Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Michigan Gov. Snyder to sign sweeping tax measure into law
Dow Jones Sues Texas Claiming Tax Code Violates First Amendment
Internet rules at center of ‘e-G8′ forum in Paris
Democrat Kathy Hochul topples Republican Jane Corwin to grab crucial upstate NY congressional seat
Tea party enlists anti-communist’s Idaho group to promote Constitution Week in public schools
NEW WORLD ORDER: US taxpayers on the hook for Strauss-Kahn’s golden parachute
Black boxes for vehicles to be compulsory by next month
Why Israel mustn’t withdraw to pre-1967 borders
Herman Cain Presidential Announcement Video
Aaron Lewis: Country Boy

Michigan Gov. Snyder to sign sweeping tax measure into law

Posted: 25 May 2011 11:19 AM PDT

By KATHY BARKS HOFFMAN, Businessweek.com

Gov. Rick Snyder will sign a sweeping tax proposal into law on Wednesday that he says is key to his efforts to improve Michigan’s economy.

The legislation cuts overall business taxes by about $1 billion in the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 and $1.7 billion the following year. It replaces the Michigan Business Tax with a 6 percent income tax on corporations with shareholders, which about two-thirds of Michigan businesses won’t have to pay.

The measure also raises more money from individual taxpayers by increasing taxes on some retirees’ pensions, shrinking tax breaks for low-income workers and eliminating many credits and deductions.

Democratic lawmakers say the business tax cuts come largely at the expense of retirees, increasing their tax bills by $300 million. Lower-income workers will see the Earned Income Tax Credit shrink from 20 percent of the federal credit to 6 percent. Some Democrats have chided Republicans for increasing taxes on seniors so they could give businesses big tax breaks. They also say the changes will hurt education, which faces deep cuts.

Snyder says revamping Michigan’s tax code will help create jobs by making Michigan a more attractive place to do business. When the bill passed the Senate last week, he called it a “huge step forward in terms of job creation.”

Overall, the bill is expected to reduce revenue by about $535.2 million in the upcoming fiscal year and by $438 million in 2012-13, with the school aid fund taking the brunt of the business tax cuts, according to the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency.

Dow Jones Sues Texas Claiming Tax Code Violates First Amendment

Posted: 25 May 2011 11:12 AM PDT

By Eriq Gardner, Hollywoodreporter.com

How much does Ruper Murdoch hate taxes? So much so that the media baron’s Wall Street Journal has decided to go to war with the state of Texas over the state comptroller’s ruling that the WSJ is really not a “newspaper” and should thus pay sale taxes. Dow Jones & Co. has now filed a lawsuit against the state, raising objections including the argument that Texas is violating the First Amendment with its tax policy.

Last week, the WSJ says it paid $97,206.96 in taxes to Texas, but did so under protest.

The Murdoch-owned newspaper believes it is being penalized by the state for charging more than $1.50 per paper for a newsstand sale.

According to the Texas tax code, a “newspaper” is defined as being printed on newsprint, distributed in short intervals, disseminating the news, with an average sale price that doesn’t exceed $1.50.

In February, the state comptroller announced that some newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times no longer meet the definition of a newspaper. “Because the average price of both publications is above $1.50, neither of these publications qualifies as a newspaper for Texas sales tax purposes,” wrote the comptroller.

The ramifcations of the ruling meant that it wouldn’t qualify for a “newspaper” sales tax exemption afforded to other, smaller publications.

Internet rules at center of ‘e-G8′ forum in Paris

Posted: 25 May 2011 11:08 AM PDT

By JAMEY KEATEN, Businessweek.com

France wants better regulation of the Internet. Google’s executive chairman says policymakers should tread lightly and avoid “stupid” rules.

Bridging such differences about how the Internet could or should be more regulated took center stage Tuesday at an “e-G8″ meeting aimed to parlay the digital world’s growing economic clout into a cohesive message for world leaders at the Group of Eight summit later this week in Normandy.

The two-day Paris gathering has brought together Internet and media world gurus such as Google Inc. executive chairman Eric Schmidt, News Corp. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch and Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. And the discussion includes issues such as protecting children from “evil stuff” on line, preventing illegal downloading of copyrighted materials and shielding Facebook users from unsolicited invitations.

The e-G8 comes amid concerns in the industry that some countries — including several in Europe such as France — have taken measures or enacted laws that could curb Internet freedoms.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, kicking off the conference, said governments need to lay down and enforce rules in the digital world — even as they need to foster creativity and economic growth with the Internet.

It’s unclear whether he’ll win over digital executives with this argument, or whether the G-8 summit — which doesn’t include countries such as China, a major source of online activity and online regulation — will agree on a single policy going forward.

Democrat Kathy Hochul topples Republican Jane Corwin to grab crucial upstate NY congressional seat

Posted: 25 May 2011 09:37 AM PDT

BY ALISON GENDAR, nydailynews.com

An upstate Democrat won a Republican congressional seat Tuesday night in one of the state’s most conservative districts that some saw as a referendum on the GOP’s plan to rejigger Medicare.

Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul knocked off Republican Assemblywoman Jane Corwin to win the seat in the 26th Congressional District, which runs between Buffalo and Rochester.

Hochul garnered 47% of the vote to Corwin’s 43%. Jack Davis, a Tea Party candidate, pulled about 8% of the vote.

Hochul said she refused to “decimate” Medicare.

“How about ending big handouts for Big Oil?” Hochul rallied supporters during her victory speech at a union hall outside Buffalo. “How about making millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share?”

Democrats basked in her victory.

“There are two reasons we won tonight. Kathy Hochul is a great candidate and a Western New Yorker through and through. And New Yorkers of all political persuasions do not want to destroy Medicare. This election was a strong referendum on both,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Tea party enlists anti-communist’s Idaho group to promote Constitution Week in public schools

Posted: 25 May 2011 09:33 AM PDT

By Associated Press, WashingtonPost.com

MALTA, Idaho — A national tea party group wants a conservative publishing house in Idaho to teach America's kids about the U.S. Constitution this coming school year.

The Tea Party Patriots, Georgia-based but claiming 1,000 chapters nationally, told members this month to remind teachers of a 2004 federal law requiring public schools to teach Constitution lessons every Sept. 17, commemorating the day the document was signed.

Critics are troubled by the push because the publisher of the materials, the National Center for Constitutional Studies, promotes the Constitution as a divinely inspired document.

A tea party official responded, saying, "they're eliminating God out of the whole political discussion 100 percent, which is going to the other extreme."

NEW WORLD ORDER: US taxpayers on the hook for Strauss-Kahn’s golden parachute

Posted: 25 May 2011 09:28 AM PDT

By Judson Berger, FOXNews.com

The former head of the International Monetary Fund accused of sexually assaulting a New York hotel maid will receive a $250,000 severance payment — paid in part courtesy of the American taxpayer — unless U.S. lawmakers can stop the “golden parachute” from landing in the French politician’s bank account.

The IMF claims it has no discretion in the matter of Dominique Strauss-Khan, who was already pulling down nearly $500,000 as managing director when he resigned after being arrested in New York. The one-time severance, along with a much smaller annual pension, was part of his contract.

But considering the heavy financial stake the United States has in the global lender, some lawmakers are trying to exert pressure on an organization that has come under increased scrutiny over how its vast international resources are being used.

“The scandal at the IMF is putting that organization in the public eye again and American taxpayers — who pay the largest share of the IMF’s bills — are raising a lot of important questions,” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., House Republican Conference vice chairwoman, told FoxNews.com in a written statement.

“What does it say about the IMF that its managing director has a higher annual salary than the president of the United States, that he stays at $3,000-per-night hotel rooms, and that he gets a quarter of a million dollars in severance pay while awaiting charges for [attempted] rape?” McMorris Rodgers asked.

Jim Specht, spokesman for House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., said his boss will request hearings in the Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs on the IMF directorship, and review what leverage the U.S. might have over operations. Lewis is a member of that subcommittee.

Black boxes for vehicles to be compulsory by next month

Posted: 25 May 2011 09:24 AM PDT

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

By next month, every driver in the U.S. will be required to have a black box in their vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will declare that all automobiles are required to contain the event data recorder – similar to those found in aircraft – in order to monitor driving habits and provide a snapshot of the final moment of impact if the car crashes.

The snapshot will be able to be viewed by law enforcement, insurance companies and automakers and the owner of the vehicle will not be able to turn it on or off.

Critics of the mandate see it as another Big Brother-style invasion of privacy by the government while others believe it is a way to keep tabs on drivers.

It will also make it easier for insurance companies to settle claims and have access to circumstances surrounding car crashes.

Wired cites an example, in 2002, of a car which had a black box – many who have airbags already have one – being used to implicate a driver who went on to be convicted for manslaughter.

Why Israel mustn’t withdraw to pre-1967 borders

Posted: 25 May 2011 08:42 AM PDT

Herman Cain Presidential Announcement Video

Posted: 25 May 2011 08:38 AM PDT

Aaron Lewis: Country Boy

Posted: 25 May 2011 08:35 AM PDT

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Tea party activists in SC question purpose of Gov Haley’s Tea Party Coalition
N.Y. Health Commissioner Bans Sale of ‘Bath Salts’
GOP 2012 hopefuls atoning for flaws
Jerry Brown calls prison ruling a reason for taxes
Illinois treasurer says he would call bond houses, warn against lending to Illinois
Senate debates president’s power during cyber-attack

Tea party activists in SC question purpose of Gov Haley’s Tea Party Coalition

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:45 AM PDT

By: JIM DAVENPORT, Dailyjournal.net

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley may be using a tea party group she’s creating as political cover, tea party activists said Monday.

Haley announced she was forming the Governor’s Tea Party Coalition to advise her as she spoke to a Columbia Tea Party gathering Thursday at the Statehouse.

But tea party activists have been complaining lately about Haley’s handling of a sales tax collection break for online retailer Amazon.com and her use of federal funds to begin implementing the new national health care law.

“There’s a high level of concern that our governor is trying to divert some of the pressure from the grass-roots front on some of her decisions recently and that may be reason she wants to form a tea party advisory board,” said Harry Kibler, founder of RINO Hunt. His group singles out “Republicans in name only” for not hewing to GOP principles.

Lexington tea party activist Talbert Black said Haley’s move could be seen as an effort to neutralize tea party groups’ criticism. “An advisory board can very easily turn into a way for the governor — or any politician — to neutralize the influence we have,” Black said.

Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey said the governor loves the tea party because it’s not a political party. The “coalition she’s forming of tea party leaders is an opportunity to get people who haven’t been involved before to take a pro-active role in bringing good government, pro-business reforms to our state,” Godfrey said.

N.Y. Health Commissioner Bans Sale of ‘Bath Salts’

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:41 AM PDT

By: FoxNews.com

New York State Health Commissioner Nirav Sha is issuing an order to ban the sale of a substance sold as bath salts that packs as much punch as cocaine or methamphetamines when abused.
The amphetamine-type substance is resulting in hundreds of hospitalizations nationwide.

The substance is most often sold in small convenience stores. It causes hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, suicidal behavior and violence as well as chest pains and increased blood pressure.

U.S. Sen. Charles of Schumer of New York is seeking a nationwide ban.

The state health commissioner’s order issued Monday takes effect immediately. The commissioner can order a ban in the interest of public safety.

GOP 2012 hopefuls atoning for flaws

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:38 AM PDT

By Seth McLaughlin, TheWashingtonTimes.com

The GOP presidential field is firming up, and all the major White House hopefuls have something in common besides a desire to defeat President Obama: Each has on his resume a violation of conservative orthodoxy certain to anger primary voters.

Whether it's backing state health care, approving tax increases or supporting initiatives driven by climate change, the top candidates have baggage that will have some Republicans swallowing hard in the voting booth.

"Every candidate in the field has a question that has to be answered with the Republican primary voters, and how each of them answers that question that pertains to them in the mind of voters is going to be very important," said GOP strategist Ed Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman. "That is part of the testing process. That's part of what forges winning candidates."

The field is defined as much by who has passed on a run as by who is in or still considering it.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels announced Sunday that he would forgo a bid, following in the footsteps of Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Mike Pence and billionaire businessman Donald Trump.

That leaves a field where it seems the bigger the name, the more questions there are.

Many Republican voters want to know why former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who announced his bid last week, criticized on national TV the House GOP's plan to reshape Medicare and why former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., another potential contender, was willing to represent the Obama administration for nearly two years as U.S. ambassador to China.

Jerry Brown calls prison ruling a reason for taxes

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:33 AM PDT

Posted by David Siders, The Sacramento Bee

A week after increased revenue estimates looked to frustrate Gov. Jerry Brown’s case for higher taxes, a Supreme Court ruling requiring California to reduce its prison population may help.

Brown said in a prepared statement that shifting certain offenders from state prisons to county facilities, as Brown proposes in his budget, is “key” to implementing the court’s order today that California reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates.

“We must now secure full and constitutionally guaranteed funding to put into effect all the realignment provisions,” he said, a reference to his bid for a ballot measure extending higher taxes.

Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, of Tulare, called the court’s ruling a “reckless and irresponsible decision,” saying it could increase the risk of violent crime.

“Despite today’s ruling, the Legislature will play a critical role in determining how inmates are released to comply with the court’s order,” Conway said in a statement. She said Republicans will “work to ensure that dangerous criminals serve the maximum time of their sentence behind bars where they belong.”

Brown also pledged to “take all steps necessary to protect public safety.”

The California Republican Party, meanwhile, used the ruling as an opportunity to slam Democrats. Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro said in a written statement that Democratic lawmakers have “failed in their most basic obligation to keep Californians safe by building adequate prisons.”

Illinois treasurer says he would call bond houses, warn against lending to Illinois

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:29 AM PDT

By: Hannah Hess, stltoday.com

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • Illinois chief fiscal officer said Monday he is willing to dial up the bond houses and finance companies to alert them that lending the state more money, as Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed, would be a “major risk.”

‘ ‘If I need to send letters o the rating companies to tell them the treasurer of Illinois is opposed to more borrowing, I’m going to do that,” said Republican Treasurer Dan Rutherford.

Quinn, a Democrat, warned that without borrowing vendors and service providors would be left unpaid. In a statement, he challenged Rutherford to identify schools, state vendors and non-profits that should “continue to operate — or close their doors — while they wait for payment from the state.”

The backlog of unpaid bills will reach $8 billion by July, Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka recently estimated.

Rutherford says the debt from past borrowing has soared to $45 billion in recent years, which amounts to $10,000 for every household in the state. As a result, Illinois has the second-worst credit rating in the nation, above only California, he added.

Senate debates president’s power during cyber-attack

Posted: 24 May 2011 08:24 AM PDT

By: Shaun Waterman, Washingtontimes.com

Senators squared off with Obama administration officials Monday about plans to give the president emergency powers to protect vital U.S. electronic networks from attacks by hackers, cyberterrorists and foreign governments.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on the administration's legislative proposal, announced two weeks ago, that would rely on a pre-World War II radio emergency law to provide the president with authority to protect key computer and communication networks — like those mainly in private hands that run power grids, phone systems and banking services — from a cyber-attack.

"I must say this baffles me," said Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, of the administration's plan to rely on the 1934 statute.

Ms. Collins accused administration officials of relying on "outmoded yet potentially sweeping authorities granted in the Communications Act of 1934" that gave the president the power to take over radio stations in a time of national emergency.

At issue is one of the more controversial elements of any new cybersecurity law — what powers the president should have over the Internet in the event of a catastrophic attack on vital U.S. assets.

"The country would be better off if we did create some new law regarding the authority of the president to act in these emergencies," said Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut independent and the committee chairman.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Does the 1st Amendment Apply to 1st Graders?

Posted: 23 May 2011 08:50 AM PDT

By myFOXdfw.com

DALLAS – Does an elementary school student have a First Amendment right to free speech?

The question was never really a hot button issue until some Plano students brought candy canes with religious messages tied to them to a class winter party. They weren't allowed to hand them out their classmates.

That was 10 years ago. But on Monday judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments about it.

The Morgan et al v. Swanson and Bomchill case, known more commonly as the candy cane case, will be heard en banc because of its national impact.

"This case will impact every current and future elementary school student in the nation," Liberty Institute CEO Kelly Shackelford said in a release. "Everyone who is a parent or grandparent or just cares about the future of this country should be concerned. If this court rules that elementary students have no First Amendment rights, then neither students nor their parents will have any recourse against religious discrimination, like occurred in this case. It would be a massive shift of power away from citizens and families to the government."

Monday, May 23, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

States cutting unemployment benefits
Gold, silver coins to be legal currency in Utah
TSA Agents At Prom?
Google Search Patterns Could Track MRSA Spread
‘Tea party’ gets involved in nonpartisan Phoenix election
Obama digging up dirt on potential opponent Chris Christie
Tenn. bill criticized for targeting Muslims splits Tea Party
Prescribing Jesus Gets Doctor Censured
Cain joins presidential race with promise to beat Obama

States cutting unemployment benefits

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:48 AM PDT

By Kevin Freking, Washingtonpost.com

Some of the states that have drained their unemployment insurance funds are cutting the number of weeks that a laid-off worker can count on those benefits. Legislators are trying to limit tax increases for businesses to replenish the pool and are hoping the federal government keeps stepping in when the economy slumps.

Michigan, Missouri and Arkansas recently reduced the maximum number of weeks that the jobless can get state benefits. Florida is on the verge of doing so. Unemployment in those states ranges from 7.8 percent in Arkansas to 11.1 percent in Florida.

The benefit cuts come as legislatures deal with the damage that the recession inflicted on state unemployment insurance programs. The sharp increase in the number of people who lost their jobs drained the reservoir of money dedicated to paying out benefits.

About 30 states borrowed more than $44 billion from the federal government to continue payments to laid-off workers. Many states hastened the insolvency of their funds by keeping balances at historically low levels going into the downturn.

The burden of replenishing the funds and paying off the loans will fall primarily on businesses through higher taxes, but the benefit cuts are an effort to limit the tax increases.

States usually provide up to 26 weeks of benefits to laid-off workers. Michigan and Missouri have cut that to a maximum 20 weeks. Arkansas went to 25.

Gold, silver coins to be legal currency in Utah

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:43 AM PDT

By JOSH LOFTIN, Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah legislators want to see the dollar regain its former glory, back to the days when one could literally bank on it being “as good as gold.”

To make that point, they’ve turned it around, and made gold as good as cash. Utah became the first state in the country this month to legalize gold and silver coins as currency. The law also will exempt the sale of the coins from state capital gains taxes.

Craig Franco hopes to cash in on it with his Utah Gold and Silver Depository, and he thinks others will soon follow.

The idea is simple: Store your gold and silver coins in a vault, and Franco issues a debit-like card to make purchases backed by your holdings.

He plans to open for business June 1, likely the first of its kind in the country.

“Because we’re dealing with something so forward thinking, I expect a wait-and-see attitude,” Franco said. “Once the depository is executed and transactions can occur, then I think people will move into the marketplace.”

TSA Agents At Prom?

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:38 AM PDT

By: KOAT.com

There were no TSA agents patting down students at the Santa Fe High School prom on Saturday night, despite a federal judge’s ruling that there had to be.

This is after two sisters from another Santa Fe district high school said they were groped at a recent dance.

A federal judge ruled on Friday that TSA certified personnel must now supervise district pat downs, like those at dances or graduations.

“With it being late Friday afternoon, there just wasn’t time to achieve that,” Santa Fe superintendent Bobbie Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez said instead of TSA agents, the court is allowing Santa Fe High School to use state police for the prom.

“They didn’t touch me personally, just had me pull out my phone, all my personal items,” student Timothy Velasquez said.

The Herrera sisters, who said they were violated at a recent Capital High School prom, filed a case against the Santa Fe Public Schools.

Google Search Patterns Could Track MRSA Spread

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:34 AM PDT

By Brandon Keim, Wired.com

Records of Google searches could be used to track the spread of drug-resistant staph infections, filling a gap in existing surveillance for the bugs. With near-real-time, city-by-city information about the spread of MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, public health experts may be better able to fight it.

"Potentially, we can get from Google a more timely measure of trends" than other surveillance systems provide, said epidemiologist Diane Lauderdale of the University of Chicago.

MRSA causes hard-to-treat skin infections that can turn septic, potentially invading organs and the bloodstream. It became widespread in U.S. hosptials during the 1980s, and in the 1990s a second strain emerged outside hospitals, spreading among healthy people. In 2007 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that MRSA killed 18,650 Americans in 2005, or more people than were killed by AIDS.

In a paper published in the June issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Lauderdale's group compared records of Google searches for MRSA between 2004 and 2008 with MRSA-related hospitalization records. Except for a search burst after that 2007 CDC report, the numbers tracked, suggesting that search data is a reliable indicator of infection.
The methodology is similar to that used by Google Flu Trends, which caught researchers' attention after flu symptom-related searches in Mexico preceded the 2009 swine flu outbreak. But whereas Flu Trends was seen as a potential source of early warning signs, better methods of MRSA surveillance are necessary to understand what's already happening.

"If we had a comprehensive, linked electronic health records system that researchers had access to, we wouldn't need it. There are systems like that in Scandinavian countries, where you can analyze disease factors in all kinds of ways. But you can't do that in the U.S," said Lauderdale.

‘Tea party’ gets involved in nonpartisan Phoenix election

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:29 AM PDT

By: Lynh Bui, azcentral.com

At a recent meeting of the North Phoenix Tea Party, members gathered at an Elks Lodge to discuss what the group should do with its treasury of roughly $400.

Donate it to conservative mayoral candidate Jennifer Wright?

Print signs endorsing a slate of conservatives running for Phoenix City Council?

Or buy supplies to hand-craft signs as a group?

After about an hour of discussion, the majority voted to buy signs supporting candidates for mayor and council seats who value fiscal responsibility and limited government, in line with “tea party” principles.

While $400 worth of signs likely will have only a modest impact across Phoenix’s 500 square miles, the discussion is an example of the tea party’s growing influence in city politics.

Voters will select a new mayor and five members of the City Council on Aug. 30. This is the first Phoenix election in which the tea party is endorsing candidates, pushing agendas and shaping leadership.

City elections officially are nonpartisan affairs. Candidates do not appear on the ballot affiliated with a political party. But some say the involvement of the tea party might increase voter turnout and have an impact on the political tone of the races.

“The message that we have is we don’t want more of the same,” said Wes Harris, founder and chairman of the North Phoenix Tea Party, one of several tea-party organizations throughout Phoenix.

While the populist movement that took off in 2009 is well-known for being active in national and state issues, Arizona tea-party members are now looking to plant their philosophies of limited government, fiscal conservancy and free-market values in Phoenix City Hall.

Obama digging up dirt on potential opponent Chris Christie

Posted: 23 May 2011 05:23 AM PDT

By JOSH MARGOLIN, NYPost.com

President Obama’s re-election campaign is trying to dig up dirt in the Garden State.

Despite New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s repeated pronouncements that he will not seek the GOP presidential nomination, Obama operatives are compiling a dossier of what they call “opposition research” — material that could be used to damage Christie if he changes his mind, The Post has learned.

The Obama campaign is trying to keep its efforts from public view, concerned they would only elevate Christie’s already impressive standing within the Republican Party, sources said.

The operatives have chosen not to dispatch their own people to New Jersey, but instead are talking to people there and in New York who know Christie from his time in the governor’s office, as a gubernatorial candidate and as US attorney.

Obama’s campaign manager, Jim Messina, did not respond to messages.

Christie has repeatedly — and colorfully –said he is not running for president in 2012.

“Short of suicide, I don’t really know what I’d have to do to convince you people that I’m not running. I’m not running,” he’s insisted.

Tenn. bill criticized for targeting Muslims splits Tea Party

Posted: 22 May 2011 04:30 PM PDT

By Bob Smietana, The Tennessean

NASHVILLE — Jon Campbell considers himself a loyal member of the Tea Party.

The Kingsport man is a conservative Christian who wants the government to keep its hands off his wallet and his personal life. And that’s why, he said, a bill in the Tennessee Legislature that originally targeted supporters of Islamic law is a bad idea for Tennessee. State officials could have used the bill to punish unpopular groups, he said.

Today, that’s Muslims, he said. Tomorrow, that could be the Tea Party. He pointed to a 2009 report by the Missouri Information Analysis Center, funded in part by the Department of Homeland Security, that labeled Ron Paul supporters as potential terrorists.

“If you don’t like the ideas that someone supports, how is that illegal?” he said.

The Material Support to Designated Entities Act, proposed by state Sen. Bill Ketron and state Rep. Judd Matheny, both Republicans, exposed an ideological divide in Tennessee’s Tea Party. It split Libertarians who supported Paul’s candidacy for president from social conservatives concerned about national security who have supported Ketron and Matheny.

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Prescribing Jesus Gets Doctor Censured

Posted: 22 May 2011 04:30 PM PDT

From: MyFOX New York

(NewsCore) – MARGATE, England — A Christian doctor in England has been threatened with an official warning from his professional body for discussing Jesus with a patient, The (London) Sunday Times reported.

Richard Scott, a doctor for 28 years, is under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC) and faces disciplinary action after he suggested to a 24-year-old man that he might find solace in Christianity.

Scott, who practices at a medical center in Margate, east of London, well known for having Christian doctors, insists he only raised his spiritual beliefs after carrying out a thorough and lengthy consultation, during which medical checks and referrals for further care were arranged.

When the man’s mother inquired of the consultation, however, her son apparently replied, “He just said I need Jesus.” This prompted his mother to refer Scott to the GMC, claiming that he had not offered medical advice during the consultation but instead talked about Jesus.

The young man, who has been described as “in a rut and in need of help” grew up in a different religion but his faith had lapsed. He has continued to seek treatment from the practice despite the complaint filed by his mother.

The GMC has written to Scott suggesting he accept an official warning but the GP (family doctor), who has an unblemished record as a medic, has decided to fight the allegations and stand up to what he believes is a politically correct trend in Britain to persecute Christians for expressing their faith in the workplace.

Cain joins presidential race with promise to beat Obama

Posted: 22 May 2011 04:30 PM PDT

By Aaron Gould Sheinin, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Republican presidential race got a little more crowded Saturday when former business executive and radio host Herman Cain officially launched his campaign.

Cain, whose syndicated radio show originated from Atlanta, became the second Georgia-connected candidate, joining former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich on the GOP trail.

Cain, speaking before an estimated 10,000 supporters in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, was clear on the goals for his campaign.

“In case you accidentally listen to a skeptic or a doubting Thomas out there, let me be clear,” he said. “I'm running for president of the United States. I'm not running for second.”

In his 20-minute speech, Cain took numerous shots at President Barack Obama, accusing the Democrat of abandoning Israel, overseeing an “anemic” economic recovery and a failure of leadership. The rhetoric delighted the crowd, many of whom waved signs with slogans like “Yes We Cain” and “How Can We Beat Obama? With a Cain.”

But Cain also offered a few policy initiatives, including plans to permanently extend the Bush-era tax cuts and to pursue an independent energy policy.

While Cain, a former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, has been largely dismissed by pundits and political analysts, his campaign has already showed signs of life. A well-reviewed performance in a GOP debate earlier this month helped boost his numbers in recent polls, giving the nascent Cain campaign reason for hope.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Teeny-Tiny Drone Fires Teeny-Tiny Missile
Florida Tea Party leaders celebrate a session with limited victories
China now world’s biggest buyer of gold
Cain to declare candidacy at Sat. rally
Questions swirl around two-tour Iraqi vet shot 60 times by AZ SWAT team
Will President Obama willing violate the war powers act?
Number of Brits waiting more than 18 weeks for health care rises 26%
NY Conservative Party Still Pushing Gas Tax Break
Top lawmakers agree to Patriot Act extension
‘Tea Party’ Ringer May Spoil N.Y. House Race for GOP

Teeny-Tiny Drone Fires Teeny-Tiny Missile

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:54 AM PDT

By Spencer Ackerman, Wired.com

TAMPA, Florida — Never let it be said that small isn't powerful. A Northern California company has just built commandos perhaps the smallest drone that can kill you. Underscoring the point, it's even painted camouflage, like Stallone in Rambo.

The Arcturus company built its eponymous drone as the unmanned aerial equivalent of a compact car. Its wingspan is just over 17 feet, making it slightly smaller than the Army and Marine Corps' Shadow drone. Arcturus is "primarily" a spy plane, says engineer Eric Folkestad. Emphasis on "primarily."

Because the life-size Arcturus on display at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here has a conspicuous add-on under its left wing. That's a Saber, a 10-pound laser-guided missile (.pdf) manufactured by MBDA. In tests, Arcturus discovered that the wings of its drone can carry 22 pounds' worth of cargo, making it a candidate to wield MBDA's missiles. "No one else can do that in our size category," Folkestad says.

Not for lack of trying. For years, both the Army and Marine Corps have tried to weaponize the Shadow, an attempt to make it the pint-sized Salacious Crumb to the Jabba the Hutt of drones, the Hellfire-armed Predator. If it works, a battalion commander won't have to call headquarters for unmanned air support. He'll have the air support himself.

So far, though, armed drones of this size haven't made it out of the testing stage. And that includes the Arcturus.

Florida Tea Party leaders celebrate a session with limited victories

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:48 AM PDT

By Michael C. Bender, Times/Herald

TALLAHASSEE — Tea party leaders are cheering one of the most conservative legislative sessions in recent history, even if it was only a fraction of what they wanted.

They claim significant victories on the budget, pension reform and health care, but most of their proposals failed to pass the Republican-controlled House and Senate.

Organizers in the conservative movement parrot Gov. Rick Scott when asked to summarize the session, saying progress was made and more will be accomplished next year.

But while some tea party leaders talk about learning the give and take of the legislative process, others already have identified Republicans to target in the 2012 elections.

Tim Gaitens, state director for Florida FreedomWorks, said he plans to recruit primary opponents to run against Republican Sens. Jack Latvala of St. Petersburg, Jim Norman of Tampa and Thad Altman of Melbourne.

China now world’s biggest buyer of gold

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:42 AM PDT

by Carolyn Cui and Rhiannon Hoyle, The Wall Street Journal-Yahoo

Chinese investors are snapping up gold bars and coins, buying more than ever before in the first quarter of 2011 and overtaking Indian buyers as the world’s biggest purchasers of the metal.

China’s investment demand for gold more than doubled to 90.9 metric tons in the first three months of the year, outpacing India’s modest rise to 85.6 tons, the World Gold Council said in its quarterly report on Thursday. China now accounts for 25% of gold investment demand, compared with India’s 23%.

The report underscores the rising appetite for gold among the growing middle-class in China. Fears of the country’s soaring inflation, as well as a search for new investments, is luring investors to gold, and marketing of the precious metal has also increased in recent months.

“I think people will be surprised by the strength in the Chinese demand, but we think this is a trend that is set to continue,” said Eily Ong, an investment research manager at the gold council.

Historically, India has been the largest investment market for gold. In 2007, just before investing in gold began to take off globally, India’s physical gold demand accounted for 61% of the world’s total. China’s was 9%. In terms of total consumer demand, which also included jewelry, India is still a bigger consumer of gold than China, taking in 291.8 tons in the first quarter, compared with China’s 233.8 tons.

Still, the voracious appetite shown by Chinese buyers prompted the gold council to increase its forecast for the nation’s demand.

Cain to declare candidacy at Sat. rally

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:37 AM PDT

By Carla Caldwell, Atlanta Business Chronicle

Georgian Herman Cain plans to announce during a rally Saturday at Centennial Olympic Park he's officially in the 2012 presidential race, according to Cain’s website.

Cain is a former Atlanta-based radio host, former chief executive of Godfather's Pizza, and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He joins fellow Georgian Newt Gingrich in seeking the office.

The rally is from noon until 3 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public.

Questions swirl around two-tour Iraqi vet shot 60 times by AZ SWAT team

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:33 AM PDT

By Fernanda Echavarri, Arizona Daily Star

The man shot and killed by Pima County SWAT officers was linked to a home-invasion crew, the attorney representing the officers said Thursday.

Attorney Michael Storie said authorities found rifles, handguns, body armor and a portion of a law-enforcement uniform inside the house where Jose Guerena was shot by officers serving a search warrant May 5.

“Everything they think they’re going to find in there they find,” Storie said in a news conference called a day after the Sheriff’s Department complained that media reports on the incident spread misinformation and encouraged speculation about events surrounding the shooting. The Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that it would provide no details about the case to the public until the investigation is complete.

The search warrant and court documents showing what deputies were looking for and seized from Guerena’s home have been sealed by a judge and are unavailable to the public.
Christopher Scileppi, who is representing the Guerena family, said nothing seized from Guerena’s home was illegal and that Storie’s statements were unsupported by facts and meant to discredit Guerena’s character. Scileppi did not comment on the details of the case.

On Thursday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Department declined to comment on what the attorneys said.

All statements made by Storie on Thursday morning came from the five SWAT officers he is representing, he said.

Will President Obama willing violate the war powers act?

Posted: 21 May 2011 05:19 AM PDT

By Billy Hallowell, The Blaze

Is President Obama about to violate federal law? It's possible, though the administration is currently exploring several options that would enable a continued presence in Libya without superseding executive powers.

It's been two months since the president sent Congress a letter announcing the U.S.-led mission in Libya. And now, 60 days later, Obama's time frame for securing Congressional approval has expired. The 1973 War Powers Act requires that the president get congressional authorization at the end of the two-month mark. If permission isn't granted, the mission must conclude within 30 days.

Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg recently testified that the president has operated under the War Powers Resolution since the beginning of the Libya mission and that he will continue to do so. But, unless the president has plans to make major changes to U.S. involvement in the mission or find another work-around plan today, he will find himself violating federal law.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are less than pleased with the lack of protocol being employed. CNN has more:

Rep. Brad Sherman, D-California, tells CNN he believes Obama is trying to "bring democracy to Libya while shredding the Constitution of the United States."
"He cannot continue what he is doing in Libya without congressional authorization. When a president defiantly violates the law, that really undercuts our efforts to urge other countries to have the rule of law," Sherman said…

Number of Brits waiting more than 18 weeks for health care rises 26%

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:32 AM PDT

By: James Ball and Dennis Campbell, guardian.co.uk

Doctors are blaming financial pressures on the NHS for an increase in the number of patients who are not being treated within the 18 weeks that the government recommends.

New NHS performance data reveal that the number of people in England who are being forced to wait more than 18 weeks has risen by 26% in the last year, while the number who had to wait longer than six months has shot up by 43%.

In March this year, 34,639 people, or 11% of the total, waited more than that time to receive inpatient treatment, compared with 27,534, or 8.3%, in March 2010 – an increase of 26% – Department of Health statistics show.

Similarly, in March this year some 11,243 patients who underwent treatment had waited for more than six months, compared with 7,841 in the same month in 2010 – a 43% rise.

Despite rising demand for healthcare caused by the increasingly elderly population and growing numbers of people with long-term conditions, the NHS treated 16,201 fewer people as inpatients in March 2011 compared to March 2010, the latest Referral To Treatment data disclose.

The British Medical Association said the longer waits and fewer treatments were inevitable: “Given the massive financial pressures on the NHS, it was always likely that hospital activity would decrease and waiting times would increase,” said a spokesperson.

“The capacity of hospitals has been limited by staffing freezes, and commissioners of care are under pressure to ration surgical procedures considered to be of low value. As well as the personal impact on individual patients, there is a potential long-term consequence for NHS hospitals, which are at risk of being financially destabilised as they lose income.”

NY Conservative Party Still Pushing Gas Tax Break

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:28 AM PDT

By: wptz.com

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long isn’t giving up trying to suspend some of the taxes on high gasoline prices.

Now the influential party boss is seeking to have counties and cities end the windfall they are making whenever gas prices spike.
Because the sales tax is about 4 percent or more of the price of a gallon, local governments get more revenue the higher the price goes.

But local governments say their prices for fuel also soar, so the result isn’t really a windfall.

Long is also seeking to get the state to cap its tax. But the state sets a ceiling, so motorists don’t pay more for gas at $4 a gallon than they do when gas was $3 a gallon.

To read more, visit: http://www.wptz.com/news/27963802/detail.html

Top lawmakers agree to Patriot Act extension

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:24 AM PDT

By Laurie Kellman, Boston.com

WASHINGTON—Top congressional leaders agreed Thursday to a four-year extension of the anti-terrorist Patriot Act, the controversial law passed after the Sept. 11 attacks that governs the search for terrorists on American soil.

he deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker John Boehner calls for a vote before May 27, when parts of the current act expire. The idea is to pass the extension with as little debate as possible to avoid a protracted and familiar argument over the expanded power the law gives to the government.

Support for the extension was unclear. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., wanted tighter restrictions on the government’s power and may seek to amend it. In the House, members of the freshman class elected on promises of making government smaller were skeptical.

“I still have some concerns, and at this point I’m leaning against (voting for) it,” said one, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.

The legislation would extend three expiring provisions until June 1, 2015, officials said.

The provisions at issue allow the government to use roving wiretaps on multiple electronic devices and across multiple carriers and get court-approved access to business records relevant to terrorist investigations. The third, a “lone wolf” provision that was part of a 2004 law, permits secret intelligence surveillance of non-U.S. individuals without having to show a connection between the target and a specific terrorist group.

From its inception, the law’s increased surveillance powers have been criticized by liberals and conservatives alike as infringements on free speech rights and protections against unwarranted searches and seizures.

‘Tea Party’ Ringer May Spoil N.Y. House Race for GOP

Posted: 20 May 2011 10:18 AM PDT

By: John Gizzi, Humanevents.com

With days to go before voters in New York's 26th District fill the vacancy in their U.S. House seat, guessing is rising among Republicans and Democrats and in the press that the outcome of the contest could be for Democrats what Scott Brown's win in the Massachusetts Senate race in 2010 was for the Republicans.

Making the contest a referendum on ObamaCare and drawing support from conservatives throughout the nation, Brown made headlines worldwide by putting the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy (and before him, brother Jack) into Republican hands.

In the Buffalo-area 26th District, Democrat Kathy Hochul is trying to make the special election on Tuesday a referendum on the Republican alternative budget championed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R.-Wis.). Should Hochul emerge triumphant in a district that has been in Republican hands for the last 41 years (18 of those with the late Rep. Jack Kemp), it seems a safe bet to say the liberal media will spin the results into a voter repudiation of the Ryan budget.

The latest Siena College poll shows Erie County Clerk Hochul trailing Republican State Assemblywoman Jane Corwin by a margin of only 36% to 31%, with a whopping 23% going to dubious “Tea Party” nominee Jack Davis. A Public Policy Polling survey shows Hochul leading Corwin by 35% to 31%, with 24% going to Davis.

In TV broadsides for the past few weeks, Hochul has been hammering Corwin for her endorsement of the Ryan budget, which the Democratic nominee declares "would essentially end Medicare." Hochul's campaign kitty is fueled by national appeals from groups such as the New York Working Families Party, an offspring of ACORN, whose ballot line Hochul carries along with that of the Democratic Party.

Alerting liberals nationwide that "[t]his race can and should be a referendum on the Ryan budget," the Working Families mailings urge, "[T]he Republicans expect to win this race, but if we can upset their apple cart, it would be a huge deal across the nation."

To read more, visit: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=43621

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Monday, May 23, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

Rick Santelli's Chicago Tea Party

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