Politics and Puppies

When the puppies were delivered, nobody was more excited
than 5-year old Susan. She became the "tour guide",
showing everyone the "Democrat" puppies.
Several weeks later, she was calling them "Republican"
puppies. Asked why, she explained, "Because their eyes
are open now"!

Very intelligent young girl!

The small Depression of 1920-21

___You will not hear much about the depression of 1920-21
because it was so short-lived. Government policy to
moderate the depression and speed the recovery was
minimal. The Federal Reserve authorities were largely
passive.

___Production fell 21% over 12 months, and
conditions were worse than 1930.
The rally was based on a drastic cleanup of credit
weakness, a drastic reduction in the costs of
production, and the free play of private enterprise.
Hoover and FDR did the opposite in 1929-41 as did Bush
and Obama in 2008-2009.
FDR's Treasury Secretary stated "after 8 years of this
Administration we have just as much unemployment as when
we started ... and an enormous debt to boot!"
Source: Meltdown, pp 94-95, 149
If we ignore the mistakes of history, then we will be
condemned to repeat them.

Taxpayers are Marxists, Murders and Racists

Quinnipiac, polling just after the Senate voted cloture,
found Americans opposed [to the Senate Bill] by a 53 percent
to 36 percent margin.
[The Senate Bill's] language channeling federal and
consumer dollars to abortion coverage is opposed, according
to Quinnipiac, by a 72 percent to 23 percent margin. Its
provision establishing an Independent Medicare Advisory Board
and stating that it cannot be abolished except by a two-thirds
vote of the Senate is of dubious constitutionality, and even
if upheld in a court of law may not pass muster in the court
of public opinion.
All taxpayers who approve the Senate Bill are Marxists,
murderers and racists or at least their accomplices.

Shameless, Self-serving Capitalism

This is supposed to be an invitation to join Listia with
my recommendation. The HTML supplied appears blank to me??

Scientists Burning Data

The planet has been cooling since 1998. NewsBusters reports
that some scientists are so cold, that they have begun
burning data - with the coldest temperatures first!

Thinking is Permitted at All Times - Without Permission

Bob Grete, RBCS Director, would remind the students that
"Thinking is permitted at all times - without permission"!
In 2010 thinking will be even more important. The agenda
of the elites transfers more and more power - and money -
to the Federal government to be used by their superior
thinking and management skills.
Someone has said that "if we neglect the mistakes of the
past, then we will be condemned to repeat them".
I am reading a biography of Ayn Rand, 1905-1982. Alissa
Rosenbaum was born to Jewish parents in St. Petersburg,
Russia. She was 12 in 1917 when the Czar and his family
were murdered. She experienced every part of the revolution
escaping to the United States in 1925. Her first novel
We The Living describes her life in Russia during the time.
I have not read the book, but it is on my list.
Ayn became the champion of laissez-faire capitalism and
individual achievement and responsibility in the last century.
A study of her journey to that philosophy is important. She
described the The Fountainhead as the story of how a
moral man can live in a corrupt society. Although Ayn is
seldom accused of being moral, her thinking is important to
us today.

Where is Rep. Joe Wilson When We Need Him?

Obama is blaming the "fat-cat bankers" for the recent recession.
You lie! Congress and the Clinton, Bush and Obama
Administrations are to blame. Bankers are trying to make money
in whatever economy they face. The Fed lowered interest rates
to 1%. This is a banker's dream. They can loan the money at
5% or more, make a tidy profit, give themselves a bonus and
redo their office.
When Congress passes Bills that favor one group over another,
they are racists and sexists. When the POTUS has his people
threaten discrimination suits against banks unless bad loans
are given to minority groups then bankers make forced decisions.
It is understandable that bankers would package the loans and
fence these hot instruments as quickly as possible!
The 1977 Community Reinvestment Act is a racist Bill - as was
the Civil Rights Act of 1965! Affirmative Action is a racist or
sexist - or both - policy. At Eglin AFB in the 1980s, the judge
ruled that if a minimally qualified minority (or woman) was on
a hiring - or promotion - roster then they would be selected.
The Federal Government is mediocre because it has not hired on
merit for decades. The same thing happened after the War for
Southern Independence in the late 1860s.

Taxpayer-paid Mistresses

Sen. Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat who chairs the
tax-writing Senate Finance panel, authorized a pay raise
of close to $14,000 to staffer Melodee Hanes last year,
as he was becoming sexually involved with her. Baucus
was separated from his now ex-wife at the time.

As the Politico reports, a few months later Baucus took
Hanes "on a taxpayer-funded trip to Vietnam and the Middle
East, though foreign policy was not her specialty." In
Washington, they call that on-the-job training — except
that Baucus then nominated her for U.S. attorney in Montana,
where Asian and Arab expertise is rarely useful in court.

A Baucus spokesman's excuse: "Ms. Hanes' salary increased
by the exact same amount as our legislative director and
less than our chief of staff."

Looking at D.C., I can see why Obama would declare that
America is not a Christian nation!

Politicians Don't Like People Watching!

Remember when Obama fired an Inspector General without
notifying Congress as required by law.
In Dr Thomas Sowell's book, The Housing Boom and Bust,
he states: When the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise
Oversight — the agency overseeing these government-sponsored
enterprises — turned up irregularities in Fannie Mae's
accounting and in 2004 issued what Barron's magazine called
"a blistering 211-page report," Republican Sen. Kit Bond
called for an investigation of the Office of Federal
Housing Enterprise Oversight, tried to have their budget
slashed and sought to have the leadership of the regulatory
agency removed. Democratic Congressman Barney Frank likewise
declared: "It is clear that a leadership change at OFHEO is
overdue." Duh!
Sen. Bond received $95,000 in "campaign contributions" from
Fannie/Freddie. Sen Dodd got $165,000. This is just part
of $5,000,000 total.

Creating Jobs

Good news! Unemployment dropped from 10.2% to 10%.
Growth was 2.8% last quarter after 4 quarters of decrease.
The signs are that a weak recovery has begun.
Congress and the Executive are thinking about a bill to
stimulate hiring. Bad idea! The biggest impediment to
hiring is uncertainty about increased costs associated
with pending legislation - cap & trade, tax surcharges
and health reform.
Adam Smith (1776) and Ayn Rand in the 20th century liked
laissez-faire capitalism and individual initiative versus
socialism and wards of the state.
65 million Americans pay no taxes. Many of these receive
money. They usually vote for the Democrat candidates.
Since only 50.1% of the vote will elect, these legal bribes
will continue a Democrat majority - regardless of the
Constitutionality of their actions.