Cash for Clunkers NOT Suspended

UPDATE: House approves $2B more for 'cash for clunkers'

The House has voted to rush an additional $2 billion into the popular but financially strapped "cash for clunkers" car purchase program.

The bill was approved on a vote of 316-109. House members acted within hours of learning from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood that the program was running out of money.

Called the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, the program is designed to help the economy and the environment by spurring new car sales. Car owners can receive federal subsidies of up to $4,500 for trading in their old cars for new ones that achieve significantly higher gas mileage.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the new money for the program would come from funds approved earlier in the year as part of an economic stimulus bill.

Isn't that great?

They "found" $2 billion that was just sitting around in the stimulus bill.

What a bunch of clowns!
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The Cash for Clunkers program illustrates the confusion that reigns in Washington, as well as the stunning fiscal irresponsibility.

The program is suspended. No, it's not.

From Reuters:

US suspends "cash for clunkers" auto trade-ins

The U.S. government has suspended its "cash for clunkers" incentive program to spur U.S. auto sales after an avalanche of business, a lawmaker said on Thursday.

Not so fast.

All those news reports you saw about the demise of Cash for Clunkers? Forget them.

The Obama administration didn't want to add this humiliation to its ever-growing pile of embarrassments.

Obama couldn't head off to Martha's Vineyard and enjoy his lavish vacation knowing he blew it again. Now was not the time to end what proved to be a popular program.

From Reuters:

New funding sought for U.S. "clunker" program

The U.S. government's $1 billion "cash for clunkers" auto sales incentive program reached its funding limit unexpectedly after an avalanche of business exhausted its funds, an Obama administration official said late Thursday.

Auto dealers began offering government-backed rebates in early July of up to $4,500 to consumers who traded-in their gas-guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles.

But the Transportation Department will need additional cash after rebates for nearly 250,000 vehicles jammed the pipeline nationwide.

The White House was working with Congress to try to extend funding as lawmakers prepared to leave town for the month of August, according to the official who was not authorized to speak for attribution.

The program was part of a congressional effort to revive slumping U.S. sales and further help domestic automakers, especially General Motors Corp and Chrysler Group that briefly went bankrupt.

Sales unexpectedly spiked this week after the government began logging transactions and approving rebates that indicated consumers were opting for vehicles that get significantly better gas mileage than the models they were trading in.

The end of the month is usually the busiest time for auto dealers and automakers that have matched the government benefit.

Initially, congressional and industry officials signaled that the program was going to be suspended late Thursday or early Friday as funding ran out.

The administration opted to keep the program in place while it sought new money. It was not clear where the administration would find additional funding in a short period of time.

So the Obama administration opted to keep the program in place after all, even though there's no money to fund it.

That's not good.

The benefit Obama might get from not suspending the program will be erased by the irresponsibility of promising Cash for Clunkers that the government doesn't have.

There are conflicting reports as to whether or not the program is still up and running. Some headlines say yes, others say no.

Like Reuters, AP reports it is not suspended.

Cash for clunkers program may be running on empty

The government's popular "cash for clunkers" program may be running out of money after only a matter of days as car shoppers flock to dealerships to take advantage of the rebates.

The White House said Thursday it was assessing its options amid concerns the $1 billion budget for rebates for new car sales may have been depleted. The program officially began last week and has been heavily publicized by automakers and dealers.

Transportation Department officials called lawmakers earlier Thursday to alert them of plans to suspend the program as early as Friday. But a White House official said later the program had not been suspended and they were reviewing their options to keep the program funded.

Are dealers going to want to make sales not knowing when they'll be reimbursed? I suppose they're desperate enough to take the chance.

How can the White House do this about-face, declaring the program suspended due to a lack of funds and then, in just a matter of hours, putting out the word that it's not suspended?

In effect, the White House official is saying that the program will remain in place even though there's no money.

Nonetheless, money will be spent.

When the Obama administration says it's reviewing its funding options that means one thing -- another tax hike.

Obama says he's not a tax and spend Democrat.

He's right. He's more of a spend and tax Democrat.

Heeb: Roseanne Barr, Burnt "Jew Cookies"

You certainly don't have to be Jewish to find these images of Roseanne Barr, "Domestic Goddess Hitler," offensive.

Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters, writes:

Roseanne Barr has a history of doing and saying some truly disgraceful things, but this one really takes the cake...or the cookie in this case.

Her most-recent tailspin into the gutter involved a photo shoot with Heeb magazine wherein she is seen wearing an Adolf Hitler moustache and swastika as she takes burnt gingerbread "Jew Cookies" out of an oven.

Talk about bad taste!

Yes, that's Barr pulling a sheet of burnt "Jew Cookies" out of the oven.



Here, she's about to munch on one her baked goodies, a burnt Jew.



These photos and an article, "That Oven Feelin'," appeared in the Germany issue of Heeb.

Joshua Neuman, publisher of Heeb, tries to explain what these repulsive images are about. He attempts to provide some justification.

On Heeb's website, Neuman writes:

Many have been up and arms over our recent photo of Roseanne Barr as a "Nazi domestic goddess" in our Germany Issue, questioning how, as Jews, we could ever find any humor in such a subject. When I hear such sorrowful pleas, I want to cry from remorse, but I’m afraid the ensuing suds would cake the lenses of my glasses.

Yes, the story of this infamous satirist/Jewish grandmother pulling a tray of burnt "Jew cookies" out of an oven has been making its way around the Internet—stirring up all sorts of bizarre accusations towards her and completely ignoring the very particular context in which the image was created. So, for all of you coming to this website who haven’t yet seen the issue—or are unfamiliar with what we do in our magazine—allow me to explain.

Heeb is a satirical Jewish culture magazine that interrogates stereotypes and ideas (hopefully in creative ways) that many hold sacred in order to represent the complex and nuanced perspectives that many Jews have about their identities. When we depicted Sarah Silverman behind a hole in a sheet or Jonah Hill dressed as Moses holding two kegs as if they were tablets, we weren’t trying to be shocking—we were trying to communicate something truthful about contemporary Jewishness. Yes, that may sound impossibly high-fallutin, but it’s the truth and while we kind of don’t give a shit whether the magazine wreaks havoc on smug and sanctimonious visions of Jewish life, we do care when our intentions (or those of our collaborators) are distorted.

Virtually every pitch we received leading up to the publishing of our Germany Issue circled back to the Nazis and the Holocaust and almost all of them were humorous in nature. Naturally, our editors couldn’t help but wonder whether something new was happening in the culture— whether the taboo against joking about the Holocaust and the Nazis exerted as much power as it used to. Certainly Jews have been joking about the Holocaust since the Holocaust (I believe it was the Warsaw Ghetto where the Jewish inhabitants referred to Hitler regularly as “Horowitz”), but these jokes have largely been uttered in private or underground. In recent years, they have been finding themselves in the most public of conversations.

...And what better way to capture this moment in popular culture than by having the original “domestic goddess” don the Fuhrer’s famous mustache? For better or worse, hasn’t the Holocaust itself been domesticated?

I don't buy Neuman's explanation at all.

He claims that his satirical magazine has a very lofty goal, "[interrogating] stereotypes and ideas (hopefully in creative ways) that many hold sacred in order to represent the complex and nuanced perspectives that many Jews have about their identities."

What a load!

I don't find anything creative about Barr dressing up as Hitler, pulling "Jew Cookies" out of the oven, and readying to bite into the head of one.

What sort of stereotypes and ideas are being "interrogated" here?

What is this alleged satire exposing about the culture?

Are Jews supposed to laugh at Hitler? Are the cookies challenging Jews to question some "nuanced perspectives" about their identities?

What are the photos of Barr revealing that is truthful about contemporary Jewishness?

Neuman doesn't say, probably because the images don't do what he claims they do.

They aren't a means to an end. The photos are the end, being shocking for no other reason than to shock.

This is wrong. It exploits the millions of Jewish men, women, and children who died in the Holocaust.

Neuman should remember that millions of non-Jews lost their lives in the Nazi death camps as well.

The horror of so many people being systematically put to death isn't funny.

There's no deeper meaning or purpose to the photos of Barr. They are what they are -- shameful.

Neuman says, "[W]hile we kind of don’t give a shit whether the magazine wreaks havoc on smug and sanctimonious visions of Jewish life, we do care when our intentions (or those of our collaborators) are distorted."

Smug and sanctimonious?

I don't consider it smug and sanctimonious to respect the dead and the survivors of the Holocaust enough to deem what was published in Heeb to be a complete disgrace.

Neuman tries to hide behind their intentions and he cries foul at the distortions of their intentions.

What distortions?

People have seen the images. They are entitled to their views, whatever Neuman and the magazine's staff intended. Neuman can't tell people how to interpret the photos. He has no right to tell them how to react.

Through the publication of the Barr Hitler photos, Heeb isn't examining a cultural shift about Holocaust jokes. That's nothing but a poor excuse for the inexcusable.

Neuman says he doesn't care if he wreaks havoc. Fine. Then he should feel carefree.

Of course, some people like what's in Heeb. I'm sure Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and those of his ilk appreciate the humor.

Senate Doctors Show

Senator John Barrasso, M.D., and Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., want you to be more informed about the health care bill.

They inform and empower by answering questions. What do you want to know?

You can submit questions via e-mail, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter.

You can get answers by watching episodes of The Senate Doctors Show.

New episodes air every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:00 PM ET.

Here's the July 30, 2009, episode:



Previous episodes:

The Senate Doctors Show - Thursday, July 9, 2009

The Senate Doctors Show - Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Senate Doctors Show - Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Senate Doctors Show - Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Senate Doctors Show - Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Senate Doctors Show - Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Michael Jackson and Katie Couric: Date?

When Katie Couric was a guest on Late Show with David Letterman, July 28, 2009, she told a rather strange story.

She rattled through it very quickly, time running short, though she did find time to mock the pronunciation of Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's last name -- twice.

Couric said that in 2000, Michael Jackson asked her to go out on date.

I found a report from Rolling Stone, posted January 17, 2001, that corroborates Couric's story.

Michael Hits on Katie

Michael Jackson wants to be starting something with Katie Couric. When the 42-year-old, twice-divorced pop star was recently in New York to help promote his charity, Time With Kids, he met the perky Today show co-host at the Four Seasons hotel to talk about the project. A few days later, one of Jackson's associates called Couric, 44, and asked whether she was seeing anyone, adding that Jackson would like to take her out on a date, sources tell Hot Stuff. Couric, who has been dating TV producer Tom Werner since last summer, politely declined the offer. Meanwhile, Jackson continues his quest to be taken seriously - he and Time With Kids president Rabbi Shmuley Boteach have been invited to several presidential inaugural events to talk about children's issues and Jackson's dream of establishing a new national holiday called Children's Day.

Couric was very interested in telling the Michael Jackson story. I don't know why. Letterman gave her another segment to do it.

By the way, since Couric went back to short hair, have you noticed how much she resembles Suze Orman, albeit with puffier cheeks?


_________________

Here's Rabbi Shmuley's statement on the passing of Michael Jackson.

Letterman: Top Ten Things Overheard at the White House Beer Summit

TOP TEN THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE WHITE HOUSE BEER SUMMIT

10. "Don't worry, Biden will clean up the empties"

9. "Guys, stop me if I try to drunk dial Nancy Pelosi"

8. "Smoking, drinking, suddenly our president is Artie Lange"

7. "Let's call Limbaugh and take this party to the next level"

6. "I feel dizzy and confused--just like bush! Hi-Yoo!"

5. "I don't want to freak anybody out, but I just saw Nixon walking down the hall"

4. "Tell Geithner to put his shirt on"

3. "Senator Larry Craig asked if he could have his beer brought to the men's room" (Still a reference, people)

2. "You guys wanna see where Clinton used to get freaky?"

1. "Excuse me while I take a presidential leak"

Beer Summit - Photos

And so it was, the Beer Summit, this thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

This had to be one of the lamest events in American history.

From the Washington Post:

Two weeks after a noted black scholar accused a white police sergeant of racial profiling for arresting him at his home near Harvard University, the men hoisted mugs of beer Thursday evening at the White House with President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley sat at a round table in the Rose Garden with Biden and Obama talking, sipping beer and munching peanuts and pretzels out of silver bowls. News cameras and reporters were kept 50 feet away and allowed to view the meeting for less than a minute before being shooed away as the men began their conversation.

They sat at a round table.

As with other historic meetings, I wonder if there was a lot of negotiating about the shape of the table that would be used at the summit.

Silver bowls for the pretzels and peanuts -- How very weird!

Is it just me or did this meeting look like an episode of Punk'd?

Where was Ashton Kutcher?

Tell me it was all a joke.

It was an extraordinary scene that Obama's aides hoped would convey a hopeful message about race relations and end a controversy that has ballooned into a major distraction for a president pushing an ambitious agenda.

I agree. It was an extraordinary scene, extraordinarily goofy.

After the meeting, Crowley and a lawyer speaking for Gates said the two men were satisfied with the tone of the discussion. Speaking to reporters at a brief news conference, Crowley said that while there was "no tension" at the meeting, no apologies were offered either. "Two gentlemen agreed to disagree on a particular issue," he said.

I didn't expect apologies, but I do think at least one was definitely in order. Obama should have apologized to Crowely for saying the "Cambridge police acted stupidly" when he acknowledged that he didn't know the facts of the case.

Nonetheless, it sounds like progress was made, but more could have been achieved.

Frankly, I think they should have played Beer Pong.

Here are some photos:


President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, reach for the snacks as they have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

I think this is really a photo of Obama and Biden about to do a fist bump.


Glasses of beer sit on the table as President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

This is not your average array of beer and snacks. It looks like Martha Stewart set it up, taking something simple and wrecking it by overdoing it, making the comfortable stuffy and uncomfortable.


Police Sergeant James Crowley (2nd R) of Cambridge, Massachusetts, speaks with Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. (2nd L), alongside US President Barack Obama (R) and US Vice President Joe Biden (L) as they share beers on the South Lawn near the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP/Saul Loeb)

Look at Obama. Check out the body language. What's with that pose?

Is he trying to look relaxed?

Is he trying to look cool?

He kind of looks like a junior high kid serving detention.

Obama seems to be trying to project that he's too cool for school.

In reality, he looks like a doofus because this Beer Summit was an unbelievably silly photo op.


A beer is brought to the table as President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

This thing was so staged. Look at them acting as if a photographer isn't in their faces. Photographer? What photographer?

What an embarrassment -- everything about it!

Obama: The Idiocy of Beer

UPDATE: Jul 30 06:23 PM US/Eastern

The beer is flowing. President Barack Obama has begun his chat with the two men he joined last week at the center of an uproar over race in America: Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley. Obama invited both men to have a beer and listen to each other.

Vice President Joe Biden joined them as they all sat outside near the Rose Garden.

Oh, no!

Not Biden!

What's he going to say?


President Barack Obama, right, and Vice President Joe Biden, left, have a beer with Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr., second from left, and Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington Thursday, July 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Note: They're drinking beer out of mugs. I understand that the White House probably doesn't want to provide the chosen beers with more free publicity than they've already been given. That said, these four don't look like regular guys having a beer.

Where are the bottles?

Sgt. Crowley appears to have the orange slice garnish in his Blue Moon.

What's Biden drinking? It looks very light. Maybe it's iced tea. Get a little beer in Biden and that could lead to a real disaster.
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UDPATE: AP ALERT

Jul 30 06:14 PM US/Eastern
WASHINGTON (AP) - Obama starts White House meeting with professor, policeman at center of racial uproar.

The Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, July 30, 2009, where President Barack Obama, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Sgt. James Crowley are expected to have a beer later Thursday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Unbelievable.
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Forget about the audacity of hope.

Today is about the idiocy of beer.

This is so lame.

CHUCK TODD: Tonight at the White House, the president sits down with Harvard professor Henry Gates and Cambridge police Sgt. James Crowley for what may be the most anticipated beer ever.

Some are calling it the "picnic table summit," because the three men will be drinking their beer at the same table where the president has huddled with Secretary of State Clinton.

Todd isn't kidding. His report is not tongue-in-cheek.

The media have lost it.

The story should be about why Obama hasn't met with Special Olympics athletes. Why have the media allowed Obama to get away with his stupidity on that?

Apparently, it's OK for Obama to mock the Special Olympics with impunity.

Maybe at least Obama can ask Gates and Crowley to join him in a toast to honor the efforts of the Special Olympics participants, those he dissed on The Tonight Show.

Here's to acting stupidly! Cheers!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Black Panthers, Voter Intimidation Case Dropped

Maybe Obama and Henry Louis Gates and Sgt. James Crowley can discuss this story as they sip their Bud Light, Red Stripe, and Blue Moon this evening.

Maybe not.

From the Washington Times:

Associate Attorney General Thomas J. Perrelli, the No. 3 official in the Obama Justice Department, was consulted and ultimately approved a decision in May to reverse course and drop a civil complaint accusing three members of the New Black Panther Party of intimidating voters in Philadelphia during November's election, according to interviews.

The department's career lawyers in the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division who pursued the complaint for five months had recommended that Justice seek sanctions against the party and three of its members after the government had already won a default judgment in federal court against the men.

Front-line lawyers were in the final stages of completing that work when they were unexpectedly told by their superiors in late April to seek a delay after a meeting between political appointees and career supervisors, according to federal records and interviews.

The delay was ordered by then-acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King after she discussed with Mr. Perrelli concerns about the case during one of their regular review meetings, according to the interviews.

Ms. King, a career senior executive service official, had been named by President Obama in January to temporarily fill the vacant political position of assistant attorney general for civil rights while a permanent choice could be made.

She and other career supervisors ultimately recommended dropping the case against two of the men and the party and seeking a restraining order against the one man who wielded a nightstick at the Philadelphia polling place. Mr. Perrelli approved that plan, officials said.

Oh, my God.

Can you imagine the outrage that would be flying if a case involving a white supremacist hate group and voter intimidation were dropped?

Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would be tripping all over themselves to get in front of a camera. There would be protests and rallies and tremendous uproar.

...While the Obama administration has vowed a new era of openness, department officials have refused to answer questions from Republican members of Congress on why the case was dismissed, claiming the information was "privileged, according to congressional correspondence with the department.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf, Virginia Republican and a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who has raised questions about the case, said he also was prevented from interviewing the front-line lawyers who brought the charges.

"Why am I being prevented from meeting with the trial team on this case? Mr. Wolf asked. "There are many questions that need to be answered. This whole thing just stinks to high heaven."

...The department also has yet to provide any records sought by The Times under a Freedom of Information Act request filed in May seeking documents detailing the decision process. Department officials also declined to answer whether any outside groups had raised concerns about the case or pressured the department to drop it.

Kristen Clarke, director of political participation at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Washington, however, confirmed to The Times that she talked about the case with lawyers at the Justice Department and shared copies of the complaint with several persons. She said, however, her organization was "not involved in the decision to dismiss the civil complaint.

Oh, good grief.

Every day it seems I have another reason to be disgusted with the Obama administration.

TRANSPARENCY?

BS.

It's one broken promise after another.

I know it's early in his term, but Obama hasn't changed Washington politics for the better. Not at all.

I strongly object to the direction Obama is taking the country.

Corruption and special interests rule.

Obama promised an open administration. Legislation would be posted online. He was going to make government accessible. Blah, blah, blah.

Obama won the election on BS. He's running the country on BS.

Total BS.

This is justice in Obama's America?

It's all about politics.

Post-racial?

Yeah, right.

Daniel Gonzalez and Julian Miller

This is good news.

Ruthless thugs Daniel Gonzalez and Julian Miller have been apprehended.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Two men wanted in connection with the murder of an 18-year-old custard stand employee in Kenosha have been captured and remained in custody Thursday, according to police.

The suspects, Daniel Gonzalez, 23, and Julian Miller, 28, both of Kenosha, are being questioned in Sunday's death of Robert W. Wilde, who was killed during a robbery at Shirl's Drive-In. A 43-year-old manager also was shot but survived.

Gonzalez was taken into custody without incident in Kenosha at 9:04 p.m. Wednesday, police said.

At 12:30 a.m. Thursday, police caught up with Miller in the area of 39th Ave. and Washington Road, where he attempted to flee from Kenosha police but was captured.

Rob Wilde's parents spoke publicly for the first time yesterday.

Rob's mom gave an impassioned plea for help from the public to get the suspects. Understandably, she wants justice. My heart breaks for her.

I hope the news of the arrests brings her and her family some peace as they struggle with their grief and as they prepare to bury Rob later today.

Video, from FOX 6:

 

Here's some information on Daniel Gonzalez and Julian Miller, from Daily Kenoshan:

Both suspects are believed to be gang members. Gonzalez, 23, is a suspected member of the Maniac Latin Disciples with a criminal record in both Wisconsin and Illinois that includes sexual assault. Miller, 28, has an extensive juvenile arrest record and adult convictions involving drugs, identity theft and stealing cars. Miller is alleged to have ties to the Gangster Disciples.

Law enforcement must focus on getting these gang members. Gonzalez and Miller are savages and, obviously, present an extreme danger to society. It's a war.

If Gonzalez and Miller are found guilty, I hope they receive tough sentences and are imprisoned for a long time. I hope the murderer's days as a free man are over.

These thugs need to be kept off the streets. They have shown that they are unwilling to be productive, law-abiding members of society.

Through their own choices, they've forfeited their freedom, if they are in fact found to be guilty in the robbery of Shirl's and the murder of Rob Wilde.

They've caused so much heartache.

Cash for Clunkers

The Cash for Clunkers program has been getting attention in the past few days, even though technically it went into effect on July 1.

It's a government program that should be simple enough to implement, but it's a mess.

Mark Levin pointed this out on his radio show yesterday.

From Suzanne Ziegler, the Star Tribune:

The Cash for Clunkers program has buyers ready to spend, but dealers are running into problems getting rebates approved.

Car dealers across the Twin Cities area reported busy showrooms and low inventories Tuesday as customers scrambled to unload their old gas guzzlers and save $3,500 or $4,500 on a new, more fuel-efficient car under the federal government's $1 billion Cash for Clunkers program.

At Morrie's Minnetonka Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, the receptionist started a waiting list for the finance department, the first time she ever had to do so. One dealership in Coon Rapids ran out of two of the eligible cars, the Jeep Patriot and Compass.

But dealers reported problems with the government's online system to get the transactions approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is running the program.

Scott Lambert, vice president of the Minnesota Auto Dealers Association, said he was "astounded" to learn at a meeting Tuesday representing about 150 Minnesota dealers that not one has had a deal approved.

"We had dealers representing 1,500 to 2,000 transactions," he said. "We asked how many had a deal approved yet, and not one hand went up."

Lambert said the government has created a program that's "so big and cumbersome that it can't find a way to accept anything. We're sending in good, reliable deals."

It's nerve-racking for the dealers, he said, because they have given the customer $4,500 and now the dealers need to be reimbursed.

...The program took effect July 1, but traffic at dealerships is up now because dealers had been reluctant to participate until the rules were published, which happened Friday. The program expires once the $1 billion is gone or Nov. 1, whichever comes first, prompting many to take advantage early.
If the government can't handle the Cash for Clunkers program, a $1 billion relatively small scale thing, how in God's name will the government be able to efficiently manage a government-run health care program involving millions and millions of Americans and $1 trillion?

It's a terrifying thought.

More on Cash for Clunkers, from Mark J. Perry's blog, CARPE DIEM:

The United States Government has recently released the “Cash For Clunkers” program, 2009. There has been some confusion as to how to go about claiming the $4,500 check. First of all, there is no “$4,500 check,” at least not one the public will ever see. The entire transaction must be done at the dealership, and if the transaction qualifies, the dealership will receive the sum direct from the government.

How does the dealer know if the transaction qualifies? The government rules, requirements and procedures are outlined in this 136-page government document, whose title is enough to make your head spin....

Perry comments, "If there are 136 pages of mind-numbing government regulations for a $4,500 car rebate, can you imagine how many pages of regulations will be required for a government-managed health care system?"

The problems with this program should cause Americans to shudder at the thought of government-run ObamaCare.

THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T HANDLE THIS CASH FOR CLUNKERS REBATE PROGRAM.

IT'S BOGGED DOWN IN A LOAD OF PAGES OF REGULATIONS.

AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OK WITH PUTTING THE GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF HEALTH CARE?

NO!

It's disaster in the making.

We need health care reform and we need it now.

We don't need the mess that Obama and Democrats are pushing.

Conan O'Brien Mocks the Elderly

Conan O'Brien is clearly not playing to the same audience that Jay Leno did.

I think he still needs to work on adjusting his material to the earlier time slot.

This joke from Wednesday's show was more cruel than funny, in my opinion.

CONAN O'BRIEN: Yesterday at the White House, President Obama took part in an online Q & A session with a group of senior citizens. Isn't that nice? That's nice. Yeah, the most common question the seniors asked Obama was 'What have you done with Eisenhower?'

(In an exaggerated elderly voice) 'Where is he? Where is he?? And who are you?'

Not cool, but I bet it would appeal to Obama's sense of humor, cold and cruel.

It's as if O'Brien is making the ghoulish Ezekiel Emanuel's case for withholding medical services from those with dementia.

Creepy.

Conan O'Brien Slams Glenn Beck

Since taking over the Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien has taken a rather bitter partisan line.

I expect irreverent humor from O'Brien, but I'm used to him being more of an equal opportunity basher.

So far, O'Brien is still considering Obama untouchable. No Obama "Clutch Cargo" segment yet, which amazes me. There's so much comedy gold there.

Instead, O'Brien is being a good Hollywood lib and sticking it to people on the Right. Sarah Palin, George W. Bush, and Dick Cheney are regularly skewered.

On Wednesday's show, he targeted Glenn Beck. It's not that O'Brien shouldn't fire back at Beck's comment about Obama. I just wish O'Brien would do a little humor at the expense of the Obama and his administration.

Just a tiny little bit?

It's as if Rahm Emanuel is censoring O'Brien and his writers.

CONAN O'BRIEN: Yesterday, of course on FOX News, a lot of people talking about this, commentator Glenn Beck said that he believes President Obama is a racist.

(Booing)

That's what he said. Well, to be fair, every time you watch Glenn Beck it does get a little easier to hate white people.

(Laughter, cheers, and applause)

Conan O'Brien: Favre's Retirement

Conan O'Brien commented on Brett Favre's announcement that he will not be playing for the Vikings, that he intends to stay retired.

Again, O'Brien has his timeline wrong. News of Favre's intention not to play came on Monday. Anyway, here's the joke:

CONAN O'BRIEN: Brett Favre's in the news. Earlier today, Brett Favre announced he will not play for the Minnesota Vikings and will stay in retirement.

(Cheers and applause)

Yeah, Favre said... Favre said he wants to spend a mediocre year with his family, then switch to another family, then string along another family for six months, and then he's out.

Conan O'Brien: Shatner Reads Palin's Tweets (Video)

Last night was the second time this week that William Shatner appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in a bit to mock Sarah Palin.

The first was on Monday, when Shatner did a dramatic reading of Palin's farewell speech as governor of Alaska.

O'Brien referred to the speech as a poem, a thing of beauty.

With a bongo drum beat in the background, Shatner spoke Palin's words.

Video here.

In last night's installment, O'Brien noted that Palin promised to stay in touch with supporters via Twitter. Again, O'Brien noted the poetry of Palin's words.

And again, with the drumming accompanying him, Shatner recited Palin's Tweets.



O'Brien should expand a bit. I would love to hear Obama's words be given the Shatner Beat Poetry treatment.

Who's more poetic than Obama?

Catholic Organizations: Abortion and ObamaCare

This is sickening.

WASHINGTON, July 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Three of the top lay Catholic organizations have divorced themselves from Catholic teaching by supporting the Obama health-care plan, which would foster a culture of mandatory
abortion coverage, contraceptive services, and permissive sex education, euthanasia and eugenics.

Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association "are joining together to push the current version of the plan through Congress."

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Catholic Charities USA sent out an action alert asking members to contact their legislators immediately:

We must maintain momentum for health care reform efforts with calls and emails supporting health care reform immediately. ... Your members of Congress need to hear from you that you support health care reform, and that the system needs to be reformed now.

The Catholic Health Association put together a YouTube video showing people displaying messages such as "I can't wait for health-care reform" and "We can't wait until the signing ceremony."

Watch the Catholic Health Association's nauseating video here. I can't believe that it was produced by a Catholic group.

I don't understand what these organizations are doing.

Have these groups pulled a John Conyers and failed to read the bill?

Do these groups know what they're endorsing?

I certainly hope not.

From the National Right to Life Committee:

The health care restructuring bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, backed by the Obama White House and titled "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009" (H.R. 3200), contains provisions that will result in federally mandated coverage of abortion on demand in virtually all of America's health plans. Once abortion is established as a federal "essential benefit," the bill will also require "access" to elective abortion, which will require many issuers to establish and staff new abortion-providing sites. Moreover, state laws that impede "access" to elective abortion (such as waiting periods and parental notification requirements) may be nullified as conflicting with the purposes of the federal law .In addition, the bill will result in the the massive subsidization of elective abortion with tax dollars.

Here's more, from Wisconsin Right to Life:

Wisconsin Right to Life joins with our parent organization, the National Right to Life Committee, in expressing our strong opposition to the Tri-Committee health care legislation (H.R. 3200). In its current form, the bill would vastly expand access to abortion on demand and establish federal funding for abortion.

Various provisions in H.R. 3200 would result in federal mandates requiring the inclusion of elective abortion in virtually all health care plans, both private and public. Other provisions would result in health care networks being required to create new abortion facilities to provide more access to elective abortions. State laws that regulate the practice of abortion, such as Wisconsin's laws requiring parental consent or waiting periods, would be subject to nullification by federal regulation or lawsuit. The only way to prevent these results is to adopt an amendment that explicitly excludes abortion in all of the bill's provisions.

In addition, the bill would provide federal subsidies for elective abortions... paid for, of course, by the American taxpayer. Some supporters of H.R. 3200 claim that the Hyde Amendment, which currently protects taxpayers from paying for most abortions, would prevent taxpayer funding of abortion under H.R. 3200. This is untrue. As you know, the Hyde Amendment is not a permanent law. Rather, it is a "limitation amendment" on the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill. The Hyde Amendment would lapse if it would fail to obtain the approval of Congress and the President's signature. In addition, H.R. 3200 contains massive subsidies for premiums and cost-sharing that would not be part of the annual Health and Human Services appropriations bill. Thus, those subsidies would not be subject to the Hyde Amendment. The only way to prevent taxpayer funding of federal subsidies for elective abortions is to add Hyde-type language to H.R. 3200. Unless such an amendment is adopted, Wisconsin Right to Life will consider a vote for the bill to be a vote in favor of taxpayer funding of abortion on demand.

Wisconsin Right to Life also joins the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) in expressing our deep concern that H.R.3200 contains provisions that would result in future rationing of life-saving medical care on the basis of disability and "quality of life" criteria.

How can Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association be on board with an alleged health care bill that is an assault on life -- the weak, the disabled, the elderly, and the unborn?

Unbelievable.

Catholic Charities USA spouts the Obama White House talking points.

The United States spends more per capita on health care than any other nation, yet approximately 45 million persons, including nearly 9 million children, have no coverage at all. An estimated additional 25 million Americans are underinsured or spending more than 10 percent of their income on out-of pocket health care expenses.

Inadequate health care coverage threatens the well-being of individuals and families. Nearly half of the uninsured do not seek care for a medical problem and one in three cannot even fill their prescriptions.

Lack of health insurance also threatens family economic security. Nearly one quarter of uninsured persons report having to eliminate meals or spend less on utilities in order to pay for medical bills. Furthermore, hospitals often charge uninsured persons two to four times higher than what insurers and public programs pay, which can push people into debt.

The human potential to lead full, productive lives is affected by the ability to access quality, affordable health services.

That 45 million uninsured figure is not true.

Read more on that lie here.

It's as if the DNC wrote the information that's on the Catholic Charities website.

Catholic Charities USA does state its support for a Culture of Life ethic, but its words are empty.

Catholic Charities USA urges Congress to:

---Enact comprehensive health care policies that ensure equitable, accessible, affordable, and quality health care for all that safeguards human life from conception until natural death.

That "urging" is all well and good but it's meaningless since the Democrats have absolutely no intention whatsoever of safeguarding "human life from conception until natural death."

Obama has stated repeatedly that he is unwilling to protect the unborn. In fact, no U.S. president has ever been more radical in his support of abortion.

These Catholic groups must be aware of this, but they're ignoring it.

Obama has also made it clear that he intends to follow the advice of one of his top advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and support withholding health services from the elderly in order to cut costs.

He showed his true colors when he addressed a question posed by Jane Sturm during his health care informercial, hosted by ABC.

Using her mother as an example, Sturm wondered about prolonging life and asked Obama if any consideration will be given for a "certain spirit, a certain joy of living," or if it will just be a matter of a "medical cut-off at a certain age."

Obama's answer was very revealing and very scary. He tried to dodge Sturm's question, but he made it clear that resources can't be wasted on the elderly.

OBAMA: We're not going to solve every difficult problem in terms of end-of-life care. A lot of that is going to have to be we as a culture and as a society starting to make better decisions within our own families and for ourselves.

But what we can do is make sure that at least some of the waste that exists in the system, that's not making anybody's mom better, that is loading up on additional tests or additional drugs, that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care, that at least we can let doctors know, and your mom know, that you know what, maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having the surgery but taking the painkiller.

Bottom line: Catholic Charities USA, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association are not being faithful to Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life, something at the core of Catholicism.

How do Catholic organizations support legislation that would "expand access to abortion on demand and establish federal funding for abortion"?

They appear to be oblivious to the reality of Obama's health care bill and what enacting it would mean. It strikes at the heart of Catholic values.

That's inexcusable.

Blue Dog Democrats Roll Over, Play Dead

The Blue Dog Democrats call themselves fiscally conservative.

Really?

Why would the Blue Dogs roll over for a measly $100 billion savings on a $1 trillion-plus package?



From FOX News:

After days of intensive negotiations, a group of key moderate Democrats on Wednesday announced that they reached a health care reform deal with the White House and congressional leaders.

The compromise would cut the cost of the $1 trillion-plus package by $100 billion, according to one member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition. The deal would also ensure that the proposed government-run insurance program would not be forced on anyone.

"We have reached an agreement that will allow health care reform to move forward," said Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark.

Seven Blue Dogs had held up passage of the bill in the House Energy and Commerce Committee over concerns about cost and the speed at which Democrats were advancing the legislation. The committee is the only House panel that hasn't voted on the bill.

Ross said four of those seven agreed to the compromise Wednesday. But that gives Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., enough votes for passage.

The Blue Dogs who have agreed to roll over and play dead:

Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark.
Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind.
Rep. Zack Space, D-Ohio
Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn

The true Blue Dogs who did not sign on to the compromise:

Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La.
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah
Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Blue Dogs: All Bark, No Bite

The Democrats’ self-styled fiscal conservatives don’t have a voting record to match their rhetoric.

At least the Blue Dogs have blocked a vote on the bill until after the recess.

Americans will have more time to learn about what ObamaCare will mean for them. There will be more time to counter Obama's lies. There will be more time for people to contact their representatives and tell them we don't want a government-run health care system.

NO to OBAMACARE.

NO to long waits, rationed care, taxpayer-funded abortion, government bureaucrats coming between patients and their doctors, treatment being withheld from the elderly and the disabled.

YES to sound reform.

NO to socialism.

Lucia Whalen: Statement (Video)

Are you proud, rabid Leftists?

Are you proud, self-proclaimed compassionate people?

Are you proud of how you trashed Lucia Whalen?



From FOX News:

The woman who made the 911 call that launched America into a national debate on race said Wednesday that she was unfairly called a "racist" after she reported a possible break-in at the Cambridge, Mass., home of black Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.

A clearly distressed Lucia Whalen addressed reporters at a press conference in an effort to clear her name after the city released the 911 tape. It revealed that Whalen did not identify either of the men she thought she saw trying to break into Gates' home as black, even though an initial police report said she did.

"When I was called racist and I was a target of scorn and ridicule because of the things I never said, the criticisms hurt me as a person, but it also hurt the community of Cambridge," Whalen said.

"Now that the tapes are out, I hope people can see that I tried to be careful and honest with my words," she said. "It never occurred to me that the way that I reported what I saw be analyzed by an entire nation."

...Whalen's attorney, Wendy Murphy, seized the opportunity to criticize President Obama's invitation to host both Gates and Crowley for a beer summit at the White House on Thursday.

"The one person whose actions have been exemplary, will be at work tomorrow in Cambridge," she told reporters. "I don't know. Maybe it's a guy thing."

Murphy said the incident spiraled into a media sensation because of the "overreaction of three men" -- which Murphy said included the response from the president.

"I'm proud to introduce you to the one person who didn’t overreact," she said.

That video is painful to watch.

Lucia Whalen made a simple 911 call. She did what was right. She was a good citizen, looking out for others.

And what did she get for it?

She was labeled a racist. The race-baiters made baseless accusations that severely impacted her.

I'm glad Whalen did make a public statement although it seemed to be very difficult for her to do.

Perhaps people will think twice before they tear a person to shreds.

Talk about a teachable moment!

Noah Logue and ObamaCare (Video)

Gateway Pundit reports:

Noah Logue is a deaf student at a local college in St. Louis. Noah currently is able to afford the equipment necessary for him to communicate and lead an independent life.

At a Claire McCaskill town hall meeting, Logue asked if ObamaCare would punish someone like him.

Cochlear implants are extremely expensive. Furthermore, Logue is worried that he wouldn't qualify to receive care because he is a person with special needs, someone that top Obama adviser, the ghoulish Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, might consider to be not worthy of receiving services.



To thunderous applause, Logue states, "This is a bad plan for those with special needs."

I hope Rahm doesn't send Noah a dead fish.
______________

UPDATE: Noah's mother sent Gateway Pundit the text of Noah's speech.

CONCERNS FROM A VOTER WITH A DISABILITY
McCASKILL TOWN HALL MEETING
JULY 27, 2009

I am a young adult who is profoundly deaf with a cochlear implant, starting my second year of college in September.

I would not be able to hear anything without my implant, except maybe a jet engine.

With my cochlear implant, I can talk on the telephone, I can carry on oral conversations, and I can hear music. It has enriched my life tremendously.

Cochlear implant surgery is not inexpensive. Currently it costs between $50,000 and $60,000 per ear.

After this surgery it is important to receive the correct education afterward so the child can learn how to talk. It is expensive to educate a child who is deaf.

It is also expensive to provide services to a child who is deaf who is not oral. Interpreters are needed for them to talk to people who are hearing.

When my mother told me of the health bills being considered by the House and Senate, and how they impacted disabled people, I wanted people to know how that would impact me and how difficult it would be to succeed in life without the services I have received.

Ezekiel Emanuel, Rahm Emmanuel’s brother, who is involved in the wording of the House Bill said, “Medical care should be reserved for the non-disabled, not given to those “who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens…”

Does that include me? If medical decisions are being made by the government; not by my doctors, my parents, or me, I would be determined to be too expensive to receive the services I need to be able to navigate my way in the world.

This is a bad plan for those with special needs. Tell Senator McCaskill to vote NO.

Noah Logue
St. Louis, MO

I hope McCaskill listens to Noah.

I hope America is listening.

Joan Rivers: F-Bomb, Good Day Sacramento

Yesterday, Joan Rivers was doing an interview on Good Day Sacramento, hawking her new show, How'd You Get So Rich?

It did not go well.

After a reporter got smart with her by dissing her daughter, Melissa, Rivers dropped the F-bomb on LIVE TV and ended the interview.

As I said, it did not go well.

MARK S. ALLEN, HOST: Did you ever run up to someone and say, 'Hey, how did you get so rich?' And the woman said, 'By riding on my mom's coattails!' And you said, 'Melissa, this is my show...

(Laughter)

JOAN RIVERS: I don't think so. And I think we're going to end the interview right now. Don't get so f---ing smart.

FEMALE CO-HOST: Oh, we apologize for Joan's language right there at the end. You're just trying to be funny with her, and I had no idea that she would do that. We apologize for that this morning.

ALLEN: I was just goofing around.

MALE CO-HOST: You were just trying to be funny, you know. What're you gonna do?

FEMALE CO-HOST: Right. Uh, wow! I did not expect her to go there at all.

The split screen was still in place. Rivers' microphone was cut off, but she could briefly be seen still talking and angry before they cut away.

Don't mess with Melissa.

Video from TMZ, via Breitbart.



Obama should have them all over to the White House for a beer.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Gutted

UPDATE, August 4, 2009: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Gutted -- Again
_________________

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is dying -- More buyouts, less content, more reason for consumers to cancel subscriptions, less readership.

It's been a relatively slow-bleed, but this latest round of buyouts seems to signal that the end can't be far off.

From The Business Journal:

An estimated 30 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newsroom staffers have taken the latest buyout proposed by the newspaper, including broadcast media columnist Tim Cuprisin, theater critic Damien Jaques, books editor Geeta Sharma-Jensen, education reporter Alan Borsuk, pop music writer Dave Tianen, music/dance writer Tom Strini and business columnist Tannette Johnson-Elie.

Monday night was the deadline for Journal Sentinel newsroom staff to apply for the buyout; newsroom managers will make the final decision on which applications to accept. However, Greg Pearson, who is the president of the newsroom employees union, said about 30 people have applied.

If too few journalists agree to buyouts, the newspaper will issue layoff notices possibly as soon as next week, Pearson said. He said he anticipates layoffs, but isn’t sure of the number.

“We’re waiting now to see just how severe this will be,” Pearson said Tuesday. “I’m assuming it’ll mean additional layoffs.”

Journal Sentinel executives have told the newsroom employees union that “substantially more than 25 positions” must be eliminated to cut costs, Pearson said.

This will be the fourth round of buyouts since fall 2007 at the daily newspaper owned by Journal Communications Inc., Milwaukee. The newsroom staff has already shrunk from 300 to 240 from previous buyouts, by Pearson’s estimate.

...Journalists who confirmed they are taking the buyout said that, after weighing the buyout package against the future of the newspaper, they decided to leave. Many of the more high-profile journalists are in the arts and entertainment area, but metro desk and copy desk staffers also signed up for the buyout.

“I could have stayed and continued my column, which launched in 1994,” Cuprisin said via email. “But I figured that this was a great chance to take a generous buyout and move on to something new.”

Cuprisin, 51, started with the old Milwaukee Journal in 1986, and said he’s “definitely not retiring.”

Borsuk, who is 59, will work his last day at the newspaper Friday after 37 years.

“Obviously it’s a really difficult time for me individually,” Borsuk said. “This is not a happy time for the institution as a whole.”

Jaques, 62, also has been at the newspaper for 37 years, He said he will do some freelance writing for the Journal Sentinel and be involved in other writing and media projects.

Sharma-Jensen has been with the newspaper for 20 years, the last 10 as books editor. She said she expects to do some writing for the Journal Sentinel and also focus on fiction writing.

Tianen, 63, has been with the newspaper for 21 years and said he had been planning to work there until he turned 64.

“I’m fine,” he said via email. “I feel badly for the many friends and colleagues who are younger and face a very uncertain future. And, of course, it’s sad to see the accelerating decay of the institution.”

Strini, 59, is stepping down after 27 years as classical music and dance writer and critic.

The times they are a-changin'.

I don't think even the return of the Green Sheet could save the JS now.

There's no chance of recovery. The fat lady is warming up.

Colin Powell: Gates, Crowley, and Racial Profiling

Last night, Larry King interviewed Colin Powell.

Here's a shock: They talked about race!

WASHINGTON -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell was mildly critical Tuesday of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., whose angry response to a Cambridge, Mass., police officer touched off a national debate involving President Barack Obama.

Powell, interviewed by CNN's Larry King, criticized the way Gates dealt with Sgt. James Crowley, a white officer who responded to reports of a possible break-in by arresting the black professor at his home on a charge of disorderly conduct. The charge was soon dropped.

Gates "might have waited a while, come outside, talked to the officer, and that might have been the end of it," said Powell, one of the nation's most prominent African Americans.

"I think he should have reflected on whether or not this was the time to make that big a deal," he said.

So Powell thinks that Gates should have been more cooperative with Crowley and "reflected on whether or not this was the time to make that big a deal."

In other words, Powell is saying that if Gates would have controlled himself, the racist Crowley maybe wouldn't have arrested him.

Powell says Gates should have realized that this was not the "time to make that big a deal," meaning this was the wrong battle for Gates to pick. He should have been the bigger man and sucked it up.

Powell isn't really suggesting that Gates didn't have reason to be upset. Powell's just saying that he should have let it go.

However, Powell does explain why Gates reacted the way he did. Gates was tired from traveling and he wanted to get to bed.

...But, Powell said, Gates was just home from China and New York and "all he wanted to do was get to bed."

Yes, well, if that's what Gates wanted, then why would he pick a fight with a police officer?

Gates started screaming racism instead of remaining calm and explaining the misunderstanding.

Powell is wrong about Gates wanting to get to bed. Gates wanted to play the race card.

...Powell said he was the target of racial profiling many times and he sometimes got mad.

On one such occasion, he said, he tried to meet someone at Reagan National Airport "and nobody thought I could be the national security adviser to the president. I was just a black guy."

Asked how he dealt with the situation, Powell said "You just suck it up. What are you going to do?"

"There is no African American in this country who has not been exposed to this kind of situation," Powell said.

That's quite a generalization.

In effect, Powell is saying that America is a racist country, and EVERY African American has been treated poorly because of his or her race.

I suppose I could say that every woman in America has been degraded based on gender.

I've experienced sexist behavior and religious bigotry, but I don't see any reason to claim victim status. I don't see any point in being dramatic about it. Like Powell, I "just suck it up." Who hasn't had to suck it up because someone is being a jerk?

Powell concludes:

But, he said, "when you are faced with an officer trying to do his job and get to the bottom of something, this is not the time to get in an argument with him. I was taught that as a child.

"You don't argue with a police officer," Powell said.

That's not a racial thing.

I was taught as a child the importance of cooperating with police and respecting officers, too. That had nothing to do with race.

It's not a good idea to escalate an argument with a police officer. Period.
______________

Video.

Congress' Cadillac Health Plan

Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) has offered House Resolution 615 because he objects to the fact that members of Congress aren't willing to sign up for the government-run health care plan that they are forcing on Americans.

Fleming writes:

Over the past few weeks, members of Congress and the American people have come to know the details of the Administration's proposed health care plan. Call it whatever you like, I believe this proposal is nothing more than government-run health care. As a physician, I am amazed at the number of bureaucrats in this House who are quick to claim a government-run health care plan is the reform this country needs. In response to this, I have offered a resolution that will offer members of Congress an opportunity to put their money where their mouth is, and urge their colleagues who vote for legislation creating a government-run health care plan to lead by example and enroll themselves in the same public plan.

Under the current draft of the Democrat healthcare legislation, members of Congress are curiously exempt from the government-run health care option, keeping their existing health plans and services on Capitol Hill. If Members of Congress believe so strongly that government-run health care is the best solution for hard working American families, I think it only fitting that Americans see them lead the way. Public servants should always be accountable and responsible for what they are advocating.

Together we will work to ensure that any plan that is good enough for American families is good enough for every member of Congress.

It's easy to see why members of Congress are exempting themselves from the government-run health care option.

Meghan Clyne, the New York Post, provides some of the details of the coverage that members of Congress and other members of the political class receive, paid for with taxpayer funds.

Clyne writes:

[O]ur nation's entire political class lives in an alternative health-care universe -- and will do so even after the rest of us are stuck with the disaster of ObamaCare.

Start with the top White House staffers, assistants to the president. These are Obama's closest advisers, the people who have his ear.

Like most on the federal payroll, they have access to government-subsidized private insurance. But they can also get treatment above and beyond what is available anywhere else -- courtesy of outstanding military medical staff on-site at the White House and at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda.

Bethesda is one of the world's top hospitals, with a staff of more than 4,500. There, according to people familiar with the situation, Obama's senior advisers have access to a health-care Shangri-La.

Prescriptions for any condition under the sun are written and the drugs swiftly dispensed; virtually unlimited tests and blood work are conducted; and any medical procedure, including in-patient surgery, is performed at no cost to the patient. (Any expenses above what private insurance covers are generally waived.)

As one former senior White House official put it: "If you were an assistant to the president and you needed open-heart surgery, you could have it done at Bethesda for free."

There's more. Someone who has received care at the naval hospital explains that once you arrive, "You are then met by an escort from the Executive Health Office, who takes you from specialist to specialist, with no waiting in lines anywhere.

"They just bring you in as soon as you arrive, and you generally see the chief of the department for whatever specialty you need if he's available."

Obama spokesman Reid Cherlin responded: "The president has repeatedly said that he'd like every American to have access to the same high-quality care that's available to him, his family and his staff."

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

Congress has a really sweet deal: "Prescriptions for any condition under the sun are written and the drugs swiftly dispensed; virtually unlimited tests and blood work are conducted; and any medical procedure, including in-patient surgery."

There's no emphasis on cutting costs and unnecessary procedures for Congress. As Obama lectures average Americans about the necessity to trim medical costs and services, Obama and Congress enjoy Cadillac health plans, where services are unlimited and cost is never an issue.

Millions of Americans will be forced into a government-run system of rationed care under Obama's plan. Costs will be cut because services will be cut and withheld. Obama keeps insisting that Americans are having too many medical tests. He promotes painkillers for grandma and grandpa rather than aggressive attempts to treat conditions and prolong the lives of seniors.

What Obama is proposing for the American people is nothing like the sort of health care that's available to him and members of Congress. The bill assures that they will be keeping their Cadillac coverage.

But it's unlikely that "government health care" will mean for the rest of us what it does for people like Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod and Robert Gibbs, along with members of the president's Cabinet.

Even further down the White House chain, perks are pretty sweet.

Low-level staffers have access to the White House Medical Unit, where they can receive care for virtually any non-major condition that ails them. Inoculations, ear infections, sore throats, allergy flare-ups, even basic ophthalmology -- everything's taken care of by excellent medical professionals. White House staffers don't have to step outside their office building or pay a red cent.

People on Capitol Hill aren't struggling either.

Members of Congress and their aides have access to the Office of the Attending Physician in the US Capitol, which, according to its Web site, provides "acute/urgent care for all that work on or visit Capitol Hill," including "emergency evaluation for injuries and serious illnesses," "free flu vaccinations," "the administration of allergy shots [patients provide their own serum]," "physician referrals," "travel advice and screenings," "occupational exams and certifications," and "beyond."

Who pays for this Cadillac care?

Who pays for all this FREE medical care for even low-level staffers and aides?

We do. Taxpayers. We pay for them to have the best medical care on demand, but we may be forced into a government-run system with long waiting lines and a litany of restrictions.

Clyne concludes:

[C]hanges in virtually every other area of policy affect the political class just as they would the Average Joe.

Pols pay the same prices for goods made more expensive by the lack of free trade; tax hikes will hit the members of the Obama team, too (except, perhaps, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner). But not so with health care.

These may be some of the reasons why ObamaCare is meeting tougher-than-expected resistance outside of government corridors. For people who won't be enjoying luxury care for the next several years, rationing and declining health-care quality are a big deal.

It would probably help Democrats if they listened to some of these concerns from across the country. Because "ObamaCare for thee, but not for me" just isn't going to cut it.

She's right.

"ObamaCare for thee, but not for me" will not cut it.

It's not fair.

If they are going to impose socialized medicine on the country, they should have to suffer as well.

Rob Wilde

This is such a heartbreaking story.

From Kenosha News:

Kenosha Police are continuing their search for two suspects in an armed robbery that ended with the killing of a Somers teenager Sunday night.

Robert W. Wilde, a student at Indian Trail Academy, was killed during a robbery at Shirl’s Drive-In, 7943 Sheridan Road, at about 9:40 p.m.

Wilde, one of six people working at the restaurant and ice cream shop during the robbery, was found lying outside the building by police who responded to a 911 call from employees. He was later pronounced dead at Kenosha Medical Center.

The store’s 42-year-old manager, James Hagelund, was also shot and was treated and released from the same hospital.

...Kenosha Police were called to Shirl’s at 9:39 p.m. Sunday for reports of an armed robbery with shots fired.

Police believe that two masked suspects, one armed with a gun and one with a knife, entered the restaurant through a back door as employees were preparing to close for the night.

The two men demanded money and took an undetermined amount of cash from the restaurant after shooting two employees, Rafferty said.

Police said there were four female employees, ages 17 to 20, in the restaurant when the robbery occurred. Rafferty said one of the women was able to lock herself in the bathroom, Two others fled outside and hid by a neighboring business, while the fourth hid inside the restaurant.

Rafferty said it is unclear whether Wilde was shot outside the restaurant, or whether he made his way outside after the shooting.

...Police are seeking two suspects both described as Hispanic men between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall.

One suspect was described as having long hair and was wearing a tan parka, blue shirt, camouflaged pants and a black mask at the time of the shooting.

The other suspect is described as wearing a red or brown parka or sweatshirt, a green shirt, tan shorts and a black mask.

The two suspects are still at large.

Rob Wilde's murderer is a free man. I wonder what he's thinking right now.

Is he aware of how devastated Rob's family and friends are because of his senseless, barbaric act?

Rob was described as "courageous, 'smart, funny and always caring.'"

It's horrible to steal from a business, but to take this young man's life in the process is so cold-blooded. I don't understand how a person can be capable of doing that.

Does the murderer have no conscience, no respect for life whatsoever?

It's incomprehensible to me.

I hope the thugs responsible for Rob's death are apprehended soon and they pay for their crimes. Whatever their punishments, that won't ever undo what they've done.

My heart goes out to Rob's family and friends. I hope they find strength in their faith and some comfort in knowing that they're in the prayers of many.

Rob's death is such a terrible loss. It's so terribly sad.

Brett Favre: Not a Viking? Whatever...

Brett Favre has decided that he will not be returning to the NFL to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

Whatever.

From the Star Tribune:

Vikings coach Brad Childress said late this afternoon that the quarterback informed the team he has decided to remain retired. Childress cited the daily grind both mentally and physically as part of the reason why Favre remained retired.

"I just think it was a rare opportunity to explore a Hall of Fame quarterback who had background in the NFC and in this division," Childress said. "He knows our system inside out ... This doesn't change anything about how I feel about our football team."

Favre's decision comes one day before players begin reporting to training in Mankato. Favre had told the team he would have a decision by Thursday, when players must officially report to camp. The Vikings begin practicing on Friday.

...Favre, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10, had surgery in late May to repair the arm and began working out with receivers at a high school in Hattiesburg, Miss. Ultimately his concern became whether he could make it through the rigors of a 16-game season.

Whatever. He's done, allegedly. I'll believe it when I see it.

Let's face it. The guy isn't too stable. He could change his mind and jet up to Minnesota in time for practice on Friday.

It must be tough still being a kid and living in an aging body.

It must be tough being so bitter. He wanted to stick it to Ted Thompson. I think Favre wanted more than anything to be a Viking, his dream scenario.

It must be tough to let that dream of revenge go.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Brett Favre told Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress that he will remain retired in a recent phone conversation, Childress told the Minneapolis Star Tribune this afternoon.

A source has since confirmed the report to the Journal Sentinel.

...This likely will not end the Favre chatter for at least the next year.

Favre could decide to return at some point during the season if a contender, such as the Vikings, suffers an injury or mediocre quarterback play.

Favre could always return in 2010 at the age of 40 after some rest.

If Favre does intend to stay retired, then the next item of Favre news could be about a possible reconciliation with the Green Bay Packers, the team he played 16 Hall of Fame seasons for.

...Packers team President Mark Murphy said in March that Favre will have his jersey retired in the future.

"Obviously, we will do it. We've made that commitment," Murphy said then. "He deserves to have his number retired. I just think both sides need some time."

I think the Packers should tell Favre that they will retire his number. Then they should give him a day that they'll let him know when it will happen. Then when that day arrives, they should say they still haven't decided, that they need more time.

The Packers should set a new deadline and promise Favre they'll tell him then when his number will be retired.

When that deadline is reached, the Packers should tell Favre they just aren't sure yet and they need more time.

Mark Murphy should do an interview with Greta Van Susteren and whine.

Then the Packers should give indications that they are preparing for the ceremony, putting out signs that the retirement of Favre's number is imminent. The Packers should practice retiring his number at the high school football field.

Then they should let more and more time pass. They should say they'll get back to Favre eventually. They just can't say when.

The Packers have to be sure that Favre is really retired before they retire his number.

So for now, it appears that Favre is going out with a whimper, retiring after a crappy season.

He didn't even manage to get the revenge that he wanted so badly.

But who knows? Favre may still end up with the Vikings.

Whatever.

Cecilia Freeway Schulte

"Freeway"?

I hope baby Cecilia's parents think again.

What seems cute and special at the moment might be a source of embarrassment for their daughter later.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The baby's name was supposed to be Cecilia Violet Marie Schulte.

But "supposed to be" doesn't work for a child born in the front passenger seat of a 1998 Toyota Corolla driving through rush hour on I-43.

Her mother, Annmarie Schulte, delivered the baby herself at 7:28 a.m. Monday, moments after she reached down and felt the little head in her hands.

One contraction later, the baby slid out into her mother's arms: pink, still sleeping and - her mother knew instinctively - healthy.

"She's here!" Annmarie exclaimed to her husband, Matthew, who still sat behind the wheel.

...Annmarie looked at the baby and experienced a deep feeling that everything was all right. Unconventional, but all right.

Matthew was not so sure. He looked at the baby and felt the deepest sense of terror he has ever known. He let out a primal scream. He pulled over into the distress lane at the Plainfield Curve on I-94/43. The doulas pulled over after him.

He ran from the car, still screaming. Words finally came. He frantically waved and yelled for the doulas to come out of their cars.

Kogler called 911. McQuitty checked on the infant. The baby turned a bit purple.

McQuitty gave her a breath and rubbed her back. The newborn turned pink again, letting out a tiny mewl.

Everyone cried. Annmarie wrapped her daughter in a towel and held the 7-pound, 4.8-ounce baby to her chest.

Emergency responders arrived, giving the baby a clean bill of health. Matthew clamped the umbilical cord and cut it.

People driving by on their morning commute, having heard about the freeway birth on news radio, rolled down their windows and yelled: "Happy Birthday!"

The emergency medical technicians joked: "You should name the baby 'Plainfield' or 'Freeway' or 'Shoulder.' "

..."I think we really should make her middle name 'Freeway,' " he said.

Well, Annmarie thought, this child has a free spirit. And the name certainly fit the occasion.

So it was agreed. Cecilia Violet Marie Schulte would be Cecilia Freeway Schulte.

"Freeway"?

That's awful!

Pavement and potholes and cars and trucks and traffic jams and exhaust.

I hope the parents reconsider and think about their decision.

They're elated now. They have a healthy baby girl. They have a great story. They can point to the Plainfield Curve as the place where their fourth daughter was born.

Beautiful!

So why would they burden their little blessing with a middle name like "Freeway" and subject her to ridicule?

I think the media attention might be clouding the parents' judgment.

I'm reminded of the King of the Hill episode where Luanne gives birth to a baby girl. The still drugged Luanne announces that she and her husband, Lucky, are going to name the baby after one of their favorite things -- Lasagna.

Clearer heads prevail and the baby is named Gracie Margaret Kleinschmidt.

Democrats Censor Republicans on Health Care

The Democrats are really throwing their weight around.

They won't allow Republican members of Congress to determine how they communicate with their constitutents.

Rep. John Carter of Texas received an email from the Franking Commission instructing him to use Dem talking points in his message.

"In the first paragraph change 'House Democrats unveiled a government run health care plan' to...'the house majority (sic) unveiled public option health care plan.'"

That's amazing.

Think of all the whining we heard from Democrats and fringe Leftists about how President Bush shredded the Constitution.

Example: Russ Feingold said, "[The Bush] administration has done the greatest assault on our Constitution perhaps in American history."

What hypocrites!

Dems don't want anyone referring to ObamaCare as "government-run."

Too bad.

OBAMACARE IS GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE.