Obama Gives Oval Office a Makeover

(The Swamp) - While President Obama was on vacation, his West Wing office got a bit of a face lift, complete with a new rug, fresh wallpaper and paint, and new furniture -- all done at no taxpayer expense, the White House says.

Details of the renovation were released to the pool reporter this morning. The White House, it seems, took pains to ensure that new additions were American made -- including New York wallpaper and a Michigan-made rug.

That wheat, cream and blue colored oval-shaped rug has the presidential seal in the center, and is encircled by five quotes chosen by the president. Four of the quotes are from former presidents -- Kennedy, Lincoln and both Roosevelts -- with the fifth quote from Martin Luther King.

FLASHBACK (2008): Obama Said The Surge Would Actually Worsen Sectarian Violence

Chris Matthews Uses 'The Globe' To Show That Americans Are Being Duped On Obama/Muslim Issue

(By Jon Bershad, Mediaite) - Tonight on Hardball, Chris Matthews and guests Eugene Robinson and David Corn were having an interesting conversation on what President Obama can and should do to sway the disturbingly large amount of Americans that think he’s a Secret Muslim. To show that Americans are being tricked by the GOP and the media, Matthews chose a couple of examples. The first was the clip of Glenn Beck saying that Americans aren’t recognizing Obama’s “version” of Christianity (implying its different from their’s). The second was…The Globe?

WH Press Sec Robert Gibbs Caught Misrepresenting Obama’s Position on Iraq Surge

(Breitbart.tv) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs claims on national television that President Obama believed in 2007 that the Iraq troop surge would improve the security situation in Iraq. In fact, in 2007, then-Senator Obama said on the floor of the Senate that the surge of 20,000 troops "will not in any imaginable way be able to accomplish any new progress".

UPDATE: Count of scholarships given to Dem Congresswoman's family, associates rises to 23...

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson says she'll repay scholarship funds by week's end

WASHINGTON (By TODD J. GILLMAN, The Dallas Morning News) – U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson awarded eight scholarships last year to her grandsons and a top aide's children – bringing to 23 the number of awards she handed out since 2005 in violation of Congressional Black Caucus Foundation eligibility rules.

The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday that over the last five years, the Dallas Democrat has awarded up to $20,000 in 15 scholarships to two grandsons, two great-nephews, and aide Rod Givens' children between 2005 and 2008. The 2009 awards – reflected in a previously undisclosed list provided Monday by the foundation – push that above $25,000.

"While I am not ashamed of helping, I did not intentionally mean to violate any rules in the process," Johnson said in a written statement issued Monday night, after two days of national scrutiny and sniping from critics, including her campaign opponent. "To rectify this matter immediately, I will reimburse the funds by the end of this week."

Education secretary urged his employees to attend Sharpton's rally

(By Lisa Gartner, Washington Examiner) - President Obama's top education official urged government employees to attend a rally that the Rev. Al Sharpton organized to counter a larger conservative event on the Mall.

"ED staff are invited to join Secretary Arne Duncan, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and other leaders on Saturday, Aug. 28, for the 'Reclaim the Dream' rally and march," began an internal e-mail sent to more than 4,000 employees of the Department of Education on Wednesday.

Sharpton created the event after Glenn Beck announced a massive Tea Party "Restoring Honor" rally at the Lincoln Memorial, where King spoke in 1963.

Cash-Poor Governments Ditching Public Hospitals

(By SUZANNE SATALINE, The Wall Street Journal) - Faced with mounting debt and looming costs from the new federal health-care law, many local governments are leaving the hospital business, shedding public facilities that can be the caregiver of last resort.

Officials in Lauderdale County, Ala., this spring opted to transfer their 91-year-old Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital and other properties to a for-profit company after struggling to satisfy an angry bond insurer.

"We were next to knocking on bankruptcy's door,'' said Rhea Fulmer, a Lauderdale County commissioner who approved the deal with RegionalCare Hospital Partners, of Brentwood, Tenn, but with trepidation. She said the county had no guarantee the company would improve care in the decades to come. "Time will tell.''

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Obamas dish on daughters' doings

WASHINGTON (AP) - Twelve-year-old Malia Obama wears braces, toots a flute and is after her father to save the tigers. Younger sister Sasha, who is 9, shoots hoops like her basketball-loving dad and dances hip-hop.

Both girls get up at 6 a.m. to get ready for school.

Barack and Michelle Obama put their girls off-limits to the news media after they moved to the White House, saying they wanted to keep their daughters' lives as normal as possible. But tidbits about the private doings of the youngest children to live in the White House since the Kennedy family do dribble out. Often they come from a surprising source: Mom and Dad.

Sen John Kerry (D-MA) tops wealthiest lawmakers at $188.6 million...

Wealthy lawmakers increased their riches as economy sputtered in '09


(By Kevin Bogardus and Barbra Kim, The Hill) - The wealthiest members of Congress grew richer in 2009 even as the economy struggled to recover from a deep recession.

The 50 wealthiest lawmakers were worth almost $1.4 billion in 2009, about $85.1 million more than 12 months earlier, according to The Hill’s annual review of lawmakers’ financial disclosure forms.

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) tops the list for the second year in a row. His minimum net worth was $188.6 million at the end of 2009, up by more than $20 million from 2008, according to his financial disclosure form.

Oops! DOT Builds New I-40 Bridge Shorter Than Planned

GREENSBORO N.C. (WGHP) - A portion of a new bridge built over Interstate 40 near Guilford College Road and Bridford Parkway this past weekend was built two-inches shorter than planned, according to the DOT.

Over the weekend, crews blocked eastbound Interstate 40 near Guilford College Road for workers to begin building the first-half of the new Bridford Parkway bridge. The bridge is part of the $8.8 million DOT project.

According to the DOT, a contractor that surveyed the land several years ago did not correctly calculate how level the ground was. Due to the miscalculation, the back-side of the bridge is only 16 feet 4 inches, two inches shorter than the original plan.

CNN's Rick Sanchez Calls Obama A "Cotton Pickin' President"

Rick Sanchez Apologizes After Labeling Obama the 'Cotton-Picking President'



(Eyeblast.tv) - On the August 30th 2010 edition of CNN's Rick's List, anchor Rick Sanchez apologized after making a racially-tinged "faux pas," as he called it, by calling Barack Obama the "cotton-picking President of the United States."

Media Matters Honcho Points Out Lack of Racism at Beck Rally; Attacks Tea Party as Racist Anyway

ERIC BURNS, MEDIA MATTERS FOR AMERICA: "I think the rally on TV that we saw this Saturday may have been the only instance where there wasn’t something racist going on with the Tea Party and Glenn Beck at least from what I’ve seen. You know obviously we’ve seen there was the last year and a half rallies with you know with really horrific racist hate filled violent inducing signs."

MSNBC Host Ed Schultz Attacks Glenn Beck and Crowd at Rally as Old, White, Racist

(Breitbart.tv) - MSNBC's Ed Schultz said the crowd at Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally was "Old white angry McCain Palin leftovers who just can't seem to stomach the fact that we have a black man in the White House."

Obama Blames Bush for Economy… Again

(Breitbart.tv) - The President overcame a malfunctioning sound system to hammer home his most consistent talking point on the state of the economy. Even though the people gathered could not apparently hear his remarks, the President verified that the press could hear him, so he continued.

George Will and This Week Panel Smack Down Donna Brazile's Call For More Spending

Howard Dean: 'Lost Souls' Follow 'Racist Hate-Monger' Glenn Beck

(Eyeblast.tv) - On 'Morning Joe', Howard Dean calls Glenn Beck a "racist" and a "hate-monger" and describes the people attending his rally as "lost souls." Charles Blow accuses Beck of the "rhetorical assassination" of Pres. Obama.

The Alvin Greene manifesto for a fairer America

I want to represent South Carolina because I know millionaire senators in Washington do not serve hardworking Americans

(By Alvin Greene, UK Guardian) - Recently, the millionaires' club known as the US senate voted to cut off unemployment benefits for millions of Americans. One senator called unemployment insurance a "necessary evil".

He got that half right.

Do any of these fat cats know what it's like to be unemployed? To not know how you will feed your children and pay your mortgage?

I'm unemployed, and, if elected, I can teach the Harvard rich kids in the White House and the senate a thing or two. I will vote for any law and propose any measure to keep jobs in my state of South Carolina. I will vote for huge tariffs, and, if necessary, vote to ban imports of foreign goods. Millionaire egghead politicians in the pocket of big business talk about "free trade" – and let all of your jobs get shipped overseas.

No more free trade. Your job is not going to Indonesia.

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Former Dem Party Chair In Connecticut: We Don't Want Obama

Is the EPA to blame for the bed bug ‘epidemic’?

(By Jonathan Strong, The Daily Caller) - Around when bed bugs started their resurgence, Congress passed a major pesticides law in 1996 and the Clinton EPA banned several classes of chemicals that had been effective bed bug killers.

The debate isn’t over long-banned DDT, since modern bed bugs have developed a tolerance for that chemical. But in the pre-1996 regime, experts say, bed bugs were “collateral damage” from broader and more aggressive use of now-banned pesticides like Malathion and Propoxur.

Now some health officials are clamoring to bring those chemicals back to help solve the bed bug “emergency.” Meanwhile, EPA bureaucrats have downplayed the idea and environmentalists are pushing hard against the effort, citing safety concerns.

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Howard Kurtz Confronts Bill Press on Comparison of Beck to Al Qaeda

(Breitbart.tv) - CNN media critic Howard Kurtz confronts radio host Bill Press on his recent comments comparing Glenn Beck's rally at the Lincoln Memorial to Al Qaeda holding a rally at Ground Zero.

NAACP Leader: Beck Crowd Wouldn’t Applaud MLK Speech

(Breitbart.tv) - NAACP President Benjamin Jealous continues his race-baiting and demonization of the conservative movement when talking to a reporter at Rev. Al Sharpton's 'Reclaiming the Dream' rally.

Extending unemployment benefits is killing the job market

The Folly of Subsidizing Unemployment

My calculations suggest the jobless rate could be as low as 6.8%, instead of 9.5%, if jobless benefits hadn't been extended to 99 weeks.

(By ROBERT BARRO, Wall Street Journal) - Congressman John Boehner recently suggested that President Obama replace his top economic advisers. I think he may have a point. The economic "recovery" has been disappointing, to put it mildly, and it has become increasingly clear that the blame lies with the policies of the Obama administration, not with those of its predecessor.

In general, the current administration has been too focused on expanding government, redistributing more from rich to poor, and stimulating aggregate demand. I have previously criticized the stimulus package as cost-ineffective. In particular, whatever tax reductions were in the package did not involve the cuts in marginal income tax rates that encourage investment, work effort and productivity growth.

Now the administration wants to kill the 2003 income-tax cuts, at least the parts that reduced marginal income tax rates for high-income earners and for all recipients of dividend income. This proposal is particularly disturbing because the 2003 law was George W. Bush's main economic achievement; unlike most of Mr. Bush's policies, this one was well-conceived and effective.

Time for the daily Charlie Crist flip-flop

Crist walks back same-sex marriage remarks

(CNN) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appeared to backtrack from statements he made regarding same-sex marriage during a CNN interview Sunday, saying in a statement that he does not support a Constitutional ban on the practice.

The comments appear at odds with what the Florida Senate candidate told CNN's Ed Henry on State of the Union, during which he expressed continued support for a ban on same-sex marriage.

"I feel the same way, yes, because I feel that marriage is a sacred institution, if you will. But I do believe in tolerance. I'm a live and let live kind of guy, and while I feel that way about marriage, I think if partners want to have the opportunity to live together, I don't have a problem with that," said Crist when asked about his stance against same-sex marriage when he ran for governor four years ago.

"When it comes to marriage, I think it is a sacred institution. I believe it is between a man and woman, but partners living together, I don't have a problem with," added Crist, the former Republican-turned-Independent who is leading the three-way Senate race in most recent polls and is counting on significant support from Democratic and independent voters to eek out a victory.

In a statement released later Sunday, Crist said he in fact is against a Constitutional ban on same sex marriage and was instead only offering his support for a state ban on the practice.

Google Maps Misplaces Lincoln Memorial

(By Sarah Jacobsson Purewal, PC World) - A curious thing has been happening on Google Maps -- the Lincoln Memorial is being misplaced in favor of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, which is a good half a mile south of the more famous memorial.

According to the Geographic Travels blog, this "misplacement" has been happening for about two days now. Typing "Lincoln Memorial" into the regular Google search bar brings up a number of listings related to the Lincoln Memorial, yet shows a map of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

Is this a Google Maps glitch, or could this have anything to do with the fact that conservative radio and TV host Glenn Beck [was] holding a controversial "non-political" rally at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday?

Stokes County gets big economic boost

(The Stokes News) - N. C. Department of Commerce Sec. Keith Crisco announced on August 13 that four counties have been selected to participate in the continuation of the 21st Century Communities Program. Stokes County, along with Cleveland, Jones and Pamlico are the new counties.

The Stokes County Economic Development Commission applied for inclusion in this program, which is designed to foster growth in counties that are facing economic challenges to assist them in the development of programs and initiatives that will lead to economic growth. The application process was competitive and Stokes County was chosen from several candidates.

The success of the application was in large part due to the support provided by the City of King and Towns of Walnut Cove and Danbury, which each provided a letter endorsing Stokes County in their efforts to be included in this program. Having 100 percent of the taxing municipalities willing to participate in this process, as well as the willingness the county has shown to partner regionally, were seen as key to this selection.

Stokes County bus driver arrested--Brought a gun onto school campus

(The Stokes News) - A Stokes County school bus driver was arrested Friday, accused of bringing a gun onto the campus of Meadowbrook School.

School system Superintendent Stewart Hobbs said someone at the school reported the incident to the Sheriff's Department.

Capt. Craig Carico identified the driver as 38-year-old Wayne Stevan Lindsay.

Smoking is banned in all county buildings--Tight vote by Stokes commissioners

(By Leslie Bray Evans, The Stokes News) - The vote was squeaky-tight Monday night as the Stokes County Board of Commissioners elected to prohibit smoking in all county buildings. Commissioner Dr. Ron Carroll put forth the motion which was seconded by Commissioner Stanley Smith. They were joined in the vote by Commissioner Leon Inman. The nay votes were Chair Jimmy Walker and Vice Chair Ernest Lankford.

The discussion of the issue on August 23 was riveting, with some surprising twists and turns. First to speak was Dr. Carroll who felt that since the proposed directive originally came from the health director and the board of health, the director should be allowed to speak.

Stokes County Health Director Josh Swift then quoted statistics which assert that 21 percent of North Carolina’s adults smoke, leaving 79 percent who don’t. An educated estimate of Stokes County adults who smoke is 25 percent and 75 percent who don’t.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson violated rules, steered scholarships to relatives

(By TODD J. GILLMAN and CHRISTY HOPPE, The Dallas Morning News) - Longtime Dallas congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has awarded thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four relatives and a top aide's two children since 2005, using foundation funds set aside for black lawmakers' causes.

The recipients were ineligible under anti-nepotism rules of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which provided the money. And all of the awards violated a foundation requirement that scholarship winners live or study in a caucus member's district.

Johnson, a Democrat, denied any favoritism when asked about the scholarships last week. Two days later, she acknowledged in a statement released by her office that she had violated the rules but said she had done so "unknowingly" and would work with the foundation to "rectify the financial situation."

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New Policy Giving 'Free Pass' to Some Facing Deportations?

ICE memo shows federal immigration authorities setting new policy to stop deportation proceedings for up to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.

(FOXNews.com) - Federal authorities have issued a new policy aimed at stopping deportation proceedings for some illegal immigrants, according to a memo issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The memo, which ICE released on Aug. 20, could affect up to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants who are married or related to a U.S. citizen or a legal resident who has filed a petition on their behalf. Illegal immigrants with criminal convictions will not qualify under the plan. ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton wrote the memo to Peter Vincent, principal legal adviser and head of the agency's removal operations.

The memo directs ICE attorneys to check cases of detained illegal immigrants for any "serious" or "adverse" factors weighing against dismissal, including criminal convictions, fraud, national security and public safety considerations.

Hugh Chatham Bridge to be a memory soon

Demolition of the Hugh Chatham Bridge is expected to last until spring of next year.

(By Paul Garber, Winston-Salem Journal) - The long goodbye for the Hugh Chatham Bridge has begun.

Demolition crews have started removing pieces of the 79-year-old bridge.

The familiar steel trusses will likely come down early next year.

The project could take 18 months to complete.

Bush Returns to Arena With Memoir in Hand

(By PETER WALLSTEN, Wall Street Journal) - George W. Bush has remained mostly out of view and silent on policy debates since leaving office 19 months ago.

Now, the former president is about to step into the public arena again, at a moment when Washington is revisiting tax cuts, stem cells and other issues that were among the most contentious of his administration.

Mr. Bush is re-emerging to promote his memoir, to be published a week after the Nov. 2 elections.

While the timing suggests that the book will not provide fodder for midterm campaigns, Mr. Bush will return to the public eye just as the Republican Party looks ahead to asserting greater power in Congress and to choosing its 2012 presidential nominee, and as President Barack Obama accuses the GOP of wanting to take the country back to Bush-era programs that, the Democratic president says, "drove the car into the ditch."

And the contents of his memoir make it likely that his voice will be heard on policy issues of the moment.

Charles Krauthammer On Economic Metrics

Doctors Remove Woman’s 56 Pound Tumor (Graphic)

(Breitbart.tv) - A team of surgeons in Argentina have removed a 56-pound tumor from a woman's uterus. (Graphic)

Does MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Hint That His Employer Holds Double Standards?

(Eyeblast.tv) - Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," discussed news coverage Thursday of President Obama's "We're buying shrimp" response to reporters who asked about the Iraq War. Scarborough argued that "certain networks" would have trashed President Bush if he had made the same response, and yet have not criticized President Obama over his remarks.

Tommy John Surgery Likely for Rookie Phenom Stephen Strasburg

(Breitbart.tv) - Stephen Strasburg has a torn elbow ligament and will likely have Tommy John surgery, bringing the pitcher's promising rookie season to an abrupt end. He could miss 12 - 18 months.

Jimmy Carter and American Prisoner Leave North Korea

(Breitbart.tv) - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter flew out of North Korea on a private jet Friday after securing a special pardon for an American who had been jailed in the communist country since January.

Flip-Flop: Crist Now Says He Would Have Voted For ObamaCare

(Breitbart.tv) - Flashback: The Associated Press, 3/21/10 : “Crist, a Republican who was in Tampa tonight attending the closing ceremony for the Gasparilla International Film Festival, said he hopes to get elected senator in November to help repeal the bill and bring a commonsense approach to healthcare reform. ‘What people really want when it comes to health care, in my view, is they want greater access and less cost,’ Crist said. ‘We just need to get it right and do it right,’ Crist said. ‘Do it right for the people.’”

Crist says he 'misspoke' on healthcare

(By Shane D'Aprile, The Hill's Ballot Box) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (I) is walking back comments he made in an interview earlier today about the recently enacted healthcare law.

Crist is mounting an independent bid for Senate against Republican Marco Rubio and Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Crist told a local TV station Friday that he would have voted in favor of President Obama's healthcare proposal were he in the Senate. That was a reversal of his previous position against the healthcare law.

"I would have voted for it," Crist said in the interview. "But I think it can be done better, I really do."

But now, Crist says he "misspoke" in that interview. His campaign sent out a statement Friday afternoon clarifying Crist's position on the healthcare law.

Report: Victims of Massacre in Mexico Were Illegal Immigrants on Way to US

(Breitbart.tv) - The over 70 victims dumped in a mass grave in Mexico were all migrant workers heading to the US, according to the sole survivor.

Civil Rights Leader: Tea Party and KKK Interchangeable

(Breitbart.tv) - The Rev. Walter Fauntroy, the non-voting delegate who represented the District of Columbia from 1971 to 1991, appeared at the National Press Club and said: "We are going to take on the barbarism of war, the decadence of racism, and the scourge of poverty, that the Ku Klux -- I meant to say the Tea Party... you all forgive me, but I -- you have to use them interchangeably."

AFL-CIO president: Palin will be remembered as another McCarthy

(Politico) - AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, speaking to the Alaska AFL-CIO in Anchorage today, will take a swipe at Palin for her employment of the term "union thugs," according to prepared remarks.

Palin, he said, has come "close to calling for violence," and will "go down in history like McCarthy."

The Most Fiscally Irresponsible Government in U.S. History

Current federal budget trends are capable of destroying this country

(By Mort Zuckerman, U.S. News & World Report) - There is an instinctive conclusion among the American public that President Obama's stimulus package has failed to create a sustained recovery. Unemployment has increased, not declined; consumers have retrenched; housing starts have crashed along with mortgage applications; and there is a fear that a double-dip recession may very well be in the pipeline. The public perception, reflected in Pew Research/National Journal polls, is that the measures to combat the Great Recession have mostly helped large banks and financial institutions, and that's a view common to Republicans (75 percent) and Democrats (73 percent). Only one third of either political leaning thinks government policies have done a great deal or a fair amount for the poor.

There is another instinctive conclusion among the American people. It is that the national deficit, and the debts we have accumulated, are of critical political importance. On the national debt, the money the government has spent without the tax revenues to pay for it has produced mind-numbing numbers so large as to be disconnected from reality. Zeros from here to infinity. The sums are hard to describe; it is hard to describe an elephant, but you know one when you see one. The public knows that, shuffle the numbers as you may, the level of debt is unsustainable.

Who could be surprised since millions of voters have discovered that for themselves? As one realizes the morning after the night before, there is an unavoidable penalty for excess. It is unnerving to wake up and learn that you have a mortgage on your home that exceeds the value of the property. Or, and too often both, you have a credit card line that you cannot repay and the issuer has you on the rack for ever bigger compound interest on the debt. The lesson has been well and truly learned that debt catches up with you. Millions understand that they are just going to have to find a way to live within their means—and then still eke out some savings to pay down debt. And there are well over 14 million Americans without a paying job, so the level of discontent is very high. Just how are they going to regain control of their lives?

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Democrat Jokes That Pelosi Could Die Before Next Year

(South Union Street) - U.S. Congressman Bobby Bright, the first-term Democrat and former mayor of Montgomery, was heard having a little fun at U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's expense during his recent participation in the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce's Eggs and Issues.

Bright, who is facing a battle against Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby this fall, joked that Pelosi might lose her own election, decide not to run for the speaker’s job or otherwise not be available.

He suggested, jokingly he insisted to his audience, that Pelosi could fall ill and die in coming months. That remark drew laughter from the crowd.

Though he has a reputation as the second most independent member of Congress, he has been routinely blasted for voting for Pelosi to be speaker.

Roby, a Republican, is in her second term on the council.

Bright is the first Democrat since the 1960s to represent the conservative district, which includes parts of Montgomery and southeast Alabama.

His reelection battle is expected to be one of the most competitive this fall.

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President Barack Obama’s Endgame: A Look At The National Debt

(Big Government) - House Republicans are stepping up to the plate and asking Americans on Main Street what we need to do to get the economy back on track. On Monday, Members of the Economic Recovery Working Group unveiled a 13-miniute video which takes a look at the debt crisis facing our country, titled “Obama’s Endgame: A Look at the National Debt.”

MSNBC's Ed Schultz goes bonkers in Newsroom

(NYPost.com) - MSNBC talk show screamer Ed Schultz had a meltdown in the network's 30 Rock newsroom, shouting at staff, "I'm going to torch this [bleep]ing place."

The hot-tempered anchor of "The Ed Show" lost it during a phone call in the packed studio and slammed down the phone before exploding.

As astonished MSNBC staff members fell silent, Schultz glared around the room and yelled, "[Bleep]ers!"

A witness told us, "Ed was furious the network was running election-night promos and he wasn't in them. He'd been arguing on the phone with marketing, then he slammed down the phone and exploded. It was like Mel Gibson had entered the newsroom."

Fuming Schultz was immediately dragged in for a meeting with NBC News President Steve Capus and MSNBC President Phil Griffin following his Aug. 12 meltdown.

Our source added, "Schultz was told: 'If you do that again, you are fired.' He broke down crying."

Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ): It's Simple: "We Don't Have The Money And We Have To Stop"

(Real Clear Politics Video) - Garden State Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) discusses his increasing approval ratings and the state's budget woes.

Co-chair of Obama debt panel: Social Security is 'milk cow with 310 million t*ts!'...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - An advocacy group is calling for the ouster of former Sen. Alan Simpson, the co-chairman of President Obama's bipartisan debt commission, who described Social Security as a "milk cow with 310 million t*ts!" in an email.

Ashley Carson, executive director of the Older Women's League, wrote in a blog post in April that Simpson is targeting Social Security to fix the deficit even though it "doesn't contribute" to the country's debt problem. She also accused Simpson of "disgusting ageism and sexism" in characterizing those who oppose cuts to benefits as "Gray Panthers" and "Pink Panthers."

Republican lawyer heads to Alaska for Lisa Murkowski

(By Chris Cillizza, The Fix) - Sean Cairncross, the general counsel of the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, is headed to Alaska at the request of Sen. Lisa Murkowski to help provide guidance to the GOP incumbent finds herself trailing attorney Joe Miller by roughly 1,600 votes…

Committee sources insisted that too much should not be read into Cairncross’ presence in Alaska — only that the NRSC is an incumbent-retention committee and, as such, provides assistance when Senators ask for it.

As evidence that the committee is not putting all of its chips on Murkowski, a GOP source tells the Fix that Rob Jesmer, the bespectacled executive director of the NRSC, spoke by phone with a top Miller aide yesterday — making clear that if he wins the election the committee will support him wholeheartedly.

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FLASHBACK: Outrageous Video Of How Illegal Immigrants Run Up Health Care Costs, Now Feds Are Moving To Dismiss Some Deportation Cases

(The Blast) - As reported on the Drudge Report, the Feds are now moving to dismiss some deportation cases in Texas in what some are calling ‘backdoor amnesty’.

Given this ‘get out of jail for free’ card, lets look at one example of how illegal immigrants drive up costs and how this would be completely unfair, not only to U.S. citizens who pay into the system, but also those who come to the U.S. legally.

One year ago, Carol Plato, an executive director of Martin Memorial Medical Center in Florida, gave a briefing on the specific costs and liabilities hospitals incur when they knowingly treat illegal immigrants.

Besides hearing the outrageous itemized costs that Carol lists, even more outrageous is that one of the illegal immigrants treated was deported — after racking up millions of dollars in legal fees– and is now suing the hospital.

David Letterman: Obama Will Have Plenty of Time for Vacations When His One Term Is Up

DNC Spokesman Can’t Name Own Party’s Candidate in Alaska Senate Race

For the record: His name is Scott McAdams.

The Pigford in the Middle of the Room: Why Won’t Congress Fund Black Farmers’ Settlement

(Breitbart.tv) - "Special Report with Bret Baier" focuses on the controversial "Pigford" black farmer story and the accusations of fraud associated with the multi-billion dollar settlement and the strange number of claims compared with the actual number of black farmers in America.

'Special Report' Online Show: 8/25 - Jennifer Griffin on returning to work, interviewing Gen. Petraeus

Governor Chris Christie: GOP darling

In less than eight months in office, Christie has risen from an unknown to a signal attraction in the fund-raising and messaging wars

(By Peter Coy, BusinessWeek) - Chris Christie is the lead actor in a new movie. It’s a short film, no more than 20 minutes or so, yet its backer—the Republican Governors Assn.—expects to reap millions in donations from his brief appearance. The moody film features black-and-white images flashing by—storm clouds, campaign rallies, and urgent news clips from election-night broadcasts. A Republican has won the governor’s race in New Jersey, a Democratic stronghold, and the party of Barack Obama has been rendered powerless by his take-no-prisoners style.

In less than eight months in office, Christie, a 47-year-old former prosecutor and lobbyist, has risen from an unknown to a signal attraction in the fund-raising and messaging wars. “I think he’s a star,” says Ed Rollins, who directed campaigns in 1984 for President Ronald Reagan and in 1993 for Christine Todd Whitman, the last Republican elected governor of New Jersey. (Rollins bragged of suppressing the anti-Whitman vote, then retracted the claim.)

Video: Chris Christie rips feds after clerical error costs New Jersey $400 million in school funding

“Are you guys just down there checking boxes like mindless drones, or are you thinking?”

Democrat Sen. Max Baucus admits not reading Obamacare bill

"I don't think you want me to waste my time to read every page of the health care bill. You know why? It's statutory language. We hire experts."

Rush Limbaugh's Morning Update: No Comparison

Rush Limbaugh: On Sunday, Washington Post staff writer Dan Balz compared the first term of Ronaldus Magnus with Imam Obama's. Clearly meant as a morale booster for Obama, the premise is that both presidents had to deal with a bad economy, but that didn't stop Reagan from being reelected by a landslide.

Balz notes Obama's current 42 percent approval rating is "virtually identical to Reagan's in August 1982," and, he writes, "The US economy experienced a growth surge in 1983 and 1984 that helped set the stage for Reagan's gauzy 'Morning in America' ads and prepared the ground for his huge reelection victory."

Mr. Balz, that 'Morning in America' message that you sneer at gave this country a sense of optimism, because they reflected President Reagan's genuine love of this country, and his profound belief in American goodness and American exceptionalism. All we get from Obama is apologies for America, a hatred for capitalism, and pessimism. More people than you care to admit believe that Obama is out to destroy the fabric of this nation because he believes its institutions and traditions are corrupt.

Since Clinton, we have heard, "It's the economy, stupid!" But it's more than the economy, stupid! Yes, Americans are sick of hearing Obama say, "we've turned the corner," when the economy's sucking wind, but more than that, Americans want a president who believes in them and the greatness of America itself. And that, Mr. Balz, we don't have.

So stop wasting ink comparing Obama to Reagan. There's simply no comparison, and it's really, really insulting.

Read the Background Material on the Morning Update...
• Washington Post: Reagan's First Term Offers Measuring Stick For Obama -- Dan Balz

Woman's Body Left in Hearse for 9 Days

GRAHAM, N.C. (WGHP) - A foul smell in Graham led police to a woman's body they say had been in the back of a hearse for nine days.

Police in Graham are investigating how the body of 37-year-old Linda Walton was left unattended for so long.

The hearse is owned by David B. Lawson Mortuary, which now faces an investigation by the state agency that grants funeral licenses. Lawson declined to comment on the case Wednesday.

Paul Harris, executive director of the state Board of Funeral Service, declined to comment on the specifics of the case. If the board decides to discipline Lawson, punishments range from a warning to the loss of his license.

"We certainly don't see this very often," Harris said.

Black Wolf Vineyard has new owner

Javier Herrera, owner of Carolina Carports, purchased Black Wolf Vineyards and the Wolf’s Lair restaurant at auction last week. The property off U.S. 601, just outside out of Dobson, has been up for sale for the past two years.

DOBSON (By Mondee Tilley, The Mount Airy News) — The owner of Carolina Carports, Javier Herrera, is the new owner of the former Black Wolf Vineyards, which went on the auction block last Friday.

The property, which was divided into five tracks, sold for $876,330. Dale Fulk of Rogers Realty & Auction Co., handled the auction along with Iron Horse Auction company of Rockingham. The tax value on the more than 17-acre property is $1.4 million.

Herrera purchased the wine making facility, the two-story restaurant building, and a two-bedroom riverfront cabin.

WFU makes way for restaurants, development

Red Hot & Blue is a barbecue- and blues-themed casual restaurant.

RED HOT & BLUE: COMING TO FORMER GOOBER'S LOCATION

(By Fran Daniel, Winston-Salem Journal) - The corner of Deacon Boulevard and University Parkway looks a bit barren these days now that Wake Forest University has demolished two buildings in the area.

Gone are the former Coliseum Shell Service Station and Cactus Jack's Steakhouse and Saloon. They were torn down recently to make way for the university's long-term redevelopment project. The university plans to put a mix of retail shops, restaurants, entertainment and possibly residential and office venues in the area.

Kevin Cox, a spokesman for Wake Forest, said that a third building that once housed a KFC and Mexican restaurant will be torn down sometime this week.

He has said that the university will not start construction on its mixed-used development until the economy improves and that other buildings may be demolished, depending on their condition.

NTSB releases preliminary report on Alaska crash that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (The Associated Press) - Impact from the Alaska plane crash that killed former U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens and four others earlier this month dislodged an emergency locator beacon from its mounting bracket, federal investigators said. The antenna cable also was found separated from the beacon, according to a preliminary report released late Tuesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.

The report on the Aug. 9 crash also said the plane left a corporate-owned lodge at around 2:30 p.m., and the wreckage was spotted on a remote southwest Alaska mountainside at about 8:05 p.m. It said the crash occurred at around 2:45 p.m. Investigators had previously said they believed the plane left the lodge between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., and that it was found sometime between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., based on preliminary information they'd received.

Four people, including former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe, were injured in the crash. The report does not give a cause for the crash, and sheds no new light on weather conditions encountered by the pilot, who didn't file a flight plan and was relying on visual flight rules for what was supposed to have been a relatively short flight to a fishing camp.

Authorities have said that no transmitter signal was detected during an aerial search, but state medical examiner Dr. Katherine Raven has said the injuries sustained by those who perished were "severe and fatal," and that a quicker response from rescuers probably wouldn't have made a difference.

People Magazine Gets The Elin Nordegren Exclusive: “I’ve Been Through Hell”

(By Steve Krakauer, Mediaite) - With her divorce finalized, Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods‘ ex-wife, is speaking out for the first (and what she says may be the last) time.

People magazine landed the exclusive, but is saving most of the juicy details for readers of the print edition. However all the network morning shows got a preview, and filed detailed reports this morning.

Nordegren didn’t address the cheating directly, although she said “I’ve been through hell.” She also says she “never suspected” any of it, and was “blindsided” and “embarrassed.” She did talk about what happened that Thanksgiving night...

Breaking: Major Garrett Leaving Fox News

(By Colby Hall, Mediaite) - Mediaite has learned that Fox News White House correspondent Major Garrett is leaving the network effective September 3rd to return to his roots in print journalism. White House correspondents Wendell Goler and Mike Emanuel will assume joint coverage of the WH beat for Fox News.

The highly respected White House reporter weathered numerous battles between FNC and the White House and maintained the highest standard of journalism during his tenure.

Update: Going to National Journal

Inhofe tears into McCain

(By Jordan Fabian, The Hill) - Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) went after his fellow GOP Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as the latter faced reelection Tuesday.

Inhofe, rated as one of the most conservative members of the upper chamber, attacked McCain's conservative credentials and said he only gets elected because of his opposition to earmarks.

The Tulsa World wrote that Inhofe "attacked" McCain as a "closet liberal," then quoted Inhofe as saying he "gets elected because of one thing -- earmarks."

It is rare to see senators from the same party criticize one another directly - especially in an election year.

Related Material...

• (The Hill) - McCain Spends $20M to Defeat Hayworth

Alvin Greene Tossed from Restaurant

(Weasel Zippers) - Embattled Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene was escorted from a meeting of the Oconee County Democratic Party on Saturday after police received reports that he and a companion were causing a disturbance.

Greene had been invited to attend the group’s routine breakfast meeting, but was disinvited after he was indicted by a grand jury on obscenity charges. But he showed up anyway, and according Seneca Police Chief John Covington, one of his staffers became angry and engaged in an argument with meeting attendees.

According to the police report filed after the incident, Greene’s companion, Dottie Sue Maggart-Feldman, argued with several members of the breakfast party, but that the altercation did not turn violent.

After police officers arrived, the owner of the restaurant told patrons that “the meeting was over” and that they “could finish their breakfast” but were required to leave when they were finished eating.

No charges were filed as a result of the incident.

As Greene and Maggart-Feldman left the building, Maggart-Feldman chatted with police officers and accused county party chairwoman Marilyn Hemingway of being “out to get her.”

NY Gov. Makes Lewd Slip of Tongue

Spinning ObamaCare's Empty Promises

Health care law's deficit-fighting powers prove imaginary

(The Washington Times) - Once upon a time, the president of the United States promised his new government-run health care entitlement would bring wonderful new benefits to the people without costing a penny. In fact, it would save money, claimed President Obama and congressional Democrats. "This represents the biggest deficit-reduction plan since the 1990s," Mr. Obama said of his government health care power grab a month after he signed it into law.

Yet Obamacare's deficit numbers have kept the green eyeshades at the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) up at night. "The rising costs of health care will put tremendous pressure on the federal budget during the next few decades and beyond," said CBO Director Douglas W. Elmendorf in May. "In CBO's judgment, the health legislation enacted earlier this year does not substantially diminish that pressure." The agency's latest projections suggest that the net increase in the deficit attributable to the federal health care law will exceed a quarter-trillion dollars over the next decade.

Calls to Blacklist Ernest Borgnine Over Political Views; Mark Levin Dissects Story With Big Hollywood’s Help

(Breitbart.tv) - Mark Levin features John Nolte's article at Big Hollywood discussing recent calls to keep Ernest Borgnine from winning a SAG Award because of comments he made about the film "Broke Back Mountain".

DNC Chair: Tea Party Helps Democrats

(Breitbart.tv) - Gov. Tim Kaine asserts that the Tea Party energy is often focused on Republicans, thereby helping Democrats in November.

Where’s My Congressman?



(Heritage For America) - The American people deserve the chance to hear from and talk to their elected officials directly. It's appalling that Members of Congress won't meet with their constituents. Citizens need to hold Congress accountable. It's time to tell Congress to show up at home.

Katie Couric: Opposition to Ground Zero Mosque ‘Islamaphobia, Obamaphobia or Both’

(Breitbart.tv) - The anchor of the lowest-rated network news program aims her superior intellect and moral standing at the opponents to the ground zero mosque and delivers a stunningly sanctimonious monologue.

Congressman Runs Away From Ground Zero Mosque Question… Literally



(Breitbart.tv) - Rep. Russ Carnahan won't answer a question about whether or not he supports the Ground Zero Mosque. It's something his constituents would probably like to know.

Holocaust Survivor Cursed Out by Ground Zero Mosque Supporter



(Breitbart.tv) - An example of the intolerant, hate-filled vitriol delivered by proponents of the proposed mosque at ground zero, a protester at the August 22nd rally in New York erupts in a rage at an 83-year-old holocaust survivor.

Yet main stream media figures continue to characterize the opponents to the mosque as ignorant, hateful bigots.

RNC Chair on Spanish-Language TV: AZ Law Does not Represent GOP

(Breitbart.tv) - Chairman Steele appeared on Univision to distance his party from AZ Gov. Jan Brewer and the anti-illegal immigration law the state recently passed.

"The actions of one state's governor is not a reflection of an entire country, nor is it a reflection of an entire political party."

China's 60-Mile Traffic Jam May Go On for Weeks

Massive Backup Already 10 Days Old and Construction Expected to Continue until Mid-September; Drivers Play Cards in Street

(AP) - A massive traffic jam in north China that stretches for dozens of miles and hit its 10-day mark on Tuesday stems from road construction in Beijing that won't be finished until the middle of next month, an official said.

Bumper-to-bumper gridlock spanning for 60 miles with vehicles moving little more than a half-mile a day at one point has improved since this weekend, said Zhang Minghai, director of Zhangjiakou city's Traffic Management Bureau general office.

Some drivers have been stuck in the jam for five days, China Central Television reported Tuesday. But Zhang said he wasn't sure when the situation along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou highway would return to normal.

Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd, Harassed at the Valdez airport, Alaska

MSNBC Promotes Reagan-esque Rebound for Obama in 2012

(Eyeblast.tv) - On the network's Monday 3 p.m. news hour, anchor Chris Jansing hosted a segment comparing Reagan's presidency with Obama's during their respective first midterm elections. The theme of the segment was that if the economy rebounds soon as it did in 1982 for President Reagan under similar circumstances, the re-election of President Obama will almost certainly follow.

NBC's Chuck Todd Projects 'Democrats Are In Deep, Deep Trouble'

(Eyeblast.tv) - If Democrats weren't nervous about November's midterm elections yet, they could soon be, especially when you consider that even their allies in the liberal media are starting to forecast doom for them, as NBC's Chuck Todd did on Tuesday's Today show, going as far to predict "Democrats are in deep, deep trouble."

The Real Radio Hatemongers

Left-Wing Radio Hosts' Track Record of Vile and Vicious Rhetoric

(Media Research Center) - The so-called “news” media have spent much of the past two decades demonizing the rhetoric of conservative radio talk show hosts as mean-spirited, divisive or a menace to civil discourse. But these same journalists — who gleefully castigate Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and other conservatives — are silent about the vile and vicious rhetoric that spews from the Left’s leading radio talk show hosts.

Related Material...

• (Hot Air) - Why doesn’t the media report on lib-talker lunacy?

Leaked WH Memo Exposes Obamacare's Lies

Leaked White House Memo Advises Democrats on How to Spin Obamacare

The White House now explicitly recognizes repeal as a very real possibility.

(By Jeffrey H. Anderson, WeeklyStandard.com) - Politico has released a piece that begins as follows: "Key White House allies are dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care legislation, abandoning claims that it will reduce costs and deficit, and instead stressing a promise to 'improve it.'" This is a truly remarkable sentence. Legislation that the Congressional Budget Office says would cost about $2.5 trillion in its real first decade (2014 to 2023) wouldn't do the one thing that Americans most want out of health-care legislation: cut health care costs. It wouldn't, despite the administration's repeated claims to the contrary, cut deficits. But, on the bright side, it can (allegedly) be improved. That's an amazingly tepid claim to make on behalf of something with Obamacare's price tag.

The truth is that Obamacare cannot be improved. It can only be repealed. It was passed as "comprehensive legislation," and it must be repealed comprehensively.

President Warns of 'Corporate Takeover'

(UPI.com) - U.S. President Barack Obama Saturday warned of a "corporate takeover" of democracy and said Republicans want the public kept "in the dark" on campaign funding.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, the Democratic president found fault with a Supreme Court ruling that permits corporations, unions and other organizations to spend "unlimited amounts of money to influence our elections."

"They can buy millions of dollars worth of TV ads -- and worst of all, they don't even have to reveal who is actually paying for them," he said.

"A group can hide behind a phony name like 'Citizens for a Better Future,' even if a more accurate name would be 'Corporations for Weaker Oversight.'"

Mike Bloomberg: Ground Zero Mosque OK But Don't Smoke in Central Park

(CBS New York) - From the inside-out, there may be a new “no-go” when it comes to smoking.

Mayor Bloomberg’s anti-smoking crusade could be coming to a city park or public beach near you, a plan plenty of people say crosses the line, reports CBS 2′s Dave Carlin.

CBS 2 has learned that Mayor Bloomberg is looking at a possible smoking ban for all city parks and public beaches.

“Now you’re gonna stop me from smoking in the park? Where am I gonna smoke at?” West Side resident Anthony Cintron said.

“What’s next? It will be something else in six months,” said another New Yorker.

The new measure would widen the current smoking ban – in bars, subways, buildings, playgrounds and other public places – to include some 29,000 acres of park land and 14 miles of beaches.

Hillary Blames Global Warming for Pakistan Floods

(FoxNews.com) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other officials are pointing to the devastating floods in Pakistan and other extreme weather events as signs that climate change is getting worse.

Clinton, in an interview with Pakistan's Dawn TV, said "there is a linkage" between the recent spate of deadly natural disasters and climate change.

"You can't point to any particular disaster and say, 'it was caused by,' but we are changing the climate of the world," she said.

Cruiser cam catches 100 mph crash

The crash shut down freeway for six hours

SUGARCREEK TWP., Montgomery Co. (WDTN) - The cruiser cam video that captured a horrific single car crash on Interstate 675 in Beavercreek, Ohio Aug. 23 has gone viral on the internet.

Brennan S. Eden, 19, of Mason, Ohio, lost control of his car and slammed into the concrete pillar of a bridge south of Indian Ripple Road about 7:15 a.m.

The force of the crash broke the car into three pieces and Brennan was ejected.

Rangel Criticizes Obama For ‘Dignity’ Remark

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) – Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) has shot back at President Obama’s recent comment that he “end his career with dignity.”

Speaking at a candidate’s forum in Harlem Monday night, Rangel said the president hasn’t “been around long enough to determine what my dignity is.”

The embattled 80-year-old congressman said it was more likely that he would protect Obama’s dignity over the next two years.

Obama’s remark was made three weeks ago.

Federal Insurance Pool Could Be Risky Proposition for Taxpayers

D.C. offers higher benefits, lower premiums ... and can't pay its way

RALEIGH (By Karen Welsh, Carolina Journal Online) — Two plans. Two options. Too many?

North Carolina and the federal government now offer separate, side-by-side plans to provide health insurance to individuals with pre-existing conditions. Insurance providers often find these individuals too expensive to cover under traditional plans, so the high-risk pools are set up to reduce some of the costs of coverage.

To date, 4,162 individuals have registered in the state program, paying an average of $561 a month, and 158 have enrolled in the federal pool, paying one-third less than those enrolled in the state pool.

Both options are considered temporary, stopgap measures until the Affordable Care Act takes full effect in 2014.

Marshall says she would have opposed tax bill

DURHAM (Winston-Salem Journal) - Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elaine Marshall said yesterday that she likely would have voted against a plan approved last year that increased tobacco taxes to pay health insurance for low-income children.

She would have been the only Democrat in Congress to do so.

The proposal that passed with the support of some Republican senators raised the federal tax on a pack of cigarettes from 39 cents to $1. Supporters of the program estimated that it will cover an additional four million low-income children under the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Former FBI Agent Claims Oswald Didn’t Kill Kennedy

(Breitbart.tv) - A retired FBI Agent from Summit County is sharing what he says is proof the Lee Harvey Oswald did not kill President John F. Kennedy.

Dem Strategist Calls Obama 'a Walking Radioactive Disaster'

How To Lose A Guy In 75 Days

(By Reid Wilson, Hotline On Call) - Two years after his coattails helped sweep two dozen Democrats into office, President Obama is proving more a boon to Republicans than to Democrats during the midterm elections. His poll numbers are so morose that Democrats are planning ways to avoid his shadow, while Republicans plot strategies aimed at tying Obama to every incumbent member of Congress they can.

The advice from Democratic consultants and strategists is almost unanimous: Run away from the president, and fast. A prominent Democratic pollster is circulating a survey that shows George W. Bush is 6 points more popular than President Obama in "Frontline" districts -- seats held by Democrats that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sees as most vulnerable to Republican takeover. That Bush is more popular than Obama in Democratic-held seats is cause for outright fear.

But disassociating oneself from an incumbent president is never easy, and Democrats have to walk a narrow line. Based on conversations with more than a dozen Democratic political operatives, here's some advice for candidates looking to chart their own course, one that will send them back to the 112th Congress...