Friday, November 18, 2011

Quick Hits - November 18, 2011

In the aftermath of yesterday's disruptive and destructive OccupyWallStreet riots / demonstrations across the country, augmented by large numbers of union members, it should not be a surprise that leading Democrats continue to embrace, defend, and support the marxists, communists, socialists, and anarchists that are at the core of the OWS movement.  Over 400 were arrested on a national basis as the OWS Rap Sheet expands to number 286 major incidents. 

In Washington DC, despite emails being released which indicate that pressure from the White House was placed on the Department of Energy to grant loan guarantees of taxpayer funds to favored green energy companies like Solyndra, DoE Secretary Chu testified to Congress that the decisions were made on the merits of those companies and not base on politics or returning favors to campaign donors.  Secretary Chu took full responsibility on himself in an effort to provide cover for the White House's actions.  This is far from believable.  Secretary Chu should resign, but the crony capitalism enacted by the WH should have more repercussions.

Secretary Chu is not the only senior Administration official in significant trouble.  Attorney General Eric Holder remains under fire for his mismanagement and politicization of the Department of Justice.  Holder, who when an Assistant Attorney General in the Clinton Administration advocated for the pardon of wealthy tax cheat Marc Rich and Marxist Puerto Rican nationalist terrorists FALN, continues to cover-up and obfuscate the Fast and Furious program.  51 Members of the House of Representatives are calling for Holder's immediate resignation.

With the deadline for the Supercommittee to agree on $1.2 trillion of budget cuts over the next 10 years approaching quickly, the group continues to be unable to agree on a process that will achieve the goal.  Given the fact that the nation is on pace to spend between $37 and $42 trillion during that decade, it's pathetic that $1.2 trillion in cuts cannot be found - or that the cuts have to be matched with tax increases (called revenue enhancements).  But this isn't the only aspect of the Congressional leadership that is failing.  Yesterday, Congress approved yet another continuing resolution to ensure the funding of the Federal Government - with additional spending increases - for another 30 days. 

The Democrat majority led Senate has not been able to pass a legally required annual budget for the Federal government for almost 950 days.  Over half a dozen of appropriation bills that comprise the FY2012 budget sit in the Senate but are not being scheduled or acted upon by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Las Vegas).  But Reid also did the same irresponsible step for FY2009 and FY2010 when the Democrats had super majorities in both the House and Senate.   In this period of time, Federal Government spending has increased over 35% and despite the calls for spending controls or the need to address the now $15 trillion debt, he continues to reject passing a budget and encourages spending increases.  The only thing worse than this is the willingness of the Senate Republican leadership to facilitate it as opposed to forcing a shutdown.  That leadership fears the effects of the biased mainstream media painting them as the villains.

Reid is putting politics over what is best for the country, despite the repeated calls and accusations by the President that the GOP is the party responsible for putting politics ahead of country.  The Democrats want to run in 2012 against a 'do-nothing' GOP so they and their media allies will continue to paint the GOP as the problem.  Hypocrisy is not new for the media, Harry Reid, or even the President.  As Charles Krauthammer notes in his weekly column, President Obama in his decision to punt on the Keystone XL pipeline issue, also is putting politics ahead of what is best for the country.

The California Supreme Court shocked many observers in their decision yesterday over the question if citizen groups which advocated the Proposition 8 referendum to define in the State's Constitution that marriage is between one man and one woman had the standing to defend the Proposition in the court case to overturn the successful passage of the Proposition.  Their standing was in question because they were not seen as the 'legal' standing to defend an amendment to the State Constitution.  The 'legal' standing was seen to be the Governor and Attorney General of California.  Both of these elected officials, who opposed Proposition 8, refused to defend the votes of the people of California.

The CA Supremes ruled that the citizen groups did have standing which sets the next stage of court cases regarding the legal challenges to Proposition 8.  These include a review by the CA Supreme Court as well as the Ninth Circuit on the Judge who overturned the popular vote banning gay marriage.  This Judge, who did not disclose that he is a homosexual in a long term relationship and with a claimed vested interest in the establishment of gay marriage, is under fire for his ruling and not recusing himself.  Then there is the issue if a single judge can overrule the vote of nearly 5 million people.  This case will ultimately end up at the SCOTUS.

Big Peace's World View for 18 November 2011 highlights that China is feeling 'betrayed' by President Obama's announcement of a closer military alliance with Australia and that the MF Global bankruptcy is claiming real victims as $600 million of client funds are still missing after progressive 'hero' Jon Corzine illegally commingled corporate and client funds to make extremely risky bets on Eurozone bonds.  MF Global failed earlier this month as those bets failed.

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