-Times.

Video Memories

Anyone with an adolescent sister in the mid 60s would be all too familiar with this bloke. Notice the rag stuffed in the mandolin (think it was a Fender Mandocaster but could have been a Rickenbacker), it's what gave it the distinctive sound, and how about that suit Peter Noone is wearing, classic

And for all you screamin middle aged teeny boppers out there.....he was 17.

Air America Ceases Radio Broadcasts

Pretty much what happens when you have no audience.

New York - Liberal talk-radio network Air America unceremoniously announced on Thursday that it would cease broadcasting immediately and file for bankruptcy. "It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business," the company said on its website.

"The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a 'perfect storm' in the media industry generally," the company added.

Tell that to Fox.

Videos of the Day

Even a blind sow finds an acorn once in awhile. See HERE. and HERE.

Supreme Court Partially Strikes Down Campaign Finance Reform

Hmmmm

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court threw out a 63-year-old law designed to restrain the influence of big business and unions on elections Thursday, ruling that corporations may spend as freely as they like to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress. The decision could drastically alter who gives and gets hundreds of millions of dollars in this year's crucial midterm elections.

By a 5-4 vote, the court overturned two of its own decisions as well as the decades-old law that said companies and labor unions can be prohibited from using money from their general treasuries to produce and run their own campaign ads. The decision threatens similar limits imposed by 24 states.

It leaves in place a prohibition on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions.

Critics of the stricter limits have argued that they amount to an unconstitutional restraint of free speech, and the court majority agreed.

Initial jobless claims unexpectedly rise

How long before "unexpected" becomes the expected?

WASHINGTON – The number of newly-laid off workers seeking jobless benefits unexpectedly rose last week, as the economy recovers at a slow and uneven pace.

Layoffs have slowed and the economy began to grow in last year's third quarter, but companies are reluctant to hire new workers. The unemployment rate is 10 percent and many economists expect it to increase in the coming months.

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for unemployment insurance rose by 36,000 to a seasonally adjusted 482,000. Wall Street economists expected a small drop, according to Thomson Reuters.

The four-week average, which smooths fluctuations, rose for the first time since August, to 448,250.

TSA Nominee Erroll Southers Withdraws

Another one bites the dust...

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Transportation Security Administration withdrew his name Wednesday, a blow to an administration trying to explain how a man could attempt to blow up a commercial airliner on Christmas Day.

Erroll Southers said he was pulling out because his nomination had become a lightning rod for those with a political agenda. Obama had tapped Southers, a former FBI agent, to lead the TSA in September but his confirmation has been blocked by Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who says he was worried that Southers would allow TSA employees to have collective bargaining rights.

In an e-mail to friends and colleagues, Southers said, "It is unfortunate that we are residing in such contentious political times, that exceptional, 'apolitical' candidates have to seriously consider their willingness to participate in public service."

Quote of the Day

"Make no mistake, Obama owns this"

Beginning of the End

It's OVAH! The Scott heard round the world.

Hoyer: Voters upset about GOP obstructionism, not Dem agenda

In other words people are so pi$$ed off at the Republicans they're going to (in the bluest of blue states) elect a Republican. The left are either insane or unabashed liars. I used to believe it was the latter but I'm beginning to suspect it's the former.

Hoyer: Voters upset about GOP obstructionism, not Dem agenda By Jordan Fabian -

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday said that angst voters have expressed early this election year is the result of GOP obstructionism, not the Democrats agenda.

Hoyer's remarks come as Republican state Sen. Scott Brown has surged in the Massachusetts special Senate election in part due to his pledge to be the GOP's 41st vote to filibuster healthcare reform legislation.

"I think what the public is angry about is they see, first of all, an opposition for opposition's sake," Hoyer told reporters.

Latest Massachusetts Special Election Polls

Insider Advantage: Brown 52 Coakley 43 Brown +9

ARG: Brown 52, Coakley 45 Brown +7

PJM/CrossTarget: (R) Brown 52, Coakley 42 Brown +10

PPP(D): Brown 51, Coakley 46 Brown +5

InsideMedford/MRG: Brown 51, Coakley 41 Brown +10

Daily Kos/R2000: Brown 48, Coakley 48 Tie

Ave: Brown +6.8

*Still awaiting Rasmussen

ClimateGate's Michael Mann Received Stimulus Funds

And they wonder why the economy hasn't been "stimulated".

A scientist in the middle of the ClimateGate scandal received economic stimulus funds last June.

Penn State University is investigating Professor Michael Mann, the creator of the discredited "Hockey Stick Graph," for his involvement in an international attempt to exaggerate and manipulate climate data in order to advance the myth of manmade global warming.

According to the conservative think tank the National Center for Public Policy Research, Mann received $541,184 in economic stimulus funds last June to conduct climate change research.

With this in mind, NCPPR issued a press release Thursday asking for these funds to be returned.

Democrats Threaten Nuclear Option if Brown Wins

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, recently stated in an interview on Bloomberg television that if Republican Scott Brown wins the Massachusetts senate seat, vacated by last summer's passing of Ted Kennedy, the Democrats will ram through the very unpopular health care bill by pushing the so-called "nuclear option button" of reconciliation. “Even before Massachusetts and that race was on the radar screen, we prepared for the process of using reconciliation.” said Van Hollen, who stands by his belief that Brown's Democratic challenger, Martha Coakley, will win. Regardless of the outcome, Van Hollen made clear his party's intention of overruling the desire of an overwhelming majority of Americans who do not want this health care bill to pass by stating, “Getting health-care reform passed is important.”

Important enough to endure a millstone on the Democrat partys neck for the next twenty years? We shall see.

Quote of the Week

MSNBCs Ed Shultz commenting on voting ten times in MA if neccessary: "Id cheat to keep these bastards out"

Another class act brought to you by the uberridiculous MSNBC.

Drug Industry Threatening to End Support for Obama's Health Bill

This reminds of the episode of MASH where Hawkeye is willing to wheel and deal with anyone for a needed new pair of boots. Everyone in the process is out for themselves and in a complex matrix of favors Hawkeye ultimately ends up bootless. Could we be so lucky?

The drug industry is threatening to end its support for President Barack Obama's health overhaul effort because of a rift with the administration over protecting brand-name biotech drugs from low-cost generic competitors.

In an e-mail obtained Friday by The Associated Press, the president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America told the trade group's board members that "we could not support the bill" if the industry is given less than 12 years of competitive protection for the expensive products.

Obama and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., are leading the drive to shorten that period, which proponents argue would be a boon to consumers.

"Please activate immediately all of your contacts," said the e-mail from Billy Tauzin, the group's president.

Arkansas Democrat Snyder Retiring

More rats jumping the sinking ship.

Arkansas Rep. Vic Snyder announced today he will not seek re-election this year, joining several other Democrats from moderate districts who are opting out of tough re-election campaigns.

Snyder, first elected in 1996, never won re-election with less than 58 percent. In 2008 he was not even challenged by a Republican, while John McCain won 54 percent in the district to President Obama's 44 percent -- an increase from 2004, when George W. Bush won by just a 51-48 margin.

In Arkansas, Democrats hold three of four House seats, both Senate seats and the governor's mansion. However, McCain carried the state with 59 percent, and Sen. Blanche Lincoln is in for the re-election battle of her career.

New Suffolk Poll Brown Tops Coakley

I'm beginning to become a believer.

BOSTON -- A new poll in the Massachusetts Senate race shows a shift in favor of the Republican Party and a potential disaster for President Barack Obama and his Democratic political agenda in Tuesday's special election.

The Suffolk University survey released late Thursday showed Scott Brown, a Republican state senator, with 50 percent of the vote in the race to succeed the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in this overwhelmingly Democratic state.

Democrat Martha Coakley had 46 percent. That was a statistical tie since it was within the poll's 4.4 percentage point margin of error, but far different from a 15-point lead the Massachusetts attorney general enjoyed in a Boston Globe survey released over the weekend.

Majority Would NOT Vote for Obama

One year in and we've got some serious buyers remorse

The Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll shows 50% say they would probably or definitely vote for someone else. Fully 37% say they would definitely cast a ballot against Obama. Meanwhile, just 39% would vote to re-elect the pres. to a 2nd term, and only 23% say they definitely would do so.

Obama's first year in office has been marked by an unemployment rate that surged to 10%, an increased commitment of troops to Afghanistan and a health care battle that has taken a serious political toll on the WH.

Retail Sales Down, Unemployment Claims Increase

The good news just keeps on rollin in...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Sales at U.S. retailers unexpectedly fell in December as consumer spent less on vehicles and an array of other goods during the holiday shopping month, data showed on Thursday, raising concerns about the durability of the economy's recovery.

The Commerce Department said total retail sales fell 0.3 percent last month, the first decline in three months, after rising by an upwardly revised 1.8 percent in November. Sales in November were previously reported to have increased 1.3 percent.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales gaining 0.5 percent last month.

And

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance rose more than expected last week, the government said Thursday.

There were 444,000 initial job claims filed in the week ended Jan. 9, up 11,000 from a revised 433,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said in its weekly report.

A consensus estimate of economists surveyed by Briefing.com expected new claims to rise to 437,000.

Obama's Approval Splits Evenly For First Time (Quinnipiac)

Yet another poll backs up Rasmussen.

American voters are split 45 - 45 percent on whether Barack Obama's first year in office is a success or failure and split 35 - 37 percent on whether the U.S. would be better off if John McCain had won the 2008 election, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll released today. As he marks the first anniversary of his inauguration, President Obama's approval has slipped slightly into an even 45 - 45 percent split for the first time.

Photo of the Week

Democrat Martha Coakley thug shoves down journalist John McCormack of The Weekly Standard as he tries to question Coakley outside a fundraiser in Washington, Tuesday.

Update: Meanwhile, Martha Coakley is blaming tensions on “Scott Brown stalkers” and said she was not “privy” to the facts surrounding the incident.

WTF, She's right THERE!

Update II: Bottom line, Meehan shoved McCormack to the ground. He then realized there were cameras present and feigned concern by trying to help him up. All the spin in the world isn't going to change that fact. Coakley denying she saw what happened is a provable lie.

It’s that simple.

Reporter roughed up outside Coakley fund-raiser

Interesting how the strong arm tactics are almost without exception coming from the left. It's the old "ends justify the means" mentality and sooner or later it's going to get out of hand.

A Weekly Standard reporter says he was roughed up last night outside a Washington, D.C. fundraiser for Attorney General Martha Coakley by someone he believes is associated with her U.S. Senate campaign.

John McCormack, the magazine’s deputy online editor, writes about the incident outside the Sonoma restaurant in an online dispatch entitled: “We Report, We Get Pushed.”

Rasmussen: Coakley by Two Points in Massachusetts

Two words, Ruh Roh...

The Massachusetts’ special U.S. Senate election has gotten tighter, but the general dynamics remain the same.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely voters in the state finds Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley attracting 49% of the vote while her Republican rival, state Senator Scott Brown, picks up 47%.

Three percent (3%) say they’ll vote for independent candidate Joe Kennedy, and two percent (2%) are undecided. The independent is no relation to the late Edward M. Kennedy, whose Senate seat the candidates are battling to fill in next Tuesday's election.

NIECE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. ON SEN. REID: “His Thinking is Sadly Outrageous"

Agreed. Stereotyping a race of people by it's very definition IS racist. Would anyone have been more offended if he would have said "he's also not lazy"? Personally I think his statement was worse than what Trent Lott said as Lott's comments could have been interpreted in several different ways. Reid's comments on the other hand are pure unadulterated elitist white man stereotyping.

Following is a statement from Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Senator Harry Reid’s comments, “light skinned with no Negro dialect,” regarding President Barack Obama’s acceptability as a choice for holding the highest seat in the nation.

“This type of thinking by Senator Reid and others is sadly outrageous, no matter what the ethnic or political viewpoint happens to be. We are one human race, and polarizing people because of skin color is horrendous.

“If Michael Steele or any other conservative had said anything like it, the remarks would be labeled racist and plastered over every available news outlet.

Tuesday Funny

Obama Approval Rating Dips to New Low

CBS is finally acknowledging what Rasmussen has known and reported for 6 weeks.

President Obama's job approval rating has fallen to 46 percent, according to a new CBS News poll.

That rating is Mr. Obama's lowest yet in CBS News polling, and the poll marks the first time his approval rating has fallen below the 50 percent mark. Forty-one percent now say they disapprove of Mr. Obama's performance as president.

In last month's CBS News poll, 50 percent of Americans approved of how the president was handling his job, while thirty-nine percent disapproved.

Mr. Obama still receives strong support from Democrats (eight in ten approve of his performance), but his approval rating among Republicans is only 13 percent. More importantly, Mr. Obama's approval rating among independents has declined 10 points in recent months – and it now stands at just 42 percent.

Considering this was a sampling of adults rather than registered or likely voters you can deduct an additional 5% from his positives.

ND Gov. Hoeven to Announce Run for US Senate

Barring something catastrophic, this should be a slam dunk Republican pick up.

The Tribune has learned that North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven will announce today he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan.

The announcement, confirmed by multiple sources, will be made at a district convention of Bismarck Republican organizations at 6 p.m.

Hoeven, 52, is in his third term as governor, elected in 2008 with more than 70 percent of the vote.

December 2009: Second Snowiest on Record in the Northern Hemisphere

Anecdotal evidence yes but soon or later enough anecdotal evidence adds up to a trend.

According to the Rutgers University Global Snow Lab, last month had the second greatest December Northern Hemisphere snow cover since records were started in 1966. Snow extent was measured at 45.86 million sq. km, topped only by 1985 at 45.99 million sq. km. North America set a record December extent at 15.98 million sq. km, and the US also set a December record at 4.16 million sq. km.

Poll: Scott Brown Pulls ahead of Martha Coakley in MA

Still a long shot but very interesting.

Republicans have a very real chance at orchestrating a Massachusetts miracle in this month’s special Senate election to determine Ted Kennedy’s successor, at least according to a new Democratic poll out tonight.

The shocking poll from Public Policy Polling shows Republican state senator Scott Brown leading Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley by one point, 48 to 47 percent, which would mean the race is effectively tied.

Among independents, who make up 51 percent of the electorate in the Bay State, Brown leads Coakley 63 percent to 31 percent.

Just 50 percent of voters view Coakley favorably, while 42 percent viewing her unfavorably.

Brown, who began an advertising blitz this month, sports a strong 57 percent favorability rating, with just 25 percent viewing him unfavorably – very strong numbers for a Republican in the heavily Democratic state.

Final AP Football Poll

Other than TCU being ahead of Iowa, I think the poll is pretty dead on.

2009 NCAA Football Rankings - Postseason
Final Rankings
RK TEAM RECORD PTS
1 Alabama (60) 14-0 1500
2 Texas 13-1 1399
3 Florida 13-1 1370
4 Boise State 14-0 1366
5 Ohio State 11-2 1224
6 TCU 12-1 1163
7 Iowa 11-2 1126
8 Cincinnati 12-1 1060
9 Penn State 11-2 1016
10 Virginia Tech 10-3 953
11 Oregon 10-3 886
12 Brigham Young 11-2 806
13 Georgia Tech 11-3 768
14 Nebraska 10-4 724
15 Pittsburgh 10-3 697
16 Wisconsin 10-3 571
17 LSU 9-4 501
18 Utah 10-3 491
19 Miami (FL) 9-4 310
20 Mississippi 9-4 296
21 Texas Tech 9-4 224
22 USC 9-4 216
23 Central Michigan 12-2 166
24 Clemson 9-5 125
25 West Virginia 9-4 91

Three Big Ten teams in the top 10, no other division can boast that. Should definately give the flyover division a boost.

85,000 More Jobs Whacked in December

In February Obama pledged the stimulus would create 3.5 million jobs by Dec 2010. Considering that by his own promise we would need to create 6.3 million jobs this year to make that a true statement, be assured that we were lied to big time yet again.

U.S. employers sliced 85,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department said Friday, a stall in the monthly progress of the jobs data that had given some economists hope of a recovering labor market.

The Labor Department’s report was considerably worse than expectations, with economists originally forecasting a loss of 8,000 jobs for the month.

The unemployment rate remained steady at 10.0%.

Obama Denied and Lied, Finally Admits Brits Passed Intel to US on Bomber

And I thought Bill Clinton lied with impunity.

A president who gives shout-outs to native Americans before taking his sweet ass time to respond to the biggest attack on a military base in US history that led to thirteen dead and 21 wounded .......

Fresh on the heels of that unprecedented show of cold blood and contempt for American life........ after initially lying by denying that they had received British intelligence, Obama officials last night finally admitted that they received British intel information on Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, as reported here at Atlas.

The thing is, Americans will be killed, slaughtered in these terror attacks. What is terrifying is that Umar Farouk got on a plane, in the exact seat he wanted, 19A above the fuel tank. That is as precise as 911. And Obama's only concern is that he looks bad.

Dorgan, Dodd and Ritter, Oh My!

The writing is on the wall and it's indelible. See here, here and here.

Iowa Kicks A

Big Ten rolls this year. Even the losses were extremely competetive. It appears that the BT at 4-3 is the red headed ba$tard stepchild no longer.

No. 10 Iowa solved Tech's explosive triple option and Ricky Stanzi threw two early touchdown passes for a 24-14 victory Tuesday night.

Despite a temperature of 49 degrees at kickoff, the Hawkeyes had Tech sweating from the start. The ninth-ranked Yellow Jackets averaged 35 points during the regular season, but their only score in the first three quarters came on Jerrard Tarrant's 40-yard interception return.

"This was Hawkeye weather," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We feel right at home right now."

The Hawkeyes (11-2) earned their first Bowl Championship Series bowl win, matched the school record for victories and could claim their highest final ranking since finishing No. 3 in 1960.

Atlantic Coast Conference champion Georgia Tech (11-3) totaled nine first downs and 155 yards, both season lows.

Dorgan says he will not seek re-election in 2010

Yet another Democrat sees the writing on the wall.

WASHINGTON – North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan says he will not seek re-election to the Senate in 2010, a surprise announcement that could give Republicans an opportunity to pick up a seat from the Republican-leaning state.

Dorgan, who was first elected to the Senate in 1992 after serving a dozen years in the U.S. House, said he reached the decision after discussing his future with family over the holidays.

The moderate Democrat said he has other interests he wants to pursue.

Pending Home Sales Plunge 16% in November

So much good news so little time.

Pending home sales unexpectedly plunged in November, according to a report issued Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors, a big correction after several months of positive gains for a closely-watched indicator of housing market activity.

According to the industry group, November pending home sales activity dropped by 16% to a reading of 96.0, compared with the previous month’s reading of 114.3. The drop was much larger than expected by Wall Street, which was looking for a dip of 2% for the indicator for November.

It was the largest drop, point-wise, since the industry group started the index in 2001, dragging the indicator to its lowest level since June.

Americans' job satisfaction falls to record low

It's a combination of the increasingly soft, spoiled and whiny workforce with a sense that hard work and ability no longer determine whether someone succeeds in Obama's socialist utopia.

Even Americans who are lucky enough to have work in this economy are becoming more unhappy with their jobs, according to a new survey that found only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work.

That was the lowest level ever recorded by the Conference Board research group in more than 22 years of studying the issue. In 2008, 49 percent of those surveyed reported satisfaction with their jobs.

The drop in workers' happiness can be partly blamed on the worst recession since the 1930s, which made it difficult for some people to find challenging and suitable jobs. But worker dissatisfaction has been on the rise for more than two decades.

Arctic freeze and snow wreak havoc across the planet

Must have been Copenhagen. All those positive waves made a difference!

Arctic air and record snow falls gripped the northern hemisphere today, inflicting hardship and havoc from China, across Russia to Western Europe and over the US plains.

There were few precedents for the global sweep of extreme cold and ice that killed dozens in India, paralysed life in Beijing and threatened the Florida orange crop. Chicagoans sheltered from a potentially killer freeze, Paris endured sunny Siberian cold, Italy dug itself out of snowdrifts and Poland counted at least 13 deaths in record low temperatures of about minus 25C (-13F).

The heaviest snow yesterday hit northeastern Asia, which is suffering its worst winter weather for 60 years. More than 25 centimetres (10in) of snow covered Seoul, the South Korean capital — the heaviest fall since records began in 1937.

In China, Beijing and the nearby port city of Tianjin had the deepest snow since 1951, with falls of up to 8in and temperatures of minus 10C. In the far north of China, the temperature fell to minus 32C. More than two million Beijing and Tianjin pupils were sent home and 1,200 flights were delayed or cancelled at Beijing’s international airport.

The same far-eastern weather system took its toll of Sakhalin, the Russian island off Siberia, which was hit by blizzards and avalanches. Farther west, in northern and eastern India, more than 60 people, mainly homeless, died of exposure. Thousands of schools were closed. In Uttar Pradesh, the state neighbouring Nepal, the authorities spent £1.3 million on blankets and firewood for needy households.

Western Russia suffered a deep freeze as snow swept across the Baltic and north-central Europe, leaving the worst devastation in Poland, where 13 people died, bringing the toll from the cold this winter to 122.

NY: $32,000 Teaches Addicts How to Shoot Up

The big apple is going bankrupt and yet there's still money for this...

New York’s Department of Health has spent $32,000 for 70,000 leaflets depicting how to shoot up.

There are even comic-like drawings to help those not all that adept at reading words, per Brad Hamilton of the New York Post.

Things are really getting cozy with crime when that kind of money is forked out for that kind of pastime.

"It's basically step-by- step instruction on how to inject a poison," said John Gilbride, who heads the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York office.

Ghoulish Bid to Slap Tax on Twin Towers

These blood sucking leaches truly have no shame.

One of the weirdest developments in the aftermath of the World Trade Center attack is being played out in an astounding tax court battle.

More than eight years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks, New York City authorities are demanding that developer Larry Silverstein fork over almost $35m in commercial rent taxes on the Twin Towers and two other buildings that no longer exist.

The city's reasoning is that Silverstein continued to pay rent to the Port Authority after the towers fell.

Sunday Funny

Low favorables: Dems rip Rasmussen

Don't like the news, shoot the messenger. Too bad in this case the messenger happens to represent the gold standard of political polling.

Democrats are turning their fire on Scott Rasmussen, the prolific independent pollster whose surveys on elections, President Obama’s popularity and a host of other issues are surfacing in the media with increasing frequency.

The pointed attacks reflect a hardening conventional wisdom among prominent liberal bloggers and many Democrats that Rasmussen Reports polls are, at best, the result of a flawed polling model and, at worst, designed to undermine Democratic politicians and the party’s national agenda.

On progressive-oriented websites, anti-Rasmussen sentiment is an article of faith. “Rasmussen Caught With Their Thumb on the Scale,” blared the Daily Kos this summer. “Rasmussen Reports, You Decide,” the blog Swing State Project recently headlined in a play on the Fox News motto.

Obama Links Christmas Day Terrorist Attempt to al-Qaida

So much for “It’s an isolated incident” and “There was no wider plot”. How the MSM lets him get away with it is inconceivable.

U.S. President Barack Obama, for the first time, has publicly connected the suspect who tried to blow up a U.S.-bound passenger plane on Christmas Day, December 25, to al-Qaida.

In his weekly radio and Internet address released early Saturday on the White House Web site, Mr. Obama said it appeared a Yemeni affiliate of al-Qaida trained the suspect, "equipped him with ... explosives, and directed him to attack" the plane "headed for America."

Mr. Obama said the group had attacked American targets before, including killing an American at the U.S. Embassy in Yemen in 2008. He said the U.S. government is strengthening its partnership with Yemen "to strike al-Qaida terrorists."

Happy New Year

December 1st month without US combat death in Iraq

Now this one the White House can legitimately blame on Bush....

Fri Jan 1, 9:28 am ET BAGHDAD – December was the first month since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq nearly seven years ago in which no U.S. forces died in combat in the country.

Gen. Ray Odierno called it a significant milestone and said it speaks to how the violence in Iraq has diminished. Odierno is the commanding general in Iraq.

There were three U.S. troops who died in December as a result of non-combat related incidents.

According to an Associated Press count, 149 U.S. troops died in Iraq in 2009. That includes combat-related deaths and those not related to fighting.

That's the lowest number of U.S. deaths for a year since the Iraq war began in 2003.