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"Before anything else, folks in Washington ought to be asking first and foremost, 'Should government be doing this? And if so, then at what level of government?' But they don't."
“What we are going to do, in time for the election is get a check in the hands of as many people as we can, and we are borrowing it from the future…we continue to look at the next election rather than the future of our country.”
“Americans want immediate action to stop wasteful earmarks. Democrats promised to clean up Washington after the number of earmarks exploded under Republican control, but two years later the congressional favor factory is still open for business and humming right along,” said Senator DeMint. “Last year, Democrats passed nearly 12,000 earmarks costing over $17 billion. We need to take a time-out from earmarks so we can make honest reforms that prevent American tax dollars from being wasted on bridges to nowhere and hippie museums.”
“Earmarks represent one of the worst ways to spend money. The earmark process allows politicians to fund pet projects based on political power instead of merit. Earmarks are rarely subject to public hearings or oversight, and they invite the kind of corruption that has sent lawmakers to jail.
“Earmarks are a bipartisan addiction and the only solution is to go cold turkey. Congress is not going to be able to kick the habit unless it calls a time-out.
“Giving up earmarks for one year is not too much to ask. Americans have to make these kinds of decisions with their family budgets all the time. Members of Congress should be willing to make political sacrifices necessary to stop wasteful spending and balance the federal budget.”
Juan McCain and the MSM would like us to believe that he has the Republican nomination all but locked up. Not so fast according to a poster over at the Fred Thompson News Discussion Forum. Granted the chances are slim, but here’s an analysis if McCain is prevented from reaching the magic number of 1191 on the first vote.
Only 1471 delegates are bound for the 1st vote.
After the 1st vote 1001 delegates are free to vote their conscience – 47%
Unless the candidate that they are bound to gets less than 35% of the vote then 1149 delegates are released – 54%After the 2nd vote then 1510 delegates are released – 71%Unless their candidate gets less than 33% of the vote then 1596 delegates are released – 75%After the 3rd vote then 1648 delegates are release – 77%
Unless their candidate gets less than 33% of the vote then 1734 delegates are released – 81%
Only 470 delegates are bound to vote for the candidate for which they were selected after the 3rd vote.
However up to 181 of those can be released by the candidate that they are bound to and 86 of those can be released as mentioned above if the candidate receives less than 33% of the vote.
Additional Analysis:
Of McCains current 870 Pledged delegates only 183 are bound to him.123 are not bound to their pledge at all.219 are released from their pledge after the 1st round.243 additional delegates are released after the 2nd round.So after the 2nd round 462 delegates could switch their vote if it looks like McCain cannot pull the votes together to get the nomination.Huckabee has a mathmatical chance of making the first round vote prevent McCain from getting the nomination, if at least 27% of Romney delegates do not vote for McCain.
Interesting to say the least. If this scenario plays out McCain is out, the question then becomes who becomes the nominee? At any rate this is why conservatives in the remaining primary states need to voice their displeasure. Do Republicans really want a nominee who over half the primary voters didn’t choose?
Here’s a video put out by the National Republican Senatorial Committee -
Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and others in Congress have introduced the Semper Fi Act to strip over $2 billion in “hidden” earmarks for the city of Berkeley. The Senate Bill is S. 2596 and the House bill is H.R. 5222. Contact your Senators and Representatives urging them to support these bills.
The city of Berkeley, CA did the unthinkable back in late January.
Hey-hey, ho-ho, the Marines in Berkeley have got to go.
That’s the message from the Berkeley City Council, which voted 6-3 Tuesday night to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Avenue recruiting station “is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”
In addition, the council voted to explore enforcing its law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation against the Marines because of the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy. And it officially encouraged the women’s peace group Code Pink to impede the work of the Marines in the city by protesting in front of the station.
Just two weeks ago the City Council and the mayor didn’t rescind their actions.
The Berkeley City Council attempted to make nice with U.S. Marines recruiters Wednesday morning by taking back a letter it planned to send calling the Corps “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city.
But a motion to formally apologize failed.
Instead the City Council with a 7-2 vote at 1 a.m. sought to clarify one of its Jan. 29 Marines motions with new language that recognizes “the recruiters’ right to locate in our city and the right of others to protest or support their presence.”
The new statement also said the council opposes “the recruitment of our young people into this war.”
The council heard testimony from about 100 people who came from as far away as Colorado to weigh in on the issue.
At the same time, the council let stand four other items it passed at its previous meeting, including one encouraging “all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station,” another asking the city attorney to investigate whether the recruiting station is breaking the city’s law against discrimination based on sexual orientation and two items giving the peace group Code Pink a free weekly parking space and sound permit to protest at the Shattuck Avenue recruiting station once a week.
Kudos to Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and six others for introducing legislation to pull funding for Berkeley from the 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill. Additional kudos for keeping up the pressure despite Democratic stall tactics.
Senator DeMint introduced the Semper Fi Act to rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. Until yesterday, Senate Democrat leaders used parliamentary maneuvers to block consideration of the bill. Last night, Republicans asked to pass the Semper Fi Act by unanimous consent after no Republican member opposed its passage, but Democrats have placed an anonymous hold on the bill.
“It’s a national embarrassment that these officials refuse to apologize to our troops and their families and continue to support actions against military recruitment. It’s time for Berkeley to realize that actions have consequences,” said Senator DeMint. “Americans across the nation are outraged at Berkeley’s insult to our troops who have fought and died for their ability to live in freedom. It’s truly heartening to hear the outpouring of support for the Marine Corps in South Carolina and throughout the nation.”
In the mid-1980’s President Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative. At the time critics said it would never work. Thanks to Reagan’s vision, the Navy was able to shoot down a rogue spy satellite last night.
Despite spin from her husband it is quite obvious that Michelle Obama meant what she said the other day. She said it TWICE as it was in a written speech. Here’s the video:
Michelle Malkin got quite a nasty response from an Obama supporter after this column. Here’s an excerpt:
If the fall of communism, American ingenuity, and a robust constitutional republic don’t do it for you, hon, then how about American heroism and sacrifice?
How about every Memorial Day? Every Veteran’s Day? Every Independence Day? Every Medal of Honor ceremony? Has she never attended a welcome home ceremony for the troops?
For me, there’s the thrill of the Blue Angels roaring over cloudless skies. And the somber awe felt amid the hallowed waters that surround the sunken U.S.S. Arizona at the Pearl Harbor memorial.
Every naturalization ceremony I’ve attended, where hundreds of new Americans have raised their hands to swear an oath of allegiance to this land of liberty, has been a moment of pride for me. So have the awesome displays of American compassion at home and around the world. When millions of Americans rallied to help the victims of the 2005 tsunami in southern Asia—including members of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group that sped from Hong Kong to assist survivors—my heart filled with pride. It did again when the citizens of Houston opened their arms to Hurricane Katrina victims and folks across the country rushed to their churches, Salvation Army, and Red Cross offices to volunteer.
How about American resilience? Does that not make you proud? Only a heart of stone could be unmoved by the strength, valor and determination displayed in New York and Washington and Shanksville, Pa., on September 11, 2001.
I believe it was Michael Kinsley who quipped that a gaffe is when a politician tells the truth. In this case, it’s what happens when an elite Democrat politician’s wife says what a significant portion of the party’s base really believes to be the truth: That America is more a source of shame than pride.
Peter at Texas Hold ‘Em Blogger has details on some other things Michelle Obama could should be proud of as well.
