You Didn’t Ask. Rights are for Terrorists

2010 February 8
by oldhardhead

ABC News has the headline:

White House: Republicans Were Briefed Abdulmutallab Was In FBI Custody — Did They Think That Didn’t Mean He Was Mirandized?

White House counterterrorism and homeland security adviser John Brennan fought back against criticism that the Obama administration erred by allowing the FBI to read failed Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouq Abdulmutallab his Miranda rights. Brennan sought to portray Republican sniping as purely motivated by politics.

White House counterterrorism and homeland security adviser John Brennan tried to put some damage control on us on (of course) NBC. It ain’t working.

Reading an enemy “miranda rights” during wartime is motivated by politics, if you ask me.

Their argument is, as I understand it: “we told some republicans that the bomber was in custody and they didn’t even ask if he was given taxpayer-funded attorneys, and read miranda rights. Now they are saying mean things (sniff-sniff) and they didn’t even ask!” (I’m paraphrasing)

OF COURSE they didn’t ask. Why would they they even think someone would do such a bone-headed thing, fer gosh sakes! On top of that, the Republicans were not informed:

Brennan’s Lie on Meet the Press

Yesterday on Meet the Press, Obama counterterrorism adviser John Brennan lashed out at Republicans for daring to criticize the Obama administration’s bungling of the interrogation of Abdulmutallab, the Christmas bomber — and said Republicans should have known he would automatically be Mirandized once the FBI began questioning him.

Brennan claimed that he spoke with four Republicans on Christmas night — Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Kit Bond, and Pete Hoekstra — and told them that Mr. Abdulmutallab “was in F.B.I. custody” and that they should have understood that “F.B.I. custody” meant reading Miranda rights in a civilian process.  “None of those individuals raised any concerns with me at that point,” Brennan said.

The problem with Brennan’s claim?

As I point out in Courting Disaster, just a few months earlier, the Obama administration announced that its new FBI-led “High-Value Interrogation Group” (HIG) would not necessarily Mirandize suspects it was questioning.

That means that they should NOT have understood that “F.B.I. custody” meant reading Miranda rights in a civilian process.

Director Of National Intelligence: We Didn’t Put The Christmas Day Bomber In Our High Value Interrogation Program Because, Uh, We Don’t Have One.

Earlier today Denis Blair, Director of National Intelligence testified at a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing into the Christmas Day Bomb plot that the bomber should have been placed in the administration’s interrogation program for high-value suspects but wasn’t. [...]

Excuse me? We don’t currently have an operational program to interrogate individuals deemed to be of high value? Did Blair not know that this morning? Did he lie? Is he the most incompetent man on the face of the Earth?

Well, it can’t be the last one so long as Barack Obama has a job but what about the rest?

How in the world did we go from, “yeah, we should have used that program” to “Program? What program? We don’t have a program.” in less than 12 hours?

GOP fires back: White House did not tell us about reading Abdulmutallab his rights

Republican lawmakers are denying a charge made by top White House counterterrorism official John Brennan that they were briefed about — and did not object to — the decision to offer full American constitutional rights to accused Detroit bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.

Holder: It was his decision to prosecute would-be bomber

In his first public defense of the arrest of the would-be Christmas Day airplane bomber, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that he personally made the decision to prosecute Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and that no one in the Washington intelligence community objected that the al-Qaida operative should instead be turned over to military interrogators as a prisoner of war.

No one objected. I get a little of that  “deficit of trust” happening here. No one objected???

Republicans, who have been highly critical of the decision to arrest and to Mirandize Abdulmutallab rather than declare him an enemy combatant, said they were dissatisfied with Holder’s response and continued to press him to testify on Capitol Hill.

“Republicans” have been “highly critical” but that doesn’t mean that they objected. Citizens have been “highly critical” too.

“No one in the Washington intelligence community objected.” They would probably be fired if they did.


And these guys want to run healthcare?

Doctor! I had a sore throat! You didn’t tell me you were going to remove my tonsils!
Doctor: You didn’t ask.

Doctor! You didn’t tell me you were going to remove my foot!
Doctor: You didn’t ask.

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Obama’s Jobs for Lobbyists

2010 February 4

We face a deficit of trust -– deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. To close that credibility gap we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue — to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly… That’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs, or seats on federal boards and commissions. –Barack Hussein Obama State of the Union address

Really? “Excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs, or seats on federal boards and commissions?”

You don’t say. That kind of statement can lead to a… shall we say… a “deficit of trust.”

Former lobbyists in senior Obama administration positions

Appointee Agency Administration position Former employer Selected former lobbying clients
Barnes, Melody Domestic Policy Council Director Raben Group ACLU; Center for Reproductive Rights
Beliveau, Emmett White House Deputy Assistant for Advance Patton Boggs PriceWaterhouseCoopers; Worldwide Medical Technologies; Shaw Group
Butts, Cassandra White House Deputy Counsel Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Corr, William Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Coven, Martha White House Special Assistant Center on Budget & Policy Priorities Center on Budget & Policy Priorities
Crowley, Phillip J. State Department Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Donilon, Thomas National Security Agency Deputy National Security Advisor Fannie Mae Fannie Mae
Douglas, Derek White House Special Assistant for Urban Affairs O’Melveny & Myers; Center for American Progress Public Transportation Safety Int’l Corp.; Center for American Progress
Frye, Jocelyn Office of the First Lady Director of Policy and Projects Nat’l Partnership for Women & Families Nat’l Partnership for Women & Families
Gaspard, Patrick White House Political Affairs Director SEIU SEIU
Gomez, Gabriella Department of Education Assistant Secretary American Federation of Teachers American Federation of Teachers
Harden, Krysta Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary Gordley Associates National Barley Growers Association; National Sunflower Association; American Soybean Association; U.S. Canola Association
Harris, Scott Department of Energy General Counsel Harris, Wilshire & Grannis Microsoft; Cisco; Dell; Sprint
Hayes, David Interior Department Deputy Secretary Latham & Watkins Sempra Energy; San Diego Gas & Electric; General Cigar Holdings
Hoffman, Alan Office of the Vice President Deputy Chief of Staff Timmons & Co.; RAND Corporation RAND Corporation, Unocal
Holder, Eric DOJ Attorney General Covington & Burling Global Crossing; Large Scale Biology Corporation
Kennedy, Sean White House Special Assistant AT&T AT&T
Klain, Ron Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff O’Melveny & Myers Time Warner; ImClone; Fannie Mae
Liebowitz, Jon Federal Trade Commission Chairman Motion Picture Association of America Motion Picture Association of America
Litt, Robert Office of the Director of National Intelligence General Counsel Arnold & Porter Recording Industry Association of America
Lynn, William J. Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Raytheon Raytheon
Marantis, Demetrios J. U.S. Trade Representative Deputy USTR Akin Gump Lucent Technologies
McDonough, Dennis White House Deputy Assistant to the President Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Munoz, Cecilia White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs National Council of La Raza National Council of La Raza
Panetta, Leon CIA Director Cassidy & Associates Seismic Safety Coalition
Patterson, Mark Treasury Department Chief of Staff Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs
Perciasepe, Robert Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Commissioner National Audubon Society National Audubon Society
Perrelli, Thomas J. Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Jenner & Block American Survivors of 8/7/98 Bombings of Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
Poneman, Daniel Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Hogan & Hartson Payless Shoe Source
Rundlet, Peter White House Deputy Assistant Center for American Progress Center for American Progress
Sapiro, Miriam U.S. Trade Representative Deputy USTR VeriSign VeriSign
Sebelius, Kathleen Health and Human Services Secretary Kansas Trial Lawyers Association Kansas Trial Lawyers Association
Sher, Susan Office of the First Lady Chief of Staff University of Chicago Hospitals University of Chicago Hospitals
Singiser, Dana White House Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Akin Gump AT&T; Motion Picture Association of America; Apollo Advisors; American Express; Mortgage Insurance Companies of America; Pfizer; Bank of New York
Stoner, Nancy Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Natural Resources Defense Council Natural Resources Defense Council
Strautmanis, Michael White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Chief of Staff Association of Trial Lawyers of America Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Strickland, Thomas Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary Hogan & Hartson Amgen
Sussman, Robert M. Environmental Protection Agencye Senior Policy Counsel Latham & Watkins Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Navistar, Business Roundtable
Sutphen, Mona White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stonebridge Int’l Angliss Int’l
Taylor, Michael Food & Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner for Foods Monsanto Monsanto
Trasvina, John Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary Mexican American Legal Defense Fund Mexican American Legal Defense Fund
Turton, Dan White House Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Timmons & Co. Freddie Mac; Chrysler; American Medical Association; Visa
Varney, Christine DOJ Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust Hogan & Hartson
Verma, Richard State Department Assistant Secretary Steptoe & Johnson Cigna; National Association of Convenience Stores; U.S.-India Business Council
Vilsack, Thomas U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Dorsey & Whitney; SELF National Education Association
Wilkins, William J. IRS Chief Counsel Wilmer Cutler Swiss Bankers Association;

Up next: Jobs, funding and laws for special interests. It’s spelled SEIU, ACORN, etc..

http://wp.me/pFeEj-jZ

Obama’s Middle-class Tax Hike and the Press

2010 February 2

Reuters.com publishes a news story:

Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

By Terri Cullen – Mon Feb 1, 4:09 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters.com) –The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year — effectively a tax hike by stealth.

While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.

The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration’s Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.

Yeah, well anyone could have told you that. Letting Bush’s tax cuts expire will result in higher taxes – a tax hike. Trouble is, that doesn’t fit the democrat talking-points.

If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.

95 % of all working Americans will see a tax cut. Anyone making less than $250,000 will not see a tax increase of a single dime… blah, blah, blah before the election. This is from what the White House calls a “Real” News station.

Now, after the election…

Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a “patch” that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.

Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year’s levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy — the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.

Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire.

So… here is the real mystery. Here is some intrigue. About 4 hours after the original story:

Advisory: Backdoor taxes to hit middle class

Mon Feb 1, 8:07 pm ET
The story Backdoor taxes to hit middle class has been withdrawn. A replacement story will run later in the week.

Related Searches:middle class

THE STORY HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN?

I know president Obama didn’t like the Supreme Court decision upholding free speech, but… WTF? Did anyone see something in this story that was inaccurate?

Anyone think for a moment Pelosi and Reid are not going to let Bush’s tax cuts expire?

Anyone think for a moment Pelosi and Reid are going to index the AMT for inflation, back to the levels it was when originally implemented?

Why was the story “withdrawn?”

(So many questions)

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Obama sez HCR gets between you and your doctor

2010 February 2

If you look at, the package, that, we’ve presented.  And there’s some cra-stray cats and dogs that got in there that, we were eliminating, we were in the process of eliminating for example, tha-for example, wuh-we said from the start, uhh that, uhh, oh, that it was going to be important, uhh for us to, be consistent, in, saying to people if you can have your,  i-i-if you want to keep the health insurance you got, you can keep it; that you’re not going to have anybody getting in between you and your doctor, in your decision making. And I think that some of the provisions, that got snuck in, uh, might have violated that pledge.”

Gee, ya think so? Some “stray cats and dogs,” such as the entire basis, the entire premise of either the democrat senate or house bill!

The smoove speaking transcribed above was followed by… nonsensical nonsense, at least I could make on sense of it. No wonder he reads from a teleprompter all the time.

How many times has he stated that if you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance? How many times has he stated that if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor? How many times has he said that no one will get between you and your doctor’s decision making?

KILL THE BILL.

There is that deficit of trust thing… again.

Here are  questions:

Where in the United States Constitution are they given the power to prevent you from keeping your insurance company? Where in the constitution are they given the power to prevent you from keeping your doctor?  Where in the constitution are they given the power to get between you and your doctor’s decision making?

Where is the Mainstream media? A confession, this is news!

KILL THE BILL.

Stray cats and dogs… and they want to run health care for the entire country. They want to be

getting in between you and your doctor, in your decision making

You trust them to do that?

(Be sure to vote on November 2, 2010. Harry Reid, a lot of the Senate, Nancy Pelosi and the entire House of representatives are up for re-election.)

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Was Jeb Hensarling Right, Obama Wrong?

2010 January 31

Well, well well. The Liberal left is reacting with glee! Obama has “schooled” the GOP. It’s featured on MSNBC!!!!

Let’s start with example #1 shall we? Here is a video titled “Obama Takes Down Rep. Jeb Hensarling At GOP Retreat” from “Talking Point Memo TV” with the description” “More at MSNBC.” Grap some popcorn, here we go!

Alright. Now here is a longer version from MSNBC, posted by firedoglake. The title of it is:  “Pres. Obama schools factually-challenged Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX05) on the budget.”

Got your snacks ready? Oh, the liberal left is just eating this up!

Huh, I guess the president really “schooled” him, huh? The problem is…  it appears that Obama was wrong. Again. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. He is going to “correct” a republican member of the house budget committee? Please! CNN tries to help out their side a little bit, but it’s difficult to defend.

CNN Fact Check: Is the annual deficit under Obama 12 times the deficit under Republicans?

Fact Check: Is Hensarling correct when he says that Obama’s first budget would have tripled the national debt and that his administration increased the annual deficit by a factor of 12? Is the president correct when he says he inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit? [...]

Bottom line: Hensarling was correct in that the annual budget deficit soared in 2009, though it did not increase by twelve-fold as he asserted in his comments. However, he does come close for some years. The 2009 deficit was about nine times the size of the 2002 and 2007 deficits, when Republicans controlled the White House and at least one chamber of Congress.

Obama was essentially [essentially?] correct when he said he inherited a budget deficit of $1.3 trillion. Though the budget deficit for 2008 was a then-record $458.6 billion, the CBO issued a projection in January 2009, just days before Obama took office that the budget deficit would reach $1.2 trillion that year, before the cost of any new stimulus plan or other legislation was taken into account.

As for the impact that Obama’s first budget would have on the national debt, the CBO estimated the national debt would indeed triple by the year 2019 under the president’s budget, from $5.8 trillion to $17.1 trillion.

It doesn’t seem to matter what the facts are, the left apparently loves it because Obama spoke with conviction. It looks like this:

Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures

Bush Deficit vs. Obama Deficit in Pictures

No wonder the president got defensive… look at the graph. Sure looks like 12 times is reasonable.

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Amtrack, and the post office are BROKE… and they ask us to let them run HEALTHCARE???? YIKES!


Here’s an update!

Rep. Jeb Hensarling Corrects Obama’s Inaccurate and Dishonest Statements on the US Deficit

Jeb Hensarling SCHOOLS Obama.

President Obama tripled the US deficit his first year in office.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) corrected President Obama today after his inaccurate and dishonest statements to GOP House members yesterday in Baltimore. Obama even attacked Rep. Hensarling when he pointed out the facts during their session yesterday.

Rep. Hensarling fires back at Obama in the rumble over deficits

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), who got President Barack Obama a bit miffed during the question-and-answer session after his address to the House GOP retreat Friday, fired back Saturday evening after the conclusion of the Baltimore conference.

Hensarling, in criticizing government spending, told Obama that the yearly deficits Democrats complained about under George W. Bush had now become “monthly” deficits in lengthy remarks that clearly frustrated the president.

Rep. Jeb Hensarling Stands His Ground- Thwacks Obama Again on Inaccurate Deficit Claims (Video)

“Well, either the President misunderstood the point or he just hasn’t been well informed. If you look at the 12 years when Republicans controlled the Congress, the average annual deficit was about $104 billion. I’m not proud of that number. That’s too high. But in the three years that Democrats have controlled Congress, the average annual deficit is now $1.1 Trillion. Do the math… But when it comes to spending we’re rank amateurs compared to these guys.

Seems Jeb’s assertions are based on… factual facts.

The Budget Outlook – CBO

UPDATED: Hensarling Statement On The President’s Appearance At GOP Retreat

I’ll bet Obama doesn’t like being called ‘bulls**t’ in a kerfuffle, especially after saying “I am happy to have any independent factchecker out there take a look at your presentation versus mine in terms of the accuracy of what I just said.”

Hensarling destroys Obama in deficit kerfuffle
.

Did the president think he was going to get away with a provably false claim that his astonishing, historic budget deficits were somehow less than those of his predecessors? The man has an inexplicable supply of self-confidence.

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Can Republicans change The Narrative?

2010 January 30

Can Republicans Govern?

Not unless they change The Narrative.

Here is an excellent article discussing The Left and their march toward egalitarianism by using “The Narrative.” I’ll call it a “must-read” – the whole article.

We must do what we can to defeat promoters of “The Narrative” when we vote on November 2, 2010.

Recent electoral successes, including Scott Brown’s landmark victory in Massachusetts, have positioned Republicans once again for a role in governing, and far sooner than they might have supposed. But are they ready to govern? It all depends, for the problem with many Republicans (and I am a Republican) is that they, along with liberals, subscribe at a visceral level to The Narrative.

What is The Narrative? The Narrative is the official story about America. It is a story composed by the political left, which entered American public life with the progressive movement in the early 20th century and was elaborated in the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s and ’40s.

The story runs like this. America was founded on the ideal of equality, though that ideal at first was barely put into practice. The story of America is one of progress toward the fulfillment of the ideal of equality. The end of slavery and the achievement of women’s suffrage are landmarks in this story. All fair enough. So is—less plausibly—the federal income tax, originally established to fund the government but later used to redistribute wealth and tax advantages among Americans. Then came the many programs of direct payments to individuals, the so-called entitlements, beginning with Social Security and extending to Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, aid to dependent children, farm subsidies, and myriad others. And today the health care reform bill before Congress takes its place in America’s advance toward equality. Each and every policy that aims to level distinctions between Americans has found its place within The Narrative.

At times the progression is described as more or less inevitable. It is dressed up in rhetorical finery (befitting the progressives’ debt to Hegel) as the “march of history.” At other times its proponents stress the role of will, exalting the labors of progressive heroes to bring about change. But always they are certain of the single direction in which progress moves.

The Narrative holds genuine power. It permits the easy assignment of virtue and vice. Virtue belongs to those who advocate the fulfillment of equality; they are on the “right side of history,” moving the country “forward.” In opposition are those who seek to take the country “backward,” often identified as “special interests” who favor their own well-being over the equality of all.

The Narrative also identifies the means to be employed by the virtuous. The federal government is the instrument for achieving the promise of equality. If, along the way, this government and its agents of progress should evolve into a separate political class, this is understandable; indeed, it is the more or less inevitable result of the progressives’ role as the vanguard of virtue. In this way, virtue comes to be seen as concentrated, ironically, in the very institution in which the Founders feared that the corrupting effects of power might take root.

Posted by Oldhardhead

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White House Appeasement for NY

2010 January 29

NY pols stunned to learn Obama administration opposes funding for 9/11 health bill

The Obama administration stunned New York’s delegation Thursday, dropping the bombshell news that it does not support funding the 9/11 health bill.

The state’s two senators and 14 House members met with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius just hours before President Obama implored in his speech to the nation for Congress to come together and deliver a government that delivers on its promises to the American people.

So the legislators were floored to learn the Democratic administration does not want to deliver for the tens of thousands of people who sacrificed after 9/11, and the untold numbers now getting sick.

I guess that didn’t look too good.

Team Obama to double budget for treating 9/11 responders in an amazing same-day U-turn

Whew! That was a close one!

Another U-turn!

White House asks Justice Department to look for other places to hold 9/11 terror trial

They seem to want to appease some moonbat liberals by giving the enemy combatants civilian trials.

If only they would do a U-turn on “healthcare,” energy taxes, non-private union voting, immigration, trials for terrorists… the list goes on.

Single-payer Healthcare. #killthebill

2010 January 28

#killthebill

No wonder Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi work to make healthcare reform More Liberal

You never want a serious crises go to waste.”- Rahm Emanuel

With high unemployment, a terrible economy, and tax increases, is it an “opportunity” when fewer and fewer people can afford health insurance?

Transparency and accountability? HAHAHAHAhhaha!!! That’s a good one Rahm!!!

More videos here:

Path to single payer?

Kill. The. Bill. Already.

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Obama’s Deficit of Trust

2010 January 28

We face a deficit of trust, deep and corrosive doubts about how Washington works that have been growing for years. – President Obama, State of the Union Address, 01-27-2010

Deficit of Trust? He’s right about that. Ya know why they aren’t trusted. For one thing, they lie say things that are not true.

Barack Obama LIED!

Tonight, Barack Obama said, “To close that credibility gap we must take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue to end the outsized influence of lobbyists; to do our work openly; and to give our people the government they deserve.

“That’s what I came to Washington to do. That’s why – for the first time in history – my Administration posts our White House visitors online. And that’s why we’ve excluded lobbyists from policy-making jobs or seats on federal boards and commissions.”

Really?  The what about The list of lobbyists in the Obama administration Do you believe someone after you discover that they have lied to you? Do not lies lead to a Deficit of Trust?

First, the McCain-Feingold bill has not been law for 100 years. John McCain isn’t that old. I thought President Obama was an attorney. He went to Columbia and Harvard. Gee… that really makes me wonder why his transcripts are kept secret. There are more reasons why the president’s statement is false.

The Court held that 2 U.S.C. Section 441a, which prohibits all corporate political spending, is unconstitutional. Foreign nationals, specifically defined to include foreign corporations, are prohibiting from making “a contribution or donation of money or ather thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election” under 2 U.S.C. Section 441e, which was not at issue in the case. Foreign corporations are also prohibited, under 2 U.S.C. 441e, from making any contribution or donation to any committee of any political party, and they prohibited from making any “expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication.”

Here is the sentence that followed the quote opening this post:

To  close that credibility gap, we have to take action on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, to end the outsized influence of lobbyists, to do our work openly, to give our people the government they deserve.

(APPLAUSE)

That’s what I came to Washington to do.

- President Obama, State of the Union Address, 01-27-2010

Exactly what kind of government do  you think “we deserve,” Mr President… one that has more secret meetings with lobbyists? I guess he has to smooth things over after pretending to “bash” then during the SOTU.

After Obama rips lobbyists, K St. insiders get private briefings

A day after bashing lobbyists, President Barack Obama’s administration has invited K Street insiders to join private briefings on a range of topics addressed in Wednesday’s State of the Union.

The Treasury Department on Thursday morning invited selected individuals to “a series of conference calls with senior Obama administration officials to discuss key aspects of the State of the Union address.”[...]

Some lobbyists say they are extremely frustrated with the White House for criticizing them and then seeking their feedback. Others note that Democrats on Capitol Hill constantly urge them to make political donations.

One lobbyist said, “Bash lobbyists, then reach out to us. Bash lobbyists [while] I have received four Democratic invitations for fundraisers.”

Does that beat all or what?

The trust-deficit President said this:

We will continue to go through the budget line by line, page by page, to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work.

I don’t believe it. He was supposed to go through bills “line by line,” that’s a promise that he lied about never came to fruition.

Who can forget this little white… promise.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                                       July 29, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT TOWN HALL

Broughton High School
Raleigh, North Carolina

[...]
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m for the public option.  (Applause.)

So I just want everybody to know, Congress will have time to read the bill.  They will have time to debate the bill.  They will have all of August to review the various legislative proposals.  When we come back in September, I will be available to answer any question that members of Congress have.  If they want to come over to the White House and go over line by line what’s going on, I will be happy to do that. (Applause.)

We are not trying to hide the ball here.  We’re trying to get this done.  But the American people can’t wait any longer.  (Applause.)  They want action this year.  I want action this year.  And with your help, we’re going to make it happen, North Carolina.
Thank you very much, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

END                1:10 P.M. EDT

Obama Might Regret Health Care Invitation

And when someone tried to take him up on the offer – to go through the approx. 2000 page bill “line by line,”

The Line-By-Line Health Care Challenge: An Update

VAN SUSTEREN: President Obama issued a challenge, and he said that, you know, After the recess, come to the White House. We’ll go line by line by line. He said that at a town hall meeting back in August.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If they want to come over to the White House and go over line by line what’s going on, I will be happy to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: In you sent him a letter and said, Fine, let’s do it. What happened?

ROE: Well, we sent a letter and a fax and actually e-mails. And we’ve done that twice. And I think next we’re going to try a smoke signal and a carrier pigeon. But we’d like, in all — in all candor, I would like to meet with him and let him, along with the other five people who asked to go along with this, the other five congressmen, and to share with him 30- plus years experience of practicing medicine what this will mean in reality. We’ve tried this in Tennessee. You and I talked about Tenncare, the problems with that in Tennessee. Massachusetts is having similar problems now with funding this. Nowhere in this legislation are costs adequately met.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, there are two issues. One is whether it’s a good bill. Another, though, is whether it could be understood, which is why I was encouraging — you would go to the White House and go line by line so we could see if it does make sense. Not even — forget the substance of it, but whether anyone can understand it.

ROE: I think we need to do that. And I — again, he needs to sit down with a doctor like myself that got up at 3:00 or 4:00 o’clock in the morning, went down to the emergency room, saw patients without health insurance and managed to work through the system.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. He’s got a big staff. Have you gotten, like, even a nice pleasant reply, like, I got your message?

ROE: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Nothing?

ROE: Nothing.

VAN SUSTEREN: You mean they haven’t even said, Congressman, we’ll get back to you?

ROE: No. They haven’t said anything, I will get back to you (INAUDIBLE)

VAN SUSTEREN: And it’s coming from you personally.

ROE: Yes. We haven’t heard anything from the White House.

Perhaps he was busy, negotiating “health care” on CSPAN and streaming video. Those open, public and transparent “negotiations” probably meant that he was too busy to respond. Yeah. I’ll bet that’s it. </sarcasm>

It goes on and on. No wonder there is a “Deficit of Trust.”

Comments are welcome. The  entire speech is here:

Transcript: Obama’s first State of the Union speech

I wonder who writes what he reads off of the teleprompter?

AP’s ten whoppers from the SOTU speech

Whoppers, huh? Things like that can cause a Deficit of Trust.

Let me add at least one other whopper that the AP doesn’t mention.  Obama repeatedly insisted that he inherited massive budgetary problems from George Bush, but the Con Law professor may want to retake his high-school civics class.  Congress passes budgets, not the President, and the last three budgets came from Democrats.  In three years, they increased annual federal spending by $900 billion, while the admittedly profligate and irresponsible Republican Congresses under George Bush increased annual federal spending by $800 billion — in six years.  And during the last three years before taking office as President, Obama served in the Senate that passed those bills, and he voted for every Democratic budget put in front of him.

Let’s see… what does he mean by “wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh-wuh?” “A big mush.”

Watch this:

Rahm Emanuel: WH Was “Involved” In Health Legislation “All The Way Through”

Sorry, I couldn’t embed that video. It’s a keeper! Here is a story about that claim:

Obama: I didn’t sign off on those shady health care deals. Really?

Really? That claim leads to a Deficit of Trust.


Who is it about?

http://wp.me/pFeEj-iV

No More Secrecy – Change we can Believe (Thanks Axelrod)!

2010 January 25

This is really too easy. I’ll let President Obama and David Axelrod do the talking.

v

Listen to the people cheering! Is that what they got?

v

Axelrod: People Will Never Know What’s in the Healthcare Bill Until the President Signs It!

v

Say WHAT???

Axelrod: People Will Never Know What’s in the Healthcare Bill Until the President Signs It!

Well now, none of the negotiations have been done in public, have they?

Heh-heh-heh-heh… they look to me like the gang that can’t shoot straight.

Ellie Light will be so proud!


http://wp.me/pFeEj-iK