Governator's $20 Billion Deficit

This is what happens when a liberal Republican gives into the Democrat legislature and every special interest group - a $20 billion deficit, an exodus of the wealthy and all the blame. John McCain should take note.

Carter's Cluelessness

Just in case anyone believed that Jimmy Carter actually has a clue, Powerline reviews his interview with Wolf Blitzer and proves otherwise.

Toby Keith Comes Under Fire in Afghanistan

Country music star Toby Keith was playing in Afghanistan for the U.S. military when the military base came under fire. After spending an hour taking photos with the troops and signing autographs, he went back out there and finished the show as planned.

A bit like the Dixie Chicks, huh?

Michelle Obama Complains About Their Debt

In a campaign speech last Friday in Indiana, Michelle Obama gave another one of her speeches that portrays America as a nation where it is impossible to get by. (Hear the audio here).

The only reason we're not in debt is because Barack wrote two bestselling books."

Michelle Obama began making $316,000 per year in 2005 (the year after Barack earmarked $1 million to her hospital, incidentally). Barack Obama makes approx. $165,000 as a U.S. Senator. That's only $481,000 per year. Thank God for Barack's books because the poor Obamas simply would never have been able to get out of debt on that kind of income.

Obama is Shocked....Shocked with Wright

Obama now claims this is not the man he once knew. He's shocked at his outrageous comments...Obama never knew Wright could hurt his election chances....I mean, that he could make such crazy comments. In one of Obama's statements, he reveals why he decided to finally throw Wright under the bus:

"I don't think he showed much concern for me..."

Bush Scolds Journalist Over Dumb Question

President Bush has a fiery response to a female reporter who tries to ask why fighting in Afghanistan is still going on if we are "winning." This is when Bush is at his best - I wish he would get upset more often. From Hot Air.

McCain a Good Fundraiser After All

John McCain can raise a lot of funds when he really puts his mind to it - except that he doesn't do it intentionally. After criticizing his North Carolina GOP base last week over a state campaign ad (without ever seeing the ad in question), Republican voters showed what they thought of McCain's criticism. Fund raising for the NC GOP has skyrocketed since then. According to state officials:

"We have certainly seen an increase in fundraising. They're rolling in so fast we can't possibly keep up with them."

Incidentally, McCain had better get used to the GOP using Jeremiah Wright as a tactic. Mississippi is also using it against the Democrat opponent. It appears that John McCain is the one "out of touch with reality."

Wright Keeps Talking

Michelle Malkin blogged about Rev. Wright's speech at the National Press Club. One of the more memorable lines (and there were many) was related to the defense of his patriotism, as he pointed out that he served in the military: "How many years did Cheney serve?" Of course, this brought massive applause from the Leftist crowd.

Of course, the crowd must have forgotten three simple facts: 1) Dick Cheney isn't running for anything; 2) Neither Democrat candidate has served; 3) John McCain's biggest single virtue is his military service.

PS - Rev. Wright also has a book coming out later this year (wonder if it will be before November).

Scalia Interview

RedState has a good review of the 60 Minutes interview of Justice Antonin Scalia. Apart from a few idiotic slanted questions from Leslie Stahl (ie. I was surprised how many people really, really, hate you...), I thought it was a fascinating piece. Scalia is just an extremely interesting speaker and debater.

Obama Backtracks on Tax Increases

In the last ABCNews Democrat debate, Obama said (laughably) that he would not increase taxes on couples making less than $250K. Of course, he followed up that answer with the suggestion that he would raise the payroll tax cap, which today is at approximately $100K.

But in today's interview with Chris Wallace of FoxNews, Obama changed that $250K figure to $75K. No surprise.

Another Global Cooling Datapoint

As Powerline reminds us, this winter is one of the coldest on record for the last several decades or longer. If it weren't for Democrats (and John McCain Republicans), I think the majority of the public would be convinced that the earth is actually cooling.

BBC Shocker: America is Actually Peaceful

Despite the huge gun ownership in the U.S., the BBC appears shocked that America is actually a much less violent place than, say, Britain.

McCain Angers NC Republicans

NC Republicans are outraged that McCain said "they are out of touch with reality" and essentially, that their ad is racist. Of course, as Michelle Malkin points out, it would have helped if McCain actually watched the ad before condemning it. There is absolutely nothing racist about the ad unless criticizing Obama in any way is somehow racist. If no one is allowed to criticize Obama, McCain should just withdraw and hand the presidency to Obama right now.

Scalia to Appear on 60 Minutes

I might actually watch 60 Minutes this week, as Leslie Stahl interviews Justice Antonin Scalia (who has a book coming out as well, which should be quite interesting). Here is just a snippet of the interview:

LESLIE STAHL: "People say that the 2000 Florida election decision was not based on judicial philosophy, but on politics."

JUSTICE SCALIA: I say nonsense.

STAHL: Was it political?

JUSTICE SCALIA: Get over it! It's so old by now. The principal issue in the case, whether the scheme that the Florida Supreme Court had put together violated the federal Constitution, that wasn't even close. The vote was 7-2. It was Al Gore who made it a judicial question. It was he who brought it into the Florida courts. We didn't go looking for trouble. It was he said, "I want this to be decided by the courts." What are we supposed to say? "Oh, it's not important enough."

CBS also adds:

Call him conservative, just don’t call him biased on issues before the Supreme Court, including abortion, he says. "I am a law-and-order guy. I mean, I confess to being a social conservative, but it does not affect my views on cases," he tells Stahl. "On the abortion thing, for example, if indeed I were…trying to impose my own views, I would not only be opposed to Roe versus Wade, I would be in favor of the opposite view, which the anti-abortion people would like to see adopted, which is to interpret the Constitution to mean that a state must prohibit abortion." "And you’re against that?" asks Stahl. "Of course. There’s nothing [in the Constitution to support that view]."

The Context of Rev. Wright

With Rev. Wright appearing on tv this week to explain that his quotes were taken out of context, ABC News has provided the full context of Wright's statements.

And as Hot Air points out, the context doesn't make any of his statements sound any better.

McCain Can Criticize Bush, but not Obama

In the crazy world of John McCain, he has no problem regularly criticizing President Bush, as he did today related to the federal response to Katrina. (And he also had no problem lying about Mitt Romney repeatedly even after he was told his statements were complete distortions.)

But of course, McCain doesn't want anyone to criticize Obama and condemned the ad being run by Linda Daves in North Carolina. (Even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with the ad, which simply shows the Obama-Rev. Wright connection, but McCain buys into the Leftist view that this is somehow racist.)

It's no wonder that Jenna Bush hesitated when Larry King asked her if she would definitely vote for McCain.

*Update*
Linda Daves appeared on several media outlets today to essentially tell McCain to butt out. Good for her.

Bill Ayers' Real Influence

People are starting to learn about Obam's comrade Bill Ayers' radical past. But Sol Stern of City Journal is more worried about Bill Ayers' present.

He was recently elected vice president for curriculum of the 25,000-member American Educational Research Association (AERA), the nation’s largest organization of education-school professors and researchers. In this position, he has the chance to influence thousands of classrooms with his "liberation" and anti-capitalist ideas.

And that is very radical.

Michelle Malkin has more.

CIA to Brief Congress on North Korean Proliferation

The CIA is about to brief Congress today on a classified Israeli attack on a Syrian nuclear enrichment plant, provided by the North Koreans.

And yet some people (including the State Dept) still want to trust North Korea, as well as Iran...

Murtha To Have a Challenger

It looks like Abscam John Murtha (D-PA) will have a GOP opponent this fall after all.

"Peace" Thugs Attack Iraq War Vet

Peace protesters attacked an Iraq War vet, his wife and his son during a peace vigil. That's what they get for disagreeing with the "peace" protesters viewpoint...

The Coming Ice Age

Phil Chapman, an Australian NASA astronaut and geophysicist, says that the lack of sun spots and dramatic drop in temperatures in 2007 are reason to worry about a coming ice age.

While he may be overreacting based on one year's worth of data, it's no worse than those proclaiming the coming Global Warming.

Operation Chaos Succeeds

The Left-wing The Nation claims that Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos, in which he encouraged Republicans to briefly switch Democrat in order to vote for Hillary, has had no effect. Yet Obama, who had been leading among the few Republicans who voted in Democrat primaries before Operation Chaos began, was winning nearly 75% of all cross-overs. Last night Hillary won Republicans by 52-48.

Also, there is this news report from WTAE, which quotes a Republican cross over:

"Now that Hillary is running, I decided to register Democrat so I could vote for the woman," said Rotigel, who said he does not like Clinton. "We need to keep this Democrat family feud going as long as we can. Hopefully, it will go to the convention floor and destroy the Democratic Party for five decades."

The Liberals are still in denial about Rush's influence and McCain continues to be the luckiest politician ever.

Another "White Guy Election"

Thomas Edsall, a former Washington Post writer, tells us the truth about the upcoming election:

Hillary Clinton's release Monday of her first Osama bin Laden ad sets the stage for a general contest that Republicans could only dream about: an election fought over issues of patriotism, 1960s radicalism, liberal elites, gun control, terrorist threats, intimidation by a black preacher, and a 3AM phone call signaling enemy attack.

With the bin Laden spot, Clinton has set the stage for an election in which a crucial voting block will once again be white men, and the issues will be those that tend to push these voters to the right, towards the Republican Party, regardless of which Democrat is the nominee.

The dirty little secret is that elections are typically about white men. Gore and Kerry each lost white men by huge margins and right now, I would find it hard to believe either Hillary or Obama will do any better.

Record Snowfalls Continue in Canada

While we all worry about the impending doom of Global Warming, Vancouver continues to rack up a new record for its largest snowfall ever.

Newt Gingrich Rationale for Ad with Pelosi

Newt Gingrich has recently appeared in a tv ad with Nancy Pelosi discussing the importance climate change. Newt has now addressed why he did it (below the comments on the pope).

First of all, I want to be clear: I don't think that we have conclusive proof of global warming. And I don't think we have conclusive proof that humans are at the center of it.

But here's what we do know. There is an important debate going on right now over the right energy policy, the right environmental policy, and making sure we do the right things for our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. Conservatives are missing from this debate, and I think that's a mistake. When it comes to preserving our environment for future generations, we can't have a slogan of "Just yell no!"

Hmm. I think it's a reasonable position, but I disagree. The American public is already accused of being like Holocaust deniers if it dares question the Global Warming premise. And I don't think Newt's appearance helps that perception at all. In fact, it seems to further stifle any debate about whether the premise is valid.

Tribute to Earth Day

From the WSJ (subscription may be required). Patrick Moore was a founder of Greenpeace. He left the organization in 1986 because the organization "evolved into an organization of extremism and politically motivated agendas."

At first, many of the causes we championed, such as opposition to nuclear testing and protection of whales, stemmed from our scientific knowledge of nuclear physics and marine biology. But after six years as one of five directors of Greenpeace International, I observed that none of my fellow directors had any formal science education. They were either political activists or environmental entrepreneurs. Ultimately, a trend toward abandoning scientific objectivity in favor of political agendas forced me to leave Greenpeace in 1986.

The breaking point was a Greenpeace decision to support a world-wide ban on chlorine. Science shows that adding chlorine to drinking water was the biggest advance in the history of public health, virtually eradicating water-borne diseases such as cholera. And the majority of our pharmaceuticals are based on chlorine chemistry. Simply put, chlorine is essential for our health.

This is the evolution of the modern Earth Day, encompassing everything about "Global Warming." True, there has been no rise in temperature in a decade and a very marginal increase over the past century. True, the Antarctic ice sheets have been thickening, and true we had our coldest winter on record on over half the planet, and true, just 30 years ago everyone thought we were entering a mini ice age. And of course, farming on Greenland and Iceland used to be prevalent just 1,000 years ago and yes, the Earth has gone through natural warming and cooling cycles for thousands and thousands of years.

But somehow we are also supposed to believe that we need to change everything we do at all costs today or risk imminent destruction. Welcome to Earth Day.

Who Do White Men Hate More?

The Democrat primary race in Pennsylvania is simple. It's about who white men hate more - women or blacks. One of the Huffington Post's kook writers, Norah Ephram, explains the crackpot Leftist view:

But now there are two and we're facing Pennsylvania and whom are we kidding? This is an election about whether the people of Pennsylvania hate blacks more than they hate women. And when I say people, I don't mean people, I mean white men.

So white men are either racist or sexist and tomorrow we will find out!

Obama Cancels NC Debate

What happens when Obama has a horrendous debate performance? He refuses to do another one. The Democrat candidates were supposed to debate in NC on April 27 but Obama doesn't want the public to know anything more about him than they need to, so he will not agree to participate...

Obama's Tech Advisor Lessig Ridicules Christians

Yet another one of Messiah Obama's supporters and advisors, Larry Lessig, shows how unifying the Obama team will be. Lessig makes a video of a gay Jesus singing "I Will Survive" who gets hit by a bus. More at Red State.

Fannie Mae Execs Get a Pass

Unlike other public companies that get skewered (and even imprisoned) for huge compensation plans and/or accounting issues, the WSJ points out that Fannie Mae still retains its preferential treatment status. Over the weekend, federal regulators settled with Fannie Mae execs who cooked the books to fatten their comp packages got off pretty much scott free.

The upshot is that former CEO Franklin Raines will forfeit some underwater stock options, make a donation to charity and pay $2 million to the government, although that last sum will be covered by Fannie's officers-and-directors insurance. The lawyer for former CFO Timothy Howard called it a "capitulation" by the government, and it's hard to disagree.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson and Jamie Gorelick, all top brass at Fannie, were all prominent Democrats that worked in former administrations.

Carter's Useful Idiocy

Jimmy Carter declares that Hamas is now promising to accept Israel as a state and live in peace with her. Ok - we believe you.

Santorum Endorses McCain

Rick Santorum has officially endorsed John McCain. He has kind words for McCain and in general says that McCain is a solid conservative. But the final (and most important, in my opinion) reason for suggesting conservatives should vote for McCain is simple:

"He is not Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton."

Al Sadr's Militia Being Destroyed

Powerline sums up the dynamic with Al Sadr's militia pretty well. And yet his final "warning" to the Iraqi government is being taken seriously by the MSM.

Left Wing Journalists Write to ABC to Complain

A group of liberal journalists penned a letter to ABC News to complain about the questions directed towards Barack Obama, which they view as "tangential" to the real issues.

But as this post points out, there wasn't any problem when the media questioned Bush's National Guard service (or for that matter, his DUI from decades earlier). At the time, those issues were important to determining the character of a commander-in-chief.

But now, apparently nothing short of proclaiming Obama the next Messiah is important enough to discuss.

Obama Giving Hillary Finger?

You can judge for yourself here, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit based on his post-debate whining about how the referees of the debate were asking "unfair" questions. He continues to complain that it was "45 minutes" before we heard a question about Iraq, health care, George Bush, etc.

Well, 99% of Americans already know where Barack stands on those issues from the 21 previous debates. What no one knows are the questions he refuses to answer:

1) His association with Tony Rezko,
2) His decision to listen to an anti-American race baiting pastor for 20 years,
3) His friendship with a member of a known American terrorist organization (William Ayers),
4) His plan to raise taxes on anyone who makes $97K or owns a mutual fund,
5) His view on the first and second amendments, and
6) His most liberal voting record in the entire US Senate.

*Update*
John Hawkins has the video in this post. Go to about 1:22 in the clip - there is no doubt that this was Obama's intent - and he becomes increasingly sophomoric.

Obama: No More Debates

It's not surprising that Obama is now saying he doesn't think we need any more debates. I don't think he believes they would help him very much after this week's debacle.

Obama Whines About Debate

It is amazing how whiny Obama supporters and even Obama himself have become after his dismal showing in the debate last night. It's not as if the questions weren't fair - and judging by the answers, both he and Hillary were expecting them (his knowledge about Bill Clinton's pardon of two members of the Weather Underground with whom William Ayers was involved makes this clear).

Remember the first Republican debate hosted by MSNBC? (i.e. "What do you hate most about America?" "Would you have fired Rumsfeld before or after Bush did?" "Do you believe every literal word that's in the Bible?") That was a lot worse than this, but putting Dems in a bad light on a national stage is simply against MSM protocol.

Hamas Says Carter Meeting Boots Legitimacy

This is precisely why it's a bad idea to meet with terrorists.

Obama: the $4 Million/year Food Stamp Candidate

Obama, who earned $4 million+ last year, recently claimed that his mother was on food stamps, in an effort to gain credibility with the poor that he understands their plight.

American Thinker thinks the claim is simply incredulous.

Debate Reaction

Michelle Malkin points out that there is a very angry reaction from the Left that ABC was too tough on the candidates.

I thought the questioning from Gibson and Stefanopolous of ABC was excellent and quite different from the softball questions the Dems have had up until this point.

Case in point: just read this editorial at WaPo from Tom Shales. Gotta love it.

Obama Compares Ayers and Coburn

There were a lot of gaffes in last night's debate and I think both candidates showed their ugly side (or rather, ABC's questions showed the candidates ugly side).

But one of the more egregious points of the debate was Obama's defense of his relationship with William Ayers to that of Sen. Tom Coburn. As Red State points out, it is entirely unfair for Obama to say that he disagrees with Ayers' views just as he disagrees with Sen. Coburn's views.

William Ayers is a terrorist who has not repented about killing innocent Americans because of his hatred for the country and yet Obama still has a friendly working relationship with him.

Quick Thought on Dem Debate

I have only seen a few minutes of the Hillary-Obama debate tonight and I think ABC has actually done a pretty good job of showing that:

1) They are both socialists who want to control every aspect of people's lives, and
2) They are both deceitful who admit they will say practically anything to get elected.

Overall, the questions have been very good - everything from Jeremiah Wright to William Ayers to Hillary's Bosnia sniper fire, to Obama's not wearing an American flag, both candidates look absolutely awful.

*Update*
Charlie Gibson asked the single BEST question I have ever heard from a journalist during any debate. He pointed out to Obama that history proves that raising the capital gains tax rate lowers revenue and reducing the rate actually raises revenue. If that's the case, he asked Obama, "why raise the rate at all?" Obama bobbed and weaved and said that we needed more revenue, etc. so Gibson asked the question again, pointing out that his logic and history "proves otherwise." And Obama blundered badly. Absolutely brilliant question. I have a newfound respect for ABC News.


*Update 2*
NYTimes posted a transcript of the debate. Here is the exact exchange on cap gains taxes:

MR. GIBSON: All right.

You have however said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax. As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton, which was 28 percent."

It's now 15 percent. That's almost a doubling if you went to 28 percent. But actually Bill Clinton in 1997 signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.

SENATOR OBAMA: Right.

MR. GIBSON: And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent.

SENATOR OBAMA: Right.

MR. GIBSON: And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased. The government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down. So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year -- $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair.

And what I want is not oppressive taxation. I want businesses to thrive and I want people to be rewarded for their success. But what I also want to make sure is that our tax system is fair and that we are able to finance health care for Americans who currently don't have it and that we're able to invest in our infrastructure and invest in our schools.

And you can't do that for free, and you can't take out a credit card from the Bank of China in the name of our children and our grandchildren and then say that you're cutting taxes, which is essentially what John McCain has been talking about. And that is irresponsible.

You know, I believe in the principle that you pay as you go, and you don't propose tax cuts unless you are closing other tax breaks for individuals. And you don't increase spending unless you're eliminating some spending or you're finding some new revenue. That's how we got an additional $4 trillion worth of debt under George Bush. That is helping to undermine our economy, and it's going to change when I'm president of the United States.

MR. GIBSON: But history shows that when you drop the capital gains tax, the revenues go up.

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, that might happen or it might not. It depends on what's happening on Wall Street and how business is going. I think the biggest problem that we've got on Wall Street right now is the fact that we've got a housing crisis that this president has not been attentive to and that it took John McCain three tries before he got it right.

The only thing that could have made this more enjoyable is if Gibson followed up again asking, "Senator Obama, an increase in the capital gains tax would likely hurt the housing market even further, wouldn't it?" Still great though.

Obama Criticizes for Carter for Hamas Talks

Obama today criticized Jimmy Carter for talking with Hamas because of their declaration to destroy Israel.

Yet Obama has long said he would talk to Iran, who has said the exact same thing (and incidentally, funds Hamas). Interesting logic.

Ed Koch's View on Jimmy Carter

Former New York Democrat Mayor Ed Koch wrote an article about his life, in which he has a very interesting view on Jimmy Carter.

When he ran for reelection, he asked me to campaign for him in 1980 - I was by then Mayor of New York City -- and I said that I would vote for him, but not campaign for him because he was then engaging in hostile acts towards Israel. I was popular with the Jewish community and when I would not campaign for him unless he changed his position, he called me to his hotel in New York when attending a fundraiser and said, "You have done me more damage than any man in America." I felt proud then, and even more today, since we now know what a miserable president he was then and the miserable human being he is now as he prepares to meet with Hamas.

Ouch.

Hamas Endorses Obama

Yet another terrorist group comes out in favor of Barack Obama. Here you go.

John Hawkins reminds us that the endorsements of Hizbollah and Al Qaeda are still up for grabs...

Bush Just Wants to Be Loved

President Bush was never a real conservative, but I think he's become too tired to fight the opposition anymore. Yesterday John Bolton published an editorial about the failed North Korea talks and the Bush Administration's caving to Pyongyang, a la Bill Clinton during the 90s.

His latest blunder will be announced later today as he outlines his "fight against 'global warming.'" This, just as new evidence that the global warming hoax comes to light every day. Instead of giving in to the fallacy in order to "get a seat at the table," why not challenge and refute the ideas, which are very easily refutable?

Just another sad day as a conservative. What's next - an admission that his tax cuts only helped the rich and that we need to raise them?

Brigitte Bardot on Trial for Muslim "Slur"

Brigitte Bardot is being prosecuted in France for saying that Muslims are "destroying our country and imposing its acts." It's hard to believe that this type of speech can get someone convicted, but it's true.

Swiss: Plants Have Rights Too

Swiss "experts" have concluded that it is morally wrong to kill plants because plants also have rights. There was no word as to whether grass should be mowed regularly, as the grass might not appreciate it.

McCain Proposes Cutting Gas Taxes Temporarily

Sen. McCain today proposed a gas tax "holiday" for the summer, which would reduce the price per gallon of gasoline by approximately 18 cents.

Hey, even a small tax reduction is better than nothing.

Venezuela's Health Care Crisis

For a country making billions in petro dollars, Venezuela's health care system has begun to deteriorate rapidly. Yet another shining example of the dangers of nationalized health care.

Carter's View on Dictatorships

According to today's WSJ (subscription may be required), Jimmy Carter shared his view of democracies and dictatorships with the following statement:

"In a democracy, I realize you don't need to talk to the top leader to know how the country feels," he said over the weekend, responding to a question from an Israeli journalist who noted that Mr. Carter had been snubbed by most of Israel's top leadership and reprimanded by its president, Shimon Peres. "When I go to a dictatorship, I only have to talk to one person and that's the dictator, because he speaks for all the people."

That's right - in the world according to Jimmy, Fidel Castro represents the feelings of all its people; in Venezuela, it's Chavez, in Zimbabwe, Mugabe, and so forth.

Obama is a Lie

Thomas Sowell explains Obama pretty well:

"An e-mail from a reader said that, while Hillary Clinton tells lies, Barack Obama is himself a lie. That is becoming painfully apparent with each new revelation of how drastically his carefully crafted image this election year contrasts with what he has actually been saying and doing for many years.

Senator Obama's election year image is that of a man who can bring the country together, overcoming differences of party or race, as well as solving our international problems by talking with Iran and other countries with which we are at odds, and performing other miscellaneous miracles as needed.

There is, of course, not a speck of evidence that Obama has ever transcended party differences in the United States Senate. Voting records analyzed by the National Journal show him to be the farthest left of anyone in the Senate. Nor has he sponsored any significant bipartisan legislation -- nor any other significant legislation."

Bush Ally Reclaims Power

Silvio Berlusconi, a strong conservative ally of President Bush, has reclaimed power in Italy, replacing the left-wing Prodi. Whenever a Bush ally lost an election (e.g. John Howard, Jose Maria Aznar), the media has painted it as a severe blow to Bush foreign policies. I suppose, then, that Berlusconi's victory means that the world is once again longing for Bush's policies...

Most Americans Think Taxes are too High

According to a recent poll, 52% of Americans think federal taxes are too high. Only 2% think they are too low. If this many people are unhappy with the tax levels, just wait until 2011!

Alicia Keys: Gangsta' Rap Conspiracy to Kill Blacks

In an interview with Blender magazine, pop star Alicia Keys apparently spins a few quotes that could have come from Obama's minister, Jeremiah Wright.

" 'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. 'Gangsta rap' didn't exist," the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter tells Blender magazine.

Keys, 27, said she's read several Black Panther autobiographies and wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead," according to an interview in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

I think Obama may have found a new artist for his campaign appearances.

Obama Must Be a Bitter Pennsylvanian Too

As I heard Obama's infamous quote again, I realized that he included "anti-trade sentiment" as a Pennsylvanian knee-jerk frustration due to economic woes. I would love to see Obama explain then, why his views are so anti-trade as well.

CNN's Defense of Obama

Obama's latest Pennsylvania word flubs were defended on CNN, where Jack Cafferty issued the following bizarre statement:

The people are frustrated. The people have no economic opportunity. What happens to folks like that in the Middle East, you ask? Well, take a look. They go to places like al Qaeda training camps.

So there you have it - it's Bush's fault that all these Heartland hicks are losing their jobs and they are going to become terrorists.

*Update*
Gingrich responds:

This is the closest Senator Obama has come to openly sharing his wife’s view that “America is a mean country”. Not since Governor Dukakis have we seen anyone so out of touch with normal Americans. It makes perfect sense that it was in a fundraiser in San Francisco that he would have shared the views he has so carefully kept hidden for the entire campaign.

Olmert Tells Carter to Take a Hike

From LGF. Finally someone makes it known that Jimmy Carter is not helpful in his efforts towards "peace negotiations."

The Tax Me More Act

The WSJ had an article on a new proposal from CA Republican John Campbell called the Tax Me More Act, which makes it easier for liberals who don't believe they are taxed enough to make an extra donation on their tax forms.

This is already an option should people choose to do so. Last year the IRS collected all of $2.6 million from it. Of course, liberals don't want to pay more - they just want to dictate to everyone else what to pay.

Obama: Why Pennsylvanians are Bitter

Obama shares his very deep analysis about Pennsylvanians and other "Midwesterners":

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them, And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Just a tad bit condescending.

Report to Show Saddam's WMD Moved to Syria

According to the Jerusalem Post, a report about the Sept. 6 strike into Syria will show that Saddam moved his WMD stockpiles into Syria before the Iraq War. I do believe it's plausible, especially since one of Saddam's senior generals, Georges Sada, has already said as much in his book.

I do believe this is plausible, but at this point it doesn't matter. The Administration seems to have little desire to change the MSM/Democrat line that the war was built on "lies about WMDs." They didn't even raise much of a fuss two weeks ago when a new intelligence report was released that showed clear ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

Rockefeller Insults McCain

Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) apparently believes that U.S. pilots like John McCain are evil because they don't think of the consequences of their actions.

But of course, Barack Obama is patriotic because he refuses to wear a U.S. flag on his lapel.

Mass. Universal Health Care Causes Shortage

Even the NY Times is now admitting the obvious - that universal health care has serious unintended (but very predictable) adverse consequences, including deteriorating coverage and long wait times. In Massachusetts, the mandated health care plan (which even has some aspects of free market principles) is creating severe wait times for routine physicals.

But hey, as long as all illegal aliens and non-tax payers (what Dems call the "middle class") get their free health care, that's all that counts.

Hillary Tells Another Lie on Stump Speech

What is it with Hillary that she feels compelled to tell lie after lie in her campaign stump speeches?
Here's another one.

Greenspan: US Not in a Recession

Former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said that the U.S. is not yet in a recession even though the possibility for a recession is likely greater than 50/50. The Democrats in Congress and the media have already declared us in a recession and with good reason - it would make it harder for McCain to win the White House if the U.S. public believes we are in a recession.

Incidentally, Greenspan is also endorsing John McCain as president.

Veteran Sentenced For Tearing Up Mexican Flag

Gateway Pundit writes that US Air Force veteran Peter Lynch was sentenced to a deferred 6-month jail sentence, community service and other court fees for tearing up a Mexican flag flying solo over the University of New Mexico campus.

It seems that "freedom of speech" only applies to tearing up the Stars and Stripes these days.

Obama's Capital Gains Ignorance

As the WSJ (subscription may be required) points out, part of the reason Barack may be so ignorant of capital gains taxes is due to his apparent lack of personal stock market investing, at least according to his tax forms.

One of the common fallacies of taxes, which have been very poorly communicated by Republicans, is that higher tax rates typically mean lower future revenues and lower rates mean higher future revenues. This has been evident since the Kennedy administration through the Reagan, Clinton and Bush administrations.

Critics howled this would reduce tax revenues, and they howled when Republicans cut the rate to 15% in 2003. What followed in both cases was an enormous "unlocking" effect, as investors sold more stock and assets to take advantage of the lower rate. Capital gains realizations soared to an estimated $729 billion in 2006 from $269 billion in 2002. This goosed Treasury receipts from capital gains, to an estimated $110 billion in 2006 from $49 billion in 2002.

Mr. Obama doesn't have to guess what sort of "distortion" would come from significantly raising the cap-gains rate. In 1986, the tax rate jumped to 28% from 20%, a 40% increase. Tax revenues spiked briefly in anticipation of the hike (as investors moved to cash in at the lower rate), then dropped precipitously. Four years later, in 1990, the federal government was still taking in 13% less revenue at the 28% rate than it did in 1985 at the 20% rate.

Why this tax message never gets out to the public is beyond me, but it's been true for the better part of five decades and counting. It's time that historical results start counting for something.

Absolut's Mexican Reconquista Project

Michelle Malkin has been covering the Absolut Mexican advertising project. I don't know what the fuss is - Mexicans already sway elections and referenda in southern California, if not the entire state.

Karl Rove on Obama

I have seen Karl Rove on FoxNews several times recently and I think he is one of the brightest and most articulate conservatives around. His interview here is very illuminating - his views on Obama are not exactly effusive either. Here's a snippet:

Have you gotten to know Hillary or Barack to any degree?
Yes, I have.

What have been your dealings with them?
Well, you know, I used to have her office at the White House. And I got to know [Obama] because we have a mutual friend, Ken Mehlman, who was his law-school classmate at Harvard. And so as a result, whenever in the last three years he's been around at the White House, I've gotten to see him, and we sort of would hang around and chitchat about things. I'm actually in his book. He wrote that "people like Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, Ralph Reed, and Karl Rove say we are a Christian nation." And I did not say that. I confronted him about it. At the White House.

And what did he say?
Well, first he denied that I was in the book! And then he denied that it said that I said that it was a Christian nation. And then when I pulled out the thing [he had a copy of the offensive page with him] and showed it to him, he sort of blah-blah-blah-blah-blah- blah-blah. And I thought, That's who he is. I mean, look, he may claim that he's for a different kind of politics, but that was a cheap shot. And I'm not certain if any of the four said it either. But it was like, you know, Let's just strap it in there and see if it goes someplace. Another example: Him saying, "We honor John McCain for his fifty years of service" was a cheap shot. He was going out of his way to say John McCain's old.

Indiana to Challenge Republican Voters

In an attempt to stop Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos, Indiana Democrat officials are saying they will review historical voting results of voters to determine if Republicans are trying to vote in a Democrat primary.

The challenge process would work like this: Voters must declare their party affiliation in spring primary elections. Local party officials watching the polling locations then could check the names of voters against a list of all registered voters that shows past party declarations. Fajman said any voter whose party affiliation is challenged can either decline to vote for the party in question or sign an affidavit, swearing under oath that they voted in the last election for a majority of the regular nominees of the party."

The funny thing is that Hillary and Obama have both been targeting Republicans to switch over and vote for them. And apart from that, Indiana's Democrat suggestion here is unconstitutional. And it's quite hilarious (no pun intended).

Ted Turner: Global Warming to Lead to Failed State

According to Ted Turner, global warming is going to destroy civilization within 30-40 years, warming the temperature 8 degrees (never mind that it's only risen 1/2 degree over the last century) - and we'll be living in a failed state like Sudan or Somalia.

Capitol Building to Get New Lighting System

Folks, this is what we have to look forward to, regardless of who wins in November. In an effort to create more environmentally friendly lighting, Congress plans to spend nearly $1 million to redesign the existing lighting system.

Will it save costs? Even if the lighting costs were reduced to zero, it would take 45 years to recoup the taxpayers' money. Good thing they aren't focused on investment returns for our money.

Hillary Fired By Zeifman for Lies, Unethical Behavior

Jerry Zeifman, a Democrat, was the chief counsel for the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings. He was also Hillary Clinton's former boss when she was a young upstart working on his committee. According to Ziefman, Hillary was one of only 3 people he fired in his entire life. Why? According to him,

“Because she was a liar,” Zeifman said in an interview last week. “She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.”

Hot Air has more.

Oil Executive Pony Show Concludes

Once again, Congress called on oil executives to testify on Capitol Hill for their annual dog and pony show. When asked why prices are so high, Robert Malone of BP America stated the obvious, "We need access to all kinds of energy supply," while also noting that 85% of coastal regions are off limits to development. It would have been nice to hear the oil executives scold Congress for their opposition to drilling anywhere new or building any new refineries.

Unfortunately, all three presidential candidates are blocking access to ANWR, which is the single largest undeveloped known source of oil in North America.

Obama Doesn't Want Kids "Punished with Baby"

Speaking in Johnstown, PA this past weekend, Obama discussed his family values:

Look, I've got two daughters, nine year old -- nine years old and six years old. I'm going to teach them first of all about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at the age of 16. You know, so it doesn't make sense to not to give them information.

At least he's being honest.

Clinton as Rocky

Hillary Clinton compares herself to Rocky. But as PoliBlog points out, Rocky was beaten by a black man - not the best analogy.A

Clinton Camp Praises FoxNews

Gov. Ed Rendell, a fervent Hillary supporter, praised FoxNews for its most balanced election coverage of all the tv networks. Amazing.

Operation Chaos Success in Pennsylvania

Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos appears to be having effect in Pennsylvania. Rush has been encouraging the continuation of the bloody Democratic primary by suggesting that Republicans register as Democrat and voting for Hillary.

According to the MSM and Democrat web sites, such as Daily Kos, who seem oblivious to Operation Chaos, seem to think that this means Republicans are actually turning Democrat because they prefer Hillary or Obama in November. It's impossible to prove either way right now, but I would side with the Rush factor and his 20 million listener audience.

Chelsea Slams Bush

Chelsea Clinton is in proper Clinton attack mode, saying on the campaign trail that "the world will breathe a sigh of relief" after the Bush administration is over.

I wonder if anyone would be upset if President Bush campaigned for McCain and said something like, "the world cannot afford putting the lying Clintons back in the White House."