EagleEye Pundit

Two New Payoffs Are In Reconciliation Bill

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:24:00 +0000

Not only does the Reconciliation Bill not take out the previous pay offs and buy offs and bribes like the Cornhusker Kickback, Louisiana Purchase, Florida MediCare exemptions, Conneticut hospital deal and the like, but two more bribe measures are hidden inside this legislation.

The first one is a buy off for Dennis Kucinich for Ohio in which physician owned hospitals get special provisions. Pennsylvania gets the same deal. You don't suppose that is a deal to get Jason Altmire to change to a "yes"? If he jumps, then you know why.

The second buy off is being coined the Bismarck Bank Job to get Kent Conrad. The Washington Post explains this deal as "the Bank of North Dakota would be eligible to continue issuing student loans with federal guarantees of repayment on default -- an exception to a measure that would eliminate the program effective July 1, cutting out financial middlemen and expanding the federal government's direct-loan program. The aides justified the exception on grounds that the Bank of North Dakota is the only state-owned bank in the nation."

The President and Democrats seem to think we do not care about procedure even as they accuse us of focusing too much on procedure, but this is the reason why we are outraged. The Constitution has been thrown out and parliamentary procedure be damned. They will cram this through come hell or high water.

Karl Marx Disappears From Michelle O Newsweek Cover

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:48:00 +0000

Here is the Newsweek Cover featuring Michelle Obama and the article she has written on fat kids:

HillBuzz has pointed out that Karl Marx appears to be sitting in the middle of the apple. When the White House heard about this, they asked Newsweek to cut the internet message off so that the table and apple no longer can be seen. Here is what you see now:

HillBuzz writes:

Early this morning, 3/16/10, it looks like the White House ordered Newsweek to crop the photo so the apple is no longer visible online. Newsweek has cut the table out completely, now, because whatever’s going on in this photo was noticed by the public.

We spotted this photo late last night, and put it up immediately.

It’s clear as day that’s Karl Marx posing proudly in front of a woman who is “proud of apples for the first time in (her) adult life” after finding this Marxist one.

She’s like the crazy old lady who used to find potato chips that looked like cartoon characters or Abraham Lincoln, who went on the Tonight Show to tell Johnny Carson all about it. Well, now we’ve got a First Lady who finds communists in fruit and shows them off to Newsweek.

Public Option In Reconciliation Package

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:14:00 +0000

The Reconciliation Package that has finally been released for public consumption has a little something crammed in there. The Public Option is rearing its ugly head again. Not only is the inurance exchange expanded, but there is a whole section devoted to the Public Option. You can find it starting on Page 116 of the PDF. Here is some of that:

Title II Subtitle B—Public Health Insurance Option

SEC. 221. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF A PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION AS AN EXCHANGE-QUALIFIED HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—For years beginning with Y1, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this sub9 title referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall provide for the offering of an Exchange-participating health benefits plan (in this subdivision referred to as the ‘‘public health insurance option’’) that ensures choice, competition, and stability of affordable, high quality coverage throughout the United States in accordance with this subtitle. In designing the option, the Secretary’s primary responsibility is to create a low-cost plan without compromising quality or access to care.

(b) OFFERING AS AN EXCHANGE-PARTICIPATING HEALTH BENEFITS PLAN.— (1) EXCLUSIVE TO THE EXCHANGE.—

The public health insurance option shall only be made available through the Health Insurance Exchange.

(2) ENSURING A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.—

Consistent with this subtitle, the public health insurance option shall comply with requirements that are applicable under this title to an Exchange-participating health benefits plan, including requirements related
to benefits, benefit levels, provider networks, notices, consumer protections, and cost sharing.

(3) PROVISION OF BENEFIT LEVELS.—The public health insurance option—

(A) shall offer basic, enhanced, and premium plans; and

(B) may offer premium-plus plans.

Conservative Victory In Texas Over Curriculum

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:02:00 +0000

For the past week, a debate over textbooks and curriculum has been boiling over in Texas. Liberals and conservatives have been jockeying back and forth about the historical figures and facts that should be included in social studies curriculum for the next ten years. Towards the end of the week, most of the liberal Democrats had gotten up and left during the negotitations. It would appear that there will now be a conservative victory in Texas for a true patriotic history.

The Houston Chronicle reports:

New standards in history class
Texas board endorses conservative-backed curriculum
By GARY SCHARRER
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle

March 13, 2010, 7:27AM

AUSTIN — The State Board of Education tentatively approved new standards for social studies Friday with members divided along party lines — some blasting them as a fraud and conservative whitewash, others praising them as a tribute to the Founding Fathers that rightly portrays America as an exceptional country.

The standards, which will influence history and government textbooks arriving in public schools in fall 2011, were adopted by 10 Republicans against five Democrats after weeks of debate and across a racial and ideological chasm that seemed to grow wider as the proposal was finalized Thursday.

The document faces a public hearing and a final board vote in May.

Desperate Obama Postpones Trip To Indonesia And Australia

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:52:00 +0000

The White House Spokesmoron has said that the President is really feeling momentum with the ObamaCare legislation and does not want to stop that forward motion by leaving on his Asian trip. Yeah right! If this tax and spend bill was moving forward, then it would already be passed. The President would not have had to drop his deadline of March 18th. Our government continues the cram down and thinks that it is so important the President has to stay in Washington, D.C. until March 21st.

The truth is that these representatives are scared to death to leave Washington and return home for their spring break without passing the measure. Obviously, polls show that the American public does not want ObamaCare and so there is a real fear there that the Democrats who are on the fence, will get off the fence and vote no.

McClatchy DC reports:

Democrats still face other challenges beyond rounding up votes in the House. First, members are still waiting for an analysis of the second bill from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, which is expected shortly. Thirty-nine House Democrats opposed the version of the bill that the House passed in November and most have signaled that they still do, because they see it as costly and as more government intrusion.

"Look at the history of the Congressional Budget Office numbers. They're often way off," said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss.

Also, 10 to 12 House Democrats are said to be concerned about Senate language on abortion that's less restrictive about the use of federal money than what the House passed Nov. 7. Indications are that the Senate's position will prevail, though no decisions have been made yet.

And even more despicable then the backroom deals found in the Senate bill are the measures that deal with student loans that are being offered via reconciliation. What do student loans have to do with healthcare?

McClatchy DC again reports:

The reconciliation, or amending, legislation also is expected to include a plan to overhaul the nation's student loan system, allowing the government to lend directly to qualified students.

Dodd Goes It Alone On Financial Reform

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:31:00 +0000

These Democrats are really amazing! They call for bi-partisanship and yet continue to forge forward with important legislation alone. Democrat Chris Dodd - who got a sweet deal on his mortgage but thinks he is the authority on finance reform - has been negotiating with Republican Bob Corker for some time, but has decided that he will just power forward with his own plan.

Democrats Pulling Out All Stops On ObamaCare

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:41:00 +0000

Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are frantic because they just do not have the votes to pass ObamaCare and cram it down the collective throats of the American people. This has caused the two congressional leaders to seek other ways of passing the bill. Backroom deals have served their purpose, but something else must be done to get past the Democrats that do not support federal funding for baby killing.

Louise Slaughter has come up with an idea of preparing a rule that would allow the Senate bill to pass the House after the House approves a corrections bill that would make changes to the Senate version. This way the Democrats would not have to vote on the Senate bill in the House. Unconstitutional? You bet! The House has to approve the new rule, approve the corrections bill and then reconciliation can begin. Which takes us to the following letter sent from Harry Reid to Republican leader Mitch McConnell:

March 11, 2009

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Republican Leader
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Leader McConnell:

Eleven months ago, I wrote you to share my expectations for the coming health reform debate. At the time, I expressed Democrats' intention to work in good faith with Republicans, and my desire that – while we would disagree at times – we could engage in an honest discussion grounded in facts rather than fear, and focused on producing results, not playing partisan politics.

Obviously, the opposite has happened, as many Republicans have spent the past year mischaracterizing the health reform bill and misleading the public. Though we have tried to engage in a serious discussion, our efforts have been met by repeatedly debunked myths and outright lies. At the same time, Republicans have resorted to extraordinary legislative maneuvers in an effort not to improve the bill, but to delay and kill it. After watching these tactics for nearly a year, there is only one conclusion an objective observer could make: these Republican maneuvers are rooted less in substantive policy concerns and more in a partisan desire to discredit Democrats, bolster Republicans, and protect the status quo on behalf of the insurance industry.

In fact, the attacks on the health care bill are part of a broader pattern. As has been well documented, your caucus conspicuously shattered the record for obstruction last Congress by demanding gratuitous procedural votes on even the most non-controversial matters, and by stalling the work of the Senate despite the urgency of the serious problems facing our country. Senate Republicans are on pace to again break their own record this Congress, illustrated by Sen. Bunning's effort to prevent the Senate from acting to extend families' unemployment and health benefits even after those benefits had expired.

While Republicans were distorting the facts in the health care debate and inflicting delay after needless delay, millions of Americans have continued to suffer as they struggle to afford to stay healthy, stay out of bankruptcy and stay in their homes. Thousands of Americans lose their health care every day, and tens of thousands of the uninsured have lost their lives since this debate began. Meanwhile, rising health costs have contributed to a rising federal budget deficit.

To address these problems, 60 Senators voted to pass historic reform that will make health insurance more affordable, make health insurance companies more accountable and reduce our deficit by roughly a trillion dollars. The House passed a similar bill. However, many Republicans now are demanding that we simply ignore the progress we've made, the extensive debate and negotiations we've held, the amendments we've added (including more than 100 from Republicans) and the votes of a supermajority in favor of a bill whose contents the American people unambiguously support. We will not. We will finish the job. We will do so by revising individual elements of the bills both Houses of Congress passed last year, and we plan to use the regular budget reconciliation process that the Republican caucus has used many times.

I know that many Republicans have expressed concerns with our use of the existing Senate rules, but their argument is unjustified. There is nothing unusual or extraordinary about the use of reconciliation. As one of the most senior Senators in your caucus, Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, said in explaining the use of this very same option, “Is there something wrong with majority rules? I don't think so.” Similarly, as non-partisan congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein said in this Sunday's New York Times, our proposal is “compatible with the law, Senate rules and the framers' intent.”

Reconciliation is designed to deal with budget-related matters, and some have expressed doubt that it could be used for comprehensive health care reform that includes many policies with no budget implications. But the reconciliation bill now under consideration would not be the vehicle for comprehensive reform – that bill already passed outside of reconciliation with 60 votes. Instead, reconciliation would be used to make a modest number of changes to the original legislation, all of which would be budget-related. There is nothing inappropriate about this. Reconciliation has been used many times for a variety of health-related matters, including the establishment of the Children's Health Insurance Program and COBRA benefits, and many changes to Medicare and Medicaid.

As you know, the vast majority of bills developed through reconciliation were passed by Republican Congresses and signed into law by Republican Presidents – including President Bush's massive, budget-busting tax breaks for multi-millionaires. Given this history, one might conclude that Republicans believe a majority vote is sufficient to increase the deficit and benefit the super-rich, but not to reduce the deficit and benefit the middle class. Alternatively, perhaps Republicans believe a majority vote is appropriate only when Republicans are in the majority. Either way, we disagree.

Keep in mind that reconciliation will not exclude Republicans from the legislative process. You will continue to have an opportunity to offer amendments and change the shape of the legislation. In addition, at the end of the process, the bill can pass only if it wins a democratic, up-or-down majority vote. If Republicans want to vote against a bill that reduces health care costs, fills the prescription drug “donut hole” for seniors and reduces the deficit, you will have every right to do so.

Sincerely,

HARRY REID
United States Senator
Nevada

Are Gates And Ahmadinejad Having A Secret Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:56:00 +0000

James Lewis at American Thinker has brought it to my attention that both Secretary of Defense Gates and Iranian Dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be in Afghanistan at the same time. Is this a coincidence or will there be some kind of secret meeting and agreement?

Lewis writes:

Funny coincidence. SecDef Robert Gates is going on a surprise visit to Afghanistan. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also happens to be going to Kabul, overlapping with the Gates visit. It's possible they will just drive past each other in Kabul. But it seems more likely that they are going to finalize some sort of agreement that's been bubbling up behind the scenes. Possibly the Afghan government, which wants good relations with both Iran and the US, will try to broker an agreement.

Worried yet?

This administration has totally avoided any negative public language about the Tehran regime, in spite of democracy protesters being openly bloodied in the streets, and being tortured and executed behind the scenes. Obama's public silence may indicate behind-the-scenes negotations.

The question is: What would the US be gaining and giving up? The only plausible answer has to do with Iranian nuke development. Robert Gates is not a Carterite appeasement type, but this administration seems to be following that well-worn path to perdition.

Sean Penn Squelches Free Speech

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:04:00 +0000

Libtard Progressives like to proclaim that they are all about fairness and equal rights, but nothing could be further from the truth. Actor Sean Penn firmed up that truth last week on an appearance he made Friday on "Real Time With Bill Maher." The two men had been discussing Hugo Chavez and his portrayal here in America by common sense journalists and people as a dictator.

Sean Penn said, "Every day, this elected leader is called a dictator here, and we just accept it, and accept it. And this is mainstream media, who should -- truly, there should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies."

So much for freedom of speech and the press.

Muslim Summit On Entrepreneurship

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:39:00 +0000

President Obama is continuing his pandering to the Muslim world and now is reaching out via business. Friday, the White House announced they will host a "summit on entrepreneurship." The goal is to build economic ties with the Islamic world. Forty countries will be represented at the conference scheduled to take place April 26-27 in Washington, D.C.

White House Spokesmoron Robert Gibbs said, "The summit will highlight the role entrepreneurship can play in addressing common challenges while building partnerships that will lead to greater opportunity abroad and at home." So what, are we looking for an easier way to ship weapons to our enemies? When will the White House wake up and realize that we do not have to and should not embrace Islam influence in this country, nor on our economy. The pandering and outreach has not lead us forward in a positive direction with the Muslim world. Instead they still plan to attack us and make attempts to attack us. Islam has turned young American citizens against their country as well, as we have seen with recent attacks at Ft. Hood and arrests of five men overseas.

This was not a recent development though. President Obama mentioned the conference in his Cairo Speech. This is part of that "new beginning" Obama described in the speech. He described the meeting as an opportunity to "identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world."

Rep. Deal Delays Resignation To Defeat ObamaCare

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:52:00 +0000

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal is planning to run for governor of his state and so he announced that he would be resigning from the House next week. But Rep. Deal has decided to delay his resignation so that he can vote against ObamaCare. Today, Spokesmoron Gibbs announced that the President wanted an up or down on vote on the legislation by March 18th. So if the President attempts to push back the deadline in order to wait until Deal resigns, he will end up looking like the weak President we all know that he is.

The President has already pushed off numerous deadlines for ObamaCare as the Democrats have fought amongst each other over the legislation. Their attempts to blame Republicans for obstructing are completely false since the Democrats had enough bodies to get emough votes until Senator Scott Brown was elected.

Allah Pundit on Hot Air blogs:

A quick Democratic head count: Shelley Berkley, who voted yes in November, is a likely no this time. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and Frank Kratovil — who was named in that dopey AP piece a few days ago as a possible flip to yes — voted no last time and say they’re voting that way again. The only way to flip all three? The Senate has to pass Obama’s “fix” to Reid’s Senate bill before the House votes on anything. If they do it the other way, with the House passing Reid’s bill first, there’s a chance that reconciliation could collapse in the Senate, leaving the House stuck with the Reid bill they pretty much all hate (albeit for different reasons).

Geraghty’s been doing yeoman’s work trying to figure out precisely what has to happen for Pelosi to get to 217. According to his latest calculation, every last pro-life Democrat who’s threatening to vote no with Stupak this time would have to flip to yes; if even one of them votes no — which seems exceedingly likely — it’s all over. And that assumes that House progressives will fall in line and stick with their yes votes from November. By no means is that a sure thing; remember, Raul Grijalva says he’s “pretty certain” that several liberals are ready to walk away this time. In fact, Roll Call claims they were pestering The One at last night’s White House health-care huddle about possibly reviving, er, the public option. Good luck with that, champ. The long and short of it is, unless I’ve missed a story somewhere, not a single Democrat who voted no before has committed to flipping to yes this time. The momentum is entirely the other way.

Obama Buying ObamaCare Votes

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:22:00 +0000

The President promised today that his plans for healthcare reform will remove the handouts passed around to buy votes in the House and Senate versions of healthcare insurance reform. The deals dubbed the "Cornhusker Kickback" and "Louisiana Purchase" are examples of those handouts. But the Presidents actions do not back up that promise.

Yesterday evening, the President met with ten Democrats who did not support the original version of ObamaCare. One of those Democrats was Jim Matheson of Utah. Earlier in the day, a press release from the White House announced that the President had nominated Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court if Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Scott Matheson is the brother of Jim Matheson. I'm sure it is just a coincidence.

The Presdident said of Matheson, "Scott Matheson is a distinguished candidate for the Tenth Circuit court. Both his legal and academic credentials are impressive and his commitment to judicial integrity is unwavering. I am honored to nominate this lifelong Utahn to the federal bench.”

So now we see that only deals bartered by the President can be used to buy votes. The Weekly Standard reports:

Consider Congressman Matheson's record on the health care bill. He voted against the bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee back in July and again when it passed the House in November. But now he's "undecided" on ramming the bill through Congress. "The Congressman is looking for development of bipartisan consensus," Matheson's press secretary Alyson Heyrend wrote to THE WEEKLY STANDARD on February 22. "It’s too early to know if that will occur." Asked if one could infer that if no Republican votes in favor of the bill (i.e. if a bipartisan consensus is not reached) then Rep. Matheson would vote no, Heyrend replied: "I would not infer anything. I’d wait to see what develops, starting with the health care summit on Thursday."

Bunning Caves On Unemployment Extension

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:45:00 +0000

Senator Jim Bunning finally relented his blocking of a bill to extend unemployment benefits temporarily. The bill passed the Senate with a 78-19 vote. And yet again we see the lily-livered Republicans going along with the Washington D.C. spending spree. The entitlements need to end now! Jim Bunning got no support from the Republican Party and so gave up like a coward as well. Where are some people who stand for something?

AP writes:

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – The Senate has passed stopgap legislation to extend help for the jobless and keep federal highway dollars flowing. The 78-19 vote came after a GOP senator who was single-handedly holding up the legislation finally relented under withering assaults by Democrats and dwindling support within his own party.

Kentucky Republican Jim Bunning had been holding up action for days but conceded after pressure intensified with Monday's cutoff of road funding and longer and more generous unemployment benefits and health insurance subsidies for the jobless. Bunning was seeking to force Democrats to finance the $10 billion measure so that it wouldn't add to the deficit.

Pelosi Just Like Tea Partiers

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:09:00 +0000

During an interview with Elizabeth Vargas on This Week, PlastiGirl actually made the preposterous claim that she had many things in common with those astroturfing tea partiers:

Can you believe that she actually wants to do away with special interests? Yeah right! When Hell freezes over. Plasi appears to be pandering to the concerned citizens of America because she realizes the power they yield. After all, We The People are the government. And she is continuing to push the idea that Republican headquarters is pushing tea party issues and activities. The GOP will be surprised by that come primary time. NY23 was their wake-up call.

Guess we should forgive Plasti for claiming that we carry swastikas at our gatherings.

Bonding Candidates To Term Limits

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0000

This is an idea whose time has come. The Alliance for Bonded Term Limits, Inc. (ABTL) has formed to push forward the effort to create a process through which candidates for various offices would sign a contract that bonds them to a promise to serve a set number of years. This contract has teeth. If the candidate does not follow through with that promise, the candidate will be required to pay a fine. The ABTL's website states that this requirement of candidates "can assure constituents that they will work diligently in the public interest instead of building long careers rife with self-interest. We will provide a vehicle for sincere candidates to demonstrate their commitment to limited tenure in office by voluntarily bonding their term limit promise with personal assets in advance of the election. These bonded assets of substantial worth will be forfeited to charity only if their promise is broken."

The Independence Caucus supports this effort as well. The Independence Caucus is committed to removing compromised incumbents from office and replacing them with good men and women who commit to fiscal responsibility. Concerned citizens across America agree with the premise that special interests need to be removed from our government. We The People are to be the ones being represented in Washignton, D.C.

Term limits have not always been supported as citizens believed it was their right to term limit incumbants. But recent decades have revealed that representatives are more interested in raising a campaign war chest of funds and voting in certain ways that will get them support from special interests rather than listening to their constituents. Thus, term limits seem to be a necessity now.

HC Summit Cover For CIA Punishment?

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:03:00 +0000

Byron York, writing for the Washington Examiner, is drawing attention to the fact that the House is working feverishly on a bill to punish the CIA and tie their hands when it comes to America's security. This waste of time going on with the Health Care Summit now makes perfect sense. The Obama administration and Democrat Congress are the experts in "watch this hand, while this hand does this over there."

York writes:

I just got an urgent call from a Republican source on the House Intelligence Committee. The House is about to debate the 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2701), and, with all eyes are on the health care summit, Democrats have slipped into the bill a new provision that would establish criminal punishments for CIA agents and other intelligence officials who engage in "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" during interrogations.

The Democratic addition is called the "Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Interrogations Prohibition Act of 2010," and it was inserted into the larger intelligence bill without being considered by the House Intelligence Committee. It covers "any officer or employee of the intelligence community" who, during an interrogation, engages in beatings, the infliction pain, forced sexual acts, inducing hypothermia, conducting mock executions or "depriving the [detainee] of necessary food, water, sleep, or medical care." The bill gives Congress flexibility in defining just what those terms mean, and it would provide for punishments of up to 20 years in prison and life behind bars if a detainee dies as a result of the interrogation.

"This was done without committee review and without any feedback or input from the CIA," says the House source. "It just showed up in the middle of the night. It specifically targets those who are keeping us safe. It doesn't respond to what happened at Ft. Hood or Detroit. Instead, it targets the CIA for new criminal punishments."

Read the rest here.

Billboard Declares Black Babies An Endangered Species

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:43:00 +0000

A billboard in Atlanta is causing controversy for claiming that black babies are an endangered species, but who can argue when looking at the statistics? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that black women had the majority of abortions in Georgia in 2006 and are three times as likely to get abortions nationally. Pro-life groups across the country are cheering, while pro-abortion groups are jeering.

NAACP To Honor Van Jones

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:52:00 +0000

Van Jones, the former Green Jobs Czar, left his post in the Obama administration last year after a firestorm of controversy. Most people chalk up his resignation to revelations that he was a 9/11 Truther who believed the Bush adminstration was behind the terrorists acts of 9/11. The truth is that Jones is a racist Communist and the country had enough of that. Video after video surfaced of Jones scream things like, "Give them the wealth" and claiming that white people were sending their toxic air into black communities.

Now the NAACP wants to award Van Jones with an Image Award on Friday. The NAACP plands to reward Jones with this honor for his efforts in cleaning up the environment and his acts of social justice, which they call civil rights.

CNN reports:

Benjamin Jealous, NAACP president and CEO, said he's not concerned about criticism the NAACP might face over honoring the controversial Jones.

"We care about getting the best ideas, the best minds and Van is one of them," Jealous said. "What should be controversial is we pushed one of the greatest minds to the side in this country when we needed him most."

In an opinion piece on CNN.com, Jealous calls Jones "an American treasure," and says he might be "the most misunderstood man in America."

"The real Van Jones story is about how a young leader became the father of the green jobs movement. In response to a longstanding jobs crisis in Oakland, California, he initiated the Oakland Green Jobs Corps, one of the nation's first job training programs targeting low-income people for work in the solar and green industries. This program has become a renowned model for numerous initiatives that are now up and running across America," Jealous says in the piece.

"In America, we ultimately judge people on what they are doing today for tomorrow, not for what they did yesterday."

Rubio And Crist To Debate On TV

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:55:00 +0000

Finally, the nation will get to witness Marco Rubio beat down the conservative pretender Gov. Charlie Crist. Two debates are scheduled on national news programs in the next couple of months. The first debate will take place on March 28th on FOX News Sunday. The next debate will take place on Meet The Press, but the date is not solid yet because Crist has agreed to a March 7th date, but Rubio wants to do the FOX debate first because FOX has been so loyal to his campaign. Stay tuned for updates on that date.

"Governor Crist looks forward to participating in an open and honest discussion with Speaker Rubio about issues that directly affect Florida voters,” said Crist spokeswoman Andrea Saul. “These debates will give Floridians the chance to learn more about the candidates' actual records, and to see for themselves that Governor Crist is the clear choice when it comes to sending a Senator to Washington who will stand behind the principles of less government, less taxes, and more personal freedom.”

I look forward to the smack down!

Keith Olbermann vs Prairie Dog

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:23:00 +0000

One of the funniest videos I have seen in a long time. (h/t to Reason.com)

Obama Directs NASA To Reach Out To Muslim Countries

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:40:00 +0000

What do countries that are stuck in the Middle Ages care about space exploration? The President seems to think they do and he wants to continue his campaign of outreach (pandering) through NASA. Now we know the real reason why the Muslim countries hate America, they were jealous of our space program. This will just go by the wayside like every other failed effort of Obama to reach out to the Muslim brotherhood.

Our President has defunded most of the space program except the portion set aside to document the fraud of man-made global warming. Now it is apparent that he has done this so that we will have to seek out other countries to get into space. A way to force our hand is another way to say that. Anybody else think this is a way for the Muslim countries to get information on our defense programs and gain technology for rocket and missile creation?

The Orlando Sentinel reports:

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday that President Barack Obama has asked him to “find ways to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries” as the White House pushes the space agency to become a tool of international diplomacy.

“In addition to the nations that most of you usually hear about when you think about the International Space Station, we now have expanded our efforts to reach out to non-traditional partners,” said Bolden, speaking to a lecture hall of young engineering students.

Specifically, he talked about connecting with countries that do not have an established space program and helping them conduct science missions. He mentioned new opportunities with Indonesia, including an educational program that examines global climate change.

“We really like Indonesia because the State Department, the Department of Education [and] other agencies in the U.S. are reaching out to Indonesia as the largest Muslim nation in the world. We would love to establish partners there,” Bolden said.

As a presidential candidate, Obama espoused a space program that invited more participation from the international community and Deputy NASA Administrator Lori Garver said recently that the next time NASA lands on the moon it would be part of an international exploration effort.

Government Already Wasting Millions On 2010 Census

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:38:00 +0000

The government is Constitutionally required to do a headcount of all United States citizens every ten years and this year is one of those years. And the government is already wasting millions of dollars and will continue to lose more as it mismanages what should be a fairly simple task and attempts to force people to answer questions that are not Constitutionally required.

A recent audit revealed that millions have been wasted training and paying people that have already quit. Other employees have overbilled for travel expenses. And the advertising budget for this debacle is $133 million with $2.5 million already spent on SuperBowl ads. And does the government really believe that using no name celebrities and cutesy commercials is necessary? Public service announcements should work just fine.

The Associated Press reports:

Federal investigators caution the excessive charges could multiply once the $15 billion headcount begins in earnest next month unless the agency imposes tighter spending controls, according to excerpts of a forthcoming audit obtained by The Associated Press.

The findings by Todd Zinser, the Commerce Department's inspector general, highlight the difficult balancing act for the Census Bureau as it takes on the Herculean task of manually counting the nation's 300 million residents amid a backdrop of record levels of government debt.

Because the population count, done every 10 years, is used to distribute U.S. House seats and billions in federal aid, many states are pushing for all-out government efforts in outreach since there is little margin for error -- particularly for Democratic-leaning minorities and the poor, who tend to be undercounted. At the same time, the national headcount will employ 1 million temporary workers and is the most expensive ever, making it a visible sign of rising government spending.

The federal hiring has been widely touted by the government as providing a lift to the nation's sagging employment rate -- but investigators found it also had waste.

The audit, scheduled to be released next week, examined the Census Bureau's address-canvassing operation last fall, in which 140,000 temporary workers walked block by block to update the government's mailing lists and maps.

While the project finished ahead of schedule, Census director Robert Groves in October acknowledged the costs had ballooned $88 million higher than the original estimate of $356 million, an overrun of 25 percent. He cited faulty assumptions in the bureau's cost estimates.

52% Say Obama Doesn't Deserve Re-Election

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:50:00 +0000

That Porkulus Bill 2 better include a job for President Obama because it appears that in 2012 he will be in need of a new one. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp poll revealed that 52% of people polled do not believe that Obama deserves re-election. Congress is in trouble as well. Only 34% feel that they deserve re-election. Anti-incumbent fever is high.

"This is not a good year to be an incumbent, regardless of which party you belong to," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Voters seem equally angry at both Republicans and Democrats this year."

In regards to Obama, Holland said, "One problem Obama faces may be the perception that Obama is not a middle-class kind of guy. Only 4 percent of Americans describe themselves as upper class. But a 45 percent plurality say that Obama belongs to the upper class, with 42 percent saying he is from the middle class and 12 percent describing him as working class."

The truth is that Americans will not abide Marxist Progressivism.

Pelosi Goes To Haiti

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:58:00 +0000

PlastiGirl has made a pilgrimage to Haiti with a group of fellow lawmakers. They visited the devastated island on Friday. Haven't the Haitian people been through enough horrors without adding the visage of PlastiGirl to the pile? PlastiGirl promised the Haitian president that America would be sending more funds to Haiti to help. Fire up the printing presses because that can be the only place that the money could be coming from.

The Associated Press reports:

"It was a very somber and a very sober meeting ... but there were a lot of exchanges of ideas and we heard a lot of good information from President Preval which I think we can take back and put into some kind of action plans," Pelosi told reporters.

She did not specify how much more money would be requested. The United States has already provided more than $537 million in assistance and deployed thousands of military personnel to help with the recovery.

Preval greeted Pelosi with a hug. He wore a white linen shirt and a black arm band, part of the observance for the one-month anniversary of the Jan. 12 disaster that killed more than 200,000 people. Preval joked with the press as the legislators spoke, but did not offer comments of his own.

Pelosi praised Preval's effort to design a "reconfiguration plan" for remaking the economy of a country where 80 percent of people live on less than $2 a day. The plan is to be presented at a March conference of aid donors.

RIP Representative John Murtha

noreply@blogger.com (EagleEye Pundit) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:21:00 +0000

The death of Murtha is not something to celebrate, but I certainly am not mourning this corrupt disgraceful politician. I thank the man for his service to this country in the military during the Vietnam War, but the way he disrespected our Marines almost negates any service he provided. This man referred to some of our Marines as cold blooded killers who were killing innocent women and children. This was before he even had the facts. And all but one of the Marines was exonerated. No apology came from Murtha. And who can forget this moment when Murtha served as Speaker:

And this is also the man who took $150 million of our tax dollars to build himself an airport named after himself that almost exclusively served him. Few flights ever ran to or from the airport without Murtha being a passenger.

So RIP Murtha, but we won't miss you. Now it is on to the task of replacing you - something that should have been done a couple of decades ago.