This Old Socialist Maxine Waters in Line to Replace Barney Frank on Banking
[Townhall.com]
When Barney Frank (D-Fannie Mae) announces that he’s not going to run for reelection, you can bet that the Democrats have between zero chances and zilch of winning back the lower chamber. Or at least you hope they do, because the stakes are greater than merely partisan politics.While Politico reports that Democrats aren’t yet writing off winning back the US House of Representatives, Townhall Finance will tell you that it’s a near certainty that the GOP will pick up seats in 2012; thankfully and gratefully.
And that’s a good thing for both Republicans and Democrats, because next in line for Frank’s chairmanship of the House Financial Services Committee, presuming the Democrats could win back the House, would be This Old Socialist, Maxine Waters (D-Bat Stuff Crazy), according to the Washington Post.
While the generic ballot has tilted in the last few weeks a little more toward the left, the trend is all GOP since 2008.
Former Holder Chief of Staff Nomination to Court Imperiled Over ‘Fast and Furious’
[FoxNews.com]
Published November 15, 2011
The confirmation of a former aide to Attorney General Eric Holder to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces may be in peril over his response to questions posed by Arizona Sen. John McCain about his knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious.Kevin Ohlson, who worked as Holder’s chief of staff from January 2009 to January 2011, faces a confirmation hearing on Thursday for the post. The panel with jurisdiction is the Senate Armed Services Committee, of which McCain is the ranking Republican and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., is chairman.
In his response Monday to a questionnaire sent from McCain last week, both obtained by Fox News, Ohlson said he knew nothing about the operation while he was at the Justice Department.
(more…)
A Memorable Debate, for the Wrong Reasons
[HotAir.com]
The Republican candidate held their first debate in weeks last night, a forum dedicated to economic policy hosted by CNBC’s John Harwood and Maria Bartiromo, and for the most part they seemed to have improved with the time off. For the first hour or so of the debate, everyone seemed sharp, with crisp answers and very little to criticize. Even Rick Perry seemed to have improved — and then, one of the worst moments in decades of major political debates took place when Perry got lost on an easy listing of Cabinet-level agencies he wants to eliminate. Worst of all, the one he couldn’t recall despite nearly 30 seconds of stammering was the Department of Energy, a key area on which Perry has based his economic policy.
Greek Prime Minister Scraps Referendum on Greek Debt Plan
[FoxNews.com]
Associated Press
Published November 03, 2011
ATHENS, Greece – Greece’s prime minister abandoned his explosive plan to put a European rescue deal to popular vote Thursday, keeping his government alive — but passionate squabbling in Athens left the country’s solvency in doubt and the eurozone in turmoil.Prime Minister George Papandreou reversed course after a rebellion within his own Socialist party over the referendum, but ignored repeated calls to resign and call elections.
Panel weighs in on European crisis (Video Below)
Chaos persisted in the country that coined the term: Papandreou faces a critical vote of confidence in his government Friday as the Socialist rebellion still simmers. And the main opposition conservatives were not placated, insisting on his resignation.
Meanwhile, Greece’s cost of borrowing ballooned, with the interest demanded by markets to buy Greek 10-year bonds exceeding 31 percent — compared to 2 percent for European powerhouse Germany.
Large Solar Flares Among Threats To Power Grid
[PersonalLiberty.com]
October 17, 2011 by David Morris
Two major threats have the ability to partially or completely destroy the power grid: electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
You might remember Saddam Hussein threatening to use chemical weapons against both the United States and Israel during the first and second Gulf wars.
You might also remember that we responded to the threat by promising to “respond with overwhelming force and extract a very high price should he be foolish enough to use chemical weapons on United States forces.”
Many people thought that this meant dropping a nuke on Iraq. While that was definitely a possibility, it’s much more likely that our response would have been for us to use an EMP caused by detonating a nuclear bomb 100 miles to 300 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Al Qaeda in Yemen Taking Advantage of ‘Arab Spring’ Fallout
[FoxNews.com]
Published September 14, 2011
Al Qaeda in Yemen is focused on attacks outside of the region, and as the Arab Spring unfolded across the Middle East the terror network’s most active and lethal affiliate took advantage of the political instability to further expand its operations in Yemen, senior Pentagon officials say.
“We are more concerned today than we were in December 2009,” a defense official said, referring to the failed underwear bomb attack by the Al Qaeda affiliate on Christmas Day.
The group, also known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP, has found a way to pursue both its regional goals of establishing an Islamic state along with its external operations. “They are not seen as mutually exclusive,” the defense official added.
Terror Threat? Tanker Carrying 3000 Gallons of Gas Goes Missing in MD
TheBlaze.com
- Posted on September 14, 2011 at 11:29am by
Madeleine Morgenstern
The stolen 10-wheeler tanker closely resembles the six-wheeler truck in this photo. (Media credit: Baltimore ABC 2)Police said Wednesday they are searching for a missing Maryland tanker truck loaded with 3,000 gallons of gasoline, stoking fears of a possible terror threat.
The 10-wheel truck disappeared sometime between 4:30 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. Tuesday from a secure lot in northeastern Maryland, authorities said. According to the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the chainlink fence leading into the lot was cut and the thief hot wired the truck to get it out.
While nothing in the investigation points to a threat, the FBI has been called in to assist with the search Coming just days the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 and reports of a possible Al Qaida plot, Kent County Sheriff’s Sgt. Glenn Owens acknowledged, “there’s greater concern it may be connected to terrorism.”
An Economic Message from the Census Bureau: We’re Screwed
[BigJournalism.com]
by Publius
Posted Sep 13th 2011 at 12:38 pm
From National Journal:
As lawmakers continue to joust over how to accelerate growth and unleash job creation, the Census numbers are a timely reminder of how mightily the U.S. economy struggled over the last decade — and particularly over the last few years, during and after the Great Recession.
Wall Street Journal: GBTV Already Has More Subscribers Than Oprah’s Network Has Viewers
TheBlaze.com
- Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:50pm by
Scott Baker
Many people thought Glenn Beck might have been a little bit crazy (little bit?) to leave the safety and support of traditional cable television to launch his internet-based GBTV enterprise. But the news from the Wall Street Journal today may cause even the critics some pause.
Beck’s GBTV broadcast will launch at 5PM ET this afternoon, complete with an all-new chalkboard!
UK Muslim Protesters Burn American Flag in Front of US Embassy During 9/11 Moment of Silence
TheBlaze.com
- Posted on September 11, 2011 at 3:08pm by Madeleine Morgenstern
Members of the group Muslims Against Crusades burn the American flag during a protest outside the U.S. embassy in London on Sept. 11, 2011. (Source: The Daily Mail)About 100 Muslim demonstrators burned an American flag outside the U.S. embassy in London Sunday during a moment of silence to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Shouting “USA — terrorist state!” protesters carried anti-American signs and made speeches denouncing the United States, the London Telegraph reported.
“You will always face suffering, you will always face humiliation, unless you withdraw your troops from Muslim lands,” one protester said.
Another declared that America had been “defeated in Iraq and defeated in Afghanistan.”
(more…)
EPA Declares Hay a “Pollutant”
PrisonPlanet.com
Ethan A. Huff
Natural News
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Obama’s EPA wants to to drive small, mid-sized family cattle ranchers out of business; this is a government assault on small ranchers and small businesses
The assault against American industry and individual livelihood continues — and no, it is not coming from Al-Qaeda or other foreign terrorists. A recent report from R-CALF USA, an advocacy group for American cattle producers, says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared harmless cattle hay a “pollutant,” which is part of the agency’s agenda to squelch family-scale cattle ranches in favor of corporately-owned, mega-sized feedlot operations.
At the recent 12th Annual R-CALF USA Convention in Rapid City, SD, an audience member asked Mike Callicrate, a Kansas cattle feeder, if the EPA had, indeed, declared hay a pollutant. His affirmative answer was startling to many, but not necessarily surprising in light of the US government’s apparent agenda to destroy every single producing sector in the nation and to reduce the country to a poverty-stricken, corporately-dominated wasteland.
Newly Released Audio Files Reveal Horror of Final Moments in 9/11 Hijackings
FoxNews.com
Associated Press
Published September 08, 2011
Newly released audio files depict the horror of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks unfolding from the perspective of air traffic controllers and flight attendants on board the hijacked planes.The recordings, which begin with early reports of hijackings and include the scrambling of fighter jets, were recently published in their entirety by the Rutgers Law Review — nearly 10 years after the attacks.
At approximately 8:13 a.m., an FAA controller makes several attempts to reach American Airlines Flight 11, heading from Boston to Los Angeles, according to the audio files, which were first reported Thursday by The New York Times.
U.S. Military Increases Base Security Ahead of Sept. 11
FoxNews.com
[Remember 9/11/01]
September 07, 2011
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta has approved a request to increase force protection on U.S. based military installations in preparation for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little announced Wednesday.
In addition, Fox News has obtained an internal document sent from Northern Command with instructions for all military bases operate under security level ALPHA through Sept. 11.
ALPHA is only one step up from a normal or standard security status. It increases in order from NORMAL to ALPHA, to BRAVO to CHARLIE. CHARLIE would be established if intelligence shows and imminent threat. DELTA is the highest level and would be declared when an actual attack is occurring.
Little said this increase in security is not in response to any “specific or credible threat,” rather simply “prudent and precautionary planning.” Although he reminded us that there were documents found at Bin Laden Abbottabad compound that mentioned aspirations to strike on the 10th anniversary of 9/11.
Although he recalled that there were documents found at Bin Laden Abbottabad compound that mentioned aspirations to strike on the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11.
According to the internal document, which was released prior to Panetta’s approval, some of these new security measures include increasing security patrols on U.S. bases, recommending base members be vigilant and report suspicious activity and applying “extra scrutiny” to non-routine vendors such as taxis, flower deliveries, tow trucks and fast food delivery.
A New Front in the Google Wars?
BigGovernment.com
Posted Aug 11th 2011 at 5:06 pm
by Mike Flynn
I’m told the below ad is going wide tomorrow. That in itself is interesting. Google is already a power-house on the Internet and, in recent years, has become inextricably intertwined with the Obama Administration. They collect and retain silly-amounts of data on all of us. We know they leverage this data for ad sales, but what else could or would they use this data for?
Lemonade from FairSearch.org on Vimeo.
I have no idea who is actually behind this ad. But, considering that Google is apparently moving into almost everyone’s on-line business, there is no doubt a long line of possible suspects.
More interesting to me has been recent fall-out to a series of articles published at BigGovernment.com that have been critical of Google. Each of the articles has been based on very tangible problems with Google’s business practices. So far, so normal on how we criticize government, corporations or special interests. But, we’ve experienced serious push-back from many of our colleagues in the blogsphere. My hunch is that they are worried that any criticism of Google could negatively impact their results on search engines. Google might be leveraging their market-dominant position to cool criticism.
Which, in itself, is a different, and possibly more important, story. As they say, stay tuned.
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Setting Up A Food Storage Pantry
PersonalLiberty.com
July 18, 2011 by Peggy Layton
I strongly suggest you find a place in your home or on your property somewhere — either in a basement, spare bedroom, closet, junk room, under the stairway, heated garage, out building or root cellar — and turn it into your own home grocery store and pharmacy. Somehow, get shelves in there: Build them, have them built or buy them pre-built. The room needs to be well insulated so it doesn’t freeze in the winter or overheat in the summer.
My pantry is located in the utility room next to my kitchen. I had about 2 feet of wasted space between the door and the wall, so I had two sets of rolling shelves built to fit in the space. They pull out and can be loaded from the back so the cans roll down and get rotated before their expiration date. This is where I keep the food that our family uses on a daily basis. These rolling shelves hold case goods that I purchase when the grocery stores have case lot sales and other items that we use on a regular basis. (see photo below)
US ‘within reach of strategic defeat of al-Qaeda’
BBC – South Asia
9 July 2011 Last updated at 10:15 ET
New al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is believed to be hiding in western Pakistan. New US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has said the US is “within reach of strategically defeating al-Qaeda”.Mr. Panetta said that following the killing of Osama Bin Laden, key leaders in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere had been identified and would be targeted.
He offered the upbeat assessment during his first visit to Afghanistan since taking over at the Pentagon last week.
Earlier, a member of Afghanistan’s intelligence service shot dead two US soldiers in the Panjshir valley.
The National Directorate of Security (NDS) officer, a bodyguard for its deputy director, was killed when another US soldier returned fire.
Pentagon No. 2 William Lynn to Resign
FoxNews.com
Associated Press
Published July 07, 2011
AP – In this May 31, 2010 file photo, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. In a further shake-up of U.S. defense leaders, the Lynn, Pentagon’s second-ranking official said Thursday he intends to resign but has agreed to stay on the job until Defense Secretary Leon Panetta chooses a successor.
WASHINGTON — In a further shake-up of U.S. defense leaders, the Pentagon’s second-ranking official said Thursday he intends to resign but has agreed to stay on the job until Defense Secretary Leon Panetta chooses a successor.
Al Qaeda-Linked Site Posts ‘Hit List’ of U.S. Targets, Prompting Feds to Send Alert
FoxNews.com
Published June 16, 2011
Shown here is an image from the Shumukh forum, an Al Qaeda-linked website.
The Department of Homeland Security has sent out an internal alert warning that jihadist websites last week posted a “hit list” of American executives, officials and companies — an alarming development that could mark the start of a new phase in terror plots.
The list, which covers dozens of names connected to the Iraq war, including executives at Halliburton and KBR, was compiled by users who vowed to “send explosive mail” to the “best target.” The lists were published online around the same time American-born Al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn released a video in which he called on Muslims in the U.S. to kill Americans.
Ok, Apply Net Neutrality to THIS
BigGovernment.com
Posted Mar 3rd 2011 at 5:04 pm
by Seton Motley
(Amazingly intricate and complicated photo/map courtesy of Peer1.)
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Did an FCC official do work for PBS simultaneously?
HotAir.com
posted at 12:55 pm on February 18, 2011 by Ed Morrissey
There are two interesting stories centered on “FCC: Survivor” this morning, and we’ll roll them up into a single post. First, the House has followed through on its threat to restrain the commission from enforcing authority in a jurisdiction Congress never granted it. An amendment to the continuing resolution passed last night that bars funds from being used to enforce Julius Genachowski’s “Open Internet” rules:
The House passed an amendment Thursday that would bar the Federal Communications Commission from using any funding to implement the network-neutrality order it approved in December.
The amendment, approved on a 244-181 vote, was offered by Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., to legislation that would fund government agencies for the rest of fiscal year 2011.
Egyptian Democracy or Fanatic Islam taking over the Middle East?
FloppingAces.net
Victor Davis Hanson reminds us about the last time we saw this kind of “revolutionary” fever…not in Egypt but in Iran:
So let us reflect for a moment on the revolutionary era in Iran to remind us that the end of freedom there was not instantaneous, but insidious. Massive demonstrations broke out against the Shah of Iran in January 1978 — similarly characterized by the prominent role of the middle and upper urbanized and Westernized classes. He was forced to flee Iran almost a year later, on January 16, 1979. The Ayatollah Khomeini arrived in Tehran shortly afterward, on February 1, 1979, disavowing any political ambitions other than “spiritual guidance” — as he was showered with positive appraisals from academics and other “Middle East” experts.
Intel Chief Warns of Threat From Iran, Cybercrime at House Hearing
FoxNews.com
Associated Press
Published February 10, 2011
AP – Feb. 1: Directory of National Intelligence James Clapper, left, talks with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at the State Department in Washington before a meeting of the President’s Interagency Task Force on human trafficking.
The top U.S. intelligence official painted a dire picture Thursday about the threats posed by Iran, cybercrime and other forces, as he testified on Capitol Hill about international security.
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told a House committee that fighting terrorism, namely Al Qaeda, remains the intelligence community’s top priority. He said Al Qaeda remains determined to attack the West, target Americans for recruitment and spawn affiliate groups around the world. But he outlined a string of other threats that he described as mounting and menacing.
Conservatives Congregate at CPAC
FoxNews.com
Published February 10, 2011
The Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual confab of 10,000 conservatives held at one of Washington, D.C.’s top mega-hotels, kicked off Thursday for a three-day festival that is already full of surprises.
On the eve of CPAC, the American Conservative Union, the conference organizer, surprised many by announcing longtime chief David Keene had stepped down and would be replaced with Al Cardenas, former Florida Republican Party chairman.
The move is unlikely to stem the internecine conflict behind the scenes resulting from a boycott by social conservative groups protesting the inclusion of a gay Republican organization. Cardenas has said he’s going to continue with the “big tent” approach that led to the boycott from groups like the Family Research Council.
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