"Community Groups" Still Pressuring Banks to Lend

Someone wake me up because I thought we just learned the dangers of pressuring banks to lend to minorities and other lower income Americans based on political, rather than economic factors.

But groups like the Community Reinvestment Association and other "community organizer groups" didn't get the message. They are pressuring Wells Fargo and others to lend more to those who might not be able to pay those loans back.

After mergers, many big banks lay out specific community reinvestment plans, but San Francisco-based Wells Fargo & Co. doesn't do that. "Now essentially there's no goals and no public transparency," said Peter Skillern, executive director of the Community Reinvestment Association of North Carolina.

B of A already got sucker-punched into a 10-year goal of $1.5 trillion of lending to minority and low-income groups. Fortunately, some banks like Wells Fargo still understand that they are owned by public shareholders and are not arms of the Obama government.

Obama's Court Packing - 63 New Federal Judgeships?

A Democrat bill led by Senate Judiciary Chairman Pat Leahy wants Obama to be able to pack the court system with radical Leftists through the creation of 63 new federal judgeships.

Goodbye liberties. Hello walking constitution...courtesy of the most radical president and Congress in U.S. history.

Journalists Upset Palin Didn't Write Entire Book Herself

Journalists are now starting to discount Palin's upcoming book, which will immediately be a huge bestseller, because she had assistance writing it. As an example, Matthew Shaer of the Christian Science Monitor says:

But let’s pause for a second: Did Palin really write “Going Rogue” all by herself? As MSNBC’s Chris Matthews noted back in May, “She’s got this book deal, she obviously is not gonna write it.”

Shaer also refuses the fact that most scholars believe Obama's book was ghost written. As American Thinker points out, the book was likely written by longtime Obama friend Bill Ayers.

No Recession in DC; Raises For Everyone

Recession - where? Not on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are increasing spending on the legislative branch by 5.8% next year.

Way to tighten your belts during a recession, Democrats.

Quote of the Day: Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio, Florida Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, makes his prediction for the 2010 elections:

“I think next year’s elections, especially in the Republican primaries, are going to be a lot like a political Halloween,” Rubio said. “A lot of people are going to come dressed to the party like conservatives, but in fact, in the real…world, they haven’t been that, not in a principled way."

Of course, this is nothing new - Obama was supposedly held conservative stances while campaigning for president. Well, we all know how that change worked out...

America To Honor 60th Anniversary of Communist China

The Empire State building will be lit up in Communist red and yellow on Wednesday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Mao Zedong's commy takeover of China.

The land of the free celebrating the suppression and killing of millions. Absurd. I guess we should be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Castro's takeover of Cuba also.

Dems Continue to Block Countrywide Tapes

Countrywide recorded conversations of the VIP mortgage program, which has caught up Democrat Senators Dodd and Conrad. Unfortunately, Dems are blocking the investigation. As American Banking News points out,

California lawmaker Darrell Issa has responded by attempting to subpoena those records which haven’t been destroyed in connection to the Countrywide VIP loan program, but for some unknown reason New York Democrat Rep. Edolphus Towns has rejected the request, which makes no sense at all. Does Towns know something we don’t know? Why would he reject it knowing it makes things even worse and more secretive than they were, and the actions of Countrywide even more suspect? This even makes it look more unethical than it did before, and the destruction of taped conversations concerning other potential ethic violations is cause for further investigation and access to the remaining tapes. I’m not sure if it was illegal to erase these tapes or not, but that will have to be investigated as well, along with those that knew what was on those tapes.

I smell some rats...

British, French, Seeth at Obama's Iran Posturing

President Obama wants a unified front against Iran, and to that end he stood together with Nicolas Sarkozy and Gordon Brown in Pittsburgh on Friday morning to reveal the news about Tehran's secret facility to build bomb-grade fuel. But now we hear that the French and British leaders were quietly seething on stage, annoyed by America's handling of the announcement.

The reason? Obama didn't want to confront Iran at the U.N. because it might "spoil the image of success." Once again, Obama's image is more important than anything else.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy flanked by President Barack Obama, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. President Sarkozy in particular pushed hard. He had been "frustrated" for months about Mr. Obama's reluctance to confront Iran, a senior French government official told us, and saw an opportunity to change momentum. But the Administration told the French that it didn't want to "spoil the image of success" for Mr. Obama's debut at the U.N. and his homily calling for a world without nuclear weapons, according to the Paris daily Le Monde. So the Iran bombshell was pushed back a day to Pittsburgh, where the G-20 were meeting to discuss economic policy.

Franken: The ACORN Elected Senator

Al Franken won by 312 votes in Minnesota. ACORN, which has been found to be criminal and fraudulent all over the country, registered 48,000 Democrats for Franken. What is the chance that just 1% were frauds? I'd say it's pretty darn high. From the Star-Tribune.

More Schoolchildren Indoctrinated

Unfortunately, this Obama indoctrination is probably happening all over the country. Sad. Very sad.

The Democrats' $1 Trillion FHA Gamble

The Democrats, led by Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi and Obama, are forcing taxpayers to go "all in" on the housing market via the FHA, which now guarantees 80% of all U.S. mortgages.. With down payment requirements of only 3.5%, these loans are going to hurt the taxpayers badly if housing prices decrease even slightly. From the WSJ:

The agency acknowledged this month that a new but still undisclosed HUD audit has found that FHA's cash reserve fund is rapidly depleting and may drop below its Congressionally mandated 2% of insurance liabilities by the end of the year.

At a 50 to 1 leverage ratio, the FHA will soon have a smaller capital cushion than did investment bank Bear Stearns on the eve of its crash. Its loan delinquency rate (more than 30 days late in payments) is now above 14%, or from two to three times higher than on conventional mortgages. Its cash reserve ratio has fallen by more than two-thirds in three years.

We've seen this movie before and I think we all know how it's going to end.

Ted Kennedy Gets $20 Million Memorial

Thanks to John Kerry's willingness to spend taxpayer money, Ted Kennedy will have a $20 million memorial to house all of his Leftist agenda. The pork was placed into the defense spending bill, as many of these ludicrous projects are.

Some might compare it to presidential libraries, but 1) this is a senator; and 2) presidential libraries are not funded by taxpayers, but through private donations (especially from the Chinese, if you're Bill Clinton). Come on - can't the billionaire Kennedy family build it themselves if they really want this crap?

Obama Spoke to Afghan General Only Once

The war in Afghanistan is so important to Obama that he has spoken to General McChrystal exactly.....once. Why bother when you can speak to Chavez, Castro Kaddafi and Ahmedinejahd?

Countrywide VIP Loan Tapes Destroyed

Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad must have friends in high places. It should come as no surprise that Democrats don't want any further investigation into the Friends of Angelo program.

The discovery that Countrywide Financial Corp. recorded phone conversations with borrowers in a controversial mortgage program that included public officials -- and that those recordings have been destroyed -- has prompted new congressional calls for more information about the program.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is trying to subpoena the remaining records of Countrywide's VIP loan program. So far, the committee's chairman, New York Democratic Rep. Edolphus Towns, has turned down that request.

Conservatives Crush Liberals in Germany's Election

A tidal wave of conservatism toppled liberals in Germany over the weekend, opening the way for labor reform and tax cuts. I think a similar storm is brewing worldwide, including in the U.S...

Interestingly, Germany's Left-wing Social Democrats recorded their worst election defeat in 60 years with only 23% of the vote. Should be good news for German business and the German stock market.

Obama Wants To Repeat Housing Crisis With $35 Billion More

A big part of the reason the housing crisis occurred was due to providing financing to Americans who should never have been qualified for loans in the first place.

As if the last two years never happened, the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats are preparing a bill to provide $35 billion so that low-to-moderate income families can buy homes for which they otherwise would not qualify.

The Obama administration is close to committing as much as $35 billion to help beleaguered state and local housing agencies continue to provide mortgages to low- and moderate-income families, according to administration officials.

The move would further cement the government's role in propping up the housing market even as some lawmakers push to curb spending at a time of rising debt.

A few years from now when these people get foreclosed upon, I don't want a debate over how this happened again. It is clear who will be responsible - Obama and the Democrats.

Obama's Change: Wants Divided Jerusalem

During the campaign, Obama was adamant about not dividing Jerusalem. But as his own campaign slogan bears out, that view has dramatically "changed."

Baucus: Too Difficult to Put Healthcare Bill Online

If you want to hear a bunch of nonsense, just listen to Dem Sen. Max Baucus' reason for not putting the healthcare bill online so that Americans can actually read it - it's too difficult to put online.

But of course, running the entire health care system, financial system and automotive industry is not too difficult for them?

Woops: Obama Was Wrong on Iran

Obama said in 2007 that Iran halted its nuclear program. Woops - Iran just admitted to having a second, secret nuclear site. But as Obama says, we shouldn't "force our will" upon other countries.

Sen. Burris STILL Supports ACORN

Not surprising - one of Obama's Chicago buddies, Sen. Roland Burris still supports his favorite fraudulent criminal group, ACORN.

Obama To Give $400K Grant to Gaddafi Charity

Just because Gaddafi is such a kind and contrite terrorist, Obama is giving a grant of $400,000 to a charity run by the Gaddafi family.

Winning the graces of world class dictators...

Obamas Upset Over New Book Tying Them to Ayers

Celebrity journalist Christopher Anderson's new book on the Obamas - Barack and Michelle: Portrait of an American Marriage is out. Here is an interesting tidbit:

Relying on inside sources, quite possibly Michelle Obama herself, Andersen describes how Dreams came to be published -- just as I had envisioned it in my articles on the authorship of Dreams. With the deadline pressing, Michelle recommended that Barack seek advice from "his friend and Hyde Park neighbor Bill Ayers."

Don't forget that many scholars have speculated that Ayers actually ghost wrote the book. More from American Thinker.

Baucus: You're Delaying Healthcare Bill With Too Many Good Points

Dem Sen. Max Baucus admits that Republicans are bringing up good points before voting on Obamacare. But he then says that these good points are still delaying the bill's passage.

Missouri Frets Over Fuel-Efficient Cars, Reduced Driving

Missouri is a perfect example of the hand-wringing going on among bureaucrats. The question is how to replace the revenue from the gas tax.

Fuel-saving vehicles and declines in driving have led to a drop in fuel-tax revenue, which finances all of the highway trust fund. Momentum for increasing highway and transit spending in a new bill, possibly by raising fuel taxes, slowed as the unemployment rate rose last year, Rahn said.

I imagine the same thing would happen - or worse - if Americans gave up smoking cigarettes and reduced their tobacco taxes.

Castro Wanted Soviet Union To Nuke U.S.

In newly released documents from the Cold War, Fidel Castro was encouraging the Soviet Union to initiate a nuclear attack against the U.S. during the 1980s. From Sweetness & Light.

And this week, Castro was full of praise for his man Obama.

Schoolchildren Indoctrination

I beg for someone to tell me why the indoctrination of America's schoolchildren isn't highly objectionable in a way that the Hitler youth was. This is disgusting - our schools have officially become a cesspool of Leftist garbage.

Obama Slams U.S., Bush - Again - To U.N.

Just another day for Obama at the UN - slamming the U.S., slamming Israel, and slamming Bush. Apparently, the U.S. is no better than Libya, Iran or Venezuela. What a jerk.

Castro Praises Obama

Fidel Castro loves Obama:

That admission of America's past errors "was without a doubt a brave gesture," Castro wrote in comments published by Cuban state-media Wednesday.

"It would only be fair to recognize that no other United States president would have had the courage to say what he said," the former Cuban leader continued.

Translation: Obama is the only U.S. president who hates his country's past as much as I do.

Are Private Schools Next On Congress's Hit List?

Congress recently nationalized the entire private student loan market. It now appears that they might have an interest in eliminating private post-secondary schools as well. They want hearings.

This is ObamaWorld - he makes the rules now.

Yahoo CEO Bartz Takes Dig At Obama

Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz on the Microsoft deal, with a not-so-veiled dig at The One:

I was focused on three things from the Microsoft deal: I wanted ongoing revenue, which is important to funding our strategy; if I’d have gotten the money upfront, every billion dollars gives me $3 million in interest income. That’s it. Because I give half to Obama.

Bold. Perhaps she is trying to tap into the anti-Google (liberal) attitude out there? That would actually be quite clever.

Washington Times: "Worst Foreign Policy Ever"

The Washington Times calls Obama's foreign policy the "worst ever." It's hard to disagree.

Barney Frank Defends ACORN Backing

In a letter to the editor of the WSJ, Barney Frank explains why he missed the vote to defund ACORN - he was attending a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House for a soldier from his district. As such, he was not weaseling out of the vote.

In fact, Frank still supports ACORN fully and seems to have no problem with its giving advice on how to set up underage prostitution rings. He seems to know a think or two about illegal prostitution rings...

CBO Chief Contradicts Obama

The head of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Elmendorf, said that, contrary to Obama's claims, seniors will see benefit cuts under Obamacare.

He must be a racist or something.

Clinton Challenges General McChrystal; Says He's Wrong

Gen. Hillary Clinton said that General McChrystal's assessment of the Afghan situation is wrong. Who would you trust?

Harshbarger Named ACORN "Investigator"

Scott Harshbarger, the Pelosi-loving Democrat former AG from Massachusetts, has been tasked with "investigating" ACORN. In other news, Barry Bonds was asked to investigate steroids in baseball.

Obama: We've Done More on Climate in Eight Months

Obama says that the U.S. has done more than at any time in history to reduce emissions since he has become president.

"...this is a new day. It is a new era. And I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history."

What he forgot to say was that Obamanomics has destroyed the economy so much that it is the sole reason that output is down. Leftists are right on one front - if the economy is destroyed, we reduce overall emissions.

Energy Secretary Says Americans Act "Like Teenagers"

Energy Secretary and global climate change alarmist Stephen Chu wants to scold and punish Americans for daring to use the modern conveniences of electricity.

“The American public…just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.” (In that case, the Energy Department has a few renegade teens of its own.)

And Mr. Chu is going to teach us how to live.

Dems Pushing for Race-Based Mortgage Lending

It's as if the Democrats have been asleep the last two years as the mortgage meltdown has taken place. Democrats in the House are pushing for an "enhancement" to the Community Reinvestment Act which would repeat the problems of the mortgage mess:

Now, Johnson's bill would ensure more of that by applying CRA's lending requirements not just to banks but to non-bank institutions like credit unions, insurance companies, and mortgage lenders. It would also make CRA explicitly race-based by, in Johnson's words, "requiring CRA exams to explicitly consider lending and services to minorities in addition to low- and moderate-income communities."

Sounds like a great idea - but only if some political hack who knows nothing about business or real estate like Jim Johnson, Franklin Raines or Jamie Gorelick is in charge of the program.

Biden: If GOP Succeeds In 2010, "It's the End of the Road for What Barack and I Are Trying to Do"

Joe Biden is candid: If the GOP succeeds in the 2010 midterm elections, "it's the end of the road for what Barack and I are trying to do."

Yes, folks, there is still a chance for this country not falling into the abyss.

Zelaya Returns to Honduras; Wants Presidency Back With UN, OAS Help

Ousted wannabe strongman dictator and former Honduran president Zelaya returned to Honduras today under protection of the Brazilian embassy. With the help of the UN and OAS (and Obama and Hillary), Zelaya wants to take his presidency back.

The only problem is that he violated his country's constitution by attempting to usurp power and faces arrest.

Albright: Democracy Not That Great

Madeleine Albright in her infinite wisdom, doesn't think that either the U.S. or democracy is really that great. She also said that the U.S. doesn't want to be the world's number one anymore.

Obama's Non-Tax, Fee Increase

Challenged by George Snufalufagus, Obama insisted that his health care "fee" increases on the uninsured were not actually tax increases - because Obama said so.

Heck, why not just call them tax cuts? Most of the media would be happy to go along...

*Update*
Even the bill calls them tax increases. But forgive Obama - he doesn't know what's in the bill...

Fed Shoots Down Geithner Request for Fed Review

Who do you trust more with U.S. monetary policy - Ben Bernanke's Fed or Obama and Geithner? Bernanke says to Geithner to mind his own business:

The Federal Reserve Board has rejected a request by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for a public review of the central bank’s structure and governance, three people familiar with the matter said.

The Federal Reserve bank might not have the transparency that many would like, but Congress has long hailed its independence since it was created by Congress in 1913. And now Obama wants the Executive Branch to oversee it? I'm sure the media would have been just fine if President Bush tried to do this...

Michelle Obama's Inappropriate Attire

I will defer to the women on this one, but it seems that Michelle Obama's festive dress was entirely inappropriate for a posthumous Medal of Honor ceremony.

Then again, to the Obamas, this isn't about the war, the country, or other individuals - it's all about the Obamas.

Brzezinski: Let's Shoot Down Israeli Jets

Likely America's worst Secretary of State ever, Zbigniew Brzezinski suggested that Obama should have the U.S. shoot down Israeli jets if they try to take out Iran's nuclear facilities.

Why stop there? Why not invade Israel to make sure they don't take the action that Obama is afraid to do himself?

McCain on Carter: "The Worst"

John McCain does get it right every so often, calling Jimmy Carter the worst president of the last century, if not the worst ever. Ouch - coming from McCain, that's saying something.

Sweden Cutting Income Taxes to Stimulate Job Growth

Hard to believe, but Obama could learn a thing or two from Sweden in terms of taxes. Sweden is lowering its income tax rates further in order to stimulate job growth and the economy.

Michelle Obama's Tuscan Kale Shopping Trip

When Dana Milbank of the WaPo rips you, you know you are out of touch:

Let's say you're preparing dinner and you realize with dismay that you don't have any certified organic Tuscan kale. What to do?

Here's how Michelle Obama handled this very predicament Thursday afternoon:

The Secret Service and the D.C. police brought in three dozen vehicles and shut down H Street, Vermont Avenue, two lanes of I Street and an entrance to the McPherson Square Metro station. They swept the area, in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with bomb-sniffing dogs and installed magnetometers in the middle of the street, put up barricades to keep pedestrians out, and took positions with binoculars atop trucks. Though the produce stand was only a block or so from the White House, the first lady hopped into her armored limousine and pulled into the market amid the wail of sirens.

Better To Be U.S. Adversary Than Friend

The WSJ has it exactly right that "it's better these days to be a U.S. adversary than its friend." As I mentioned yesterday, Obama has alienated more U.S. allies in 6 months than President Bush did in eight years.

President Obama promised he would win America friends where, under George W. Bush, it had antagonists. The reality is that the U.S. is working hard to create antagonists where it previously had friends.

The European switcheroo continues Mr. Obama's trend of courting adversaries while smacking allies. His Administration has sought warmer ties with Iran, Burma, North Korea, Russia and even Venezuela. But it has picked trade fights with Canada and Mexico, sat on trade treaties with Colombia and South Korea, battled Israel over West Bank settlements, ignored Japan in deciding to talk with North Korea, and sanctioned Honduras for its sin of resisting the encroachments of Venezuela's Hugo Chávez.

We're reminded of the rueful quip, by scholar Bernard Lewis, that the problem with becoming friends with the U.S. is that you never know when it will shoot itself in the foot.

Wolf Blitzer Gets Mercy Rule On Celebrity Jeopardy

Wolf Blitzer embarrassed himself on Celebrity Jeopardy today. He was completely obliterated by Andy Richter, who entered Final Jeopardy with $39.000 vs. Wolf's -$4,600. While in a regular Jeopardy game, anyone with a negative number is automatically eliminated, Alex Trabek was forced to institute the "mercy rule" for Celebrity Jeopardy, meaning he was given $1,000 so he could participate in Final Jeopardy.

And these news anchors hold themselves up as the intelligentsia above all others. Hillarious!

*Update*
This link has a video of Double Jeopardy. No, Wolf - Jesus Christ was not born in Jerusalem...

Creigh Deeds View on New Taxes

Virginia Democrat gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds is perfectly clear on his position about taxes. He will not raise them...except when he needs to raise money to pay for things like transportation. What's so hard to understand about that?

Video here - it's way too comical.

Baucus Upset With Medical Device Companies For "Offering Up Other People's Money"

The Senate Finance Committee is prepared to charge $100 billion in fees to the medical device industry because they "alienated" lawmakers when they refused to slash their prices as part of Obamacare. Instead, they suggested Congress tax hospital-purchasing groups instead.

Some senators, including Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus (D., Mont.), were troubled that the device makers were "offering up other people's money," said a person close to the negotiations.

Upset they were offering up other people's money, huh?

House Takes Over Student Loan Market

The private student loan market in the U.S. is history. Obama will soon control it after the House passed the nationalization bill today.

Tab on Foreign Ties

With today's decision by Obama to turn his back on Czech Republic and Poland, here is my standing count of the "improved ties" that Obama promised us:

Improved ties:
Syria
Iran
North Korea
Russia
Venezuela
Cuba

Worsened ties (due to trade or foreign policy changes):
Canada
England
France
Germany
Czech Republic
Poland
China
Honduras
Israel
Japan
South Korea

I might have missed a few, but you get the idea - we've upset our allies and appeased our enemies.

Obama Science Czar: New Ice Age Likely

...unfortunately, John Holdren, Obama's "science czar," uttered those thoughts in 1971. Now he claims we need to abort children to save the Earth from global warming. What a record - he surely must be right this time...

ACORN: San Diego Style

If you want to find out why Tijuana is the best place to smuggle in underage prostitutes into the U.S., then the San Diego ACORN branch is the consultancy office for you. Be sure to ask for Juan Carlos, who is well connected and seems very willing to help with everything - transporation, police trouble, you name it...

APPEASEMENT: Obama Sells Out Eastern Europe

No missile shield for Eastern Europe. Apparently Obama is hoping for Russia's help with Iran, but it's a tactic that is certain to backfire.

Don't worry, Eastern Europe. Obama is selling out the U.S. too.

*Update*
Europe dismayed; Russia welcomes. Btw, today is Poland's 70th anniversary to the day of being invaded by Russia to begin WWII.

Soda Taxes Being Proposed By "Experts"

Health and nutrition "experts" are proposing a 1 cent tax on all soda....1 cent per ounce, that is. This means that for a 12 oz. can of soda that costs about .25 (based on a 12-pack cost of $3), this amounts to 12 cents per can or a whopping 48% tax.

I have a better, more comprehensive plan if these "experts" really want to fight obesity. Let's cut out the tax on food and just tax the people themselves that are overweight. So if you are over 200 pounds, you owe Obama $1000 per year. Over 250 pounds, you owe Obama $1500 per year, etc.

This is the same result - of course, this proposal would just show Americans how ridiculous this money-grabbing plan is. What role is it of the government if someone's skinny or fat anyway? I thought we were supposed to appreciate people's bodies just as they are, fat, squishy and all. (This will obviously change if Obamacare passes, where he can then say that everything to do with one's health is the business of the state.)

More ACORN Videos Coming

...there are apparently more ACORN videos coming, with one set to be released tonight...

ACORN Temporarily Suspends Operations

ACORN announced that it is “ordering a halt to any new intakes into ACORN’s service programs until completion of an independent review.”

I'm not quite sure what this means, but it's likely just a public relations move to try to save face. Something tells me that if President Bush were a trainer for ACORN members and this happened, the Democrats would be up in arms, ordering an investigation of everything Bush said or did while a member of this criminal organization.

...But The Quality of Care Will Still Be Better

Two of every three practicing physicians oppose the medical overhaul plan under consideration in Washington, and hundreds of thousands would think about shutting down their practices or retiring early if it were adopted, a new IBD/TIPP Poll has found.

So the American public opposes Obamacare and now the doctors also oppose Obamacare. From IBD.

Obama Frees Terrorist

Maybe this is why Obama didn't complain too loudly when the Scots released a Lockerbie bomber. On July 30, a federal judge decided there wasn't enough "legal evidence" to hold Mohammad Jawad and Obama decided not to appeal. Instead, he let the terrorist go back to Afghanistan to kill more American soldiers. The four common sense members of the Supreme Court were right when the Boumediene decision came down in 2008:

“Today the Court warps our Constitution … It breaks a chain of precedent as old as the common law that prohibits judicial inquiry into detentions of aliens abroad absent statutory authorization. And, most tragically, it sets our military commanders the impossible task of proving in a civilian court, under whatever standards this Court devises in the future, that evidence supports the confinement of each and every enemy prisoner…. The Nation will live to regret what the Court has done today.”

California ACORN: Same Story, Different State

The West Coast ACORN offices appear to be as corrupt as they are everywhere else. They have no problem with child prostitution, tax evasion, violence and even killing if you have to. Yup, Obama started his career as an ACORN trainer - he must be proud of his organization.

*Update*
John Fund at the WSJ reminds us of this money quote from Bonnie Greathouse, chief ACORN organizer for the state of Nevada:

People always come forward to our defense. We're just community organizers, just like the president used to be."

Charlie Gibson: I Never Heard of ACORN Videos

It's been over a week and the "News" anchor at ABC, Charlie Gibson, said he hasn't yet heard about the corrupt ACORN videos out there.

Either Gibson is a liar or he has his head buried so far in the sand that he should be banned from the news business.

Favorite Dem Words Banned From House

The House today banned many of the Democrats' favorite words such as liar, dishonest and other such terms. So if Obama says his usual "untruths," no one is allowed to call him on them.

Poor Will Be Hurt Most With Obama's Trade War

Obama decided to appease his union friends and slapped a tariff on Chinese tires. Unsurprisingly, tire prices are expected to rise as much as 30% in the U.S., hurting lowest income Americans most.

When Obama says he is looking out for the little guy, you simply can't believe him. He's looking out for himself and his Liberal cronies.

Obama's Post Racial America

No more racism. It's over. This white student who was beat up by black students while others cheered was not racism. It was deserving punishment for the wrongs of this country.

US Bank Credit Declining at Depression Rates

Bank lending in the U.S. is on a declining path not seen since the Great Depression.

Professor Tim Congdon from International Monetary Research said US bank loans have fallen at an annual pace of almost 14pc in the three months to August (from $7,147bn to $6,886bn).

"There has been nothing like this in the USA since the 1930s," he said. "The rapid destruction of money balances is madness."

"The current drive to make banks less leveraged and safer is having the perverse consequence of destroying money balances," he said. "It strengthens the deflationary forces in the world economy. That increases the risks of a double-dip recession in 2010."

One big issue I have with Obama and the Feds is that they are sending terribly mixed messages to banks. On the one hand, they want them to make more loans. But then populist rhetoric takes over and they don't want "risky lending" and want better capital ratios. These two desires don't mesh.

Blago on CNBC

Obama's good friend and indicted Democrat governor Rod Blagojevich was on CNBC's Squawk box this morning and co-host Carl Quintanilla showed its viewers why the program has become such a joke with his softball questions. Co-host Joe Kiernan at least asked Blago a tough question when he wanted clarification on what Blago meant by the statement "I'm not going to give it away for free." But Left-winger Quintanilla jumped in to agree with Blago and suggested that this is nothing more than how politics gets done. I will post a transcript when it's available but it was pretty comical.

Record Low Trust of Media

Let's just say that the ratings of the Obama media are so low that they can't fall much further...where is Baghdad Bob anyway?

Terrorists to Be Tried in Virginia?

According to WaPo, Obama wants to try some of the Gitmo terrorists in Alexandria, Virginia. But not if Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli can help it.

Brooklyn ACORN Busted Too

James O'Keefe has new video exposing ACORN in New York as well. The question is when Obama will throw ACORN under the bus and say this "wasn't the ACORN he knew."

Obama Admits He Caused "Coarsening" of Political Dialogue

Obama admits that he has started a "coarsening" of our national dialogue. Or he should have admitted it anyway, since he causes it to worsen every day - claiming that his opponents are all racists and wackos if they don't want a Marxist country.

Smoot Hawley Obama

Two of the key reasons the Great Depression was so severe were 1) an increase in taxes; and 2) a restriction in trade via Smoot-Hawley.

Obama has already stated his intention on the first point - and now with tariffs on Chinese tires, Obama wants to make good on the trade war as well.

2 Million People at Protest?!?!?

According to a couple of sources including the Daily Mail, DC had up to two million people protesting Obama and the Democrats today. It is extremely hard to estimate how many people were there, but suffice to say that it was A LOT. The most I have ever seen in DC for a protest (yes, more than the Million Man March).

DC Tea Party Going to Be Huge

Already in the morning, the crowds in DC gathering for the tea party are enormous. Here are a few pictures. I doubt the Obama media will cover it though.

*Update*
Here is the live traffic camera at 14th and E. HUGE crowd already...the rumor is that Democrats are fearful of hundreds of thousands of protesters. Could be bigger than the Million Man March, which was covered by the media for months.

George LeMieux Wants Wilson Censured

I thought this would happen. GOP Sen. George LeMieux of Florida (Charlie Crist's errand boy and hand-picked replacement for Mel Martinez) wants Joe Wilson censured for telling Obama to stop lying - a position that is to the left of even Nancy Pelosi.

LeMieux makes McCain and Olympia Snow look like right wingers.

ACORN Outer May Be Prosecuted

Amazing, but James O'Keefe, who uncovered the ridiculously illegal and corrupt practices at ACORN in both Baltimore and DC, may be prosecuted for "illegally obtaining" the video he shot at ACORN offices.

That would give a simple reason for Eric Holder to dismiss all charges against ACORN.

Other Miscellaneous 9/11 Items

Around the web, bing.com and ask.com have nice 9/11 tributes. Google, of course, does not.

Many companies in the DC area are sending around this letter from the Obama administration:

Subject: 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance

To: HHS Staff

From: Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary

This year, Americans across the country will honor the victims and heroes of the 9/11 tragedy by serving their neighbors and communities as part of the first-ever federally recognized September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. Service projects marking the eight-year anniversary of September 11, 2001, will take place in all 50 states, ranging from food drives and home repairs to neighborhood cleanups and disaster preparation activities. Attached is the President and First Lady’s Call to Service.

In the spirit of service, we're asking for your help to stop the spread of the H1N1 virus by forwarding the “5 Things You Need to Know About H1N1 Flu” (attached) to at least 10 of your family members and friends – and ask them to forward the attachment, too. Sending this information to as many people as possible is a simple way you can help prevent illness across the country this fall.

Visit Serve.gov to find volunteer opportunities, or organize a project on your own.

Federal employee guidelines for staff volunteering can be found here: http://opm.gov/oca/leave/HTML/Volunteer2.asp.

Also attached is a letter from Michelle and Barack Obama compelling us to commit to "service." What a way to destroy the real meaning of 9/11.

Next Academy Award Winner...

...something tells me that this video is not going to be welcome at the Academy Awards, although it is a great documentary and shows ACORN to be the ridiculous criminal enterprise fraud that it is.

*Update*
Here is another video from ACORN's Baltimore office - same storyline - same result.

Happy National Day of Service and Remembrance

I almost forgot - today is the first National Day of Service and Remembrance...because we all know that loyalty and service to the state is what we should all think about on 9/11.

Time: Bin Laden is a Failure

Throughout President Bush's second term, Democrats and the media reminded us constantly that Bush never captured Bin Laden. We should have withdrawn our forces from Iraq and accepted defeat there so we could "capture Bin Laden."

Now that Obama is in the White House, Time magazine proclaims that Bin Laden is a failure.

9/11 Eight Years Later

Ralph Peters summarizes:

Eight years ago today, our homeland was attacked by fanatical Muslims inspired by Saudi Arabian bigotry. Three thousand American citizens and residents died.

We resolved that we, the People, would never forget. Then we forgot.

We've learned nothing.

Instead of cracking down on Islamist extremism, we've excused it.

Instead of killing terrorists, we free them.

Instead of relentlessly hunting Islamist madmen, we seek to appease them.

Obama Cheered 2006 Dem Obstructionism to Bush

Gateway Pundit reminds us that it was the Dear Leader himself who was front and center of the cheering Democrats when Bush discussed their obstructionism to Social Security in a 2006 State of the Union speech. That was a different era - when hating the President was the highest form of patriotism.

Charlatan-in-Chief

Thomas Sowell nails Obama for his dishonest healthcare speech.

To tell us, with a straight face, that he can insure millions more people without adding to the already skyrocketing deficit is world-class chutzpah and an insult to anyone’s intelligence. To do so after an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office has already showed this to be impossible reveals the depths of moral bankruptcy behind the glittering words.

And Sowell is black, so unfortunately his opponents can't call him "just another racist."

Obama: I Saved, Created 1 Million Jobs Already

Gotta love facts that are not confirmable. Obama says that his recovery efforts have "saved or created" 1 million jobs.

Flashback: Dems Booed Bush During Speech

The Left is fuming over Rep. Joe Wilson shouting "liar" at Obama during last night's speech. But Dems did the same thing, except worse, to Bush during his speeches.

Left Wish Comes True: Income Gap Shrinks

The Liberal crusade to reduce the income gap - the wages between the richest and poorest in the U.S. - is now succeeding. The interesting thing is that, as the chart shows, the wealthiest in this country have been shouldering higher and higher tax burdens. As their wealth decreases, tax revenue plummets. From the WSJ:

Less income flowing to the top could have broad effects, from the amount of revenue the government collects to the kinds of cars piling up on dealers' lots. For instance, the top 1% of earners will pay 36% of all federal individual income taxes this year, according to an estimate from the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank. If their income softens, so will federal revenue, making budgets harder to meet.

...Another loser: philanthropy. In the brutal second half of last year, the number of charitable gifts of $1 million or more from individuals fell by more than a third from a year earlier, according to the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

By destroying the wealthy, the Obama, Pelosi and Reid will also hurt every American. But in their eyes, "fairness" is more important.

The Speech Postmortem

Powerline summed it up best:

I'm not sure whether Obama and his handlers understand how this sort of talk grates on those of us who are not liberal Democrats (a large majority of the country). Debating public policy issues is not "bickering." Disagreeing with a proposal to radically change one of the largest sectors of our economy is not a "game." This kind of gratuitous insult--something we never heard from President Bush, for example--is one of the reasons why many consider Obama to be mean-spirited.

The President is a jerk - plain and simple. If you don't agree with his radical views, then you're "bickering" and "playing games."

Obama's Speech: Armageddon Without Obamacare

Obama is stopping at nothing with his scare tactics, as he lays out a scenario of armageddon if he doesn't get his Obamacare. He also describes himself and the Democrats perfectly:

"But what we have also seen in these last months is the same partisan spectacle that only hardens the disdain many Americans have toward their own government. Instead of honest debate, we have seen scare tactics [read: my own speech tonight]. Some have dug into unyielding ideological camps that offer no hope of compromise."

Before he leaves office, it would be nice to hear the truth from him once.

Obama: Raising Debt Limit a "Sign of Leadership Failure"

...so said Obama when President Bush was in the White House. I wonder if he still believes that, now that he is going to raise the debt limit by the most of any president in American history.

11 ACORN Arrests in Miami-Dade

Shocker. Eleven people belonging to ACORN (Obama's favorite organization) were arrested for falsifying "hundreds of voter registration cards." Shouldn't matter - I expect AG Eric Holder to drop the case altogether soon.

80% Say Health Care Plan Should Be Bipartisan

According to a poll from AP-GfK, 80% of Americans believe that a health care bill should have the approval of both parties.

Unfortunately, Mr. Partisan has not invited a Republican to the White House for talks on health care since April. Like the economy and record unemployment, the Democrats own Obamacare.

Arctic Nonsense From Ban Ki-Moon

Christopher Booker of the UK Telegraph sums up the UN Secretary General's claims of imminent global warming doom last week pretty well:

Everything about this oft-repeated item was propaganda of the silliest kind. Standing 700 miles from the Pole, as near as the stubbornly present ice would allow his ship to go, Mr Ban seemed unaware that, although some 10 million square kilometres (3.8 million square miles) of sea-ice melts each summer, each September the Arctic starts to freeze again. And the extent of the ice now is 500,000 sq km (190,000 sq m) greater than it was this time last year – which was, in turn, 500,000 sq km more than in September 2007, the lowest point recently recorded (see the Cryosphere Today website). By April, after months of darkness, it will be back up to 14 million sq km (5.4 million sq m) or more.

With buffoons like this in the UN, we have to wonder whether our multi-billion dollar annual dues would be better spent elsewhere.

How Indiana Dem. Rep Baron Hill Will Lose His Job

It's exactly Democrat Rep. Baron Hill's attitude why Congress has the lowest approval ratings in history. And why he will likely lose his job next year at the polls. A high school student asked Hill why he would not allow cameras into a townhall meeting.

"This is my town hall meeting -- and I set the rules."

"Let me repeat that one more time -- this is MY town hall meeting (snip) and you're not gonna tell me how to run my congressional office..."

I think Mr. Hill forgot who he works for and what representative government was intended to be. Ironically, his follow up answer was that such cameras often "end up on Youtube" and might put him in a "compromising position."

Nobel Laureate: Obama Making "Depression Era" MIstakes

Economists Charles Rowley of George Mason University and Nathanael Smith of the Locke Institute and supported by Nobel laureate James Buchanan, say that Obama's fiscal mistakes are likely to prolong an economic recovery by several years and are similar to the Depression Era mistakes made by FDR.

The paper, which recommends that the US return to a more laissez-faire economic system rather than intervening further in activity, has been endorsed by Nobel laureate James Buchanan, who said: "We have learned some things from comparable experiences of the 1930s' Great Depression, perhaps enough to reduce the severity of the current contraction. But we have made no progress toward putting limits on political leaders, who act out their natural proclivities without any basic understanding of what makes capitalism work."

"It is also not impossible that the US will experience the kind of economic collapse from first to Third World status experienced by Argentina under the national-socialist governance of Juan Peron."

I have yet to see any credible economists come forward and support what Obama is doing.

SEIU Negotiator To Oversee Manufacturing Jobs

In another brilliant move, Obama appointed SEIU negotiator Ron Bloom to be in charge of generating new manufacturing jobs. Probably because the unions have such a tremendous track record at creating new jobs in the U.S.

What's next - Jeremiah Wright to head up race relations?

Obama to Students: "Make Our Nation More Fair"

In Obama's indoctrination speech to America's students, he advised them to make our nation "more fair and more free."

You’ll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You’ll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.

Becoming more free is the easy part - just get rid of Obama and his Democrat Socialist friends who are trying to take away more of our liberties every day.

Van Jones: It Was a "Smear Campaign"

It was a setup and a smear campaign. So says Van Jones, the radical, racist, communist who just resigned as Obama's "green czar." He resigned yesterday. Good riddance.

FHA Repeating Fannie and Freddie Mistakes All Over Again

Normally a company or even government agency would not choose to follow the failed policies of Countrywide, Indymac, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Unfortunately, that is precisely what the FHA is now doing. As shocking as it might sound, the FHA is still offering mortgages with only 3.5% down and rates that are currently below private mortgage rates. It's not surprising that with these offers, they are quickly taking over the dominant position of mortgage origination in the U.S. From the WSJ:

In the past two years, the number of loans insured by the FHA has soared and its market share reached 23% in the second quarter, up from 2.7% in 2006, according to Inside Mortgage Finance. FHA-backed loans outstanding totaled $429 billion in fiscal 2008, a number projected to hit $627 billion this year.

...Resulting FHA losses are offset by premiums paid by borrowers. Federal law says the FHA must maintain, after expected losses, reserves equal to at least 2% of the loans insured by the agency. The ratio last year was around 3%, down from 6.4% in 2007.

As an example of why the FHA is so competitive, I recently found a quote for a private jumbo mortgage at 6.00%. The FHA-backed loan, which only required 3.5% down, was for 5.50%. (Of course, the FHA loan requires 1.75% mortgage insurance upfront, but that can be financed into your mortgage, so it makes it a no-brainer to use this option.)

Yes, the subprime lending world is still thriving...and we as taxpayers are financing it. I wonder what Barney Frank's excuse will be when the FHA needs a bailout - because it will...it's just a matter of time.

Obama's Green Czar is "9/11 Truther"

Van Jones is a racist, a communist and now we know...a 9/11 truther. Yup - he thinks that 9/11 was an inside government job. And now he's an Obama top administration official.

Biden: Stimulus "More Than We Had Hoped"

Joe Biden is expected to speak at the liberal think-tank Brookings Institution today, where he will say that the "stimulus" that was passed is doing "more than we had hoped."

Unfortunately, I believe him. Never let a crisis go to waste.

White House Removes Controversial 'Help Obama' Line From Kiddie Speech

I'm sure the Left in this country would have had no problem whatsoever with George W. Bush giving a speech to every schoolchild in the U.S. and mandating that teachers play it to their students.

In the latest twist, the White House received so many criticisms about their plan to have teachers assign to their students how they can "help the president" that they dropped that mandate. No doubt that many teachers will still offer up the assignment anyway.

Perhaps we should ask Bill Ayers and Jeremiah Wright to give a few minutes of inspiration as well.

Senator Schilling?

Curt Schilling is weighing the possibility of running to fill Ted Kennedy's seat from Mass. He says it's unlikely at this point, but I'd give him a decent chance at winning. Americans can't stand today's incumbents in Congress and an outsider with name recognition might just have a chance...as well as a completely different perspective on matters.

Now for Dave Roberts to run for Governor...

The Republican Coach

The WSJ had an interesting piece this morning about why football coaches are generally more Republican. Of course, the story also implies that many of the top coaches are from the South, which is more Republican. This argument seems silly though, since there are just as many football teams in the midwest, Northeast and West.

Some coaches display their largely conservative instincts in non-financial ways. Jack Del Rio of the NFL's Jaguars led the crowd in the pledge of allegiance at a Sarah Palin rally in Jacksonville last fall. Longtime Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs addressed last summer's Republican National Convention. Lou Holtz fired up congressional Republicans with a pep talk in 2007 and recently flirted with running for Congress in Florida. Ralph Friedgen, the portly University of Maryland coach, good-naturedly called one of his Canadian players a socialist last fall.

Mr. Bowden, a 79-year-old native Alabaman, describes himself as a lifelong conservative who—like many white Southerners of his generation—migrated from the Democratic Party to the GOP a few decades ago. There is, he says, a natural connection between his political and coaching philosophies.

"In coaching, you've got to have more discipline and you've got to be more strict and just conservative, I think. It fits with the Republicans," he said.

Mr. Holtz, who coached Notre Dame to its last national championship in 1988, draws a parallel between the standards and rules that most coaches set for their players and the Republican vision of how American society ought to operate.

"You aren't entitled to anything. You don't inherit anything. You get what you earn—your position on the team," Mr. Holtz said. "You're treated like everybody else. You're held accountable for your actions. You understand that your decisions affect other people on that team…There's winners, there's losers, and there's competitiveness."

Tom Osborne, who coached the Nebraska Cornhuskers for 25 seasons before serving three terms in Congress as a Republican, suggested that football coaches probably look at their own lives and careers as testaments to the conservative principle of self-reliance.

There are some other Democratic coaches, too. Southern California's Pete Carroll, for instance, openly proclaimed his support for Mr. Obama last year, and George Perles, who coached Michigan State from 1983 to 1994 (before helping launch the Motor City Bowl), is waging a long-shot bid for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Michigan.

And when Mr. Obama was running last year, several African-American coaches—including Ty Willingham (then at the University of Washington), Herm Edwards (then with the Kansas City Chiefs), and Mr. Smith of the Chicago Bears—expressed their support.

Obama Knew of Plans to Free Lockerbie Bomber in June

According to the Boston Globe, Obama's AG Eric Holder had discussions with his Scottish counterpart back in June about the plans to release the Lockerbie terrorist. From Gateway Pundit.

I'm guessing that Obama could have intervened here if he felt that strongly about the terrorist's release.

Senator Spitzer?

Client #9 is apparently considering a run for statewide office in New York (presumably U.S. Senator). Yes, the man who was personally responsible for a $175 billion bailout of AIG by attacking previous chairman Hank Greenberg and forcing his firing and replacement wants to do more for "the public good."

He'll fit right in there in DC.

Deval Patrick Brings Chicago-style Politics to Massachusetts

Democrats were against it. Now they support it. So they supported it before they were against it. Deval Patrick is now in favor of changing Massachusetts law back to what it was before they had a Republican governor. They will now have an interim replacement for Senator Kennedy, something that they opposed vigorously when Mitt Romney was governor.

This stinks. It stinks like Obama-Blagejovich-Burriss - that whole Chicago fiasco that Patrick's Chicago buddies concocted earlier this year. And now it's in Massachusetts.

But Dems will retain their power - that's all that matters to people like Patrick and Obama.