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Bully Pulpit

The term "bully pulpit" stems from President Theodore Roosevelt's reference to the White House as a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word "bully" as an adjective meaning superb/wonderful. The Bully Pulpit features news, reasoned discourse, opinion and some humor.

Monday, January 31, 2011

Caught on Video: Parishioners Brawl at Church Over Pastor’s Dismissal



(WLOS ABC 13 News) - A mountain church congregation takes a political dispute outside, fighting in the parking lot of their Fletcher church. Greater New Zion Baptist is located on Highway 25 South, right across the road from Smiley's Flea Market. Members are at odds over the recent dismissal of Pastor LeVonia Ray. Some wanted a vote to decide whether to reinstate the Reverend Ray. Pastor Ray says the congregation has a right to vote, and he hopes for healing. Some members say healing can't begin until Ray leaves. A discussion about that led to a brawl, with more than 20 Henderson County Deputies and Fletcher Police responding to stop the violence. So far, no arrests have been made.

Camille Grammer: Marriage Ruined By Kelsey Grammer’s Love Of Fox News

(By Alex Alvarez, Mediaite) - Not that we’re totally obsessed with the multiple 'Real Housewives' series or anything, but, this week, the cast of 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' will gather for part deux of their reunion special, and we’re sure that cast member Camille Grammer’s divorce from actor Kelsey Grammer will continue to be among the topics discussed.

To promote the two-part reunion special, Camille discussed her divorce with Joy Behar, noting the couple’s lack of “Sexual Meshitude,” how she came to discover the existence of “The Other Woman” and revealing that infidelity of a different sort may have contributed to the dissolution of her high-profile marriage.

Camille suggested that perhaps her ex was “too busy watching Fox News” to cuddle. Which is total hogwash, of course. A tip: Dim the lights, set out some chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne, and turn to 'Studio B'. This segment, specifically. Then just try and tell me you don’t feel like cuddling. You. Just. Try.


World’s Oldest Person Dies

Texas resident lived to be 115

(By Bruce Felps, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth) -
Eunice Sanborn, who lived in Jacksonville, Texas, passed away today in her home.

At age 115, she was considered the oldest living human in the world — which is just redundant because where else do people live? — after her predecessor, Eugenie Blanchard, passed away in November.

Perhaps having a name that starts with the letters “E” and “U” contributes to longevity. Then again, in the immortal words of Motörhead front-man Lemmy Kilmister, “The key to survival is not dying.” Cannot argue with that.

DA: Wife Killed Husband After Finding Hickey

MEDFORD (CBS) – A woman was ordered held without bail Monday charged with killing her husband in Medford.

Police found 34-year-old Troy Burston wounded outside a home on Exchange Avenue at 10:40 p.m. Sunday. He was not wearing a shirt and had been stabbed in the chest.

He was rushed to Lawrence Memorial Hospital where he died.

Police arrested his wife, 39-year-old Shawntina Burston.

Investigators say the two had come home from a party and began arguing and hitting each other. She allegedly found a hickey on his neck and stabbed him with a cooking knife.

Florida Federal Judge Rules ‘Entire’ Health Care Law Unconstitutional

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - A federal judge in Florida has ruled that the president’s health care overhaul, “Obamacare,” is unconstitutional. The judge based his ruling on the unconstitutionality of the law’s individual mandate. The ruling affects the 26 states who had joined together to file a case against the law, but also has implications for the entire country.

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled Congress overstepped its bounds by instituting the individual mandate, but also said the entire law was unconstitutional since the individual mandate is not “severable,” Fox News reports. Vinson did not go as far as to issue an injunction blocking the law from being implemented.

“I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here,” Vinson wrote.

Race Official Hit By Snowmobile At Winter X Games

(By Glenn Davis, SportsGrid) - Let’s face it – part of what makes the X Games popular is the danger involved. The crazy stunts, the flips in the air – it all carries with it the possibility that something could go horribly wrong, and while we of course don’t want to see these things happen, the fact that participants are so openly flirting with disaster is still compelling.

However, we usually only think of that danger in terms of the actual participants in the Games. And unfortunately, during the recent SnoCross snowmobile race final, one race official had an unfortunate encounter with racer Bobby LePage’s vehicle (LePage, no doubt thanks in part to accidentally veering off course here, finished last):


Tracy Morgan Continues Quest To Let World Know He Finds Sarah Palin Physically Attractive

(By Jon Bershad, Mediaite) - Sunday night, actor Tracy Morgan continued his quest to let the entire world know that he finds politician Sarah Palin to be physically attractive. Morgan had previously made his controversial statements during a TNT basketball game, only to be denounced by those that wish to keep it a secret that, in addition to being a former Governor of a state of the union, Palin also meets certain ideals of human beauty. However, last night during the SAG Awards Pre-Show, Morgan repeated his dangerous opinion, proclaiming Palin to be the “hottest MILF in the world.”

A mother's grief: The startling images which show how chimpanzees mourn their dead just like humans

(UK Mail Online) - Chimpanzees appear to mourn their dead infants just like humans, scientists have discovered.

Chimpanzee mothers establish close physical relationships with their young, carrying them for up to two years and nursing them until they are six.

But now scientists have filmed how one chimpanzee mother, whose 16-month-old infant died, apparently begins the grieving process.

It’s the latest evidence highlighting just how similar chimps and other great apes are to humans.


NBA Player Kevin Garnett Ejected for Below-the-Belt Shot at Opponent Channing Frye

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Some say NBA player Kevin Garnett is a dirty basketball player. This doesn’t help his defense.

The Boston Celtics player was ejected from Friday night’s game versus the Phoenix Suns for taking a cheap shot to the groin of an opposing player, Channing Frye. The play caused an on-court kerfuffle between the teams that ended in Garnett’s early shower:


Liberal Democrat NY Senator Chuck Schumer's 3 Branches Of Govt: House, Senate, & President

(By Greg Hengler, Townhall.com) - Civics lessons should be required for leading Democrats in the Senate.

Man, if I would have posted a comment like Schumer's I would have been blasted--and rightfully so. But a man at his level of government leadership...sign of the times. Very scary.




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As Egypt Burns... Obama Parties, Watches Basketball

(By Jim Hoft, The Gateway Pundit) - As Egypt continues to burn... Islamic radicals escaped from prison, the Muslim Brotherhood joined Elbaradei on the street, and socialists continued to mobilze protests in Cairo... Barack Obama watched basketball and partied on Saturday.

On Saturday, Obama spent the morning watching his daughter play basketball.
Then on Saturday night he went out and partied with David Axelrod.

Kristinn reported this:


As thirty years of United States Middle East strategy teeters on collapse, Barack Obama spent Saturday night at a going away party for David Axelrod who is leaving the administration to set up Obama's reelection campaign in Chicago. The party was held at the Dupont Circle condo of former Obama aide Linda Douglass.
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Mysterious Death of 200 Wis. Cows Solved — Moldy Sweet Potatoes Blamed

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Anti-carb advocates might say “I told you so” after reading this story.

The 200 cows that mysteriously dropped dead in Wisconsin earlier this month have moldy sweet potatoes to blame, the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory says.

Fan Behind Erin Andrews Wants You To Know She’s “Hot”

(By Dan Fogarty, SportsGrid) - During a segment from [Saturday's] Kansas – Kansas State game, a large Jayhawks fan got up, pointed at Erin Andrews, and mouthed the word “hot.” So yes: in case you needed to be reminded that the ESPN reporter and Dancing with the Stars contestant is attractive, this bearded Jayhawks fan is here to make sure you never forget.

Fox’s Chris Wallace To Speaker John Boehner: Why Do You Cry And Smoke

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - In addition to getting serious about budget deficits and the debt ceiling, the conversation between Speaker of the House Boehner and Chris Wallace on 'Fox News Sunday' also expanded to include talking about two of Boehner’s most well-known characteristics: crying and smoking. Wallace asked bluntly, “why do you cry so often,” to which, Boehner almost cried again, right on cue.

Celebrating Ronald Reagan's Centennial: First Day as President

(FOX Nation) - All week, Fox News Channel will celebrate of Ronald Reagan's life, leading up to on what would have been his 100th birthday on Feb. 6.

The tone for Reagan's historic presidency was set practically from the beginning during his first day in office. In Part 1, we look back on a day where "enemies of freedom" were put on notice as hostages in Iran were freed.




Parents Attack Police During Wild Fight at NC High School Basketball Game

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - A brawl broke out at a Charlotte, NC high school basketball game on Friday after a father attacked a police officer who approached his daughter to tell her to return to her school’s side of the gym. After the father reportedly confronted the officer, the man, his wife, and daughter all started physically fighting with the officer and others who stepped in:

George W. Bush: ‘I’m Done With Politics, GOP Fundraising And Appearing On TV’

(By Colby Hall, Mediaite) - Former President George W. Bush told C-Span this weekend that he has no plans to play any role in politics in the coming years. The refreshingly frank and candid interview drew a stark contrast from other former presidents (cough..Clinton) who seemed eager to stay in the public eye after serving two terms in office. “I don’t want to go out and campaign for candidates,” adding “I don’t want to be viewed as a perpetual money-raiser.”

Charles Krauthammer Exposes Hypocrisy of Being Called 'Cranky' by WaPo Columnist Colby King

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - In the middle of a rather comical exchange on PBS's "Inside Washington" Friday evening, Washington Post columnist Colby King accused fellow panelist Charles Krauthammer of being "cranky" concerning President Obama's State of the Union address.

Not at all surprising to fans of the Fox News contributor, Krauthammer struck back and did so quite impressively:


Chris Matthews: Were Neocons Right About Middle East; Was Bush Better Equipped to Handle Egypt Than Obama?

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - Chris Matthews on Friday asked the panelists on the syndicated program bearing his name two questions about the crisis in Egypt that must have made his liberal viewers gasp.

Moments after surprisingly asking NBC's Andrea Mitchell if "neo-conservatives who believe in really trying to push democracy" were right all along, Matthews asked David Sanger of the New York Times if George W. Bush was "better equipped than this President to deal with this crisis":




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Howard Kurtz: MSNBC Complains About CNN Airing Michele Bachmann's State Of The Union Response Then Spends Days Talking About Her

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - Howard Kurtz on Sunday pointed out a delicious irony involving MSNBC and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.).

After complaining about CNN's decision to air the Congresswoman's response to President Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday, MSNBC spent the next several days giving far more attention to her than to the official GOP respondent:


UPDATE: Did CNN Fox News Sabotage Rep. Bachmann’s SOTU Response?



(Breitbart.tv) - UPDATE: Sources who were in the room at the time of broadcast now confirm that the pool camera providing the feed for CNN was Fox News. The Fox News pool camera was set up off-kilter from the tele-prompter feed despite the protestations of the Tea Party Express production team. Developing...

So, what was really up with the televised feed of Rep. Bachmann's State of the Union response?

Our sources tell us that CNN had originally agreed to use the live feed set up by Tea Party Express, which had a teleprompter running on the lens in which Rep. Bachmann was delivering her speech. But, when Rep. Bachmann left the camera set-up and sat in the House chamber to hear Pres. Obama's speech, CNN set up a camera of their own, just off to the side of the main, tele-prompter/camera. Thus, when CNN provided their network feed it ended up skewed and off-kilter.

Here, we present the direct, Tea Party Express feed as was originally broadcast to on-line viewers (including viewers at Breitbart.tv) the night of the speech.

1994 Flashback: Katie Couric And Bryant Gumbel Try To Figure Out What This ‘Internet’ Thing Is

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - It’s 2011: A country of 80 million is in violent revolt because of cyber-censorship, the world’s most wanted criminal is a hacker whose life’s work is to disseminate government secrets, most of us use our telephones as maps, music players, and news feeds… and yet 17 years ago, no one knew what the internet even was. Back in 1994, getting the 'Today Show' crew to properly read an email address– much less understand what it meant– was a feat for the ages.

Bill Maher and Others Falsely Claim Sarah Palin Said Soviets ‘Won the Space Race’

(By Tommy Christopher, Mediaite) - During Wednesday night’s 'On the Record' with Greta Van Susteren, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin delivered a nonsensical rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union address that has been a topic of conversation on cable news all week. While there are legitimate reasons to mock Palin’s response, the claim that she said the Soviet Union “won the space race,” repeated again on Friday night’s 'Real Time' with Bill Maher, just isn’t true. The sentence to which her critics refer might have been the only thing Palin got right, but get it right, she did.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

South Bend Homosexual Organization Targets Chick-Fil-A For Protest

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - Chick-fil-a sandwiches are no longer allowed to be sold on Indiana University's South Bend campus and the reason stems from the actions of another franchise.

Members of the Campus Ally Network, which promotes acceptance and support for the university's homosexual community protested because the restaurant's Pennsylvania franchise donated food to an anti-homosexual organization's event.


Liberal Sen Al Franken (D-MN) Explains Why He Thinks Obamacare's Individual Mandate to Buy Insurance Is Needed

(CNSNews.com) – Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says the new health care law's individual mandate, which will require most people to purchase health insurance, is necessary to keep Americans from waiting until they are sick to buy insurance.

Franken, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, made his remarks Thursday at a Senate hearing as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health insurance rules it mandates.

Franken also said he thinks most Americans support the part of the law that prevents insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Franken said those who oppose the law actually make a case for the mandate, and he cited ranking member Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), who said in his opening remarks that the law would allow people to buy health insurance on the way to the emergency room.




Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) says the new health care law's individual mandate, which will require most people to purchase health insurance, is necessary to keep Americans from waiting until they are sick to buy insurance.

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Local News Anchor Inhales a Fly On-Air

(By Meredith Jessup, The Blaze) - Just for fun, a glad-it-wasn’t-me moment brought to you by Salt Lake City’s Fox 13:

 

Brent Bozell Blasts Media SOTU Coverage on 'Fox & Friends'



(Eyeblast.tv) - MRC President Brent Bozell exposed the gushing coverage of Barack Obama's State of the Union speech.

Stokes County Commissioners to vote on requesting lottery money for school capital projects

(By Leslie Bray, The Stokes News) - Nearly $2.5 million in lottery money is sitting in a bank in Raleigh earmarked for Stokes County. Some of it may soon be coming to the county for school capital projects, if the Stokes County Board of Commissioners votes at their next meeting to request it.

The Board has put the item on the action agenda for their Feb. 14 early afternoon meeting. At the Jan. 24 meeting, Stokes County Finance Director Julia Edwards presented them with a revised application to request the lottery funds from the state’s Public School Building Capital Fund via the North Carolina Education Lottery. The money in question would be applied to the new elementary school slated for the Yadkin Township.

Edwards informed the Board that the state won’t approve money for new construction of schools until a plan has been submitted to the Department of Public Instruction and approved by them. She said that it may be at least another month before the Stokes County Board of Education turns in any plans to DPI.

Bill Maher Debates Climate Change With Conservative Rep Jack Kingston (R-GA), Turns It Into Heated Evolution Debate

(By Glenn Davis, Mediaite) - If you’re familiar with Bill Maher, you’ll know he’s always up for a debate on any topic involving religion. In fact, as he showed on tonight’s 'Real Time', he’s even up for such a debate when the original topic has nothing to do with religion – what started as a debate over climate change turned into a referendum of sorts on evolution, thanks to Maher bringing the topic up out of nowhere.

Kathleen Sebelius Compares Right to Health Care With Right to Own TV



(Breitbart.tv) - I wonder if the Health and Human Services Secretary realizes that her analogy actually undermines the notion that free health care is a right?

Turns Out MSNBC's Ed Schultz Has Been Told What to Do

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - We told you on Tuesday that Ed Schultz unequivocally said recently he has “not been instructed to tone it down.” Turns out, he has.

On his radio show Thursday, an e-mailer asked Schultz what happened to his “Psycho Talk” segment — the one that mimicked Keith Olbermann’s “World’s Worst” — since he moved from the 6 pm time slot on MSNBC to the 10 pm one. Schultz’s response went something like that 1983 Donna Summers song “She Works Hard for the Money” mixed with lamentations about being an oppressed worker:




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Announcer Gus Johnson Gets Excited After Indiana Beats Illinois

(By Glenn Davis, SportsGrid) - Last [Thursday] night, Indiana’s basketball program got a key win, narrowly defeating their border rivals from Illinois, 52-49. It was IU’s first win against a ranked opponent (the Illini are currently ranked 21st) in 20 tries, and is, in short, the kind of win Hoosiers coach Tom Crean needs to keep building his program.

But what’s really important is this: Gus Johnson was calling the game, and as you can imagine with such a tight score, he was excited. Witness:


Politicians Demand Apology From Rush Limbaugh for Chinese Imitation

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Rush Limbaugh’s imitation of the Chinese language during a recent speech made by Chinese President Hu Jintao may have been phonetic gibberish, but Asian-American lawmakers in California and nationally think they know exactly what Limbaugh was saying: He was mocking all Asian people. And now they’re demanding an apology.

California state Sen. Leland Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, is leading a fight in demanding an apology from the radio talk show host for what he and others view as racist and derogatory remarks against the Chinese people.

In recent days, the state lawmaker has rallied civil rights groups in a boycott of companies like Pro Flowers, Sleep Train and Domino‘s Pizza that advertise on Limbaugh’s national talk radio show.


Update: Liberal Rep Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) Settles Dispute Over Dangerous Olive Sandwich

(By Meredith Jessup, The Blaze) - After making headlines this week for accusing a congressional cafeteria of selling him a “dangerous” sandwich, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, released a statement today announcing his lawsuit seeking $150,000 in damages had been settled.

“Though I would prefer to focus your attention on my work dealing with the profoundly important issues that face our nation, such as job creation, getting the economy back on track, and ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,” Kucinich said, “it seems that some are more interested in discussing my personal dental issues.”

After inadvertently chomping down on a pitted olive, the congressman described the pain as “excruciating,“ but insists he was a trooper who ”went right back to work.”

Glenn Beck Slams Chris Matthews Over ‘Balloon Head’ Michele Bachmann Depiction



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Newsweek’s Jonathan Alter: Last Presidential Candidate to Give SOTU Response Was Dole; He Forgets Obama in 2008



(Breitbart.tv) - The 'Hardball' panel used an entire segment which was supposed to be about analyzing State of the Union responses to bash Republicans. Mr. Alter seems to forget this lackluster and poorly staged response from then-candidate Obama. He looks and sounds like he's talking into his daughter's webcam on MySpace.

The Smartest President Ever: Obama Confuses Iraq and Afghanistan



(Breitbart.tv) - The president twice referred to Afghanistan when clearly talking about the situation in Iraq.

Bank Robber Shot by Police on Live Television



(Breitbart.tv) - An alleged bank robber shielding himself with a female hostage was shot by police and arrested in Maryland Friday after he slipped on ice.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Bystander Captures Incredible NYC Cab Explosion

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - A driver in New York City was commuting on the city‘s east side during [Wednesday's] massive snowstorm when he witnessed an extraordinary taxi cab fire. When he took out his camera to capture the incident, however, he ended up catching something even more incredible — the taxi exploding just feet from a fireman:

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) Stands By Tweet That The President Believes in Socialism

(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) is standing by his tweet that he made during the President Obama’s State of the Union Address. The tweet said, “ Mr. President, you don’t believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism.”

When asked about the tweet by CBS News, Broun said he sticks by it.




Rep. Paul Broun is standing by his tweet that he made during the President Obama’s State of the Union Address. Broun tweeted “ Mr. President, you don’t believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism.”

Report: New Russian Nuke Can Penetrate Missile Defense Systems

Today Show Blames Sarah Palin & Michele Bachmann for Ending New Era of Civility



(Eyeblast.tv) - On Friday's 'Today' show, Meredith Vieira joined Lawrence O'Donnell in blaming Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann for ending the new era of civility in Washington.

Bridge bargain: Bid comes in at half budgeted price for phase of Yadkin River Bridge project

SPENCER (By PAUL GARBER, Winston-Salem Journal) - North Carolina taxpayers are getting the second phase of the Yadkin River Bridge project at a bargain price.

Contractors desperate to find work are working with state officials to get contracts done at a cheaper price, Gov. Bev Perdue said during a media stop at the construction site Thursday.

As a result, the bid awarded Wednesday for the second phase of the project came in at $65 million, about half the originally projected cost, she said. The lowered cost is a reflection of how difficult it is for contractors to find work.

Bill O’Reilly Revisits House Speaker John Boehner’s Crying Issue: “He Has To Get His Emotions Under Control”

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - Bill O’Reilly is really starting to get concerned about this John Boehner fellow’s emotional stability. Talking to guest Chris Wallace about his upcoming interview with the Speaker of the House, O’Reilly expresses something in between wonder and worry as to Boehner’s propensity to cry when discussing, well, a lot of things, and even wondered whether he could be an effective leader while maintaining his emotional openness.

Joe Biden: Mubarak Our Ally; Not a Dictator



(Eyeblast.tv) - It makes you wonder who Mr. Biden 'would' refer to as a dictator... anyone?

Shocking: Video Surfaces of Taliban Stoning Couple for Alleged Adultery

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Shocking and disturbing video has surfaced of a Taliban-controlled village in Afghanistan stoning a man and woman for allegedly eloping while the man was still married.

According to ABC News, “about 200 people listen to a Taliban mullah describe why a man and woman deserve to be killed. A few dozen spectators — people from the local community — start throwing rocks at the woman, who had already been placed in a 4-foot-deep hole. They throw with relish and yell, ‘Allah akbar.’”

When the stones don’t kill her, a man picks up an AK-47 rifle and shoots the woman. The same sequence occurs with the man, who is blindfolded with his own tunic and cries as he is killed by even larger rocks:

[WARNING: Although edited, the video may be disturbing to some]


Shortage Of Exotic Dancers Plagues Super Bowl In Dallas

(By Dan Fogarty, SportsGrid) - According to at least one strip club owner in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there is a dangerously low supply of exotic dancers for Super Bowl XLV.

John Walsh, the proprietor of the Showtime Cabaret (you know, right next to the West Mansfield Highway), has put out the strip club equivalent of the bat signal. Because of the influx of businessmen, fans, and, not least of all, athletes (officials expect 300,000 tourists total) the Dallas area’s cabarets need to be well-stocked, something that Walsh says just isn’t the case right now.

Showtime currently employs 50 dancers, but Walsh is looking for an additional 100-120 ladies. Being an enterprising businessman, he’s put out an all points bulletin for prospective employees, sending out fliers advertising a “safe, clean” way to make money and work at his establishment.

FOX News' Megyn Kelly and Alan Colmes Debate the Left's Civility Push



(Eyeblast.tv) - Megyn Kelly and Alan Colmes argue over a post at TheRightScoop.com which contends that the left is just trying to use "civility" to silence the right.

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Robert Redford: Hypocrite

(The Blast) - Everyone knows the hypocrisy of the environmental movement runs very, very, deep. When it comes to the kings of hypocrisy, none do it better than the limousine liberals in Hollywood.

In this video directed by Ann McElhinney and Phelim McAleer, who produced and directed Not Evil Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria, Robert Redford is exposed as the typical Hollywood elite whose actions don’t quite match up to their words.

People like Redford believe they are exempt from the notion of following your words with actions, because they’re doing such good deeds by going around and preaching the evils of corporations and ‘saving our planet’ from “man-made global warming.” They abide by the mentality of “do as I say, not as I do.” After all, if you ask them, they are better than you. Not only are they ‘morally superior’, they’re practically saving you from catching on fire.

Of course, this is nothing new.

Essentially it boils down to this: Robert Redford is opposing an eco-village near his property in the Napa Valley whilst quietly selling $2 million lots in the Sundance Preserve for luxury vacation homes. Take a look.


Sarah Palin Addresses Rumors Of Husband Todd And “Hookers”

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - Sarah Palin took a break from the neverending political firestorm that surrounds her today to address a badly-sourced 'National Enquirer' story linking her husband Todd to a madam/prostitute arrested in Anchorage last March. Calling in to a radio talk show in Alaska this morning, Palin noted that such “b.s.” was especially “painful” because it came from Alaskans and went viral internationally thereafter.

MSNBC Host Who Called Glenn Beck a Nazi Attacks Beck for Nazi Rhetoric

Suspect In Fatal Hit and Run Slips Through Airport Security

Police: Wife of Army officer kills her 2 children

TAMPA, Fla. (By TAMARA LUSH and MITCH STACY, Associated Press) – The wife of a military officer shot and killed her son on the way to soccer practice, then drove to their upscale home and shot her daughter in the head while she studied at her computer, police said Friday. Afterward, the woman told detectives she killed the teens for being "mouthy."

Julie Powers Schenecker admitted the slayings after officers found her covered in blood on the back porch of her home Friday morning, police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said. Schenecker's mother had called police from Texas because she was unable to reach the 50-year-old woman, who she said was depressed and had been complaining about her children.

Schenecker's husband, Parker Schenecker, is an Army colonel stationed at the headquarters of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The father had been away for several days when the killings happened, said CentCom spokesman Lt. Col. Michael Lawhorn, describing him as a career Army intelligence officer.

Police said Parker Schenecker was in Qatar and was told of his children's deaths on Friday.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Charles Krauthammer: “From the moon landing to solar shingles. Is there a better example of American decline?”

The old Obama in new clothing
 

(By Charles Krauthammer, The Washington Post) - The November election sent a clear message to Washington: less government, less debt, less spending. President Obama certainly heard it, but judging from his State of the Union address, he doesn't believe a word of it. The people say they want cuts? Sure they do - in the abstract. But any party that actually dares carry them out will be punished severely. On that, Obama stakes his reelection.

Obama Defends Health Care Law: ‘Granny is Safe’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Despite widespread opposition to his health care overhaul, the president doubled-down today and said opponents’ characterizations of the law “just doesn’t match up to the reality.” But recent developments may suggest the exact opposite.

The president delivered his remarks on Friday at the Families USA annual conference in Washington, D.C., a pro-health care reform event.

“You may have heard once or twice this is a job-crushing, granny-threatening, budget-busting monstrosity,” Obama said. “That just doesn’t match up to the reality.”

“I can report that Granny is safe,” he quipped:




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NBA Team Mascot Somehow Dunks Self Through Hoop

(By Glenn Davis, SportsGrid) - The NBA’s Phoenix Suns have a mascot (this guy), as well as a backing team called the Sol Patrol. During breaks in the action this group will come out onto the court to keep the crowd entertained, and often do trick dunks off trampolines, as team mascots are wont to do. At a recent Suns game, one Sol Patrol member did just that. Here’s how it went:

Joe Biden Admits He Loves (Loves!) The Way 'The Onion' Mocks Him


(By Mark Joyella, Mediaite) - “America’s Finest News Source,” 'The Onion', has had a bit of a field day with Vice President Joe Biden. And it’s been that way since day one, when 'The Onion' reported Biden showing up at the inauguration with a long blonde ponytail. Later, writers suggested the vice president had been “quietly singing Pearl Jam’s ‘Even Flow’ during (a) security briefing.”

And then there’s the Trans Am pic, which purports to show a shirtless and tattooed Biden washing his Pontiac. What’s he think of all the attention? “It’s hilarious.”

109 U Pull It Building Destroyed in Huge Fire

Fire caused by employee cutting exhaust pipe from vehicle



WINSTON-SALEM, NC (WGHP) — A fire that destroyed the main building at the 109 U Pull It salvage yard on Thomasville Rd. Friday was caused after an employee cut an exhaust pipe from a vehicle.

Fire crews responded to 3459 Thomasville Rd. shortly after 1 p.m. Owner Robert Young said an employee was cutting an exhaust pipe from under a vehicle which caused a spark and ignited the fire.

The fire quickly spread and 25 employees inside the building were evacuated. Young said the entire building and garage is destroyed. No one was injured.

Young also said "300-400 engines" were lost in the fire.


University Uninvites Bristol Palin Over Too Much ‘Controversy’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Washington University in St. Louis, MO has uninvited Bristol Palin to speak at its annual “Sex Week” because it deemed her appearance had become, and would be, too controversial. But that’s not the decision the university came to when it hosted former green jobs czar Van Jones in November.

Palin was originally invited to talk about the importance of abstinence and, as the student newspaper 'Student Life' says, counteract the liberal bent of the annual event. She was supposed to appear on a panel alongside, among others, a representative from Planned Parenthood.

But some at the university — specifically students — went berserk because Palin is considered too controversial, saying that her presence would overshadow the event itself. They also took umbrage with the approximately $20,000 speaking fee Palin was set to be paid — money that would have been drawn from a student fee fund:




The school did, however, host Van Jones in November.


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Rush Limbaugh Is Not Happy That Time Magazine Is Comparing Obama To Reagan

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - With many praising President Obama’s apparent move to the center and rebounding polling numbers, some, including reporters at Time are favorably comparing Obama to former President Ronald Reagan. However, Rush Limbaugh predictably is not along for the praising Obama ride and clearly thinks the comparison alone tarnishes the legacy of Reagan.

Declaring Reagan and Obama have nothing in common with one another, Limbaugh continued:




“If Reagan were alive today, watching all this, for crying out loud folks – he’d wish he have Alzheimers so he wouldn’t be aware of what’s going on, see what’s been done to his legacy and the great work that he did as President.”
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GOP Reps. Decline To Name Agencies They Would Merge Or Dissolve



(CNSNews.com) - Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) and Rep. Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) responded to questions about parts of Obama's State of the Union Address, including what federal agencies could be merged or dissolved.

Wayne Township superintendent's $1M retirement package creates storm

(IndyStar.com) - In 2007, the Wayne Township School Board and then-Superintendent Terry Thompson agreed to a renegotiated contract that provided a generous retirement package for whenever Thompson decided to step down.

But it wasn't until this month that board members realized just how lucrative that deal was, to the tune of more than $1 million.

Thompson, 64, who retired in December after 15 years with the district, already has received more than $800,000 of his retirement deal, which included a year's base pay at more than $225,000, as well as contract provisions that kicked in hundreds of thousands more.

But that's not all.

Laura Ingraham Tells Bill O’Reilly: Meghan McCain Is A ‘Poor Man’s Ron Reagan’

(By Frances Martel, Mediaite) - If Meghan McCain was looking to put her name in the mouths of pundits for at least the foreseeable end of this news cycle, chalk up one victory to her. Her comment that Rep. Michele Bachmann was little more than a “poor man’s Sarah Palin” fronted 'The O’Reilly Factor' tonight, where guest Laura Ingraham seemed frustrated about having to discuss McCain at all, finally concluding that it was she who was a “poor man’s Ron Reagan.”

Democrats Seek Political Advantage in Rejecting Entitlement Reform

(By John Sexton, Hot Air) - For decades, money collected through Social Security payroll taxes has gone via “securities” into the Treasury’s general fund. From there, the money was spent on all sorts of things including payouts to current retirees. Fortunately, Social Security has always brought in more money than it has paid out.

At least that was the case until this week when it was announced that starting this year (and for perpetuity) Social Security will pay out much more than it takes in. The net cost this year alone is going to be $45 billion, and over the next decade the figure will mount to well over half a trillion dollars.

Looking at the financial state of the union–$14 Trillion in debt, high unemployment, low growth, states facing bankruptcy–you might think Democrats would be getting ready to sit down with Republicans and figure out how to avoid piling on more debt. You would be wrong. Instead, they’ve got their new messaging team figuring out how to turn the issue into a political goldmine:


Senate Democrats led by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are gearing up for a battle with House Republicans over Medicare and Social Security benefits.

Schumer and other Democratic strategists see Medicare and Social Security as winning political issues that can help them regain the momentum they lost over the last two years…

“They want to privatize Social Security,” Schumer said of Republicans. “Privatize equals end, no more.”
You have to admire the brazenness of that line, i.e. privatization equals nothingness. I suspect Hugo Chavez could waft that one into his nose and pronounce the odor it gives off heavenly, but then he is a socialist not a US Senator.

Hawaii Democrats propose new law: $100 to see Obama’s birth records

HONOLULU (By MARK NIESSE, Associated Press) – Hawaii's government would charge $100 for a copy of President Barack Obama's birth records under a bill introduced in the state Legislature by five Democrats.

The bill would change a privacy law barring the release of birth records unless the person requesting them has a tangible interest.

The measure hasn't been scheduled for a public hearing, and it can't move forward unless that happens.

But the idea behind it is to end skepticism over Obama's birthplace while raising a little money for a government with a projected budget deficit exceeding $800 million over the next two years.

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Unscripted: Tracy Morgan Calls Sarah Palin ‘Serious Masturbation Material’

(By Colby Hall, Mediaite) - Actor/comedian Tracy Morgan stars alongside Tina Fey in NBC’s '30 Rock', so when he appeared for a surprise interview before TNT’s telecast of the Miami Heat vs. the NY Knicks game, the question presented to him seemed innocent enough. Co-hosts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley needed someone to settle a disagreement as to who is more attractive: Ms. Fey or former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin . An odd question to be sure, but certainly no odder than the response they received from the unpredictable actor.



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New Tone: Liberal Sen Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) Calls Tea Party Colleagues ‘Crazy People’



"If the people elect these crazy Tea Party people to come in here and they vote to do these wacko things..."
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Chris Matthews Expands Bizarre Obsession With Michele Bachmann To Now Include Sarah Palin Too

(By Matt Schneider, Mediaite) - The most entertaining segment of 'Hardball' the past few nights has been watching host Chris Matthews consistently seethe at the mere mention of the name Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. And with Sarah Palin’s “WTF” moment, she too has re-entered Matthews’ zone of contempt, a place where Matthews seriously serves up an endless supply of eye-catching insults.


Remembering Challenger: NASA Marks 25 Years Since Space Tragedy


An official portrait shows the STS-51L crewmembers. Back row (L to R): Mission Specialist, Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher in Space Participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist, Greg Jarvis and Mission Specialist, Judy Resnik. Front row (L to R): Pilot Mike Smith, Commander, Dick Scobee and Mission Specialist, Ron McNair.

(By Clara Moskowitz, FoxNews.com) - NASA commemorated three space tragedies this week, which also marked the 25th anniversary of the shuttle Challenger accident that killed seven astronauts. The space agency also paused to remember the 2003 loss of the shuttle Columbia and its crew and the earlier Apollo 1 fire that killed three astronauts.

The explosion as seen live on CNN:




Rarely seen home video of the explosion from a different angle:



President Reagan addresses the nation:

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Liberal Radio Host Stephanie Miller: ‘[John] Boehner a Darker Color Than the President’

Door Stuck Open on NY Subway During Commute



(Breitbart.tv) - A passenger captured video of a Metro North train in New York City moving at full speed with a door open.

‘Human Spider’ Scales Hong Kong Skyscraper

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Suspect Jumps From Moving Police Car



(Breitbart.tv) - Utah police released dash cam video Tuesday of a man who jumped out the window of a moving patrol car. The man, Nicholas Duffy, was arrested on outstanding warrants and suspicion of burglary.

Jerry Springer: ‘We Are a Liberal Country’

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Former Democratic politician and shock-show TV host Jerry Springer has a theory as to why liberal talk radio doesn’t do well: it doesn’t matter because “the liberals won.” To support his hypothesis, he says, all you have to do is look at the next generation.

“We have conservative politicians, we give conservative speeches, but on every major issue the liberals have won,” he said on Howard Stern’s radio show Wednesday. “We are a liberal country. You can go into the most conservative neighborhood in America and … talk to their kids, and their kids listen to the same music, talk the same way, dress the same way — culturally we’re liberal.”

“The liberals won, on every issue, on every issue!” he added. And it’s the product of the 60s “protest movement”:


Taco Bell Releases Recipe Percentages to Quell ‘Filler’ Accusations

(By Jonathon M. Seidl, The Blaze) - Taco Bell, the Mexican fast food giant, has responded again to accusations that its beef isn’t really beef. This time, the restaurant fired back by releasing the percentage of ingredients used in its recipe, as well as a detailed explanation about how their meat is prepared. Taco Bell Chef President Greg Creed issued the following statement...

Nancy Pelosi Logs 90,000 Air Force Miles, Asked for 'Chocolate Strawberries'

Watchdog uncovers more extravagances by former House speaker's team

(By Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily) -
Officials at Judicial Watch, the watchdog organization that hunts down and exposes government misbehavior, say they have uncovered more extravagances on the part of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose office apparently told the Air Force members wanted chocolate-covered strawberries for Pelosi's birthday.

Not just any chocolate-covered strawberries, either.

"Dark chocolate preferred," said the instructions to the Air Force, which provided Pelosi with commuting services to and from California while she was Speaker of the House.

Social Security on Pace to be Drained by 2037

Congressional Projections Show Program Will Run Annual Deficits Starting This Year Unless Changes are Made

(AP) -
Social Security's finances are getting worse as the economy struggles to recover and millions of baby boomers stand at the brink of retirement.

New congressional projections show Social Security running deficits every year until its trust funds are eventually drained in about 2037.

This year alone, Social Security is projected to collect $45 billion less in payroll taxes than it pays out in retirement, disability and survivor benefits, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. That figure swells to $130 billion when a new one-year cut in payroll taxes is included, though Congress has promised to repay any lost revenue from the tax cut.

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Medicare Actuary Doubts Health Care Law Will Hold Down Costs

WASHINGTON (FoxNews.com) - Two of the central promises of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law are unlikely to be fulfilled, Medicare's independent economic expert told Congress on Wednesday.

The landmark legislation probably won't hold costs down, and it won't let everybody keep their current health insurance if they like it, Chief Actuary Richard Foster told the House Budget Committee. His office is responsible for independent long-range cost estimates.

Foster's assessment came a day after Obama in his State of the Union message told lawmakers that he's open to improvements in the law, but unwilling to rehash the health care debate of the past two years. Republicans want to repeal the landmark legislation that provides coverage to more than 30 million people now uninsured, but lack the votes.


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Big Brother Love: Jesse Jackson Admits First Lady Michelle Obama is Taking Over Americans’ Diets, Calls For More Massive Gov Takeovers While Liberals Cheer

Obama's Time Cover Transition: From FDR To Reagan

(By Mark Finkelstein, NewsBusters.org) - What a difference a shellacking makes . . .

Just after Barack Obama won the White House in 2008, 'Time' photoshopped him into an iconic FDR photo at the wheel of a convertible, jaunty cigarette-holder in mouth.

Obama was riding high as the champion of the left, the promise and personification of a born-again big-government New Deal. That was then, this is the 9+% unemployment, recent-shellacking now. So with which president does Time now find it in the president's interest to be associated? Why, Ronald Reagan, of course.

The new 'Time' cover, unveiled by 'Time' editor Rick Stengel on 'Morning Joe' today, features a Photoshop of a smiling Obama and Reagan, the Gipper's arm approvingly clapped around PBO's shoulder. The legend: "Why Obama Loves Reagan," [a symbolic heart in place of "loves"].


UC Irvine says fried chicken and waffle dinner on Martin Luther King Jr. Day was insensitive

The meal was served on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the first day of UC Irvine's three-day symposium in honor of the civil rights leader. Student organizations complained that the menu was insensitive.

(By Nate Jackson, Los Angeles Times) -
A last-minute decision to serve fried chicken and waffles at a campus dining hall in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. was a regrettable choice and lacked sensitivity, UC Irvine officials acknowledged Wednesday.

The meal was served at Pippin Commons on Jan. 17, the first day of UC Irvine's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. symposium. The theme of the three-day campus event was "Uniting Our Voice for Change." Past speakers have included Julian Bond, the late Dick Gregory and the late Yolanda King, the civil rights leader's daughter.

The menu and a sign in the dining hall reading "MLK Holiday Special: Chicken and Waffles" were pulled together at the last minute by a chef and other cafeteria staff members, said UC Irvine spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon.

Jimmy Buffett OK After Scary Stage Fall Knocks Him Out

SYDNEY (The Blaze/AP) — U.S. singer Jimmy Buffett left a hospital on Thursday, a day after he fell off a stage at the end of a Sydney concert and was knocked unconscious, Australian television reported.

Buffett departed St. Vincent’s Hospital in inner Sydney via a back entrance to avoid the media after doctors gave him the all-clear on Thursday morning, Ten Network television reported.

Medical staff said the singer had suffered a head injury, but added he was in good spirits and lucky to have recovered so quickly from the fall at Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night.


Mike Evans Now Says He Never Spoke To Hawaii’s Gov. About Obama’s Birth Certificate

(By Alex Alvarez, Mediaite) - Last week, celebrity journalist Mike Evans told KQRS a story we suspected would stir up a bit of attention: that Hawaii governor Neil Abercrombie – who has taken a strong, very public stance against birthers’ claim that President Barack Obama may have not been born in the U.S. and is thus ineligible to be president – confided in him that he could not procure a copy of Obama’s birth certificate.

Now, Evans is telling Fox News that he is “remorseful and embarrassed” that he gave the impression that such a conversation had transpired and is calling his previous statement an “accident”:


Only this I can you tell you is 100 percent fact: that Neil never told me there was no birth certificate. I never talked to him.

I was on 34 radio stations that morning. That was the only station where I said, instead of saying ‘the hospital said there’s no birth certificate’ I misspoke and said Neil said that. I misspoke and I apologize for that. I apologize to Neil.

Harry Reid to Obama: ‘Back Off’ on Earmarks, You’ve ‘Got Enough Power’

(The Blast) - Harry Reid told ABC’s Jonathan Karl President Obama is wrong when it comes to his supposed ‘earmark ban’ promised during his State of the Union address. Reid says he already has enough power- and thinks he’s trying to undercut the power of congress.

“I think it’s taking power away from the legislative branch of government and giving it to the executive branch of government,” Reid said of the president’s plan. “The executive branch of government is powerful enough and I think that I know more about what Nevada needs than some bureaucrat down on K Street”, Reid said.




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TX Tea Party Leader Phillip Dennis Battles Chris Matthews, Defends Michele Bachmann: 'You Fear the Tea Party'

(By Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters.org) - For the second day in a row, MSNBC's Chris Matthews mercilessly attacked Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) while repeatedly referring to her as a "balloon head."

Knowing what he was going to be up against, Texas Tea Party leader Phillip Dennis came prepared for the "Hardball" host's hostility, and at the end of a lengthy segment, marvelously summed up exactly why Matthews and others in the media attack this movement and all of its members saying, "You fear the Tea Party":


Sarah Palin Calls Obama’s Sputnik Mention A ‘WTF Moment’

(By Alex Alvarez, Mediaite) - Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin made her first media appearance since discussing the Tucson shooting with Sean Hannity, this time speaking to Greta Van Susteren about her thoughts on this year’s State of the Union address.

Palin was, of course, disappointed in Barack Obama’s speech, calling his decision to refer to America’s “Sputnik moment” as a “WTF moment.”




He needs to remember what happened back then with the former communist USSR and their victory in that race to space. Yup, they won, but they also incurred so much debt at the time that it resulted in the inevitable collapse of the Soviet Union.
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Meghan McCain: Michele Bachmann a “Poor Man’s Sarah Palin”

(The Blast) - Meghan McCain appeared on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’ Donnell and tried her best to grill Michelle Bachmann by referring to her as a “poor man’s Sarah Palin.”



I think it’s important to note that Michelle Bachmann is not a leader, and she’s not the leader of the Republican party. Michelle Bachmann in my opinion is no better than a poor man’s Sarah Palin and I think the fact that MSNBC and Fox elected not to run this is admirable to the kind of journalism that Fox and MSNBC is airing. I think CNN should be ashamed of themselves for airing this. This is one rogue woman who couldn’t even look into the camera directly. I take none of it seriously, and I think if the Tea Party wants to put a candidate up for a response why don’t they have someone like Rand Paul who was elected on the Tea Party platform give that.
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Congress Will Probe Special Exemptions to Health-Care Law That Obama Administration Gave Select Unions and Businesses, Says Republican Senator

Washington (CNSNews.com) – The Obama administration’s waivers to temporarily exempt certain companies, unions, and charities from rules established by the new health care law are a “perfect example of special interests” having influence in the administration and will be looked into by Congress, Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee told CNSNews.com.

"You’re going to find out that by the president doing that with the secretary of HHS, he violated one of his main principles when he ran for office--and that was that special interests were not going to have an in in his administration,” said Grassley. “And this is a perfect example of special interests having an in in his administration when they get those waivers.”





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Newt Gingrich: Obama’s SOTU ‘Fundamentally Dishonest’



(Breitbart.tv) - Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich appeared on 'The Laura Ingraham Show' to give his analysis of the State of the Union as well as the GOP response.

“What Obama and the Democrats are very cleverly trying to do is say, now that we have run over you for two solid years--in the case of Pelosi, four solid years--now that we’ve gotten everything we want, now that we’ve passed a gigantic health bill that has 1,968 grants of power to bureaucrats and creates 159 new offices, now that we have got everything we want, why don’t we agree to not fight?”

Chaos! PA Lawmakers Meeting Devolves Into Shouting Match

Part 1:



Part 2:



(Breitbart.tv) - It was all going so well in the state House of Representatives. Lawmakers were positioned to vote on several bills Wednesday that would change the way state government in Pennsylvania operates, and then the wheels came off. The rules meeting erupted into a shouting match between Democrats and Republicans, ending with some Democrats throwing things, and storming out of the room. Republicans say Democrats are standing in the way of passing laws to reform government. Democrats say the proposals would disenfranchise them and their constituents.

Obama to Congress: Fix that presidential campaign fund I won’t use


Do as I say, etc.

(By Ed Morrissey, Hot Air) - Two weeks ago, the White House announced that Barack Obama’s re-election campaign would open its doors in March to start raising funds for the 2012 campaign.  Obama intends on raising a billion dollars to win a second term, the Wall Street Journal reports, and that requires an early start.  So today’s message to Congress to fix the public financing system for presidential elections rings a tad bit hollow, to say the least:

The Obama administration issued a statement strongly opposing a House bill that would eliminate the public financing system for presidential primaries and campaigns, arguing the system must be “fixed rather than dismantled.”

Created in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal, the system is intended “to free the nation’s elections from the influence of corporations and other wealthy special interests,” the statement says. “It has done so at minimal cost to taxpayers, who fund it by voluntarily choosing to direct $3 of their federal taxes to this beneficial system.”