Joke Of The Day

The Pope and Obama are on the same stage in front of a huge crowd.

The Pope leans towards Mr. Obama and said, "Do you know that with one little wave of my hand I can make every person in this crowd go wild with joy? This joy will not be a momentary display, like that of your followers, but go deep into their hearts and they'll forever speak of this day and rejoice!"

Obama replied, "I seriously doubt that. With one little wave of your hand? Show me"

So the Pope slapped him.

Great Read From George Will

The Cost of a Presidential Cave-In

The Washington Post

By George F. Will
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

While in Pittsburgh, a sense of seemliness should prevent President Obama from again exhorting the Group of 20, as he did April 2 in London, to be strong in resisting domestic pressures for protectionism. This month, invertebrate as he invariably is when organized labor barks, he imposed a 35 percent tariff on imports of tires that China makes for the low-price end of the market. This antic nonsense matters not only because of trade disruptions it may cause but also because it is evidence of his willowy weakness under pressure from his political patrons.

In 2000, as a price of China's admission to the World Trade Organization, Congress enacted a provision for "relief from market disruption" to American industries from surges of Chinese imports. Actually, American consumers cause "disruption" in American markets when their preferences change in response to progress -- better products and bargains. Never mind. Congress said disruption exists whenever imports of a product "like or directly competitive with" a U.S. product increase "rapidly" and threaten "significant" injury to a U.S. industry. Examples of disruption include the volume of imports of a particular product, the effect of imports on the prices of competing U.S. goods and the effect on the U.S. industry.

Notice that China need not be guilty of wrongdoing: It can be punished even if it is not "dumping" -- not selling goods below the cost of manufacturing and distributing them. (That we consider it wrongdoing for a nation to sell us things we want at very low prices is a superstition to be marveled at another day.) And China need not be punished: Presidential action is entirely discretionary. So Barack Obama was using the sort of slippery language that increasingly defines his loquacity when he said he was simply "enforcing" a trade agreement.

None of the 10 manufacturers that comprise the domestic tire industry sought this protectionism. Seven of the 10 also make tires in other countries. Most U.S. manufacturers have stopped making low-end tires, preferring the higher profit from more expensive models. (Four U.S. companies make low-end tires in China.)

The president smote China because a single union, the United Steelworkers, asked him to. It represents rubber workers, but only those responsible for 47 percent of U.S. tiremaking. The president's action will not create more than a negligible number of jobs, if any. It will not restore a significant number, if any, of the almost 5,200 jobs that were lost in the tire industry from 2004 to 2008. Rather, the president will create jobs in other nations (e.g., Mexico, Indonesia) that make low-end tires. They make them partly because some U.S. firms have outsourced the manufacturing of such tires to low-wage countries so the U.S. firms can make a small profit, while making high-end and higher-profit tires here in high-wage America.

The 215 percent increase in tire imports from China is largely the fault, so to speak, of lower-income Americans, many of whom will respond to the presidential increase in the cost of low-end tires by driving longer on their worn tires. How many injuries and deaths will this cause? How many jobs will it cost in tire replacement businesses or among longshoremen who handle imports? We will find out. The costs of the president's sacrifice of the national interest to the economic illiteracy of a single labor union may also include injuries China might inflict by imposing retaliatory protectionism or reducing its purchases of U.S. government debt, purchases that enable Americans to consume more government services than they are willing to pay for.

Obama was silent when Congress, pleasing the Teamsters union, violated the North American Free Trade Agreement by stopping Mexican trucks from delivering goods north of the border. And although he is almost never silent about anything, he did not significantly resist "Buy American" provisions in the stimulus legislation. And he has not denounced the idea many Democratic climate tinkerers have of imposing "border adjustment mechanisms" -- tariffs -- on imports from countries that choose not to burden their manufacturers, as the Obama administration proposes burdening American manufacturers, with restrictions on carbon emissions. And he allows unratified trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama to languish. Nevertheless, he says he favors free trade.

He must -- or so he thinks -- say so much about so many things; perhaps he cannot keep track of the multiplying contradictions in his endless utterances. But they -- and the tire tariffs -- are related to the sagging support for his health-care program.

georgewill@washpost.com

Obama on ACORN & Kanye: This is are President

Obama on ACORN: What the hell is going on in his brain?

Here is the full exchange between Stephanopoulos and President Obama. This is frightening. I must ask what are his true priorities? Or is he just an idiot?

STEPHANOPOULOS: How about the funding for ACORN?

OBAMA: You know, if -- frankly, it's not really something I've followed closely. I didn't even know that ACORN was getting a whole lot of federal money.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Both the Senate and the House have voted to cut it off.

OBAMA: You know, what I know is, is that what I saw on that video was certainly inappropriate and deserves to be investigated.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So you're not committing to -- to cut off the federal funding?

OBAMA: George, this is not the biggest issue facing the country. It's not something I'm paying a lot of attention to.

Okay Obama this is not a big issue?

This is American tax dollars going to fund illegal activity and voter fraud. Oh wait they helped get you elected.

And you were not "paying a lot of attention" to this issue?

Well thank heaven you were paying enough attention to Kanye West on a music awards show and giving props to Derek Jeter. Thanks Barack. I am glad you have the nation's priorities within your sight.

Joke of the Day

Question – What is the difference between a liberal and a puppy?

Answer -A puppy stops whining after it grows up.

Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

Check out this YouTube posting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdLpem-AAs

Spoken from the Man himself!

Obama on Golf

OBAMA PRESSES USGA FOR MAJOR RULE CHANGES

The USGA has announced there is a possibility of MAJOR rule changes to the

game of golf. This may occur sometime after March 1, 2010. This is only a

preview as the complete rulebook is being rewritten now. Here are a few

basic changes:

Golfers with handicaps:

- below 10 will have their green fees increased by 35%.

- between 11 and 18 will see no increase in green fees.

- above 18 will get a check each time they play.

The dollar amount placed in bets will be as follows:

-for handicaps below 10, an additional $10.

-between 11 and 18, no additional amount.

-above 18, you will receive the total amount in the pot... even if you do not play.

The term "gimme" will be changed to "entitlement" and will be used as follows:

-handicaps below 10, no entitlements.

-handicaps from 11 to 17, entitlements for putter length putts.

-handicaps above 18, if your ball is on green, no need to putt.... just pick it up.

These entitlements are intended to bring about fairness and, most

importantly, equality in scoring.

In addition, a Player will be limited to a maximum of one birdie or six pars

in any given round. Any excess must be given to those fellow players who

have not yet scored a birdie or par. Only after all players have received a

birdie or par from the player actually making the birdie or par, can that

player begin to count his pars and birdies again.

The current USGA handicap system will be used for the above purposes but the

term 'net score' will be available only for scoring those players with

handicaps of 18 and above.

This is intended to 'redistribute' the success of winning by making sure

that in every competition, the above 18 handicap players will post only 'net

score' against every other player's gross score.

These new Rules are intended to CHANGE the game of golf. Golf must be about

Fairness. It should have nothing to do with Ability.

"YES, WE CAN!!!"

Taming the Beast

If the fiscal conservative faction of the GOP ever needed the perfect moment to regain control of the direction of the party, this time is that moment. The Democrats have shot themselves in the foot once again, and presented us with the perfect opportunity to regain a footing in the American political arena. Unfortunately, not much in terms of policy, seems to be emanating from the aisles on the right. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am telling you nay saying will get the movement and our message nowhere. There is more to do than raising the 'No' vote to Obamacare. The policies of the fiscal conservative movement are the only reasonable methods to address the federal budget problems of the past 21 years, and hedge the damage that the current Administration is pushing through. This country is in need of a Reagan Revolution. Newt Gingrich has been pushing for a return to fiscal conservative principles within the party and I suggest we listen.

Economic Musts:

Emphasize role of free market in all policy decision making to foster economic prosperity.

Favor laissez-faire free markets; economic liberty (not social); fiscal conservatism; and personal responsibility.

Advocate supply-side economics.

Party Musts:

Cease pandering for votes from groups that have nothing but harmed the GOP image since 1988. The Republican Party has always been the minority party in terms of the porportion of voters who identify as such. We need to stop competing for votes by selling out our platform and just sell our policies. Our policies will sell themselves. What has had and continues to hurt the movement, is allowing certain groups from the fringes of the right to effect our image and policy. The religious right has helped to destroy almost every amount of respectability this party has with the mainstream of this country. These people are nothing but doomsdayists, bigots, racists, and quite honestly not very intelligent. Now, I believe in God, but the economic policies that made the GOP and America great under Reagan were secular in nature, and that is the way it should always remain. ----I should qualify 'religious right'; I am speaking of the Pat Robertson, moral majority type. The faction that wants Christian doctrine (at least their view of it) enforced as law on the nation. I am not speaking of religious people who happen to be on the right.----

The reason the Democrats continually collapse shortly after taking control is the result of pandering and over extending their platform to get votes. They make too many promises and owe too many favors to groups that are inconsistent with their platform. We need to stick to our messege and not waiver by cheapening what we advocate.

The Policies that work:


1) Call for a large reduction in government spending -- I do not advocate cutting all the fed does. However, we need to start by addressing the inefficiencies and administrative costs of the bureaucracy system.


2) Lower Taxes (sorry Bush, I like you but you can't cut taxes and not reduce spending...that always leads to...yes, a deficit) -- Again this only works if we cut spending.


3) We must Balance the Budget -- In 2008, the federal revenues were about $2.524 trillion and the federal expenditures were about $2.978 trillion. If you call yourself a conservative this has to be unacceptable. Personal responsibility must be advocated to not only the citizen but the federal budget, as well.


4) Focus on Deficit Reduction -- Now with the addition of President Obama's spend-a-thon, Reduction is cleary out of mind. This needs to be a focus of the 2010 campaign.


5) Begin Paying of the National Debt -- As of 31 December 2008 our external Debt was at $13.64 trillion. If we want to remain the global hegemon this must be paid down NOW.


6) Advocate and Implement Free Trade (not Fair Trade...if you can't compete...too bad) FREE TRADE -- currently, this country only exports $1.291 trillion compared to importing $2.112 trillion. This is a serious problem we must remedy.


7) AND favor LESS regulation of the Economy



This platform is needed...Our time is now...This is our rallying point.