Friday, January 31, 2014

WHOA: New Gmail Ads Appear as... Emails

Just spotted this new ad format:



Related: BadBlue Tech News.

BUMMER FOR CLIMATE KOOKS: Final Keystone XL Pipeline Report Reveals No Major Boost in Greenhouse Gas

Guest post by Deena Winter

LINCOLN, Neb. — The U.S. State Department’s final environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline mirrors earlier conclusions that the pipeline wouldn’t significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The report reiterated last year’s draft report conclusion that the pipeline is unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction of oil sands or the continued demand for heavy crude oil in the U.S.

Now that the State Department’s environmental review of TransCanada’s application for a federal permit to build the pipeline is complete, a 90-day review by various federal agencies will commence to determine whether the pipeline is in the national interest, since it crosses a national border. The final decision is expected to be made by Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama.

Canadian pipeline company TransCanada first applied for permission to build the pipeline in late 2008, but it ran into a wall of opposition in Nebraska. Nebraska pipeline fighters have taken part in and helped organize protests from the governor’s mansion to Washington, D.C., even as most of the Republican statewide public officials have pushed for approval.

OBAMANOMICS: Unions Trump Bondholders, Again

Guest post by Tyler Durden

First, the Obama administration showed during the course of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings, that when it comes to Most Preferred Voter classes, some unsecured creditors - namely labor unions, and the millions of votes they bring - are more equal than other unsecured creditors - namely bondholders, and the zero votes they bring. Five years later we are about to get a stark reminder that under the superpriority rule of a community organizer for whom "fairness" trumps contract law any day, it is now Detroit's turn to make a mockery of the recovery waterfall. As it turns out, bankrupt Detroit is proposing to favor pension funds at roughly double the rate of bondholders to resolve an estimated $18 billion in long-term obligations, according to a draft of a debt-cutting plan reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The breakdown to unsecured stakeholders would be as follows: 40% recovery for pension funds, 20% for unsecured bondholders - all this to the same pari class of unsecured creditors. Because just like in Europe when cashing out on CDS in insolvent nations is prohibited as it would suggest that the entire Eurozone experiment is one epic farce, regardless of how much "political capital" Goldman Sachs has invested in it, so in the US municipal creditors are realizing that in the worst case scenario, they will be layered first and foremost by all those whose votes are critical in keeping this crony administration in power.

According to the WSJ the plan calls for recovery to be divided among the unsecureds amounting to $4.2 billion, more than the originally planned $2 billion to settle claims which included about $11 billion in unsecured debt, including $6 billion in health and other benefits for retirees; $3.5 billion for retiree pensions; and about $530 million in general-obligation bonds.

Raping the 11-year olds Americans won't rape

Guest post by The Machiavellian

Last year two illegal aliens, both partners in a string of robberies in the Nashville are, were found guilty of a long string of robberies and the rape of an 11 year old girl.

The first criminal alien from El Savador was sentenced to 40 years for rape, kidnapping, and robbery.

His partner was found guilty of 41 charges, stemming from a string of robberies in South Nashville, which culminated in a rape of an 11-year old girl during one of their crimes. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

So... here we have a team of illegal aliens, brandishing guns, robbing homes in South Nashville over a three month period and -- in the process -- raping a child.

Yet there are still those who still condone and encourage the illegal invasion of millions of people across our borders. I can’t buy Sudafed with a license, but robbers, murderers, and rapists are allowed to cross our borders freely.

Only after they have harmed American citizens does the government do something. Think about that. It takes rape and murder for the feds to act.

First, we must control our borders. Secondly, only a limited number of highly vetted citizens from Latin and South America should be allowed to enter our nation.

Of course, for our side, that would dry up cheap labor. And for the Democratic-Marxist Party, that would frustrate their plan to change the ethnic makeup of America in order to increase the dependent classes that vote for them, depress wages, destroy the middle class and their bourgeoisie values of faith, hard work, private property, and capitalism.

They raped an 11 year old girl. Do you really want more of this?


Read more at Virtuous Republic

Boehner's Brainstorm

As Bryan Preston observes, "Republican Fools Are About to Throw 2014 Away."


There's dumb. And then there's RINO Establishment Dumb.


Larwyn's Linx: The Time To Stop John Boehner’s Amnesty Plan Is Now

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

The Time To Stop John Boehner’s Amnesty Plan Is Now: John Hawkins
GOP Amnesty Plan Ignores Will of Republican Voters: JW
Sessions: Amnesty Is an Extraordinary Act of Self-Sabotage: Sara Noble

Mark Levin on how to destroy America: Scoop
Progressives Without Progress: Daniel Greenfield
The Speaker Reaps What the Speaker Sows: Erick Erickson

Obama’s SOTU: 18 Lies and Distortions That Should Concern Us: Sara Noble
GOP Establishment’s War on Senator Ted Cruz Continues: Dan Riehl
Paul Ryan talks about how he’s selling out on amnesty: Minority Report

Support for Obamacare suddenly plummets among the uninsured: ConIntel
Beck Slames Obama "MyRA" Plan: Biggest Heist in History: Blaze
Dear America, I Saw You Naked: Jason Edward Harrington

Economy

School Choice and Common Core: Mortal Enemies: Michelle Malkin
Cruz: GOP immigration plan is 'amnesty': Mario Trujillo
Employees Learn of Increased Health Costs Due to Obamacare: WS

Scandal Central

Alan Dershowitz Rises to the Defense of Dinesh D'Souza: Paul A. Rahe
Trey Gowdy To Eric Holder: ‘Appoint A Special Counsel To Investigate IRS Case’: Nice Deb
TSA Harasses Police Chief: Oath Keepers

Climate & Energy

Yet Another Anti-Fracking Study Bumps Into Reality: Stephen Kruiser
EPA Head to Scientists: 'Speak the Truth' on Climate Change to Meet Obama's 'Needs': CNS
Mayor Mao Bloomberg To Become Grand Wizard Of The Climate Cult Or Something: Stephen Kruiser

Media

Bushies Like Peter Wehner and Rove Fight Against American Greatness: Jen Kuznicki
Book profile: A Conspiracy Against Obamacare – The book based on the blog: Ronald Collins
Malkin 'Brought MSNBC to its Knees' Over Biracial Slam: Jeremy Boreing

Amy Glass: The Epitome of Decadent: A.P. Dillon
Explained: The Media’s Light Touch Toward Barack Obama: Erick Erickson
Poll: NBC, MSNBC Sink to Bottom of Public Trust: John Nolte

"I Stand By Everything I Wrote": Mark Steyn
Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin End ‘Foolish’ Feud, Prepared to ‘Move Together’: Noah Rothman
Krauthammer: If Obama Was A Republican, He’d Be Impeached: Glob

World

The Iranian Threat & Obama’s Deception: FPM
State Department Adviser on Extremism Urges US to “Befriend” Al Qaeda: Daniel Greenfield
Putin: Who's Godless Now?: Marc Bennetts, Times

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News

What does national security have to do with the Lenovo-Motorola deal?: Marc Perton
Ex-network engineer faces prison after admitting he sabotaged employer's system: IDG
NASA is planning to make water and oxygen on the Moon and Mars by 2020: ExtremeTech

Cornucopia

One-sentence smackdowns for liberal propaganda: Looking Spoon
Cafeteria Nazis Take Lunches from Kids - Toss it in the Trash: FreePost
Who Exactly is Barack Obama?: Kengor/Levin

Image: Freak Southern Snowstorm Strands Thousands In Atlanta
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: A Right Wing News Poll on John Boehner’s Amnesty Plan

QOTD: "We live in Arizona, we’re on the front line of the administration’s unwillingness to enforce immigration law and the Congress’ unwillingness to force the administration to enforce immigration law.

Rep. Ryan, your statements are absolute, utter bulls***. [If that’s offensive to you, come to Phoenix, we’ll take you to the border. You’ll see what “offensive” really is.]

This policy is clearly amnesty and the border will not be secured. You and the spineless Democrats and especially Republican “moderates” who are bought and paid for by the Chamber of Commerce don’t want the border secured. If you did, you’d have been raising hell since any of the previous immigration bills were passed ALL of which required the border to be secured." --Minority Report

Thursday, January 30, 2014

While Obama Disarms America's Military, Red China is Quietly Building Game-Changing Hypersonic Missiles

Guest post by Investor's Business Daily

National Security: While the administration guts the U.S. military, Pentagon experts warn that as soon as five years from now our missile defenses might pose little problem for China's new hypersonic strike vehicle.

Behaving as the world power they are becoming, the Chinese are building state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles that Pentagon officials warn could overpower U.S. defenses in five years.

As we recently mentioned, China's defense ministry has confirmed the Jan. 9 test of a hypersonic glide vehicle, known as the WU-14. It was designed to evade our missile and other defense systems, such as the Aegis sea-based missile defense guarding our Pacific fleet and carrier battle groups.

On Tuesday, shortly before our commander in chief addressed his higher priorities, such as income inequality, in the State of the Union address, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, expressed concern during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. He is troubled that Chinese military advances such as the WU-14 would overtake the defense capabilities of the U.S. as soon as five years from now.

REALITY TV: Watch as small company employees find out what Obamacare is doing to their coverage

"They call it the affordable health plan. There's nothing affordable about it. I can't afford it."

A local news station brings viewers inside one Pennsylvania company as the employees there learn about their new health care plans under Obamacare...

"Look at the numbers," says the reporter of two employees. "Jeff and Dave used to have a $1,250 deductible. Since Obamacare went into effect, it's now jumped 60 percent to $2,000. That's nothing compared to Brian, Kristi, and Judy who have kids. they are going to pay twice that, four grand." The reporter adds that co-pays are being increased, too.

"I don't know how President Obama thinks he's helping us because we can't afford this, we can't afford to pay these co-pays, to pay these deductibles on what we're making," says one of the workers.

Now pretend you're in the GOP Establishment.

What would you do to exploit the tidal wave of rage washing over the countryside as Americans discover what socialized medicine really means?

If you answered "Pass Amnesty for Illegal Aliens", you have a future working for Karl Rove and the Chamber of Crony Capitalism.


Hat tip: BadBlue Real-Time News

DEAR ABBY: I'm in an Abusive Relationship with the Republican Party

Guest post by Christine X.

Dear Republican Establishment:

So, what do you need to do to get us to stick with you and get us back into your good graces?
Good question [{I’m glad I asked it}]

1). STOP SUPPORTING AMNESTY FOR 30 MILLION NEW DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
[Can I be any more emphatic on that point?]
Mark my words, you can either drop the insane idea of amnesty for the illegal invaders or you can destroy the party - It’s your choice.
Pushing amnesty will either create 30 Million new voters for Democratic largess or it will fractionalize the party so badly that it will no longer be the ‘Loyal opposition’ to the Socialist National left.
The GOP will be deader than a Bull Moose as a result – does that sound like a winning strategy?

Either way will mean one party Socialist Democratic national party rule for now until Armageddon.

2). Stop insanely nominating Rinocrats in the futile hope that the media will be ‘nice’ to you and not put the full weight of their propaganda machine to work shredding said candidate.

How many times do you need to repeat that insanity before you learn the lesson?

3). Stop trying to outbid the socialists with government largess – you cannot win the game, because they don’t care if they bankrupt the country in 5 years instead of 20.

You can’t outbid people willing to destroy the nation just attain some temporary power.

It should be plain that you need to stand up for Conservative values – that is the only thing that will save the country from it’s inevitable demise at the hands of the socialists.

IF you do not do those simple things to save the party and save the nation, I will bid you a quick goodbye and be on my way – along with millions of others.

You can stuff your endless appeals for my donations, and your admonitions to volunteer will fall on deaf ears.

We may be on our way to defeat with a third party – but we will do it with our head held high and our Conservative principles intact.

There is no earthly reason to stay with a sinking ship – and you people are heading straight on for an iceberg – and sadly, you don’t seem to know it.

We can and we will leave – many already have and the exits are getting pretty jammed up.

I can envision many of my Conservative colleagues yelling back at the paper – Hey, where have you been, sister? We abandoned the stupid party years ago – well, let me just say in my defense that in most abusive relationships, each has their personal breaking point – many have already reached and are beyond that point. I dare say that if the current events hold to the trends as they are now, many more will join them – as will I.


I encourage you to email this article to every Republican official you know. Time grows short to save the party -- and the country.

Al Gore has a very special message for the citizens of Atlanta

The science is settled...


...Al Gore is a climate grifter.

As Anthony Watts notes, "There’s never been any assertion that climate didn’t change — the idea that somehow this is something new to the 21st century is absurd. And, as science itself has demonstrated through history, it is never settled, it is always searching for new information, retesting, and sometimes discarding old ideas. Saying the science is settled is as ridiculous as the famous quote attributed to Lord Kelvin who said in 1900 ‘There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now.'"

Thus far, I've identified three segments of the population that cling to the notion of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming: nitwits, criminals and Marxists. But I repeat myself.

I found a picture of the President's pen.

It's shiny, smudge-free and fast drying.

I trust every Democrat will receive one:


It's especially useful for signing 2,000-page bills after they're rushed to the floor, loaded with special interests and pork, which not a single person has read.

You know: the ones you have to pass to find out what's in 'em. We know what's in 'em all right.


Larwyn's Linx: 6 reasons Mike Lee’s response to the State of the Union address was amazing

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

6 reasons Mike Lee’s response to the State of the Union was amazing: Patrick Howley
ICE officer slams Obama for illegal aliens attending State of the Union: DC
The poison of postmodern lying: Victor Davis Hanson

GOP Crafts Plan to Wreck the Country, Lose Voters: Ann Coulter
Governing by Pen and Phone : Victor Davis Hanson
State of the Union 2014: Cal Thomas

Obama is right -- there are two Americas: Bob Lonsberry
Eric Holder can't explain constitutional basis for Obama's executive orders: Exam
Bend Over, America: Paul Ryan Has an Amnesty Colonoscopy Ready!: Hot Air

Economy

IRA confiscation: it’s happening: Simon Black
Mitch McConnell, the Farm Bill and the Power of Logrolling: Daniel Horowitz
Barack Obama's insidious master plan for the United States?: TPC

Incredible video! Black Chicago SOTU response: Allen West
Don’t dare tell me there are no barriers to hiring for small businesses: Thomas Crown
What does Obama really think has gone wrong with the US economy?: Peth

Scandal Central

Ted Cruz reams Eric Holder over handling of IRS investigation: Scoop
Theft of a Nation: Plan of the Day
Feds data-mining hundreds of millions of consumer credit card accounts, mortgages: Exam

Climate & Energy

Climate Change Is Dead Last On List Of American’s Priorities: Cove
Atlanta Is Basically An Episode Of “The Walking Dead” Right Now: BuzzFeed
Freak Southern Snow Storm Strands 8,000 Students: ABC

Media

Ted Cruz: Media Acting as ‘Palace Guard’ to Protect Obama in IRS Scandal: R.S. McCain
Fox Doubles MSNBC's Ratings, Quadruples CNN's: Ace
WaPo: You know, the official GOP response was, er … good: Hot Air

Mark Murray Was Right. Just Not How He Meant It: Erick Erickson
Dude, You Nailed It!: Ace
MSNBC Hits a New Low: GWP

Holder: I really, really wanted to publish photos of Sandy Hook slaughter to push gun control!: Jennifer Koons
Ted Cruz has some things to say about the State of the Union speech: Adrienne
Ben Affleck: ‘Big Republican’ Actors Are Hard to Watch: Larry Elder

World

Israeli Defense Official Offers Dark Security Assessment: IPT
U.S. Intel Chief Confirms North Korean Reactor Relaunch: Diane Barnes, GSN
Malik Obama Found To Be Supporting Muslims Who Kill Christians: Shoebat

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Coveted $50,000 Twitter username swiped in tale of woe: Don Reisinger
New Clues in the Target Breach: Brian Krebs
Apple looking to start producing new 'critical' sapphire component in U.S. by Feb.: Apple Insider

Cornucopia

SOTU Six: Ladders of Opportunity in 6840 Words (just words).: MOTUS
Obama’s High School Pot Dealer Murdered Over ‘Flatulence’: Bryan Preston
The Arrival: Chris Muir

Image: Incredible video! Black Chicago SOTU response
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Send a pink slip to Mitch McConnell: support Matt Bevin for Senate

QOTD: "The University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database tracks terrorism incidents from 1970 to today: search for “Islam” and you find almost 5,000 entries. Search for “Christianity” and you will find a grand total of 14.

The NSA could probably save a lot of money — as well as abide by the Constitution — if it simply acknowledged the following:

A person with neither a first nor a last Muslim name stood only a 1 in 500,000 chance of being a suspected terrorist. The likelihood for a person with a first or a last Muslim name was 1 in 30,000. For a person with first and last Muslim names, however, the likelihood jumped to 1 in 2,000 (Levitt & Dubner, Super Freakonomics, 2009, p. 93).

Clearly, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, Islam is the world’s major ideological motivator of terrorism and violence. (I have neither the time, nor the patience, to yet again demonstrate the legitimate Islamic roots of violence. Ray Ibrahim’s brilliant article should be all the proof needed for those able to handle the truth.) Yet Eric Holder and his boss would have the federal authorities most responsible for protecting the public — led by the FBI — pretend that up is down, freedom is slavery, and Islam is peaceful except when “twisted” by a “handful of extremists.”

Instead of ardent Islamic beliefs being treated as a clear marker for potential terrorism, they are now a talisman protecting the holder not just from scrutiny, but suspicion.

Obama and Holder are transforming the U.S. into a dhimmi nation: one that cowers before Islamic law and demands that its non-Muslim citizens — especially its 240 million Christians — meekly accept their second-class status and never broach the glaringly obvious fact of Islamic violence, even if this means making all non-Muslims less safe. The question for those of us in the majority, then: just how long will we put up with such a dangerous policy?" --Timothy Furnish

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

LEVIN: He wants to talk about inequality; we want to talk about liberty

Via Mark Levin

Let me be clear about this. Let me help some of these Republicans here and of course tomorrow's hosts, they may want to cherry-pick some of this. This president has created more poverty, more economic inequality, more economic dislocation, more crushing debt than any president in modern American history including Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover.

This president has set back the economic progress of women more than any modern president. This president has set back the economic progress of minorities, including African-Americans, more than any modern president. This president has set back economic opportunity for our young people -- our children and our grandchildren -- more than any modern president because he has embraced the most ideological, the most radical form of economics. A system they cannot work; a system that will not work; a system that is impossible.

He's spreading misery, he's spreading destitution and he's spreading poverty. This is not the America that the Framers established. This is not the America that we were born into, each and every one of us. And because he's increasingly frustrated by his own incompetence and failure. What is he doing?

He's dividing this nation, he's Balkanizing this nation along every conceivable route that he can find -- whether it's religious, whether it's economic, whether it's race, whether it's age, whether it's income, whether it's religion. And he's seizing more and more power as he panics, as he becomes desperate, as imperial minds do. Yes, he's an imperial president. And just as I said, this president has been conducting a certain, a sure gradual coup which is now being picked up.

He's also an imperial president, which is also now being understood. He's changing our system of government; he's destroying our economic system. He's nationalizing businesses and industries through the front door and through the back door. Did you know they have over 6,000 regulations and rules that they're preparing to unleash on us?

Do you know that he's put out the word to his cabinet, to his agency heads and to everybody in the federal government that this is their time? Now come hell or high water by 2016 when he leaves office he wants thousands and thousands of regulations pouring out at the EPA, the [Agriculture] Department, the Education department, the Energy department, Interior and all the rest.

This man is a one-man wrecking ball, that's exactly what he is. He wants to talk about inequality; we want to talk about liberty. And it is liberty that we need to talk about.


Via Mark Levin

Illegal Border Crossings Explode as Ruling Elites Plot Amnesty for Millions of Law-Breakers

Guest post by David Inserra

In case anyone needed more proof that amnesty only encourages more illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released its 2013 apprehension numbers that show that southern border apprehensions rose 16 percent last year. While this might seem like the DHS is doing a great job, it actually indicates that more unlawful immigrants are trying to cross the border.

Critically, it means that more unlawful immigrants are crossing successfully, since for every one who is caught another gets through or turns back to Mexico in order to try to cross somewhere else. Of course, some sneak through without the U.S. ever knowing, making it difficult to accurately estimate how many thousands make it across every year.

As more try to cross the border illegally, more will succeed. Regrettably, Congress’s discussion of amnesty has played a role in this increase. Stories from the Mexican side of the border indicate that the word is out among would-be-unlawful immigrants—the U.S. is considering amnesty, so cross now and maybe you can get some kind of legalization. Congress’s very discussion of amnesty, whether it is a special pathway to citizenship or just a pathway to legalization, is encouraging illegal immigration and making it more difficult for the Border Patrol to secure the border.

To try to make it seem like their irresponsible discussion of amnesty isn’t so bad, some in Congress are proposing various security and enforcement bills to crack down on illegal immigration in exchange for amnesty. Most of these policies, however, are incredibly flawed and do little more than create misguided metrics and extra reports for DHS, while providing no real security.

More importantly, why should we assume that these bills would be treated differently than current laws? The DHS is supposed to have already secured the border and be enforcing our immigration laws, but it isn’t doing either.

I GUESS WHINY, DEPRESSING LIARS AREN'T GOOD FOR RATINGS: State of the Union Nielsens Lowest Ever


An anonymous tipster writes, "...according to Niesen, Obama's 2014 SOTU registered only a 20.7 household share rating... and according to the chart in the story below which goes back to 1993, no President has had a lower rating. I don't know how far back you'd have to go to find a lower rating, but it is at least the lowest in over 20 years. He's now historically boring and tough to watch."

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014 President Barack Obama delivered his second State of the Union address of his second term in office. The address was carried live from 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. on 13 networks and tape-delayed on Univision. The sum of the average audience for those networks was 33,299,172 viewers with a combined household rating of 20.7. The networks carrying the address live were CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision and Mun2.
Networks Combined Household Ratings No. of Households No. of Viewers (P2+)
CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision, Mun2, UNI* 20.7 23,949,843 33,299,172
Source: Nielsen

*Tape delay.

Below is a historical look at past State of the Union addresses.

Historical State of the Union Addresses

Date Networks Combined Household Rating Combined No. of Households Combined No. of Viewers President
2/12/2013 FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Azteca, UNI, MFX, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Current, Centric, GALA 21.8 24,767,047 33,497,607 Obama
1/24/2012 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, TF, UNI, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC and MUN2 24 27,569,423 37,752,613 Obama
1/25/2011 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, Centric, CNBC, FOXNC, and MSNBC 26.6 30,871,688 42,789,947 Obama
1/27/2010 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, BET, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC 29.8 34,182,725 48,009,595 Obama
2/24/2009* ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION 32.5 37,185,000 52,373,000 Obama
1/28/2008 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO^, UNIVISION 24.7 27,702,000 37,515,000 G.W Bush
1/23/2007 ABC, CBS, FOX**, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO**, UNIVISION ** 29.6 32,968,000 45,486,000 G.W. Bush
1/31/2006 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC 26.9 29,578,000 41,699,000 G.W. Bush
  TELEMUNDO, AZTECA AMERICA, TELFUTURA, TELEMUNDO 8.4 950,000 1,480,000  
2/2/2005 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC 25.2 27,699,000 38,382,000 G. W. Bush
  TELEMUNDO, TELEFUTURA 6 660,000 1,050,000  
1/20/2004 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC 28 30,286,000 43,411,000 G. W. Bush
1/28/2003 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC 38.8 41,447,000 62,061,000 G. W. Bush
1/29/2002 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC 33.6 35,547,000 51,773,000 G.W. Bush
2/27/2001* ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC 27.6 28,201,000 39,793,000 G.W. Bush
1/27/2000 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC 22.4 22,536,000 31,478,000 Clinton
1/19/1999 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC 31 30,700,000 43,500,000 Clinton
1/27/1998 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC 37.2 36,513,000 53,077,000 Clinton
2/4/1997 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN 28.4 27,600,000 41,100,000 Clinton
1/23/1996 ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN 29.6 28,400,000 40,900,000 Clinton
1/24/1995 ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN 29.5 28,100,000 42,200,000 Clinton
1/25/1994 ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN 32.9 31,000,000 45,800,000 Clinton
2/17/1993* ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN 44.3 41,200,000 66,900,000 Clinton
Source: Nielsen

I wonder if Chris Matthews got a thrill up his leg when he saw the ratings?

The science is settled: Americans are tuning this colossal failure of a would-be president out.

TED CRUZ: This imperial presidency threatens the liberty of every American citizen      

Guest post by Ted Cruz


Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the president's persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat. On Monday, Mr. Obama acted unilaterally to raise the minimum wage paid by federal contracts, the first of many executive actions the White House promised would be a theme of his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The president's taste for unilateral action to circumvent Congress should concern every citizen, regardless of party or ideology. The great 18th-century political philosopher Montesquieu observed: "There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body of magistrates." America's Founding Fathers took this warning to heart, and we should too.

Rule of law doesn't simply mean that society has laws; dictatorships are often characterized by an abundance of laws. Rather, rule of law means that we are a nation ruled by laws, not men. That no one—and especially not the president—is above the law. For that reason, the U.S. Constitution imposes on every president the express duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

Yet rather than honor this duty, President Obama has openly defied it by repeatedly suspending, delaying and waiving portions of the laws he is charged to enforce. When Mr. Obama disagreed with federal immigration laws, he instructed the Justice Department to cease enforcing the laws. He did the same thing with federal welfare law, drug laws and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

On many of those policy issues, reasonable minds can disagree. Mr. Obama may be right that some of those laws should be changed. But the typical way to voice that policy disagreement, for the preceding 43 presidents, has been to work with Congress to change the law. If the president cannot persuade Congress, then the next step is to take the case to the American people. As President Reagan put it: "If you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat" of electoral accountability.

President Obama has a different approach. As he said recently, describing his executive powers: "I've got a pen, and I've got a phone." Under the Constitution, that is not the way federal law is supposed to work.

The Obama administration has been so brazen in its attempts to expand federal power that the Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the Justice Department's efforts to expand federal power nine times since January 2012.

Larwyn's Linx: Great Caesar’s Ghost

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Great Caesar’s Ghost: Kevin D. Williamson
SOTU Wrapup: Bridget Johnson
Boehner Throws Down the Gauntlet: Sara Noble

During the 65 Minutes Obama Spoke, This Happened In America: IJR
Ted Cruz SLAMS Obama lawlessness in new video: Abuse of Power: Scoop
SOTU in Two Minutes: John Hawkins

Head Start: Can a Failed Program Ever Be Killed?: AT
Jarrett: America Hungry For Dictatorship: CNS
Liberals: a presidential dictator is fine and dandy, until Palin sworn in: WyBlog

Economy

Amnesty Ends the American Dream: Daniel Greenfield
Court rejects secrecy for food stamp numbers: Josh Gerstein
The Economic State of the Union Is Weak: And getting weaker: PJM

Politics of Hate and Envy: Walter Williams
Standing up against wealth-shaming: Michelle Malkin
After unemployment benefit cuts, N.C. job boom expanded: David Freddoso

Scandal Central

The Imperial Presidency of Barack Obama: Ted Cruz
At State of the Union, Congress applauds president’s vow to bypass Congress: Twitchy
How Did ‘Millions’ of High Capacity Magazines Disappear in Connecticut?: Publius

Climate & Energy

No New Continent ‘Hottest’ Temperature Records Since 1978: Anthony Watts
Global Warming To Close Florida Schools: Cove
How one Nebraska farmer killed Keystone: Luiza Ch. Savage

Media

Kooks at Huffington Post link The People's Cube to Koch Brothers: Cube
Romney Airs Grievance with Crowley: Dossier
Hillary Clinton’s top 7 elitist moments that will make you cringe: YoungCons

How Hollywood Is Killing Same-Sex Marriage: Ben Shapiro
Black Hole in the White House: Nelson Abdullah
Congressman calls Obama ‘the Socialistic dictator’ on House floor: DC

World

This is Danny Pearl's Final Story: Asra Q. Nomani
Eric Holder: Muslims above suspicion, no more instruction about jihad, and Islam: PJM
Al Gore: Africa's Population is a Problem That Must be Addressed: GWP

Overreacting to Neoreaction: Nicholas James Pell, Taki's Mag
Obama Uses Army Ranger As Prop During SOTU, But Cuts Military Healthcare, Pensions: WZ
International Holocaust Memorial Day's Fatal Flaw: Caroline Glick

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Whoa, Google Glass Just Got Way Better Looking (Plus Prescriptions): Brent Rose, Gizmodo
Picture-centric LinkedIn rival Somewhere reveals new investors: David Meyer, GigaOm
Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue: Joe Mullin

Cornucopia

The Condensed State of the Union: American Digest
Top Ten Announcements in Tonight’s SOTU Speech: Keith Koffler
A Black Reporter Summarizes Barack Obama!: It Makes Sense

Image: NoisyRoom
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Call To Arms: @MarkSteynOnline Needs Our Support

QOTD: "The annual State of the Union pageant is a hideous, dispiriting, ugly, monotonous, un-American, un-republican, anti-democratic, dreary, backward, monarchical, retch-inducing, depressing, shameful, crypto-imperial display of official self-aggrandizement and piteous toadying, a black Mass during which every unholy order of teacup totalitarian and cringing courtier gathers under the towering dome of a faux-Roman temple to listen to a speech with no content given by a man with no content, to rise and to be seated as is called for by the order of worship — it is a wonder they have not started genuflecting — with one wretched representative of their number squirreled away in some well-upholstered Washington hidey-hole in order to preserve the illusion that those gathered constitute a special class of humanity without whom we could not live.

It’s the most nauseating display in American public life — and I write that as someone who has just returned from a pornographers’ convention." --Kevin D. Williamson

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

BUNKO: The Hilarious State of the Union Bingo Game That's Fun for the Whole Family! #SOTU

With a tip o' the cap to Just a Conservative Girl:



DEMOCRAT LOGIC COMIX: The Persuader

He's got a pen and a phone. And he's not afraid to use them.


Issuing sweeping Executive Orders, one after the other, is a tacit admission that you're a failure.


25 Things President Obama is Guaranteed NOT to Mention During his State of the Union Speech

Kirk:

I bet he won't mention any of these:

• Fast and Furious – gun-running to Mexican drug lords; investigation shut down by executive privilege.

• Benghazi – we don’t know: why the ambassador was there, who ordered military to stand down, what Obama did for 8 hours, who gave Susan Rice the video talking points, or why Hillary Clinton and Obama tried to perpetuate the lies

• IRS – used to target perceived enemies of the Obama agenda

• AP – no one held accountable for spying on the media

• James Rosen and his parents- Holder not held accountable for lying to Congress about his role in spying on a journalist and lying to a federal judge to obtain the secret warrant

• NSA data collection – massive, warrantless data collection... just in case they need it

• Clinton State Department shuts down investigation of criminal activity by employees

• James Clapper lies to congress about collecting data on American citizens

• EPA releases personal information on 80,000 farmers to environmental groups

EXCLUSIVE: #Hillary2016 Unveils Official Logo

Blame Vanderleun.


I'd almost completely forgotten about the "Planet Hillary" meme until he just had to send me an email.

Good, good: someone else took a crack at fixing the New York Times Magazine's Planet Hillary cover

Blame Vanderleun.


My prior attempts are here.


Larwyn's Linx: Leave Us (the Hell) Alone

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

Leave Us Alone: Erick Erickson
Obama To Americans: You Don’t Deserve To Be Free: It Makes Sense
Steve King: SOTU is about splitting the Republican Party: Scoop

Why the Republican Leaders Are So Desperate For Amnesty : John Hawkins
Dear America, here’s your neutered Republican Party leadership: Scoop
House Dem: ObamaCare unraveling because young won’t sign up: Hot Air

Why Rich People Feel Persecuted: Instapundit
DHS Secretary: Murderer, Not Caught For 10 yrs, You're a Hero: Karl Denninger
Three Charts to Cheer a Conservative's Heart: ConIntel

Evil: III Percent
The Inequality Bogeyman: Thomas Sowell
An Empty Suit Prepares To Deliver an Empty Speech: Power Line

Economy

The Paradox of Public Assistance: David J. Hebert
AFSCME in dues freefall after Wisconsin labor union reforms: Moe Lane
Hillary: I haven’t driven a car in 18 years: Hot Air

Scandal Central

From freedom to fascism: NoisyRm
Ted Cruz describes what Hillary Clinton would do 'if she really was sorry' about Benghazi: Joel Gehrke
Murder in the U.S.: Publiusetiam (2013)

“Schindler’s List” Producer Gerald Molen Says “I Never Feared My Government Until Now”: John Hawkins
James O’Keefe: Gov. Cuomo is targeting us: Scoop
Rep. Jim Bridenstine host father of slain Benghazi SEAL at SOTU: Twitchy

Climate & Energy

Climate Change vs Free Speech: Mark Steyn
Europe Dumps Global Warming Efforts; Good Idea?: Mish
Jay Carney: Obama Won’t Take His Pen To Approve Keystone Pipeline And Create Jobs: LoneCon

Media

Call To Arms: @MarkSteynOnline Needs Our Support: Camp o' the Saints
He's the Smartest President Ever, so give him easy words: Sister Toldjah
Ruth Marcus: Monica Lewinsky Was Asking For It: TruthRevolt

WaPo/ABC News Poll: 63 Percent Have “No Confidence” In Obama: WZ
A Very Sincere Thank You to @Gretawire: Erick Erickson
You said a mouthful: Hopenchange

A Nation of Criminals: John Hayward
Doctor Schumer Auditions for Regime Minister of Propaganda: Lee Cary
Christie Decried Fort Lee Having 3 Dedicated Lanes Onto the GWB in December: Breitbart

World

White House Speechwriter Jokes About “Polish Death Camp” Incident: Free Patriot
The Future Under ObamaCare: Man Found Dead in ER After Waiting Eight Hours for a Doctor : JWF
Protests in Ukraine: Illustrated Timeline: AP

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Report: Phishing Attacks Enabled SEA To Crack CNN's Social Media: Tim Wilson
Microsoft admits email hack as Syrian Electronic Army gloats: John E Dunn, TechWorld
Samsung’s Google Glass competitor, ‘Galaxy Glass,’ could debut in September: Devindra Hardawar

Cornucopia

Mexclusive!! IRS Releases New Simplified Tax Form 1040 TEA-EZ for Tea Party Taxpayers!!: Sooper
Video Killed the Radio Star. Teleprompters Killed…: MOTUS
Comparing Hitler and The Nazi’s Must End: Even If Perkins Has a Point: P&F

Image: Video Killed the Radio Star. Teleprompters Killed…
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Call To Arms: @MarkSteynOnline Needs Our Support

QOTD: "That some of the poor get most of their income from the government is not to argue that welfare recipients are lazy or don’t wish to work. Rather it suggests that the incentives they face may make them reluctant to accept employment opportunities at offered wages. We can think through this proposition logically: Suppose I offer you $240 per week in financial aid while you are between jobs. You would be receiving that money for zero hours of work per week. Being an honest person, you go out and look for work, eventually finding a job that pays you $8 per hour, or $320 per week working full time. Should you take that job?

On the one hand, you would receive more money by taking that job than you would by accepting the aid. However, economics teaches us the value in thinking at the margin. Doing so reveals that you would only receive an additional $120 per week in exchange for your 40 hours of work. In other words, taking into account your opportunity cost, you would really only be earning $3 per hour! While I certainly cannot speak for everyone, I feel reasonably confident in saying that few people in this country value their time at only $3 per hour. Realizing this, it is no puzzle why people receiving aid tend to stay unemployed for so long." --David J. Hebert

Monday, January 27, 2014

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Calls for Government Persecution of Tea Party Groups and Pro-Israel Jews

Guest post by Investor's Business Daily

Free Speech: The IRS scandal is not only not over but is getting worse, with a call by New York's senior senator for the already-politicized agency to use its power to tax to destroy the conservative grass-roots movement.

Arguing that the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision allowed Tea Party groups to "funnel millions of undisclosed dollars into campaigns with ads that distort the truth and attack government," Charles Schumer wants the IRS and other government agencies to take on the Tea Party through their administrative powers.

"It is clear that we will not pass anything legislatively as long as the House of Representatives is in Republican control, but there are many things that can be done administratively by the IRS and other government agencies," Schumer said in a speech before the leftist think tank Center for American Progress.

Calling for the IRS to use its powers to resume war on the First Amendment and free speech he doesn't like in the hopes of electing more Democrats, Schumer said: "We must redouble those efforts immediately."

Schumer was the author of the 2010 Disclose Act that failed to make it through Congress but would have required the disclosure of corporate donors to tax-exempt organizations, and membership and donor lists of the groups running "issue" ads.

"The bill was designed to embarrass companies," Schumer admitted, and its "deterrent effect should not be underestimated."

Advocating the use of government power to harass and intimidate political opponents is nothing new to Schumer. Along with Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Al Franken of Minnesota, he sent a similar letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman in February 2012 asking the IRS to investigate 12 conservative groups he accused of violating their tax-exempt status and engaging in coordinated political activity.

This effort to use government power to fundamentally transform our political system more along the lines of the Venezuelan model includes new IRS rules for 501(c)(4) organizations that would redefine "candidate-related political activity" and make virtually everything such tax-exempt political groups do a taxable activity.

DOING THE JOBS AMERICANS WON'T DO: Illegal Alien Convicted of Raping 67 year old

Guest post by The Machiavellian

Lopez-Bautista, at his trial, called this a land of opportunity. Why, yes it is, for enterprising criminals from Mexico.

BALLSTON SPA -- Antonio Lopez-Bautista, an immigrant who entered the country illegally and attacked and sexually assaulted a 67-year-old woman on the city's west side last May, was sentenced Monday to spend a determinate sentence of 11 years in jail.

After he serves the sentence, he will be deported to his native Mexico.

Lopez-Bautista, a 19-year-old resident of South Federal Street in Saratoga Springs, was convicted of attempted kidnapping, sexual abuse, two counts of assault and criminal obstructions of breathing. He was acquitted of another assault charge, first- and second-degree robbery and attempted rape.

The violent attack was captured on surveillance video and showed Lopez-Bautista sneaking up to the victim's car and opening the door, pulling her out, dragging her down the street and ripping off her clothes. The victim was waiting for her husband to leave work at about 4 a.m.

...Before he was sentenced, an interpreter read two letters on behalf of Lopez-Bautista, one written to the victim and the other to the judge. In the letters, Lopez-Bautista apologizes many times and asks for mercy from the judge. He also says his inebriated state, from an abundance of alcohol and cough syrup, is to blame for mistaking his victim for a political oppressor in Mexico.

...On Monday, new information regarding Lopez-Bautista's illegal entrance to the United States came to light. He first came into the country illegally via the Arizona border in April 2009. He was deported that time, but successfully crossed into the country again one month later. He has illegally remained in the country since.

"I will never return to this country again, although it was filled with opportunity," Lopez-Bautista wrote.

Just read all of the stories and here that I have gathered over the years. These aren’t isolated events, but rather a wave of criminals hiding among a wave of illegal immigrants.

Stop the latter and you end the first.

 

Lost your health plan? Doctor won't see you? No problem, Michelle's got a plan: give her money to save Obamacare

Guest post by Lily Dane

Aw.

First Lady Michelle Obama, in an act of solidarity and support for her man, has sent out a fundraising email to ask for donations to help save her husband’s failing signature program.

Here’s what she sent out today:

Friend –

Earlier this month, because of what you did, it became illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against the up to 129 million Americans living with pre-existing conditions. Young Americans are able to stay on their parents’ health care plans as they get on their feet, and we can now know that our insurance companies won’t put lifetime caps on our coverage.

You should be so proud of that. That happened because you organized, you talked to your friends and neighbors, and you chipped in what you could, when you could, to elect Barack and a Congress who supported his agenda.

Today, I’m asking you to do it again.

So before Barack gives his State of the Union address tomorrow, chip in $10 or more and help protect Obamacare:

(link removed)

Thank you so much,

Michelle

I guess that’s the least she could do, since her husband took her on a lavish 4 million dollar vacation to Hawaii just recently.

Oh, wait – WE, the taxpayers, covered that.

Well, then, maybe it’s because Barack sent Michelle to Maui AFTER the Obama family’s holiday vacation, so she could celebrate her 50th birthday with her gal pal Oprah.

Oh, wait – yeah, WE the taxpayers covered a huge chunk of Michelle’s second vacation in as many months, too.

Jay Carney admitted that taxpayers picked up some of the cost of Michelle Obama’s trip to Maui and her travel back to Washington D.C.

I fixed the New York Times Magazine's "Planet Hillary" Cover. For the Third and Final Time.

I kinda think this one nails it. Pretty much a "Dadaist masterpiece", eh, Juli Weiner? Lotsa "gravitational pull", right, Amy Chozick?


Click here for my first attempt to fix "Planet Hillary":


And here for my second attempt:


Yes, I have a gift.


Larwyn's Linx: The most dangerous years of the Obama presidency are upon us                  

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

The most dangerous years of the Obama presidency are upon us: LI
Living in a Constitution-Free Zone: Silicon Graybeard
If you like Obama's executive orders, you are going to love 2014: Rick Moran

ObamaCare Forces Purge of Doctors From Medicare Advantage: Moe Lane
Backdoor Amnesty: Deportations Closed by ‘Prosecutorial Discretion’: TeaParty
Heroin Kingpin Busted in Florida is an Illegal Alien…on FOOD STAMPS: TRN

Chuck Schumer: Voice of the little man, courtier of plutocrats: Timothy P. Carney
“Gun free zones” again: Three killed in Columbia, MD Mall: Bob Owens
Most Americans Are Unaware Of [Insert Issue Here]: Gregory Ferenstein

GOP Senators: We're Kind Of Tired Of All The Focus On ObamaCare : Ace
Race War Heating Up: Federale
Rep. Ellmers backs conditional amnesty, fuels primary challenge: Neil Munro

Economy

Start of a Global Currency Crisis?: Mish
Venezuela "Law of Fair Prices" Bans Profits Over 30%: Mish
VC sparks outrage after suggesting U.S. faces a 'progressive Kristallnacht': Nick Allen

Scandal Central

Internal White House Document: Obama Dead Serious About Going The Dictator Route: WZ
Employee Who Denied Extra Security in Benghazi Promoted: Daniel Greenfield
Media Covered Up Bill Clinton’s 2008 Affair During Hillary’s Presidential Run: GWP

Climate & Energy

Rahm to Kill Rail Traffic: SCC
Kofi Annan: Climate Change Is Biggest Challenge, Like, Ever!: Cove
Keystone resistance sparks 700% spike in cash offers for land: CBC

Media

Dinesh D’Souza’s New Film Trailer Released, “America”: WZ
With This I Can Rest My Case Against the Mainstream Media…: MB
CBS News Censors Sen. Ted Cruz Recitation of Obama's Abuse of Powers: Scoop

Is tide turning? Liberal writer supports Obama impeachment: Allen West
Walker 2016? Limbaugh fired up about news that should have caused a ‘political earthquake’: BPR
Senate candidate, US Congressman, giving away AR-15 because Obama wants it banned: BPR

The Hill shills for Obama, lies about approval ratings: FAM
Boycott Subway! It’s the national pastime: Minority Report
Washington Post Readers Already Freaking Out as Volokh Conspiracy Joins Their Cult: Ace

World

Evil in Full View: III Percent
Top Iranian military official warns Kerry against attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities: DC
Mexican Revolution Spreading: Robert Farago

DHS: People Who Break Border Laws Earned Citizenship, It’s Who We Are: Sara Noble
Yawning over the Latest from the Middle East: Daniel Pipes
Louie Gohmert on Obama Foreign Policy: Allies Distrust You, Enemies Mock You: TPNN

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

This guy explains really well the problem with Facebook: Scoop
The New Ammunition That Has Gun Owners Drooling: USA Carry
Portable Ultrasound: “The Stethoscope of the 21st Century”: TOS Blog

Cornucopia

Arpaio makes good on threat; inmates get bread, water for defacing US flag: RWN
No Racism, No Sexism: Just Dancing in Our Judgment Free Zone.: MOTUS
Combat Patrol AAR: JC Dodge, Mason Dixon Tactical: Max Velocity Tactical

Image: Gilboa’s Double-Barreled AR-15, The “Snake,” Makes its American Debut
Sponsored by: Send a pink slip to Mitch McConnell: support Matt Bevin for Senate

QOTD: "While Democrats have a set script with regard to campaign rhetoric -- they demonize Republicans while claiming that only Democrats are concerned for the needy and less privileged -- in order to understand their true character, it is necessary to look at how they behave once they are in power. This is most clearly revealed through how they respond to perceived threats to their control of money.

Democrats have shown a consistent inability to balance budgets at the local, state, and national level. And after creating a fiscal crisis, Democrats always say that if they are not given more money "essential services" will be cut back. This implies that they will make the voters suffer if they are unable to persuade the GOP to give them more money by raising the deficit ceiling; revealing that they practice moral blackmail as standard operating procedure. Last year President Obama went out of his way to close off the WW II memorial to visiting veterans...

Democrats, paradoxically, always want to punish the poor whenever they don't get their way. And it's always about getting more money: they want the debt limit raised or taxes increased.

Voters fail to understand the true meaning of this tactic. If Democrats were really concerned for the poor, voters should expect them to say that they will make any spending cuts necessary in order to preserve essential services. They would bear any burden, climb any mountain, to make sure the elderly and most needy do not lose their essential Federal support. Instead, they hold the needy hostage to satisfy their insatiable lust for power and money."--Michael Bargo Jr.