Obama's Lowlights (10/31/11)

Wealth - The Washington, DC area has edged out Silicon Valley as the richest metropolitan area in the country. "Federal employees whose compensation averages more than $126,000 and the nation’s greatest concentration of lawyers helped Washington edge out San Jose as the wealthiest U.S. metropolitan area, Bloomberg reports. According to recent Census figures, typical household earnings in the DC area topped $84,523 last year. The national median income for 2010 was $50,046. Steve Jobs - In an authorized posthumous biography, Steve Jobs told President Obama he was "heading towards a one-term presidency." Jobs believed the U.S. was fostering an anti-business environment and an ineffective education system, putting America at a competitive disadvantage with China. TSA - The TSA is no longer responsible for just airport pat-downs. "Agents are hitting the interstates to fight terrorism with Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR)," Nashville’s WTVF-TV reports. American Jobs Act - President Obama's jobs bill has been dealt another setback by the Senate. Liberals fell 10 short of the 60 votes needed to advance a $35 billion portion of the bill. Two Democrats and one independent joined with all 47 Republicans in sustaining a bipartisan filibuster. Obama’s Approval Ratings – According to Gallup, Obama’s approval ratings for this past quarter (his 11th since being office), were the 2nd lowest all time. Only Jimmy Carter had a lower approval rating (Gallup has been conducting presidential approval numbers since Eisenhower was president). New Education Bill – The Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act has been sent to the Senate for deliberation. The bill will eliminate the need for teacher accountability by removing mandatory evaluations. This bill is on the heels of a decision made by Obama and Education Secretary head, Arne Duncan, which waived student reading and math proficiency accountability provisions from No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Campaign Tour – This past week, Obama took his taxpayer funded campaign tour out west – to Las Vegas and California. In Las Vegas the President spoke about a new initiative he is pursuing to enable home owners to refinance their mortgages – even if they are already underwater. The President is looking for ways to circumvent Congress to approve new regulations on refinancing mortgages and student loan reform. Tunisia – The good news is that the nation held it first ever democratic “free” election. The bad news is that an exiled Islamic party won a majority of the seats. Time will tell if the new party will roll back the clock on woman’s rights and infringe on other progressive gains over archaic Islamic beliefs. Syria – The US Ambassador has left the country following death threats as the country continues to go through political unrest. Wikileaks – The organization has stopped releasing documents because a funding boycott has left the organization crippled. New York City – Violent crime has spiked by 154% because police are preoccupied with handling the Occupy Wall Street movement. In fact, OWS protests in NY have gotten so violent because protestors are fighting each other. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/27/11)

Joe Biden – Joe warned the American public if the Obama jobs bill is not passed there will be no protection from rapes and robberies. However, major crime has been down significantly since the recession started. When Biden was asked about the vile comments by Jason Mattera, Biden responded “Don’t screw with me!” Obama – In an interview with ABC’s Jake Tapper Obama said “All the decisions we’ve made have been the right ones”. Harry Reid – “The private sector jobs market is doing just fine”. 2012 Election – Democrats in swing states are already distancing themselves from Obama and his polices. During his bus tour through North Carolina and Virginia, North Carolina Governor Bev Purdue and Virginia Senate hopeful Tim Kaine snubbed Obama. Housing Market – Since February, the cost of homes over 1 million dollars has appreciated by 0.7% whereas home values under 1 million dollars has decreased by 1.5% - Reported by the Associated Press. Risky Investments – JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs have increased their holdings in mortgage backed security derivatives by 11% to 240 trillion dollars this past year. Yes, these are the same investments that led to the financial collapse in 2008. White House Website – The administration has launched a new website to petition new ideas or changes in government policy. The top two requests are to legalize marijuana and to improve communications with aliens. Maureen Dowd – “By any standard, Mormonism is more ridiculous than any other religion”. That is saying a lot, especially if Dowd and the New York Times considered the race baiting and conspiracy theorist church run by Jeremiah Wright. Debt – By the end of October the U.S. federal debt will officially pass our GDP. Dennis Cardoza – The 5 term Democratic congressman from California will not seek reelection in 2012. Cardoza is a self-proclaimed Blue Dog Democrat, and his retirement opens up another opportunity for a moderate Republican. Medical Marijuana – Workers in the medical marijuana business are looking into unionizing. Muammar Qaddafi – It cost the U.S. taxpayers 1.2 billion dollars to kill the genocidal leader. Time will tell if the Libyan coup will produce a democracy or another rogue Islamic government. Fisker – Two years ago the electric car startup company, Fisker, received 529 million in stimulus funding. The only problem is that the company has since moved it’s manufacturing facility to Finland - creating jobs for their economy. Economy – The “Misery Index” hit a 28 year high and the standard of living in the United States is falling at its highest rate in history. Wall Street Contributions - President Obama has managed to raise far more money this year from the financial and banking sector than Mitt Romney or any other Republican presidential candidate. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/24/11)

Transparency – The White House is now refusing to release any additional internal documents on the Solyndra issue. And what’s worse, the White House is appealing a decision by a judge that ruled White House Visitor Logs are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Buffet Rule – Senator John Thune introduced legislation that will allow taxpayers to pay more taxes than they owe – since many rich folks are asking to be taxed more. Occupy Denver – I watched some of the live footage of about 2000 protestors in Denver. The city of Denver had to employ full body guard riot police to stop the protestors from unlawfully blocking downtown traffic and there were several dozen arrests. This small group has certainly gotten more media coverage than Tea Party protests in Denver because of their rowdy disposition and lack of respect for authority and other citizens. I simply have a hard time taking this movement seriously – they hate greed, but they expect government handouts – this is hypocrisy at its best. Besides, as I have said before, I do not support people that protest in a disrespectful manner. Iraq – All U.S. troops will be removed from Iraq by the end of the year. Time will tell if this decision is a good one. Nazi Party of America – They issued a statement endorsing the Occupy Wall Street movement along with the Communist Party and the Counsel on American Islamic Relations. Obama – He claimed Martin Luther King (a man of reason and peace) would have supported the Occupy Wall Street movement, a movement of indecision and thousands of arrests. Wasserman Shultz – The DNC head is at it again claiming Republicans want to block Obama’s policies so he fails to correct the economy before the 2012 election. Sean Penn – He called the Tea Party the “get the n%$#@* out of the White House Party” and they want to lynch Obama. How is this for reasonable thought, rationale, and problem solving skills? Campaigning – Where was our Commander-in-Chief this past week? He was campaigning in the swing states of North Carolina and Virginia. The White House claimed the trip was not a campaign tour so taxpayers can pay for the trip instead of Obama using his campaign contributions. Obama had this to say about Republicans: “And then you got their plan, which is, let's have dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance.” Elizabeth Warren – Warren is running against Scott Brown next year for Kennedy’s old Senate Seat in Massachusetts. During one stop Warren had this to say: “I’m going for the hick vote here, I just want you to know. Maybe we could start wearing stickers that say ‘Hicks for Elizabeth’ – could we do that?” Carolyn Kirk – The Democratic Mayor of Gloucester Massachusetts has pleaded with Obama to stop the regulations that are driving small businesses out of business. Gender Change - A lesbian couple in California is giving hormone blockers to their 11-year-old son Tommy, who wants to be a girl named Tammy. The parents argue that Tommy has identified as a girl since the age of 3 and want to give the child more time to decide if he wants to change his gender. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/20/11)

China – The Senate voted to place sanctions on trade with China. This type of protectionism will continue to work against our economy. Post Office – The House oversight committee has released a video detailing how the taxpayers will continue to bailout the failing government entity. Palestine – A survey by Palestine Center for Public Opinion found that only 30% of Arabs living in East Jerusalem want the city to be controlled by a Palestine State instead of Israel. Wasserman-Schultz – In an interview on Fox, the DNC chair claims “Americans didn’t elect Democrats to create jobs”. Bill Clinton – In an address Clinton said that now is not the time (during a recession) to raise taxes on any Americans. Green Companies – Investigators are looking into 5 billion dollars in loans to a plethora of green companies from the Energy Department this past week. After all, government subsidies cannot create a market where one does not exist. A few million or billion dollars cannot create demand and lower costs significantly. Trade Deals – Democrats have finally gotten on board to end a decade of partisanship over trade agreements. Congress has passed trade deals with Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Finally, this is some actual federal policy that may work to create jobs instead of killing jobs. Bill Maher – The offensive liberal talk show host has made the suggestion that the Occupy Wall Street movement should start to use violence. Iranian Plot – Some are suggesting that the Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the U.S. was fabricated by the DOJ to deflect attention from Fast and Furious. Traitors – Senators Lieberman and Brown introduced legislation to strip traitors of their U.S. citizenship in the wake of the al-Awlaki assignation. Pelosi – The House minority leader claims that Republicans “Want women to die on the floor” if they do not agree to federal abortion funding. Fast and Furious – Apparently, president Obama knew about the operation before Holder – how is that possible? This is more proof that Holder perjured himself. Federal Budget – It has been 900 days since the Senate passed a fiscal budget. Uganda – President Obama has ordered about 100 US troops to the African hotspot to train citizens to fight the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). I personally do not have a problem with this, but White House policy towards global genocide is inconsistent at best. Friday Dump – This is some of the unflattering information dumped by the White House last Friday – They killed a long-term care insurance program, which was part of ObamaCare due to financial solvency concerns; the government finished the fiscal year 1.3 trillion dollars in debt (2nd worse all-time, only Obama’s 1.4 trillion dollar debt in 2009 was worse); George Kaiser, a billionaire that backed Obama and Solyndra paid no taxes last year; and off course sending ground troops into Uganda. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/17/11)

Joe Biden – When Biden was addressing a class of 5th graders he told them that all of our nations’ problems are due to former President Bush. Solyndra – Jonathon Silver, the head of the energy department loan program has resigned in the wake of the Solyndra scandal. Bernie Sanders – The Vermont independent (socialist) Senator says America works when “productive Americans give to unproductive Americans”. Occupy Wall Street – It is becoming evident that the people in these protests have no clue why they are protesting. Some cannot even answer the question while others are demanding free college education and healthcare. This is realistic, right – everything for free? Do these people understand there is no such thing as free; somebody has to pay for it. In fact, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow claims the incoherent and unfocused message is “genius”. And what is worse, most of the people in protests are hypocrites because they have on their possession phones, cameras, video cameras, IPods, signs, clothes, accessories, hair dye, glasses, makeup, and other items made by the corporations they detest. Other reports have surfaced that many of the protestors have been paid to protest against capitalism. How is that for irony? At an Atlanta rally, the demonstrators refused to let Georgia Representative, Jon Lewis, a civil rights leader speak. One protest manifesto defines a laborer pay scale that shows a doctor making 500 dollars more a year than laborer and engineers a mere 5 thousand dollars more than laborers. This makes little sense, why would anyone want to fall hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt (education loans) only to make a few pennies more than a high school dropout. A doctor would not have enough money to even open a practice. This would lead to a shortage of technical workers and doctors and it will doom the United States economy. Boston’s Occupy protest was over accused terrorist, Tarek Mehanna, whom they claim is a victim of Islamophobia. There were at least 50 arrests at the Boston event. The media has also gotten on board praising the protests. Diane Sawyer said the Occupy movement has spread to 1000 countries (there are not even 200 nations around the globe). And let’s make something clear: no politician in history has received more money from Wall Street firms than Obama; Pelosi has gotten more money from Wall Street than any House member in history; and the DNC receives 50% more money in campaign contributions from Wall Street than the RNC. Lawrence O’Donnell – The smug MSNBC host tried to smear Herman Cain’s military service during an interview saying it was not worthy of being Commander-in-Chief. First, O’Donnell never served in the military, nor did Barack Obama who incidentally never faced a similar onslaught of questions by O’Donnell or by any liberal media commentator. George Soros – The billionaire, who wants to pay more in taxes, is still trying to clear his name from a 2002 conviction in France for insider trading. Fast and Furious – Ten Arizona Sheriffs are on record wanting a special counsel to investigate Eric Holder. One hundred guns from the operation were recovered at the home of Torres Marrufo, a ruthless drug leader. Al Sharpton – On his MSNBC program Sharpton said it was Democrats who pushed for the Civil Rights passage in 1964 when in fact, more Republicans (by a 20% margin) supported the legislation than Democrats. Without 80% of the Republican vote the measure would have never gotten its two-thirds majority for passage. Iran – U.S. authorities have foiled an Iranian plot to kill the Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the United States. The plot was to take place on U.S. soil and target the Saudi Arabia embassy with explosives. The plan was to bring the explosives into the United States via our unprotected Southern border using Mexican drug cartels. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/13/11)

Obama’s Press Conference – If you missed it last week, you did not miss much – here was his message: Pass his jobs bill that Democrats won’t vote for; Occupy Wall Street expresses the people’s frustration; he is sticking with Eric Holder despite his perjured testimony on Fast and Furious; Solyndra was Bush’s fault; and he side stepped questions about Pakistan and their role in terrorist attacks against the U.S. in Afghanistan. Fast and Furious – Documents indicate that Eric Holder was briefed regularly on operation Fast and Furious as early as July 5, 2010 despite claims he knew nothing about the operation until the middle of this year. There is little question that Holder committed perjury, but I seriously doubt any charges will be filed. In fact, Holder sent a letter to Congress this past week reiterating his testimony was accurate and truthful despite documents that say the opposite. Holder has officially been subpoenaed by Congress to testify about the operation. Unions – Former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer, Fran Tarkenton, came out against unions after witnessing the NFL strike earlier this year and the Wisconsin teacher labor dispute. Trade Agreements – I do not know what took so long, but the National Review is reporting that the White House is now pressuring Congress to pass a few trade agreements with foreign countries. You know those agreements (especially NAFTA) that Obama blasted on the campaign trail by misinforming the American people when he claimed trade agreements force jobs to go overseas. ESPN – The media company made a political statement when it refused to air Hank Williams Jr. pregame song on Monday Night Football because of critical comments he made about the president. Williams’ comments were over the top, but this is arguably a breach of his first amendment rights. TSA – There are reports that they are forcing breast cancer survivors to remove their prosthetic breasts during airport screenings. Gun Laws – A Washington DC circuit court upheld the ban on certain weaponry, declaring Washington DC’s gun law ban is constitutional. Bank of America (BoA) – Democrats are taking shots at BoA for their new 5 dollar fee for using debit cards. Remember, it was the Dodd-Frank financial reform legislation that has forced banks to find new methods to recover lost revenue. The American Jobs Act – Obama has expressed anger that House Republicans are blocking his jobs plan, but our partisan president did not express any anger towards Senate Democrats for blocking his jobs plan (McConnell pushed for a vote, but Reid declined). In fact, Reid passed a nuclear motion, 51-49, to make it harder (changed Senate rules) for the minority group in the Senate to force the majority party into “uncomfortable” votes on legislation. Finally, the Democrat lead Senate voted and rejected the proposal (Got 50 votes, needed 60). Central Falls, Rhode Island – The small city has filed for chapter 9 bankruptcy because it cannot afford to pay city workers over 20 million dollars in unfunded liabilities. Michelle Obama – Her trip to Africa cost the taxpayer’s 424,000 dollars and she listed her two children as senior staffers so the taxpayers can pay for them too. Black Panther Party – Andrew Brietbart has released pictures of Senator Obama marching with the Black Panther Party in 2007. Italy – Moody’s has downgraded Italy bonds by 3 credit levels. Welfare – During the 3rd quarter of 2010, 44% of all Americans received some form of welfare, that number was 48.5% for the 1st quarter of 2010. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/10/11)

Economy – The economy added 103 thousand jobs in September, but the unemployment rate stays at 9.1%. PETA - Prompted by reports that a man was bitten by a shark on Saturday while spearfishing in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Anna Maria Island, PETA plans to run an outdoor advertising campaign on benches and billboards near the island that makes the point that the deadliest killers in the water aren't sharks—they're humans. The ad shows a human "drumstick" hanging out of a shark's mouth next to the words "Payback Is Hell. Go Vegan." California – The Los Angeles Times reports many state employees are allowed to collect both a pay check and pension benefits. Janeane Garafalo – On Olbermann, Garafalo made the claim that anyone who supports Herman Cain is a racist. Frivolous Lawsuits – Obama has suggested that unemployed people should sue companies for discrimination if they refuse to hire them. Obama – According to Obama, America has gone “soft”. I have to agree with Obama, but what causes American citizens to go soft? People becoming dependent on government subsidies causes American citizens to become soft – Obamacare and extended unemployment are two examples under Obama’s watch. Bless You – A California teacher is on record saying he is deducting points off students’ grades for saying “Bless You” after a person sneezes. Valarie Jarrett – The senior White House aide says the purpose of government “is to lift people out of poverty”. The poverty level has increased by 2.5% under Obama – in 2010, over 15% of Americans lived below the poverty line. ObamaCare - A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation underlines that many of the promises surrounding President Obama’s health care legislation remain unfulfilled. Anwar Al-Awlaki – The U.S. born terrorist was killed in Yemen last week by a drone attack. The White House put a death bounty on Al-Awlaki in 2009. Ironically, the Obama administration has called out the Bush administration for human rights injustices for using enhanced interrogation techniques. Where is the liberal outrage over Obama ordering the execution of a U.S. born citizen? How is this not a violation of Al-Awlaki civil rights according to liberal philosophies? Let’s at least be consistent in our views! Colorado – Tax hikes are on the November election cycle. The state wants to increase the sales tax from 2.9 to 3 percent and the state income tax from 4.63 to 5 percent. Fast and Furious – A White House document was uncovered (a map) that specifically illustrates ATF gun trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico, but Obama and Holder still claim to have known nothing about the operation. Occupy Wall Street – Over 700 liberal protestors were arrested on the Brooklyn Bridge. The group was protesting Wall Street greed, but where is the outrage over the greed of all those green companies that are costing the taxpayers billions of dollars each year in loans. I wonder what the media coverage would have been like had 700 Tea Partiers were arrested when they protested on the Capital Building. Robert Johnson – The founder of Black Entertainment Television disagrees with Obama’s willingness to raise taxes on the wealthy. Obama – In a recent interview Obama admitted that Americans are no better off than 4 years ago (in fact, they are worse off – higher unemployment etc.) and he also said he had no regrets over giving Solyndra 535 million taxpayer funded loans. At least he is not blaming Bush. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights (10/6/11)

Fast and Furious – Fox News revealed documents that not only link the ATF to buying guns and selling them directly to drug cartels, but they, not surprisingly, used taxpayer money to buy the guns. Obama Campaign – Obama is in full campaign mode and called out Republican audiences (at GOP debates) for “booing gay soldiers” and “cheering death”. He also criticized Perry’s position on climate change because the state of Texas has out of control wildfires. These are flat out lies and Obama is not a climatologist. ObamaCare – The DOJ failed to appeal the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision striking down the “mandate” to purchase health insurance. This means the decision will go to the Supreme Court and the administration must be confident the court will side with the legislation. Homosexuality – A Fort Worth Texas student was suspended for saying he felt “homosexuality was wrong”. The student was merely stating an opinion that contained no ill will towards homosexuality (he did not use derogatory terminology or use strong language such as hate) and the student has history of violence. Colorado – The White House issued a press release, including a map highlighting states Obama visited on last weeks’ campaign trip. The only problem is that they confused Wyoming and Colorado. It seems the president can use a geography refresher course (remember when he insisted there were 57 states in the United States – he was including territories such as Guan, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia and so forth as states). Ford – The automotive company ended a TV commercial that criticized its competitors (GM and Chrysler) for accepting bailouts because of pressure from the White House. Greece – In an attempt to reduce their debt and qualify for an 11 billion dollar loan, the Greece government has passed a property tax. Global Warming – The White House clarified its view on global warming (after blaming the Texas fires on global warming) as changes in weather patterns and trends (unpredictability). If that is true, why then do liberals support renewable energies that are dependent on weather patterns? And why do liberals trust climate change models that would be rendered obsolete if trends do not hold true? Once again, progressive logic is severely lacking sound judgment because it fails to analyze facts and data. Pakistan – Evidence has revealed that the Pakistan government was behind the attack on the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan. Illegal Immigration – A federal judge ruled in favor of the newly passed Alabama legislation stating “Federal law doesn't prohibit the law's provisions on students or suspects pulled over by police.” Terrorism - A 26-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested and charged last week in connection with a plot to attack the Pentagon and the Capitol, the Justice Department announced. Rezwan Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen, is accused of planning to use a remote-controlled aircraft filled with explosives to attack the buildings. ObamaCare – Health insurance premiums rose in 2011 by 9%. The cost per individual rose from 5049 dollars to 5429 dollars and the cost per family rose from 13770 to 15073 dollars. Taxes – Jordan Burroughs just won 50 thousand dollars for winning the 163 pound wrestling weight class at the world championships freestyle. Burroughs, who is African-American, just graduated from Nebraska and found out what taxes are like in the real world. He tweeted “I hate taxes” after he lost nearly half his purse. Beverly Purdue – The North Carolina governor discussed how democracy gets in the way of protecting people in need. American Jobs Plan – Even if the Obama Jobs Plan works as it is designated, it will cost the taxpayers 1.6 million dollars for every job created or saved. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)

Obama's Lowlights

3.4 Million Jobs – That is the amount of jobs the economy lost due to five Obama White House regulations: Utility Plant Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT), Cement MACT, Coal Ash, Greenhouse Emissions, and the Boiler MACT. Taxes – More Hollywood liberals (Ron Howard, Jane Lynch) have come forth wanting to be taxed more. Once again, there is nothing stopping these folks from paying higher taxes. They can refuse to itemize all their deductions, but they do not do this. Ahmadinejad – The U.S. delegation walked out during a crazed rant by the Iranian leader while he was addressing the UN general assembly – kudos. Another Stop Gap Budget – By a largely party-line vote of 219 to 203, the Republican-controlled House approved a bill that would keep the government running through November 18 and provide $3.65 billion for disaster relief. The Senate passed an updated version of the House plan, which House Republicans will not block. Palestine – They submitted a bid to the UN for statehood recognition, which of course was against the wishes of both the U.S. and Israel. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – The Obama administration has granted waivers to states so they can opt out of some provisions in the NCLB legislation. Hence, states will NOT have to show children are proficient in Math and Reading by 2014 – the ultimate goal of NCLB. Obama Missouri Fundraiser – A wealthy business owner, Tom Carnahan, held an expensive fundraiser for Obama. After all, Carnahan’s business accepted 107 million in stimulus funding for his business Wind Capital. EPA – The Environmental Protection Agency plans to shut down 20% of U.S. coal power plants in 2012. This misguided act will have one effect – it will make the energy bills for every American much more expensive. Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) – Obama addressed the CBC last week and told them to “stop complaining” and “crying” about his administration’s failure to create enough jobs, especially in black communities. New York Times – One editorial called the Solyndra story a hoax created by desperate conservatives. Marketing the American Jobs Act – I really do not know whether to laugh or cry when our see our president attempting to market his jobs plan by sitting in front of bridge that is not scheduled for maintenance until 2015. It is a sad day when the leader of the free world has to stoop to this type of ineffective pandering to the American public. Any jobs plan should appeal to our creativity, vision, ingenuity, innovation, and it should be strategic – not a simple construction job. My Book: Is America Dying? (Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble)