Say Anything Blog

I’m a firm believer in the Canadian model of healthcare and I like nothing better than a good game of curling.

-Teddy Roosevelt

Gosh...who knew?

Larry Kudlow:

Since taking the chief Fed job last February, Chairman (Ben) Bernanke has stopped the inflationary fevers and laid the groundwork for what is virtually a runaway bull market in stocks.

Averages across-the-board are now moving toward all time highs: Dow, transports, utilities, the small cap Russell 2000, the NYSE index, and D-J Wilshire 5000. Inside the indexes the story is the same: commodities, cyclicals, defense, machinery, and construction all hitting all-time highs. The depth, breadth, and resiliency of this rally is remarkable…

Record wealth is now being created among a hundred million plus investors in the U.S., including union and public employee pension fund holders who are 60 percent invested in the Bernanke bull market. This, even though they rail against stock market wealth and business in general, and still don’t get it that their retirement wealth bread is being buttered by the fabulous expansion of the portfolio value of the ownership society…

Does anybody remember that President George W. Bush appointed Mr. Bernanke? And that Mr. Bush’s record low tax rates on capital have promoted strong economic growth?. The availability of more goods and services makes the existing money supply less inflationary.

In his brief tenure, Mr. Bernanke has mopped up this excess liquidity and reduced inflation expectations. Meanwhile, low tax rates are counter-inflationary. So, a combination of strong economic growth and newfound monetary control are working together for the betterment of investors, workers, businesses, and federal finances. The supply-side model is very much in place right now.

Nine People Shot in less than Seven Hours

12:38 PM CST on Friday, February 16, 2007.

Six people were shot inside a Mid-City nightclub Friday morning just hours after a triple shooting in Bywater....

Just hours before, a triple shooting in the Bywater area left two people dead....

Mayor Ray Nagin was also at the crime scene Thursday night and issued the following statement on the murders:

“Last month, I stated that one murder is too many in our community, our fragile city that is still on the journey to recovery.  Tonight, I am deeply saddened that our young people continue dying in our streets.

“As I continue to work to address the systemic problems that have plagued our criminal justice system for decades, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of addressing educational and social problems that have plague our community for just as long.

“I commend the clergy for stepping up and working with the city to help our youth find a way out of a life of crime.  We must all work together and unify as a community to save our children from violence.”

This is exactly why we don’t trust liberals on law enforcement and national security.  Apparently, “last month, one murder [was] too many in our community”.  This month the mayor is “deeply saddened”.  So what is he going to do about it?  He intends to fix the “criminal justice system” and address “educational and social problems”.  New Orleans, don’t expect crime to decrease anytime soon.

Is this over confidence? I found this over on a Democratic Blog. I think the Dems are getting way too Giddy Over Confidence from the Rothernberg Report

By Stuart Rothenberg

Democrats probably don’t have to worry about losing their Senate majority in 2008, but that doesn’t mean next year’s elections aren’t crucial for them.

A strong ’08 could put the party in sight of a 60-seat majority in 2010, and that filibuster-proof majority would change the rules of the game on Capitol Hill.

Last year, Democrats won a stunning 24 of 33 races, which means over the next two Senate cycles they will need to win another 36 seats, out of the 67 that will be up, to give them the magic number of 60. Given the small Democratic classes next year (12) and in 2010 (15), and the fact that Republicans will be defending a total of 40 seats over the two cycles, it’s certainly possible that Democrats can net nine seats to get to 60.

Sixty-seat majorities are possible only when a party has a mega-year that produces a huge class. The Republicans did that in 2002 and put themselves in reach of 60 seats with a good 2004. But last year was a disaster, and now it is the Democrats who have a mathematical chance to hit the all-important 60-seat mark. But first, they must build on their numbers next year.

Five or six of the GOP’s 21 Senate seats up next year already look to be at some risk, and that number could grow if there are key retirements and if President Bush’s problems continue to drag down Republican Party numbers.

This should be enough to bring Republicans out to vote force. If the Defeatocrats can manage to steal 60 senate seats our life as we know it now will change for the worse, maybe forever. With 60 democrats in the Senate you can Kiss Good Bye 1.) The Second Amendment 2.) Welcome gay marriage, and San Fran-sicko values. 3.) With the Dems come over taxation and that will finally kill the economy the dems have been talking down for years. 4.) With the Democrats we know how they despise the Military so you will essentially have no national defense any more. 5.) Marijuana will become legal, college professor nation wide will be happy. 6.) Illegal Aliens will be given a free pass, welcome to America, of course legal citizen will have to pay for these free loading leaches.  Further strapping social services in our country.  6.) 50 Percent of your income will be gone to pay for the free loaders. 7.) With over taxation of the wealthy, aka the business owners of American companies will go over seas to get away from paying the extreme confiscation of wealth, basically causing massive unemployment and a depression.

House Passes Resolution Opposing Bush’s Plan to Send More Troops to Iraq

As far as I’m concerned, the following Republicans had better not make it through their next primary election:

Castle

Coble

Davis, Tom

Duncan

English (PA)

Gilchrest

Inglis (SC)

Johnson (IL)

Jones (NC)

Keller

Kirk

LaTourette

Paul

Petri

Ramstad

Upton

Walsh (NY)

I may have missed some. The whole Roman/Italics is a bit hard to discern. They should have just color coded them: Republicans who voted Yea should be yellow.

I was also glad to see a couple of Democrats on the side of the troops and their commander, Petraeus who requested the surge.
Petraeus Supports Troop Increase in Confirmation Hearing

Two weeks ago, in a Readers Post entitled “Rightwing Blackout On The Libby Trial?” Puzzlefeet wrote piously,

The news is interesting and not going well for Libby so far…Since no right wing blogs are writing on this I will try to keep you all updated.

Well, since that bit of partisan arrogance, we’ve heard absolutely nothing from her, or anyone significant on the Left, about the Libby trial. Perhaps it’s a conspiracy of silence?

Anyway, for those others who couldn’t count on her promise to keep us all updated, here’s what’s happened:

Both the prosecution and the defense have rested their respective cases. Andrea Mitchell, who had said publicly that everyone knew about Valerie, now denies that even she knew. She and the prosecution, with some assistance from the NBC legal department, were successful in keeping the defense from having her testify. FBI Agent Bond, who first interviewed Libby, couldn’t remember the details of the interview, but did reveal that she had not taped or otherwise recorded the interview, but had to rely instead on her handwritten notes. She then admitted that her notes were not accurate, and that she had not included some significant details, such as the fact that both Libby and his lawyer had asked her to include that he (Libby) didn’t recall all the details about which she asked, and requested his own notes on several conversations be included. (Presumably his notes, and memory were no worse than hers.)

Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, had apparently told nearly everyone, including Andrea Mitchell, about Valerie Plame and CIA. Bob Woodward said he had discussions with Walter Pincus about Valerie Plame, but Pincus denies that those conversations took place. Pincus testified that Ari Fleischer told him about Valerie, but Ari Fleischer denied that those conversations took place. Fleischer testified that he told John Dickerson about Valerie, but Dickerson denies it. Fleischer also said he told NBC’s David Gregory about Valerie, but Gregory’s boss, Tim Russert, denies this.

(Confused yet?)

Russert told the FBI in an affidavit that he may well have talked to Libby about Plame although he wasn't sure just when, but later he (Russert) said he couldn’t remember whether or not he had. Meanwhile, the prosecution is strangely unable to find the notes on FBI Agent Eckenrod’s interview with NBC’s Tim Russert, who had earlier indicated that he had not cooperated at all with the FBI and the prosecution. FBI Agent Bond, who worked under the supervision of Eckenrode, acknowledged under cross examination that his (Eckenrode’s) notes of the Libby interview differed substantially from her own.

Wilson was documented to have lied, as two memos which had not been made available to the Senate Select Committee were introduced by the defense. Together DX66.2 and DX 66.3 showed that the process of selecting Joe Wilson for the 2002 trip to Niger, at the suggestion of Valerie Plame, was under way the day before the briefing of VP Dick Cheney and before he,Cheney, had inquired about Niger and yellowcake.

Finally, we know that Bill Harlow, the former CIA spokesman who purportedly confirmed Valerie Plame’s CIA employment to Bob Novak, is now a paid consultant for NBC News. Whew!

Of course, it may well be that Libby will be convicted. Juries are tricky. Just ask Marsha Clark or Chris Darden. But with everyone from the FBI supervising agent right on down the line, unable to recall what was said, when, and to whom, anything less than an acquittal would be a complete travesty.

Clearly Prosecutor Fitzgerald has raised more questions than he answered, and has done a pretty lousy job presenting his “case” against Scooter Libby.

Just when you thought Nancy Pelosi’s dog and pony show in Washington couldn’t get any better, it just did. This from the Washington Post:

Rep. Jefferson Gets Seat on Homeland Security

Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who’s facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.

The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn’t yet official.

Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.

But the move by Pelosi, who was still minority leader at the time, infuriated members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who said Jefferson shouldn’t be punished unless he is indicted; federal prosecutors have yet to bring an indictment, despite an FBI raid 18 months ago on his home that yielded $90,000 in cash in his freezer.

Other lawmakers were angling for the seat on Homeland Security, which was the last slot available on the panel, according to another Democratic aide.

The committee oversees the Homeland Security Department and its web of agencies designed to protect against terrorism on U.S. soil.

The committee has oversight of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was widely panned for its response to Hurricane Katrina in Jefferson’s hometown of New Orleans.

As a member of the committee, Jefferson will not have direct oversight of the FBI or the Justice Department.

A former Jefferson aide has already pleaded guilty to corruption in the ongoing investigation, as has a businessman who alleged in his plea agreement that he bribed Jefferson in order to win contracts with African nations.

When most committee assignments were given out two months ago, Jefferson was assigned a spot on the Small Business Committee, generally considered one of the least sought after panels.

Is this the freakin’ Twilight Zone? What in the name of the wide wide world of sports are these people thinking?

I’m sure glad Pelosi is draining that swamp of corruption she shrieked about. I feel better now, don’t you?

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!

Once again, the cowardly Earl Pomeroy shows that he’s more devoted to trying to defeat Republicans than he is to defeating America’s enemies. While many on his side were calling for an increase in troop levels a while back to criticize the President, now they’re doing the opposite. But we shouldn’t be surprised.

You see, the cowardly Representative Pomeroy has always been clear on where he stands on this issue. As I pointed out in this post a while back, he voted against House Resolution 861 less than 24 hours before showing up at the funeral of a fallen Bismarck soldier, where he proudly looked all patriotic. This two-faced, cowardly liar had the nerve to wave and greet North Dakota soldiers and those there to support them less than a day after voting against a resolution supporting victory in the War on Terrorism.

The troop surge makes sense: let the rest of the soldiers in place in Iraq continue their operations as usual, while bringing in a force designed and deployed to root out the insurgency. But if we do that, then we don’t enable the Democrat party mouthpieces to cry “Civil War! Civil War!” But the fact of the matter is, they’re merely using this war as a means to attack Republicans here at home. That’s so cowardly, apparently Earl needed to be deployed back to Washington from ND to carry the mantle for the Democrats. He’s doing a bang-up job.

I’ve covered the text of the House Resolution in this post so I won’t get into it again. Let it suffice to say that I’m not surprised to see cowardly Earl taking his five minutes to bravely stand the Democrat party line, trying to insure that our fighting men and women are not given the resources they require, hoping eagerly for a defeat to hang around the neck of a Republican president while paying for it with the blood of American soldiers. Way to go, Earl...you make me sick.

Hot Air has a post about a documentary on the 2nd amendment.  I’d like to see it and then post a review, but for now you’ll have to settle for links to other reviews.  If someone has more time than me and want to watch it and review it first, that’s fine by me.
Website
Amazon DVD reviews

I’d like to point out to those African Americans who buy into the racist stereotype that Republicans are bigots who don’t represent anybody but the white guy:

There will NEVER be a black Democrat who will be the first black US Senator, first black US Representative, first black American to preside over a session over the US Senate, first black National Security Advisor, first black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, first (or second) black Secretary of State, or the first black Supreme Court justice.  That’s right, those milestones have all been accomplished by black Republicans.

In fact, the first black US Senator and US Representative were elected to Congress in 1870s, long before the Democrats stuffed their white hoods in the dumpster and finally quit voting against civil rights legislation.

With all these Obamagasms going on, I just thought I would clarify that the stereotype of the Republican party as a white party is hogwash.  While the Democrats talk a pretty tough game when it comes to racism, the Republicans have been quietly electing African Americans to political office for over 130 years.

But I thought taxes were a good thing! to help poor people!

Feb. 14, 2007 — U2, the Rolling Stones, movie stars, sports figures and a host of corporations have turned to an unlikely accountant, the Netherlands, to help them avoid paying taxes on multimillion dollar profits in their home countries.

Bands like the Rolling Stones and U2 were publicly outed last summer for using tax shelters in the Netherlands to protect the millions they earn on royalties from getting taxed in their respective home countries.

"So every time their song is played on the radio, or they sell an album, royalties are paid to their Dutch company, which allows them to collect millions of dollars in royalties tax-free and lowers the profits they're paying taxes on in their home countries,"

By ASWINI ANBURAJAN

read the whole story at:

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=2874992&page=1

Ah… The sweet, sweet, smell of democracy in action.  Democratic Party style.

February 15, 2007—Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign reached a deal to pay a key South Carolina black leader’s consulting firm more than $200,000 just days before he agreed to endorse her run for president, it was revealed yesterday.

The arrangement involves South Carolina state Sen. Darrell Jackson, a well-connected African-American leader and pastor whose support is coveted by national campaigns.

Jackson confirmed to The Post yesterday that his public-relations firm struck a deal with the Clinton campaign just days ago for a contract worth up to $10,000 a month through the 2008 elections.

Jackson had also been in talks with Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign about endorsing him and entering into a consulting contract for more than $5,000, sources said - raising questions about whether Jackson’s endorsement was bought by a higher bidder.

Jackson acknowledged that his financial dealings with the Clinton camp should have been mentioned on Tuesday, when his support for the Democratic front-runner was revealed by a South Carolina colleague.

But Jackson balked at suggestions that his political support for sale.

This is a quote from Peter Shiff’s weekly column.

On Tuesday of this week we learned that in 2006 Americans racked up a record $763.6 Billion trade deficit, and that two Australian mining firms, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, were each contemplating $40 billion bids for U.S. aluminum giant Alcoa.  Not only did Wall Street and the media fail to grasp the negative significance of each story, but they also failed to see the strong connection between the two.

By running huge trade deficits, Americans are literally selling cows to buy milk.  Alcoa is just the latest heifer headed for the auction block.  In other words, because we do not trade enough domestically manufactured consumer goods for those we import, we are making up the difference with our assets instead.  To the extent that foreigners are tiring of buying more Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities, they are casting their eyes on industrial assets.  Last year’s trade deficit alone provided foreigners with enough dollars to buy twenty Alcoa’s.

Many Americas do not see the downside of such a transfer.  In fact, they might even see it as a benefit, as shares of Alcoa would likely rise sharply.  However, in exchange for losing one of the world’s preeminent mining companies to Australia, Americans would only be compensated by the return of their paper dollars. Future profits that would have been earned by Americans will now be earned by Australians instead.

We have seen this type of action in the past the UAE trying to buy some east coast ports and the Chinese trying to buy an oil company.  If the government steps in and stops this sale from going through like the others foreign governments will no longer be as willing to hold our dollars let alone extend the 2 billion dollars that we require daily to keep our economy going.

Parents of Stillborn Babies Push for Recognition

Parents in a number of states around the nation are fighting for what they see as recognition of their stillborn babies. They want the state to issue birth certificates for their babies instead of fetal death certificates. A few states have complied.

Fourteen states have already passed Missing Angel legislation allowing the issue of birth certificates for still born babies. You can go here to find out about your state’s status on this matter.

Abortion rights groups (the story specifically mentions the National Organization of Women) are concerned that this could lead to an erosion of abortion rights. The MISS Foundation which sponsors the missing angels legislation push addresses this in the FAQ section:

Q: Everyone who I talk to about this seems to want to bring “abortion” into this issue – what’s up with that? Why do they do that – and how can I get them to understand that “abortion” isn’t what it’s all about?

The arena of women’s rights and the protection of them thereof, precipitate painful verbal and political battles between legislative parties. It is very important to be clear when discussing with legislators that your personal opinion on abortion has no influence on this issue. Stillbirth is the death of a child as a result of natural causes. By definition, stillbirth excludes induced abortion.

I have to admit that I was annoyed that abortion was linked to this issue but not surprised. Thinking of aborted babies as people is clearly something that an abortion rights group would wish to avoid.

Any recognition of on unborn child as an entity deserving of any form of recognition or protection by the government brings us one step closer to the demise of abortion on demand. It raises some sticky questions. When do we become persons with rights and protections under the law? Where do we draw the line? Why? What are we before that point? What about it suddenly makes us persons with rights?

I don’t think preserving abortion rights is a good enough reason to deny grieving mothers recognition of the life and death of their children.

Sam of Uncle Sam’s Cabin.

Working from home today, I was surfing by CNN, when I stopped for video of a big Fed-Ex truck playing freeway ballerina on the ice near Cincinnati. Before I moved on, Christiane Amanpour came on with a report on Iran. Her video was stunning! She showed video of Iranian troops goose-stepping on parade!

What is the fascination of tyrants with the goose step? It was like watching video of the old Nazi regime. Any military historians have the answer for this?