The Sean Hannity Show - Economy

Mayor Bloomberg

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:21:28 -0800

Mayor Bloomberg predicts riots in the streets if economy doesn't create more jobs

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:20:55 -0800

By Erin Einhorn and Corky Siemaszko
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Mayor Bloomberg warned Friday there would be riots in the streets if Washington doesn't get serious about generating jobs.

"We have a lot of kids graduating college, can't find jobs," Bloomberg said on his weekly WOR radio show.

"That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kinds of riots here."

In Cairo, angry Egyptians took out their frustrations by toppling presidential strongman Hosni Mubarak - and more recently attacking the Israeli embassy.

As for Madrid, the most recent street protests were sparked by widespread unhappiness that the Spanish government was spending millions on the visit of Pope Benedict instead of dealing with widespread unemployment.

Bloomberg's unusually alarmist pronouncement came as President Obama has been pressuring reluctant Republicans to pass his proposed job creation plan.

"The damage to a generation that can't find jobs will go on for many, many years," the normally-measured mayor said.

Bloomberg gave Obama kudos for coming up with a jobs plan.

"At least he's got some ideas on the table, whether you like those or not," he said. "Now everybody's got to sit down and say we're actually gonna do something and you have to do something on both the revenue and the expense side."

And everybody's got to share in the pain.

Conservative Nabs Naming Rights to ‘American Jobs Act’ After Obama Delay

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:08:20 -0800

Rob Bluey blog.heritage.org

President Obama repeatedly asked members of Congress to pass the American Jobs Act last week. But when no Democrat filed Obama’s bill after he presented it to Congress, a conservative congressman swiped the name for his own legislation.

The American Jobs Act introduced in the House of Representatives looks quite different from the version President Obama outlined in his speech to Congress. Instead of hiking taxes on working Americans to pay for another stimulus, Rep. Louie Gohmert’s (R-TX) legislation offers a tax cut.

Text of the legislation

U.S. Poverty Rate Swells to 27-Year High

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:35:04 -0800

The Census Bureau reports the number of Americans in poverty jumped to 15.1 percent in 2010, a 27-year high.

About 46.2 million people, or nearly 1 in 6, were in poverty. That's up from 43.6 million, or 14.3 percent, in 2009. It was the highest level since 1983.

The number of people lacking health insurance increased to 49.9 million, a new high after revisions were made to 2009 figures. Losses were due mostly to working-age Americans who lost employer-provided insurance in the weak economy. Main provisions of the health overhaul don't take effect until 2014.

The statistics released Tuesday cover 2010, when U.S. unemployment averaged 9.6 percent, up from 9.3 percent the previous year.

The median -- or midpoint -- household income was $49,445, a 2.3 decline from 2009.

Homeless

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:34:00 -0800

Tuesday September 13 2011

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 08:31:46 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter,

Obama jobs plan could cost $300 billion, include tax cuts, new spending

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:53:51 -0800

By David Nakamura and Zachary A. Goldfarb

President Obama is planning to propose a jobs program on Thursday that could entail at least $300 billion in tax cuts, local government aid, and spending on infrastructure such as roads and schools as he aims to restore public confidence in his ability to boost the economy.

Obama, whose approval ratings are at record lows, will present his proposals before a joint session of Congress at 7 p.m. in an address that could mark a critical moment in his presidency. Obama will unveil a bill with his proposals--“The American Jobs Act”--which the White House says will be fully paid for. His renewed focus on employment comes as the economic recovery has essentially stalled, with a discouraging government report last week showing that job creation came to a halt in August.

The White House has been developing a package of jobs proposals since last month, when Obama completed months of negotiations with Republicans over a deficit-reduction deal.
The president’s plan, in large part, will call for continuing current measures to stimulate the economy, including a 2 percentage-point payroll-tax cut and extended unemployment benefits, administration officials say. Obama is also likely to call for an additional tax cut for companies that hire workers. Those measures together could cost about $200 billion next year.

SOURCE: Washington Post

Obama Jobs Speech CSPAN

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:23:36 -0800

Tuesday September 06 2011

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:22:54 -0800

David Horowitz, Karl Rove,

Unemployment line

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:16:13 -0800

Employers Add Zero Net Jobs in August, Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 9.1 Percent

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:14:59 -0800

A dismal labor report Friday showed the economy added zero net workers in August, intensifying pressure on President Obama to unveil a major jobs initiative during his speech to Congress next week.

The Labor Department report, which showed the unemployment rate stuck at 9.1 percent, feeds into concerns that the economy could be at risk of another recession. It was the weakest jobs report since September 2010.

Republican leaders swiftly cited the report as renewed evidence that the Obama administration must change course.

"Private-sector job growth continues to be undermined by the triple threat of higher taxes, more failed 'stimulus' spending, and excessive federal regulations," House Speaker John Boehner said.

He and House Republican Leader Eric Cantor urged Obama to reach across the aisle when he unveils his jobs plan next week. "The administration's previous attempts at this didn't produce the expected results, and we must be mindful not to repeat the mistakes of the past," Cantor said.

The White House, in a blog on its website, urged the public not to read too much into any one monthly jobs report and noted that despite the slowdown the economy has added private-sector jobs "for 18 straight months." However, the White House called the jobless rate "unacceptably high" and said "faster growth is needed to replace the jobs lost in the downturn."

Ben Bernanke

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:51:59 -0800

Bernanke Offers No New Steps to Jumpstart Economy Amid Bleak Growth Report

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 08:51:15 -0800

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke proposed no new steps on Friday to jumpstart a weakening U.S. economy, but signaled that Congress may need to act to stimulate hiring and growth.

Bernanke's speech followed the release of a Commerce Department report that showed the economy grew at an annual rate of only 1 percent this spring, weaker than the government originally estimated. Only slightly healthier expansion is foreseen for the second half. The revision could raise fears of another recession.

At an annual economic conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Bernanke said that while record-low interest rates will promote growth over time, the weak economy requires further help in the short run.

Bernanke said he's optimistic that the job market and the economy will return to full health in the long run.

"This economic healing will take a while, and there may be setbacks along the way," Bernanke said. "Moreover, we will need to remain alert to risks to the recovery, including financial risks. However...the healing process should not leave major scars."

Stocks fell after the speech was released but then recovered.

Bernanke's speech comes at a critical moment for the economy. Some economists worry that another recession might be near.

Tuesday August 23 2011

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:53:53 -0800

Karl Rove,

DOW Plunges

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:45:15 -0800

Economic, Euro Malaise Ignites Wall Street Plunge; Dow Off 380

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:44:49 -0800

By Adam Samson

The economy has come squarely back into focus with a heavy stream of economic data released on Thursday. Morgan Stanley also warned the global economy is "dangerously close to a recession" and cut its global economic growth outlook significantly. Goldman Sachs also pared back its forecast of economic growth.

Manufacturing in the Philadelphia area contracted sharply in August. The Philadelphia Federal Reserve's gauge of manufacturing activity came in at -30.7, far short of expectations of 3.7. Reading above 0 point to expansion, while those below 0 indicate contraction.

A number below the -20 level is "rare outside of a recession" and poses a "very worrying development" for policymakers who are working to keep the economy afloat, according to economists at Barclays Capital.

The markets are being driven lower "not only be the euro zone ... but also a relentless release of domestic data that speaks to both an underlying inflationary environment and anemic – if not stagnant growth here in the U.S.," Peter Kenny, managing director at Knight Capital Group said in a note to clients.

Wall Street has also been paying close attention to the sovereign debt crisis in Europe for several months. The fears peaked last week when reports suggesting certain large European banking institutions may have issues gaining access to sufficient capital sparked massive selloffs and volatility.

Thursday August 18 2011

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:37:13 -0800

Stuart Varney,

Donald Trump

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:15:51 -0800

Obama to lay out new jobs plan in Sept. speech

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:36:56 -0800

By BEN FELLER
AP White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Seeking to jolt the economy, President Barack Obama will propose new ideas to create jobs and help the struggling poor and middle class in a major speech after Labor Day. And then he will try to seize political advantage by spending the fall pressuring Congress to act on his plan.

Obama's plan is likely to contain a mix of tax cuts, jobs-boosting construction projects and steps to help the long-term unemployed, a senior administration official told The Associated Press. The official emphasized that Obama's proposals would be fresh ones, not a rehash of plans he has pitched for many weeks and still supports, like his idea of an "infrastructure bank" to finance construction jobs.

On a related front, Obama will also present a specific plan to cut the staggering national debt and to pay for the cost of his new short-term economic ideas. His version will challenge the new "supercommittee" of Congress to go beyond its goal of $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction.

Confirming the deficit-reduction part of his plan directly, Obama told a rural town hall crowd in Illinois on Wednesday: "I don't think it's good enough for us to just do it part way. If we're going to do it, let's go ahead and fix it."

SOURCE: AP

Wednesday August 17 2011

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:26:27 -0800

Donald Trump,

Friday August 12 2011

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:40:30 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter,

Tuesday August 09 2011

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:12:29 -0800

Juan Williams, Pat Buchanan,

S&P Downgrades

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:46:59 -0800

S&P Downgrades Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Others

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 08:46:21 -0800

Standard & Poor's downgraded the ratings of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Monday, citing their reliance on U.S. government.

Both Fannie and Freddie were lowered to AA+ from triple-A. The Federal Home Loan Banks were also cut to AA-plus.

Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee about half of all U.S. mortgages, or nearly 31 million home loans worth more than $5 trillion. As part of a nationalized system, they account for nearly all new mortgage loans. Their downgrade might force anyone looking to buy a home to pay higher mortgage rates.

The downgrade came amid a number of other ratings actions that are rippling from S&P's decision late Friday to cut the credit rating of the United States one notch from triple-A to AA+.

S&P also cut ratings for several of the main arteries of the US financial system—the Depository Trust Co., National Securities Clearing Corp., Fixed Income Clearing Corp. and the Options Clearing Corp.—were cut one notch to AA-plus.

These institutions, previously rated AAA by S&P, clear and process trades and are crucial to the daily workings of the U.S. financial markets.

In issuing the downgrade, S&P explained it was not the result of any company-specific event.

"We have not changed our view of the fundamental soundness of their depository or clearing operations," S&P said.

S&P said its decisions were based on what it called shifts in the macroeconomic environment and the long-term stability of U.S. capital markets. The U.S. stock market fell in the first day of trading after S&P's historic downgrade of the United States, while Treasurys rallied.

Source: CNBC

Friday August 05 2011

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:51:58 -0800

Ann Coulter, Stuart Varney,

Economy Close to Stall - May Signal New Recession

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:54:03 -0800

By Peter Coy

Economics isn’t rocket science, but the U.S. economy is a little like a rocket. If it has enough thrust, it can escape the tug of economic gravity. Not enough, and it just might go into a tailspin. Economists at the Federal Reserve and elsewhere are studying whether today’s slow growth is a precursor to an outright recession -- and if so, why.

It’s widely accepted that a slowly growing economy is more likely to tip into recession, for the obvious reason that it’s already too close to the line; any shock can knock it into negative territory. And today’s slow growth is at least in part a symptom of underlying problems such as consumer indebtedness, high energy prices, and the jitters induced by debt ceiling brinkmanship, Bloomberg Businessweek reports in its August 8-14 edition.

What’s harder to prove is the hypothesis that slowness is not just a symptom of trouble but a cause of it. In other words, some economists say, if the economy grows too weakly, that slowness itself could create conditions that lead to a recession. Why? Maybe the sluggishness undermines consumer and business confidence. Maybe investors lose faith in the recovery so stock prices, already down 9 percent from their April high, plummet. Or maybe lenders get nervous about borrowers’ ability to repay loans and start withdrawing credit. Any such reaction could cause the very downturn that’s feared. “When the growth rate gets low enough, certain factors may kick in, nonlinearly,” says Menzie Chinn, an economist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and co-author of a new book, “Lost Decades.”

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DOW Jones Plunges

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:51:58 -0800

Liberal politicians LIE

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 07:50:31 -0800

Here is an article on Debbie Wasserman Shultz telling us that the "economy has begun to turn around."

NOW, here are a few reports on the condition of our economy today. Notice how all of the news is bad, and it's the worst it's been in 2 plus years??

- DOW loses another 150 Pts. {Article}
- Unemployment rate rises again {Article}
- Layoffs at 16-month high {Article}
- Tax hikes, epic fights coming {Article}
- Gold up $50/oz since Monday {Article}
- Gas prices rise again {Article}

But wait, the Obama administration wouldn't lie to us would they? How can liberals still defend these people?

Fantastic news. The head idiot is now going to concentrate on job creation. I wonder how much this is going to cost me now. After 2.5 years he is now going to start concentrating on job creation? Well isn't that just wonderful.

Wednesday August 03 2011

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:08:34 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Donald Trump,

Obama Looks for Love, Money in Chicago

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:11:51 -0800

Obama Looks for Love, Money in Chicago

By Chris Stirewalt | FoxNews.com

Campaign Banks on B-Day Fundraisers to Boost President After Debt Drama

"I am just sorely upset that Obama doesn't seize the moment. That's what great presidents do in times of crisis. They exert executive leadership. He went wobbly in the knees."

-- Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, talking to the Los Angeles Times about President Obama and the debt-ceiling crisis.

Throughout all of the debt drama in Washington, one piece of President Obama’s schedule stood unshaken – a massive fundraising blowout to celebrate his 50th birthday tonight.

Obama gave up golf for a month and scrubbed some summertime family fun so he could meet with congressional leaders and generally look concerned, but the star-studded events in Chicago never budged. The Obama campaign had too much riding on them.

Aside from having Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson and, one would assume, presidential patroness Oprah Winfrey queued up for big-dollar dinners, concerts and cocktails, the president’s political team had made this event the kind of multi-platform, participant-saturation, Twitter fed event that it is famous for.

For example, every Obama activist has been asked to make a gift to the president of 50 new supporters. Obama will symbolically receive these new backers in a teleconference with supporters, who have been arranged in hundreds of house parties across the country to show their support.

Peggy Noonan touched off a bit of a firestorm last week when she wrote in the Wall Street Journal that “nobody loves Obama.” And while Democrats pushed back, saying that many still loved their beleaguered, even some of his staunchest supporters admit something has changed between the president and the populace.

It’s not just the liberal outrage over the debt-ceiling deal reached this week – though that is deepening – but the worst case yet of Obama fatigue. The ailment has beset the nation several times since the president’s meteoric rise began, and each relapse has been more severe than the last.

Not only is he overexposed (all presidents become that), but Obama also seems to be overwhelmed. He is forever emitting word clouds, but the direction of the country and the government seems to clatter along unaffected. Americans lose patience with their presidents even more quickly if they think their words aren’t consequential.

When Obama stalked out of the White House Tuesday to offer harsh words for his partners in a bipartisan debt compromise (“manufactured crisis”) and then to give again his same speech about billionaire taxes and a “balanced approach” that we’ve been hearing for many, many months, Power Play got the sense that maybe Obama fatigue runs both ways. He looked exhausted by the job and annoyed with the situation.

Remember that Obama made similar tax-increase promises after getting roped by Republicans on the Bush tax rates and a continuing resolution to fund the government. This time it seemed like he was kind of going through the motions.

Tonight’s events in Chicago were immovable objects for the president not just because his campaign has set nearly impossible campaign fundraising goals, but also to get Obama back into the light of his supporters’ reflected love.

When the campaign invites reporters to one of these local events where the flocks of 50 will be offered up, the message is: “See, they still love him.”

Reid, Obama Promise Tax Hikes, GOPers Say No Way

“This is a job for steady hands.”

-- House GOP leadership aide to Power Play on who Speaker John Boehner will select to be on a bipartisan super committee on debt reduction.

The Reagan administration maxim on preventing ideological drift in government agencies: “Personnel is policy.”

Never has that been more true than when it comes to the newly created super committee on debt reduction created under the debt ceiling deal passed Tuesday.

Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi all have two weeks to select three members each to serve on the commission.

The six Republicans and six Democrats will then have until Thanksgiving to fashion legislation to reduce the projected federal debt by $1.5 trillion ($1.2 if the House and Senate both pass a balanced-budget amendment) in order to trigger the release of another $1.5 trillion in borrowing authority for President Obama. The plan is then guaranteed an up-or-down vote, no amendments, in the House and Senate.

If the committee fails to produce a plan or Congress fails to accept it, $1.2 trillion in decennial cuts kicks in, this time with security spending and Medicare included in the mix. The idea is that the cuts will be so severe that Congress will act to reform the tax code and entitlements rather than face the pain.

But no sooner than President Obama laid down the ceremonial pens from signing the deal (Power Play doubts Pelosi will be framing hers), the compromisers got on to their new talking point: to increase taxes or not.

Reid is offering a Joe Namath-esque guarantee that taxes will go up under the deal. While the super committee is forbidden from proposing an increase in tax rates, it can slap shut or shrink loopholes that help affluent Americans and corporations reduce their tax obligations. Reid promised Tuesday that the final deal would include taxes.

Republicans, meanwhile, insist that not only will no rates go up but that any shuffling of loopholes has to be revenue neutral, that is to say, the money has to be spread around with corresponding rate reductions or shifted to other, existing exemptions.

Obama, meanwhile, promised that he would continue to repeat his talking points on “millionaires and billionaires,” “big oil,” and “corporate jet owners” until Republican lawmakers cry for mercy and gave him a tax increase. Obama’s subtle promise to his supporters – I may have lost this round, but now we have them right where we want them. He adopted the argument of some Republicans who opposed the Boehner bill because they said it was a trap for tax hikes. The president’s sentiments exactly.

But the winner of this fight will be the party that can keep its six members intatct and pick off at least one member from the other six. If one party appoints five stalwarts but just one who goes wobbly, the other side could get a victory, or at least produce a bill doomed to fail.

Some picks seem like guarantees. Boehner, for example, will almost certainly put House budget boss Paul Ryan on the panel. Pelosi will almost certainly add her debt dude Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. But the rest of the slots seem up for grabs.

The question for ambitious members of Congress: Is this commission a vehicle to glory or a career-killing death trap?

Congress Walks Out on FAA

“Professionalism”

-- FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt’s explanation to reporters of why agency safety inspectors would continue to work without getting paid.

So, the Federal Aviation Administration is in a shutdown right now because the House and Senate can’t agree on whether to subsidize air service to rural airports that would otherwise close.

House Republicans have passed a bill that would reauthorize the agency but end the free money for small- and medium-sized airports (subsidies that benefit many congressmen directly when they fly home to their districts).

The Senate has refused the bill on the grounds that the subsidies are too important to rural economies and must be in place. There is also a political consideration for Senate Democrats. House Republicans are trying to roll back an administration rule that eases union organization at airlines and Senate Democrats are determined to block it.

The Senate shut down Tuesday, leaving the FAA in limbo.

What’s fascinating, here, though, is that the impasse leaves the agency unfunded and the people who provide safety supervision for the airline industry working without pay until a solution can be achieved.

This is some risky business. If anything unfortunate happens in the air during this period it will convince many Americans that Congress needs to be grounded.

And Now, A Word From Charles

“An index of how spent he is intellectually on jobs is the campaign speech he gave [Tuesday]. He announced five initiatives. Listen to them: Payroll tax extension. We already have that. Unemployment insurance extension. We already have that. Trade deals. He had that for two-and-a-half years and it's done nothing. Spending, more infrastructure. Perennial, more dams and bridges and roads.

The last one I love that here is the real new one to get us out of the

doldrums -- patent process reform. That is the key to economic explosion, getting us out of 9 percent unemployment. He is out of bullets and arrows and looking for stones on the seashore. And it shows he may want a jobs agenda and may want to do a pivot, but there is nothing left in the cupboard. He did a huge Keynesian gamble and it failed.”

-- Charles Krauthammer on “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/08/03/obama-looks-for-love-money-in-chicago/#ixzz1TzgIWIsE

American Tipping Point

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:49:28 -0800

The Nation's Pulse

By Jeffrey Lord

Hush puppies and the Tea Party.

The Republican run House of Representatives passed a debt limit plan last night 269-161. With Arizona Democrat Gabrielle Giffords returning from death's door to cast a yes vote. Good for her.

You always think of these things together, right?

No? Well, you should.

Hush puppies, for those coming in late, were once the casual shoe of choice in the late 1950s. By the 1990s they were pretty much vanished, disappeared to the fashion twilight zone along with tri-corner hats and powdered white wigs for men. They sold somewhere in the neighborhood of a pathetic 30,000 pairs a year, usually out of small family-run shoe stores in the small towns of off-the-beaten path America. The company that made them -- Wolverine -- was on the verge of giving up with the once iconic shoe from the Eisenhower-era that was, in 1950s beatnik lingo, "nowheresville" by the time of Bill and Hillary.

And then something peculiar happened. Something very much like what has been happening in the House of Representatives the last several days.

Out of the blue, hush puppies were becoming hip in the hippest clubs and bars of Clinton-era Manhattan. Impatient customers began scouting those small town shoe stores and scooping up the remaining supply. A prominent fashion designer was seen clad in them, another called Wolverine wanting to feature them in his spring collection. So did another. One L.A. fashionista mounted a 25-foot inflatable basset hound (the basset hound the Hush Puppy symbol) on the roof of his store, bought and gutted the building next door and turned it into a hush puppy boutique. One movie star of the day walked in personally to pick up a couple pairs of puppies. By 1995, sales had skyrocketed from the lonely 30,000 sales a year to almost half-a-million. The shoes were winning prizes as "best accessory" from fashion big wigs. And on and on it went.

If you've read author Malcolm Gladwell's bestselling classic of a few years back called The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, you will recognize this hush puppy story as Gladwell's. Along with other seemingly odd topics like Paul Revere's ride or the sudden drop in the crime rate of the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Gladwell posited the idea that:

…the best way to understand the emergence of fashion trends, the ebb and flow of crime waves, or, for that matter, the transformation of unknown books into bestsellers, or the rise of teenage smoking, or the phenomena of word of mouth, or any number of the other mysterious changes that mark everyday life is to think of them as epidemics. Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.

When three characteristics combine -- "contagiousness, the fact that little causes can have big effects… (and) that change happens not gradually but at one dramatic moment" -- a "tipping point" occurs.

Hush puppy sales take off. Crime falls through the floor. A book sails on to best seller list. Or, as Gladwell also notes, a Boston silversmith's determination to spread the news of an impending British attack "mobilizes an entire region to arms" and an entire revolution is launched. And so on.

To which, this morning, it must be said after that 269-161 vote in the House last night: America has reached a new Tipping Point.

An epidemic of conservatism is sweeping America. And thanks to the Tea Party, yesterday disgracefully accused of terrorism by Vice President Biden (he the vice president in an administration terrified of calling real terrorists terrorists -- seriously!), the country will never be the same again.

Let's start with Gladwell's point of contagiousness, or, as he says in illustrating the point, the importance of understanding that epidemics are an "example of geometric progression."

Remembering that some 40 years separated the popularity peaks of the hush puppy, it should be noted that 78 years have separated the serious and seemingly permanent rise of Big Government from today. From Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal to the presidency of Barack Obama is a long time. And Big Government -- the idea that, in the vernacular, "tax and spend" can just sail on endlessly -- seemed like an impregnable fortress of an idea.

But like the hush puppy epidemic, along the way Gladwell's "little causes" began to multiply.

Some seemed insignificant in the day, others of moderate or even large consequence. Here's a partial list:

• 1938: Ohio Senator Robert Taft gains political celebrity as a devout opponent of FDR's New Deal, winning his first Senate race in the anti-New Deal election year of 1938. The same year Democrats lose a record 72 seats in the U.S. House and 6 in the U.S. Senate. Taft loses three bids for the GOP presidential nomination -- in 1940, 1948 and, most spectacularly, to the moderate Republican General Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. But the idea germinates of the GOP as the natural home of political conservative opposition to Big Government.

• 1947: Regnery Publishing, a publisher of conservative books, is created in by Henry Regnery, the father of Alfred Regnery, now the publisher of The American Spectator.

• 1951: William F. Buckley Jr. becomes an unlikely bestselling author at the age of 25 with his first book, God and Man at Yale, published by Regnery. The book is highly controversial, the first serious allegation that a major American educational institution has abandoned its cultural founding principles for a far-left leaning liberal secularism.

• 1955: Buckley creates National Review magazine, the publication designed to promote the cause of conservatism in a culture where Big Government and its left-leaning accoutrements have become the cultural norm. Famously, Buckley declares his intention of "standing athwart history yelling 'Stop!'"

• 1961: Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, having delivered a speech at the 1960 Republican National Convention demanding "let's grow up conservatives," authors a bestselling book called The Conscience of a Conservative.

• 1964: Goldwater defeats liberal GOP Establishment choices, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton, for the GOP presidential nomination. Losing in a landslide to Lyndon Johnson, Goldwater's nomination victory continues the Taft transformation of the GOP from a party of "dime store New Deal" moderates to conservatives.

• 1966: Actor Ronald Reagan, whose nationally televised speech for Goldwater electrified the budding conservative movement, is elected Governor of California.

• 1967: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. founds The Alternative, a conservative magazine that evolves into The American Spectator. The magazine features conservative intellectual and political thought, spotlighting writers such as Tom Wolfe, Thomas Sowell and George F. Will among many. Also appearing in its pages: Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point.

• 1976: Former Governor Reagan challenges incumbent GOP President Gerald R. Ford for the Republican presidential nomination, specifically challenging as a conservative champion. Reagan loses in a tight battle.

• 1978: New York Congressman Jack Kemp gets the Republican National Committee to endorse classical economics -- "supply-side" or "growth" economics -- as the official position of the national party.

• 1980: Reagan wins the presidency in a landslide and the 8-year "Reagan Revolution" begins.

• 1988: Rush Limbaugh begins his nationally syndicated talk radio show, quickly establishing himself as the premiere talk radio conservative in the land.

• 1990: President George H.W. Bush breaks his "read my lips, no new taxes" pledge and raises taxes. Conservatives abandon him and he loses re-election, winning only 37% of the vote.

• 1994: The GOP sweeps the congressional elections in a conservative tide, making it the House majority party for the first time since 1954. Newt Gingrich becomes Speaker of the House.

• 1995: Bill Kristol creates the Weekly Standard magazine, a magazine of "neoconservative" political and intellectual thought.

• 1996: Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and Roger Ailes launch Fox News. It becomes the most-watched cable news channel in America, dwarfing rivals CNN and MSNBC.

• 2001: Sean Hannity's radio show begins national syndication. He is already the co-host of Fox TV's popular Hannity and Colmes. Hannity becomes the number two talk radio star in America behind his friend Rush Limbaugh.

• 2002: Mark Levin, a former Reagan aide and head of the Landmark Legal Foundation, begins his first radio show, now syndicated nationally.

• 2009: The "Tea Party" movement begins, formed by activists concerned over the size of U.S. indebtedness and the national deficit.

• 2009: Levin writes Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto. The book sells over 1.2 million copies and becomes the informal bible of "Tea Party" activists, literally waved in the streets at mass rallies and saluted by Tea Party favorite Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

• 2009: Talk radio's Glenn Beck begins a television show on Fox that for a period becomes the hottest show in the five o'clock time-slot. The show lasts only two years, but in its heyday brings considerable attention to Beck and his particular brand of conservatism.

• 2009: Conservative activist film maker James O'Keefe's undercover videos of ACORN result in the congressional defunding of the controversial group after video shows members of the group aiding in prostitution and tax evasion schemes.

That's a fairly considerable if partial list of what Gladwell calls "little causes" -- some admittedly larger or smaller than others.

Yet the point remains: when you add everything on this list together, when you add the fact that one event has frequently spread its contagiousness or been pushed by, in Gladwell's vocabulary, "connectors" -- "people with a particular and rare set of social gifts" who have the ability to "spread" an idea like an epidemic, a Tipping Point is in the works. Henry Regnery, for example, published and made a star of Buckley, who befriended Reagan who inspired Limbaugh, who was befriended by Buckley and placed on the cover of National Review, with Limbaugh in turn aiding Hannity and Levin and Levin's book inspiring the Tea Party etc., etc.

What is evident in this explosive fight over the debt ceiling is what Gladwell calls the force of "geometric progression." The collective weight of it all from the election of Taft to Limbaugh, Hannity and Levin's latest radio shows and the appearance of the Tea Party marking an American "Tipping Point."

This is not the first time a "Tipping Point" has occurred in American history. The lead up to the tipping point that was the American Revolution was replete with incidents and powerful personalities stretching over a century and a half from the initial landing of the Pilgrims (literally sailing across the Atlantic to get out from under British control) to the first "Tea Party" in Boston to the rhetoric of Patrick Henry and the ride of Paul Revere. All these and more finally culminated in the "shot heard 'round the world" when Americans confronted the British militarily at Lexington and Concord. The world was never the same again, the once presumed eternal certainty of British colonial rule on its way to being shattered for good.

There are other "tipping points" -- one culminating in the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, another in the American civil rights movement, with more historical turning points beyond that. Each in their own way propelled by events large and small, championed by personalities famous and unknown.

But make no mistake.

Thanks to the Tea Party movement, Conservatism is on the verge of a major victory that dwarfs the technical and actual realities of whatever the details of the resulting deficit deal passed last night. Yes, there is a long, long way to go. But the idea that America doesn't, in fact, have to be governed for eternity as a debtor nation with a mammoth, out-of-control, ever-expanding government is winning the day. It is tipping the balance with increasing decisiveness against an idea that has become so much a part of conventional wisdom that even some conservatives, startlingly including, inexplicably, the Wall Street Journal, have displayed the wobblies at the thought of confronting the Leviathan. The WSJ's attacks yesterday against Jim DeMint, Michele Bachmann and Sean Hannity, saying "sooner or later the GOP had to give up the hostage" -- follows another editorial in which the paper railed against Tea Party members as "hobbits." The paper, sounding like cranky British Tories in 1775 Boston rather than the bold, forward-looking paper that championed the much-derided ideas of Ronald Reagan, wildly bought into the liberal notion that the Tea Party from Hobbitville is somehow holding the government hostage, instead of the other way around. In fact Big Government liberalism has spent decades holding and trying to hold the average American hostage to all manner of outrageous tax rates, taxes and regulations on everything from capital gains to sex (in Harry Reid's Nevada) to soda, SUVs and poker.

Let me see if I understand this without drink, drugs or rock and roll: the Wall Street Journal is saying that because Senator DeMint, Congresswoman Bachmann and Sean Hannity are not caving to President Obama -- they are insufficiently conservative?

My oh my oh my oh my.

The view from here in Hobbitville is that our WSJ friends and other conservatives who seem inexplicably to have wanted to fold out of what Rush Limbaugh bluntly labeled "fear" are betraying nothing as much as an odd editorial-version of a Big Government, tax-and-spend Stockholm syndrome. The psychological shift where the hostage identifies with the hostage-taker. Oh please don't hurt me and I'll compromise!!!!!!!!!

The Tea Party not only would have none of this, the Tea Party's role in all of this marks the definitive and latest American "Tipping Point" -- a point when the balance is discernibly shifting and the world changes. And as that long list of conservatives and the events associated with them indicates, there are a lot of people over eight decades who deserve some thanks.

America -- and the eternally Big Government, tax and spend ideas of the American Left -- will never be seen the same way again. Which is precisely why the Left is writhing and foaming as this goes to Internet print.

The Tea Party is the new Hush Puppy. They are, to use a Gladwell example, Paul Revere. The message has been delivered with maximum impact. The revolution is here.

A new American Tipping Point has arrived.

Michele Bachmann profile

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:41:51 -0800

How Will Debt Debate Affect 2012?

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:39:19 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," August 1, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And tonight, we are monitoring a lot of late-breaking developments related to tomorrow's debt deal vote expected to take place at high noon in the U.S. Senate. Now, we are hearing from both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that the measure in fact will pass and that means, it will ultimately end up on the president's desk for his signature, but make no mistake this debate over this controversial agreement will not end there. This debt deal will not be among the -- certainly among the hot button issues of the 2012 campaign. One of the House members who voted against the bill today is GOP presidential candidate Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. She joins us live tonight from Washington. Congresswoman, how are you?

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: I'm doing great, Sean. Nice to see you again.

HANNITY: Now, I really hope and pray we're not becoming Greece, which is a comment you made that has been picked up a lot. What did you mean by that?

BACHMANN: Well, we're continuing to spend money that we don't have by an order of magnitude that we've never seen before. And in all of my travels over South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Iowa, it's been fairly unanimous, Sean. People across the country have said, please stop the out-of-control spending. And whatever you do, don't increase the debt ceiling, because people see that under almost every scenario President Obama gets this $2.1 trillion to spend, and we're getting $21 billion in cuts. And people are saying, that's just not good enough. And they want us to really change the ways of Washington. And they're not seeing they're being listened to.

HANNITY: What, then, happened? And again, I'm less inclined to blame the House as much as I -- I feel they had after cut, cap and tax, the legs cut out from underneath them, because that was the day the Gang of Six made their announcement. I thought that was very damaging. Because the president ran out, with great fanfare and said, oh, we got another deal here, don't worry about that one. That's being voted on in the House today. That's dead on arrival. I'm going to veto it anyway. So, you know, what happened in the process? Because a lot of conservatives, like myself, think that, you know, $60 billion in two years doesn't justify $900 billion increase immediately.

BACHMANN: Well, that's what -- I think the American people agree with you. And that's what a lot of the data -- the polling data has said, and certainly anecdotally from what I've seen it, too. Because people connect the fact that when government is overspending to that amount that it impacts job creation. When I was in Indianola, Iowa - Cemen Tech - they've lost 50 percent of all of their employees. Cisco is laying off 6,500 employees. Boeing who would love to add thousands of jobs in South Carolina and now it's that they're laying off 1,100 jobs in California.

HANNITY: Alright. Let me ask you specifically here --

BACHMANN: That job -- these companies, Sean, they can't make cuts over 10 years. They have to make them immediately. Government doesn't act like that.

HANNITY: Yeah. I guess what -- what I -- I guess what conservatives, Tea Party members, and you're well known in the Tea Party movement, want to know is this, because -- all right. If we're now at $16 - whatever and a half trillion dollars as a result of this deal, $16.7 trillion in debt by the end of this deal, OK, so that gets us past the 2012 election. If we're going to add eight percent a year in new spending, every year because of entitlements that have not been reformed, spending, etc., etc. And Paul Ryan's right, they did cut back, and there's going to be a reduction in discretionary spending, but we're still going up 7.5-8 percent a year. That leaves us to somewhere around $25 trillion in debt. Now, if we get to that point, we're going to be downgraded. That means interest rates go up. People have less money for consumer spending. That means that businesses are less likely to invest. That means that the unemployment spiral continues, dependency increases. You know, when are we going to start arguing the real numbers here? Does that make sense?

BACHMANN: Well, that's right. That's right. And that's my point, because all of this overspending does impact job creation. And unfortunately the lack thereof. And that's why people want government to do what they have to do, what local businesses have to do, and that's be sure that you don't spend more money than what you take in. That's why, what people want to know is, will someone do what has to be done? We need tough love. We didn't see a lot of tough love out of this deal. And people recognize something. They're already paying taxes to the tune of $2.2 trillion every year. And now --

HANNITY: But why do you think that -- do you think, instead of arguing about baseline numbers, do you think that the Republicans feared -- and maybe justifiably so, that they were going to be blamed in the end here, if there was a, quote, because the president was using all these scare tactics. Do you think there was a fear that that responsibility would be on their shoulders and that they thought there was too high a political price to pay at this moment?

BACHMANN: That's all the process questions. What I hear -- in reality, where people live is that they're paying $2.2 trillion in taxes. Government is overspending by a trillion and a half. So, what that means is people are seeing that very soon, they're going to have to pay almost double in taxes what they're paying now. And they can't do it.

HANNITY: Yeah, well --

BACHMANN: Not if you don't have jobs and not if you don't have wage increases. That's the difference. People see that the economy is being negatively impacted and they feel like no one is listening to their voice.

They want someone to come to Washington and say no. They want someone to come to Washington and say, stop this nonsense, listen to us, and do what has to be done. And they really -- you know, they're watching the political games, but they want us to really do the right thing.

HANNITY: Do you think Republicans failed them?

BACHMANN: Well, I think that what we should have done is not raise the debt ceiling and instead prioritize the spending. We needed to, obviously, make sure we didn't go into technical default. We needed to make sure that military men and women got paid -

HANNITY: That was there --

BACHMANN: -- but from there we had to make serious cuts. Unfortunately, the can's been kicked down the road. And now we have government that we obviously can't afford.

HANNITY: This is why I think independents are moving away from the president, because we've never seen a president --

BACHMANN: Absolutely, that's right.

HANNITY: But we now borrow 40 cents of every dollar you spend. We take in --

BACHMANN: Oh 43 cents and it will be more.

HANNITY: OK, 43 cents. We borrow $120 billion a month. And we only take in $180 billion -

BACHMANN: That's right.

HANNITY: -- so we borrow another $120 billion more.

BACHMANN: We can't do it. The math doesn't add up. And that's why people want someone to stand up, say no, and speak for them. That's what I'm trying to do is speak for them.

HANNITY: All right, Congresswoman, appreciate you being with us. Thank you.

BACHMANN: Thank you, Sean.

HANNITY: And coming up, we're going to monitor all the developments from D.C. We'll bring you all the latest live as they happen.

Plus, to say they strongly disagree about who's screwing up worse in Washington, well, that would be put up mildly we have a follow-up to last week's highly contentious debate over the debt ceiling that nearly resulted in a fistfight between Caddell and Hugh Hewitt. That and more coming up.

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Reid: Joint Committee Must Include Taxes Or Trigger Will Kick In

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:04:03 -0800

"We've had too much talk the last few days of Republicans as early as this morning, Republican leaders in the Senate saying there will be no revenue. That's not going to happen. Otherwise, the trigger is going to kick in. The only way we can arrive at a fair arrangement for the American people with this joint committee is to have equal sharing. It's going to be painful. Each party if they do the right thing, it's going to be painful for them because to be fair, we have to move forward. There has to be equal spending cuts, there has to be some revenue that matches that," Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) said on the floor of the Senate right before voting started on the debt deal.

Increased revenue from taxes was not included in the debt compromise.

via RealClearPolitics.com

$2.4 Trillion Would Be Largest Debt-Limit Increase in U.S. History

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:18:12 -0800

(CNSNews.com) - The bill to increase the federal debt limit that has been put before Congress today would increase that limit by up to $2.4 trillion, which would be the largest increase in the debt limit in U.S. history by a margin of half a trillion dollars, according to records published by the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Research Service.

In fact, according to records published by the Congressional Research Service, if the current bill is passed and the debt limit is increased by $2.4 trillion, the two largest debt-limit increases in U.S. history would come in back-to-back years, both during the presidency of Barack Obama.

Up until now, the largest increase in the debt limit was the $1.9 trillion increase passed by Congress and signed by President Obama on Feb. 12, 2010. That law increased the debt limit from $12.394 trillion to $14.294 trillion.

Up until now, the second largest historical increase in the debt limit was enacted on March 27, 2003, when President George W. Bush signed a law that lifted the limit by $984 billion—from $6.400 trillion to $7.384 trillion.

The third largest historical increase in the debt limit was enacted on Nov. 5, 1990, when the senior President George Bush signed a law that lifted the limit by $915 billion—from $3.230 trillion to $4.145 trillion.

Article continues here

Tuesday August 02 2011

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 05:12:32 -0800

Ann Coulter,

Monday August 01 2011

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:15:47 -0800

Rand Paul,

GOP rallies around John Boehner on deal

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:04:50 -0800

By JAKE SHERMAN & JONATHAN ALLEN

House Republicans praised Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and the deal he cut to avoid a national default during a rare Sunday night conference call, giving first-blush approval to a plan that must still be committed to legislation and passed by both chambers of Congress.

Now comes the hard part for the four heads of congressional caucuses: Selling the fine print.

That’s the job that Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signed up for when each gave his or her word to President Barack Obama Sunday night that the deal was in hand.

It’s complicated, multi-dimensional and full of peril for the priorities of each side — so much so that while the White House pointed to the possibility of the Bush tax cuts expiring, House Republican leaders were telling their rank and file that the deal made that scenario less likely.

It’s not “the greatest deal in the world,” Boehner told his troops.

“But it shows how much we’ve changed the terms of the debate in this town,” Boehner said on the call, according to a transcript released by the speaker’s office. “There is nothing in this framework that violates our principles. It’s all spending cuts.”

Congressional Leaders to Pitch Debt-Reduction Compromise to Caucuses

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:36:09 -0800

FOXNEWS.COM

Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers of Congress will meet with their caucuses Monday for a hard sell of a compromise debt-reduction package that gives President Obama up to a $2.4 trillion hike in the debt limit as long as lawmakers can find an equal or greater amount in spending cuts.

But even if they can’t come up with solutions, the cuts will be found for them. If a committee set up by the proposal fails to have their recommendations for additional cuts approved by the end of this year, a “trigger” in the plan will automatically enact across-the-board cuts.

Major world and U.S. markets rallied Monday morning on optimism that a debt-ceiling deal will be approved by the Aug. 2 deadline. Party leaders are corralling their troops to take a head count of the votes needed to pass the legislation that President Obama said Sunday night will “lift the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over our economy” and prevent the nation from potentially defaulting on its financial obligations.

Hard-right Tea Party-backed Republicans, hard-left progressives and Congressional Black Caucus members have already whipped up a frenzy over the deal. But cooler heads are urging cooperation as financial markets abroad rallied over the news.

According to the president, the deal means an immediate cut of $1 trillion in government spending over a 10-year period accompanied by a $900 billion increase in the debt ceiling. That will be followed by the creation of the committee to come up with additional cuts worth at least $1.5 trillion. The debt ceiling will be raised by $1.5 trillion if the committee recommendations are approved by the end of the year.

Each of the GOP and Democratic leaders in the chamber will nominate lawmakers to the 12-member committee to report back in the fall. Tax hikes are not part of the package and a pledge for a Balanced Budget Amendment vote is.

Obama said everything will be on the table and both parties will find some of the cuts objectionable.

"Despite what some Republicans have argued, I believe that we have to ask the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share by giving up tax breaks and special deductions. Despite what some in my own party have argued, I believe that we need to make some modest adjustments to programs like Medicare to ensure that they're still around for future generations. That's why the second part of this agreement is so important," Obama said from the White House briefing room

The Senate adjourned Sunday night without a vote on a deal, but Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said that the parties are going to have to give ground and compromise so the country doesn't default.

"I am relieved to say that leaders from both parties have come together for the sake of our economy to reach a historic, bipartisan compromise that ends this dangerous standoff. The compromise we have agreed to is remarkable not only because of what it does, but because of what it prevents: a first-ever default on the full faith and credit of the United States," Reid said

Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will both present the agreement to their caucuses on Monday morning. House Democrats also set a morning meeting to discuss the details.

McConnell, R-Ky., said that the framework calls for a "review that will insure significant cuts in Washington spending."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said after the president's speech that she'll see what kind of support her caucus can provide.

Several objections are expected, including from Republican defense hawks who don't want the military gutted and from the Congressional Black Caucus, which called the deal a "sugar-coated Satan sandwich."

House Speaker John Boehner told his Republican caucus on a Sunday night conference call that the deal isn't done yet. But Boehner said it does not violate GOP principles. "We got 98 percent of what we wanted," he said adding that the framework cuts more spending than it raises the debt limit. It also caps future spending to limits in the growth of government.

"It would also guarantee the American people the vote they have been denied in both chambers on a balanced budget amendment, while creating, I think, some new incentives for past opponents of a BBA to support it," Boehner said.

The 12-member committee, composed of six Republicans and six Democrats, three from each party and each chamber, will report the legislation by Nov. 23. The vote, to take place by Dec. 23, would be an up-or-down vote with no amendments allowed.

The trigger would be enacted for across-the-board cuts if the joint committee doesn't reach at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. If that happens, Obama would be allowed to request a $1.2 trillion debt increase and Congress would have to disapprove it subject to a presidential veto.

According to a Power Point presentation presented by Boehner to the caucus, roughly half of the proposal’s automatic cuts would come from defense and half from Medicare.

While the trigger is supposed to hurt as incentive to get Congress to act, other programs like Social Security, Medicaid, veterans benefits and military pay would be off-limits.

House Republicans spent nearly an hour on the conference call with Boehner. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee said that the plan starts from a better baseline than the proposal presented by Boehner last week.

But one House GOP lawmaker who told Fox News he intends to vote against the plan emerged from the call saying he doubted it was 98 percent in the GOP's favor.

"The minority leader's on board," said the lawmaker who requested anonymity in order to speak freely. "Really? Nancy's cool with only 2 percent? She's that stupid?"

The lawmaker added that Obama's health care law was protected while "the military got screwed," saying the across-the-board trigger between defense and Medicare left Medicaid off the table. The theory was advanced that the health care law will be achieved by pushing greater numbers of recipients of government health care benefits onto Medicaid.

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a fierce critic of the entire process, did not outright oppose the legislation but also expressed his disappointment in the chain of events that led to the 11th-hour deal. He said he had wanted seven days to review the bill.

"Republicans offered budgets and bills with trillions more in spending cuts than contained in the current legislation. They lowered their proposal substantially so Democrats would end their blockade. That took courage. But the one fact every American must know is that the level of cuts in this proposal are only a first step. Far more work and much greater reductions in spending are required to balance the budget," said Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., also faulted the 11th hour negotiating but said, "We have settled on a reasonable compromise that all sides should immediately support and which I intend to vote for."

With Aug. 2 put forth as the drop-dead date for a deal or a potential default of the nation's loans by the Treasury Department, the Senate could begin voting on the legislation early Monday. The House has already approved rules that allow same-day voting on the measure.

Boehner walking

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 08:30:19 -0800

Obama tired

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:20:18 -0800

Friday July 29 2011

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:49:40 -0800

Harry Reid

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:53:56 -0800

Reid Moves Forward With Debt-Reduction Plan as Boehner Sweetens Deal for GOP

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:49:26 -0800

FoxNews.com

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said he plans to move ahead with a debt-limit bill to rival a House Republican proposal that got new life Friday, as President Obama said it's time to move forward with debt-reduction legislation that can be supported by both political parties.

With the U.S. moving perilously closer to default on its loans to cover years of deficit spending, the majority leader announced his plan to cut $2.5 trillion from the deficit over a decade. At the same time, House Speaker John Boehner announced he would include a balanced budget amendment in his proposal, which appeared to earn him the support he needed from recalcitrant Republicans.

Reid said he has invited his counterpart, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, to negotiate with him after House Republican leaders were unable to secure votes to pass the debt-reduction bill regrouped.

"I know the Senate compromise bill Democrats have offered is not perfect in Republican' eyes. Nor is it perfect for Democrats," Reid said. "But together, we must make it work for all of us. It is the only option."

McConnell, however, chastised Senate Democrats for sitting on their hands while the House GOP did all the heavy lifting.

"The contrast couldn't be starker. Rather than working the last few days towards a solution to this crisis the way the Republican majority in the House has, the Democratic majority here in the Senate has been wasting precious time rounding up 'no' votes to keep this crisis alive," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

"Rather than being responsible and doing their duty and come up with a bill that can actually pass, they have been busy signing people up for the "Not Good Enough Caucus" and ginning up opposition to everything else," he added.

Obama said Reid has introduced cuts that can be supported by Republicans and Democrats, adding that he needs a plan he can sign by Tuesday, the deadline imposed by the administration as the drop-dead date for avoiding default.

"We are almost out of time. We need to reach a compromise by Tuesday so the country can afford to pay its bills on time, as it always have. ... Keep in mind if we don't do that, if we don't come to an agreement, we could lose our credit rating, " Obama said in the latest of several addresses to the nation, including a prime-time address at the beginning of the week.

"It's clear now that any solution to avoid default must have the support of both parties," he added, noting that if the nation's credit rating were downgraded it would be because "we didn't have a triple-A political system to match our triple-A credit rating."

Boehner, R-Ohio, suffered a stinging setback Thursday when, for a second consecutive day, he had to postpone a vote on his proposal to extend the nation's borrowing authority for six months while cutting federal spending by nearly $1 trillion.

Boehner's new provision for a balanced budget amendment would appear to have been the sweetener needed to win over as many as two-dozen holdout Republicans who want greater cuts in federal spending before agreeing to hike the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.

Prior to Boehner's announcement, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said he was a "no" on Boehner bill until something is added that is "trans-election cycle, trans-systemic, and transformative." That would include something like a balanced budget amendment. he said, noting if that promise were included, then he "would embrace it."

While such a move could motivate Republicans, it would not get any traction in the Senate, which wants a longer-term agreement that would raise the limit to pay for deficit spending through 2012.

On the opposite side of the Capitol, Reid passed on warnings by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner that the prospects of default are growing.

The international community is very worried, Reid said Geithner told him, adding that the ability to get loans will become more difficult. Credit ratings agencies have also warned that unless Congress gets on a serious path to debt reduction, it could reduce the country's stellar AAA rating.

A vote on a Reid proposal could take place in the Senate on Sunday.

Thursday July 28 2011

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 05:19:53 -0800

Rick Santelli, Rand Paul,

Wednesday July 27 2011

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:19:09 -0800

Gang of Six

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:58:19 -0800

Did 'Gang of Six' Budget Plan Do More Harm Than Good?

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 07:57:39 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," July 26, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: They set out to find middle ground on the great debt debate and responded by a bipartisan solution that could reduce deficits by nearly $4 trillion. But did the "Gang of Six" proposal actually cause more problems that it offered to solve?

According to Washington Times blogger Kerry Picket, it is likely that when the president caught wind of the "Gang's" plan last week in which three GOP senators agreed to higher tax increases than what Obama himself had presented to John Boehner, "The Anointed One" decided to ask for $400 billion more in tax hikes.

So, did the "Gang's" plan cause the breakdown in negotiations with Speaker Boehner? And now that it looks like no plan currently on the table is likely to pass. What does the "Gang" plan to do next? Joining me now with reaction are two of the three GOP members of the "Gang of Six," Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn and Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss.

Guys, welcome back to the program, thanks for being with us.

SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS, R-GA.: Thanks Sean, it's always good to be with you.

SEN. TOM COBURN, R-OKLA.: Good to be with you.

VIDEO: Part 2 of Sean's interview with Coburn and Chambliss

HANNITY: All right. Senator Coburn, let's start with you now. I was mad at both of you last week but this regard more than any other. Is that the day that they were voting on "Cut, Cap and Balance," which both of you support in the House of Representatives, the president races to the White House briefing room. Hang on, stop the presses, we've got this new deal. And in that sense, I felt that this was diverting attention, the country away from what I think was a really sound, good solution. Did the president purposely use your plan, in your view to distract the country?

COBURN: You know, I don't know what people's motivations are, it obviously did. The sad situation is the House passed "Cut, Cap and Balance." And the leadership of the Senate instructed all of his members to table it, so we couldn't even have a vote on it. So, you know, I don't know what the motivations are. But the fact is, you're right that's the one thing that could have solved our problems.

HANNITY: Yes. Then, why Senator Coburn were you supporting this instead of everybody uniting? It seems strategically or tactically that the Republicans seem to, you know, with the president having three Republican plans out there no plan by himself, that we were negotiating, that conservatives, Republicans were negotiating against themselves.

COBURN: Well, remember when we started this, there wasn't any intention to tie what we were doing to the debt limit, Sean. You know, the events overtook that, it was delayed for a long period of time. But there still isn't any intention to tie it to the debt limit. The debt limit is a symptom of the bigger problem which was what we were trying to address. How do we get almost $4 trillion -- which is the only thing that is going to satisfy the rating agencies and the international finance community -- how do we get $4 trillion on the table and start working that? And we're going to have to come together. We don't control the Senate and we don't control the White House. So, if you can make a move that would make that, that would actually get the country out of a problem, solve a problem, why would we not want to try to do that.

HANNITY: Senator Chambliss, as I spoke to you and you told me that this, just like Senator Coburn is saying, that this was not a group that was trying to solve the debt limit crisis that we are currently in. But the day this was announced, the day the vote "Cut, Cap and Balance" was taking place, that's the way the president presented it to the country.

CHAMBLISS: Well, Sean, as I told you before. It just so happened that the day the six of us made a report back to the bipartisan group of 50 senators that showed up at a meeting that morning, we were just telling them what we had concluded. And we really had not even reached a final agreement at that point in time. And there was a lot of euphoria in the room. A lot of folks were agreeing with the direction in which we were moving, they left the room that day, went outside to a horde of press. And next thing we knnew, it just snowballed. There was never any intention to take any action that morning that would interfere with the "Cut, Cap and Balance" debate on the House side. As you said, Tom and I both support that. I still support it. I think that balanced budget amendment is by far the best enforcement mechanism that we can have when it comes to making meaningful discretionary cuts. These two proposals are, you know, they're mutually exclusive to the standpoint point that they both will work.

HANNITY: Yes.

CHAMBLISS: And they both have good assets that hopefully could be melded together at some time, at some point. But, you know, even after --
(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)

HANNITY: Senator Chambliss, I got to ask you. Did the president then, when he ran into that briefing room, did he misrepresent what you were working on to the American people? I think this is very important.

CHAMBLISS: Yes. You know, he's had a total lack of leadership on this issue. He pounds the table, he gets angry at press conferences and think he's making an impact and showing leadership. And he's doing everything but that, unfortunately. And I think he was doing anything he could at that point in time to deflect away from the fact that this is falling apart on his watch. And it truly is. He owns this economy. The economy is not doing well. And now he owns this issue. And even when we get by the debt ceiling, Sean, we are still going to owe 14-and-a-half trillion dollars and it is going up every single day. That's why the group that Tom and I were working with was focused on the long term solution, not the short term.

HANNITY: Let me ask both of you support this idea. I've been in contact with Congressman Connie Mack and Senator Rand Paul, your colleague. I'll ask both of you starting with you Senator Coburn, the idea of cutting one percent, in other words, changing the baseline.

Because we have all these cash all these CBO scored budgets into the future that all project out seven percent growth a year, but if we could reduce spending one percent a year, every year for six years they contend starting where the budget is right now and getting rid of all those projected increases, we could balance the budget in six years. Is that something that could get traction do you think in the Senate?

COBURN: Yes, again that would do it. But that's a political answer rather than a policy answer. Let me tell you why, Sean. We have so much waste. You know, I put out $9 trillion of potential cuts.
When you do a one percent solution where you cut everything one percent, there are some things that the government has a responsibility to do. And what you do is you don't reform them, you don't improve them, you don't make them more effective, you just cut one percent. So the stuff that is wasting you cut one percent instead of 100 percent. The stuff that might be what we want to do, you cut it too. So it is the chicken's way out.
The fact is, is that members of the Congress need to study and know and you can find nine trillion reasons to cut the budget if you just look at back in the black.

HANNITY: What they are saying if you wanted to cut say education by 10 percent, and you can come to consensus, then it is an across the board cut. So Congress has the option to act as long as they reach that dollar figure.

COBURN: I wouldn't have any problems supporting that as long as you make members of Congress make tough decisions. What this has all been about, the reason you are seeing this battle is too many people don't want to own up and go home and explain, I'm not for this and here's why.

Here's why we need to fix it. It is like Medicare. You can say all you want, the president can say all he wants we are not going to touch Medicare. The fact is in 2016, Medicare part a goes belly up.

HANNITY: Senator Chambliss, last word.

CHAMBLISS: That's a problem with the one percent solution too, which frankly I think it is another good idea that's on the table that the Democrats are not going to let us consider. But Bruce Cook of Atlanta is the author of that proposal, a good guy, smart guy.

If you do it for seven years in a row, you get spending down to 18 percent of GDP that's where we need to be. But you don't reform entitlements by cutting everything one percent a year. We've got to reform entitlements if we are going to make this work.

HANNITY: All right, thank you both for being with us. Appreciate your time, Senators.

New polls confirm Obama's Democratic base crumbles

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:35:13 -0800

With all of the spotlights on the high-stakes debt maneuverings by President Obama and Speaker John Boehner the last few days, few people noticed what Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders said:

"I think it would be a good idea if President Obama faced some primary opposition."

This is political treason 469 days before a presidential election. Yes, yes, this is just a crusty old New England independent for now, albeit one who caucuses loyally with Harry Reid's Democratic posse.

But while most of the media focuses on Republican Boehner and the tea party pressures on him to raise the debt limit not one Liberty dime, Sanders' mumblings are a useful reminder that hidden in the shadows of this left-handed presidency are militant progressives like Sanders who don't want to cut one Liberty dime of non-Pentagon spending.

Using political forensics, notice any clues, perhaps telltale code words that reveal to whom he was really addressing his Monday message? Clearly, it wasn't congressional Republicans -- or Democrats, for that matter.

The nation's top talker uttered 2,264* words in those remarks. He said "balanced approach" seven times, three times in a single paragraph.

That's the giveaway. Obviously, David Plouffe and the incumbent's strategists have been polling phrases for use in this ongoing debt duel, which is more about 2012 now than 2011. "Balanced approach" is no sweet talk for old Bernie or tea sippers on the other side.

Obama is running for the center already, aiming for the independents who played such a crucial role in his victorious coalition in 2008. They were the first to start abandoning the good ship Obama back in 2009 when all the ex-state senator could do was talk about healthcare, when jobs and the economy were the peoples' priority.

To continue reading please click here.

Speaker Boehner's Response to POTUS Debt Speech

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:55:23 -0800

Speaker of the House John Boehner responded last night to President Obama’s speech on the debt ceiling. He spoke immediately following Obama.

7/25/11

Before I served in Congress, I ran a small business in Ohio. I was amazed at how different Washington DC operated than every business in America. Where most American business make the hard choices to pay their bills and live within their means, in Washington more spending and more debt is business as usual.

I've got news for Washington - those days are over.

President Obama came to Congress in January and requested business as usual -- yet another routine increase in the national debt limit -- we in the House said 'not so fast.' Here was the president, asking for the largest debt increase in American history, on the heels of the largest spending binge in American history.

Here's what we got for that spending binge: a massive health care bill that most Americans never asked for. A 'stimulus' bill that was more effective in producing material for late-night comedians than it was in producing jobs. And a national debt that has gotten so out of hand it has sparked a crisis without precedent in my lifetime or yours.

The United States cannot default on its debt obligations. The jobs and savings of too many Americans are at stake.

And over the last six months, we've done our best to convince the president to partner with us to do something dramatic to change the fiscal trajectory of our country. . .something that will boost confidence in our economy, renew a measure of faith in our government, and help small businesses get back on track.

Last week, the House passed such a plan, and with bipartisan support. It's called the 'Cut, Cap, and Balance' Act. It CUTS and CAPS government spending and paves the way for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which we believe is the best way to stop Washington from spending money it doesn't have. Before we even passed the bill in the House, the President said he would veto it.

I want you to know I made a sincere effort to work with the president to identify a path forward that would implement the principles of Cut, Cap, & Balance in a manner that could secure bipartisan support and be signed into law. I gave it my all.

Unfortunately, the president would not take yes for an answer. Even when we thought we might be close on an agreement, the president's demands changed.

The president is adamant that we cannot make fundamental changes to our entitlement programs. As the father of two daughters, I know these programs won't be there for them and their kids unless significant action is taken now.

The sad truth is that the president wanted a blank check six months ago, and he wants a blank check today. That is just not going to happen.

You see, there is no stalemate in Congress. The House has passed a bill to raise the debt limit with bipartisan support. And this week, while the Senate is struggling to pass a bill filled with phony accounting and Washington gimmicks, we will pass another bill - one that was developed with the support of the bipartisan leadership of the U.S. Senate.

Obviously, I expect that bill can and will pass the Senate, and be sent to the President for his signature. If the President signs it, the 'crisis' atmosphere he has created will simply disappear. The debt limit will be raised. Spending will be cut by more than one trillion dollars, and a serious, bipartisan committee of the Congress will begin the hard but necessary work of dealing with the tough challenges our nation faces.

The individuals doing this work will not be outsiders, but elected representatives of the people, doing the job they were elected to do as outlined in the Constitution. Those decisions should be made based on how they will affect people who are struggling to get a job, not how they affect some politician's chances of getting reelected.

This debate isn't about President Obama and House Republicans … it isn't about Congress and the White House … it's about what's standing between the American people and the future we seek for ourselves and our families.

You know, I've always believed, the bigger government, the smaller the people. And right now, we have a government so big and so expensive it's sapping the drive of our people and keeping our economy from running at full capacity.

The solution to this crisis is not complicated: if you're spending more money than you're taking in, you need to spend less of it,

There is no symptom of big government more menacing than our debt. Break its grip, and we begin to liberate our economy and our future.

We are up to the task, and I hope President Obama will join us in this work.

God bless you and your families, and God bless America.

Boehner reacts to POTUS

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:18:39 -0800

Obama's debt ceiling speech

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:33:49 -0800

Tuesday July 26 2011

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:02:09 -0800

John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Jim DeMint, Rand Paul,

White House Holds Back on Veto Threat for Boehner Bill

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:10:23 -0800

The White House on Tuesday did not specifically say whether President Obama would veto House Speaker John Boehner's deficit-reduction bill, an omission Republicans seized upon as they charged ahead with a new plan to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling.

"He did not say he'd veto it," Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said, after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning.

Boehner also declared that the plan, which could be on the floor as early as Wednesday and calls for $3 trillion in deficit reduction, can pass both chambers. "I hope the president will consider signing it into law," he said.

The expressions of confidence come just two days after White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley said the president would veto a plan that does not extend U.S. borrowing authority into 2013 -- the first phase of Boehner's plan would not fulfill that requirement.

But the White House has not issued a formal veto threat, as it did with House Republicans' earlier proposal.

Gene Sperling, head of the president's National Economic Council, told Fox News only that Obama "would not accept something that ... left a cloud of default over our economy."

Sperling made clear that the White House does not expect to be faced with a veto decision. After the White House praised the Democrats' approach on Monday, Sperling said Tuesday that both parties' bills will probably face "stalemate."

"Neither are likely to pass both houses," he said. Sperling said negotiators are still "very close to a bipartisan deal."

But House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said Tuesday that, with no formal plan out of the White House, Congress has only three options -- miss the Aug. 2 deadline and risk the possibility of default, pass the Democratic plan drafted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid or pass the House GOP plan.

Cantor called Reid's plan a "blank check." House Republicans have put Boehner's bill in the shell of a Senate measure to expedite Senate consideration, and plan to consider it in committee Tuesday afternoon.

Moments later, Reid accused Republicans of having "multiple personalities," claiming his plan incorporates a lot from "the Republican playbook." He reiterated his opposition to the short-term extension included in the GOP plan.

The tough rhetoric on both sides flew in the face of Obama's call for a deal in an address to the nation Monday night. The speaker and president sparred in paired addresses over the measures needed to avoid the potential of the U.S. defaulting on its loans.

The one-to-one addresses were unusual, even to the speaker, who said after his speech, "I didn't sign up for going mano-a-mano with the president of the United States."

Reid is meanwhile holding back on his bill, keeping it as a "fallback when Boehner's (bill) fails," according to a Democratic official. All the while, lawmakers apparently are continuing to hold bipartisan talks -- but the separate votes in each chamber are not helping, Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl told Fox News.

Kyl said the votes serve to further polarize the parties. Indeed, candidates and lawmakers rallied behind their respective party leaders after the Monday night addresses.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi repeated Obama's claim that Democrats back a "balanced" approach, saying Boehner's plan "does not meet this test."

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann, a presidential candidate, said that "balanced" approach is just "code for higher taxes and spending." Bachmann vowed not to raise the debt limit, calling on Congress to simply cut spending.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/07/26/house-gop-preps-boehner-bill-as-obama-calls-for-balanced-approach/#ixzz1TEDITHl5

Monday July 25 2011

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:16:57 -0800

Steve King,

Just what is the 'Gang of Six' Deal? What does Sean think?

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 13:07:17 -0800

Gang of Six plan is more smoke and mirrors

By: Examiner Editorial

Forty-nine senators drawn from both sides of the aisle were given a five-page plan Tuesday that described the major "starting concepts" agreed to by the Gang of Six (Go6) for fixing the federal budget. Many of the attending senators emerged from the briefing by the plan's authors praising the proposal as "responsible," "bipartisan" and "achievable." The truth is the Go6 plan is another collection of hollow promises, vague commitments and high-sounding declarations that are worth no more than the paper on which they were printed. The document purports to "slash our nation's deficits" by $3.7 trillion over 10 years, but to get there it raises taxes $2 trillion now in return for mostly undefined spending cuts to be enacted somewhere off in an ill-defined future. Does anybody seriously doubt that the professional politicians will waste no time in adopting the tax increases, then find a hundred excuses for delaying the spending cuts and deficit reductions until they are a dead letter?

And since, according to its authors, the "plan" presently is only "concepts," it's not clear why the Go6 plan was made public yesterday except to distract from House passage of a real law, the Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011, that raises the debt ceiling and mandates concrete federal spending cuts now and for a decade hence (it also calls for a balanced-budget amendment that many Washington hands consider impossible to pass). No wonder Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., one of the Go6 authors, admitted that the plan "has not been drafted, nor has it been scored by the Congressional Budget Office -- it's not ready for prime time."

Not ready for prime time indeed. The plan claims it "immediately" implements a $500 billion deficit reduction as a "down payment." But most of these "immediate" savings come from spending caps that expire in 2015 and Social Security cuts that don't begin until 2017. The Go6 plan does what Congress always does, it kicks the can down the road by requiring congressional committees to "report legislation within six months that would deliver real deficit savings." The plan says nothing about what happens if the committees can't agree on those savings.

The tax portion of the Go6 plan is even more disingenuous, simultaneously claiming to provide both a $1.5 trillion net tax cut and a $1 trillion revenue increase. How does it accomplish this only-in-Washington feat of accounting gimmickry? It cherry-picks among multiple budget baselines to suit whichever result is being discussed at any given moment. The reality is that compared with the current tax policy baseline, the Go6 plan raises taxes by $2.8 trillion.

Like President Obama's disastrous $859 billion economic stimulus package and the Obamacare "reform" he and Democratic leaders rammed through Congress last year, the Go6 plan unveiled Tuesday was written in secret, with no public record of its deliberations or who participated in its creation. But the Go6 plan does offer one thing of value -- it reminds us that Washington's professional politicians thrive behind closed doors.

Job search newspaper

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:14:17 -0800

Jobless claims up

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:13:20 -0800

Factory activity in the Mid-Atlantic region bounced back in July, lifting hopes of a pick-up in economic growth in the third quarter.

However, a rise in the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits suggested the reacceleration in output would not be as strong as had previously anticipated.

The Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said its business activity index rose to 3.2 from minus 7.7 in June, which was the lowest since July 2009. The rise beat economists' expectations for a reading of 2.0.

A reading above zero indicates expansion in the region's manufacturing.

"It does lend support to the view that the economy, or at least the industrial sector, may be pulling out of its recent soft patch," said Peter Buchanan, an economist at CIBC World Markets in Toronto.

Separately, initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to 418,000, the Labor Department said, above economists' expectations for a rise to 410,000.

Economists said the elevated claims indicated the economy's anticipated pull out of the soft patch it has been trapped in since the beginning of the year might only be modest.

Article continues here

White House Pushing Lawmakers to Build Off Senate Debt Plan Despite Doubts

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:19:58 -0800

WASHINGTON – The White House said Wednesday that there's enough "substance" in a bipartisan Senate plan to craft legislation that would cut the deficit and raise the debt cap, despite lingering doubts in Congress about whether there's enough time or consensus to move forward on it.

Trying to keep talks alive, President Obama has summoned top Democratic leaders from the House and Senate to the White House Wednesday afternoon; he plans to meet afterward with the top two House Republicans. The meetings come as the "Gang of Six" Senate plan has, in a span of 24 hours, emerged as the leading proposal to lift lawmakers out of their debt-ceiling quagmire.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, without commenting on specific provisions, said the president supports the approach the senators have taken. Aides report that 30 senators already have signed on to the blueprint.

But the plan would only amount to a new starting point, as Obama said Tuesday a "broader agreement" would be needed to pass something out of both chambers. And members of both parties made clear Wednesday that they weren't yet sold on the idea put forth by the "Gang of Six" to curb spending.

Some Republicans claimed to be holding out hope for the plan they passed out of the House Tuesday evening to cut and cap federal spending and push a balanced-budget amendment in exchange for a debt-ceiling increase -- though Democrats are vowing to kill that bill in the Senate.

"In case Senator Reid didn't notice, a bipartisan 'Gang of 234' just sent him the way forward," Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said in reference to the House bill vote. "This is the only plan that can fundamentally solve our debt problem."

Republicans quickly pointed out their concerns with a component of the Senate plan that calls for about $1 trillion in additional revenue over 10 years. While saying the proposal contains some "constructive ideas," House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said he's worried about that "revenue target" and how it would be reached.

"I continue to caution that a tax increase is the wrong policy to pursue with so many Americans out of work," he said in a statement.

His office said in its daily email Wednesday that the plan also "does not significantly address" entitlement programs.

Others expressed frustration that yet another "gang" of select lawmakers was assuming the lead role in navigating a legislative problem.

"We are an anti-gang group. We are trying to suppress the growth of gangs," Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said Wednesday.

Cantor and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi both pointed out the more practical concern that the plan is still too fuzzy to gauge.

"How can (Pelosi) ask anyone to do anything if the bill is not ready?" Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said in a statement, summing up the California Democrat's stance on the bill for the moment. Pelosi, like Cantor, said the plan contains "good principles."

The proposal is likely too complex for bill-writers to be able to put all the language to paper in time to have it voted on by Aug. 2 -- the date by which the administration says Congress must raise the debt ceiling or face a potential fiscal crisis.

Rather, some lawmakers are looking to build off the plan, which aims for $3.7 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade, in striking a deal that can be written and approved by early August.

Going in their favor is the fact that some Senate Republicans and Democrats are working together on the concept, giving and taking in a way that is not happening on the House side.

In the other chamber, House Republicans on Tuesday approved a plan to cut and cap federal spending and require Congress to approve a balanced-budget amendment in order to clear a debt-ceiling increase. Democrats loathe that plan and say it will die in the Senate.

While some outside the "gang" are hesitant to embrace the Senate blueprint, the authors are trying to win over their colleagues.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., the Senate Budget Committee chairman, claimed the plan would "actually reduce tax rates" once all the changes are made. Though the plan would seek to raise revenue, Conrad said it would do so by broadening the tax base and reducing exemptions and credits.

Wednesday July 20 2011

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:30:59 -0800

Tom Coburn,

Tuesday July 19 2011

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:13:38 -0800

Jim DeMint, Rand Paul, Mike Pence,

GOP’s Plan for Debt Reform: Win in 2012

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:42:09 -0800

By Chris Stirewalt | FoxNews.com

Senate GOP Doesn’t Believe Obama on Big Debt Deal

“There’s only one thing that is going to change the long-term trajectory on debt and spending in the federal government: the next election.”

-- Aide to a Senate Republican leader to Power Play on the way forward on debt-ceiling negotiation

As the chances for a big deal on debt and deficits evaporate in the heat of deadline negotiations, fiscal hawks are growing increasingly frustrated.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is releasing his “Back in Black” plan for massive debt reduction and four of his former compadres from the Gang of Six are rolling out their less-ambitious deficit plan.

House Republicans, meanwhile, are pushing through the conservative-backed proposal for deep cuts now, spending caps later and a balanced budget amendment farther down the road.

None of these big-ticket items seem to be going anywhere before a projected government shutdown begins sometime in the next few weeks, so why bring them up now?

Part of it is the hope for a miraculous ending to this months-long debate in which a very liberal president and very conservative members of Congress decide to ditch their dogmas in the name of bipartisan compromise. It’s never happened before, but hey, there’s a first time for everything, right?

Part of it is the desire to be able to say “I told you so” when the grubby, short-sighted final product is produced. By putting a plan out now, lawmakers can take the high ground later on. “My plan would have tripled the [cuts/taxes on millionaires and billionaires/savings/etc.] compared to the compromise package.”

Part of it is also posterior covering. If the necrosis of a government shutdown starts to spread and the bond markets get jittery, Republicans and Democrats both want to be able to say that they had a plan to avert disaster, but the other side wouldn’t agree. Look for another round of this if a deal isn’t done this week as House Republicans quickly pass a short-term cuts and borrowing package.

The grinding reality of a divided government at the outset of a massively consequential presidential election is this: big deals don’t get done.

Fiscal hawks are angry that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is working on a plan with Majority Leader Harry Reid that would make a total of $2.4 trillion in staggered debt-ceiling increases automatic unless Congress votes to withhold them.

The president likes this plan because it gets him through the election without facing a government shutdown. McConnell likes it because he gets to force multiple votes on a subject that Democrats hate. Imagine the ad: “Senator Gasbag voted four times to increase the national debt…”

McConnell also gets a new panel to provide suggestions for fiscal reform and spending oversight, a body that would likely continue to serve up policy offerings and judgments that frustrate liberal Democrats determined to block entitlement overhauls.

A top Senate aide explained the thinking to Power Play thusly:

“It comes down to whether you trust Barack Obama. Do you believe that the president is a closet moderate who is waiting for an excuse to be a fiscal reformer?” the aide asked. “If you do, then you would be right to work with him on a big deal.”

But the consensus among top Republicans is that Obama is not really interested in substantive cuts and is wedded to the idea of tax increases now and only modest changes to Medicare and Social Security later.

“If you believe that Barack Obama is a liberal who wants to use a second term to continue his reckless course of government expansion, then the right thing to do is to make sure he loses the next election,” the aide concluded.

POTUS

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 12:34:43 -0800

Obama officially threatens to veto 'cut, cap and balance'

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:24:07 -0800

The White House on Monday warned President Obama will veto GOP legislation to “cut, cap and balance” spending and the budget.

In a statement of administration policy, the White House Office of Management and Budget labeled the GOP bill as an “empty political statement.”

The House Rules Committee is expected to take up the measure on Monday, and it is likely to receive a floor vote on Tuesday. The measure would cut spending in fiscal 2012 by $111 billion, cap future spending at 19.9 percent of gross domestic product and allow for the debt ceiling to be increased if a balanced-budget amendment is approved by Congress and sent to the states.

The administration said the measure, which is not expected to move through the Senate, is unnecessary and unrealistic.

“Neither setting arbitrary spending levels nor amending the Constitution is necessary to restore fiscal responsibility,” the White House said in its statement. “Increasing the federal debt limit, which is needed to avoid a federal government default on its obligations and a severe blow to the economy, should not be conditioned on taking these actions. Instead of pursuing an empty political statement and unrealistic policy goals, it is necessary to move beyond politics as usual and find bipartisan common ground.”

Article continues here.

Debt Ceiling Debate Moves From White House to Congress, Prospects Uncertain

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 12:12:11 -0800

FoxNews.com

The debate over the debt ceiling moves Monday from the backrooms of the White House to the halls of Congress, as the House and Senate take up dueling measures to grapple with the problem.

Though the White House says the president still wants a "big" deficit-reduction deal linked to a debt-ceiling increase, a solid week of bipartisan talks yielded nothing close to a compromise -- leaving members of Congress instead moving on to a couple of risky proposals.

House Republicans will act first, pushing their "cut, cap and balance" plan at a committee hearing late Monday afternoon. That plan would cut spending immediately and cap future spending as a percentage of GDP, while requiring Congress to pass a balanced-budget amendment as a condition for raising the debt ceiling by $2.4 trillion.

Democrats, though, roundly oppose that proposal and insisted Sunday that it will die in the Senate.

As an alternative, Senate Republican and Democratic leaders are polishing a fallback plan that would allow President Obama to win an incremental and immediate debt-ceiling increase, while effectively requiring a two-thirds majority vote in Congress to stop him. It could be accompanied by more moderate spending cuts and the creation of a new commission to target future deficit reduction.

Congressional leaders describe it as a last-ditch effort to steer the country away from default, though one looking increasingly more viable as efforts to craft a bipartisan compromise run into partisan disagreement.

However, congressional conservatives are voicing their displeasure with the fallback and some say they will try to torpedo it should it come to fruition on the floor. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, head of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said Sunday that his colleagues will oppose it.

"It's abdicating our responsibility," Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., told Fox News, without saying how he might vote on the measure if it's the only option. Grimm is among the House Republicans pushing the cut, cap and balance plan as the way to rein in the debt and deficit.

"We cannot just continue to spend money we don't have," Grimm said Monday. He said that if the country manages to avoid default by raising the debt ceiling, the U.S. still faces that prospect down the road if it doesn't cut spending since a future credit downgrade could make it impossible for Washington to pay all its bills.

Top rating agencies already have warned that the U.S. could face a downgrade if it doesn't raise the debt ceiling and reduce the deficit. Moody's, one of those agencies, reportedly suggested in a report Monday that the country just eliminate its debt ceiling to avoid the recurring uncertainty.

White House budget director Jack Lew said in interviews Sunday that it's not too late to strike a significant deal between the parties.

"There's still time to get something big done," Lew said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

On still another track, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., plans to pitch a proposal Monday that he claims can yield $9 trillion in savings over the next decade. But, speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," he said, "I wouldn't expect it to pass."

Monday July 18 2011

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:15:51 -0800

John McCain,

Ben Bernanke

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:15:32 -0800

Wednesday July 13 2011

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 14:45:27 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Tuesday July 12 2011

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:34:49 -0800

Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Monday July 11 2011

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:07:49 -0800

Marco Rubio, Ann Coulter,

Friday July 08 2011

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:48:26 -0800

Pat Buchanan, Juan Williams, Rick Santelli,

Hopes Dashed: Only 18,000 Jobs Created

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:44:56 -0800

U.S. employment growth ground to a halt in June, with employers hiring the fewest number of workers in nine months, dampening hopes the economy was on the cusp of regaining momentum after stumbling in recent months.

Nonfarm payrolls rose only 18,000, the weakest reading since September, the Labor Department said on Friday, well below economists' expectations for a 90,000 rise.

Many economists raised their forecasts on Thursday after a stronger-than-expected reading on U.S. private hiring from payrolls processor ADP, and they expected gains of anywhere between 125,000 and 175,000.

The unemployment rate climbed to 9.2 percent, the highest since December, from 9.1 percent in May.

The government revised April and May payrolls to show 44,000 fewer jobs created than previously reported. The report shattered expectations that the economy was starting to accelerate after a soft patch in the first half of the year.

The private sector added 57,000, accounting for all the jobs created, with government employment shrinking 39,000 because of fiscal problems at local and state governments.

Economic activity in the first six months of the year was dampened by rising commodity prices and supply chain disruptions following Japan's devastating earthquake in March.

Thursday July 07 2011

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:54:56 -0800

No recession for Obama's White House aides

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:07:21 -0800

In his numerous fund-raising and policy speeches around the country these days, President Obama often bemoans the difficult economic times and uncertainties afflicting millions of Americans, including the nearly 14 million still seeking work unsuccessfully.

The Democrat argues that his administration needs more time to straighten out the economic mess left by somebody else, who's been gone almost 900 days now.

But good news this morning: The challenging Obama era and 9.1% national unemployment rate do not include the 454 people now helping President Obama do presidential things.

This crowd is being paid a total of $37,121,463 this year. That's up seven staff members and nearly $4 million from 2008, the last year of George W. Bush's presidency.

Fully 141 Obama aides -- or nearly one-in-three -- earn more than $100,000 a year. That's also up from the 130 with that scale salary in Bush's last year.

Twenty-one Obama aides earn the top-dollar $172,200.

The staff names and salaries report, required annually by Congress, was released on Friday by the White House. The timing, however, was probably an accident because last Friday most Americans were not watching the news closely and were thinking of not working for a three-day holiday weekend.

Gov. Kasich Signs Sweeping Budget in Ohio

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:24:08 -0800

Just hours before a midnight Thursday deadline, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law a nearly $56 billion state budget that contains broad policy changes for the state, after vetoing a provision that would have given the state first dibs on repurchasing state prisons sold to private developers.

The 3,262-page bill privatizes five state prisons, overhauls Medicaid, eliminates Ohio's estate tax in 2013, bans most abortions in public hospitals, and ties teachers' pay more closely to student achievement.

"We promised Ohioans a new way and a new day, and we're delivering," Kasich said. He signed the two-year spending plan on the eve of a new fiscal year after striking the prison language and six other items.

In his veto message, Kasich said he thought the state guarantee would dramatically decrease the value of the prisons and raise costs. Kasich also struck a provision requiring the Ohio Lottery to list how much it gives to education, and restored wording allowing schools to screen children's body mass index to combat obesity.

Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/gov-john-kasich/2011/07/01/gov-kasich-signs-sweeping-budget-ohio#ixzz1QtYVecPA

Friday July 01 2011

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:58:58 -0800

Can Conservatives' 'Cut, Cap and Balance Pledge' Cure Spending Problem?

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:35:08 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 23, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And there was a major shake-up on Capitol Hill today when the budget negotiations being led by Vice President Joe Biden lost two key Republicans.

Now, both the House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and the Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, they walked out of the discussions saying they simply cannot continue if tax hikes remain on that table.

Now, this significant development caused the vice president to call off today's meeting. And it also renewed concerns over whether or not a deal can or should be reached to raise this country's debt limit. As it stands now, the ceiling is at a staggering $14.3 trillion. And if Congress does not act by August 2nd, well, the U.S. could default on its debt.

Earlier, Speaker of the House John Boehner weighed in on today's dramatic turn of events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JOHN BOEHNER, R-OHIO, SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I think Mr. Cantor has made it clear that these conversations could continue if they take the tax hikes out of the conversation.

Secondly, I would point out, what I said several weeks ago. After we were all down to the White House or entire conference, when I said that if we are going to meet the president's timetable to come to an agreement by the end of this month, that he needs to engage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, the only thing the president is engaging in tonight is raising money for his reelection, campaigning -- get this -- three separate DNC events in New York City.

And joining me with reaction to today's developments is South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint. Senator, welcome back, glad to see you.

SEN. JIM DEMINT, R-S.C.: Sean, thanks. This is the fight of our generation. I really believe this is a make or break time. So, I appreciate you giving us a chance to talk about it a little tonight.

HANNITY: I think it is make or break too.

Look, I know you have proposed -- you along with Senator Orrin Hatch -- cut cap and balance. Very simple. But, you know, and I like the fact that both Cantor and Kyl walked away from the table. Why don't you explain why this is significant? I can't even believe Democrats are still talking about more stimulus, more tax increases, what is your proposal?

DEMINT: Well, it really is pretty simple. It recognizes that the only way that we are ever going to stop this spending addiction in Washington is if we are forced to by the Constitution. So, the key part of this is passing a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution and sending it to states to ratify. Sean, they say they can be done. But those who say that are going to keep telling us we've got to spend more than we are bringing in indefinitely.

So, there are three parts to this. We are going to oppose any increase in the debt limit unless we cut spending immediately unless we have caps on spending over the out years to bring us to a balanced budget and unless we pass a constitutional amendment to the -- an amendment to the Constitution to force us to stop the spending.

So, we are asking people all over the country to sign up. If you allow me, the web site is cutcapbalancepledge.com. We've got thousands of Americans who signed up. Several senators and congressmen have signed up. Presidential candidates are signing up. And frankly, if anyone who doesn't sign up, really doesn't belong in Washington right now. We can't afford anyone else who doesn't understand, we need to balance our budget.

HANNITY: All right. As of this year, 70 percent -- our public debt will be 70 percent of GDP. The CBO projects out that in a few short years, less than a decade, it is going to be over 100 percent. Then we're on track to be over 200 percent. In other words, that would be twice the amount that we take in. And Tim Geithner suggested last week that spending cuts alone are irresponsible. We need quote, "revenue increases." Code word, a tax increase. And this week, the Democrats said, they want another stimulus plan.

I mean, how many times do you have to bang your head on the wall before you reach that definition of insanity? Why would they continue to double down on these policies?

DEMINT: Well, Sean, it is amazing. If you look at a graph with the revenues, I mean, we are bringing in about as much money as we ever have. But the spending line goes straight up and continues out over 10 years. We don't have a revenue problem, we've got a spending problem. But if we cut the spending, you would see the revenue begin to grow as we take the pressure off the private sector.

So, Republicans owe it to Americans, Sean, to tell them where we stand and what we are willing to fight for. That's what this pledge is about. And I would encourage all your viewers to go to cutcapbalancepledge.com, sign up and when they put in their zip code, it will tell you who your congressmen and senators are. Hopefully, people will call them, e-mail them, make sure they sign this pledge. I think we need to go to the math. If we can get 41 senators to sign it, we can force them to pass a balanced budget before they get any increase in the debt limit.

HANNITY: The president has a 60 percent disapproval, Bloomberg poll in terms of his handling of the deficit. There's only 23 percent of Americans now saying that they are certain that they will vote for Obama's reelection. Fifty five percent say that our children are destined for lower standard of living. Two-thirds say the country is on the wrong track economically. And, you know, you would think politically, that they would at least be pragmatic like Bill Clinton and change course. Do you see them just digging into this rigid ideology? Is there anybody in the Democratic Party that sees the danger politically for them?

DEMINT: Well, Sean, if you think about it. The Democrats are not able to cut spending. Their whole political base is created by giving money away. Redistributing wealth. New government programs. The idea of a balanced budget to them, essentially puts them out of business.

So, the Republicans have to be prepared to fight to stop this reckless spending. So, those who say it can't be done need to get out of the way. Because, there are a lot of us who feel like this is at the time, I frankly think the 2012 election is going to be this August. If Republicans fail and if we cave in on this one, I don't think the country is going to have any room for us in the next election.

HANNITY: The Republicans did fail on the 2011 budget, I hate to tell you, Senator. And it disappointed a lot of conservatives, including myself. This is a very key moment that they hold the line. And I think walking out of this meeting today was pivotal.

We see what's happening in Europe. We see what is happening in Greece, what's about to happen in Spain. I mean, really, all throughout the European -- all throughout Europe, all European countries now are suffering under debt. Do you foresee -- what is the worst-case scenario you see for America?

DEMINT: Well, Sean. The worst-case is that we already have a debt level that if interest rates return to their historical averages, we can't even pay our debts now. And they are talking about taxing the economy more, which means bringing more money to Washington, taking it out of the private sector, this president doesn't know how the American economy works. We've got to do everything we can to stop him, to elect someone who understands American exceptionalism.

But frankly, we can't wait a year and a half to stop the spending. If we pass a balanced budget amendment now, it will change the whole paradigm in Washington. Next year's election will be all about a debate for 50 states, ratifying this constitutional amendment.

HANNITY: Absolutely.

DEMINT: That's why we need to take this debate.

HANNITY: I don't think Congress or future Congresses can control themselves, this is the insurance policy we need. I fully support it. I think it's a good idea to make it a big campaign issue and let the Democrats take the right side or wrong side at their own peril. Senator, good to see you.

DEMINT: Thanks, Sean.

Friday June 10 2011

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:58:05 -0800

Pat Buchanan, Juan Williams,

Thursday June 09 2011

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:53:11 -0800

Stuart Varney, Rand Paul,

Wednesday June 08 2011

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:28:39 -0800

Karl Rove,

Wednesday June 01 2011

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 16:34:19 -0800

Donald Trump, Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Random economic rant

Tue, 31 May 2011 13:00:02 -0800

A new report says that the US housing market is crushed again, for God-knows how many months in a row now. Half of the country are underwater on their mortgages. Gas prices are through the roof with no sign of relief. Food prices and everything related to fuel is out of control. Unemployment is sky-high and and our country is up to it's NECK in debt...from the federal government, to individual credit cards and student loans, which are now defaulting at an all-time high rate.

Yes, we get it...we're glad bin Laden is dead...we really are...but enough already on harping on it. Obama is globetrotting all over the world, patting himself on the back and drinking $1000 wine, while the USA's economy sinks into the abyss.

But good news, Joe Biden says that this year will be the "Summer of Recovery"...oh wait...maybe that was last summer??

By the way, while you couldn't go anywhere for Memorial Day because of high gas prices, Obama played golf for the 70th time in his 28 months in office.

Taxes

Thu, 26 May 2011 07:55:05 -0800

Tax cheats received billions in stimulus funds

Thu, 26 May 2011 07:54:19 -0800

WASHINGTON — More than 3,700 federal contractors received $24 billion in stimulus money despite failing to pay federal income taxes, according to a report to be released today by the Government Accountability Office.

The total tax liability was at least $750 million but likely much more, the GAO report says.

About 35% of the unpaid taxes go back at least eight years.

Investigators sampled 15 cases and found "abusive or potentially criminal activity" in every case.

They include an unnamed construction company that got more than $1 million despite owing $700,000 in taxes. Its CEO admitted to the IRS that he paid other creditors while failing to pay payroll taxes for years, stated the report.

A bipartisan group of five senators requested the report from the GAO, which serves as Congress' investigative arm.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who chairs an investigative subcommittee that will hold a hearing on the report today, said the Obama administration should "get on with it and actually debar the worst of the tax cheats from the contractor workforce."

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., the subcommittee's ranking Republican, said legislation is needed. "That such a huge amount of the stimulus money went to known tax cheats should be a wake-up call for Congress," he said.

Marco Rubio: What Does Congress Need To Do?

Fri, 13 May 2011 07:06:00 -0800

Senator Marco Rubio stopped by to discuss the battle over the debt ceiling and what it means for voters. “Americans oppose giving a blank check to the President,” began Hannity, “You have public opinion on your side so now the question is whether the Republicans will hold the line.” “I hope so because this is the issue that defined 2010,” offered Rubio, “If you were elected in 2010 and you came up here to tackle those issues and we don’t then people will lose hope that we will ever tackle those issues.”

Finally we’ve heard from someone who gets what’s at stake. In 2010 Americans voted for fiscal conservatives who would be willing to make the difficult decisions about how to spend less money and that’s what we’re expecting to see from our elected representatives.

Thursday May 12 2011

Thu, 12 May 2011 14:23:54 -0800

Marco Rubio, Newt Gingrich,

DeMint: "If we don't take a stand now I don't know when we would"

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:57:54 -0800

The government came close to a shutdown, and now are Democrats portraying the debt ceiling and the need to raise it as a do or die for our financial future? Tea Party members and activists do not want Boehner to raise the limit.

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) fears that the problem is that raising the debt ceiling will eliminate the urgency to cut spending. Raising the debt limit is one thing, but when it comes to budget cuts he says “if we don’t take a stand now I don’t know when we would.” The mentality for getting spending under control in Washington is “unless we have to do it we won’t do it. I guarantee you” says DeMint.

Within the Hill DeMint says the Democrats are “making it look like it’s a crisis if we don’t pass it and I’m afraid people will feel they have to pass this and fight the battle later.” The Senator also notes that Democrats think Republicans are probably too afraid not to pass the debt ceiling. But this is not like the government shutdown, “the general accounting office has found over 100 billion dollars in wasteful programs that we could eliminate in the next few months if we were really serious about this..But we’re not going to be serious about this if we just pass this debt limit and say ok we’ll pass it and deal with cutting spending later.”

Wednesday April 27 2011

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:12:47 -0800

Jim DeMint, Angela McGlowan,

2012 Candidate Series: Gov Gary Johnson

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 11:09:43 -0800

Gary Johnson for President
In Sean’s continuing effort to inform listeners of the 2012 Presidential field, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was invited on the program to discuss his candidacy. “You’re more of a libertarian than a Conservative,” quizzed Hannity, “On issues involving the legalization of marijuana you’d be more on the libertarian side.” Johnson tried to defend himself by saying, “We have the highest incarceration rates of any country in the world and this is the country of liberty, freedom and personal responsibility?” Hannity shot back, “I don’t want people to get the impression that this is something you’re running and in your defense you cut over 1200 jobs in New Mexico as Governor without firing anyone and you really did do a good job.”

Tuesday April 26 2011

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:25:54 -0800

Bob Beckel, Brent Bozell, Donald Trump,

What’s Going On With The Economy?

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 08:08:49 -0800

Sean was joined by Larry Kudlow and Juan Williams to discuss the fate of the economy.

“The most troublesome part about our situation,” explained Kudlow, “We’re seeing the destruction of the American dollar, it’s fallen over 40 percent over the last ten or eleven years, and I’m not sure when this will end.”

Williams agreed with Kudlow’s message saying, “I think the larger problem certainly is the dollar and people are saying the Feds are just not being effective in what they’re trying to do to stimulate the economy and that’s why the Standards and Poors people are saying they’ve lost confidence in the White House and the Republicans in Congress. “That’s not why,” Hannity quickly interrupted, “The S&P report said structurally that the United States can control the deficit.”

That’s the real situation. Standard and Poors refused to stake their reputation on the shaky ground that is the American economy and made the honest assessment that this country is in trouble. Now’s not the time to ask how much more we can borrow but rather how much more spending we can cut.

Monday April 25 2011

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:39:57 -0800

Juan Williams,

EPA Rules Force Shell to Abandon Oil Drilling Plans

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 07:11:43 -0800

Shell Oil Company has announced it must scrap efforts to drill for oil this summer in the Arctic Ocean off the northern coast of Alaska. The decision comes following a ruling by the EPA’s Environmental Appeals Board to withhold critical air permits. The move has angered some in Congress and triggered a flurry of legislation aimed at stripping the EPA of its oil drilling oversight.

Shell has spent five years and nearly $4 billion dollars on plans to explore for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The leases alone cost $2.2 billion. Shell Vice President Pete Slaiby says obtaining similar air permits for a drilling operation in the Gulf of Mexico would take about 45 days. He’s especially frustrated over the appeal board’s suggestion that the Arctic drill would somehow be hazardous for the people who live in the area. “We think the issues were really not major,” Slaiby said, “and clearly not impactful for the communities we work in.”

The closest village to where Shell proposed to drill is Kaktovik, Alaska. It is one of the most remote places in the United States. According to the latest census, the population is 245 and nearly all of the residents are Alaska natives. The village, which is 1 square mile, sits right along the shores of the Beaufort Sea, 70 miles away from the proposed off-shore drill site.

The EPA’s appeals board ruled that Shell had not taken into consideration emissions from an ice-breaking vessel when calculating overall greenhouse gas emissions from the project. Environmental groups were thrilled by the ruling.

“What the modeling showed was in communities like Kaktovik, Shell’s drilling would increase air pollution levels close to air quality standards,” said Eric Grafe, Earthjustice’s lead attorney on the case. Earthjustice was joined by Center for Biological Diversity and the Alaska Wilderness League in challenging the air permits.

At stake is an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil. That’s how much the U. S. Geological Survey believes is in the U.S. portion of the Arctic Ocean. For perspective, that represents two and a half times more oil than has flowed down the Trans Alaska pipeline throughout its 30-year history. That pipeline is getting dangerously low on oil. At 660,000 barrels a day, it’s carrying only one-third its capacity.

Friday April 22 2011

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:16:17 -0800

Ann Coulter,

The Gov't is helping everyone but us!

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:54:14 -0800

BP Cut Tax Bill by $13B Due to Losses From Spill

By Judson Berger

Published April 22, 2011 | FoxNews.com

Despite causing an historic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year, BP plans to reduce its tax bill by almost $13 billion by writing off its losses.

The move is legal and above board. But with millions of Americans having just settled up with the IRS for 2010, it's causing consternation among activists who say BP shouldn't be offsetting its losses with federal money -- especially when Washington is in a budget crunch.

"The U.S. taxpayer shouldn't be ... footing the bill for this. That just seems insane to me," said Aaron Viles, deputy director of the Gulf Restoration Network.

BP confirmed to FoxNews.com that it paid no federal income tax to the U.S. government in 2010, though the company said it paid "significant" non-income tax and state income tax in the United States.

"However, due to the high costs incurred on the spill, BP America in 2010 had no US domestic income, no taxable income and therefore paid no federal income tax," spokesman Daren Beaudo wrote in an email.

The company ended up cutting its total tax bill significantly by claiming nearly $41 billion in losses due to the spill. Before the spill was considered, the company was posting a $36.1 billion profit and paying $11.4 billion in total taxes, according to the report. After the $41 billion Gulf disaster was considered, BP recorded a $4.8 billion net loss.

"BP took a charge against the spill of nearly $41 billion and due to that loss of revenue, it amounted to $1.5 billion in fewer taxes paid. We made less money and as such paid fewer taxes," Beaudo wrote.

Beaudo stressed that BP will not receive any additional tax refund or credit but Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, who examined the company's annual report, said that's like having extra money in the bank because BP didn't have to fork that amount over to Uncle Sam.

Ellis said the annual report shows BP ended up owing nothing after deducting a total of $12.8 billion on its taxes due to its Gulf spill losses. The company is able to do that because the United States allows corporations to claim up to 35 percent of their losses.

"This is all on the up and up," Ellis said. "It doesn't mean it makes it any easier for taxpayers to swallow, but it meets the letter of the law."

The claim is not a surprise. BP said last summer that it would claim a credit on its losses, though at the time that was projected to be worth under $10 billion as the cost of the spill was projected to be smaller.

But considering BP is operating a $20 billion compensation fund, the fact that it's getting a tax benefit worth more than half that doesn't sit right with some.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, when asked about the offset last July, said, "I don't think anybody would prefer that they do that," though he noted the tax laws have been on the books "for quite some time."

"It doesn't add up," Nick Nyhart, president of Public Campaign, told FoxNews.com Thursday. "And it sends the wrong signal to the public about preferential treatment."

A year after the spill, the Gulf is still struggling to restore its habitat. A new poll released this week showed 83 percent of voters support using BP oil spill fines to restore the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River Delta. The survey, from Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research and Consulting, was conducted April 12-17 and had a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

On Thursday, BP announced it had reached an agreement with state and federal agencies to dedicate $1 billion toward restoration projects in the Gulf.

Rove: "Don’t Be Bullied"

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:05:59 -0800

Sean was joined by former White House Chief-of-Staff Karl Rove to discuss the next battle in Washington over the increase of the debt ceiling. “President Obama’s strategy is three-fold,” explained Rove, “He’s going to warn Americans that the economy is going to fail if we don’t raise the debt ceiling and then he’s going to demand that we have a “clean” debt ceiling increase and accuse Republicans of holding the economy hostage.” Rove continued, “If the Republicans can offer a tough proposal to retrain spending and deficits, they can put America’s finances on the right path.” “Conservatives in this country are upset about the overall results of the budget but how hard should they fight for the debt ceiling issue,” asked Hannity. Rove quickly offered his expertise saying, “Hard. They should fight very hard because we’re facing serious questions about wha t we’re doing to about our deficit.” For more on Karl Rove’s thoughts, check out his website at rove.com.

Sarah Palin Defends Donald Trump, Talks 2012

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 10:33:23 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 19, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The names Trump and Palin have been the two most talked about people in politics in recent weeks. The duo pulled no punches in separate Tea Party speeches over the weekend, as they harshly criticized the President Barack Obama's handling of both foreign and domestic issues alike.

And in a moment I will be joined live by Governor Sarah Palin. But first, earlier today, Donald Trump appeared on "Good Morning America" and once again, raised questions about President Obama's birth certificate.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLI FROM "GOOD MORNING AMERICA")

DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: There's a real question about the birth certificate. There's a real question about the -- his own citizenship.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: There is -- there is no question. He's got a certificate of live birth that is recognized by the State Department.

TRUMP: George, George, I know exactly what you're getting at.

STEPHANOPOULOS: The facts!

TRUMP: But for some reason -- no, they're not the facts. He doesn't have a birth certificate or he hasn't provided. He's given a certificate of live birth. It's a much different instrument.

STEPHANOPOULOS: A certificate of live birth meets the standard in the State Department for anyone's citizenship.

TRUMP: George--

STEPHANOPOULOS: There were contemporaneous reports in two Hawaiian newspapers.

TRUMP: George, they have co-opted you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Given the --- no, those are the facts sir.

TRUMP: George, they've co-opted you.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Who's they?

TRUMP: It's not- --obviously, Obama and his minions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now, Mr. Trump also appeared on the "Today Show" this morning and had some kind words about my next guest. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "TODAY")

TRUMP: I really respect her a lot. She's got a tremendous energy and a tremendous following. I think that she has been very unfairly treated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, could a Palin-Trump and alliance be forming? Here to answer that question and much more, Fox News contributor, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Governor, out there in the warm weather, thanks for being with us.

SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: Oh, thank you. And Happy Easter week, Sean.

HANNITY: And Happy Easter week to you.

Well, first of all, I think his characterization was 100 percent rate when he said he respects you a lot. You have tremendous energy, a great following and you've been unfairly treated. You guys are sort of, you've been going back and forth, you had some kind words to say about him and the legitimacy of this question that he's raising. What do you think about the issue in general?

PALIN: Well, first, I do have respect for Donald Trump and for his candidness. I think people are craving that today in the world of political speak that were coming out of the White House. And the confusing messages that come from so many of our politicos, we appreciate that Donald Trump is so candid.

Donald Trump is the one being really treated unfairly, I would say though in the press. When they are hammering him about the one issue that he has brought up and not been shy about, and that's the birth certificate. He's merely answering reporters' questions about his view on the birth certificate. And then reporters turn that around and saying, that's all he's got. He's always running on a birth certificate issue, when that's not the case. Donald Trump is running on the issue, bottom line, that President Obama is so far over his head. He has gotten us on the road to bankruptcy and insolvency and a less secure nation. And Trump and so many of us want to do something about that.

HANNITY: Yes. I watched the interview, and it was interesting to me because Donald Trump kept saying, I don't want to talk about this, I'm dealing with China, I'm dealing with trade imbalances, oil dependency issues and all of this. And you keep asking me about it. And it was interesting to watch Stephanopoulos interrupt him no fewer than seven times. And in all the time that Barack Obama ran for president, he was asked one question about Bill Ayers. Gave speeches with him, sat onboard with him, started a campaign in his house.

You've experienced this double standard. You think it is going to continue through 2012?

PALIN: Well, it certainly will continue if candidates allow it to continue. Candidates need to remember that they have control over the message. Especially thank God, in this day and age of the social media and fair and balanced reporters who are out there wanting to just inform the public. You can talk to them. And you don't have to give the time of day to those who are so obviously biased.

Yes, I was thinking back to on some of those interviews that Obama had given back when he was a candidate. The inconsistencies that he spewed back then, and reporters didn't follow up. Remember, he told Charlie Gibson back in '08 that he would increase capital gains taxes even if it didn't results in more revenue coming into the Feds, just in order to be more fair to taxpayers.

An issue like that, that is so relevant today as we see Obama and now starting to flirt with this idea of increasing taxes on everybody, should have been followed up back then as a candidate. Certainly now, he as our president, he needs to be asked these tough questions.

HANNITY: I watched your speech over the weekend. And then I re-read the transcript. And I thought this was one of the most hard-hitting speeches you gave, more than anything else, against the Republicans. And you went through their promise when they were running in 2010 was, hey, elect us, $100 billions we are going to cut. That got prorated to 61. The deal came out to 38, they said, 38.5 then it was 28.5. And then, you rightly pointed out in the end, we are told according to those that actually, you know, fact checked it, it was only $345 billion, not even a trillion -- I'm sorry $352 million, not a billion.

PALIN: Three fifty two, right.

HANNITY: Yes. So, the question is, and then you went on to say, that that's not courage, that's capitulation. And you said, we didn't elect you just to rearrange the deck chairs on a sinking titanic. Pretty strong words for a fellow Republicans.

PALIN: Right, and I say, with all due respect to those Republicans, who, they got elected with them that promise set they would rein in government growth on the over reach and the over borrowing and the over spending that President Obama has so embraced. We can't just -- we can't afford to have any of the GOP in there, or the Blue Dogs Democrats, the Reagan Democrats, be a part of Obama's very radical agenda which as I say is putting us on the road to bankruptcy. We are flat broke. It makes absolutely no sense to capitulate, and say OK, we'll throw in cowboy poetry and pretty monuments and more museums and maybe some road projects that we don't need.

Certainly some services provided by the Feds that maybe states could be providing. And so many things that are thrown into this budget. And yet, we feel that we need to what, strike a deal with the losing party? The party just lost in 2010.

Romney: Obama playing "chicken" with the US economy

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 11:14:11 -0800

Former Massachusetts Governor and potential Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has formed an exploratory committee but has not yet announced his candidacy. Most polls show him as one of the clear front-runners of the GOP potentials.

Romney immediately gives his intentions by stating “this president is playing chicken with the US economy. I’m looking at this race because I have a 25 year career in the private sector I know how jobs come and how they go and I want to create for jobs for the American people and get our economy back on track.”

When asked what he thought of the budget deal struck at the last minute to not shut down the government, he said “step by step we’ll have as much spending reduction and budget reduction as possible.” But for now Obama “needs to stop putting out ‘pseudo cures.”

Sean brings up Obamacare and the healthcare plan Romney helped to pass in Massachusetts. “I think this is going to be a big campaign issue. People always bring up the issue of the healthcare plan you passed in Massachusetts…the president has even gone as far as to say I modeled this after Mitt Romney. If you get the nomination and Obama says you’re the architect of Obamacare how do you answer that?”

A confident Romney replies “I’d love to have the opportunity because I’d turn to him and say ‘OK Mr. President then why didn’t you call me? Why didn’t you pick up the phone and say Mitt you carried out an experiment in Massachusetts and some of it worked well and some of it didn’t …’ Because I’d a told him Obamacare would be trillions of dollars of new spending in a government that can afford it right now, that it’s gonna make a mess of the U.S. healthcare system, that it’s bad policy, that it’s unconstitutional and the American people in the final analysis are going to reject it.”

Sean then turns to foreign policy. Romney says the “Lack of foreign policy by this president has an enormous cost…right now with the Middle East in turmoil, Egypt, Libya, Syria...for this president not to know which way to hit is frightening and dangerous… It’s almost as if he does not have a compass.”

Lastly Romney gives us insight into the most important lesson he learned for his last presidential run and what he plans on doing differently if he runs again in 2012.

Tuesday April 19 2011

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:53:37 -0800

McDonalds

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:04:29 -0800

McDonalds, Franchisees To Hire Up To 50,000

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:03:16 -0800

McDonald's Corp. (MCD) said the company and its franchisees are looking to hire as many as 50,000 people at U.S. restaurants during an April 19 hiring event.

The fast-food giant said the event will seek to add a combination of full- and part-time positions in close to 14,000 restaurants. The move comes as McDonald's has continued to outpace its rivals, aided by an increasingly diverse menu that ranges from value items to higher-margin offerings such as blended ice drinks, as well as renovated stores and longer hours of operations.

Many companies have been reluctant to invest in their businesses with moves such as hiring, despite corporate profits largely rebounding. McDonald's has 1.7 million employees worldwide.

Standard and Poors

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:43:50 -0800

Boston Tea Party of 2011

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:22:54 -0800

Since the election of Senator Scott Brown (R-MA) all eyes have been on Massachusetts. An historically Democratic state and home to the most liberal politicians of the Kennedy family.

Sean interviews Jeff Katz of Boston’s WXKS Morning show to get the latest directly from the belly of the Boston Tea Party Friday April 15th. “We have Massachusetts Republicans which a lot of other places would be called Democrats,” but they “put their money where their mouth was” Katz says of the ‘Tea Party’ patrons who came out in droves.

Sean asked what was their reaction to the budget deal made in DC just one week before to which Katz replied “It’s like a boyfriend or a girlfriend who left for something better,” and notes the concern that Republicans fear they will get blamed for everything which stunts their motivation to go after what the people who voted them in office want.

Sean mentions the stunning election victories for the Republicans and Tea Party candidates in 2011 and admits “if anyone gets the credit it’s the people you’re with today.” Katz responds “they’re regular folks, no a part of the establishment, many have never been involved in politics. They work really hard and like to do the right thing. They are passionate because they understand this debate is about their kids and their grandkids.”

Anticipation of the Worst Day of the Year

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:58:04 -0800

On the dreaded day of paying taxes I begin to think of all the places my money is being spent by my government that I don't approve of; I won't list them here, because each of us have our own individual list and the feeling of empathy from fellow tax paying patriots is enough for me. Especially since I live and work in NYC, it has become blatantly obvious that Bloomberg doesn't want me to drive, Cuomo doesn't want me to donate, and Obama doesn't want me to succeed. If they did, I wouldn't be taxed through the nose as a single woman trying to make ends meet in a city where your dreams are now buried by the miles of red tape that seem to be in endless supply (forgive the run-ons, sometimes grammar must be forsaken for creativity).

Oddly enough some of our most outspoken public officials, Rangel, Geithner, Gibbs, and Obama himself, have their own financial and tax problems. Whether it's questionable funding, or unpaid taxes or rent controlled slumlord housing, the names listed above are involved. Sadly, this has not resulted in their termination or payment of monies owed. In fact it has been swept under the rug, the floorboards, and the insulation. Get my drift?

If you talk to most who are on limited incomes or government subsidies, they will explain to you in a light-hearted nature that they look forward to Tax Day. Why? They don't pay taxes, because the government is not going to tax them on their welfare check or food stamps. Additionally, they receive money back to help them move on and start the next fiscal year on track.

Sure, there are many people who receive assistance who don't feel this way, well I applaud you. Sadly, you and I both know that for every person who does not relish in the thought of milking the government, there are ten who do. As much as I don't want the government to go all 'big brother' on the nation, it would be nice if there were a set of parameters that allowed us to moderate the expenses made with government funded assistance dollars. I know there are many who are barely making ends meet and working three jobs, and can not afford many things that those who do not work are able to buy. Something is definitely wrong with the system when people make more by not working. Agreed?

Ultimately, we need to move toward the fair tax. It's time that everyone participates in working for a better America. Too long have the few carried the many, and you can say that people don't want to help the poor. However, the poor don't want to help themselves if staying at home collecting is more attractive than going out and getting a job.

America, where is your pride?

Friday April 15 2011

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:37:45 -0800

Juan Williams,

Rick Santorum: Is he running?

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:32:31 -0800

Sean welcomed former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum to the program to discuss his potential candidacy for president in 2012. Santorum inched closer to making a bid for the White House with the announcement he has launched a presidential exploratory committee. ”Now, the only test for me is whether we can raise the money that's necessary," the two-term Republican senator said.

"We're going to determine over the next few weeks as to whether the resources are going to be there," he added. The launch of the committee is an important fund-raising tool that often signals an upcoming run. The 52-year-old has trailed his potential opponents in most surveys, but on Saturday he won a straw poll taken at the Greenville County Republican convention in South Carolina - an important, early nomination state.

He's also been making the rounds to the key voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. “It's time for America to be America again -- an America that rewards innovation and hard work, that stands by our allies instead of our enemies, that protects even the most vulnerable of our society, and an America that says every life is to be cherished," said Santorum.

"That's what I believe in and that's why I'm taking this next step in a possible run for president."

Donald Trump

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:16:23 -0800

Exclusive: Donald Trump Talks 2012, Calls Obama the 'Worst President Ever'

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:13:28 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 14, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And tonight, the road to 2012 takes us to one of the most famous buildings in all of New York City, Trump Tower.

Now earlier I sat down with the man who has been skyrocketing in the poll poles. And appears to be inching closer and closer to challenging President Barack Obama in 2012, the one and only Donald Trump.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, Newsmax, you do an interview with them. And you say, you will announce that you are going to run right after "Celebrity Apprentice" on the last night of the show, you will do what?

DONALD TRUMP, TRUMP ORGANIZATION CEO: Well, I will be announcing as to whether or not I'll run sometime prior to June, I've been saying that for a long time. Newsmax actually took a little of liberty when they said I will be running. I'm not going to be running. I will announce what I will be doing sometime prior to June.

VIDEO: Trump: 'I Know How to Solve the Problem'

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: Which I've been consistently saying.

HANNITY: Where are you now in the decision-making process?

VIDEO: Trump Sounds Off on President's Foreign Policy

TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you, we just had the polls and the polls are, as you know, because I watched you the other day, you're the first one that told me because I'm watching your television show. And I'm saying gee- whiz, I'm number one. But the polls have been really amazing. CNN came out with a poll which was phenomenal. I'm in first place with Governor Huckabee, who is a good guy, by the way. Who I have gotten to know wisely and I think really is a terrific guy. And it's always bad. You know, you are supposed to compete against people you -- I do much better when I don't like the people. But I happen to like him. And I like a couple of the other candidates.

HANNITY: Well, we talk about that in a second.

You said you are Barack Obama's worst nightmare, why?

TRUMP: Well, I understand him. I understand what is going on. I understand the mindset. They do not want to run against me. I get it. And he doesn't get it. And I watched that speech yesterday, I thought it was an outrage. That wasn't a speech on deficit. That was a political speech. That means he's running and that was his first speech. I thought it was ridiculous. Raising taxes and really not doing anything having to do with the deficit, I thought it was an outrage.

And look, he's been horrible president. I always said the worst president was Jimmy Carter. Guess what? Jimmy Carter goes to second place. Barack Obama has been the worst president ever. The history of this country, Barack Obama is number one. And he had this little minion go on television.

HANNITY: David Plouffe.

TRUMP: And say -- David, whoever. Nobody knows how to pronounce his name.

HANNITY: Yes.

TRUMP: He ought to make that clear. But he had this person go on television, and make a statement like oh, gee, we certainly --

HANNITY: He said you have zero chance you would get hired by the American people.

TRUMP: And yet I just won the recent CNN poll, the independent vote. And I was the one that was tied, statistically tied with Obama, the only Republican that was statistically tied with Obama. And I haven't even done anything. You know, I haven't said I'm running.

So, and you know, the poles, one of the pollsters actually said that one of the reasons I don't go even higher is a lot of people don't think I'm running. They think I'm having a good time talking to people like you. You've become my friend for a month but I've watched you so much. I consider you like a friend for a long time.

HANNITY: Right.

TRUMP: But the fact is, a lot of people in the polls don't vote for me, because they think I'm just having a good time. They think that I'm promoting "Celebrity Apprentice" which I'm absolutely not. And you just told me how good the ratings are in "Celebrity Apprentice." I don't need this --

HANNITY: Let's look at these polls. CNN poll. There's a Newsmax online poll over half a million people.

TRUMP: That was the best of all.

HANNITY: That was the best of all. You're second in New Hampshire in a poll that came out, Mitt Romney first, you're second.

TRUMP: And he lives there.

HANNITY: Yes. OK. So, he's from Massachusetts.

So, the question is, why do you think your message is resonating? What do you think it is about you at this moment that all of a sudden, you come out of nowhere, you say I'm thinking about running for president and these poll numbers go up? What do you think is happening?

TRUMP: Well, I think I'm known as a really good business man. And I am. And by the way, if I run, I will have to disclose my opinion finances, and my finances are phenomenal. Much better than anyone knows. You know, they know I'm rich. But I've done a great job. I've made a lot of great decisions. And that will be disclosed if and when I decide to run. And I actually look forward to that. It will be I think a very positive thing.

HANNITY: All right. Let me ask you about the nomination. So, you are running for the Republican nomination, if you run.

TRUMP: Yes.

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: Correct

HANNITY: You describe yourself politically as a conservative?

TRUMP: I'm a very conservative person.

HANNITY: Very conservative person, but...

TRUMP: With a big heart. I'm actually a conservative with a big heart.

O's speech: Toxic and poisonous

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:41:44 -0800

Sean mentions the below article put out by the Wall Street Journal and then delves into his own thoughts on Obama's speech. "I said right out of the box yesterday that this speech was pretty much what we have come to expect in terms of the worst from this president. It was ugly, the speech was fundamentally at its course dishonest and mean spirited."

The Presidential Divider

WSJ.com

Obama’s toxic speech and even worse plan for deficits and debt.

Did someone move the 2012 election to June 1? We ask because President Obama's extraordinary response to Paul Ryan's budget yesterday—with its blistering partisanship and multiple distortions—was the kind Presidents usually outsource to some junior lieutenant. Mr. Obama's fundamentally political document would have been unusual even for a Vice President in the fervor of a campaign.

The immediate political goal was to inoculate the White House from criticism that it is not serious about the fiscal crisis, after ignoring its own deficit commission last year and tossing off a $3.73 trillion budget in February that increased spending amid a record deficit of $1.65 trillion. Mr. Obama was chased to George Washington University yesterday because Mr. Ryan and the Republicans outflanked him on fiscal discipline and are now setting the national political agenda.

Mr. Obama did not deign to propose an alternative to rival Mr. Ryan's plan, even as he categorically rejected all its reform ideas, repeatedly vilifying them as essentially un-American. "Their vision is less about reducing the deficit than it is about changing the basic social compact in America," he said, supposedly pitting "children with autism or Down's syndrome" against "every millionaire and billionaire in our society." The President was not attempting to join the debate Mr. Ryan has started, but to close it off just as it begins and banish House GOP ideas to political Siberia.

Mr. Obama then packaged his poison in the rhetoric of bipartisanship—which "starts," he said, "by being honest about what's causing our deficit." The speech he chose to deliver was dishonest even by modern political standards.

The great political challenge of the moment is how to update the 20th-century entitlement state so that it is affordable. With incremental change, Mr. Ryan is trying maintain a social safety net and the economic growth necessary to finance it. Mr. Obama presented what some might call the false choice of merely preserving the government we have with no realistic plan for doing so, aside from proposing $4 trillion in phantom deficit reduction over a gimmicky 12-year budget window that makes that reduction seem larger than it would be over the normal 10-year window.

Mr. Obama said that the typical political proposal to rationalize Medicare's gargantuan liabilities is that it is "just a matter of eliminating waste and abuse." His own plan is to double down on the program's price controls and central planning. All Medicare decisions will be turned over to and routed through an unelected commission created by ObamaCare—which will supposedly ferret out "unnecessary spending." Is that the same as "waste and abuse"?

Fifteen members will serve on the Independent Payment Advisory Board, all appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. If per capita costs grow by more than GDP plus 0.5%, this board would get more power, including an automatic budget sequester to enforce its rulings. So 15 sages sitting in a room with the power of the purse will evidently find ways to control Medicare spending that no one has ever thought of before and that supposedly won't harm seniors' care, even as the largest cohort of the baby boom generation retires and starts to collect benefits.

House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan responds to President Obama's deficit reduction speech.

Mr. Obama really went off on Mr. Ryan's plan to increase health-care competition and give consumers more control, barely stopping short of calling it murderous. It's hardly beyond criticism or debate, but the Ryan plan is neither Big Rock Candy Mountain nor some radical departure from American norms.

Mr. Obama came out for further cuts in the defense budget, but where? His plan is to ask Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen "to find additional savings," whatever those might be, after a "fundamental review." These mystery cuts would follow two separate, recent rounds of deep cuts that were supposed to stave off further Pentagon triage amid several wars and escalating national security threats.

Mr. Obama rallied the left with a summons for major tax increases on "the rich." Every U.S. fiscal trouble, he claimed, flows from the Bush tax cuts "for the wealthiest 2%," conveniently passing over what he euphemistically called his own "series of emergency steps that saved millions of jobs." Apparently he means the $814 billion stimulus that failed and a new multitrillion-dollar entitlement in ObamaCare that harmed job creation.

Under the Obama tax plan, the Bush rates would be repealed for the top brackets. Yet the "cost" of extending all the Bush rates in 2011 over 10 years was about $3.7 trillion. Some $3 trillion of that was for everything but the top brackets—and Mr. Obama says he wants to extend those rates forever. According to Internal Revenue Service data, the entire taxable income of everyone earning over $100,000 in 2008 was about $1.582 trillion. Even if all these Americans—most of whom are far from wealthy—were taxed at 100%, it wouldn't cover Mr. Obama's deficit for this year.

Mr. Obama sought more tax-hike cover under his deficit commission, seeming to embrace its proposal to limit tax deductions and other loopholes. But the commission wanted to do so in order to lower rates for a more efficient and competitive code with a broader base. Mr. Obama wants to pocket the tax increase and devote the revenues to deficit reduction and therefore more spending. So that's three significant tax increases—via higher top brackets, the tax hikes in ObamaCare and fewer tax deductions.

Lastly, Mr. Obama came out for a debt "failsafe," which will require the White House and Congress to hash out a deal if by 2014 projected debt is not declining as a share of the economy. But under his plan any deal must exclude Social Security, Medicare or low-income programs. So that means more tax increases or else "making government smarter, leaner and more effective." Which, now that he mentioned it, sounds a lot like cutting "waste and abuse."

Mr. Obama ludicrously claimed that Mr. Ryan favors "a fundamentally different America than the one we've known throughout most of our history." Nothing is likelier to bring that future about than the President's political indifference in the midst of a fiscal crisis.

Obama's Budget Plan: Spending, Tax Hikes and Scare Tactics

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:38:02 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 13, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST:President Barack Obama unveiled his plan to reduce America's deficit by four trillion dollars over the next 12 years or less. Now essentially, it is a two-pronged attack. First, he wants to slash the Pentagon's budget. And second, he wants to increase taxes on the so-called wealthy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT OBAMA: We cannot afford one trillion dollars worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire in our society. We can't afford it. I say that at a time when the tax burden on the wealthy is at its lowest level in half a century, the most fortunate among us can afford to pay a little more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And in addition to laying out his blueprint, the president resorted to scare tactics as he bashed the house GOP proposal, let's look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: A vision that says, if our roads crumble and our bridges collapse, we can't afford to fix them. If there are bright young Americans who have the drive, and the will, but not the money to go to college, we can't afford to send them.

It's a vision that says America can't afford to keep the promise we've made to care for our seniors.

It's a vision that says, up to 50 million Americans have to lose their health insurance in order for us to reduce the deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: And on a day when President Obama pledge to focus on reducing the deficit, he spent a lot of time talking about spending your money. Let's take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We will invest in medical research. We will invest in clean energy technology, we will invest in new roads, in airports and broadband access. We will invest in education. We will invest in job training.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Invest, invest, invest. Another word for spend, spend, spend.

And here with reaction of the speech, Republican Congressman John Campbell of California, Democratic Congressman Rob Andrews of New Jersey. Guys, welcome back to the program.

REP. ROB ANDREWS, D-N.J.: Hey, Sean. How are you doing?

REP. JOHN CAMPBELL, R-CALIF.: Thanks, Sean.

HANNITY: Robert, let me start with you. When the president talks about -- let me play him from 2010. And let me play a portion of what he said today. Because I find frankly, a lot of the comments of the president so full of demagoguery, so full of hyperbole, so full of mean spirited attack. I want to see if you'll defend it. Let's roll him first from 2010.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We're not going to be able to do anything about any of these entitlements if what we do is characterize whatever proposals are put out there as, well, you know, that's, the other party is being irresponsible. The other party is trying to hurt our senior citizens.

One vision has been presented and championed by Republicans in the House of Representatives.

It is a vision that says, up to 50 million Americans have to lose their health insurance in order for us to reduce the deficit.

Many are somebody's grandparents, maybe one of yours, who wouldn't be able to afford nursing home care without Medicaid. Many are poor children.

These are the Americans we would be telling to fend for themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Rob Andrews, when he talks about that, the Republicans and the Ryan plan that middle class families with children and autism, with autism and Down syndrome, some with disabilities, these are the Americans that the Ryan plan is saying to fend for themselves. That is false, that's inaccurate, that is not true.

ANDREWS: I wouldn't have used that rhetoric, Sean. Let's see what is true. The president proposes to replace Medicare, which is a guaranteed benefit paid out of Medicare trust fund, with a subsidy to go buy a private insurance policy. And, you know, if you are a little older or sicker or have these kinds of disabilities, it is very hard to get an insurance company respond the way Medicare does. So it is true that he's putting people on Medicare, which is elderly and disabled, at risk.

HANNITY: Yes, you know, I'm listening to all of this rhetoric, Congressman Campbell, and I'm saying, this is the president lecturing us not to do this very thing. The country is literally, you know, $14 trillion in debt and headed higher. He didn't present this budget back in February. He didn't have the courage to go out and lead. So, Ryan goes first. Ryan has significant cuts. The president demonizes him as that old people aren't cared for by Republicans, young people, sick people. I mean, I find this hypocrisy so overwhelming in this case, especially when he gives us this lectures not to do it.

CAMPBELL: Yes. Sean, I was really disappointed in the speech today. And frankly, I was going into it, I was hopeful, OK, finally the president is going to enter the fray here, he's going to make the proposal and begin a discussion, because we got real problems. I mean, this is not funny stuff. This is not our normal ideological discussions that Rob and I have. The country is heading off a debt cliff. And we need to get it away from that cliff.

And unfortunately, today the president first of all, as you suggested, his rhetoric was extremely harsh. And although he said that we should all have a rational discussion about these proposals, and I think we should, he started out by just making a very political speech and just ripping Ryan and the Republican proposal, and that was not a good start. And then I can go through a lot of the things that he suggested and say that they are really not going to have that much of an impact and that he really didn't put a substantive proposal on the table.

But this was an opportunity to start to work together on this thing. And I think the president totally botched it.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, it seems to me, you know, Rob Andrews, had he lived up to what he said in January 2010, if he lived up to what he had said after the Tucson tragedy, I don't think he would have come out and said these things today. So, is he basically trying to scare old people, scare sick people, scare people into, you know, opposing what the Republicans are proposing, is he using them?

ANDREWS: Sean, I don't think he's using them. I think he's trying to reach an agreement by June 30th. And I thought that was the best thing he said. Congress never acts without a deadline. He's going to sign a bill later this week that has $40 billion in spending cuts. I'm going to vote for it, I think ist's good. And by saying June 30th, is a deadline I think that hints, that it is tied to the debt ceiling extension which is a real deadline we have to come to grips with. He has covered all the major pieces of solution, Medicare and Medicaid, defense, Social Security was alluded to, other entitlements, domestic spending and revenue. I think some element of all of those things are necessary to be dealt with. And I think we can get it done by June 30th. I really do.

HANNITY: Yes. Congressman Campbell, what about the debt ceiling? I think this is an important issue. Are Republicans willing to raise the debt ceiling? And if they are, what are they going to ask for in exchange?

CAMPBELL: Well, and that's the question. Are we willing to do it? Yes. But we want something in there, something included in that bill, so that we can start to change the trajectory of this debt growth. Because we don't want to keep doing this over and over and over again until we go off the cliff. And that debate is raging I got to tell you within the Republican Party. And it is not like there's a disagreement -- yes -- we are trying to figure out what do we really want? I mean, in my view, I know some people are talking about structural reforms, spending limits, that sort of thing. I would rather bank some money now.

ANDREWS: I agree.

CAMPBELL: I'd rather start to reduce spending now.

Thursday April 14 2011

Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:17:24 -0800

Karl Rove, Rick Santorum, Pat Buchanan,

Congress freshmen on their first 100 days

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:11:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 12, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: It has been almost 100 days since the 112th Congress reconvened with a new GOP-controlled House. And here to help us examine what has been accomplished, what still needs to get done, are the lawmakers themselves.

And joining us live tonight from Washington, D.C. with the focus group of freshmen Republican congressmen and women is the author of the best seller "Win," the president of the Word Doctors, the one and only Dr. Luntz. How are you sir?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER: Sean, actually, I'm not the worst dressed person here for the first time of my life

HANNITY: Wow, ouch!

LUNTZ: These 19 people here have been here for 98 days to be exact. And we had most of you here 98 days ago to ask you, could you really change the culture of Washington? So, here's the question, by a show of hands, how many believe that you have already changed the culture of Washington? Changed it.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Changing.

LUNTZ: Changing. Tell me how?

REP. CORY GARDNER, R-COLO.: We moved it from a conversation about to whether or not to cut spending to how much we can and how much we should cut. We are going to cut more.

REP. SANDY ADAMS, R-FLA.: I think we've made it more transparent. We are giving people an opportunity to really know the truth.

LUNTZ: And you are their freshmen class president?

REP. AUSTIN SCOTT, R-GA.: Yes, sir.

LUNTZ: How would you characterize what your class has done to change the culture of Washington?

SCOTT: I'd say, it's 87 independent leaders with the focus on the next generation not the next election.

LUNTZ: You are one of the people who voted against the CR?

REP. TREY GOWDY, R-S.C.: Yes, sir.

LUNTZ: Has the culture of Washington changed, in your mind?

GOWDY: I think it has. And I did vote against the CR because I'm blessed to represent a people who are prepared to reshape and resize government at a little quicker pace. But I can tell you this. I have respect for my colleagues in the freshmen class who cast a different vote. And I don't question their commitment to cutting one iota.

LUNTZ: You also voted against the CR?

REP. SCOTT RIGELL , R-VA.: Yes. I didn't quite buy into the logic of taking it down to $61 billion from 100. So, as I saw it, we were at 39 percent of really where we need to be. And I know as an entrepreneur that reducing deficit, reducing the deficit is in itself, and act of job creation. And the sense of urgency, this Congress this year addressing the deficit.

LUNTZ: So, I want to ask you, how specifically has the culture changed? Because there are millions of people quite literally watching tonight that aren't quite sure. How have you actually changed it?

REP. MICHAEL GRIMM, R-N.Y.: Well, the fact that we are no longer speaking about how much we are spending and what we are cutting. What I think you are hearing, several on the same page. But we have different tactics. And I respect my colleagues that have different tactics. But at the end of the day, our goals are exactly the same. And that's to dramatically reduce spending and get our fiscal house in order.

REP. MIKE POMPEO, R-KAN.: Yes. I think another big change has been that we don't spend much time talking about how we got here, whether it was Democrats or Republicans that dug this hole. We spent a lot of time thinking about, what are the facts? How do we get out of this what is the path forward? I think that's a big shift.

LUNTZ: Sean, you wouldn't have seen it, but we filmed just before we were here, a segment that is going to air this weekend. We had 14, 15 average Americans going back and forth with these 19 freshmen. And it would have made you feel really good, the interaction that they had, the comments that they were making. This is real frustration with Washington among the American people but it feels like they get it.

HANNITY: Let me give credit where credit is due. I believe they have changed the debate. I am encouraged by that. I do sense from everybody that is speaking there that there is a sense of urgency. I just want to ask this, because I think I speak for a lot of people. When we have a $3.6 trillion budget this year, $1.65 trillion deficit and we can't get $61 billion cut, the prorated rate from $100 billion and it comes out to $28 billion, I know I speak for a lot of people in saying, we are disappointed. And I want to get their reaction.

LUNTZ: Go ahead.

REP. ADAM KINZINGER, R-ILL.: You know, what? That's a great question. Ask Harry Reid. We would have cut even more than $61 billion if we could. But we've got to deal with a Democratic controlled Senate, we'll dealing with democrat president. Ask Harry Reid why it is extreme to cut just a small percentage of the government.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: And it comes down to tactics, I mean, there are some in this freshmen class, that have said, you know, we are not going to cut this until it gets to the $100 billion mark. And there are others like myself, say, I will cut as much as I can every chance we get until we get to the debt ceiling. Because it's all about the debt ceiling.

REP. ANNA MARIE BUERKLE, R-N.Y.: And, you know, the truth of the matter is, we are disappointed too. We started out, we wanted $100 billion, that was the goal. But we've got to be realistic. And we are only one half of one-third of this government.

GARDNER: But this week we start moving from billions of dollars to trillions of dollars. That's where we start this week, real cuts of trillions and dollars.

LUNTZ: So, I've got to ask you with a show of hands. Sean, raising legitimate points, have you been successful in cutting wasteful Washington spending, yes or no?

(TALKING OVER EACH OTHER)

REP. JAMIE HERRERA BEUTLER, R-WAS.: Here's the thing, we've cut more than any Congress, four times more than any Congress since World War II and we've been here for four months. It is a step. If we were saying we are stopping here by all means, be disappointed. But this is one step, and we are going to keep walking. Baby, I voted for that cut, I'm proud of it. It was the right step. And we're going to keep putting one foot in front of the other until we get this fiscal house in order.

LUNTZ: Sean, they talked about the $38-and-a-half billion dollar cut. And it was the most. And in the conversations that we were having before we went on the air, to them, it is a step-by-step approach.

HANNITY: Well, can I just respond? I didn't know who that was the last speaker. But what she said is encouraging to me. What others have been saying there is encouraging to me. Because I just feel like if we are really spitting in the ocean with $61 billion. I think $6.2 trillion which Paul Ryan proposes is great. For example, how do we get the next level of cuts in? Are they willing to vote against raising the debt ceiling for example?

LUNTZ: OK. Let's do it.

BEUTLER: I think, I am no closer today -- and I'm Jamie Herrera Beutler, Washington State. I'm no closer today to voting to increase the debt ceiling than I was what, 90, 100 days ago. Because I haven't seen anything that would cause me to do that. We are here to make a change, and that's what we're going to do.

ADAMS: Neither am I. No closer today than I was when we first got here. We haven't seen the reforms that we need to even begin the discussion on raising the debt ceiling.

LUNTZ: Last one.

Well played, Mr. President

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:12:38 -0800

Hold that applause before you credit Obama for avoiding a government shutdown.

Such is the political mindset that when an accomplishment is made in Washington, some form of credit is given to the current President. But if you are commending Obama for his partisanship behavior and bending to appease the GOP you may want to keep reading.

Many, mostly Republicans, in Congress, have made it clear their desire to cut the debt includes defunding Obamacare and certain institutions such as Planned Parenthood. Although they did not succeed in this go-round, perhaps it has opened the way for the GOP to determine where cuts are assigned in the future.

Well, not so fast GOP. The Associate Press has released an article “Obama Prevents Budget Cuts to Favorite Programs” which enlightens us as to just who was pulling the strings all along…

Obama prevents budget cuts to favorite programs

Associated Press, Andrew Taylor Tue Apr 12,

WASHINGTON – A close look at the government shutdown-dodging agreement to cut federal spending by $38 billion reveals that lawmakers significantly eased the fiscal pain by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight of hand and going after programs President Barack Obama had targeted anyway.

Such moves permitted Obama to save favorite programs — Pell grants for poor college students, health research and "Race to the Top" aid for public schools, among others — from Republican knives.

And big holes in foreign aid and Environmental Protection Agency accounts were patched in large part. Republicans also gave up politically treacherous cuts to the Agriculture Department's food inspection program.

The full details of Friday's agreement weren't being released until overnight as it was officially submitted to the House. But the picture already emerging is of legislation financed with a lot of one-time savings and cuts that officially "score" as savings to pay for spending elsewhere, but that often have little to no actual impact on the deficit.

As a result of the legerdemain, Obama was able to reverse many of the cuts passed by House Republicans in February when the chamber passed a bill slashing this year's budget by more than $60 billion. In doing so, the White House protected favorites like the Head Start early learning program, while maintaining the maximum Pell grant of $5,550 and funding for Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative that provides grants to better-performing schools.

Obama also repelled Republican moves to cut $1 billion in grants for community health centers and $500 million from biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, while blocking them from "zeroing out" the AmeriCorps national service program and subsidies for public broadcasting.

Instead, the cuts that actually will make it into law are far tamer, including cuts to earmarks, unspent census money, leftover federal construction funding, and $2.5 billion from the most recent renewal of highway programs that can't be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation. Another $3.5 billion comes from unused spending authority from a program providing health care to children of lower-income families.

About $10 billion of the cuts already have been enacted as the price for keeping the government open as negotiations progressed; lawmakers tipped their hand regarding another $10 billion or so when the House passed a spending bill last week that ran aground in the Senate.

For instance, the spending measure reaps $350 million by cutting a one-year program enacted in 2009 for dairy farmers then suffering from low milk prices. Another $650 million comes by not repeating a one-time infusion into highway programs passed that same year. And just last Friday, Congress approved Obama's $1 billion request for high-speed rail grants — crediting themselves with $1.5 billion in savings relative to last year.

The underlying issue is long overdue legislation to finance the day-to-day budget of every Cabinet department, including the Pentagon, for the already half-completed 2011 fiscal year. The measure caps 2011 funding for such operating budgets at about $1.2 trillion.

About $10 billion of the cuts comes from targeting appropriations accounts previously used by lawmakers for so-called earmarks, those pet projects like highways, water projects, community development grants and new equipment for police and fire departments. Republicans had already engineered a ban on earmarks when taking back the House this year.

Republicans also claimed $5 billion in savings by capping payments from a fund awarding compensation to crime victims. Under an arcane bookkeeping rule — used for years by appropriators — placing a cap on spending from the Justice Department crime victims fund allows lawmakers to claim the entire contents of the fund as budget savings. The savings are awarded year after year.

Even before details of the bill came out, some conservative Republicans were assailing it. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., said he probably won't vote for the measure, and tea party favorite Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., is a "nay" as well.

The $38 billion in cuts, Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., wrote on his Facebook page, "barely make a dent" in the country's budget woes.

Huelskamp and other conservatives are also upset that most conservative policy "riders" added by Republicans were dropped from the legislation in the course of the talks.

The White House rejected GOP attempts to block the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to issue global warming rules and other reversals of environmental regulations. Obama also forced Republicans to drop an effort to cut off Planned Parenthood from federal funding, as well as GOP moves to stop implementation of Obama's overhauls of health care and Wall Street regulation.

The administration also thwarted a GOP attempt to block new rules governing the Internet, as well as a National Rifle Association-backed attempt to neuter a little-noticed initiative aimed at catching people running guns to Mexican drug lords by having regulators gather information on batch purchases of rifles and shotguns.

Anti-abortion lawmakers did, however, succeed in winning a provision to block taxpayer-funded abortions in the District of Columbia. And House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, won funding for a personal initiative to provide federally funded vouchers for District of Columbia students to attend private schools.

President Obama

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:09:35 -0800

Bachmann: "This was a lost opportunity"

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:22:29 -0800

In an interview with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann yesterday Sean said “If I was in the congress I would not have supported this deal. Twenty-eight people agree with me and you’re one of them.” In a battle over the deficit and where to make budget cuts, the Congress made an agreement just shy of midnight Friday night, at which point there would have been a government shutdown.

Many on the right, including Michele Bachmann and Sean think the GOP did not get a large enough cut in the deficit including ending funding for programs like Obamacare and Planned Parenthood.

Bachmann was disappointed because “voters wanted to dramatically cut funding and defund Obamacare.” Although many GOP demands were not met, Bachmann does say “we’re in a very powerful position. Obama doesn’t give us a dime unless we give it to him” but laments that, “if we wailed on it harder we could have gotten a lot further.”

Sean asks Bachmann point blank “what happened?” Part of Bachmann’s explanation is that Congress “didn’t make it clear what they were fighting for.” In essence they “didn’t’ blow [the issues] up and make it a big issue to get backing” from public opinion. They kept focusing on cuts but not the finite details as to where the cuts should be made.

“We didn’t let people know what we were fighting for. I was fighting to defund Planned Parenthood and defund Obamacare.”

Rand Paul: Paul Ryan's Plan Takes Too Long to Balance Budget

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:53:03 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 8, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Let me bring in Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. He joins us live tonight from Capitol Hill.

Senator, welcome back, good to see you.

SEN. RAND PAUL, R-KY.: Good to be with you, Sean.

HANNITY: All right, well -- first of all, what did you think of John Boehner's comments? There had been some talk that maybe Republicans would negotiate. They would give in at $40 billion versus the $61 billion.

My position is, I think they have no reason to give in at all considering $61 billion for the Democrats' 2011 budget is frankly, you know, like spinning in the ocean.

PAUL: Well, I'm kind of proud of John Boehner for standing up and saying, you know what? The last election was about cutting spending. The American people are ready for it. Our country needs it. We desperately need to something about the deficit, 1.5, 1.6 trillion.

The $61 billion is just a mere minimum. We really need to cut spending up here. I think John Boehner is hearing that from his members, but I think also the American people are ready for it.

HANNITY: Would you be unhappy, would you ultimately even go along with, a bill that cut less than the $61 billion that they promised prior to the election?

PAUL: I can't do it because, you know, I told people that I believed in balancing the budget. Any plan I vote for has to make the deficit dramatically lower. So if last year's deficit was $1.5 trillion or $1.6 trillion, unless we are reducing that by 10 or 20 percent and have a plan to balance the budget over a several year period, I can't vote for any of that. So really, I need a balanced budget amendment, I need a five-year plan to balance the budget. I need something significant to convince me that it is worth voting.

HANNITY: OK, well, and Paul Ryan's budget in fairness -- I think this is important to highlight here. This budget should have been passed prior to the beginning of this budget year, which was October 1.

Democrats had both Houses of Congress, significant majorities there at the White House. They failed to do it. Here we are six months later and we still don't have a budget for this fiscal year that we're currently in.

So this -- you know, they really caused this problem. Do you think they get away with the argument that Republicans are somehow responsible for this?

PAUL: You're absolutely right. The interesting thing is in the old days, about four, five years ago, we used to have an appropriations bill for every bit of spending. There would be 12 appropriations bills. They would go through committee, come out, there would also be a budget that was passed.

We didn't do any of that. The Democrats didn't pass any appropriations bills, didn't pass any budget and then we are living in an economy, the world's greatest economy and the world's largest government is budgeting from week to week. It makes absolutely no sense at all.

HANNITY: All right, in the spirit of this new era of civility that Barack Obama had called for, on numerous occasions, most recently after the tragedy in Tucson, let's listen to how some of the arguments went. We'll start with Louise Slaughter in the House of Representatives. This is what she had to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. LOUISE SLAUGHTER, D-N.Y.: This is probably one of the worst times that we've seen because it is numbers of people who are elected to Congress. I went through this as co-chair of the arts caucus in '94 people were elected to kill the national endowment for the arts. Now they are here to kill women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: $61 billion cut of a $3.6 trillion budget with $1.65 trillion in deficit and Republicans are doing that because they want to kill women. Your reaction?

PAUL: Well, the thing is they are trying to make it about something very emotional that is untrue. The interesting thing about health programs for poor and for poor women is, they are all included under Medicaid.

How would Planned Parenthood have anything to do with health care if Medicaid is out there for poor women across the country? So really it is a red herring. They want to make it about emotional issues instead of making it about an issue that they know they are losing the public on.

Democrats are losing the public because they are not serious about balancing the budget. Their proposal was $6 billion for one year that's what we borrow in one day.

I don't think they are getting it, but they understand they are losing the battle on spending because the American people want to cut spending. So they want to make it about emotional issues that divide us rather than fiscal responsibility, which I think unifies most of the American public.

HANNITY: They seemed to be basically the playbook that they used in 1995. Some of the comments today that Republicans are radical and extreme as Chuck Schumer advised everybody to say they want throw women and children under the bus. They don't want 6 million seniors to have dinner. They don't want cancer screening or mammograms. Let's take a look for example what Harry Reid had to say earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID, D-NV., MAJORITY LEADER: I've been married for a long time, more than 50 years. We have one daughter, nine grandchildren. I love these women very, very much. One day, I may not be able to help them. One of them may need a cancer screening, it is not a pleasant thought, but that's the reality of life.

The Republicans want to shutdown our nation's government because they want to make it harder for women to get the health services they need.

The Republicans are asking me to sacrifice my wife's health, my daughter's health and my nine granddaughters' health.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Republicans want to shutdown the government because they want to make it harder for women to get health services they need. Republicans are asking me to sacrifice my wife's health, my daughters' health and my nine granddaughter's health. So Republicans want women to die and old people to eat cat food, pretty much what they are saying.

PAUL: Well, he's trying to make this into something emotional. It's interesting that the only people you hear on television saying they are ready the government is going to be shutdown is the Democrats. They are all saying the government is going to be shutdown but they almost appear as if they want it to shutdown so they can blame Republicans, blame the Tea Party. When you hear them in their private meetings they say make sure you use the word extreme. Make sure you use the word Tea Party. You know, it's all to them somewhat of a cheap parlor trick.

I think really the American people are seeing through that. I mean, I'm really worried about the future of our country and they're playing games saying their daughter and his wife won't get health care?

What is that about? He's on the congressional health care plan. Should we call him and let him know that his wife and kids are on the plan and he does have health insurance? What is he talking about?

HANNITY: It might be a good idea. What is going to happen two hours and 53 minutes from right now, Senator? Do you think there's going to be a temporary deal?

You are unlikely in -- you are unlikely to support any deal based on what are saying because they are not talking about the significant cuts which you prefer. What do you think happens in two hours and 52 minutes?

PAUL: Yes, I'm having a little trouble hearing you. I think the just of the last thing is about, you know, what are the alternatives that we have?

And the alternatives are that we believe we ought to balance the budget and have a plan. We have a five-year plan to balance the budget. We think there should be an amendment to the Constitution.

I personally think that both sides up here have proven themselves untrustworthy and really we won't ever balance it or have much fiscal responsibility unless we force them to do by changing the constitution.

Monday April 11 2011

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:50:43 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter, Pat Caddell,

Friday April 08 2011

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:23:20 -0800

Hannity vs Sharpton Debate (4/7/11)

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:22:16 -0800

Thursday April 07 2011

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:13:29 -0800

Dick Morris, Donald Trump, Karl Rove,

Wednesday April 06 2011

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:56:54 -0800

Brent Bozell,

Photo from the Great Depression

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:06:27 -0800

Tuesday April 05 2011

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:54:13 -0800

Stuart Varney, Juan Williams,

Pence: “We need to change the status quo runaway spending”

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:27:00 -0800

What is going on in our nation’s capitol? Politicians are so incapable of working together and getting anything done they are actually threatening to shut government down?

U.S. Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) gives us some insider info as to what the heck is going on. Pence laments that the “typical political games that get played by the establishment in DC” is to blame, “there is no deal, there’s no agreement on numbers. We’re in the fight and we’re demanding they step up and embrace our commitment to take spending to pre-stimulus levels.”

Sean questions if Republicans fear that they will be blamed for the government shutdown, even when Sen Chuck Schumer was caught on tape saying “Boehner’s in a box. But if he supports the tea party there’s inevitably going to be a shut-down” and Howard Dean was on tape saying he was “quietly rooting for a shutdown cause I know who’s gonna get blamed.”

Pence believes that even though a 61 billion cut is not enough, “the sixty-one billion dollar fight matters because it will set the stage for the bigger battles that lie ahead,” that “it’s a defining moment…this is a moment where Republicans have to take a stand and demonstrate the courage of our convictions. If Lib’s want to play political games and shut down the government then I say shut it down!”

Economic Growth?

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:43:07 -0800

Invisible Economic Recovery

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 09:42:04 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 1, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The unemployment rate inched down one-tenths of one percent to 8.8 percent this month, according to statistics release by the Labor Department earlier today.

So why does the economy still feel so sluggish? Well, The Wall Street Journal clues us in as to what may be one of the key factors and that is that Uncle Sam is now paying a far more prominent role than ever before.

This op-ed reveals that twice as many people work for the government than in all of manufacturing combined. It reads, quote, "Every state in America today except for two -- Indiana and Wisconsin -- has more government workers on the payroll than people manufacturing industrial goods."

Joining me now with reaction from the Fox Business Network, Nicole Petallides is with us and the host of "The Willis Report," Gerri Willis.

Guys, good to see you. All right. First of all, all right, I'm happy that unemployment rate went down. We are still not creating jobs at a significant rate, number one. Number two, we are not counting millions of people that are underemployed and have stopped looking for work. This is not an honest number.

GERRI WILLIS, HOST, "THE WILLIS REPORT": You know, we have 13.5 million Americans who don't have jobs right now that need to be put back to work. If you factor in the rate as it is described to date, 216,000 people a month, it would take us five years to put those people to work and that is not even counting the people who will enter the workforce during that time period. We are a long way from full employment.

HANNITY: Why the discrepancy, Nicole, when you have Gallup saying it is 10 percent right now, and not 8.8 percent. Why do we have that discrepancy?

NICOLE PETALLIDES, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK ANCHOR: Well, everything appears to be much better than what it really is. What you are seeing is that people who are long-term unemployed, that continues to go up. People who were getting involuntary or part-time jobs --

HANNITY: It's worse than what we think.

PETALLIDES: Yes, exactly. So, it appears like it is better but it really is worse. People have taken jobs that they don't necessarily want. They are taking part-time jobs and wages are not increasing at all. They are actually less than one percent whereas consumer prices are going up 4.6 percent. You are seeing government jobs coming off a little bit. That is some good news I guess. But we would like to see some competitiveness for some of those government jobs, transportation and garbage and that would save states some money as well.

HANNITY: Aren't we supposed -- isn't this unprecedentally bad in terms of a post so-called recession growth period?

PETALLIDES: Oh, yes.

HANNITY: And when I look at all the other factors, I think this really needs to be -- every other key indicator that we look out here, national price of gas has gone up three times, you know, from a week ago.

WILLIS: Doubled since Obama took office, right.

HANNITY: It doubled since Obama took office. We have seen the resurgence of inflation now that is emerged.

WILLIS: Right.

HANNITY: And Jay Carney's denied that it's even happening right now.

WILLIS: It's absolutely is happening, look at what's happened with food. Look what's happened with gas. You know, the government says, just look at core inflation, takeout food, takeout gas. But I don't know about you, but I'm paying that every single week or month.

HANNITY: Yes. And you know, what, and by the way, if we add to that, looks like we may be hitting another housing bubble where this is what started this recession in the first place.

PETALLIDES: Housing is stagnant. Housing stagnant. You may see some of these employment numbers that look a little bit better but housing is one thing that certainly -- and this is really what people value right, is their home, but their equity of their home really hasn't improved. On the contrary, the prices of their -- the value of their home has actually gone down. They are not seeing that.

WILLIS: It's worse than stagnant. We are in a double dip now.

HANNITY: In terms of the housing market.

(CROSSTALK)

PETALLIDES: Yes. It's really detrimental.

HANNITY: That's right. But wait a minute, if this precipitated what happened the first time with our recession -- look, how many homeowners are now saying, you know, what? I'm so far under water, I'm not going to pay, I'll stay in here rent-free for a year until the police come and throw me out?

WILLIS: A lot of people are saying that, about a quarter of Americans are under water right now with their mortgages. Not everybody takes that view but some people will. Look, Americans are in trouble right now. And it may be that the elites have gotten better, Wall Street is making better money as Nicole can tell you very well, CEOs the best profits they've ever had and pay for CEOs up dramatically, there was a USA Today story today. But when it comes to regular Americans are caught in this vice grip, the value of their homes going down, income stagnant, going nowhere, inflation going up.

HANNITY: And employment opportunities now are not what they used to be. If there is a job opening literally, you know, there is a zillion people out there just on the unemployment lines --

PETALLIDES: Trying to get a job.

HANNITY: -- that are trying to get a job.

PETALLIDES: It is very difficult to get a job and what we talked about was the wages, right? You are making less than what we are seeing with inflation. So, millions of Americans are really being squeezed.

And as far as the government jobs, I mean those -- what we are seeing with the states is that they are having to pay, the money is being made to pay their benefits and for the local and state governments. And if you have some competitiveness, they are free to have competitiveness for these fields, and that would actually save the stated some money.

HANNITY: So, is it possible if we look at all of these metrics combined because the media was going insane today, you know, they are just looking to place an altar in front of the, you know, "The Anointed One" and light candles and say oh, thank goodness, Obama is here, forgetting record debt, record deficit, a second housing bubble, unemployment, unprecedented heights and dishonest numbers. Are we saying then, are you saying that you think economically things in this country are getting dramatically worse and we need to be concerned?

WILLIS: Well, look at this. OK. We have supposedly been in a recovery for almost two years. It's about time for another downturn. I got to tell you, June of 2009 was when the recovery.

HANNITY: Thanks a lot, Gerri.

WILLIS: I know it's bad news --

HANNITY: What other good news do you have on a Friday night?

WILLIS: Consumers typically turn economies around. They haven't been here this time.

HANNITY: Yes.

Tax Time

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 08:26:33 -0800

When tax season rolls around my husband is always prepared with the forms, receipts and paperwork. He is great at budgeting and organizing and I am so blessed that he has those talents and does not mind doing it. Every year, because we make more than a certain bracket (which in NYC doesn’t go very far!) we pay a lot in taxes.

We often wonder how nice it would be if we could actually use the money we earn instead of handing it over to the IRS. Sometimes we create a dream list of what we would do with the money if we didn’t have to send it to the IRS.

During this time of year, I am reminded of one of the many reasons why I call myself a Conservative. It brings me back to when I realized I was a young conservative.

I was 13 years old and got into a debate with my violin instructor, Mr. Reed (I wonder where he is today…) Anyway, Mr. Reed was griping about paying taxes so I asked him why he was voting for Gore. He went into a monologue about how Gore was responsible, and that Gore was better than Bush and had already been vice president etc. I thought for a moment and then said, “Yeah, but, doesn’t he want to raise your taxes more and couldn’t you do a lot with the tax money you’d save when Bush cuts taxes?” I asked him out of curiosity if he had a list of things he could do with his money if he didn’t have to send it to the IRS.

Mr. Reed then shared with me a few things he’d like to do with that money. I sincerely hope he thought of those before he voted for Gore.

Here is my dream list if Uncle Sam wasn’t taking my very hard earned money.

Fly to my older sister’s baby shower in June
Invest in our IRAs
Go on a vacation for Eric’s 30th birthday in August
Donate to Stop Child Trafficking Now (http://www.sctnow.org/) and missionary friends around the world
Clean out the closet of old stuff and buy new (bringing all items to Goodwill like we always do)
A ceiling light for above our dining room table (which I’d LOVE to have)
Buy a new computer for me (my current one dies about 4 times a day)
Get Romeo a new computer (his is running slow) and give his old one to a family who can’t afford it
Buy more Girl Scout cookies (no brainer!)
Buy an iPad
Buy Romeo a new iPhone

I asked some of my twitter followers what they would do and the top five answers were:

Pay off debt
Give to charity
Private schooling for their kids
Vacation
Fix up house

Elisha is the Senior Producer of the Sean Hannity Radio Show. You can follow more of her thoughts on Twitter here (https://twitter.com/elishakrauss)

Bachmann Sets Timetable for Presidential Decision

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 07:48:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 31, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: My next guest hasn't officially thrown her hat in the 2012 presidential race yet, but with several reason trips to early primary states, she certainly appears to be leaning in that direction. And a final decision could be mere months away.

In the meantime, she is staying busy in Washington fighting to keep the government from shutting down in just eight days. And I sat down earlier with Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman n to get her reaction to the countdown to the shutdown plus more on her possible presidential plans.

Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Congresswoman, welcome back. Good to see you.

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: Sean, good to see you again too. Thank you.

HANNITY: All right. So, this is getting serious. You're contemplating a run for the presidency. Probably had some good reaction when you were in Iowa. What is the status?

BACHMANN: We had a great reaction when I was in Iowa. I met with a lot of people from different walks of life. Just a tremendous response, and we has said that if I do make a decision to throw my hat in, we'll make it probably in early summer because in Iowa the straw poll is in August and there needs to be a little bit a lead time to get ready for something like that. So, if I do decide to jump in, it will be in early summer.

HANNITY: What are the considerations that are running through your mind right now? Obviously, it's a big decision. But are you looking at the other candidates? Do you want to see who gets in? Are there one, two or three people that if they get in, maybe you will say OK, I'm content that there are good people in the race?

BACHMANN: It really isn't about other people or what their decision will be. Because I already think that there are a lot of great people out there. What I'm looking at is whether or not I think this is the right thing that I need to do with the message that I'm bringing forth. And whether the people that are in Iowa and other states see me as someone that they want to get behind and support.

HANNITY: All right. Steny Hoyer said earlier this week that the odds of a government shutdown now are increasing. There are articles how Democrats are trying to calculate how to best benefit from a government shutdown. There was this conference call with Senator Schumer and reporters, he didn't know he was being recorded and listened to. And I want to play to you what he said and I want to get your reaction.

BACHMANN: Sure.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER, D-N.Y.: The main thrust is basically that we want to negotiate and we want to come up with a compromise but the Tea Party is pulling Boehner to far over to the right, and so far over that they're not -- there's no more fruitful negotiations. And the subtext at this is the only way we can avoid to shutdown is for Boehner to come up with the reasonable compromise and not just listen to what the Tea Party wants. Because the Tea Party wants to stick to HR1, with its draconian extreme, I always use the word extreme, that's what the caucus instructed me to do the other week, extreme cuts and all these riders. And Boehner's in a box.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HANNITY: All right. So, he's instructing his fellow Democratic senators, these are what you say to reporters, use the word extreme, tie Boehner to the Tea Party, they are not reasonable, they've got to extricate themselves somehow from the Tea Party Movement. First of all, I think this is a strategy that we are going to see a lot of in the next few years. So, it's very revealing, but what are your thoughts when you hear that?

BACHMANN: Well, I think it is clear that Chuck Schumer and the liberals that he's surrounded with are seeing this more as a play, and as a political move. That's not how we are seeing this, the conservatives in Congress.

This is real. This is people's lives. And Sean, if there is anything that I've seen especially in this last week, people feel a sense of urgency. They want the country to work again. It is not working. And Chuck Schumer is talking about political advantage for liberals. That is not what conservatives want. We want to cut spending. And we also want to defund Obamacare. So, we are trying to figure out a way that we can get to yes. We're trying to work on behalf of the American people and actually get something done that they want us to do. And unfortunately, Chuck Schumer and the liberals are just trying to make political points.

HANNITY: You know, if anything, it is interesting. Because it seems with the two previous continuing resolutions, and the Republicans did extracted, I think it was $10 billion in cuts -- that you wanted more. And you and Mike Pence are saying, look, we are headed for a showdown, we might as well pick this fight now, because the type of cuts were needed, the Democrats were saying, they might agree with $20 billion more in cuts. But the reality is, if you have a $3.7 trillion budget, $1.65 trillion deficit this year, you know, $20 billion is peanuts.

So, it seems that if anything, you're trying to get the leadership to be more aggressive and fight this battle now and maybe there's been some resistance, am I reading that right?

BACHMANN: We've been working on this for some time, Congressman Steve King of Iowa, Louie Gohmert of Texas. We have been adamant about this, that it is time for the conservatives and Congress to change the arch of history. And the way that we do that as we pulled back this money that was hidden in plain sight in the Obamacare bill, you had it on your show, $105 billion, 464 million, that no one discussed prior to the vote on the bill. That needs to come back.

HANNITY: All right. So, if the Republicans want $61 billion, Democrats are only willing to give $20 billion. Republicans are promising because I interviewed Paul Ryan, that their budget is going to deal with entitlements and go back to 2008 spending levels.

So, my question is, you know, is there any movement on this where they say way, wait a minute, we need to take out the prefunding of Obamacare as well as the $61 billion. Is anyone in the leadership saying that is a good idea?

BACHMANN: That is a discussion that's going on here at the Capitol right now and I think that it is a very fruitful discussion. We heard from Chuck Schumer, they aren't planning on negotiating at all. In other words, they want what they want, they aren't planning on moving off of square one.

Why should the conservatives constantly be givin into the liberals? That happens over and over and over again. And I think that's where a lot of people across the country are saying, we sent to you Washington, D.C., to fight, now is the time to fight. I'm one of those, Steve King is one of those, Louie Gohmert is one of those. We have a lot of other members here now those agree with that. And that's what we intend to do, we intend to fight.

HANNITY: Congresswoman Bachmann. Good to see you. We'll be watching your movements in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina. And I appreciate your time. Thanks for being with us.

BACHMANN: We'll stay in touch. Thanks, Sean.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

Wednesday March 16 2011

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:26:25 -0800

Marco Rubio,

Obama Says Budget Extensions "Irresponsible"

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:12:34 -0800

President Obama said at a press conference Friday that short-term extensions to fund the government are "irresponsible" - even as another one appears to be on the horizon. The president also said that he’s trying to enact entitlement reform.

“He hasn’t tackled entitlement reform,” Sean fumed, “Not once. He hasn’t done anything and he just presented his budget.” The president talked about making painful cuts to the budget as well. “The Democrats haven’t proposed any painful cuts. They’ve increased spending by twenty-five percent in two years.” How can the president talk about being serious about the debt and living within our means if he’s given us nearly five trillion dollars in new debt?

“Spending is just out of control. Obama was the one who pushed through Obama Care against the will of the people and then stuck in the funding for this thing. How can he tell us that we need to live within our means if he’s done all of these terrible things? Why Mr. President do you say one thing and do another? The arrogance of this president knows no bounds – it’s becoming insufferable.”

To read a transcript of Obama’s press conference please click here.

Monday March 14 2011

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 06:06:50 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Mike Pence: It’s Time To Pick A Fight

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:03:41 -0800

“The American people are ready for House Republicans to dig in and fight for the budget cuts and the policy reforms we passed in the continuing resolution we passed a few weeks ago,” Congressman Pence said speaking with Sean via the NewsMaker Hotline.

“Let’s start talking about trillions and not a few billion,” pressed Hannity. “We’re going to start talking about trillions,” said Pence, “If conservatives want to win in this battle, we’re going to have to pick a fight.” Hannity pressed again questioning, “Is the leadership with you on this?” Pence responded saying, “We’re talking about real money and this is a real opportunity but things don’t change in Washington D.C. unless they have to.

”We hear talk of cutting spending in Washington D.C. and it’s pretty clear there’s at least $105 billion that could be cut very soon.

Thursday March 10 2011

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:33:55 -0800

James O'Keefe, Rick Santelli,

Wednesday March 09 2011

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 04:27:22 -0800

Mike Pence,

Bachmann Demands Democrats Give Back $105 Billion 'Tucked Away' Inside Health Care Law

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 05:05:38 -0800

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: So, remember when Nancy Pelosi infamously said the Congress must first pass the health care bill in order to find out what is in it.

Well, tonight, I'm sorry to report that it seems that she was right. Now according to Congresswoman Michele Bachman n, a number of provisions were hidden so deep inside this legislation that most members of Congress are still unaware of their existence. It is a staggering $105 billion in appropriations that were inserted into the bill at the last minute behind closed doors.

VIDEO: Bachmann demands return of $105 billion to taxpayers

Now in this case, the traditional appropriations process was bypassed meaning that more than 100 billion taxpayer dollars has already been sent to bureaucrats to fund this controversial bill.

Now by engaging in this deceitful process, Democrats like Nancy Pelosi ensured that regardless of the outcome of last November's elections, that the hands of Congress would be tied and Obamacare would be funded, no matter what.

And here to explain how this was even possible and what Republicans can do to roll it back is Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

You know, when I first heard this, I said -- I couldn't even believe the story, is so unbelievable. Because Republicans have been saying, "All right, if we don't get the president to sign onboard in the Senate, we are going to defund it."

REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: Right.

HANNITY: So, now you found out through the congressional, what, research service.

BACHMANN: Congressional Research Service, with the reports that was issued two weeks before the election, no one was really reading Congressional Research reports. And then there was another report issued in February that detailed the $105 billion. And this is an enormous sum of money. A 105 billion, 464 million, this was tucked away inside the Obamacare bill.

People say, "Well, what's wrong with the members of Congress? Why didn't you know it's there?" It's because we didn't get the bill until literally a couple of hours before we were supposed to vote on it and it's 2900 pages long. What they did is they took the bill, this amount of money, split it up and put in different sections of the bill. Nobody knew until February, when it came out. We had an eagle eye from the Heritage Foundation, Ernest Istook, a former member of Congress, found this in this report. He wrote a few blog posts. One of my colleagues Steve King from Iowa also found out about this and we've been trying to do everything we can to alert people and say, give the money back.

HANNITY: Well, first of all, how breathtaking is it that you can insert it in a 3,000 page bill and lose $105 billion in the process and nobody picked up on it?

BACHMANN: I think this is an intentional, don't you?

HANNITY: Yes, because it sounds like it.

BACHMANN: Do you think that Harry Reid is just like an escaped his memory to tell the senators, oh by the way, if you vote for Obamacare, you are also voting for another $105 billion.

HANNITY: Were they that pessimistic that December when they passed this that they'd lose?

BACHMANN: Well, I think they knew, I think this was intentional. I think that, that's why I say, Obama, Reid and Pelosi, they owe us an apology and an explanation. But they need to give the money back. This is the good news. The bad news is, Obamacare is prefunded for the next eight years, the implementation. We thought if we can't repeal it --

HANNITY: You can defund it.

BACHMANN: -- at least we can defund it. Now, we can't defund it.

HANNITY: So, you're telling people now that you cannot defund.

BACHMANN: No, it is done. It is done.

HANNITY: So, there's no way to remedy this?

BACHMANN: Yes, there is. That's the good news.

OK, now, the good news is, we've got this two week continuing resolution, government runs out of money on March 18th. This is what we've propose, we've written language to add on to the next continuing resolution that says, Obama, Pelosi, Reid, you give this money back. You didn't tell the American people, you didn't tell the Senate, you didn't tell the House, give the money back. And then, we'll start talking about the budget, this is the first thing.

HANNITY: Is the leadership in agreement with you on this? In other words, will all the Republicans in the household the line? Meaning, you will shutdown the government unless this money that they inserted to fund Obamacare is given back?

BACHMANN: Well, that's what we are going to talk about this week when we go back to Washington, D.C. I just want to encourage your listeners, you can go to my -- either my website Michele Bachmann or my Facebook site, we are going to have regular updates. So, go there for regular updates.

HANNITY: Have you spoken to the leadership about it?

BACHMANN: I have spoken to the leadership and we are going to have a meeting tomorrow at 5:30 at the Capitol to explain. A lot of members don't even know about this yet, this outrage. So we're going to discuss it.

HANNITY: Now, once you found out that Kathleen Sebelius has what, a $16 billion slush fund.

BACHMANN: Oh, this is incredible, section 402 of the bill. She has a $16 billion slush fund, that means she can do whatever she wants at this money. She can reach in, tap it, spend it anyway she wants.

HANNITY: Sixteen billion dollars.

BACHMANN: It gets worse than that, Sean, in section 1311[a], she has the right to an unlimited tap on the Treasury Department. So, if let's say, California, that's in a financial mess, they can call her up and say, "Guess what? We need more money to put in these private health exchanges, maybe all 30 billion." She can say "sure thing," without coming back to Congress she can appropriate the money.

HANNITY: I thought Congress appropriated money.

BACHMANN: I did too, so did the Constitution.

HANNITY: Where do they get the idea that they can appropriate unlimited amounts of money? That's unconstitutional.

BACHMANN: They gave themselves that authority. In my mind that's unconstitutional.

HANNITY: I just can't believe nobody picked up on this.

BACHMANN: Well, why do you think Speaker Pelosi wouldn't let us read the bill? Why do you think Harry Reid wouldn't give the senators the bill until just hours ahead of time? Remember, not one Republican voted for Obamacare in the Senate or House, only Democrats did.

HANNITY: We're running out of time, and I've to ask you a political question, because you are considering a run for the presidency.

Gas Prices Continue To Rise, Inching Up Over Last Two Weeks

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:09:40 -0800

Scary Scene as Wisconsin Republican Senator Is Mobbed by Pro-Union Protesters

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 11:18:13 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 2, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: And tonight, a shocking new video surfaces from Wisconsin, where an angry mob of pro-union protesters chased down and heckled GOP State Senator Glenn Grothman yesterday. And this is what happened.

Now after several minutes of Grothman being blockaded by the mob at a locked entrance, Democratic State Representative Brett Hulsey stepped in and attempted to calm this crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE BRETT HULSEY, D-WIS.: I've been with you here for two and a half weeks along with all of our Assembly Democrats. The most important thing about this whole event is that it has been peaceful and respectful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now with the help of Hulsey and some firefighters, Grothman was eventually able to get into the Capitol building safely. But my next guest says, this is just more evidence of the thuggish tactics of the left-wing unions.

Joining me now, the author of the number one New York Times bestseller, "Culture of Corruption," Michelle Malkin is back with us. Michelle, that is to me is a frightening video. I mean, especially were getting in his face, they were right up there, angrier and angrier as time went on, I mean, this guy is, you know, trying to find his way to an open door. And, you know, I got to be honest I was concerned for his guy's safety when I saw this.

MICHELLE MALKIN, AUTHOR, "CULTURE OF CORRUPTION": I was too. And I'm glad to hear that State Senator Grothman didn't feel like he was at risk of any kind of physical confrontation. But it certainly seemed that way. And it especially seemed that way Sean, when many of these protesters had to shout at the top of their lungs, ironically enough, "peaceful, peaceful" to try and get the mob to settle down.

And what we've seen is the rule of law supplanted by the rule of the mob. It is no surprise because these kinds of power tactics are par for the course for many big labor thugs. It's no surprise that in the aftermath of a Democrat congressman, we talked about this last week, Michael Capuano telling these union thugs to get a little bloody on the streets that we have this kind of confrontation, near riot, I think was the term that Senator Grothman used when he initially described it. And I think that is exactly right.

My question for many of the unions whose signs were represented by this mob, including Ask Me, including the United Food and Commercial Workers and including of course the purple army, the purple shirted army of the Service Employees International Union. My question is this, is this the kind of behavior that you think is making America's children proud? Because as I recall, President Obama in the aftermath of the Tucson massacre called on all of us to engage in behavior that would make America's children proud.

HANNITY: Yes.

MALKIN: And I think America's children will probably be pretty humiliated and embarrassed by the behavior of these so called adults.

HANNITY: You know, I want to make a comparison though to the Tea Party Movement, which was accused of being racist and called all sorts of names. Astroturf, which interestingly a lot of these union members are coming in from other states. But, you know, we saw signs "Mubarak plus Hitler equals Dictator Scott Walker." "Hitler outlawed unions too." Hitler with a caption "separated at birth." It goes on and on, you know, Mussolini, Hitler, Nazi. Compared that to, if any Tea Party group used similar signs, this would be, you know, the talk of the country for weeks if not days.

MALKIN: Sure. And that was just the tip of iceberg. I think the profanity, the sexual vulgarities that have been hurled particularly at conservative politicians. You had Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch on about a month ago Sean, talking about what a liberal supposed progressive talk show host said to her when she was trying to recruit private businesses to her state. And I think what it shows you is that this is not merely about collective bargaining. It is not merely about union issues and the budget. It is a much larger than that. They are using and exploiting this financial and economic crisis to organize, that's what it is all about.

We've seen it from the White House. They tried to whitewash their fingerprints off of it. But you can see that Organizing for America's hand prints and fingerprints are all over it. And even at this moment, they are using it to canvass, to register voters to get people fired up for 2012. And at the expense of what? At the expense of civility and public discourse.

HANNITY: And that's the ironic part of this. When the president met with the governors, he talked about civilities for the unions, but not for Scott Walker. You know, there was an assemblywoman, "you are going to blanking die" that was said by another assembly man, that got very little attention.

Here's what I don't understand, because if we compare -- now the president basically is the boss of all these federal workers. Federal employees do not have the right for collective bargaining on wages or benefits. In the case of Wisconsin, they'll still have the right to have collective bargaining for their pay hikes. And by the way, federal employees and I'm sure the president knows this that the average of federal worker pays twice as much for health insurance as what they are asking for, for example in Wisconsin.

What I don't understand, why aren't these union members and these people protesting, why aren't they at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Why don't they go where there are much bigger issues and far fewer benefits?

MALKIN: Yes. Well, that is the bottom line, Sean. Why the double standard. And of course, as I've said, this is because it is about gaining some sort of political and electoral advantage against their enemies. You don't see them crashing at the Capitol building here in New York state for example where Andrew Cuomo is tightening the belt and going after many of these same unions. They're starting to spend money against him now and oppose some of his fiscal discipline. But you don't see the Cuomo as Nazi posters. Well, not yet any way. They may soon do it as well if they are threatened, if they're threatened.

But I think with particular regard to the teacher's union, this is what I wrote about it in my column today, these people are inspired by Saul Alinsky, it is all about rules for radicals, agitations, collaboration, it's not about the children, it's not about fairness, it's not about actual education for the kids. And these people are willing to actually sacrifice jobs and go ahead and invite the lay-offs that Governor Walker wanted to avoid in Wisconsin, because they have a larger goal. And that is, securing their own political power for eternity.

HANNITY: All right. Michelle Malkin, good to see you. Thank you.

MALKIN: You bet. Take care.

Wednesday March 02 2011

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:36:39 -0800

Karl Rove,

Gov. Kasich Defends Bold Budget Agenda

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:06:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 1, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The massive pro-union protests moved today from Wisconsin to Ohio. Now that state's two year budget deficit stands at a staggering eight billion dollars. And in an effort to bring that down, GOP Governor John Kasich is pushing a bill that would limit the collective bargaining rights of many state workers.

Now Ohio State Senate had set to vote on this bill this week. And like in Wisconsin, this is not going over very well with union protesters and they are out there taking to the streets voicing their anger. They are calling this, quote, "a rally to save Ohio's middle class." That's ironic, that according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Ohio is one of 41 states, including Wisconsin, where public workers make more money on average than those in the private sector.

Now Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has yet to give in to the protests in his state. So, will Ohio's governor show the same determination?

Joining me now with reaction is the man himself, Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich is with us. Governor, good to see you, thanks for being with us.

GOV. JOHN KASICH, R-OHIO: Good to see you, Sean.

HANNITY: I did notice that your predecessor, Strickland referred to you as a tyrant. But that's probably, you know, compared to what Scott Walker is being called, maybe you are not living up to the Walker tradition, you haven't been called Hitler yet as far as I can tell.

KASICH: Yes, you know, Sean, the deal here is Ohio, we've lost 600,000 jobs in the last 10 years, and 400,000 jobs in the last four years. A third of our college students leave after three years. The city of Cincinnati, you are going be to stunned when I tell you this, has lost 40 percent of its population since 1950, and Youngstown and Cleveland lost half of their population since 1950, and a lot of our job creators leave Ohio because they are looking to get lower costs.

So, you know, with this collective bargaining bill is all part of a major reform package that I'm going to introduce on March the 15th. You want to be there, you want to take a look at this package. We'll be reforming everything from higher Ed to K-12 Education, to Medicaid, to the way our prisons work. All these things are part of a package to set a stage, Sean, for entrepreneurship, risk taking and most important job creation, so that Ohio can be prosperous again. And all I'm fighting here is joblessness and poverty. And I'm going to do everything I can to get us moving in the right direction.

HANNITY: Governor, if you've got an eight billion dollar shortfall, eight billion dollars, that's a lot of money. You talk about the population, the demographic shift away from your state, you're talking about college graduates leaving in droves. How to you overcome an eight billion dollar shortfall? How many years you are planning on doing this in?

KASICH: Well, you know, Sean, the situation is, we have to balance every year. And we will get this budget balanced. Then we are not only going to balance the budget but we are going to preserve the tax cut that we received in January. Our income tax now is under six percent. We've also passed a bill in the first thirty days to privatize our development department, so we can move at the speed of business not at the speed of bureaucracy. We're also on the verge of passing a bill that will allow us to eliminate silly rules and regulations that get in the way of small business.

So, we have a major reform agenda. And we will also restructure a lot of the operations of government. You know, this government has become calcified, slow, tired. And so, a lot of reform is going to take us a long way.

For example, Sean, if you have a mom and she wants to stay at home rather than to go and do more an expensive nursing home setting, where she will be more comfortable and we'll save money, we are going to do that. We are going to make reforms that are going to make sense, strip politics out like I did when I was budget committee chairman, and deliver a balanced budget -- have the tax cut and set the stage for economic growth. Because everything in Ohio will be better when jobs are created. Our schools, our communities, our hospitals, that's what we are trying to do. It worked under Reagan. It worked when I was chairman of the budget committee. It will work in Ohio again.

HANNITY: You are talking about a top to bottom total reform of the way things are done, the bureaucracy, you're going to shift the top to bottom.

KASICH: Correct.

HANNITY: All right. There's usually a lag time between --by the time you make the cuts. How do you make Ohio more business friendly environment? How do you entice business to come into Ohio? How do you do that?

KASICH: Well, first of all, they can't believe that a governor actually returns their calls, CEOs, and understands something about business. Because I've been in politics and in business and that's the formula we need in politicians, people that have had success in politics but people that understand and had success in business.

Secondly Sean, by privatizing our development department, we are now going to hire people that actually understand these different sectors and energy, and in areas like health care, biometrics, all these different kinds of things that we have in this state we are now going to exploit them. We are going to leverage them to attract more businesses.

But Sean, we have to stabilize the patient in Ohio. And we are about to pass legislation that's going to provide the incentives to keep a couple of our major companies in Ohio. So, it is being business-friendly. It's understanding how CEOs think, the job creators. It's understanding small business, they have a seat at the table. Sean, it's a complete makeover for the state of Ohio. And over time, it will bring great progress to our great state, which has been under attack.

HANNITY: So, you think you can save eight billion dollars, say, top to bottom reform prisons, reform the educational department, health care, care for the elderly, mental -- people with mental problems. You can reform all of this in -- what period of time?

(CROSSTALK)

KASICH: Yes, we can get our budget in balance --

HANNITY: Think you can budget the balance in two years?

KASICH: No, we have to balance each year.

HANNITY: But how did you get an $8 billion shortfall then?

KASICH: Well, because people used to some degree, it is because stimulus money was used to run our government and it has run out. And on top of that, of course, when you lose all those jobs you lose revenue. But what we were faced with Sean, when we came in, is a state of Ohio that hadn't been reformed for so long it was amazing.

So, look, it is true, there are going to be some cuts. That's why we need to give managers and taxpayers at the local level the tools to deal with less money. The first year will be difficult. The second year will be easier. But we have to do this. We don't have any choice. We can't raise taxes, Sean, we're already, our costs are too high.

So, it is Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, it is Texas, they all come to our state and take our jobs. And they try to get companies to leave. I'm tired of starting on the five yard line. I've got to reduce our costs, become competitive, you know, train our workers, use our great university system and leverage some of the great assets we have in Ohio.

And this is nothing -- hey Sean, this is nothing more than the way I watched Ronald Reagan do this to revive our country. If you give people a reason to invest, to risk-take, if you give small businesses a chance to be successful, to promote entrepreneurship, you see people want to create things. We are going to let them do it again in Ohio in 21st century thinking.

HANNITY: Oh, I've got to tell you something, if this is a success that I anticipate it will be, it will be a model for other states in the country. I'd hate to see cities that I love in Ohio become like Detroit where they are bulldozing entire neighborhoods because half the population of the city left this once great city. So, governor, we wish you all the best.

KASICH: Sean, you know, a big key to this is you cannot let politics stand in the way. You have to look at things intellectually, honestly. You got to put the people first, you got to think about the kids and you got to remember that if you create prosperity, so many of your problems are eliminated, and poverty brings you nothing but bad. And that's why I'm so committed to this agenda and this program.

HANNITY: All right. Governor, we are going to keep following what hopefully will be the Ohio miracle.

KASICH: I hope so.

HANNITY: Good to see you.

KASICH: Thank you.

Diane Russell on Wisconsin Chaos

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 05:13:56 -0800

Sean was joined by Maine State Representative Diane Russell, the state legislator who’s making headlines by leaving Maine to join the protestors in Wisconsin. Kate Obenshain, the Vice President of the Young America’s Foundation, joined in the debate to discuss union battle that’s being waged in The Badger State. “This is a matter of realizing that Wisconsin is broke and all this screaming and running away from their responsibilities and it’s high time that the voters realize that, for fifty years, the unions have been determining their own benefits and as a consequence the tax payers have been getting a bum deal.”

Russell countered, “The unions have agreed to all the budget concessions and they want to have a seat at the table.” An angry Hannity fought back, “What you’re missing Diane, this foundation where unions take union member money and donates to democrats to get sweetheart deals that taxpaye rs have to pay for and kicking the can down the road isn’t working anymore.”

That, in the end, is the real issue that nearly every state is facing. States like California, New York, Wisconsin and others are collapsing under the weight of their own size and politicians have turned the other way for many years because they’ve been carried to re-election on the backs of the very labor unions they now can’t pay for.

Tuesday March 01 2011

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:44:36 -0800

Friday February 25 2011

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:12:37 -0800

Oliver North,

Protests Continue As Wisconsin Budget Impasse Drags On

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:52:53 -0800

Where is the Civility?

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 05:51:40 -0800

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The union upheaval that we are now seeing in Wisconsin is now spreading across the Midwest to Ohio. Thousands of protesters marched outside Ohio Sstatehouse to rally against the bill that would do away with unions' collective bargaining rights. But like Scott Walker in Wisconsin, GOP Governor John Kasich insists that he will not back down.

Now Democrats are handling these events with the same civility that they have brought to other battles. Earlier today, here's what Massachusetts Congressman Mike Capuano told a group of union workers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MICHAEL CAPUANO, D-MASS.: I'm proud to be here with people who understand that it is more than just sending an e-mail that gets you going. Every once in a while you got to get out of the streets and get a little bloody when necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: A little bloody when necessary on the streets. Now, the congressman did apologize for his choice words, but this is certainly ironic given that last month that he was decrying the incivility of today's political rhetoric in the wake of the Tucson massacre.

And joining me now with analysis, the author of The New York Times number one, bestseller "Culture of Corruption," also her website MichelleMalkin.com, Michelle Malkin is back. Welcome.

MICHELLE MALKIN, AUTHOR, "CULTURE OF CORRUPTION": Thanks for having me back, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. Well, let's first of all, your reaction to that comment? You know, I mean, when a congressman of the United States who was lecturing us just like the president on incivility and the rhetoric in the country and blaming people who were innocent for the actions of a mad man, for him to go out, "Well, everyone is asking me to go out on the streets and go a little bloody," that sounds like he's inciting violence, doesn't it?

MALKIN: It sure does. And get a little bloody is the union way. This has been big labor's motto for decades now. And I think it is very interesting that we have the likes of Richard Trumka, the thug in chief at the AFL-CIO who's been leading and instigating so many of these protests across the country. He certainly shares that motto, get a little bloody now.

And I urge every one of your viewers, Sean, to get informed about this man's bloody legacy and his rise to power. Because about 18 years ago, he was the one in charge of the strikes at the coal mines on the east coast in Virginia. And the death of Eddie York should be a story that every Tea Party activist knows about.

He was shot to death as Richard Trumka was leading those coal strikes. And these are quotes from Richard Trumka which I reported a couple of months ago, "I'm saying if you strike a match and you put your finger in it, you are likely to get burned." Talk about incendiary, and he said this later in Illinois when he was also leading national strikes. He urged his own members to quote, "kick the blank out of every last worker who defied his union." These are the people we are dealing with. They play hardball and people need to know about it.

HANNITY: Let me take it a step further. Because, as we know, the White House, Obama's group organizing for America and the DNC have been fomenting this and they've been supporting what has been going on in Wisconsin and elsewhere. You mentioned Richard Trumka. You talked about his history. Well, Richard Trumka is a frequent guest, guess where? At the Obama White House. Listen to him in his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How often do you have conversations with the White House?

RICHARD TRUMKA, AFL-CIO: Conversations or be at the White House?

(LAUGHTER)

I'm at the White House couple times a week, two, three, times a week. I have conversations everyday with someone in the White House or in the administration, everday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: "I'm at the White House once, twice a week. I have conversations with somebody at the White House every day." Sounds like a coordinated effort.

MALKIN: It certainly does. And of course, the White House has been trying to disavow the -- what is happening. And trying, and make it as if it is some sort of grass roots thing. These are the kings of Astroturf and they've been coordinating since day one and of course, well before that to help get Barack Obama elected. And before Richard Trumka, of course it was Andy Stern, another thuggish big labor head. And they can no -- Barack Obama can no more disassociate himself from this kind of trash than he can disassociate himself from his own shadow.

HANNITY: Yes. Look, it is fairly obvious what is going on here. And it's just unholy alliance between unions and the Democratic Party. Unions give hundreds of millions dollars, help elect Democrats, they get sweetheart deals that have to be paid for down the road. And that's what we see happening a lot of states.

All right. I want you to examine, I'm going to put up on screen some of the protesters' signs they've been comparing Scott Walker to Adolf, Hitler, and Mussolini, and he's got, you know, lock and reload. And, basically, you know, you can see a lot of it there. We've talked about this. You could see a Nazi sign in that particular picture with an Adolf Hitler mustache on Scott Walker.

My question is, the Tea Party Movement was accused of these things, but there was no evidence that they could bring to the table. Now, here's all this evidence and the media is virtually silent on this, your reaction?

MALKIN: Yes. Well, it was a tactic that was born of the entire Alinsky strategy of demonizing and marginalizing the left's opponents. It is what they've always do, and what they've always engaged in is this massive chronic psychological projection. Accusing their opponents of what they fundamentally do to fight for their power grabs. And for their power agenda, that is really what it is all about. And it is interesting to hear some of these big labor thugs defend what they are doing in Wisconsin. Demonizing Governor Walker, trying to prank him, trying to embarrass him, trying to distract him from being adult. And that's what the voters of Wisconsin wanted, adults. And this big temper tantrum just shows you that there are no adults in Washington. There are no adults in the Democrat Party. These people are still in their Huggies pull-ups crying all the way.

HANNITY: You know, it is interesting that the champions that are adults, that are challenging the big spending, the big deficits, record deficits and trying to get their budgets in balance, everyone from Bobby Jindal to Haley Barbour, to Chris Christie, to Bob McDonnell, Nikki Haley, they are all, you know, the new freshman class of senators like Rand Paul and it's amazing that they are being praised for being brave and supported -- but I give you 10 seconds last word. We're out of time.

MALKIN: Yes. Well, my column today talks about this flea bagger mentality of all of these cut-and-run Democrats. But this is how they roll. They cut-and-run when it comes to war abroad, they cut-and-run domestically when they are in trouble. And this is what has been such a golden opportunity for grassroots and fiscal conservatives to lead the country back in the right direction and show the maturity that the Democrat Party completely has abandoned.

Taxes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:21:38 -0800

Thursday February 24 2011

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:19:15 -0800

Jay Sekulow,

Troopers sent to absent senators' homes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 09:02:30 -0800

www.jsonline.com/blogs

By Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel

Feb. 24, 2011

State troopers were dispatched early this morning to the homes of all 14 Democratic state senators, who fled the Capitol a week ago to stall debate on a bill to restrict public worker bargaining rights.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said he took the move because he'd had reports some of the senators were going home nights and driving in the morning to Chicago. The Democrats have said they left Wisconsin to avoid being compelled to return to the Capitol and face a vote on Gov. Scott Walker's budget repair bill.

"Troopers aren't going to arrest anybody," Fitzgerald said. He hopes the Democrats if confronted by a trooper and a Senate page will comply with Senate tradition and rules and return to the Capitol.

As of 9 a.m., though, Andrew Welhouse, a spokesman for Fitzgerald, said that so far no Democratic senators have been found.

It would only take one of the 14 Democrats to give majority Republicans a quorum so the budget bill can be voted on.

Fitzgerald said he would not immediately bring up the budget bill for debate as soon as one of the absent Democrats can be brought back to the Capitol

He said the Democrats' tactic of leaving town was "absolutely trashing the decorum of the Senate."

Sean's Interview with Scott Walker

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 08:31:53 -0800

Sean welcomed the Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, to the program to discuss on going turmoil in Madison. Recently Walker’s security detail began taking "every measure necessary" to ensure his safety, as protests over the governor's budget bill spread and some of the rhetoric began overheating.

Fourteen Democratic lawmakers fled to neighboring Illinois to deprive the Wisconsin Senate of a quorum to debate the legislation. The governor explained to Sean that he wants these state senators to return to Madison so that they can continue to have a civil debate.

“All I want them to do is the job they were elected to do. They don’t have to vote for it, they don’t have to agree with it, but democracy requires that you participate. And they have to be in the arena. And the arena is right here at the state capital in Madison, Wisconsin.”

11 Outrageous Taxes

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:52:41 -0800

From Walletpop.com

If you needed any more proof that our state, local and federal budget spending is out of control, here it is. In an effort to get out from under record deficits and support their spending habits, politicians from Seattle to New York and everywhere in between have cooked up some outrageous taxes.

Some of these taxes are already on the books, some are just up for debate, but all show you just how far politicians will go to put a little more of your money in their pockets.

Sin Tax
Let's start with so-called "sin taxes," which have always been popular with politicians. Taxing items seen as vices--such as smoking, drinking and gambling -- is seen as an easy way to raise tax revenue. But the definition of "sin" seems to be expanding...

Card Tax
Here's proof that some politicians are a few cards short of a full deck. Anyone who purchases a deck of cards in the state of Alabama must pay a "card tax" of 10 cents. However, the law claims that the tax must be levied on the purchase of any deck containing "no more than 54 cards" so if you are lucky enough to find a deck with 55 cards, you're home free! Really, how much money can this possibly raise?!

Nudity Tax
In Utah, any businesses where "nude or partially nude individuals perform any service" have to pay a 10% sales and use tax. This tax is applied to all revenue from admission fees as well as merchandise, food, drink and "services" sales.

Tanning Tax
As part of the controversial Patient Protections and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (better known as healthcare reform), there is now a 10% excise tax on using a tanning salon. This tax is expected to raise a surprising $2.7 billion dollars over 10 years.

Candy Tax
Be careful what you eat in Kentucky or it can cost you. There is now a sales tax on any food classified as candy. But the definition of candy is controverisal -- under Kentucky's definition, a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup is candy, but a Milky Way is not. Huh?
The tax is also snaring some seemingly healthy foods. If a breakfast bar contains natural or artificial sweeteners along with fruits, nuts or other healthy ingredients, but has no flour and doesn't need refrigeration, it's considered candy and is subject to sales tax. But breakfast cereals with exactly the same ingredients are not considered candy and are not taxed.

Crash Tax
After 20 years of living, working and raising a family in New York City, nothing surprises us. But the city certainly has cooked up some outrageous new taxes. We doubt any of these will do much to help them dig out of their massive budget deficit, but let's take a look...
In January, the New York City Fire Department proposed a new "crash tax." The proposal, which stirred up a very heated debate, calls for a $500 fine for anyone in an accident requiring emergency response vehicles at the scene.

Haunted House Tax
Here's a new tax that would scare any reasonable person. If a haunted house includes music and the admission charge is more than 10 cents, then sales tax applies. Yet New York, the home of one of the greatest theater arts communities in the world, doesn't tax musical comedies, operas or chamber music shows. Go figure.

Bagel Tax
New York is cracking down on enforcing the tax on prepared food. One of their targets: the beloved bagel. If you buy a whole bagel and take it home with you, it's tax free. But, if you purchase a bagel to eat at the bagel shop, you'll have to pay sales tax.

A New Kind of Death Tax
As of January 1, 2011 it costs money to die in Seattle. King County, which includes Seattle, has instituted a $50 fee for reporting a death to the Medical Examiner's Office. If you don't pay, you don't get the permission and paperwork needed in order to be buried.

Pharmaceutical Tax
There is now an annual tax on brand name pharmaceutical companies. This is a tax on corporations, not individual taxpayers, that's expected to generate $2.5 billion in 2011. But you better believe the cost of this new tax will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices for the brand name drugs we buy.

New FSA Tax
If you use a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that lets you pay for medical expenses with pre-tax money, brace yourself for new restrictions. New Flexible Spending Account (FSA) rules will limit the amount you can set aside tax-free to just $2,500 starting in 2013. That amounts to a tax increase on anyone who currently uses an FSA to pay for healthcare costs over that $2,500 cap.
With budget deficits reaching a crisis point, we think you'll see plenty of new and outrageous taxes coming your way. We should all pay our fair share, but make sure you're not paying one penny more! Take every tax deduction you're entitled to and make those tax deductions airtight!

Gov. Scott Walker

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:36:34 -0800

Wednesday February 23 2011

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:06:10 -0800

Rand Paul,

A Miracle In Massachusetts

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:58:10 -0800

The election of the Republican Junior Senator from Massachusetts shocked the nation and is credited with starting the tea party title-wave. The GOP Senator was elected in a 2010 special election to serve the remainder of arguably the most Liberal Senator Ted Kennedy’s term when he died after a long struggle with a brain tumor.

Considered an epic upset in the most Liberal state, Brown defeated Democratic candidate and Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, 53% to 46% . The upset was particularly embarrassing to the White House after Obama had personally traveled to Boston to try to ‘save’ the once favored Coakley. The loss was also devastating to the Liberals in support of healthcare overhaul, who feared another vote for the GOP would halt passage in the Senate.

Brown’s win was just the first of a GOP landslide when gubernatorial, senate and congressional candidates swept their Democratic opponents in the 2010 November elections. Since taking office, however, Senator Brown has been accused of flip-flopping, and caucusing with the Democrats instead of Republicans on important issues such as Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

In his new book “Against All Odds,” Senator Brown gives the reader an in-depth behind the scenes of the man who shook Massachusetts to the core, from his shameful and hidden childhood to his rise to the United States Senate. And Sean presses him on the issues the people want to know the most such as his thoughts on Obama, the direction of the country, healthcare and his future aspirations.

Listen to Sean’s Radio Interview {HERE}

Watch Senator Brown on ‘Hannity’ {HERE}

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 21, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown burst on to the political scene back in 2010 when he was unexpectedly elected to fill the seat of the late Senator Ted Kennedy. And now in a brand-new book, he details his life struggles and how they have helped shape him into the person that he is today.

And joining me now is the man himself. His book, "Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances" is now in stores.

Senator, how are you? Welcome back to the program, I appreciate you being here.

SEN. SCOTT BROWN, R-MASS.: Great, Sean. Good to be on again. Thank you.

HANNITY: I read this book. I got to tell you, you grew up poor, broken family. I mean, really broken family. You talked about, "I remember the days when the largest thing we had in our refrigerator were milk and blocks of yellow government-issued cheese."

BROWN: Yes. Good old days.

HANNITY: Not exactly, right? Pretty tough.

BROWN: It was tough. But, you know, throughout all that, the one thing that my mom did instill on us is hard work. She usually had two or three jobs. And she was just battling to, not only battling, literally sometimes with her husbands, but also, you know, battling to keep a roof over our heads. And that really was conveyed to me.

HANNITY: And you even stole food, because you were hungry.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: And you got busted when you were 14-years-old.

BROWN: Yes. I stole food. I was playing basketball and running around and was growing leaps and bounds at that point at a young age. I think at 12, I was 5'11, I would just grow, grow, grow like a sprout. And, yes, I was always hungry.

HANNITY: Well, I will get to that in a second, how basketball and a coach and a social studies teacher really saved your life. You, and this got a lot of news -- you revealed in the book that you were sexually abused by a 13-year-old kid when were you seven.

BROWN: Right.

HANNITY: And when you were 14 and went away to a Christian camp, of all places.

BROWN: I was 10 actually.

HANNITY: You were 10 at that point, OK. And in the first case, you took a rock and hit the kid in the head.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: How -- first of all, when you're writing this book and you're going through all of this, you know, it had to be tough to remember it all. I'm sure you tried to forget it. And why did you think it was important to put in the book?

BROWN: You don't forget at all. You don't forget. So no, it wasn't hard to recall.

HANNITY: I didn't mean it that way.

BROWN: What was difficult was obviously was bringing it public and talking about it. My family, my mom didn't know, my dad -- my wife had a sense that something was going on, just little things I did with the girls. "Hey girls, stranger danger, you know, you go to a camp and if anyone is touching you a little weird, just be aware, make sure you tell mom or dad. We won't be mad, you know, don't be embarrassed." Little things like that. So, after she read the book, she is like, oh, OK, I get it. It's allowed us to really talk things through, the same with my mom and dad. And my daughter Ayla just read it, she said, dad, I get it now, I understand why you are so protective.

HANNITY: One of your daughters, by the way, was on "American Idol," she has done very well for herself.

BROWN: Right.

HANNITY: What -- as all of this was going on in your life you had some people when you finally got to 8th grade that really, because you had, how many men came into your life through your mother -- a lot?

BROWN: My mom and dad were married four times each. My mom is happily divorced. My dad is happily married. And yes, I had some good coaches and teachers who just took me under their wing and said, "Here, here is a basketball, here, you have a lot of potential, here." And they directed me, and quite frankly, but not for that, I probably wouldn't be -- definitely wouldn't be here talking to you. That's for sure.

HANNITY: But every relationship that your mom had when she brought men into the house seemed to become an abusive one.

BROWN: Yes. Two out of four were. My dad -- obviously my dad -- they were just too young. And after that, it was pretty intense.

HANNITY: And you say, you focused all your energy in basketball. You were angry all the time and that was your outlet.

BROWN: Yes.

HANNITY: Sports.

BROWN: Yes, sports. You know, like I said, but not for that, it channeled me. I mean, I remember the coach saying, "Hey, Brown! Why don't you guys play like Brown?"

HANNITY: Because you were playing with intensity.

BROWN: "Brown, whatever you have, you keep it up. Why can't you guys be like Brown?" I'm like, what are you talking about? If they only knew.

HANNITY: Yes. Well, let's move on to politics a little bit here.

BROWN: Sure.

HANNITY: There are some members of the Tea Party that have gotten angry with you. And they've even used the term Benedict Brown. You mentioned the Tea Party, as far as I caught in the book that I was reading through most of it, is I think one time. And I think the Tea Party Movement feels, hey, wait a minute, we helped elect you. You know, why not give more praise to them.

BROWN: First of all, I do, I give great praise to not only the Tea Party but every other political party and individual group that helped me. It wasn't just one group. To think that is not really accurate.

HANNITY: You consider yourself a Tea Party member?

BROWN: No, I'm a Republican from Massachusetts. I'm not a Tea Party member. But, what is a Tea Party member, somebody is concerned about the fiscal and financial future of our country? That's me. They're concerned about the over taxation and over spending in our national security, that's me. So, I agree with what they stand for.

HANNITY: I'll give you the examples where people are mad at you, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," financial reform, START Treaty, and the jobs and highways bill.

BROWN: Well, the jobs and highways -- let's start with the jobs and highways bill. A $15 billion bill that could that, if it went through, and remember, we only had 41, I moved for cloture immediately because there was $100 billion of amendments. So, I look at it as I saved $100 billion. And it hit the parameters, did it increase taxes, increase the deficit, good for Massachusetts, good for the country, and create jobs. And it hit all those five parameters.

HANNITY: Right.

BROWN: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." I'm in the military, I'm still serving. I'm a lieutenant colonel. There are gays in the military, and when they come home injured or dead, I don't ask if they are gay or straight.

HANNITY: What about the military personnel or leaders that say this is not good for morale?

BROWN: All the leaders said -- and I spoke with every one of them, and I spoke over a thousand people. They said our concern is about the implementation during wartime, and I agree with that, and so do they.

And they are very cognizant of trying to do it during that period. So that issue obviously stands on its own merits. With regard to the finreg, as you know, that bill was about as big as this building and because I got involved we made it about as big as this table. When Congress gets done with this, it is going to be this big. And that was very important.

HANNITY: Here are the headlines. You've seen them. "Brown helps Democrats break GOP filibuster." "Scott Brown under pressure from left, votes for regulatory bill," I'm giving you the media. "HDH in Boston," "Scott Brown defends voting with Democrats." In that sense, "Harry Reid woos Scott Brown on jobs bill."

BROWN: You know, there is no wooing. Bottom line is --

HANNITY: He didn't woo you? He didn't court you? He didn't call you? He didn't meet with you?

BROWN: He asked me to look at the bill, which I would have done anyway. But if you look at each and every bill in an independent manner, I'm not sure what the mystery was. As I said, I went down there to be an independent voter and thinker.

I'm not going to be in lockstep with any particular party. I'm going to look at what is best for hitting those five parameters. And bottom line is we are in deep trouble right now, and we need people who are going to work to move our country forward and attack the very things that are holding us back.

I'm looking forward to tackling the debt and the deficit when we get back into session. As I said, when I went down there, $11.95 trillion, up to 14 -- over 14 trillion and rising. Absolutely no effort to reel in our spending and our debt and get our economy moving again. We spent very little time talking about jobs, and I'm going to continue to work to do that.

HANNITY: When we come back, I'll get your thoughts on President Obama and much more we will have with Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HANNITY: As we continue now with Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown. His brand-new book, "Against All Odds" is in stores right now.

I consider myself a Reagan conservative. What that means, you know, a constitutionally principled limited government, more freedom, strong national defense conservative. You say you are a Scott Brown Republican.

BROWN: A Reagan Republican.

HANNITY: Are you a Reagan Republican?

BROWN: I absolutely feel very strongly about Ronald Reagan. I'm actually giving the keynote speech out at the Reagan library in a couple of nights per Mrs. Reagan's request. I have a lot of love and respect for President Reagan and what he did for our country.

HANNITY: Yes, all right, let me ask you. What do you think of President Obama?

BROWN: As I said it before, he's got a lot of challenges. You know, he's got a good heart and he has a couple of kids like I do. But in terms of tackling the very real fiscal issues that we're facing right now, I think he could do a lot better.

HANNITY: Did he -- did he punt, did he wimp out? Did he, you know, show a lack of leadership with, for example, his budget? Because it was only about a month ago he was talking about if we really want to deal with the budget, we have to deal with entitlement reform. He presents the budget and he doesn't deal with any of that.

BROWN: As you saw in the State of the Union, there was hopeful conversation about tackling a lot of things. So everyone was expecting them -- him to actually lead on those issues. I'm hopeful that through the numbers we now have in the House and the message we send with that budget, and then dealing with the opportunities facing with the CR and also some of the debt ceiling issues -- not only can we tackle those, but there will be some leadership when it deals with entitlements.

HANNITY: You say he faces big challenges, nobody disagrees with that. But this president by the end of this fiscal year will have accumulated nearly $5 trillion in new Obama debt. The stimulus has failed. The deficit has never been larger. If we project out, the deficit is even going to be higher.

BROWN: Listen, I don't support the budget in its present form.

HANNITY: No, I got it. But can you say that he failed? His economic policies--

BROWN: It is a work in progress. Certainly, we can all do better. I mean, we need leadership not only from the House, but from the president and the Senate. We need to come together.

HANNITY: Did he show leadership on that bill?

BROWN: On the budget? Listen, he could have done better. I think everybody knows that. You know, everybody is saying that he could have done better.

HANNITY: You seem -- I don't know. I'm trying to understand your reluctance --

BROWN: You're trying to have me hammer somebody, and where I can work with the president, I'm going to do it. It is not certainly productive for me as a senator to go out hammering anybody, whether they're Democrat or Republican.

HANNITY: How about just honest, truthful criticism?

BROWN: I've said right from the beginning that I'm disappointed in the budget and he should have shown leadership when it comes to working with entitlement reform and focusing on jobs and the economy.

I've been beating that drum for the last year. When they are talking about everything but the economy, I'm talking about jobs and moving our country forward.

HANNITY: Go back to when he said if we don't pass the stimulus, we face a catastrophe.

BROWN: I would have voted against that.

HANNITY: OK, fair enough.

BROWN: He hasn't create one new net job, that's been a failure, yes.

HANNITY: All right, health care passes, a brand new entitlement.

BROWN: They rammed it down our throats.

HANNITY: CBO says it going to lose 800,000 jobs, and the president, again, nearly $5 trillion in new debt. I think his economic plan has been a failure. And I'm just -- you say he has a tough job.

BROWN: It speaks for itself. I mean, we are in deep trouble. We have to work together collectively. It is not going to be one man. His leadership is critically important to send a message throughout the world that we are ready for business, that we are going to get our fiscal house in order.

I'm hopeful that he will do that. I know what I'm going to do. I'm talking about jobs. I've offered many alternatives to the spending that we are doing, paying for things with money in the system versus using the credit card.

Listen, I'm beating that drum and every other senator I know is beating that drum. We need some leadership from the majority party and the president to do the very same thing.

HANNITY: Are you happy the way he handled Egypt? Are you happy the way he's handling his foreign policy? Did you think he's given enough support to the dissident voices for example in Iran?

BROWN: Listen, I think that I'm very hopeful about what's happening over there, but I'm very concerned about obviously the way the protesters are being treated. I think everybody worldwide got caught off guard with what happened in Egypt.

I would have liked them to be on the same message, secretary of state, president, vice president, et cetera -- they weren't. With regard to Libya, and obviously what is happening in Iran, I'm hopeful they will continue to allow -- give the tools and resources to these people who want to seek freedom to in fact do so and be there behind them.

But we also need to make sure when we actually have a change that there's no void. We have groups like the Muslim Brotherhood come in. We need an orderly transition. Sometimes the United States needs to just step back and let these countries feel their way out and get some young rising stars in those countries to step forth and say, "You know what? I'll take it. I'll run with that mantle and let them go out and have a free and fair election."

HANNITY: Last question, as it relates to Wisconsin and the protesting, and the governor, Governor Walker's position about collective bargaining. Do you think the governor is right?

BROWN: I think the governor was elected to do a job and he's going to send his budget to the legislature so they can do their job. I encourage the senators to come back into the state and start tackling these very real issues realistically --

HANNITY: Do you agree with the governor? Do you think the governor is right?

BROWN: I agree that everything is on the table right now in this tough fiscal times.

HANNITY: Yes, but he's saying get rid of collective bargaining.

BROWN: I think he's the governor, and whatever he and the people of Wisconsin want, we should support.

HANNITY: You are ducking that question.

BROWN: Hey, listen. It's true. I'm not from Wisconsin. If I was there--

HANNITY: I got it, but -- it's a big union state in Massachusetts, right?

BROWN: It's a big union state and certainly there's a place for unions, but also there's a place to also come together to solve the real problems of each and every state. While everyone is tightening their belts, so do unions and other groups need to tighten their belts and contribute to the --

(CROSSTALK)

HANNITY: Senator, I'm glad under tremendous difficulties growing up, in that sense it is an inspiring story that people can overcome a very hard past. Thanks for being with us.

BROWN: It's great to see you, too.

HANNITY: All right, thanks.

Truth Behind Wisconsin Protests

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:57:29 -0800

Sean kicked off Monday’s show by discussing the ongoing protests in Wisconsin.

“I want to clear some of the underbrush. One of the largest criticisms of the Wisconsin governor is that he’s union busting. The reality is is that Wisconsin has the strongest civil service system in the country. One that was put in place long before collective bargaining rights were granted to government workers. What the governor wants to do is limit the power of public employee unions to negotiate contracts and work rules which is something that twenty four states already limit or ban.

These changes need to be made for competitive reasons and for debt reasons,” Sean concluded.

Protests Continue In Madison, Wisconsin

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:36:51 -0800

Gov. Haley: Obama's Budget 'Killing Us One Day at a Time'

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 09:37:56 -0800

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," February 15, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The future of the president's health care bill is looking dire. Not only does it face continuing legal challenges, but lawmakers are not backing down either.

Now the latest to voice her fervent opposition to this government takeover South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. In her first month as governor, Nikki Haley is already proving herself to be a force to be reckoned with. But will she able to stop Obamacare from coming to South Carolina?

And now joining us is the governor of the great state South Carolina, Nikki Haley. Governor, welcome back.

GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY, R-S.C.: Hey, Sean. It's great to be with you again.

HANNITY: All right, you are sort of taking a dual approach. Your first choice is to say, all right, Mr. President, we don't like it in South Carolina, allow us to opt-out and this is something that you brought to the president's attention. What has come from it since then?

HALEY: Well, you know, first of all, let me make it very clear. We are an equal opportunity opponent in South Carolina to any sort of Obamacare whatsoever. We are doing that on three fronts. First of all, I am supporting the attorney general's decision and certainly thankful and grateful for the decision that came back last week from Florida. I think it spoke volumes.

Secondly, we have supported Senator DeMint's bill, which basically repeals the bill altogether and then this past week, I had a press conference with Senator Graham who has issued an opt-out bill, which would allow any state to opt-out.

You know, after my conversation with the president asking him to repeal, he said no. I asked if we could opt-out. He said that we could, but he had strings attached. What Senator Graham's bill is allowing us to do is allowing every state to decide what we need to do. The president's conversation has been about health care services. What we need to be talking about in our state is health. How do we get the most health for the least amount of money?

South Carolina is not like any other state in the country. The issues that drive us on health care is not that we don't have good quality health care, it's that we have unemployment and poverty. We need to handle South Carolina in the way we know that is best not, the way the president knows it is best. Right now, I have 10.7 percent unemployment. I need to increase jobs. I don't need to be increasing Medicaid.

HANNITY: Right, but when you -- when you brought this to the president's attention and you did so personally, he said I'll consider it if you do a, b, c, d, e and f and basically adopt his health care on your own. So that is not viable option for you is it?

HALEY: Well, we are still looking at it. Look, I hired one of the best health and human service directors in the country. Tony Keck and I are working very closely together to try and find every option we can to take care of South Carolinians.

And so when the president said, we want you to consider, you know, that we will consider an opt-out if you have a state health exchange, if you deal with preexisting conditions, if you allow pooling. You know, we are taking every opportunity to look at all of those avenues and we will do that.

But what is best is for us is for us not to have any strings, for us to be allowed to do this without the president's input. But yes, we will continue to do everything we can, one to oppose this bill and two to improve the health for the people of South Carolina on our terms, not on the president's.

HANNITY: All right, so the president proposes his budget and one of the things that I think is going to happen is governors like yourself, Christie in New Jersey, Jindal in Louisiana, other governors around the country.

By the way, even New York Governor Cuomo is saying he's not going to raise taxes, we're going to get our budget in balance and he's trying to entice business to stay. So for the federal government since he's been president has accumulated nearly $5 trillion in debt. He's got these new entitlements, how is that going to impact South Carolina?

HALEY: You know, I mean, he's killing us one day at a time and I will tell you that what South Carolina is going to do is say yes we are going to handle our financial situation. But if this is the help that President Obama is going to give us, no thanks. We don't need it.

What we've seen him do is grow entitlements more in this budget than we've seen since the 60s. What we have seen him do is talk about jobs, but continue to press on government in a way we can't allow our businesses to grow jobs. We actually need him to just get out of the way. We need him to understand we don't need --

HANNITY: This president doesn't know how to --

HALEY: We don't need more of these issues. We need to have opportunities for our small businesses to thrive.

HANNITY: This president doesn't know how to get out of the way. I mean, when I spoke to you after you had this conversation with the president, he gave off as I said his litany of things you need to do to accomplish the task of opting out, it seemed impossible to me. Except basically saying adopt what everything I want then we'll consider it. I didn't take his proposal serious. I felt like he was giving you the brush- off.

HALEY: You know, what we need to see at this time in our country is people willing to say that they've made a mistake. I think the people spoke loud and clear in the last election. President Obama needs to admit this is a terrible mistake for our states. He needs say let's regroup, let's allow them to opt-out, if they don't want to participate, they shouldn't. If they do want to participate, fine --

HANNITY: What are the odds of this?

HALEY: Or let's get rid of it together and start all over. For South Carolina, we'll tell you this is not helping us. This is actually going to cost 175,000 of our employees that are already covered by employers to drop off and go on the Medicaid rolls.

It is going to cost us $5 billion over the next 10 years. That's not helping South Carolina. If that's the kind of help he's going to give us, no thanks.

HANNITY: Governor, if he admits he made a mistake on health care, I will eat my script on television, for charity.

HALEY: If he admits he made a mistake on health care, I'll stand right next to him and thank him.

HANNITY: All right, Governor Haley. Thanks for being with us. Appreciate it.

HALEY: Thank you so much. Always a pleasure.

Gov. Jerry Brown

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 10:59:23 -0800

Jerry Brown's budget for California is 'honest' and 'very painful'

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:56:21 -0800

The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

By Dan Wood, Staff writer

Gov. Jerry Brown released a balanced state budget Monday that cuts $12.5 billion in spending, raises billions in taxes, includes an 8 to 10 percent cut in pay for most state employees, and proposes a restructuring of government that purports to “return the power to localities.”

During his gubernatorial campaign Mr. Brown promised straight talk and no smoke and mirrors, reiterating those promises several times in recent weeks.

He also spoke of the need for the state to make excruciating choices. By most accounts, the budget he proposed Monday has delivered just that.

“It is an adult budget. … There are no games, no smoke and mirrors, which is what he promised, and it is very painful,” says Barbara O’Connor, director of the Institute for Study of Politics and Media at California State University, Sacramento.

There is no shifting of funds with the prospect of future payback when the economy recovers, she says, and no borrowing, methods which were used in recent budgets by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration to at least get the state to appear solvent on paper.

'Tough budget for tough times'

Governor Brown called the spending plan “a tough budget for tough times” that will close the state’s structural deficit and provide a “strong and stable foundation” to meet future needs.

“Without decisive action, the state’s severe budget problems will persist, threatening economic recovery, job growth, public education and the quality of life in California,” he said. “The adoption of this budget will position the state to lead the country as it slowly recovers from the Great Recession.”

To eliminate a budget shortfall estimated at $25.4 billion, Brown’s budget proposes $12.5 billion in spending cuts, $12 billion in increased tax revenues, and $1.9 billion in unspecified “other solutions” to close the gap and provide for a $1 billion reserve.

“Everyday Californians should understand that there is something here for everyone to hate, little for anyone to like … a tough budget for a tough economy,” says Jessica Levinson, political reform director for the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles. “Democrats will scream at the top of their lungs about the cuts in this and Republicans will abhor the tax increases.”

In order for Brown’s budget to be adopted, California’s Legislature will have to push through changes to certain current laws by March, while other ballot measures will have to be approved by voters in a special vote in June.

'Realignment' will a tough sell

According to analysts, a major challenge to Brown’s ability to sell his plan to voters and local governments is the portion of the plan known as “realignment,” which shifts responsibility for the administration and funding of some state programs to local government.

“Renewed talk of realignment makes those of us in local government very nervous,” write Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky and Gloria Molina in a dual-bylined piece in Monday’s Los Angeles Times. “While realignment sounds great in theory, the devil is in the details.”

The piece recounted a scheme approved in 1991 by then-Gov. Pete Wilson and the state Legislature, which shifted $1.7 billion in state program costs to the counties. State appropriations for local governments were replaced in part with funding from vehicle license fees. The net result seemed to benefit local governments at first, but over time, as subsequent legislatures reduced the license fee rate, counties found themselves in fiscal trouble.

“Brown will need to sell voters on whether or not to shift power to the counties, and that’s a big ‘if,’ ” says Ms. O’Connor. “They have real, legitimate concerns and have been burned in the past.”

Steve Levy, director and senior economist at the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy, says that Brown has done exactly what he needed to do by facing directly what previous governors have refused to.

At least on paper, the new budget is “sensitive and balanced and honest in the sense that the math works,” Mr. Levy says, emphasizing the he is an economist, not a politician. “I’m impressed with the very direct way he has handled this without assessing blame or pointing fingers but literally dealing with what needs to be done. These are going to be painful cuts, but that’s what comes with honesty.”

'Competitive disadvantage'

Others worry that Brown’s proposals will severely injure California in the long run.

“California is going to be put at a competitive disadvantage relative to other states if it adopts what Brown is proposing, which amounts to the largest tax increase in American history,” says Jon Coupal, spokesman for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “California is struggling to come out of the recession, but the imposition of these taxes, coupled with California’s hostile regulatory climate, does not bode well for the state’s future.”

As he promised voters when he said there will be no tax increases without voter approval, the revenue component of Brown’s budget proposal will be voted on in June. Voters will be asked to maintain current personal income and sales taxes that were set to expire at current levels and approve the Vehicle License Fee rate for five years.

Some analysts say that the pain of instituting budget cuts may give Brown’s idea leverage with voters, because implicit in their disapproval of the tax measures would simply be a return to the prospect of more cuts.

Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA)

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:55:14 -0800

Monday January 03 2011

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:48:34 -0800

Chris Christie, Stuart Varney,

Monday December 27 2010

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:59:32 -0800

Betsy McCaughey,

Friday December 17 2010

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:51:21 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Mitch McConnell, Larry The Cable Guy,

Tax Compromise Passes the House

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 10:47:59 -0800

By: John Brandt and Chad Pergram, FOX News
FOXWIRE: After delays and a contentious floor debate, the tax compromise bill developed by the White House and Congressional Republicans is headed to the president’s desk.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation to extend the so-called Bush tax cuts and social spending measures late Thursday night by a vote of 277 to 148.
House Democrats attempted to modify the estate tax provision in the deal that passed the Senate Wednesday. They wanted to diminish the amount of money that is exempt from taxes from $5 million to $3.5 million and increase the amount at which assets above that threshold would be taxed from 35 percent to 45 percent. Many Democrats felt the terms in the Senate proposal were too generous for the wealthy.
That effort failed.
The bill now heads to President Obama’s desk. If Mr. Obama signs the measure, it will prevent a tax increase that was scheduled to occur on January 1, 2011.

Thursday December 16 2010

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:10:15 -0800

Dick Morris,

Wednesday December 15 2010

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:53:35 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Mike Pence, Stuart Varney,

The Hannity Jobs Program, Weiner's Greedy Government

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 13:06:35 -0800

By Jeffrey Lord

In the tax debate that is ongoing, yesterday Sean Hannity took a call from a listener who was demanding to know how many jobs Hannity created. Hannity replied by reeling off the names of people connected directly to his radio and television shows… Elisha, Linda, Sweet Baby James etc.

VIDEO: Sean battles Rep. Anthony Weiner on "Hannity"

But there's something else at work here that seems to have escaped the listener's attention. I listen to "The Sean Hannity Show" at 3 p.m. in the afternoon on WSBA Newsradio, which broadcasts from York, Pennsylvania, at 910 on the AM dial. Out of curiosity this morning, I called WSBA's program director Jim Horn and asked an obvious question:

Does WSBA make money from airing "The Sean Hannity Show"?

Answer from Jim: Yes.

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Democrats' budget bill: $1.1 trillion; 1,900 pages

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:23:53 -0800

Defying the political odds, Senate Democrats rolled out a year-end, governmentwide spending bill Tuesday that cuts more than $26 billion from President Barack Obama’s 2011 requests even as it holds firm to thousands of the appropriations earmarks so adamantly opposed by critics of Congress.

Filling more than 1,900 pages, the $1.1 trillion measure represents an increase of less than 2 percent in annual spending but makes for an easy target of ridicule — a last stand by the Senate’s old bulls before the tea party takeover. In a scene reminiscent of the movie “Casablanca,” top Republicans expressed shock, shock that there was gambling still in Rick’s Cafe even after their own members have been quietly working to write the bill and gather GOP votes for passage.

“It’s completely inappropriate; I’m vigorously in opposition to it,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who then had to admit the bill included earmarks for projects in his home state of Kentucky. Indeed, the spending levels are specifically designed to meet appropriations targets that McConnell and much of the Republican leadership espoused only months ago, and the leader’s old friend, Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), has been active on the bill’s behalf.

Tax package heads toward passage in Senate despite House Democrats' concerns about estate tax

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:37:47 -0800

WASHINGTON (AP) — The tax package negotiated by President Barack Obama and GOP lawmakers is headed toward passage in the Senate even as House Democrats consider changes to the estate tax.
The bill could be passed and sent to the House by Tuesday. The Senate voted 83-15 Monday evening to advance the package, which would provide a two-year reprieve from tax increases scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1 at all income levels.
"This proves that both parties can in fact work together to grow our economy and look out for the American people," Obama said. "I recognize that folks on both sides of the political spectrum are unhappy with certain parts of the package and I understand those concerns. I share some of them. But that's the nature of compromise."
House Democrats are scheduled to meet in a closed-door caucus Tuesday evening to discuss the package. Last week, House Democratic leaders said they would not schedule a vote on the tax bill without changes to make it less generous to the wealthy.
Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin of Illinois told CBS' "The Early Show" Tuesday that the wide margin by which the measure cleared the procedural vote should help facilitate its passage in the House.
"I think the House takes notice," he said, adding that he believes the bill will be passed by Christmas.

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New Appropriations Republicans vow to slash spending quickly

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 11:10:47 -0800

The nine new Republican members of the House Appropriations Committee are united in espousing the new GOP appropriations mantra: make deep cuts to spending, and make them quickly.

House Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio) has vowed weekly votes on spending cuts starting in January, and the Appropriations Committee will be charged with drafting rescission bills to make that happen.
New committee members interviewed by The Hill on Friday identified unspent stimulus money and the Obama healthcare reform bills as high on their list of targets for cuts. They said a more careful approach needs to be taken with defense spending.
Whether the new committee members will, in the long run, remain true to their rhetoric about fiscal restraint is an open question. Some of the GOP lawmakers interviewed expressed some unease with the voluntary earmarks moratorium that Republicans in the House and Senate adopted last month.
In a statement announcing his appointment to Appropriations, Rep. Steve Austria (R-Ohio) stressed fiscal responsibility but also highlighted how the position could benefit the people in his district.
“The work of the Appropriations Committee has a direct impact on our area including those military facilities in Ohio,” Austria’s statement said. “Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is expected to gain new missions related to Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 2005 and my work on this committee will allow me to better support and assist in continuing to strengthen those productive missions in and around the base.”

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39,000 earmarks worth $130 billion requested in FY11

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 12:59:46 -0800

Taxpayers for Common Sense has just released a database of the more than 39,000 earmarks lawmakers requested in FY11. All told those requests weigh in at more than $130 billion (and that doesn’t count one possible* request listed on Rep. Cleaver’s (D-MO) web site that was for $48 billion).

As 39,294 earmark requests worth more than $130 billion demonstrates - even with House Republicans abstaining, lawmakers appetite for earmarks last year was rapacious. There are just a few months between when earmark requests are due and the committee starts drafting bills. It would be physically impossible for a small army to vet tens of thousands of requests in that short amount of time and the committee has a relatively small staff. This data reinforces that Congress needs to take advantage of the earmark moratoriums to pause and think about better ways to allocate our precious taxpayer dollars. Lawmakers should work with the Executive Branch to establish metrics, priorities and criteria and develop merit-based, competitive or formula programs to spend money. Then they should hold agencies accountable and conduct real oversight.

The data is revealing. Sen. Landrieu (D-LA) leads the pack with $4.4 billion in earmarks requests. Sen. Wicker (R-MS) is the only other lawmaker to exceed $3 billion ($3.7 billion in requests). With Sens. Brownback (R-KS, $2.7B), Menendez (D-NJ, $2.5B) and Lincoln (D-AR, $2.5B) rounding out the top five. The top House requester is Rep. Clyburn (D-SC) at $2.4 billion. Shifting to states, at $3,910.58, North Dakota leads in the per capita contest, with Arizona pulling up the rear with a little over $71 per capita. I’ve attached a handy dandy fact sheet with some of the numbers.

There seems to be little rhyme or reason behind the number and dollar amount in requests. Some lawmakers who traditionally get a lot, asked for a lot more in requests. Others seem to right-size their requests closer to the amount they would receive. Vulnerable lawmakers like Sens. Lincoln (D-AR) and Specter (D-PA) may have bulked up on their requests but it didn’t do them much good. We are going to have to sift through the various data points and separate the wheat from chaff. TCS will continue to analyze the data in the coming days and weeks. One thing I do know. If the various moratoriums were in place (assuming the House Republican moratorium extends House-wide and Senate Republican moratorium holds) we’d “only” have had to database 15,511 earmarks worth $55.8 billion.

Obama, GOP reach deal to extend tax breaks

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 05:08:54 -0800

By Lori Montgomery and Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writers

President Obama and congressional Republicans have reached a tentative accord on a far-reaching economic package that would preserve George W. Bush administration tax breaks for families at all income levels for two years, extend emergency jobless benefits through 2011 and cut payroll taxes by 2 percent for every American worker through the end of next year.

VIDEO: Obama Announces 'Framework' for Bipartisan Tax Cut Deal

The scope of the agreement, announced by the White House late Monday, was far broader than lawmakers in either party had been expecting. The deal would extend a college tuition tax credit and other breaks for middle-class families that were due to expire New Year's Eve. And it would revive the inheritance tax after a year-long lapse, imposing a 35 percent rate on estates worth more than $5 million for individuals and $10 million for couples.

The package would add more than $700 billion to the rising national debt, said congressional sources who were briefed on the deal. But with the unemployment rate at 9.8 percent, the White House was focused on winning a compromise that could boost the fragile recovery while preventing the economic damage that could result from letting the expiring tax breaks affect paychecks next month.

The payroll tax holiday, in particular, is striking for its universal application. Unlike most tax breaks, it would be available to taxpayers at every income level, letting consumers keep an extra $120 billion in their pockets next year. For a couple making $70,000 a year, the holiday would provide a tax savings of $1,400.

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GOP's DeMint and Pence Tout Permanent-Tax-Cuts-For-All Bill

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:32:32 -0800

A pair of prominent Republicans -- one from the Senate, the other from the House – on Thursday called for a permanent extension of tax cuts at all income levels, just as a vigorous floor debate was under way about Democratic legislation to extend tax relief for just the middle class.

"Sen. Jim DeMint and I are introducing legislation that will ensure that no American, small business owner or family farmer will see a tax increase on Jan. 1, 2011, 2012, 2013 and beyond," said Indiana Rep. Mike Pence.

DeMint and Pence introduced the bill before Thanksgiving, but started promoting it Thursday. They want an up-or-down vote on all the tax cuts at the same time, a permanent end to the estate tax and a fix for the alternative minimum tax. The duo told reporters that uncertainty about future tax rates is stifling economic recovery.

"The economy is waiting to roar back in this country," DeMint of South Carolina said, "and the fact that we have waited this long to even address the issue tells you that the people running this government don't understand how business works."

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How Will The Expiring Bush Tax Cuts Affect You?

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 09:38:08 -0800

Most Americans have a fairly strong opinion of former President George W. Bush, either for or against his eight-year reign. One thing that all Americans can agree on, however, is that he was a serial tax cutter, with tax reduction as one of the cornerstones of his economic policy. Many of these tax cuts were enacted with sunset provisions, meaning they were embedded with predetermined expiration dates, many of which are coming up in 2011 and 2012. These sunset provisions were placed in the tax laws in some cases to garner enough legislative support to get the bills passed, or to get around rules that existed on cutting revenue without passing an offsetting spending cut.

Major Legislation
The two major tax-cutting bills from the Bush era were the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) of 2001, and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003.

These two laws cut taxes across the board for earned income, long-term capital gains and dividends. The legislation also expanded the child tax credit and made dozens of other changes and adjustments to the tax code, involving exemptions, deductions and the marriage penalty.

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Republicans Send Mixed Signals Ahead of Meeting With Obama

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:04:47 -0800

Republican congressional leaders sent out mixed signals ahead of their first meeting with President Obama since the party's Election Day triumph, appealing for cooperation while at the same time threatening to take matters into their own hands if they don't get their way on tax cuts.

The looming expiration of the Bush tax cuts was expected to take centerstage as the president sat down with Republican and Democratic congressional chiefs Tuesday morning. Other issues ranging from an arms reduction treaty with Russia to long-term jobless benefits are facing Congress in the lame-duck session, but the tax debate has dominated for months.

Both sides agree that the middle class should not see their taxes increase, but they diverge over whether taxes on the wealthy should revert back to higher rates -- Republicans don't want a tax hike for anybody, while Democrats want the top tier of earners to pay more.

House Republican Leader John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, in a joint Washington Post column published Tuesday, urged Democrats to turn away from pushing "controversial items" like immigration legislation and focus on job creation. As an incentive, they dangled the prospect of a cooperative Congress before the president.

Vowing that both sides "can work together," Boehner and McConnell said that if Obama and his Democratic colleagues offer a plan to cut spending "and stop the tax hikes," Republicans will be on their side. However, they warned, "House and Senate Republicans will work to get the job done in the new Congress" if Democrats don't act.

GOP to Obama: Let's Work Together

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:37:34 -0800

Today, congressional leaders will head to the White House, where Republicans will urge President Obama to heed the message sent by the American people earlier this month: cut spending, stop all the tax hikes, and help create jobs now. In an op-ed published in today’s Washington Post, House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) make clear that Republicans stand ready to work with President Obama and Democratic leaders on the people’s top priorities: “Republicans got the message voters have been delivering for more than a year. That’s why we made a pledge to America to cut spending, rein in government, and permanently extend the current tax rates so small-business owners won't get hit with a massive tax hike at the end of December. …

“While Americans have been asking ‘where are the jobs?’ for more than two years, our friends across the aisle have clung for too long to the liberal wish list, including a job-killing health-care law, a ‘cap-and-trade’ national energy tax and an out-of-control spending spree. The November elections represented a wholesale rejection of these policies.

“Now we have a real chance to move away from the misplaced priorities of the past two years and work together on common-sense proposals that will build a foundation for the economic rebound we all want. …
“Together, we can focus on the things Americans want us to do - not on what government wants Americans to accept. The clock may be winding down on this session of Congress, but there is still time to do the right thing. If President Obama and Democratic leaders put forward a plan during the lame-duck session to cut spending and stop the tax hikes on all Americans, they can count on a positive response from Republicans.”

George W. Bush

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:04:23 -0800

Bush, George W.

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:01:53 -0800

George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States (2001-2009), born July 6, 1946, in New Haven Connecticut. George was the oldest of six children of George Bush who served as the 41st president of the United States (1989-1993) and Barbara Bush. George W. Bush received a bachelor's degree in history from Yale University in 1968 and received his M.B.A. from Harvard in 1975. In 1977 he married Laura Welch, a teacher and librarian, in Midland, Texas. Bush was a businessman and served as governor of Texas from 1995-2000.

Monday November 08 2010

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 13:12:33 -0800

Joe Miller, Stuart Varney,

Battles Loom Over Tax Breaks, Spending Cuts

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 12:36:24 -0800

Newly empowered Republicans pushed Sunday to extend Bush-era tax levels for as long as possible and pledged significant cuts in spending, as President Barack Obama sought to maintain his footing in an escalating budget battle.

The fiscal fight over the coming weeks and months likely will be a crucial one for both sides, helping to set the policy and political tone for the next two years and beyond.

House GOP Whip Eric Cantor and other lawmakers suggested that Republicans in the coming lame-duck session would press for a long-term extension of current tax levels for all earners, despite Democratic opposition. The Bush-era tax cuts expire Jan. 1 unless Congress acts before then.

"I am not for sending any signal to small businesses in this country that they're going to have their tax rates go up," Mr. Cantor said on "Fox News Sunday." Republicans say raising tax rates on higher earners would hit about half of all small-business income. Democrats say that figure is inflated by some large businesses that are structured as small businesses.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah), who is expected to become the top Republican on the Finance Committee next year, said in an interview that he favored "at least a three-year extension" of all current tax levels, and five years if possible. He cited economists' expectation that growth and job creation are likely to remain soft for several years.

For his part, Mr. Obama again signaled newfound flexibility on taxes over the weekend. But he maintained his opposition to any longer-term extension of the higher-earner breaks, setting up an early conflict with Republicans.

Boehner on Jobs Report

Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:47:22 -0800

WASHINGTON, DC -- House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) responded this morning to a Department of Labor report showing that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 9.6 percent despite Obama Administration projections that the ‘stimulus’ would keep unemployment below eight percent. Joblessness has now topped 9.5 percent for 15 straight months, the longest such stretch since the Great Depression.

Boehner issued the following statement:

“Any job growth is a positive sign, but stagnant and stubbornly high unemployment makes clear why permanently stopping all the looming tax hikes should top Washington’s to-do list this month.

“Stopping these tax hikes – and cutting spending to pre-‘stimulus,’ pre-bailout levels – would help eliminate the uncertainty gripping small businesses and show Americans asking ‘where are the jobs?’ that Washington is finally on the job. These are proposals Republicans laid out in the Pledge to America, and I’m hopeful that the president will be willing to work with us on these priorities when he returns from his trip to Asia. Our economy will ultimately recover, but it will do so because of hard work and entrepreneurship, not more of the same Washington spending sprees and job-killing policies the American people have repudiated so loudly and clearly.”

National debt up $3 trillion on Obama’s watch

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 04:33:15 -0800

New numbers posted today on the Treasury Department website show the National Debt has increased by more than $3 trillion since President Obama took office.

The National Debt stood at $10.626 trillion the day Mr. Obama was inaugurated. The Bureau of Public Debt reported today that the National Debt had hit an all time high of $13.665 trillion.

The Debt increased $4.9 trillion during President Bush’s two terms. The Administration has projected the National Debt will soar in Mr. Obama’s fourth year in office to nearly $16.5-trillion in 2012. That’s more than 100 percent of the value of the nation’s economy and $5.9-trillion above what it was his first day on the job.

Mr. Obama frequently lays blame for soaring federal deficits on his predecessor.

Tax Cut Calculator

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:30:40 -0800

Of all the tax issues facing Congress when it returns for a lame duck session after the Nov. 2 midterm elections, the annual rite of patching the Alternative Minimum Tax will be the most urgent.

Unlike the debate over the Bush tax cuts, which will affect taxpayers' income in 2011, the AMT applies to 2010. And the delay in patching it is already causing problems and raising alarms for large numbers of middle-income taxpayers -- as many as 25 million Americans, according to one expert -- who could face a huge increase in their tax payments if Congress doesn't act.

CLICK HERE TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH YOUR TAXES WILL RISE

Enacted in 1969, the Alternative Minimum Tax was originally aimed at 155 extremely wealthy taxpayers who had avoided paying federal taxes completely. It was an add-on tax designed to ensure that everyone paid some income tax every year. Since then it has evolved into the primary tax mechanism for taxing high income taxpayers.

Under the original system, taxpayers who earned more than $200,000 -- a very high income 30 years ago -- were required to calculate their taxes differently, resulting in a larger tax payment for the wealthy.

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HOW THEY VOTED

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:47:09 -0800

Learn how your incumbents voted on the most important issues:

PERCENTAGES OF HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES WHO VOTED WITH PELOSI/DEMOCRATS: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/house/party-voters/

HEALTHCARE

H.R. 3590 (PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE ACT)Final Health Care Overhaul HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll165.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00396H.R. 4872

Reconciliation Act of 2010: Final Health Care Overhaul

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll167.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00105

H.R. 3962 Affordable Health Care for America Act (included public option):

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll887.xml

STIMULUS/SPENDING

H.R.1 Making supplemental appropriations for fiscal year ending 2009

BILL TITLE: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

HOUSE http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll070.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00061

H.R. 1105 Omnibus Spending FY09

BILL TITLE: Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll086.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00096

H.R. 3288 Omnibus Spending FY10:

BILL TITLE: Making appropriations for the Departments of Transportation, HUD, and related agencies for FY 2010

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll949.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00287

S CON RES 13 BILL TITLE: Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010:

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll216.xml

SENATEhttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00173

HR 1424 TARP Bailout (110):

BILL TITLE: Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

HOUSE http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2008/roll681.xml

SENATE http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00213

H.R. 2454 Cap-and-Trade:

HOUSEhttp://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll477.xml

Paladino, Carl

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 12:00:23 -0800

Carl Paladino (born August 24, 1946) is an American businessman, politician, and former Chief Executive Officer of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. Paladino won the 2010 Republican nomination as the party's candidate for governor of New York. His candidacy has been supported by the Tea Party movement. Paladino's campaign platform emphasizes fiscal reform in Albany and improvement of the state's educational system.

Senate Dems Delay Vote on Bush Tax Cuts

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 09:10:57 -0800

Senate Democratic leaders decided Thursday to delay a vote on preserving soon-to-expire middle class tax cuts until after congressional elections in November.

President Obama has made the tax cuts a priority. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decided to delay any vote after a meeting with other Senate Democrats failed to produce a consensus on how to proceed.

"Democrats believe we must permanently extend tax cuts for the middle-class before they expire at the end of the year, and we will," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said. "Unfortunately, to this point we have received no cooperation from Republicans to do so."

Enacted in 2001 and 2003 under President George W. Bush, they were the most sweeping tax cuts in a generation. If Congress takes no action, taxpayers at every income level face significant tax increases next year.

Republicans want to extend all the tax cuts. Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress want to extend them for individuals making more than $200,000 and married couples making more than $250,000.

Lost decade for American income

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:35:23 -0800

By CONOR DOUGHERTY And SARA MURRAY
The downturn that some have dubbed the "Great Recession" has trimmed the typical household's income significantly, new Census data show, following years of stagnant wage growth that made the past decade the worst for American families in at least half a century.

The bureau's annual snapshot of American living standards also found that the fraction of Americans living in poverty rose sharply to 14.3% from 13.2% in 2008—the highest since 1994. Some 43.6 million Americans were living below the official poverty threshold, but the measure doesn't fully capture the panoply of government antipoverty measures.
The inflation-adjusted income of the median household—smack in the middle of the populace—fell 4.8% between 2000 and 2009, even worse than the 1970s, when median income rose 1.9% despite high unemployment and inflation. Between 2007 and 2009, incomes fell 4.2%.
"It's going to be a long, hard slog back to what most Americans think of as normalcy or prosperous times," said Nicholas Eberstadt, a political economist at the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

Article continues here

Pelosi hedges on tax cuts

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 06:27:34 -0800

By JAKE SHERMAN | 9/16/10

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday renewed her pledge to pass an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, but now she’s leaving the door open to extending the tax cuts for upper-income Americans.

The California Democrat, speaking in the same room House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) appeared in earlier in the day, said that the “only thing I can tell you is the tax cuts for the middle class will be extended this Congress,” leaving open the possibility that cuts for people making more than $250,000 could be extended at some point, too.

Elisha and Romeo get their picture taken with Tony Blair

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:20:54 -0800

Sean and Tony Blair share a laugh in studio after his interview

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:17:23 -0800

Sean Hannity and Great Britain's former Prime Minister Tony Blair

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:15:08 -0800

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair joins Sean in his radio studio

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:12:24 -0800

Tuesday September 07 2010

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:19:19 -0800

Jay Sekulow, John Zogby, Mike Ghouse,

Friday August 27 2010

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:20:06 -0800

Mary Matalin, Karl Rove, Stuart Varney,

Monday August 09 2010

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:38:35 -0800

Michele Bachmann,

Fed set to downgrade outlook for US

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:35:19 -0800

The Federal Reserve is set to downgrade its assessment of US economic prospects when it meets on Tuesday to discuss ways to reboot the flagging recovery.

Faced with weak economic data and rising fears of a double-dip recession, the Federal Open Market Committee is likely to ensure its policy is not constraining growth and to use its statement to signal greater concern about the economy. It is, however, unlikely to agree big new steps to boost growth.

Smaller measures to help the economy could initially take the form of a decision to reinvest proceeds from maturing mortgage-backed securities held by the US central bank, thereby preventing the Fed’s balance sheet from shrinking naturally.

Investors will also examine closely any changes to the pledge made by the FOMC in June to “employ its policy tools as necessary to promote economic recovery and price stability”, which could be hardened if policymakers choose to signal the potential for more aggressive move to boost the economy in the future.

Friday August 06 2010

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:57:28 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Oliver North,

New claims for jobless benefits rise

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:14:11 -0800

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Initial requests for jobless benefits rose last week to their highest level since April, a sign that hiring remains weak and some companies are still cutting workers.

The Labor Department said Thursday that new claims for unemployment insurance rose by 19,000 to a seasonally adjusted 479,000. Analysts had expected a small drop. Claims have risen twice in the past three weeks.

Some of the increase in claims stemmed from difficulties the government has in adjusting for seasonal factors.

But the jump in claims is a cautionary sign that higher corporate profits and a slowly recovering economy aren't spurring companies to generate many jobs.

"The very unyielding flow of layoffs now clearly evident discourages any thought that employers are more comfortable with the size of their staffs," Pierre Ellis, an economist at Decision Economics, wrote in a note to clients.

Also on Thursday, retailers reported modest sales gains in July, raising concerns about the health of the back-to-school shopping season. Many stores, including teen specialists Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and American Eagle Outfitters Inc., had to discount more than they had planned in June and July to pull in recession-scarred shoppers.

Article continues here

Stimulus Slammed

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:54:39 -0800

The Obama administration has credited its $862 billion stimulus program with pulling the economy out of the worst recession since the Great Depression. But a new report by two Republican senators argues the stimulus is riddled with wasteful projects that do not create jobs.

The report, released by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and John McCain, R-Ariz., highlights 100 stimulus projects that they say have "questionable goals," are "being mismanaged or were poorly planned" and are even "costing jobs and hurting small businesses."

The Coburn-McCain report takes issue with stimulus spending on projects like one that entailed research on how cocaine affects monkeys. The Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center was awarded $71,623 to study what the report calls, "Monkeys Getting High for Science."

Bonnie Davis, a spokeswoman for The Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, said the "small grant has helped protect very important research that will have significant impact on public health in regards to cocaine addiction and the issue of relapse."

Go a little further down the list and you'll find even bigger spending. The California Academy of Sciences is receiving nearly $1 million in stimulus funds to send researchers to the Southwest Indian Ocean Islands and East Africa to capture, photograph and analyze thousands of exotic ants.

There's also funding for yoga and hot flashes. Researchers at Wake Forest University have received nearly $300,000 to study whether integral yoga "can be an effective method to reduce the frequency and/or severity of hot flashes" in breast cancer survivors.

Friday July 30 2010

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:02:49 -0800

Peter King, Karl Rove,

Govt: Recession Deeper Than Previously Thought

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:51:44 -0800

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The recession was deeper than the government previously thought.

The Commerce Department, in revisions issued Friday, estimates the economy shrank 2.6 percent last year -- the steepest drop since 1946. That's worse than the 2.4 percent decline originally estimated.

The economy's plunge underscores why the unemployment rate surged to 10.1 percent in October, a 26-year high.

The revisions in gross domestic product, or GDP, now show zero growth in 2008. That compares with a 0.4 percent gain previously estimated.The economy also grew less in 2007 (1.9 percent) than earlier thought (2.1 percent).

For all three years, consumers spent less and home builders cut more deeply than had been thought. Those factors help explain the downward revisions on the economy.

The revisions also show that struggling state and local governments cut spending more last year than previously thought. And they spent less in 2007 and 2008.

The economy slid into its worst recession since the Great Depression in late 2007. Many economists think the recession ended last summer, although a panel of academics that dates the start and end of recessions hasn't declared when this one ended. The panel usually does so well after the fact.

From the start of the recession in December 2007 until the April-to-June quarter of 2009, the economy sank 4.1 percent. That was deeper than the 3.7 percent decline previously estimated for the recession.

GDP is the broadest gauge of the economy's health. It measures the value of all goods and services -- from machinery to manicures -- produced in the United States.

The Commerce Department's latest revisions reach back to 2007. They're based on more complete data and on methodology thought to be more accurate.

Bank Owned Property

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:50:38 -0800

Friday July 16 2010

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:18:57 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Stephen Smith,

Three Million Imaginary Jobs

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:58:34 -0800

It may be that the last people in America who believe that the $862 billion economic stimulus of February 2009 created millions of net new jobs are Vice President Joe Biden and the staff economists in the White House. Yesterday, President Obama's chief economist announced that the plan had "created or saved" between 2.5 million and 3.6 million jobs and raised GDP by 2.7% to 3.2% through June 30. Don't you feel better already?

Obama Courts Stimulus Doubters Fed Weighs Stimulus If Outlook Worsens In Washington, Dueling Jobs Summits Christina Romer went so far as to claim that the 3.5 million new jobs that she promised while the stimulus was being debated in Congress will arrive "two quarters earlier than anticipated." Yup, the official White House line is that the plan is working better than even they had hoped.

We almost feel sorry for Ms. Romer having to make this argument given that since February 2009 the U.S. economy has lost a net 2.35 million jobs. Using the White House "created or saved" measure means that even if there were only three million Americans left with jobs today, the White House could claim that every one was saved by the stimulus.

The White House also naturally insists that things would be much worse without the stimulus billions spent on the likes of Medicaid payments, high speed rail projects, unemployment benefits and windmills. Mr. Obama said recently in Racine, Wisconsin that the economy "would have been a lot worse" and the unemployment rate would have gone to "12 or 13, or 15 [percent]" if government hadn't spent all of that money.

This is called a counterfactual: a what would have happened scenario that can't be refuted. What we do know is what White House economists at the time said would happen if the stimulus didn't pass. They said the unemployment rate would peak at 9% without the stimulus (there's your counterfactual) and that with the stimulus the rate would stay at 8% or below. (See the nearby chart.) In other words, today there are 700,000 fewer jobs than Ms. Romer predicted we would have if we had done nothing at all. If this is a job creation success, what does failure look like?

Article continues here

Friday July 09 2010

Fri, 09 Jul 2010 09:21:23 -0800

Allen West, Stuart Varney,

Illinois Latest Victim of Obama Recession

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:01:17 -0800

By Hannity.com Staff Writer Jonah H.

Sean talked Tuesday about Illinois, yet another state that cannot pay its bills. The state owes $5 billion right now to schools, rehabilitation centers, child care, and the state university. Illinois’s deficit is $12 billion, which is almost half the state’s budget, and its pension system is at least 50% underfunded. The major rating agencies have downgraded the state. “We are not paying bills for absolutely essential services,” says Illinois Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes. Government agencies survive from one day to the next, not knowing how they are going to receive funds.

The Democratic-controlled legislature for years skipped around the state’s balanced-budget law, spending on services it could not afford. Former governor Rod Blagojevich’s decision to float $10 billion in bonds in order to pay the state pension has cost the state billions of dollars. These bad practices have caught up to Illinois because of the Obama recession, and will make for painful days ahead.

Illinois is the latest example of a state that cannot pay its bills, and it may not be the last. California and New York have already become known for fiscal collapse. Susan K. Urahn of the Pew Center on the States noted that these states, because of their budget problems, “could be a big drag on the national economy.” Moreover, if the economy continues to struggle, or there is a double-dip recession, more states could find themselves in the same situation, as could the federal government at some point.

Friday July 02 2010

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 12:05:42 -0800

Stephen Smith, Jan Brewer,

Jobs Data

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:28:50 -0800

June Jobs Data

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:27:10 -0800

The unemployment rate dropped to 9.5 percent for the month of June even as the U.S. government dropped 225,000 Census jobs, the Labor Department reported Friday in another sign that the economy is facing a vulnerable recovery.

Private businesses added 83,000 workers to their payrolls in June, an improvement since May and worse than analysts expected.

The unemployment rate fell as 652,000 people out of work gave up on their job searches and left the labor force. People who are no longer looking for work aren't counted as unemployed.

"The unemployment rate fell to 9.5 percent from 9.7 percent as the 301,000 decline in household employment was more than offset by a drop of 652,000 in the labor force, thus the rate fell not because of a pick up in job gains,' Miller Tabak analyst Peter Boockvar told Fox Business Network.

The nation has 7.9 million fewer private payroll jobs than it did when the recession began in December 2007.

All told, 14.6 million people were looking for work in June. Counting those who have given up their job searches and those who are working part time but would prefer full-time work, the underemployment rate edged down to 16.5 percent from 16.6 percent in May.

Friday June 18 2010

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 14:54:12 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Friday May 21 2010

Fri, 21 May 2010 12:06:15 -0800

Wednesday May 12 2010

Wed, 12 May 2010 17:22:00 -0800

Brent Bozell,

Roubini, Nouriel

Tue, 11 May 2010 07:10:18 -0800

Nouriel Roubini (born Istanbul, Turkey 29 March 1959) is an American professor of economics at the Stern School of Business, New York University and chairman of Roubini Global Economics, an economic consultancy firm.

After receiving a BA in political economics at Bocconi University and a doctorate in international economics at Harvard University, he began academic research and policy making by teaching at Yale while also spending time at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Federal Reserve, World Bank, and Bank of Israel. Much of his early studies focused on emerging markets. During the administration of President Bill Clinton, he was a senior economist for the Council of Economic Advisers, later moving to the United States Treasury Department as a senior adviser to Timothy Geithner, who is now Treasury Secretary.

Nouriel Roubini

Tue, 11 May 2010 07:08:20 -0800

Tuesday May 11 2010

Tue, 11 May 2010 07:04:55 -0800

Nouriel Roubini,

The Welfare State's Death Spiral

Tue, 11 May 2010 06:44:05 -0800

By Robert Samuelson

WASHINGTON -- What we're seeing in Greece is the death spiral of the welfare state. This isn't Greece's problem alone, and that's why its crisis has rattled global stock markets and threatens economic recovery. Virtually every advanced nation, including the United States, faces the same prospect. Aging populations have been promised huge health and retirement benefits, which countries haven't fully covered with taxes. The reckoning has arrived in Greece, but it awaits most wealthy societies.

Americans dislike the term "welfare state" and substitute the bland word "entitlements." The vocabulary doesn't alter the reality. Countries cannot overspend and overborrow forever. By delaying hard decisions about spending and taxes, governments maneuver themselves into a cul de sac. To be sure, Greece's plight is usually described as a European crisis -- especially for the euro, the common money used by 16 countries -- and this is true. But only up to a point.

Euro coins and notes were introduced in 2002. The currency clearly hasn't lived up to its promises. It was supposed to lubricate faster economic growth by eliminating the cost and confusion of constantly converting between national currencies. More important, it would promote political unity. With a common currency, people would feel "European." Their identities as Germans, Italians and Spaniards would gradually blend into a continental identity.

None of this has happened. Economic growth in the "euro area" (the countries using the currency) averaged 2.1 percent from 1992 to 2001 and 1.7 percent from 2002 to 2008. Multiple currencies were never a big obstacle to growth; high taxes, pervasive regulations and generous subsidies were. As for political unity, the euro is now dividing Europeans. The Greeks are rioting. The countries making $145 billion of loans to Greece -- particularly the Germans -- resent the costs of the rescue. A single currency could no more subsume national identities than drinking Coke could make people American. If other euro countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy) suffer Greece's fate -- lose market confidence and can't borrow at plausible rates -- there would be a wider crisis.

But the central cause is not the euro, even if it has meant Greece can't depreciate its own currency to ease the economic pain. Budget deficits and debt are the real problems; and these stem from all the welfare benefits (unemployment insurance, old-age assistance, health insurance) provided by modern governments.

Continue reading here

Monday May 10 2010

Mon, 10 May 2010 18:41:43 -0800

Wednesday April 14 2010

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:42:16 -0800

Michelle Malkin, Juan Williams,

Career Fair

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:46:25 -0800

Initial jobless claims increase unexpectedly

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 08:41:30 -0800

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits rose last week, a sign that jobs remain scarce even as the economy recovers.

The increase also may result from the difficulty the Labor Department has in seasonally adjusting the claims around the Easter holiday, which falls on different weeks each year.

"This is ... a volatile time when the numbers move around quite a bit," a department analyst said.

The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims increased by 18,000 in the week ended April 3, to a seasonally adjusted 460,000. That's worse than economists' estimates of a drop to 435,000, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

Thursday April 08 2010

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 07:40:56 -0800

Juan Williams, Stuart Varney, Andrew Breitbart, Lynne Cheney,

Friday April 02 2010

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:20:00 -0800

Tuesday March 09 2010

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:03:50 -0800

Karl Rove,

Tuesday March 02 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:49:49 -0800

Stuart Varney, Mitt Romney,

Wednesday February 24 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:08:30 -0800

Wednesday February 10 2010

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:56:04 -0800

Eric Cantor,

Senate Democratic Leaders Discuss New Job Creation Agenda

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:08:50 -0800

FEBRUARY 04: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) (R) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) participate in a news conference on job creation on February 4, 2010 in Washington, DC. Senator Reid said the President Obama's fiscal year 2011 budget proposal will help create jobs, and strengthen our economy.

Monday February 01 2010

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:28:14 -0800

Friday January 29 2010

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:47:18 -0800

Newt Gingrich,

Varney, Stuart

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:10:07 -0800

Stuart Varney is a conservative British-American economic journalist, currently working for the Fox News Channel and the Fox Business Network in the United States. Varney joined Fox News in January 2004 as a business contributor on many shows, such as Your World with Neil Cavuto. Varney will also occasionally serve as guest host for Your World and the shows on the Cost of Freedom business block.

Thursday January 07 2010

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:48:47 -0800

Stuart Varney, Dick Morris, Juan Williams,

Monday January 04 2010

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 13:01:55 -0800

Michael Steele,

Tuesday December 29 2009

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:22:21 -0800

Pat Caddell, Ann Coulter,

Monday December 28 2009

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:37:29 -0800

Dave Reichert, Michelle Malkin,

Friday December 25 2009

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:12:24 -0800

Thursday December 24 2009

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:08:25 -0800

Wednesday December 23 2009

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:39:40 -0800

Ann Coulter, Mike Pence,

Tuesday December 22 2009

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:26:28 -0800

Pat Caddell,

Monday December 21 2009

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:05:34 -0800

Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter, Mitch McConnell,

Friday December 18 2009

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:45:53 -0800

Mark Levin,

Wednesday December 16 2009

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:32:15 -0800

Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint,

Tuesday December 15 2009

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:21:03 -0800

John McCain,

McCain, John

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:19:23 -0800

John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election.

Monday December 14 2009

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:20:03 -0800

Friday December 11 2009

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:24:56 -0800

Dennis Kucinich,

National Debt

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:25:10 -0800

The un-official National Debt Clock is seen with a makeshift '1' in the dollar sign box, marking the federal government's expanding current debt of about $10.2 trillion, October 9, 2008 in New York City.

Democrats Call for $1.8T Hike

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:23:17 -0800

Republicans in the House are trying to derail Democratic efforts to lift the national debt limit, though they acknowledge it may be too late this time around.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Friday that Congress needs to raise the limit by at least $1.8 trillion. In response, nearly 50 Republicans in the House have co-sponsored a bill that would make it harder for Congress to raise that ceiling -- which is currently set at $12.1 trillion.

They want Congress to think twice before upping the limit on the national credit card. Congress has raised the limit seven times since 2002, with no end in sight.

"We need to restore fiscal responsibility in Washington and put an end to this out-of-control spending and massive debt that's being dumped onto our children and grandchildren," Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., said in a written statement. He and Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, are unveiling on Friday a bill that would require a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and House to increase the national debt ceiling. It also would prohibit lawmakers from tacking such measures on to other budget bills.

Read More At FOXNews.com

Thursday December 10 2009

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:14:56 -0800

Wednesday December 09 2009

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:51:29 -0800

Stephen Smith, Dick Morris,

Bernake

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:10:06 -0800

US Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson Jr. (C) speaks with Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben S. Bernake

Tuesday December 08 2009

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:48:27 -0800

Michael Steele,

Friday December 04 2009

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:31:32 -0800

Tuesday December 01 2009

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:45:06 -0800

Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee,

Michael Steele

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:44:51 -0800