From Newsmax.com: The new term for terrorism being used by President Obama’s secretary of Homeland Security would be comical if it were not so scary. Instead of referring to threats from terrorists, Janet Napolitano is referring in her speeches to “man-caused disasters.” In an interview, a reporter for Germany’s Spiegel Online asked Napolitano whether her […]
Archives for March 2009
Unintended Consequences: AIG Bonus Tax Could Have Painful Side Effects
Haste makes waste my grandmother used to say… When it comes to legislation haste often leads to unintended consequences. Take for example congresses rush to pass a 90 percent tax on the retention bonuses paid to executives at AIG (emphasis mine): Lawmakers bellowed with outrage last week following revelations that AIG was paying millions in […]
Of Conservatives and Tea Parties
I was reading some of the comments posted on the News Times web site in response to their story on the Ridgefield, CT tea party. This comment from “poo poo the self pitiers” in particular caught my eye: GOP hypocrites. Unbelievable gall. Now all of a sudden, the party that brought you the endless money […]
AP: Dodd’s Stock With Voters Began Dropping Before AIG
As a Connecticut resident I’ve been hearing the rumblings about Chris Dodd for a while now but they’re finally starting to come into national focus: HARTFORD, Conn. – Howard Rosenblatt voted for U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd five years ago. He won’t do that again. “It’s time for Chris to resign,” said the 62-year-old owner of […]
Washington Mutual Sues the FDIC
Washington Mutual Inc. has filed suit against the FDIC seeking to recover roughly $13 billion connected to the seizure and sale of its banking arm by federal regulators. From Reuters: NEW YORK (Reuters) – Washington Mutual Inc, the failed U.S. savings and loan, has sued the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp for well over $13 billion […]
Scenes from the Rebellion: Ridgefield Tea Party
Roughly 300 people attended the Ridgefield Tea Party in Ballard park today… from the Ridgefield Press: Flags-wavers, bell-ringers, some in colonial military get-up, others wearing American flags as capes: angry Americans gathered 200 to 300 strong at Ridgefield’s Ballard Park Saturday morning to vent their frustration. “Dump Dodd now!” and “We’re not Europe!” and “It’s […]
The last Grownup: John Kyl Puts the Breaks on Rush to Tax AIG Bonuses
We got into this mess because Congress and the administration rushed through the Stimulus bill without sufficient time for legislators to review and debate the bill. Now Congress is trying to compound one set of mistakes with another by rushing through a bill to tax the retention bonuses paid to AIG employees. Fortunately there’s at […]
Kerry and Boxer: U.S. ‘Needs’ Cap-and-Trade on Carbon Emissions Even if Energy Costs Rise
I was going to mention this Washington times piece on Barack Obama’s climate plan yesterday… But I had the feeling if I waited one or more of our genius politicians would say something stupid. Enter Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and Barbara Boxer: Democratic Sens. John Kerry and Barbara Boxer told CNSNews.com that the nation […]
Reminder: Ridgefield Tea Party
Just a reminder to readers I’ll be covering the Ridgefield Tea party tomorrow morning. The rally kicks off at 10:00 a.m. in Ballard park on Main Street in Ridgefiled, CT. Public Parking is available off Bailey Ave. and also off Prospect St. one block away. The Ridgefield Press has short writeup on the rally and […]
Crime Doesn’t Pay: iPod Scammer Brought Up On Federal Charges
From Macworld: Prosecutors have just brought federal charges of fraud and money laundering against Nicholas Arthur Woodhams of Kalamazoo, Mich. You may remember Woodhams as the man who scammed Apple out of numerous iPod shuffles, a plot that got him sued by the company in June 2008. Here’s how the scheme worked: Between March 2006 and October 2007, […]
Obama Administration Backtracks On Veterans’ Insurance
Well, well it looks like the Obama Administration is backing away from plans to to charge veterans’ private health insurance for the treatment of service related injuries: President Barack Obama reversed course Wednesday on a highly charged proposal to have private insurance companies, instead of the Veterans Affairs Department, pay for veterans’ service-related injuries. The […]
Damn the Constitution, Full Speed Ahead!
This is beyond priceless: WASHINGTON — The House gave strong approval to legislation intended to recoup bonuses paid by American International Group Inc. and other recipients of federal aid, after a sharp-edged debate that dramatized populist outrage over the government’s sweeping efforts to prop up the nation’s financial system. The legislation was rushed to the […]
Congressman McCotter Slams Stimulus “Yes” Voters for Protecting AIG Executive Bonuses
I’m about ready to make Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan my adopted Congressman: “Facts are hard things to disprove. Every single Democrat in this House that voted for that bill voted to approve and protect those AIG bonuses. Every single Democrat in the Senate that voted for that stimulus bill, along with three Republican senators, […]
Yeah, What He Said… Sort of.
This video needs no introduction or explanation: Tea party anyone? I disagree vehemently on a several points not the least of which is the repeal of the Electoral College… Look at this map of county by county election results from 2000 and you’ll understand why. The Electoral College is the buffer that prevents less densely […]
Chris Dodd Was Against AIG’s Bonuses Before He Was For Them???
It’s getting so you can’t follow the twist and turns in the AIG retantion bonus kerfufle without a map… It now looks like Chris Dodd was against the bonuses before he was for them but now he’s against them: For a while, the disappearance of an executive bonus restriction from last month’s economic stimulus looked […]