Business As Usual

As a presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama criticized Congressional "earmarks"; he promised to reform the way Congressional bills are written.But.

As president, it was "crucial" for him to sign the $410 Billion bill - loaded with 8,816 earmarks worth $7.7 billion. 

 Taxpayers for Common Sense

BTW, this bill was largely written last year but was held back because President George W. Bush opposed it.

And, just so you know:

Notable among them (the earmarks) are $155.9 million worth of projects that six members of the Obama administration who were members of Congress last year, when the bill was originally written, inserted into the bill.

Top among them was Vice President Joe Biden. As a senator from Delaware, Biden added 56 earmarks that cost a total of $52.1 million, including $13.7 million for the Intracoastal Waterway from the Delaware River to the Chesapeake Bay and $190,000 to help build a children's museum in Wilmington;

— White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who as a House member from Illinois, added 16 earmarks worth about $8.3 million, including money for a Chicago planetarium and suburban children's museum.

— Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, formerly a Democratic senator from Colorado, $44.6 million;

— Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, formerly a Republican congressman from Illinois, $26.5 million;

— Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, formerly a Democratic House member from California, $15.5 million;

— Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, formerly a Democratic senator from New York, $6.7 million;

The White House has pledged to send legislation to Congress seeking the rescission of all earmarks sponsored by current members of the Obama administration.

Steven Thomma and David Lightman

I Hope the Change begins soon.

REAL SOON.

Insulting Our Allies

  This is just unbelievable.

  It is traditional for world leaders to exchange gifts when they visit one another.

  British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was the first European leader to visit Barack Hussein Obama in the White House. 

  Here is what Prime Minister Brown presented to Barack Hussein Obama:

_ a pen holder made from the oak timber of HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off Africa.

_ a framed commissioning paper for HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria. It is the sister ship of the HMS Gannet.

_ a first edition of Martin Gilbert's seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, whose World War II partnership with President Franklin Roosevelt symbolized the U.S.-Anglo alliance.  

_ and for the Obama kids: an outfit for each from Topshop, a British chain of clothing stores, and six children's books by British authors which have yet to be published in the U.S.  

  Here's what PM Brown received from Barack Hussein Obama:

  _ a 'special collection' of 25 'classic' Hollywood film DVDs; 

   (and do we know if they were even region 2 versions?  Because you know region 1 versions will not play across the pond)

 and for PM Brown's two boys:

 _ toy helicopters modeled after Marine One. (like the ones that may be purchased in the WH gift shop )  

  And here is the icing on the cake, the butter on the scone ... 

 From the British Sunday Telegraph:

A British official conceded that the furor surrounding the apparent snub to Mr Brown had come as a shock to the White House. ..."A number of our US interlocutors said they couldn't quite understand the British concerns and didn't get what that was all about."

... a State Department official dismissed any notion of the special relationship, saying: "There's nothing special about Britain. You're just the same as the other 190 countries in the world. You shouldn't expect special treatment."

Read all about it HERE

 

B.H.O.'s O.J.T.

POTUS is not exactly the place for On The Job Training. 

 Barack Hussein Obama is finding that out the hard way. 

 Last week's embarrassing gift swap with Gordon Brown, the U.K.'s Prime Minister, was apparently due to the duly elected leader of this country being "overwhelmed".

 That's a comforting thought ... NOT.

"Barack Hussein Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs."

Sunday Telegraph

"Sources close to the White House say Mr Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest."

Well, did he expect to show up in the Oval office and vote 'present'?

Aclockalypse Now!

Daylight Stupid Time is upon us!

Will somebody please explain why we still set our clocks to Spring Ahead, Fall Back?
There are the same 24 hours in a day, no matter when the sun rises and sets.

And since 2007, we're doing it three weeks earlier!

(Thanks to Mike Masnick at techdirt for the wonderful phrase!)

Chasing the Dream

Dogs do dream. His name is Bizkit.

  

 Thanks to Failblog.com

Sir Teddy of Chappaquiddick

Queen Elizabeth II, in her infinitely dubious wisdom, has granted Senator Edward Kennedy an honorary knighthood. 

 But then QE II had also bestowed honorary knighthoods upon Nicolae Ceausecue and Robert Mugabe (both have since been rescinded). 

  Perhaps Sir Teddy will be known as the Lord of Chappaquiddick. 

 I especially like this account by Earl Grey at The Spoof:

It has been confirmed today that Ted Kennedy is to be knighted for services to car driving. In a controversial move Gordon Broon confirmed that the US senator was to be made a nit of the British Empire. The award will be bestowed upon Kennedy during a ceremony at Chippaquiddick.

The event will be attended by many famous politicians and celebrities. Simon and Garfunkel will perform "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in honour of the new Sir Ted. There is much debate as to whether these awards have any relevance in modern society. The British Empire once stretched around the globe. Now you are a Knight of an area the size of Hemel Hempstead. However, some still believe that an award bestowed by the Queen counts for something.

Ted Kennedy was asked to comment. "I was not drunk. I did not drive carelessly. It was a long time ago."

Miss Mary Jo Kopechne was unavailable for comment.

 

Hell To Pay

Never mind what most economists say - that the economy would have self-corrected itself, maybe even within a year - W H O is going to pay for Barack Hussein Obama's $3 trillion+ bill full o' liberal goodies?

Will it be the bunch of idiots living in houses they couldn't afford then, can't afford now, and won't be paying the bills for in the future?
No.

Will it be those millions of illegal aliens living in this country illegally, to whom certain liberal idiots want to hand over rights to health care, education, etc.?
No.

Will it be those CEOs who ruined their companies and who can continue to do so with the the help of all those bailout dollars?
No.
Will it be the U.S. Military?
Yes. Barack Hussein Obama's asking the U.S. Military to take a $55 billion cut while at the same time he ramps up the war in Afghanistan.

Will it be the American taxpayers?
Yes. And our kids, probably our grandkids, too, paying for years. And years.