Apostles' Creed

Five Former Presidents

Straw In Iowa or Needle in a Haystack?

The Iowa straw poll is a vote by attendees of a fundraiser for the Iowa Republican party and dates all the way back to the pioneering days of 1979.

Anyone who can pay the $30 for the ticket and is over 18 can vote.

Participants do not need to be Republicans but they do have to be residents of the state or students attending university in Iowa. Or at least make up a good story first.

It is seen as a good indicator of who is in the lead to win the Republican nomination to become the party's candidate for the presidential election, except that, in fact it's only predicted the outcome in two out of five times. Other than that - this is big news!

So, with that knowledge - Holy Crap, Ron Paul came in Second! Bachmann's 4,823 votes narrowly defeatedt, Ron Paul, who had 4,671!

Oh, and Sarah Palin II got first... but RON PAUL, Dude!

And, George W. Bush, er, sorry, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, officially announced today to take the wind out of Michele's win. And Tim Pawlenty beat Mitt Romney who is playing Iowa like Rudy Giuliani did in 2007 -- meaning he isn't.

Presidential Sports

VIDEO: Foul ball lands near President Bush:

Former President George W. Bush just missed getting hit by a shoe, a baseball and A.J. Pierzynski.

A pop foul at last night’s match up between the Rangers and the White Sox landed near the Rangers dugout, which was a few inches below former President's seats were. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski made a valiant effort to catch the popup, only to find himself almost in W’s lap.

“I told him just ’cause he was the president doesn’t mean I wouldn’t jump on top of him,” Pierzynski said later.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron play ping pong against a pair of students from Globe Academy.

Their ping-pong game looks a lot like their war in Libya.

Pelosi Thanks Bush

Pelosi thanks President Bush for his role in bin Laden's demise
Not an Onion Article - By Molly K. Hooper

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) said she called former President George W. Bush on Tuesday to congratulate him on the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.

Following a classified briefing on the operation to take down bin Laden, Pelosi told reporters that she called the former president earlier in the day to "congratulate him and thank him for the leadership role he had played in this quest over the years."

Pelosi was Speaker of the House for two years while Bush was in the White House.

Pelosi said she thought Bush appreciated the call.

“I wanted him to know the appreciation that many of us have in a bipartisan way ... that his role was important," she said.

Perhaps this is the dawn of a new day?

Bush Compared to Obama on War Planning

"Obama's defenders insist that what he did in starting the Libya war is not as bad as what President George W. Bush did in starting the Iraq war.

True: In some ways, what Obama did is worse." (reason.com)

The TL;DR:

"Bush made the case for removing Hussein over months. Bush got approval from Congress. Bush acted against a dictator who aspired to acquire nuclear weapons. He invaded a country of large strategic value. He stated plainly the purpose of the invasion.

Obama did none of those things. He rushed into a war, ignoring Congress, to punish a ruler who had abandoned his nuclear ambitions, in a country of peripheral importance."

And in a kind of similar related news... Only 17% Of Americans See President Obama As A Strong And Decisive Military Leader.

Maybe it's because he names his wars after crappy Asia records, and it's not a war - It's a Kinetic Military Action.

Operation Intervene Libya

Meanwhile, there's a bloodbath in Yemen: As snipers hidden on rooftops fired methodically on Yemeni protesters, I wonder if the UN will stick up for the people there, too? I doubt it.

President McCain Extends Bush Legacy for Third Term

[not-so-ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, WASHINGTON DC] President McCain has held his ground on everything that the previous office holder, George W. Bush, set the table with.

He's kept Guantanamo open.

Despite a nice parade, the US has committed to staying in Iraq.

He is expanding our mission in Afghanistan.

He, and the Fed gave unknown billions to their friends at the banks and also Wall Street, on top of what Mr. Bush handed out before Mr. McCain took the oath of office.

And after 'reaching across the isle' to work with a Democrat controlled Congress, he was able to have lopsided kickbacks for insurance companies and waivers for Unions. Reid and Pelosi passed the American Healthcare Compromise Act of 2009, or so called McCainCare - and then took a shellacking at the polls when the Democrat faithful lost faith in their party in November.

Now, just last night, Mr. McCain and Bush have another major win in their hat - they strong-armed the lame duck Democrat Congress to extend the "Bush tax cuts." Again, they can claim bi-partisanship to the voters by extending unemployment benefits as part of the 800 Billion dollar 'Stimulus' package.

Democrats are furious over the "Bush Third Term," and are still haven't gotten over the fact that their candidate Barack Obama had to bow out of the race at the last minute for not producing his original birth certificate instead of a blurry photocopy. But Democrats do capitulate that, "at least with Sarah Palin as the Ve-eP we haven't heard a peep out of her or her family since the inaugural ball."

Okay - joke's over. Guess what. Replace McCain with Obama - what'a got? Same. Exact. Story. There is only one party - the business party.

The Week In Review - Sunday Comics

Finish line. We made it through another week. I got my computer back from the shop, and I was still able to maintain Blasphemes somehow. Mr. Obama was accused of not communicating with his base...
Mr. Goodwrench got his walking papers this week.
Nancy really does have a screw loose... and the Democrats who are agreeing to keep her as their leader must be insane. Even Representative Heath Shuler said that his fellow Democrats should learn from his failed N.F.L. career and replace their quarterback, Nancy Pelosi. Question there is, is Nancy the Offensive Coordinator, or the QB? Either way, it would have been a better move to marginalize her.
But look on the bright side of QE2... everything is half off! I'm sure that's why the Chinese are getting more than a bit pissed off for extending the credit of their best customer. Unfortunately, that customer is Norm Peterson.
TSA is getting out of hand... no, they're getting a little too handy - in the grab hands... er - okay, I'll admit I'm missing the funny headline here, but there's really nothing funny about what's been going on at the airports lately. There's a story of a TSA agent practically molesting a child at the airport the other day.
And if you thought that the only winners last Tuesday were the Republicans, you may want to check on what Hillary's up to. There's now open talk of a primary battle.
Oh, and Mr. Bush came back in the news for a week. His feud with Kanye is finally over... And he wrote a book. I think it really should be placed in the fiction category.
Well, that's this week, let's see if we can make it to the next? See you there.

Yep, They Still Hate Us

Authorities on three continents thwarted multiple terrorist attacks aimed at the United States from Yemen on Friday, seizing two explosive packages addressed to Chicago-area synagogues and packed aboard cargo jets. The plot triggered worldwide fears that al-Qaida was launching a major new terror campaign.

President Barack Obama called the coordinated attacks a "credible terrorist threat," and U.S. officials said they were increasingly confident that al-Qaida's Yemen branch, the group responsible for the failed Detroit airliner bombing last Christmas, was responsible.

Parts of the plot might remain undetected, Obama's counterterror chief warned. "The United States is not assuming that the attacks were disrupted and is remaining vigilant," John Brennan said at the White House.

-- but if this had happened to Bush, four days before the Mid-Term Elections, oh yeah, it did... and we know what everyone was screaming that he was manipulating our fears. Wait, no, he was - at least I think that's what Tom Ridge said in his book? I don't know, I didn't read it - but someone else read it and told me that was totally in there.

But, no hold on here, I thought Mr. Obama was going to make the terrorists love us so that they wouldn't send bombs in ink toner cartridges to synagogues in FedEx packages? Man! Maybe it's our breath. That must be it. It's our breath. America, please, brush your teeth to avoid being hated and bombed by the bad guys. Boy, I hope that works!

WMD in Iraq Was True, but Only Because Wikileaks Said So

One surprising development with the newest WikiLeaks information dump has been how many liberals are now willing to admit that Gulf War era WMDs were found in Iraq. For years, many folks not only denied that WMDs had been found in Iraq, they openly mocked people who said otherwise.

So now that WikiLeaks has released the information, they finally believe it and are producing articles like this...

WikiLeaks Show WMD Hunt Continued in Iraq With Surprising Results

By late 2003, even the Bush White House’s staunchest defenders were starting to give up on the idea that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

But for years afterward, WikiLeaks’ newly-released Iraq war documents reveal, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins, and uncover weapons of mass destruction.

An initial glance at the WikiLeaks war logs doesn’t reveal evidence of some massive WMD program by the Saddam Hussein regime — the Bush administration’s most (in)famous rationale for invading Iraq. But chemical weapons, especially, did not vanish from the Iraqi battlefield. Remnants of Saddam’s toxic arsenal, largely destroyed after the Gulf War, remained. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict — and may have brewed up their own deadly agents.

Oh, and the Iranian involvement in Iraq and also Afghanistan has been substantial... even the NY Times ran an article on that today. Afghan Leader Admits His Office Gets Cash from Iran

No Compromise

Obama Rules Out Compromise to Extend Bush-Era Tax Cuts for Wealthy

President Obama will rule out on Wednesday any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies.

Mr. Obama's opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension.

Mr. Obama finally has decided that the show of 'reaching across the aisle' and 'bipartisanship' needs to close it's curtain? It's only been close to 19 months.

This is a political show. He's trying, nay, daring the Republicans to oppose him on this - just in time for November. How funny.

Just so we're clear - where's THIS guy been?

Breaking Even

House Panel Rejects A Plan To Shift Detainees To Illinois (NY Times)

WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee has dealt a blow to President Obama’s hopes to shutter the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, by unanimously approving legislation that would prohibit creating a detention center inside the United States.

The administration had asked Congress to approve about $350 million to buy and renovate a nearly empty prison in Thomson, Ill. The White House plan was to empty Guantánamo and transfer its detainees to Illinois — including 48 who would be held without trial as wartime prisoners. Read more

When Mr. Obama announced a year ago that that his first executive order was to close Guantanamo prison, I mentioned that I was very skeptical that such an order will be carried out. A year and a half later, with little fanfare, President Obama's fellow Democrats in Congress have killed this executive order.

But it doesn't matter since, due to a major court ruling -

Court Rules that No Habeas Rights For Prisoners In Afghanistan (LA TIMES)

Obama wins what Bush tried so hard to get... the right to hold suspects without judicial oversight at the Bagram air base.

The Obama administration has won the legal right to hold its terrorism suspects indefinitely and without oversight by judges — not at Guantanamo or in Illinois, mind you, but rather at the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.

In a 3-0 decision, the U.S. appeals court in Washington ruled for the administration Friday and said the Constitution and its right to habeas corpus does not extend to foreign prisoners held by the U.S. military in Afghanistan because it is a war zone. The judges dismissed claims from three prisoners who were taken to Bagram from Pakistan and Thailand and have been held for as long as seven years. Read more

Another milestone looming is the complete and total U.S. drawdown from Iraq is coming in August. Wonder if we'll hit that marker, or if they'll somehow find a reason to stick around?

Obama 'Open to' Miranda Changes

David Axelrod, ex-Tribune reporter, ex-political hack-until he met Obama, now top White House political adviser, said his boss was amenable to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.’s call for a new law allowing interrogators to question terrorism suspects for lengthy periods without informing them of their rights.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Axelrod said Mr. Obama was “open to looking at” changing the Miranda rule, which generally bans prosecutors from using as evidence statements made by suspects in custody before they have been warned that they have a right to remain silent and to consult a lawyer. “There may be some things that have to be done,” Mr. Axelrod said. “Certainly we’re willing to talk to Congress about that. But they would be in the area of adjustments, not a wholesale revision.”

Wait, wasn't Mr. Obama's law degree in Constitutional Law? Wasn't he a Constitutional Law professor?

Axlerod’s comments followed Holder's call for Congress to enact legislation that would carve out a new exception to the Miranda rule. It comes from a landmark 1966 Supreme Court decision that is intended to ensure that confessions are not coerced, consistent with the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

This might be an attempt to defuse a political discussion by Republicans who are upset that terrorist suspects, even including United States citizens arrested on United States soil, like Faisal Shahzad, the would-be-Times Square bomber — as criminal defendants rather than as military detainees under wartime rules. The thought is that Mirandising the defendants interrupts the interrogation process...

But, but, what about change and hope and all that? We'll just do a word search for "Obama" and hit replace for "Bush" and "Eric Holder" for "Alberto Gonzalez". Now I've got it.

Bi-Partisan Checkers

I finally had my Eureka moment with the game of politics.

Why are Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Mr. Obama running around slapping each other like Larry, Curly and Moe trying to tar a roof? They have/had their super majority. They own everything they touch. They can/could do - just about anything they want. Even new amendments to the Constitution. But why are they stuck in the mud of this ridiculous idea of bi-partisanship for their efforts?

Then it finally hit me. They can't take the hit. They're the Three Stooges, but with no pain threshold.

Let me explain. IF they were to get even one Republican to stand with them, they're no longer responsible. They're no longer culpable to the train wreck that they caused. Let's say Cap n' Trade creates the sucking drain of the economy to fill options trader's coffers - just like the Republicans say it will - if there's even one Republican breaking ranks, they own it too. All of them.

Just like the War on Terror, the Patriot Act, Stimulus I, AIG Bailout Part I, and, well - heck - pretty much everything the Republican Congress passed, right? But guess what? The Republicans GOT the Democrats to vote along with it. It pretty much went like this...

"What? You're not going to vote for this? That's un-American of you."

And then folks like John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Barrack Obama ran to the voting button and voted for everything that was put in front of them. That's right Senator Obama voted to keep funding the wars. Those dirty sneaky Republicans tricked 'em good. But the Democrats are just as guilty as the Republicans. That's one of the main reasons Dick Cheney hasn't been hauled out of the critical care unit to be slapped with investigations into war crimes. Because with the slightest scratching of that itch, the Democrats would be under the microscope too.

The constant drum beat of it's got to be "'bi-partisan' or we're not doing it" has finally been decoded. They're not taking the hit without the Republican't-s getting their fair share.

The Republicans have been doing their job. Obstructionists folding their hands saying 'no.' They don't have to propose anything or say anything other than 'no'... it's been working for them so far, and it'll probably give them both houses back in November.

After all this - now they're talking about going for it. They're going to use Reconciliation. On their own. And now they own Healthcare. What's scary about it is, they are willing to lose elections to get this through now. The bill - whatever bill has been formally proposed - Let's look at the President's new one he tossed out before the big 'summit' - is STILL unpopular with the left and right, and doesn't control costs - as it's been sold. No one likes it. Why are they going through with this?

Look at what it DOES do, it increases the reach of the Federal Government. In size, scope and hunger. Hunger? Wha? Oh, yeah. New Taxes. A whole PILE of new taxes, fees and new non-exemptions. The following are from the newest proposal:

1. Individual Mandate Tax. For those who don’t purchase health insurance, this income tax surcharge continues to exist in this plan.

2. Employer Mandate Tax. On businesses with 50+ employees that do not offer health care, and at least one employee qualifies for a tax credit, $750/employee. This will cause many small businesses to stop growing once they reach 49 employees.

3. Excise Tax on Health Insurance Plans. Beginning in 2018, 40% tax (the percentage may be wrong) on plans costing $10,200/$27,500. Is indexed to CPI. It is unclear whether exemptions in the Senate version have been continued in this proposal.

4. Health Insurance would be reported on W-2s. Another mandate that increases costs for business. The White House release states that loopholes will be closed which implies this remains in the new proposal.

5. “Medicine Cabinet Tax.” Limitation on HSAs, FSAs, and MSAs to purchase non-prescription medication except insulin. Note that this is also in the House healthcare bill. This is definitely in the new proposal.

6. HSA Withdrawal Tax Increased. The tax would increase to 20% from 10%. This is also in the House legislation. This is definitely in the proposal.

7. FSAs uncapped.

8. 1099 Reporting for corporations. Requires businesses to send 1099-MISCs to corporations. This is another cost for businesses. This will begin in 2011.

9. Tax on Charitable Hospitals. This excise tax of $50,000 per hospital impacts hospitals that don’t meet new Department of Health and Human Services regulations. It’s unclear whether this is in the new proposal.

10. Tax on Drug Companies. The size and timing of the tax is unclear. Older versions had this at a percentage of earnings.

11. Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers. This tax is in the bill, but the size and timing of the tax is not clear. It is also based on earnings.

12. Tax on Health Insurers. This tax is definitely in the bill, but the new size and timing of the tax is unclear. It was a 6.7 - 10 billion dollar tax based on percentage of premiums collected - Ever wonder why the Insurance Industry was spending Millions on lobbyists? So they don't get clobbered for Billions.

13. Elimination of tax deduction for employer provided retirement prescription drug coverage. It is unclear whether this tax is in the measure.

14. Increase of percentage of AGI required to deduct medical expenses from 7.5% to 10%. Few can deduct medical expenses today; fewer will be able to deduct them tomorrow. It is unclear whether this tax is in the proposal.

15. Compensation Limitation for Health Insurance Executives. If you work in that industry, you will be limited to a salary of $500,000. There’s no mention of this in the measure. However, given the Obama Administration’s stance on various pay-related measures, it’s likely included.

16. New Hospital Insurance Tax. “The Act will include an additional 0.9 percentage point Hospital Insurance tax for households with incomes exceeding $200,000 for singles and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly.” I remember then-candidate Obama stating that if you made under $250,000, he wouldn’t increase your taxes?

17. New Unearned Income Tax. “[The Act] would add a 2.9 percent tax for households with incomes exceeding $200,000 for singles and $250,000 for married couples filing jointly to unearned income including interest, dividends, annuities, royalties and rents (excluding income from active participation in S corporations).” —it means if you go to Harry Reid's district and win your taxes will go up based on your winnings, not your gambling net income.

18. Blue Cross Tax. There is a tax deduction available today for Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies; this tax deduction will vanish if they don’t spend 85% (or more) of premiums on clinical services. There’s no mention of this in the proposal. However, it was in both the House and Senate Democratic proposals and I expect it’s in this one, too.

19. Tax on Indoor Tanning. A new 10% excise tax on indoor tanning salons. This made it in the new proposal.

20. Paper Production and Cellulosic Biofuels. “[Close] the loophole that allows certain byproducts of paper production to be eligible for the cellulosic biofuels producer credit.” This new tax provision is in the measure. This is a tax.

21. Strengthen Economic Substance Rules. “[Help] prevent tax shelters by clarifying the definition of when activities have true “economic substance” beyond evading taxes.” While the details aren’t listed, it’s clear that this provision will strengthen the economic substance rules. This will increase costs for complex transactions. One would assume that it will have a negative impact on already weakened economic activity.

51 Votes, and the Democrats are going to make you eat it. They'll all be long gone by then, probably all becoming lobbyists to try to get rid of this thing - that they created. Or I can imagine worse, as consultants for Insurance companies teaching them where they left the loopholes. You'll still be emptying your pockets. And with worse healthcare than you had when this all started.

Bush Gets a Classy New Jerb

Classy Gig For Ex-President

Former President George W. Bush has signed up to be the "special guest speaker" for one of those traveling arena-size motivational speaker extravaganzas:

Bush's first "Get Motivated!" gig is next Monday in Fort Worth. He does a second one in December in San Antonio.

This is the same "business seminar" series that signed up Colin Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Steve Forbes. Laura Bush is also a speaker. The promoters promise:

Our world-renowned speakers appear LIVE ON-STAGE to provide you a full day of hundreds of proven ideas, formulas and success keys. GET MOTIVATED! is guaranteed to help you and your organization reach new heights of success. You'll be inspired, enlightened, motivated, trained and entertained by America's foremost success experts!

George W. Bush, one of "America's foremost success experts."

Apparently, W. isn't alone among his predecessors:

Past speakers have included Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Gerald Ford. (Bill Clinton does gigs for Tony Robbins's competing organization at $300,000 a pop--but only in Canada.)

Prediction Comes True

ALMOST Faster than I could type it, Dana Loesch has forwarded me this gem from Sen. Roland Burris (D-Blagojevich):

Senator Rowland Burris of Illinois, the Senator who was 'appointed' to fill President Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, blames George Bush for Chicago not getting the Olympics in 2016. Burris stated in an interview, shortly after the announcement, that the image of the U. S. has been so tarnished in the last 8 years that, even Barack Obama making an unprecedented pitch for the games could not overcome the hatred the world has for us as a result of George Bush.
TA-DA!

Of course, that completely discounts why Chicago was even selected as a finalist in June, 2008, 'Senator'. Maybe the Olympic committee just wanted to see this picture?

Quick Shot

So, if Obama is against the Bush Tax Cuts - which gave a check to taxpayers directly to help encourage short term spending in the economy. (300-1000 dollars back, depending on your qualifier)...

... why would his Administration even consider the Cash 4 Clunkers, which gives the tax payer $4500, directly?

And the Obama plan requires the person to go into debt to purchase a new car. Which puts us all right back into the spiral of consumer debt? That seems like a rope-a-dope, bait-and-switch to me.

I'm just scratching my head over that one.

Feel free to tell me how Bush is evil, and Obama is Superman again.

I'm just not following.

Posters Put Panties in Bunch

The outrage de jour is over a couple of posters in LA showing President Barack Obama as the Joker.

It's unclear who created the image and who is posting it across the city. No one has taken credit so far. They don't want to be killed by the Obama groupies, no doubt.

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is calling the depiction, politically mean spirited and dangerous. Wha?

Hutchinson is challenging the group or individual that put up the poster to have the courage and decency to publicly identify themselves.

"Depicting the president as demonic and a socialist goes beyond political spoofery," says Hutchinson, "it is mean-spirited and dangerous. We have issued a public challenge to the person or group that put up the poster to come forth and publicly tell why they have used this offensive depiction to ridicule President Obama."

Urban - made up - Roundtable non-profit so I can draw a salary and get quoted on the news Hutchinson... What?! A witch hunt to find the Joker? Come on, Earl! You can't have it both ways! Oh no. You want the first amendment - you got it. Because you don't like it? Waaaah. It's not like they made Obama to look like Curious George (hehe, remember that one?)

So where was Earl when we made all that anti-president Bush propaganda stuff? Oh, it was okay then because Bush was not in Earl's camp. Earl gets to decide when the spiggot of free speech is fine and dandy and when it's 'mean-spirited and dangerous'? I love hypocrites and that's why...

Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson is BLASPHEMES HIPOCRITE OF THE WEEK!

Congrats Earl! Just send me $50.00 to me so I can ship your free T-shirt. Meanwhile, here are some more 'mean-spirited and dangerous' sh*t that didn't bother Earl.

Bush Lite

Campaign Obama: I'll stop torture, abide by the Geneva Conventions and roll back NSA wiretapping programs.

President Obama: Torture will continue, we will hold detainees even after they're found Innocent, and you bet we're going to keep spying on Americans.

I didn't even mention that he is now encouraging failed banks and companies receiving government bailouts to hand out large bonuses to their executives, staffed his entire Treasury Department with Goldman Sachs alumni, has refused to prosecute Americans who committed torture, and held private meetings with coal executives and continued to push for mythical ‘clean coal’.

And he has committed to a Surge in Afghanistan that he was against in Iraq.

He's Bush-Lite.

Discuss.