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Right to Work

The Union ‘Free-Rider Problem’ Myth in Right-to-Work Debate
The union is the one truly taking advantage of the collective bargaining arrangement

Union Mob Destroys Tent With People Inside
A mob destroyed the Americans For Prosperity tent on the lawn of the Michigan State Capitol during the protest against “Right-To-Work” legislation. While destruction happened, there were people inside the tent and some in the crowd that were armed with knives.

Democrats threaten violence on Michigan House floor
“There will be blood,” State Representative Douglas Geiss threatened from the floor of the Michigan House of Representatives today as the body debated legislation that would make Michigan the nation’s 24th right to work state.

Hoffa predicts ‘civil war’ in Michigan
Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said Tuesday he expects Michigan unions and lawmakers to break out into “civil war” after the state legislature passed right-to-work bills that would weaken unions’ power.

The Naked Face Of Leftism: Thug America

Michigan Fight Symbolizes Coming Changes in Delegation
Michigan once served as a national bastion for organized labor, economic prosperity and moderate Republicans. Not anymore.

Unions eye gubernatorial elections for payback
How will the labor movement rebound from two years of defeats in what had been home turf for unionism?

Union Goons Destroyed Man’s Hot Dog Cart While Calling Him ‘N*gger’ and ‘Uncle Tom’

Hide the Decline

Environment &
“Green Energy”

Doha Wrap-up
Steve Hayward has done an admirable job of covering (i.e., ridiculing) the latest United Nations climate hysteria-fest in Doha, Qatar. The global warming phenomenon is all about money–Al Gore making off with a hundred million dollars, hundreds of scientists who are willing to abandon the scientific method raking in many billions in government funding, poor nations demanding vast amounts of money to “compensate” them for the world’s allegedly warming climate. So these international conferences have become a ritualized dance in which the world’s poor countries demand money, and the rich countries humor them and make vague promises without actually coming across with the cash. That is what went on in Doha.

Mann -vs- NRO legal battle, heating up

Californians could face ‘double taxation’ with state, federal carbon taxes
Last month, environmentalists cheered as California launched a cap-and-trade program, but talks of a federal carbon tax raised concerns about double taxation.

The Forcing Conundrum
For all of its faults, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) lays out their idea of the climate paradigm pretty clearly. A fundamental part of this paradigm is that the long-term change in global average surface temperature is a linear function of the long-term change in what is called the “radiative forcing”. Today I found myself contemplating the concept of radiative forcing, usually referred to just as “forcing”.

IPCC AR5 draft leaked, contains game-changing admission of enhanced solar forcing – as well as a lack of warming to match model projections, and reversal on ‘extreme weather’

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes up to 20%
In filings with state regulators, Blue Shield is seeking an average rate increase of 12% for more than 300,000 customers. Consumer advocates say the firm should use its reserves to hold down rates.

26 States Decline ObamaCare Exchange; ‘Administrative Nightmare’ Seen
The federal government will likely be involved in running the ObamaCare exchange in at least 30 states, 26 of which expressly declined to establish state exchanges. One health-policy expert refers to it as an “administrative nightmare” for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Obamacare and My Daughter
“In two years, the surgery will cease to be available for the insured due to Obamacare.”

US Backs UN Measure for Universal Health Coverage
The UN has drafted a resolution that calls for universal health coverage, and unsurprisingly, the Obama Administration has backed it wholeheartedly.

American health care is in a bureaucratic death grip.
http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/335709/doctor-won-t-see-you-now-mark-steyn

War & Terror

Syrian Rebels Now Have a Tank Powered by a Playstation Controller
As Syria’s rebels work to overthrow the tank-equipped Assad regime, they’ve learned that it helps to have tanks of their own. They deserve bonus points for integrating video game technology. This is no exaggeration. Have a look at the opposition forces’ “100 percent made in Syria” armored vehicle, the Sham II.

Apologists Write New Army Handbook – DISASTER!
Holy s#!t, this is not good…sent by a soldier high up in a major combat HQ…you are going to be very angry about this:
The US Army has drafted a new handbook on how to interact with our Afghan counterparts while in country. The proposed Army handbook suggests that Western ignorance of Afghan culture, not Taliban infiltration, has helped drive the recent spike in deadly attacks by Afghan soldiers against the coalition forces.

Syria Fires Scud Missiles at Insurgents, U.S. Says
Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have fired Scud missiles at rebel fighters in recent days, Obama administration officials said on Wednesday.

U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens
Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal. Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime.

Russia Reveals Its Weakness in Syria
Is Russia finally giving up on Assad? It certainly seems like it.

National

Former tea party leader blames GOP for setbacks
The Republican Party and stupid statements by some candidates are to blame for GOP losses in last month’s congressional elections, the former leader of a tea party group said Monday.

Booker: I’m “absolutely” considering a NJ gubernatorial run
The Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races are going to get a lot of attention in 2013, as they’re the only major elections going on in the post-presidential year; the Virginia race has been solidifying over the past few weeks, and the New Jersey race is going to hinge on whether or not Newark Mayor Cory Booker decides to challenge Chris Christie for the state’s governorship.

Obama Campaign — Yes, You Read that Right — Launches Capitol Call Program Against Republicans in Fiscal Cliff Standoff
By federal law, the Obama-Biden campaign is supposed to disband. But it shows no signs of disbanding, and is instead launching a whole new campaign. In an email sent out today and signed by Obama campaign deputy manager Stephanie Cutter, Obama-Biden is urging supporters to flood the capitol switchboard in Washington with calls to Republican congressman. Callers are urged to pressure GOPers into caving to the president’s demand for higher taxes. Cutter casts the debate disingenuously, as the president defending tax cuts for the middle class while Republicans would be making a “conscious choice” to hike those taxes in defense of tax cuts for “the wealthy.”

Newark Mayor Cory Booker demands “National Food Justice”

California’s Population Is Moving Out, Census Report Shows
More people are moving out of the state than into the state, a new Census report shows.

Appeals court overturns Illinois concealed carry law in gun rights victory
In a huge win for gun-rights groups, a federal appeals court in Chicago Tuesday tossed the state’s ban on carrying concealed weapons and gave Illinois’ Legislature 180 days to craft a law legalizing concealed carry.

Only 7% of Detroit Public-School 8th Graders Proficient in Reading
In the public schools in Detroit, Mich., according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 7 percent of the eighth graders are grade-level proficient or better in reading.

Bill Ayers: Leftist can use schools to promote their radical agenda
Terrorist turned teacher Bill Ayers appeared at a recent Big Apple gathering of “Change the Stakes,” an anti-testing group comprised mostly of teachers and parents. At least two employees of the New York City Board of Education were there as well.

School District Owes $1 Billion On $100 Million Loan
More than 200 school districts across California are taking a second look at the high price of the debt they’ve taken on using risky financial arrangements. Collectively, the districts have borrowed billions in loans that defer payments for years — leaving many districts owing far more than they borrowed.

Environmentally Safe Refrigerant Can Blow Up And Poison You If You Aren’t Dead Already
HFO-1234yf is a refrigerant that is becoming an industry standard in Europe. Thanks to incentives offered by the Environmental Protection Agency, the refrigerant is likely to be rolled out widely in the United States as well. Honeywell and partner Dupont have a monopoly on the stuff. It also can kill you in more ways than one.

US says it won’t ratify UN telecom treaty
The United States said Thursday that it will not sign a United Nations telecommunications treaty that U.S. technology companies warn would disrupt governance of the Internet and open the door to online censorship.

Strip Search Of 10-Year-Old Prompts Complaint Against Elementary School
The parents of a 10-year old Union elementary school student have filed a complaint against the school for strip-searching their son to find an allegedly stolen $20 bill.

Saturday Night Card Game (Color blindness is the new racism)

Connecticut school shooting: Westboro Baptist Church planning to picket
Their Tweeted declaration

Obama to nominate Kerry for secretary of State
President Obama has decided to nominate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as the next secretary of State, according to news reports.

Do civilians armed with guns ever capture, kill, or otherwise stop mass shooters?
Backers of laws that let pretty much all law-abiding carry concealed guns in public places often argue that these laws will sometimes enable people to stop mass shootings. Opponents occasionally ask: If that’s so, what examples can one give of civilians armed with guns stopping such shootings? Sometimes, I hear people asking if even one such example can be found, or saying that they haven’t heard even one such example.

Senate intern, a sex offender, faces deportation
Sen. Robert Menendez employed as an unpaid intern in his Senate office an illegal immigrant who was a registered sex offender, now under arrest by immigration authorities, The Associated Press has learned. The Homeland Security Department instructed federal agents not to arrest him until after Election Day

Rep Huelskamp: Boehner Could Be Dumped
Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), a victim of Speaker John Boehner’s purge of conservatives from leadership positions in the House, said there’s definitely a possibility, depending on what happens during these fiscal cliff negotiations, that enough conservative members of the House rise up against Speaker Boehner.

Men in tights: how ‘meggings’ are taking fashion by storm
Men’s tights, for so long the preserve of ballet dancers and runway models, are taking Manhattan by storm and could soon be seen on the street of Britain.

California Department of Education fights school district for daring to spend money on children’s education.

Martin to be seated in Assembly after all
Although a judge ruled that newly elected District 9 Assemblyman Andrew Martin does not live in his Las Vegas district, the Democrat will take his seat on Feb. 4 without any further challenges from Republicans.

Belafonte on GOP: Obama Needs To “Work Like A 3rd World Dictator & Just Put All These Guys In Jail”

How To Make Beer [Infographic]

SEIU organizer committed voter fraud in 2011 Wisconsin Supreme Court election
Prosecutors believe a Service Employees International Union (SEIU) organizer fraudulently voted in a 2011 election in Wisconsin, according to documents provided to the Daily Caller by the Wisconsin-based government watchdog group Media Trackers.

Economy
& Taxes

America’s unsustainable spending in three charts
If a picture is worth a thousand words, these three charts should clearly show how unsustainable federal spending is.

Indicators: Consumer spending not looking too good
At first glance, last week’s release of the monthly jobs report may have appeared to be good news — the unemployment rate technically fell to a recent low of 7.7 percent. Upon closer inspection, however, labor force participation also dropped as Americans continued to exit the work force, and that’s not the only economic indicator going south.

Majority Doesn’t “Have A Right To Steal My Money Just Because They Voted For It”

Beyond the Laffer Curve (A New Approach)

Election over, administration unleashes new rules
While the “fiscal cliff” of looming tax increases and spending cuts dominates political conversation in Washington, some Republicans and business groups see signs of a “regulatory cliff” that they say could be just as damaging to the economy.

Boehner Offers Tax Hike to Obama on Fiscal Cliff
Late Saturday evening, a source from the White House said the Speaker of the House John Boehner had put tax rate hikes on the table in fiscal cliff negotiations. The White House promptly rejected the offer, since Boehner also wanted entitlement reform as a compromise. But the announcement is likely to exacerbate the war within the Republican Party with regard to tax policy in the run-up to the fiscal cliff.

The municipal bond tax loophole — low-hanging fiscal fruit
Peter Schweizer proposes a tax increase that will raise $124.4 billion over the next ten years. He wants to eliminate the tax-exempt interest on municipal bonds for upper income Americans and, with respect to newly issued municipal bonds, eliminate it for all Americans regardless of income. According to Schweitzer, this move would produce $124.4 billion over the next ten years.

Why The Hot Sauce Industry Is The New Craft Beer Industry

International

Europe Frets over Italy’s Return to Political Chaos
Voices across Europe warned on Monday that the euro crisis could return to Italy after the resignation announcement by Prime Minister Mario Monti was followed by news that his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi would attempt a comeback. Italy must stick to its economic reforms, critics say.

U.K.: Shale gas might just rescue our economy – but not if the EU gets its way
One of the reasons that the language in which you’re reading these words is the most widespread on Earth is that Great Britain happened to be rich in coal deposits. There were plenty of other places that might have industrialised first, from the Netherlands to China. The good fortune of our eighteenth century ancestors was that, just when they needed it, they stumbled upon a cheap source of energy. Coal powered the new mills, releasing millions of employees to do different work and creating a massive consumer class. Britain became the greatest nation in the world.

Human Rights Abuser to Lead UN Human Rights Council
Monday saw the election of Mauritania to the position of vice president of the UN Human Rights Council. That’s the same Mauritania, mind you, with almost a million of its own people in chattel slavery. We’re sure that the council’s president-elect, Poland, is looking forward to working with its honorable new partner.

Savile had set of Broadmoor keys: As scandal grows, how sick star had access to mentally ill patients
Gold-plated keys to high-security mental hospital was presented to him
NHS chiefs under mounting pressure to start inquiry into Savile’s access
Predatory paedophile was given bedrooms or an office at three hospitals
Psychiatric nurse said one patient was ‘repeatedly raped’ by Savile

Alleged victim described star as ‘very forceful’ and ‘treated her like an animal’

Knife-wielding man injures 22 children in China
A knife-wielding man slashed 22 children and an adult at an elementary school in central China on Friday, state media reported, the latest in a series of attacks on schoolchildren in the country.

Opinion

James Payne on Six Political Illusions

Barone: Soul-crushing dependency
“This is painful for a liberal to admit,” writes liberal New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, “but conservatives have a point when they suggest that America’s safety net can sometimes entangle people in soul-crushing dependency.”

Michigan Seems Like a Dream to Me Now
I write from Great Britain, where I am holed up in Bristol pondering the size, shape, and character of a great mercantile city that Edmund Burke once represented in Parliament. When, however, I am not speaking to a conference about ancient and modern constitutionalism or admiring the beauty of this metropolis and its surroundings, I am thinking about Michigan — where, last week, the Republicans in the legislature passed right-to-work legislation, which Governor Rick Snyder is poised to sign into law this week.

The Illustrated Road to Serfdom

I wouldn’t want to belong to an “international community” that would have me as a member
The word community has been devalued. Once upon a time it meant something specifically geographic—not unlike neighborhood—as in, “We live in a really nice little community.”

People don’t stop killers. People with guns do
On Monday, as the news of the Virginia Tech shootings was unfolding, I went into my advanced constitutional law seminar to find one of my students upset. My student, Tara Wyllie, has a permit to carry a gun in Tennessee, but she isn’t allowed to have a weapon on campus. That left her feeling unsafe. “Why couldn’t we meet off campus today?” she asked.