News of the Week for Dec. 2nd, 2012
Hide the Decline
Environment &
“Green Energy”
Greenest Government Ever: A Third Of British Families Ration Fuel
Soaring fuel bills are leading to acute power rationing among many families as one in four say they are skipping meals to meet fuel costs. The “heat or eat” dilemma is becoming one of the most toxic issues for the coalition as it battles to convince the public it is on their side when it comes to curbing the power of the energy giants.
America Leads World in Energy Revolution
The U.S. is already reaping the benefits of new energy extraction techniques, but other gas-rich nations are having trouble achieving similar results.
Fmr. Thatcher advisor Lord Monckton evicted from UN climate summit after challenging global warming — ‘Escorted from the hall and security officers stripped him of his UN credentials’
Monckton to UN: ‘In the 16 years we have been coming to these conferences, there has been no global warming’
Calls to ‘deport Monckton’ from UN conference in Qatar
Monckton on his smashing the U.N. wall of silence on lack of warming, and censure
From Christopher Monckton of Brenchley in Doha, Qatar
I have been a bad boy. At the U.N. climate conference in Doha, I addressed a plenary session of national negotiating delegates though only accredited as an observer.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
Senior MP Ann Clwyd says her husband ‘died like a battery hen’ in hospital
A senior MP has given a harrowing account of her dying husband’s poor treatment in hospital, saying: “He died like a battery hen.”
War & Terror
Syria Moves Its Chemical Weapons, and U.S. and Allies Cautiously Take Note
The Syrian military’s movement of chemical weapons in recent days has prompted the United States and several allies to repeat their warning to President Bashar al-Assad that he would be “held accountable” if his forces used the weapons against the rebels fighting his government.
Syria loads chemical weapons into bombs; military awaits Assad’s order
The Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
National
J.C. Watts mulls bid for RNC chair
After the shocking loss in the November election, Republicans are once again considering whether to change leadership at the top. Reince Priebus wants a second term as RNC chair and still has considerable support for another go, but apparently some committee members have begun recruiting alternative candidates, among them former Congressman J.C. Watts.
The Mangling of American History
The evolution of the historical profession in the United States in the last fifty years provides much reason for celebration. It provides even more reason for unhappiness and dread. Never before has the profession seemed so intellectually vibrant. An unprecedented amount of scholarship and teaching is being devoted to regions outside of the traditional American concentration on itself and Europe. New subjects of enquiry — gender, race and ethnicity — have developed. Never have historians been so influenced by the methodology and contributions of other disciplines, from anthropology to sociology.
Construction crew forced to stop work at Ohio college over “Men Working” sign
There is a line where political correctness crosses over from annoying to just plain stupid.
Detroit councilwoman to Obama: We voted for you, now bail us out
The city of Detroit faces a major financial crisis and one member of city council thinks President Barack Obama should step in and help.
Exposed! Chicago Teachers Union VP Caught At Marxist Revolutionary Conference
Jesse Sharkey, Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union, was recently discovered participating in a Midwest Marxist Conference. The secretive conference was held solely for radical supporters of Marxism and anyone deemed to “not be a Communist” was removed from attendance.
Obama and Your Child’s Mind
Why does President Obama want your child to read “Executive Order 13423: Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management” in school? It’s not the business of a president to shape your local school’s reading assignments. The Constitution and several federal laws prohibit it. Yet by conditioning federal education aid and regulatory waivers on state acceptance of the “Common Core,” Obama has managed to manipulate the states into adopting what is fast becoming a de facto national K–12 curriculum.
Unions and the Facts on Right to Work
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinions,” Daniel Patrick Moynihan once quipped, “but they are not entitled to their own facts.” That especially applies to the right-to-work debate now underway in Michigan. The chief union argument against right-to-work is untrue.
Red Eye Blasts PSY: If ‘He Had Been Rapping Against Gay Marriage, There Would Be No Forgiveness’
Federal District Judge Enjoins California’s Law Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy
California’s SB 1172, slated to become effective January 1 and prohibiting licensed therapists from performing what is known variously as sexual conversion therapy, reparative therapy, or sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) on minors under the age of 18. Senior District Judge William Shubb, in an opinion issued late yesterday in Welch v. Brown, has issued a temporary injunction of the statute.
To What Lengths Did Someone Go to Scapegoat George Zimmerman?
The “new” photo of George Zimmerman raises some very disturbing issues. Take a look at the black and white version of the photo, which the Florida prosecutor gave to the defense as part of the discovery process shortly after his altercation with Trayvon Martin.
SoCal Port Strike Costing $1 Billion Per Day As Union Clerks Turn Down $190,000 Offer
Among the nation’s shrinking union population, the unionized office workers at Southern California’s ports make more than most actors in the Screen Actors Guild. They make more than union construction workers, truck drivers, school teachers, cops, fire fighters, and just about any other unionized profession you can think of (with the possible exception of sports players).
Conservative groups rebel against John Boehner
Several prominent conservative organizations lashed out against a pair of decisions by Speaker John Boehner’s leadership team as House Republicans saw their tightly held grip on the right loosen a bit on Monday.
The Members Behind the Purge of Conservatives
Yesterday, we noted that not only did House leadership select moderates to fill vacant spots on the top congressional committees, they made the unprecedented decision to banish conservatives already sitting on some important committees. All of the decisions related to committee assignments are decided by a Steering Committee. At present, the Steering Committee is comprised of 31 members, most of who are either members of leadership or pushed onto the committee by leadership. These are the men and women behind the decision to throw conservatives under the bus.
San Bernardino city attorney to citizens: “Lock your doors and load your guns”
The bankrupt city of San Bernardino, CA voted last week to slash its fiscal-year budget by $26 million, to close up a $52.4 million shortfall. No, $26 million isn’t enough, and we’ll get to that in a minute. But the $26 million will have a significant impact on the operating budget for police and fire, and that’s got folks in a tizzy.
Ashley Judd exploring Senate run
Ashley Judd vs. Mitch McConnell?
It might not be as far-fetched as you think.
Massive Anti-Obama Rally Planned for Inauguration Day
Inspired by concerns of unemployment, the economy, Benghazi, and matters of foreign policy; organizers are promoting a “Massive Anti-Obama Rally @ Obama’s Inauguration Day.”
Friends of North Korea in the USA – Protest against “Red Dawn” in New York
Stem cell transplant boosts function slightly in Parkinson’s monkeys
In a small but hopeful step for researchers working on therapies to treat Parkinson’s disease, a team in Japan has used stem cells harvested from bone marrow to restore function in monkeys with the debilitating condition.
Obamacore: The substitution of propaganda for great literature in our schools
Controversy is brewing over new Common Core State Standards in English that call on public schools to emphasize the reading of “information text” instead of fictional literature. According to the Washington Post, English teachers across the country are upset by what they consider the government’s effort “to drive literature out of the classroom.”
Is Stephen Colbert running for the U.S. Senate?
The Comedy Central host has a penchant for tweaking the political process.
Jim DeMint resigns from Senate
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), a leading Senate conservative and founding member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, will resign from office in January to become president of The Heritage Foundation.
Michelle Obama for Senate? PPP Says Yes
Could First Lady Michelle Obama go the route of Hillary Clinton?
It’s only hypothetical this point, but a survey done by Public Policy Polling gives Mrs. Obama the lead over Sen. Mark Kirk 51 to 40 percent, should she choose to challenge Kirk in 2016 for an Illinois senate seat.
Jon Corzine Still Walks Free, but the SEC is Investigating Netflix Over a Facebook Post
Equal Treatment Under the Law
Activist Ward Connerly sees end of affirmative action on the horizon
Supreme Court to Hear Gay-Marriage Cases
The Supreme Court for the first time entered the debate over gay marriage Friday, announcing it would decide whether a federal law denying benefits to same-sex spouses violates the Constitution.
Why is UCLA scared of defending “holistic admission”?
Top UCLA administrators are hiding behind the smokescreen of “legal advice” to duck participating in a forum on affirmative action and “holistic” admission policies
Foxx Jokes: ‘Great’ to ‘Kill All The White People’ in New Film
On Saturday Night Live, guest host Jamie Foxx told the amped-up crowd now in his new movie, Django Unchained, he gets to “kill all the white people … How GREAT is that?” The live audience erupted in cheers and laughter. Foxx, who recently described President Obama as “our lord and savior,” then launched into a jaw-dropping monologue about the glories of President Obama and his newly-minted second term.
Economy
& Taxes
Thunderdome in California?
Things are getting worse in San Bernardino. The city filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, but its financial situation has continued to deteriorate. And now with what promises to be a heated court battle over payments to the state pension fund in the offing, further cuts are likely.
Simpson-Bowles?
Confess: you don’t remember what, exactly, the Simpson-Bowles “Fiscal Responsibility and Reform” Commission proposed. I didn’t remember, either, but with many conservatives, including Steve Hayward, suggesting that the House pass Simpson-Bowles as its proposal to avert the fiscal cliff, I thought it would be good to refresh both my memory, and yours.
GOP “doomsday” plan: vote “present” on middle-class tax rate extension
I mentioned last week that Republicans had one option to extricate themselves politically from a collapse of the fiscal-cliff talks, which was to just give Obama a House vote on exactly he wants — and then vote “present” to allow it to pass. ABC’s Jonathan Karl reports that House Republicans are considering a limited version of that option, focusing only on extending the middle-class tax rates and nothing more
Solution of the week: Tax reform
How to reform and improve Nevada’s tax structure in a revenue-neutral manner
144,000 households, 1 percent of taxpayers, pay half of California’s income taxes
Fairness. That’s the word I associate with massive, bloated, Democrat-controlled failed states like California.
…One of the more egregious aspects of Brown’s [Proposition 30] is the retroactivity of the income tax increase, which would apply to all income earned after January 1, 2012. [Imposition of] this retroactive tax hike makes it clear to businesses that if they want some semblance of certainty in tax planning, they must leave California. Campbell’s Soup, Comcast, and Samsung have been the latest to come to this realization; either shutting down facilities in-state or moving operations outside of California.
How could Washington avoid a debt ceiling default? Mint a few trillion dollar platinum coins. Seriously
While raising the US debt ceiling has not gotten as much attention — yet — as the risk of falling off the fiscal cliff, it soon will. The limit will likely be hit by year end. And if Congress fails to raise the borrowing cap, the Treasury would likely run out of money-management options to avoid a default some time in the February.
Obama ‘Bullying’ Charities into Backing Tax Hike on Wealthy
Despite Tax Increase, California State Revenues in Freefall
California State Controller John Chiang has announced that total state revenue for the month of November 2012 fell $806.8 million, or 10.8%, below budget.
Top Marginal Tax Rate Will Exceed 50% in California, New York, and Hawaii in 2013
Western GOPs Exhort Congress to Take Back Regulatory Power
From the EPA using flawed science to activists forcing policy changes, federal agencies’ power “has greatly accelerated to unprecedented levels.”
Deck the Halls with Macro Follies
The Fantasy of a 91% Top Income Tax Rate
A liberal article of faith that confiscatory taxes fed the postwar boom turns out to be an Edsel of an economic idea.
Job Numbers, Recovery and Labor Force Participation
‘Welfare Spending Equates to $168 Per Day for Every Household in Poverty’
The amount of money spent on welfare programs equals, when converted to cash payments, about “$168 per day for every household in poverty,” the minority side of the Senate Budget Committee finds.
Boehner: Going to ‘edge of the fiscal cliff’ is Obama’s ‘deliberate strategy’
House Speaker John Boehner said on Friday that going to the “edge of the fiscal cliff” is President Obama’s “deliberate strategy” in negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders.
Boehner: Obama wants to ‘slow-walk’ talks, wastes another week
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) accused the White House Friday of trying to “slow-walk” the fiscal-cliff negotiations.
Michigan laying groundwork for managed bankruptcy for Detroit
Even as the state Treasury prepares to begin another financial review of Detroit’s books, a plan is being solidified in the governor’s office that would guide Michigan’s largest city through what is being called a managed bankruptcy.
International
“I escaped a North Korean prison camp” – Shin Dong-hyuk’s Survivor Story
President Morsi to deploy armed forces in Cairo to curb street protests – report
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will authorize the deployment of the country’s armed forces to quash protests in Cairo, al-Ahram reported. The military said prolonging the crisis would be “disastrous,” and that they would not tolerate violence.
Spain Reignites Catalan Secession Drive
Catalonia’s push for independence from Spain received some unexpected help this week: the Spanish minister of education proposed an attack on the system of Catalan-only instruction in core courses in the school curriculum.
Egyptian protesters drive Morsi from his presidential palace
It’s been at least a week and protests in Egypt are still intense. Makes me wonder if this will indeed turn into a full scale civil war because it’s clear these people aren’t happy with Morsi’s power grab.
Thousands ready to march on Egypt president palace
A Punitive Village for Dutch Ne’er-Do-Wells
Amsterdam is planning to introduce a program that will send abusive neighbors and vandals to punitive housing outside of the city center. The hope is that it will deter perennial bullies, but it is being criticized for its similarity to the “scum villages” proposed by right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders.
Amsterdam plan to rehouse serial nuisance neighbours
The authorities in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, plan to move persistent nuisance neighbours into container homes for six months or more.
The most violent country in Europe: Britain is also worse than South Africa and U.S.
Britain’s violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European union, it has been revealed.
Rhode Island’s Blue Civil War
Rhode Island’s blue-on-blue showdown is heating up. Famed litigator David Boies is taking a 96 percent pay cut to represent the state against recalcitrant public sector unions.
Opinion
Whitewashing the Early Twentieth Century Progressives, Part 10 Billion
Michigan to be scene of the Right-to-Work War of 2013?
It’s an interesting situation up there in Michigan: as the Detroit News rather sourly notes, the Republicans control the legislature and the governorship, while the extremely-Big Labor-friendly Proposal 2 went down in flames (58/42, not that the Detroit News wanted to mention that statistic).
Perhaps It Is Still Just About Race
Enough voters may have still b een obsessed with penance for America’s past misdeeds.
Reclaiming the Culture
People on the right spend a great deal of time and energy excoriating Hollywood, Broadway, and the music industry. Entertainment has become the province of the Left and is hugely biased.
Barack Morsi
The danger of overplaying one’s strong hand.
Can Democrats survive after Obama?
Donkeys’ challenge to sustain coalition
Yes, Liberals Do Control Culture
Selling Conservatism And Why Benefits Beat Features
Pollster Scott Rasmussen makes a very cognet point on the ongoing “fiscal cliff” negotiations:
“For Republicans to succeed, they need to recognize that most voters don’t care about limited government. But voters care deeply about the type of society a limited government makes possible.
Applying that logic to the current debate over the fiscal cliff, Republicans in Washington need to recognize that few voters believe this is a serious debate about deficit reduction. The president has made it instead a debate about fairness, and they need to respond on that level.”
