2,000,000,000,000.00 and 421

That is the amount of debt increase and the number of days it took Obama to do it

The latest posting from the Treasury Department shows the National Debt has increased over $2 trillion since President Obama took office.

The debt now stands at $12.6 trillion. On the day Mr. Obama took office it was $10.6 trillion.

President George W. Bush still holds the record for the most debt run up on his watch: $4.9 trillion. But it took him over four years to rack up the first two trillion dollars in debt. It has taken Mr. Obama 421 days.

Weren’t the liberals on and on about fiscal responsibility?

Oh yeah, forgot: that was just campaign BS.

Is Obama Hoping for a Quisling Israeli Government?

Perhaps:

The Obama administration’s row with Israel over settlements has prompted some analysts to wonder whether it seeks “regime change,” a new government that can make peace with the Palestinians.

However, the analysts doubt that President Barack Obama’s administration, which has made Arab-Israeli peace a national security priority, will achieve anything if it has indeed adopted such a strategy.

In unusually harsh words, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday that his right-wing government’s plans to build new settler homes in … Jerusalem sent a “deeply negative signal” about Israel’s ties to its top ally.

“Is this about regime change, or is it about (Israeli) behavior modification?” asked Aaron David Miller, a Middle East peace negotiator in past Republican and Democratic administrations.

“Because either way, it’s going to be a rocky ride,” Miller told AFP…

Whatever you do, Israelis, do not vote in a surrender cabinet in order to please Obama. Pressure will build for an Israeli surrender because Obama – astoundingly – believes in the Neville Chamberlain approach. That is, he believes if we can just sit down with our enemies and go through our problems with a pencil, we can reach an agreement.

As to why Obama and Co would believe this, I cannot say – other than to suggest that the liberal mind has propagandized itself in to simply taking it on blind faith. This is not the same as, say, Christian faith – which does have its supports in experience and history – no, this is just stubbornly believing something is true in spite of all evidence to the contrary.

The fact is that you can’t make peace between opposites. The Israelis have no designs upon Moslem lands, they live in freedom and have no insane proposals to, say, wipe Syria off the map. The Moslems, on the other hand, don’t live in freedom (for the most part – it is rising in Iraq and you’ll note that Iraq doesn’t spend a lot of time on the issue of Israel or the Palestinians); they have definite designs on Israeli land and, at least a selection of them, are seeking a second Holocaust. Where is the place for peace?

Until the bulk of Islam renounces such things and lives in freedom, there can be no peace. There can be an armed true – there can be expedients to get through the day to day, but there can’t be peace. The only proper course of action for Israel is to look after its security and its own people – if this causes heartache in Islam, then that is entirely Islam’s fault. If they’ll change their ways, then objections can be entertained and negotiations started.

So, ignore Obama, Israel. Let him get up on his high horse. Remain firm – your friends will be back in power soon.

Global Warming Hoax Update

Calling in Hollywood to burnish the “settled science” of global warming:

Keeping the public looped in on what scientists are discovering has never been easy. For one thing, the traditional explainers – journalists – can distort, hype, or oversimplify the latest breakthroughs. But the need to communicate science broadly and clearly has never been more urgent…

…One effort, announced at the meeting, will recruit Hollywood to help scientists tell their stories. NAS and the University of Southern California will team up to draw on USC’s expertise in film, TV, websites, and video games. The partnership will be the first between a federal agency and a film school.

“Entertainment media has been pretty much untapped as far as science literacy goes,” Dr. Fink says. A huge portion of the public doesn’t go to science museums or watch science programming on TV, she says. “Those are the eyeballs we’re trying to capture.”…

Are they kidding? No, I’m afraid they’re not. Either they are stupid, or they think we are. While Hollywood is a lot of things, “truth factory” has never been among them. Even when Hollywood tells a “true” story, its still modified for dramatic effect. Remember, you have to make war exciting – so you don’t concentrate on the logistical build up, the endless training and the long periods of inactivity…such things, which are vital in war (and, indeed, are often decisive), don’t make for good movies. And so when a war picture is made, its all about the action.

If you’re going to try to present climate science in movies, then what are you going to do with your one to two hours? Concentrate on the data, mathematical calculations and comparisons with past events? No – you’re going to show huge storms, polar bears on ice flows…all with dramatic, threatening music and thirty second sound bites of alarmist predictions. Because you want people glued to the idiot box or theater seat.

In short, what we’ll get might rate as excellent entertainment, but not something worth while for decision purposes. But that, of course, is what is wanted. They want people entertained – propagandized; primed to believe certain things…convinced that the smart and good looking people are all on board for anthropogenic global warming. That will make it easier for Gore to sell carbon credits and grant-mongering scientists to keep the money flowing in.

It won’t work. The people are wise to this sort of thing. This is the last, desperate effort of a con artists to save the scam.

Health Care, Etc Open Thread

It is the subject of the moment, isn’t it? Trouble is, even the best of bloggers can only write so much about it – so, have at that issue here, as well as anything else which comes to mind.

Obama Administration Admits Joblessness Will Remain High

Nothing like stating the obvious:

U.S. employers won’t hire enough workers this year to lower the jobless rate much below the level of 9.7 percent reached in February, three Obama administration economic officials said today.

The proportion of Americans who can’t find work is likely to “remain elevated for an extended period,” Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, White House budget director Peter Orszag and Christina Romer, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, said in a joint statement. The officials said unemployment may even rise “slightly” over the next few months as discouraged workers start job-hunting again.

“Slightly”? Depends on how you define that – I guess if it goes up from 9.7 to 11.2 that would be “slightly”, in some minds. And it won’t be so much discouraged workers returning to the market but the fact that private sector jobs continue to contract. I checked my local Sunday paper – about 120 jobs listed, half of them garbage (you want to be a dancer or a nail technician? How about timeshare sales?). We’ve got 13% unemployment – 120 jobs won’t do the trick.

These clowns just don’t know what to do. They’ve printed, borrowed and spent like no tomorrow and according to their training, the economy should be booming now. Its not, and they can’t explain why. Of course, the very concept that government -which has to take its money from the people – can spend money to get an economy moving is asinine. But its dogma for most economists and all liberals.

Until we start implementing policies which allow for wealth creation in the United States, we’ll get no where. But, we can’t do that – we start building wealth here in the United States and China won’t be able to export shoddy, sub-priced goods to us to get the money to buy more bonds to finance Obama’s spending.

A Nauseating Pile of RINO (Censored)

Normally, I’d keep this to my Nevada blog, but this is just too much – and too illustrative of the sort of nonsense we’re going to have to battle against in our Republican party:

Republican presidential adviser Sig Rogich said in an interview televised today that he is supporting the re-election of U.S. Sen. Harry Reid because replacing the most powerful member of Congress while the state is in the worst recession in memory is a bad idea…

…Rogich, a long-time Republican operative and George H.W. Bush adviser, is co-chairman of the “Republicans for Reid” campaign.

Replacing Reid, “is just wrong, it’s just not the smart thing to do,” he said.

“We’re in protracted water negotiations with Arizona, with (Sen.) John McCain at the table, Utah, with (Sen.) Orrin Hatch, (Sen.) Dianne Feinstein representing California, and Colorado,” Rogich said. “Who would you like to have at the table? A junior senator or a newly elected senator…”

This is RINOism at its worst – he’s selling out the people of Nevada and the United States because Reid is better positioned to keep the pork flowing. That’s it – its what RINOs want…just a piece of the Democrat action. As long as Harry lets some of the swag head towards the likes of Rogich and his friends, its all good.

Those who tell us to compromise are telling us to give up our views and get with the program. Not for them is the clarion call of America’s Founders – nor the courage which preserved this nation through perilous times.

I’ve got some news for the RINOs: We don’t want to be part of a program which takes the sublime ideals of the Declaration of Independence and mixes them with the diseased imaginings of warmed-over Marxism…the sterling qualities of George Washington do not mix well with the junior-league Leninists running the Democrat party.

Half a loaf is, often, better than none – but I won’t have our loaf mixed with refuse from the liberal sewer.

Oh, Canada!

Geesh, Canucks, how did you get in debt like that?

From $10 billion to $55 billion in credit card debt just since 1999? And we Americans thought we were being irresponsible. You got us beat.

Oh, there is something which comes of credit bubbles – just thought I’d warn you.

Moslem Rioting in Jerusalem First Fruits of Obama's Anti-Israel Stand

This is the natural result of any American effort to make nice with Israel’s enemies:

The discord between the United States and Israel over Jewish building in … Jerusalem deepened Tuesday with Israeli officials saying they would reject demands by Washington and expressing anger over the public upbraiding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the Obama administration.

On a day of scattered disturbances by [Israeli Moslems] in … Jerusalem, news emerged that Israel was moving ahead with a second building project there. A notice on the Web site of the Israel Lands Authority invited bids on construction of 309 new homes in the Jewish suburb of Neve Yaakov, in northeast Jerusalem. (emphasis added)

Naturally the goons come out to start trouble – the President of the United States is getting ready to force Israel to surrender yet more territory for “peace”. They know the drill – their part is to throw rocks and get a couple kids killed so that western liberals can condemn Israel and put even more pressure on for surrender.

For the last time: YOU CAN’T MAKE PEACE WITH EVIL. The Palestinian program, as expressed by the so-called leaders of the Palestinians is wicked. It is evil. It is wrong. It is inhuman. What is it? The destruction of the Jewish state of Israel. That has been the program since the PLO was set up in the West Bank before Israel occupied it in 1967. Got that? The PLO – Palestine Liberation Organization – wasn’t founded to “liberate” the West Bank, but to “liberate” Tel Aviv.

Until the Palestinians voluntarily give up this hateful dream of theirs, no peace is possible. At best, we can get an armed truce, but no peace. Given this, the only proper course of action is rigid defense of Israel, not taking cheap shots as Israelis building homes in neighborhoods already predominantly Jewish.

A very stupid policy we’re pursuing, and it will be paid for in blood.

Obama's Secrecy

If you thought Obama was all for transparency, you know by now that Obama and transparency don’t mix. If you are still holding out the belief that Obama has ushered in a new era of unprecendented transparency, a new AP analysis should put that to rest.

Federal agencies haven’t lived up to President Barack Obama’s promise of a more open government, increasing their use of legal exemptions to keep records secret during his first year in office.

An Associated Press review of Freedom of Information Act reports filed by 17 major agencies found that the use of nearly every one of the law’s nine exemptions to withhold information from the public rose in fiscal year 2009, which ended last October.

Among the most frequently used exemptions: one that lets the government hide records that detail its internal decision-making. Obama specifically directed agencies to stop using that exemption so frequently, but that directive appears to have been widely ignored.

Major agencies cited that exemption at least 70,779 times during the 2009 budget year, up from 47,395 times during President George W. Bush’s final full budget year, according to annual FOIA reports filed by federal agencies. Obama was president for nine months in the 2009 period.

Departments used the exemption more even though Obama’s Justice Department told agencies to that disclosing such records was “fully consistent with the purpose of the FOIA,” a law intended to keep government accountable to the public.

It seems to me, and anyone else paying attention, that Obama has not lived up to his end of the bargain. Be it about transparency,  or bipartisanship.  He campaigned on lies. Plain and simple. And for someone who attacked anything and everything about George W. Bush, Obama is only doing a good job making people realize how much better things were when we had a real leader in the White House.

HAT TIP: Riehl World View.

Why Are They Pushing Health Care?

As I write this (Monday evening) it appears that the Democrats are about 10 votes shy of what they need to ram ObamaCare through the House. There are continuing polls showing the passage of this dog is a political death warrant – there is, also, continuing happy talk from Obama and the DNC to the effect of, “don’t worry, we have polls which show people like certain things which may or may not be in the bill, so vote for it!”.

In the backrooms, we can only imagine what is going on – what sorts of lies and bribes and threats are being made against those who are wavering. In the end, I expect all this to work – a lot of the “blue dog” Democrats were elected in 2006 and 2008 precisely because they could be convinced to do what they were told. If a man or woman can be convinced to run as a “moderate Democrat” without understanding they are but mere tools to secure power for ultra-liberal Democrats, then we can’t rely upon them to remain clear eyed under pressure. Some will, most won’t; and the bill passes.

Officially the word is that once this is passed, people will swing behind it – and that, plus a supposedly improving economy, will save the day for Democrats in November. And, if any one does lose, there are always Administration sinecures available. Its all one, big happy family of Democrats in this scenario – which, for all we know, Obama and Pelosi actually believe. It flies in the face of easily ascertainable facts but, then again, all liberalism does – and yet it continues.

What this all boils down to is this: Democrats are pressing this because they believe it will work. Not just long term, but short term, as well. Convinced by their own, absurd talking points that they lost in 1994 because they failed to pass HillaryCare, Democrats are bound and determined not to repeat that “mistake”. They believe it will hold their losses to a minimum in November and, of course, secure generations of power for their side as the “benefits” of health care reform spread among the people. Never underestimate the ability of a ruling class to delude itself.

Now, if it all comes out that way – if Democrats lose no more than, say, 20 House and 3 Senate seats in November, then Obama and Co will be vindicated – and still holding majorities with which they’ll be able to endlessly expand on the 2010 reform – as well as pass other, equally controversial programs (if Democrats survive in 2010, it will be an unanswerable argument against any Democrat with cold feet regarding increasing socialism in the United States). But, what if it doesn’t?

Could it be that the very concept of government health care is opposed by the American people? Could it be that the people, awakened by the events of September 2008 and beyond now realize – once and for all – that government is the problem, not the solution? Could it be that we really are on the cusp of revolutionary change?

I’m convinced we are – and as Democrats seem bound and determined to press on, we might get a genuinely decisive election this fall. An election which will decide the course of our nation for the next 50 years. If the polls are correct and the TEA Party rallies are for real, then Democrats will be crushed in November – if Obama, Pelosi and DNC talking points are correct, then Democrats will have no more than typical first-mid-term losses.

Time will tell.