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Friday, December 26, 2008

The UAW isn't your father's union


After reading this, is there even one reason to support an American labor union?

FOXNews.com - Autoworkers Union Keeps $6 Million Golf Course for Members at $33 Million Lakeside Retreat:
"Even as the industry struggles with massive losses, the UAW brass continue to own and operate a $33 million lakeside retreat in Michigan, complete with a $6.4 million designer golf course. And it's costing them millions each year.

• Click here to see photos of the UAW's $33 million retreat.

The UAW, known more for its strikes than its slices, hosts seminars and junkets at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center in Onaway, Mich., which is nestled on '1,000 heavily forested acres' on Michigan's Black Lake, according to its Web site."

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Merry Christmas!

Clinton Moves to Widen Role of State Dept.

Hilary Clinton’s antics with respect to US health care policy set that issue back for 2 decades. Now she's regarded to be the next Secretary Of State. It is also expected that she will have the most powerful State Department in history.

What will she do? Will she behave like a President Once-Removed? Where will her penchant for control lead the US? Will it negatively impact trade? Will she get us into a war? Both are possible.

She bears watching, for sure. But there are bright spots:

"For years, some Pentagon officials have complained that jobs like the economic reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq have been added to the military’s burden when they could have been handled by a robust Foreign Service.

“The Pentagon would like to turn functionality over to civilian resources, but the resources are not there,” the official said. “We’re looking to have a State Department that has what it needs.”

These claims by the military are true. They are trained to fight, less so to rebuild. As a result, despite Bush's best efforts (meaning a huge outlay of cash to contractors), Iraq has been seriously left in the lurch regarding reconstruction. The Bush Administration has overseen nothing but waste and fraud regarding rebuilding Iraq, and in so doing, lost a huge opportunity in making America appear to be the bright spot that we really are. No American wants to see Iraqis living in squalor, and the tax dollars of American citizens have been spent to see that they don't; however, due to lack of oversight, the efforts have gone for naught. If Clinton's State Department fixes this, it'll be a huge step in the right direction.

But on the downside:
"Mrs. Clinton’s push for a more vigorous economic team, one of her advisers said, stems from her conviction that the State Department needs to play a part in the recovery from the global financial crisis. Economic issues also underpin some of the most important diplomatic relationships, notably with China."
My read of this is that Clinton will lock horns with domestic economic policy people. While it may be reasonable for her to be somewhat involved in the international aspects of the monetary crisis, particularly negotiations, this is really more the role of other branches of the government, who deal daily with these matters. For the State Department to become involved in a primary role rather than supportive will be an overlapping of service, and counter-productive as the war over political territory is waged.

But if anyone thinks that Clinton will limit her jurisdiction, they don't know the Clintons. Their hunger for power is like an unchecked virus. So giving Hilary Clinton such a powerful position and then handing her additional money with which to expand is like lighting a fuse on a stick of dynamite and then being surprised when there is an explosion (and damage). Our only hope is that stick of dynamite can control when (and if) it decides to explode.

Again, she bears watching.

Sources:
Clinton Moves to Widen Role of State Dept. - NYTimes.com

Paris Hilton to the Senate?

Can an enormously wealthy socialite with no resume who refuses to disclose even the smallest detail of her fortune do the people's business? Remember, this is reality, not a Frank Capra movie where everyone is nice and good-hearted.

I speak of Caroline Kennedy, not Paris Hilton, but on closer inspection, the personal accomplishments of both actually favor Hilton.

Kennedy won't release her records because it will show that her money comes not from work, but from investments and trusts.

At least Hilton works as a model and professional bimbo. She, too, should feel right at home in the Senate.

Caroline Kennedy: The $100M Woman:
"Caroline Kennedy will feel right at home in the Millionaires' Club known as the U.S. Senate: The Camelot heiress' net worth easily tops $100 million, a Daily News review found.

The former First Daughter is refusing to release financial information as she seeks to become New York's next senator, maintaining her family dynasty's longstanding practice of keeping its fortune tightly under wraps.

Public records paint a portrait of an enormously wealthy 51-year-old woman...

...Aides said Caroline Kennedy will not release her tax returns if appointed to the Senate by Gov. Paterson. Her spokesman Stefan Friedman declined to comment Tuesday on her finances. "

Corporate sponsors pay for inauguration parties - USATODAY.com

Corporate sponsors pay for inauguration parties - USATODAY.com:
"WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama is not taking any corporate or federal lobbyist money to pay for his inauguration, but businesses and their lobbying arms are lining up to underwrite the celebrations surrounding his swearing-in Jan. 20.

...These gatherings aren't new, but government watchdog groups say they offer a view of the ways special interests can curry favor with politicians."

Monday, December 22, 2008

How to Steal an Election, Minnesota Style


There are so many questions swirling around the 2008 Minnesota senatorial race, yet to be decided.

Aside from obvious questions, such as how could anyone in their right mind vote for that vulgar boob Al Franken, the pertinent issues deal with how disputed races are decided. And if you think this isn't your business, guess again. A decision for Franken could swing the whole senate into the Dems' favor, making it filibuster-proof. That can affect your taxes in a big way. Even bigger, it can affect the social policy of the US for a generation.

If you look to the upper left, you'll see a picture of a ballot reviewed by the Canvassing Board that looks like a vote for Norm Coleman, the Republican candidate. Nope, the Minnesota canvassing board determined voter intent to be for Franken. How can this be? You got me. I just hope the Minnesota Repubs have a lot of cash for the ensuing legal battle, because the Dems are stealing this one right in front of our eyes.


FOXNews.com - Ballot Madness: Tipping the Scales in Minnesota's Senate Recount - Opinion:
"The vote pickup has occurred through two actions by the board — divining voter intent and determining what votes should be counted. While decisions to include missing or overlooked ballots have gotten the most attention, the process of determining intent has also been important in determining the outcome here."

Charlton Heston

"Political correctness is just tyranny with manners. ~ Charlton Heston"

Friday, December 19, 2008

Report: Oprah Looking For Her Own House Near White House

So nothing has really changed - the filthy rich and those famous for unimportant reasons get access out the bum.

Oprah is such a pig about this, too.

FOXNews.com - Report: Oprah Looking For Her Own House Near White House - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment: "Is Oprah Winfrey going to be part of Barack Obama's kitchen cabinet?

Or is she just looking to buy her own kitchen cabinets?

The talk show titan is reportedly looking at ultra-luxury properties in Washington, DC; something suitable for, say, possible consultations with the President of the United States.

Insiders tell the New York Post that Winfrey's people have been scouting a nine-bedroom mansion in D.C.'s swanky Georgetown neighborhood with a whopping price tag of $50 million.

'She has never personally been to see it,' another source tells the paper.

But FOXNews.com has researched listings in the area and found a single house that fits that description: a $49 million, nine-bedroom, four-bathroom mansion on three-and-a-half acres with parking for 100 cars, a gatehouse, and an additional building overlooking the Washington monument.

In case Oprah has any very special guests."

Get elected to Congress and get rich: study

Get elected to Congress and get rich: study | U.S. | Reuters:
"Based on three years of data through 2006, the most recent available, the center said 58 percent of senators could be considered millionaires, and 44 percent of House members.

Only about one percent of all U.S. adults had a net worth exceeding $1 million around the same time, the center said."

William Jennings Bryan:
No one can earn a million dollars honestly.

Fool Watch: Obama to create Iran outreach post

Washington Times - Obama to create Iran outreach post:
"The incoming Obama administration plans to create a new position to coordinate outreach to Iran and is considering a number of senior career diplomats, State Department officials and Iran specialists say."

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Donors list raises fears over Hillary Clinton role as Secretary of State - Times Online

Donors list raises fears over Hillary Clinton role as Secretary of State - Times Online:
"Bill Clinton has raised millions of dollars from governments and politicians in the Middle East and Asia, raising fresh concerns about the impartiality of his wife’s role as Barack Obama’s Secretary of State."

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Jackson Jr. Talked to Feds for Years, Spokesman Says

This whole thing just gets dirtier and dirtier. No wonder we have the lawmakers we do.

You know, one school of thought is that criminals make good lawmakers because they know inherently what to do to improve the situation. But the problem is, they remain criminals and put in loopholes and such that allow them to take care of themselves at the expense of the public.

I am a cynic regarding politics and politicians. but this has even me whirling.


Jackson Jr. Talked to Feds for Years, Spokesman Says - FOXNews.com Transition Tracker:
"CHICAGO -- Shortly after his 2002 election, Gov. Rod Blagojevich told Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. he didn't appoint the congressman's wife as lottery director because he had refused him a $25,000 campaign donation, a person familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

'Blagojevich went out of his way to say, 'You know I was considering your wife for the lottery job and the $25,000 you didn't give me? That's why she's not getting the job,'' the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing federal investigation.

Jackson's name has played prominently ever since Blagojevich was arrested last week on corruption charges, including allegations that he tried to sell or trade President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat for personal gain."

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Student Says Social Work School Persecuted Him for Being Conservative

Having myself worked at the University of Maryland School of Social Work for nearly 10 years, I can assure you that this is very much feasible. Social workers are without question the most hate-filled and biased group of "professionals" with whom it was ever my displeasure to associate. In a social work community, as they like to say, if you are found out to be conservative, you will not only be ostracized, but they will look to remove you "by any means necessary." I use that Malcolm X quote on purpose, because he is big with this crowd.

I experienced a bit of the discrimination myself, but I follow my rule at work: No Religion, No Politics; that's not what they pay me for. Social Workers, however, are more about politics than anything else. This was a surprise to me, because when I began my employment, I was under the impression that their aim was to help people. Really, not so much. They're much more interested in moving society far towards the left.

I witnessed the difficulties had by right-leaning professors at UMSSW, both of which had a religious foundation for their work and research. I don't know how they stood it, but those right wing social work professors were the toughest people I've seen in a long time. They were far more accepting of new ideas and opposing views than were their cohorts on the left.

But in the big picture, the question should involve the role of a state institution, in this case Rhode Island: should a public institution be allowed to take sides in any political issue? Since it involves an ideology rather than a factual, realistic position, I say no. Looking at it another way, is it proper for a public school system to promote one religion over another? Of course you say no, but isn't it the same - still ideology?

FOXNews.com - Student Says School Persecuted Him for Being Conservative - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
Felkner says he was also discriminated against by Professor Roberta Pearlmutter, who he says refused to allow him to participate in a group project lobbying for a conservative issue because the assignment was to lobby for a liberal issue. He alleges that Perlmutter spent a 50-minute class "assailing" his views and allowed students to openly ridicule his conservative positions, and that she reduced his grade because he was not "progressive."

Traitors

Well, perhaps "traitor" is too harsh a word, but "unpatriotic" is certainly a contender.

I refer to the search by major American corporations to "offshore" jobs, while the unemployment rate continues to rise exponentially. It's around 6% nationally, and in one area is over 10%.

If American companies need workers, why can't they hire unemployed Americans right here in the US? Cost is one reason; Americans have that pesky minimum wage to deal with. It's a necessary evil, to be sure, but unemployed and under-employed Americans cost everyone far more.

What American companies fail to realize is that if they can jump-start the economy by hiring Americans, the will sell more of their goods. Their profits will increase, far offsetting the additional cost of hiring local labor. Remember, our economy is all consumer-based. Nothing has the power of many people buying things.

This is where the government needs to step in. Congress is quick with the buck to hand to private corporations they deem "in need," but not so much for the people. Keeping Americans employed is in everyone's interest because it both increases the flow of money, and increases tax revenue. It would certainly kick the economy in the arse, maybe fixing all our problems. But how to do it?

Taxes. Congress has a lot of leverage over corporations by using the Tax Tool. The most obvious way is to tax companies who hire employees in other countries to conduct their business. Apply a tax for every worker hired outside of the US. The other way is to give a tax incentive - say a credit for every American worker hired. Or do both. The key is to make it worth the while of the companies to hire Americans.

We need a stimulus, but Congress has it wrong; doling out money is not the right way. Getting people working is the right way, and this is a way to do it.


Gartner lists top 30 offshoring hot spots | Business Tech - CNET News:
"While India was the 'undisputed leader,' followed by China and other BRIC countries Russia and Brazil, research firm Gartner's list this year of the top 30 offshoring destinations showed Mexico, Poland, and Vietnam pushing their way up to take them on.

Ian Marriott, research vice president at Gartner, said these countries would be seeking to take advantage of the credit crisis to capitalize on organizations' drive to save costs."

The Future America: Obama aide tied to failed immigration program

There are lots of questions regarding immigration abnormalities here, but the first is obvious: We can expect more of the same from Obama's administration for the next 4 years that Clinton did regarding passing illegal aliens to US citizenship. Lord knows what the US population - and particularly the electorate - will look like by the end of it.

Crime committed by wanted illegals aside, one of the troubling things is that these "immigrants" are a known burden economically. The American middle class is already having a hard time in this economic mess we now have, so I wonder from whence the money will appear to pay for this, and all the other things Obama has promised. Remember, Obama has already proposed a stimulus of over 1 Trillion Dollars.

The people Obama has put in his cabinet to oversee and advise on matters of immigration (T. Alexander Aleinikoff, former executive associate commissioner for programs at the now-defunct Immigration and Naturalization Service, and Mariano-Florentino "Tino" Cuellar, a professor at Stanford Law School and a senior Treasury Department adviser in the Clinton administration) have long histories of failure (read the article below). Pretty much, all they have managed to do is circumvent immigration rules to bring in mostly alien Hispanics. These Hispanics vote democratic, so it's a small jump to see that it benefits the Democrats politically to bring in as many aliens as possible. This is a return to the Clinton days, when it was widely known that Clinton was bolstering his voter base through the admission of Hispanics and Haitians to ensure his reelection.

Now, one could easily look at the Rod Blagojevich scandal as the selling of America, but what Clinton did, and Obama is poised to do, is much worse. Not only do rank-and-file Americans lose money on the deal, but they become completely disenfranchised politically, as their vote is diluted among the millions of aliens that can be brought in who will vote for the Democrats.

Definitely something to think about, and bears watching.

Washington Times - Obama aide tied to failed immigration program:
"CUSA saw 1.2 million foreign nationals become U.S. citizens in 1996. Many of them later were identified as convicted criminals. The program was endorsed vigorously by President Clinton but attacked by critics as an election-year ploy to speed naturalizations for political gain, noting that the program targeted INS districts in heavily Democratic Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and San Francisco.

More than 180,000 naturalization applications were vetted without proper FBI fingerprint analyses, including 80,000 immigrants who had fingerprint checks that generated criminal records but were naturalized anyway, according to congressional and federal investigators.

The inspector general's report said applicants who were ineligible because of criminal records or because they fraudulently obtained green cards were granted citizenship because the INS was 'moving too fast to check their records.'

According to the inspector general's 684-page report, CUSA failed to address national security concerns, did not develop or coordinate anti-fraud operations, and failed to ensure that foreign nationals seeking naturalization underwent law-enforcement background checks.

The report said it was "widely known" among INS officials in Washington that thousands of foreign nationals with criminal records were allowed to become U.S. citizens. It said INS compromised the integrity of the naturalization system as a result of "its efforts to process applicants more quickly and meet a self-imposed goal of completing more than a million cases by the end of fiscal 1996."

It was estimated at the time that INS failed to complete FBI background checks for nearly 20 percent of those naturalized under CUSA.""

What a Million Dollars Buys

No one can earn a million dollars honestly.
- William Jennings Bryan

Get elected to Congress and get rich: study | U.S. | Reuters:
"Based on three years of data through 2006, the most recent available, the center said 58 percent of senators could be considered millionaires, and 44 percent of House members.

Only about one percent of all U.S. adults had a net worth exceeding $1 million around the same time, the center said."

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Is A "Waste Culture" Why the Feds can't fix the Economy?

This example caught my eye: $1 million for bike paths on Louisiana levees while levees await basic repairs.

The worst cases of government waste of 2008

22 Pounds of UAW Rules and Regulations

LaborPains.org » Blog Archive » 22 Pounds of UAW Rules and Regulations:
"...Those 2,215 pages don’t include much regarding efficiency and competitiveness. What you’ll find are hundreds of rules, regulations, and letters of understanding that have hamstrung the auto companies for years.

If you’d like to read the contracts for yourself, here they are:"

Friday, December 12, 2008

Auto bailout: Why are the ones responsible always the first to blame?

No doubt, the management of US carmakers did some piss-poor management to get to where they got. But a lot of that mis-management had to do with caving to the UAW and it's ever-escalating demands. Legacy costs, meaning retirement and health care benefits for those no longer working at the carmakers, have crippled the industry by making it non-competitive in the global market.

Let's be clear about the main sticking point for the 14 BILLION dollar loan: the Republican senators wanted the union to make concessions ASAP, in 2009, when they're needed. The UAW wouldn't allow them until 2011, I suppose hoping to dodge the matter altogether until after the car industry is back on it's feet. So who's the bad guy here?

So now Gettelfinger points to the GOP as the culprit, saying essentially, we made the mess, and the GOP are bad because they won't clean it up! Waaa, Waaaa.

In my career I have been a member of two separate unions, neither of which lifted a finger for me. Yet they always cashed my dues check and used it to promote politicians of whom I disapproved.

It's time we recognize the unions for what they are: corporate parasites. They'll kill American industry yet, if allowed to continue as they have been.

United Auto Workers Lash Out at GOP Senators Over Bailout Collapse - FOXNews.com Transition Tracker:
"The head of the United Auto Workers union lashed out Friday at Senate Republicans -- Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, in particular -- blaming them for scuttling the $14 billion auto bailout package approved earlier in the week by the House."


Thursday, December 11, 2008

Arthur C. Clarke

"CNN is one of the participants in the war. I have a fantasy where Ted Turner is elected president but refuses because he doesn't want to give up power.'
- Arthur C. Clarke

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Dixon, other top Baltimore officials get raises -- baltimoresun.com

Dixon, other top Baltimore officials get raises -- baltimoresun.com:
"Baltimore officials quietly granted pay raises to Mayor Sheila Dixon, Comptroller Joan M. Pratt, City Council President Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake and other council members last month, increasing politician salaries at a time when leaders are freezing pay for midlevel managers and slashing overtime for police officers and firefighters.

The raises were approved without discussion at a Nov. 26 meeting of the city Board of Estimates. Dixon, Pratt and Rawlings-Blake sit on the five-person panel, and each abstained from voting on her own salary."

Blagojevich Arrest Puts Obama Ties in the Spotlight - FOXNews.com Transition Tracker

Blagojevich Arrest Puts Obama Ties in the Spotlight - FOXNews.com Transition Tracker:
"The federal corruption allegations against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich cast an embarrassing glare on the world of Chicago politics he shares with President-elect Barack Obama, even though the two Democrats aren't close and there is no suggestion Obama did anything inappropriate.

The case will keep the public spotlight on some episodes Obama thought he had put behind him, including his ties to Antoin Rezko, a convicted Chicago real-estate developer who was accused in a Federal Bureau of Investigation affidavit Tuesday of scheming with Blagojevich. Rezko raised campaign funds for both men, and was one of Obama's earliest supporters as he was climbing the political ladder in Illinois.

The matter also highlights ties between the disgraced Democratic governor and some members of Obama's inner circle. His top campaign strategist, David Axelrod -- who will move to the White House for a senior adviser's job -- lists Blagojevich on his firm's Web site as one of his clients, when the politician was a candidate for Congress.

And because Blagojevich stands accused of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the president-elect, Obama's name will be forever linked to the case, even though he isn't accused of wrongdoing.

Chicago has been home to some of the country's most notorious corrupt politicians as well as some leading political reformers. Obama throughout his career has tried to portray himself as being firmly in the latter camp, while critics have repeatedly tried to tie him to the "Chicago machine" environment that shaped his early political career.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Just when you Thought Political Corruption was at an Apex...

The Democratic Governor of Illinois was arrested today on several charges, all involving corruption and bribery.

3 of 11 Illinois governors in the last 35 years have been indicted on corruption charges. So Chicago's Political rep remains fast.

The question now: What have the liberals done, foisting Chicagoan Obama on the rest of us?

From 10connects.com in Tampa FL:

"[US Attorney Patrick] Fitzgerald said hardened agents who monitored wiretaps and bugs of Blagojevich's conversations were "thoroughly disgusted and revolted" by what they heard.

"Asked if Illinois was the most corrupt state in the country, Fitzgerald said he didn't know for sure but that It is "certainly one hell of a competitor."

From ABC News:
ABC News: FBI: Illinois Governor Sought To "Sell" Obama's Senate Seat:

"FBI: Illinois Governor Sought To 'Sell' Obama's Senate Seat Wanted President-Elect to 'Put Something Together . . . Something Big'
By BRIAN ROSS
December 9, 2008

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wanted President-elect Barack Obama 'to put something together…something big' in exchange for going along with Obama's choice to fill his vacant U.S. Senate seat, according to a FBI affidavit unsealed following the governor's stunning arrest.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich wanted President-elect Barack Obama 'to put something together…something big' in exchange for going along with Obama's choice to fill his vacant US Senate seat, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed following the Governor's stunning arrest.

"I've got this thing and it's f***ing golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for f***in' nothing. I'm not gonna do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there," Blagojevich said in a phone call secretly recorded by the FBI on Nov. 5, the day after the election, according to the affidavit.

Click here to read the full affidavit.

"It is conduct that would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in announcing the charges today in Chicago.

He said the governor's efforts to "sell" the Senate seat was the "most sinister and appalling" of a range of alleged corrupt acts detailed in today's case.

They're prying open your wallet

The poor who don't work get health care, while the poor who do work pay for it. Maryland, my Maryland, what are you doing?

Maryland Group Unveils $15.5 Billion Universal Health Care Proposal | Medpolitics, A Political Network of US Doctors:
"Maryland Group Unveils $15.5 Billion Universal Health Care Proposal
By EvanMadianosMD - Posted on November 12th, 2008

Group to offer $15.5 billion proposal for universal health care in Md.

By Laura Smitherman

November 12, 2008

Health care advocates plan to unveil today an ambitious $15.5 billion proposal for universal health care in Maryland that would increase payroll taxes to pay for coverage for low-income residents and create a quasi-governmental insurance pool.

The Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, with health policy experts from the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, crafted the proposal."

Monday, December 8, 2008

Big 3: From bad to Worse for the People

This report in, concerning the Big Three and what will happen if/when they sell off their alternate brands. In short, expect old, hallmarked brands such as Volvo to be coming from China.

More proof that our government is comprosed of fools.

Confirmed: Ford Wants To Sell Volvo To China Real Fast | The Truth About Cars:
"“At a time when much of the world economy seems to be screeching to a halt, China appears likely to remain a rare oasis of healthy growth,” writes the Nikkei. The Tokyo business paper is not known for over-hyping China. “The Chinese government has aggressively responded to the global economic downturn by announcing a series of massive public investment plans. The stock market has also rebounded 20% from its low at the end of October.”

Prepare yourself for what TTAC has said for quite a while: There will be a major sell-out of brands held by the D2.8, and the likely buyers will be in China. The crazy part is that the US government apparently is ordering Detroit to do so. Selling off brands for cheap is the price of doing the begging in DC."

Friday, December 5, 2008

The most corrupt man in politics?

Charles Rangel: Between the sweet real estate deals, dodging the IRS and now steering $80K of campaign cash to his son, couldn't this politician be viewed as a swindler?


Tangled Web: Rangel son got campaign cash - Luke Rosiak and Glenn Thrush - Politico.com:
"Between 2004 and 2007, Rep. Charles Rangel steered nearly $80,000 in campaign cash to an Internet company run by his son – paying lavishly for a pair of political Web sites so poorly designed an expert estimated one should have cost no more than $100 to create.

The payments are apparently legal under federal law, but their disclosure raises new questions about the Ways and Means chairman as he faces House ethics committee probes into his failure to pay taxes on rental income and his alleged use of House stationery to solicit contributions for a public policy center that bears his name."

MSNBC 'Hardball' Host Chris Matthews Mulls Run for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania

What's the difference between a journalist and a reporter? The reporter doesn't become the hero of the story.

Tell that to Matthews.

The truly troubling thing is that we have a left-wing Democratic politician wanna-be reporting and commenting on the news. In the olden days of TV, there were laws that governed this kind of thing. Equal time was one way, but that's long gone.

I want ideology-free news. I'm smart enough to make my own assessments. Aren't you?


MSNBC 'Hardball' Host Chris Matthews Mulls Run for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania - washingtonpost.com:
"Matthews openly boosted Barack Obama's candidacy, saying he felt 'this thrill going up my leg' when the Illinois senator spoke. Days after the election he sounded more like a Democrat than a journalist, telling viewers that 'I want to do everything I can to make this thing work, this new presidency work.'

Saul Shorr, a Democratic consultant in Pennsylvania, says Matthews would likely be 'a pretty appealing candidate, a Northeast Philadelphia guy made good. It's a question of whether he'll be disciplined enough' after a career in cable news.

But former Democratic strategist David Sirota wrote in the Huffington Post yesterday that he hopes Matthews is 'humiliatingly obliterated in a Democratic primary,' adding: 'The sense of entitlement that this blowhard personifies is truly stunning.'"

Are Students Coddled? Schools Get Rid of 'F's

Why not eliminate the grading system entirely? Doesn't it lead to a stratification of student self-worth, leading to feelings of inadequacy and guilt, leading to poor life performance? Shouldn't teachers be more concerned with their emotional development than what they actually know?

That is, of course, absolute nonsense, as is this revised policy. If you read the article, the student can still receive an "F" if he doesn't re-do the work. So what's the point? The point is that those running our schools overthink everything to the point of uselessness.

In one of my classes, my best student failed to turn in the required take-home final. He asked for an opportunity to turn it in late. I gave him 24 hours. He still didn't turn it in. His grade dropped from an A to a C. Maybe he wasn't the smartest student after all...

ABC News: Are Students Coddled? Schools Get Rid of 'F's: "For more students nationwide, the grading alphabet ends at 'D,' as school districts eliminate policies that allow children to be given failing marks."

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Robber Barons: Insuring Insurance

This has to be one of the most egregious, money-grubbing plans of all time: a plan you can buy to insure you can buy insurance.

UnitedHealth to Insure the Right to Insurance - NYTimes.com:
"For these economically uncertain times, the UnitedHealth Group has a “first of its kind” product: the right to buy an individual health policy at some point in the future even if you become sick.

Called UnitedHealth Continuity, the product is not actual medical insurance, but is aimed at people who may have insurance now but are worried they may lose it — and may not be able to obtain replacement insurance on their own. They may expect to retire early, for example, before they qualify for Medicare. Or they are worried about the possibility of losing their job and their health coverage."

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Nicholas Chamfort

An economist is a surgeon with an excellent scalpel and a rough-edged lancet, who operates beautifully on the dead and tortures the living.
- Nicholas Chamfort