2009,Don’t Let the Door Hit You in the A@@

2009 Started with Stimulus and ended with a great balls of fire moment from a Jihad’s Jockeys.  Pray for a better 2010.

Ahh…the favorite moments of ’09:

1. Favorite Stimulus Allocation:
University of Minnesota – $230,280 for stop smoking outreach to the homeless:
The University of Minnesota received more than $230,000 not to combat the serious problem of homelessness, but instead to stop homeless people from smoking. The university’s plan involves distributing nicotine patches, transit passes, and debit cards to participants. In order to enhance participation in this study, the university intends to produce “attractive intervention materials.”

2. Best Current Events Joke …

“Thank God they found balloon boy, I was afraid that Michael Jackson was ordering take out from heaven”

3. Best comeback of the year — Sarah Palin

After being mocked and ridiculed for her performance during a failed vice presidential bid, Palin surged back in 2009, capturing national headlines by stepping down as Alaska’s governor, penning a best-selling autobiography.  And she made Obama accountable by drawing attention to health care with the mere mention of ‘death panels’ on Twitter and Facebook.

4. The Ethically Impaired: Mark Sanford the wandering Gov, William Jefferson sentenced for his freezer cash, Sen. Chris Dodd’s sweetheart Countrywide loan for a Capitol Hill townhouse and handling of AIG bonuses. Valerie Jarett, slumload.  Impeachment of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich amid charges he tried to sell President Obama’s seat in the Senate. ( a list in its own for sure….this just skims the surface.)

5. Sheer Abuse Scandal of the year: ACORN
Undercover video of ACORN workers advising conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp on criminal activities, including tax evasion. (Runner up:  Climate-Gate, The scandal over E-mails that suggest global-warming scientists used “tricks” to boost their warming theory.)

6. Favorite Party Crashers : Michaele and Tareq Salahi
State dinner gate crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi. A House committee is probing how they got in without an invitation and past the White House Social Office.

7.Worst justification of the year — Unemployment will hit 8 percent without the stimulus bill.  $787 billion later, unemployment in October reached 10.2 percent and is currently at 10 percent.  Enough said.

Comrade Matrix welcomes your comments on your favorite moments of 2009… Here’s to a vastly improved 2010!!!

Need A Clown For Your Next Party? Hire Janet Napolitano.

Here are the latest clownish remarks from the head of our Homeland Security.  Sure does bring me peace of mind to know that a buffoon heads up the security of our nation.

According to Newsbusters,  ”Like a football coach trying to explain away the trouncing his team just took by building up the opponent, Janet Napolitano is seeking to diminish the Obama administration’s NWA 253 failure by exaggerating the cunning of the Christmas Day plot.

The hapless Homeland Security head has a 679-word piece in today’s USA Today basically promising to do better.  She begins with this line [emphasis added]:.

Friday’s attempted terrorist attack against Northwest Flight 253 near Detroit is a powerful illustration that terrorists will go to great lengths to try to defeat the security measures that have been put in place since September 11, 2001.

“Great lengths?” Really?  You buy a plane ticket for a kid, stick a few ounces of explosives in his nappies, then hope he’ll make it onboard and remember which end to light.  

And far from choosing someone with a good chance of completing his murderous mission, the plotters picked a guy with enough red flags surrounding him to have stocked a May Day parade back in the old Soviet Union.  Need we count some of the ways?

• Denied British visa.
• On some kind of US watch list.
• Father warned our embassy and various intel agencies.
• Paid cash.
• One-way ticket.
• No checked luggage.

Napolitano would want us to imagine diabolical masterminds behind a fiendish plot that the Obama admin might be excused for not undoing. But far from demonstrating the “great lengths” to which the terrorists will go, what happened on December 25th illustrates only the deep incompetence of those responsible for stopping it.

Will the MSM note Napolitano’s latest lame excuse?  How much longer can she possibly remain in office?”

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/30/hows-that-911-commission-reorganization-working/

Jim DeMint does not hold up your vote– so stop your Alinsky tactic.

Does anyone REALLy believe that DeMint can hold up a confirmation for the TSA??? The only thing he insists on, is a recorded vote by the Senate, He wants a hearing. Truth be told, Obama does not want anymore hearings, because up to now, his candidates have been sorely vetted. Tax problems, marxist ties are the standard of the day. It was only last fall that the candidate for TSA was even nominated. NOMINATED!! got that?? There is suppose to be a hearing!!!!!!! He Lied during it and corrected his statement.. now Reid, call for a vote and stop blaming DeMint

However, the article linked below states DeMint cannot hold up the approval process, and that it is actually Reid who needs to schedule the voting and has not yet done so.

So why are they blaming DeMint? Is it like them blaming Republicans for holding up healthcare even though they don’t need senate Republicans to vote? Evidently, they want this nominee approved without a vote or debate.

“It took the president eight months to nominate someone for the post, but that nomination has since been held up by objections from Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who fears nominee Erroll Southers will unionize TSA screeners.

Now that the administration is launching a full review of airport security procedures, some lawmakers are putting pressure on DeMint to drop the issue. But the South Carolina senator is standing by his opposition, saying the attempted attack only underscores the importance of preventing screeners from clogging up the works with collective bargaining negotiations.

“The attempted terror attack in Detroit is a perfect example of why the Obama administration should not unionize the TSA and allow our airline security decisions to be dictated by union bosses,” DeMint said in a written statement sent to FoxNews.com.

He said TSA has the “flexibility” to respond to threats with immediate security changes, as it did in response to Friday’s incident, but that Southers “appears ready to give union bosses the power to veto or delay future security improvements at our airports.”

Southers apparently has not been clear with DeMint over his position on collective bargaining at the TSA, which prompted a letter from him to Southers in October. DeMint’s objection does not prevent Southers from being approved — but it did trip up any effort to smoothly confirm him without a vote or debate. DeMint’s office blamed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for the delay, saying it’s up to Senate Democrats to schedule the vote. “

 http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009…error-attempt/

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/29/quotes-of-the-day-236/

Private Property?: Clean Water Restoration Act Raises Fears of Land Grab

They rest not a second to control all that we have, another brazen move.

Upwards of 40 percent of all land in the United States is already under some form of government control or ownership — 800 million to 900 million acres out of America’s total 2.2 billion acres. Its Shocking-Two thirds of the land mass of the 13 Western States is owned by the Federal Government- this does not include local and State Governments

The government now appears poised to wield greater control over private property on a number of fronts. Outraged over that ruling and a series of recent efforts by government to wield greater control over private property, citizens are fighting back. 

The Clean Water Restoration Act currently pending in the U.S. Senate could reach to control even a “seasonal puddle” on private property. 

Eleven senators and 17 representatives in the U.S. House have sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasting the measure as one of the boldest property grab attempts of all time.

This bill is described by opponents as a sweeping overhaul of the Clean Water Act that could threaten both physical land and jobs by wiping out some farmers entirely. 

“Right now, the law says that the Environmental Protection Agency is in charge of all navigable water,” said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Western Caucus and an opponent of the bill. 

“Well, this bill removes the word ‘navigable,’ so for ranchers and farmers who have mud puddles, prairie potholes — anything from snow melting on their land — all of that water will now come under the regulation of the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency,” he said. 

Barrasso said the federal government’s one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in the west where the Rocky Mountain states have gone even further than Washington to protect land, water and the environment.

“The government wants control of all water — that also means that they want control over all of our land including the private property rights of people from the Rocky Mountain west, the western caucus and the entire United States,” he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/14/private-property-clean-water-restoration-act/

http://hotair.com/archives/2010/04/26/clean-water-restoration-act-just-another-land-grab/

Why Does Interpol Need Immunity from American Law?

While the National Review comments that “for no apparent reason, Zero signed this bill while we were not watching,, we were posting on this months ago– the intent? The Copenhagen meeting had much on the agenda besides global warming and this is the first step in what Bill Bennett had warned about.

You just can’t make up how brazen this crowd is. One week ago, President Obama quietly signed an executive order that makes an international police force immune from the restraints of American law.

 Specifically, previously Interpol’s property and assets remained subject to search and seizure, and its archived records remained subject to public scrutiny under provisions like the Freedom of Information Act. Being constrained by the Fourth Amendment, FOIA, and other limitations of the Constitution and federal law that protect the liberty and privacy of Americans is what prevents law-enforcement and its controlling government authority from becoming tyrannical.

On Wednesday, however, for no apparent reason, President Obama issued an executive order removing the Reagan limitations. That is, Interpol’s property and assets are no longer subject to search and confiscation, and its archives are now considered inviolable. This international police force (whose U.S. headquarters is in the Justice Department in Washington) will be unrestrained by the U.S. Constitution and American law while it operates in the United States and affects both Americans and American interests outside the United States.

Why would we elevate an international police force above American law? Why would we immunize an international police force from the limitations that constrain the FBI and other American law-enforcement agencies? Why is it suddenly necessary to have, within the Justice Department, a repository for stashing government files which, therefore, will be beyond the ability of Congress, American law-enforcement, the media, and the American people to scrutinize?

Watch out for U.N. Copenhagen-they say deal impossible, but

… The E.U. is on board. One of the main features is a one world government where countries wind up giving up many of their rights to a commision, including a legal system. http://bunkerville.wordpress.com/2009/10/30/watch-out-for-u-n-copenhagen-they-say-deal-impossible-but/

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MGY3MTI4YTRjZmYwMGU1ZjZhOGJmNmQ0NmJiZDNmMDY=

OBAMA JUST CAN’T ADMIT IT WAS TERRORISM

Obama said the bomber [not terrorist] “allegedly tried…” As in what… there’s no real proof he really meant to blow up a plane?    How many jihad moments can we have  before his administrations admits there really is a war going on?  And how many lawyer friends is Obama  going to give cases to before realizing  there’s a reason we have a military system?

Somehow Comrade Matrix is thinking this guy’s ‘on the job training’ isn’t working so well  – and we’ll all be paying the price.

In an effort to shore up America’s image abroad, Obama has worked tirelessly to bow and beg and not ask too much of other world leaders or their countries.  There were no US Marshalls on the flight because the last time Janet asked the Netherlands if we could have that security measure, they said no.  When is this administration going to grow some?  No security, no flights to the US.   See how fast they change their minds.  And if the head of Homeland Security can’t do that,  she shouldn’t be there.  Reacting to an attack is not the same as working to prevent one in the first place. Napolitano thinks the system worked perfectly…after it failed miserably. Strange unit of measure there.

And hey – anybody seen our old friend Hillary? Can you tell me where she’s gone?  Nope.  Nothing out of that department now that Hillary has made it a ceremonial position.

Even the  underwear bomber’s father warned that his son might be up to no good.  The guy was on a ‘watch list’.  Yet…there he was in row 19th.   Just like a White House dinner crasher.  Thank God for Jasper Schuringa – the flying Dutchman – [even though Janet really wanted to take the credit].  Jasper has more balls than this entire administration and Congress.   I hope he milks the MSM outta as much bucks as he can.  The man deserves compensation in the wake of his actions so necessary with our feckless government.

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/28/quotes-of-the-day-235/

A Very Merry Christmas!

Let us remember at this time of year, why we do the good fight. As we share this time with friends and families, let us be thankful for all we have and what has been given to us at this blessed time of year.

A special prayer and thank you to those who are far away, and willing to sacrifice it all so that we may live free.

An Intriguing Long Shot: Could Massachusetts Save Us From Obamacare?

Now if this isn’t a wild ride of an idea! Maybe it was the eggnog or maybe…

A TWS reader e-mails: 

“Hey Mr. Kristol, is there some supersecret plot to ignore the Massachusetts Senatorial election scheduled for JANUARY 19, where an actual REPUBLICAN has a chance to become the 41ST member of the Republican caucus, which might find it in its interest to…persuade a certain Senatorial election committee to pay attention to the race or send money or have actual prominent Republican types come to the state to campaign for the very telegenic State Sen. Scott Brown, who’s running against an undistinguished mouse of a Dem Party apparatchick who’s so pro-abortion she’s almost promising to do the procedure herself and doesn’t carry the last name of Kennedy?

Just askin’!”

 

He signs himself, “Perhaps Inordinately Hopefully Yours.”

He is perhaps inordinately hopeful. But he’s right: the health care bill wouldn’t come back to the Senate from the House (if a new version passes the House—which as I argued earlier, isn’t a laydown) until after January 19th. So a 41st Republican senator could stop Obamacare. Now, of course the Democrat Martha Coakley is the overwhelming favorite. But someone might want to commission a poll in Massachusetts to see what might happen if the Senate race could be made a referendum on Obamacare. Brown and Coakley debated last night, and they clashed on the health care bill. But so far as I can tell, Brown didn’t emphasize that by electing him, the voters of Massachusetts have a chance to save the country from Obamacare. What if there were a massive independent expenditure that made that point? I bet Obamacare isn’t popular even in Massachusetts. And it would be novelistically satisfying if the Democrats lost Ted Kennedy’s seat on the issue of government-run health care, thereby dooming…government-run health care.

Posted by William Kristol on December 22, 2009 10:54 PM

  http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/12/an_intriguing_long_shot_could.asp

Posted by William Kristol on December 22, 2009 10:54 PM

http://hotair.com/archives/2009/12/29/where-is-the-national-gop-in-the-massachusetts-special-election/

What would Christmas be, without Mao at Whitehouse?

Its been described by the MSM that Christmas at the WH is very different this year– oh yes it is!  A desecration of  OUR house, Mr. Zero: From Big Government:

Mr. Doonan, who is creative director of Barney’s New York has often caused a stir with his design choices.  For this year’s White House, he didn’t disappoint.

Like his naughty yuletide window display of Margaret Thatcher as a dowdy dominatrix and Dan Quayle as a ventriloquist’s dummy. For this year’s White House, he didn’t disappoint. These photos of ornaments on the White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room were taken just days ago. Of course, Mao has his place in the White House. And, so soon after collecting the Nobel Peace Prize, why wouldn’t the White House have an ornament super-imposing President Obama onto Mt. Rushmore

DIRTY HARRY REID SCREWS HOUSING

Every other industry gets some kind of ‘bail out’ … and housing industry? Well just when things are down as low as can be (Matrix hopes) …along comes Harry and his freight train of never ending indulgences – I mean amendments:

The little noticed amendment,  was added late last week to  Reid’s package of changes, revises a section of the bill that exempts small employers with 5 employees  from having to provide coverage.  The exemption previously applied to companies with as many as 50 employees.

That amendment now is part of the Senate health care bill.

The actual language in the manager’s amendment (see page 76) says the five-employee rule will apply to any employer with “substantial annual gross receipts … attributable to the construction industry” and with annual payroll expenses exceeding $250,000. The provision would take effect starting after Dec. 31, 2013.

The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association stated today in an email to members:  “This language is so vague and undefined it could include businesses all along the supply chain.”   The amendment “treats small businesses in our industry, already devastated by the recession, differently than other small businesses. There is no justifiable rationale for singling out of the construction industry and adopting an amendment without discussion, open debate or even a vote.“

http://www.builderonline.com/legislation/groups-decry-senate-health-bill-forcing-coverage-at-small-firms.aspx

So much for helping small business.  Yep…that’s Harry and the Big Zero…killing off the economy one industry at a time.  Just when we held out hope sexy insulation would be perking up those home improvement sales.