Bad Day For Democratic Politicians In Michigan

SEARCH BLOG: POLITICS.

What do you call a former mayor who ran an organized crime ring in his office and a state supreme court justice convicted of bank fraud?  Why Democrats, of course.

From the Detroit Free Press:

Closing out its case against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and two others, the federal government today unleashed a barrage of text messages and secret phone recordings as a sort of exclamation point on its claim that an organized crime ring ran the mayor’s office. [more]

From myfoxdetroit.com:

DETROIT (WJBK) -- Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway entered the federal courthouse innocently enough, but left a convicted felon.  She took a plea to bank fraud.

Here's the deal.  She will spend up to 18 months in a federal prison.  She will pay up to $90,000 in restitution, and she will pay a fine of approximately $30,000.  After that, she'll spend three to five years on supervised probation, and all the other charges against her will be dismissed.

"This is a crime that spanned almost two years, and so for a very serious, well thought out crime like that, I think it's important that the public see that people at the highest levels of government are held accountable," said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade. [more]

No surprise, of course.

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Federal Government Still Absolutely Not Serious About Addressing The Debt

SEARCH BLOG: TAXES and SPENDING.

This was after the so-called Fiscal Cliff deadline.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 03, 2013

Federal Government Absolutely Not Serious About Addressing Debt

We can say with reasonable assurance that nothing has changed.

House votes to defuse debt limit crisis

House votes overwhelmingly to defuse debt crisis, decides to increase borrowing limit

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House overwhelmingly passed a bill Wednesday to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first-time default for at least four months, defusing a looming crisis setting up a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit.

Blah, blah, blah.... 

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The Politician's Answer To All Problems: Invest In Transportation

SEARCH BLOG: TRANSPORTATION.

When it comes to "problem solving" and "thinking big," the professional politician has one fallback position: "invest in transportation."  The American dream has always been to get there from here.  "Getting there" wasn't always a journey in a vehicle.  It mostly meant a journey of personal growth and wealth.  But now it seems that the once grand dream has been reduced to a daydream of mass transportation and electric vehicles.

[image]

A few days ago, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood visited Detroit, Michigan bearing a gift of $25 million dollars to help build an "M-1" mass transit system estimated to cost $140 million [before waste and corruption] for just over ... three miles.  Well, in Detroit, three miles is about all you want to go... in the city.  Mostly you want to go about 20 miles... out of the city.  Besides, Detroit's last mass transit effort was pretty much a flop. That could be because all of those "masses" left the city which once held 2-1/2 times as many people.

Let's put that "mass transit" project in perspective:

Regardless, that $25 million should go a long way in helping solve Detroit's chronic $250 million budget deficit.  Let's presume it was a "thank you" gift from the Obama administration for delivering those 800,000 votes from that city of 700,000 people.  But, I guess it is "better than nothin'."

A few days before that, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder gave his State of the State address and slipped in a message that he thought some new taxes to raise $1.2 billion or so each year for roads and bridges would be a good "problem solving" exercise for Michigan.

And President Obama, in his inaugural speech, thought that "investment" in transportation would get us to where we wanted to go.  It solves unemployment, deficits, and a myriad other problems like really bad fiscal management.

Now the only problem left is to get people to travel again.  So many roads... so little money for gas.

[source]

We all like good roads, but we'd like a nation that can afford those good roads, too.  Maxing out another national credit card may not be the best approach.

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Gun Deaths To Exceed Vehicle Deaths Say The Feds

SEARCH BLOG: AUTOMOBILES and GUNS.

The latest exciting word in the news is that gun deaths are projected to be greater than vehicle deaths in a few years.  Here's the chart.

[source]

Nearly all motor vehicle deaths are due to accidents.  That is not the case with guns, of course.  But one might get the impression from the chart above that nearly all gun deaths are from homicides.  That is also not the case.

Firearm homicides

• Number of deaths: 11,078 [source]

• Deaths per 100,000 population: 3.6

Source: Deaths: Final Data for 2010, table 10, 11  [PDF - 3.1 MB]

Roughly one-third of firearm deaths are related to homicides... and most of those are from handguns, not so-called "assault rifles" that seem to be of great concern to politicians.  Roughly two-thirds are either accidental [hunting, mishandling, etc] or suicide.  But the press and the president would have you infer that the level of homicides is far greater.

So, the question remains, if the number of deaths for automobiles and firearms is roughly the same, what actions will be taken to limit large capacity assault vehicles, which are far deadlier to occupants of other vehicles, from falling into the hands of civilians?  The answer, of course, is that in the name of safety, large vehicles will be phased off the roads.  This will be by raising the mileage rating requirements so that the large capacity assault vehicles can no longer be purchased by most civilians as they will become extraordinarily expensive and available only to wealthy, elite civilians and politicians who require them as part of their office... such as the president and vice president.  Ordinary civilians will be left with small capacity, short-range personal-transportation vehicles and expected to use mass transit for longer trips.

This has the added benefit of saving the planet.

Oh, wait, here's the rest of the story.

[source]

Vehicle deaths have dropped because the number of miles driven has dropped as the economy tanked ... and stayed tanked.  This is a great case of spinning bad news into good news.  Your federal government at work.

So all we have to do is reduce the population and gun deaths will drop, too.

RELATED:

THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013

Obama's Executive Order Regarding Firearms

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New York Takes First Step Toward Abolishing Constitutional Rights

SEARCH BLOG: RIGHTS.

New York has taken the first step toward the elimination of a constitutional right.  Apparently, in New York, English has been replaced with double-think and double-speak.  The word "not" is double-spoken resulting in "not not."

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.
George Orwell, "1984", first sentence

This is now "progress."  These are "progressives."  Remember this day.  First they limit the number of bullets.  Then they will tax the bullets 100%, 200%, 1000%.  Then they will require a permit to purchase ammunition.  Then they will make ammunition illegal.  But you will be able to keep your gun... as a memento of when you could actually bear arms.

"This is for your safety; this is for your own good."

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

The simpering moral midgets in New York will deserve exactly what they allowed their representatives to give them.

RELATED:

Obama And Biden: Don't Watch This Because You Might Want To Keep Your Guns

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Obama And Biden: Don't Watch This Because You Might Want To Keep Your Guns

SEARCH BLOG: OBAMA and GUNS.

This warning has been around for a year, but largely ignored.  It doesn't fit the "logic" of liberals and progressives.

Yes, but England is so much safer with it's strict gun controls.

 

The U.S. has a violence rate of 466 crimes per 100,000 residents [LESS THAN 1/4 THAT OF THE U.K.], Canada 935, Australia 92 and South Africa 1,609. [source]

RELATED:

Joyce Lee Malcolm: Two Cautionary Tales of Gun Control

What to conclude? Strict gun laws in Great Britain and Australia haven't made their people noticeably safer, nor have they prevented massacres. The two major countries held up as models for the U.S. don't provide much evidence that strict gun laws will solve our problems. 

Ms. Malcolm, a professor of law at George Mason University Law School, is the author of several books including "Guns and Violence: The English Experience," (Harvard, 2002). 

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Why Is U.S. Employment So Anemic?

SEARCH BLOG: ECONOMY.

This winter, colds and the flu have been hanging on an on.  It seems as if the recovery from these afflictions happens at the pace of a glacier melting.  Coincidentally, that seems to be the pace of employment recovery in the U.S.

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Drs. Russ Roberts and John Taylor of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University put this together.

At Econbrowser, there is a post... The Myth of 'Jobless Recoveries... that disputes the idea that the recovery has been jobless.

Why have the last three recoveries been viewed as jobless, while previous recoveries were not? This is because the speed of recoveries has been slower than before. In the early 1990s and early 2000s, as well as after the Great Recession, slow growth meant that sizable output gaps persisted well into the recovery. In contrast, in most earlier recessions, the output trough was followed by a period of above-normal growth that pulled output back to its previous trend.

In other words, unemployment has stayed high because GDP [output] has not recovered to the pre-recession trend... in other other words, we are having a recovery-less recovery.  Of course, they wouldn't put it in those terms.  What terms would you use?

Let's hope we don't have four more years.

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Obama's Executive Order Regarding Firearms

SEARCH BLOG: GUNS.

There is more than ample conjecture that President Obama will attempt to sidestep Congress [again] and the Supreme Court [again] and the Constitution [well, that's just expected] to issue an executive order banning semi-automatic personal protection rifles.

The so-called assault rifle most discussed is the typical AR-15 model which looks very ominous.  I found this article from 2009 that explains the difference between a deadly, scary assault rifle and a sporting rifle.

The first thing to understand is the term “assault weapon” or “assault rifle” is an invention of those that do not understand and wish to invoke scary images in the minds of the unaware. If we look at the term “assault weapon” in the context of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons ban, this rifle is an assault weapon:

It’s a semi-automatic rifle, it accepts a detachable magazine, it has a folding stock, a pistol grip. That’s sufficient under the terms of the legislation to say this is an assault rifle. Besides, it’s black, has plastic parts, and looks scary and military, right? especially those “banana clips”.

Now look at this rifle:

Nice rifle, eh? Wood stock. Nice smooth lines. Looks like something you’d take hunting. It is a semi-automatic and actually does have a detachable magazine, but for some reason this rifle is considered socially acceptable whereas the previous one is not. What’s interesting about these two rifles?

Those are both the exact same rifle.

Except for looks, of course.  The top two are scary.

Style over substance... another Washington axiom.

By the way, this is an equivalent weapon.

[read more]

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Obama To Fight Climate Change

SEARCH BLOG: OBAMA and CLIMATE CHANGE.

Despite growing evidence that the climate changes regardless of mankind's influence, President Obama may embark on a bold new effort to control the climate through taxes.  The first step will be to gather enough politicians in one place that reasoned thought is impossible.  This may happen soon.

From the Guardian:

Barack Obama may intervene directly on climate change by hosting a summit at the White House early in his second term, environmental groups say.

They say the White House has given encouraging signals to a proposal for Obama to use the broad-based and bipartisan summit to launch a national climate action strategy.

"What we talked about with the White House is using it as catalyst not just for the development of a national strategy but for mobilising people all over the country at every level," said Bob Doppelt, executive director of the Resource Innovation Group, the Oregon-based thinktank that has been pushing for the high-level meeting. He said it would not be a one-off event.

After all, 2012 was the hottest year ever.  Well, maybe not.

2012 Didn't Crack The Top Ten For Record Maximums: 'NOAA has inflated 2012 record maximum number by adding new stations which didn't exist during the hot years of 1930s'' -- 'That is a completely illegitimate approach. An apples to apples comparison uses only the same stations. When that is done, 2012 doesn't even crack the ten hottest years'

Feds caught altering past temperature data: NOAA claims 1998 was previous 'hottest on record' on record -- But in 1999, the same year was only the 5th warmest before 'adjustments' -- 'In an article which NASA published in 1999, Hansen showed that 1998 was only the fifth warmest year, after 1934, 1921, 1931 and 1953. In fact, 1998 was 0.6C cooler than 1934' -- 'Over the past decade, NASA and NOAA have continuously altered the temperature record to cool the past and warm the present. Their claims are straight out Orwell's 1984, and have nothing to do with science' 

[source] 

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Letter To U.S. Congressman: U.S. Arming The Middle East Insane Asylum

SEARCH BLOG: MIDDLE EAST.

The Obama administration is doing a pretty good job of undermining any stability in the Middle East.

• Forced out an ally in Egypt and helped install the radical Muslim Brotherhood into power.
• Bombed an old, impotent Qaddafi in Libya and allowed his armaments to fall into radical hands which were later used against our own Ambassador.
• Is sending four naval frigates to Turkey which has threatened Israel and aided Hamas.
• Sent billions of dollars in aid and equipment to Egypt now under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood.
• Sending arms to the Syrian "rebels"; aka, al Qaeda.
• Sending equipment to Lebanon which will fall into the hands of Hezbollah.

I sent the following to my U.S. representative, Mike Rogers, who is Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee:

We've sent arms to unstable and potentially hostile forces and regimes in Turkey [yes, I know they are SUPPOSED to be an ally] Libya, Egypt, Syria, and now Lebanon. 

http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=298702&R=R101 

Is there ANYONE in Washington with an ounce of sanity? 

For God's sake, man, stand up and say something against this nonsense. 

My guess is there is no one in Washington with either the sanity or the balls to stand up to this nonsense.

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New Government Conspiracy: Climate Change

SEARCH BLOG: GLOBAL WARMING.

For those of you who still believe there is honor among thieves, you'll be pleased with the government's latest attempt to find a crisis that requires a tax.  If a corporation keeps two sets of books with the intent to mislead the public for financial gain, that would be fraud.  If the government does the same thing, that would be protecting us from global warming; aka climate change.

Anthony Watts examined the weather data published by the government and found... 2 sets of books!  One for claiming that the U.S. was experiencing record warmth... that's to support EPA mandates and potentially a carbon tax... and the other record... the real record that shows no such records.

If you have any interest in the lengths to which global warming believers will go to "prove" their position, you ought to read this:

Does NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) keep two separate sets of climate books for the USA?

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Democratic Ethics - What's That?

SEARCH BLOG: GOVERNMENT.

You get the government you deserve.  Apparently, if you are a Democrat, you are comfortable with a government that continues to spend money it doesn't have.  In fact, you are so comfortable with that idea that you elect someone who personally does that in the conduct of his own business.

Ethics are defined by WIIFM - what's in it for me?

From the Detroit Free Press:

Will felon Brian Banks face challenge to being seated in Michigan Legislature? 

When the state Legislature convenes Wednesday, one new member could face a challenge to being seated.

Brian Banks, a Harper Woods Democrat, is an eight-time felon convicted of a series of financial crimes, including writing bad checks and credit card fraud between 1998 and 2004. ... 

"The voters of District 1 have spoken," Banks said Friday. "They're aware of my past. I look forward to being seated on Wednesday." 

Banks said earlier that he is a changed man since he was last convicted of a felony more than eight years ago.

Asked about reports of more bounced checks on Harper Woods rental properties as recently as the last 12 months, which resulted in civil litigation, Banks said: "All issues have been addressed." 

 Democratic ethics - a classic non-sequitur.

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Federal Government Absolutely Not Serious About Addressing Debt

SEARCH BLOG: TAXES and SPENDING.

Disregard everything you hear coming from President Obama, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, and John Boehner regarding the so-called negotiations on the so-called fiscal cliff.  It is absolutely, positively, without question, business-as-usual in Washington D.C.

Tim Carney: How corporate tax credits got in the 'cliff' deal. 

Fiscal Cliff Bill Loaded With Pork.

FISCAL CLIFF NEGOTIATIONS LEAVE HEDGE FUND TAX LOOPHOLE UNSCATHED.

So, if the fiscal cliff negotiations increase tax revenue by about $600 billion over ten years ... about $60 billion per year ... and the tax loopholes enacted reduce tax revenue by more than $70 billion per year... where's the beef?

UPDATE:

Via Reason.com:

Looks as if Harry Reid uses the Nancy Pelosi playbook:

You have to vote for it to see what's in it.

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Facing Another Fiscal Cliff

SEARCH BLOG: ECONOMY.

From Financial Times:

The next "cliff" is the debt ceiling on March 1.  That's when the showdown on spending could shake up a lot of the financial markets and lead to some "fundamental changes" in the way Washington, D.C. operates.  Or, as with this last "cliff," it might just be another "bump in the road" that gets steamrollered by the Obama administration.

If Rep. Boehner folds on spending in March, look for a Republican Party civil war.  The Tea Party will split away ensuring that the Democratic Party keeps the presidency for the next decade or so, but will face an increasingly intransigent Congress as conservatives assert themselves.

John Boehner has shown a general lack of spine with regard to spending cuts, so expect his tenure as Speaker of the House to be short lived.

RELATED:

62% Favor Across-the-Board Spending Cuts, But 57% Think They’re Unlikely.

Cut 2% Annually From Federal Spending.

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The Reality Of The Fiscal Cliff Negotiations

SEARCH BLOG: ECONOMY.

Forbes has a good article summarizing the present state of negotiations on the fiscal cliff.  Relative to the $16 trillion debt facing this country [and growing rapidly], the negotiations have resulted in appallingly little.  A 3.6 percentage point bump [10% increase in the rates] in taxes on some high level incomes and the expiration of the Social Security tax reduction for all, provide very modest revenue increases for the government.  Spending cuts are non-existent.

A few bad things have been temporarily avoided.  Massive cuts in payments to doctors for Medicare services were avoided.  Dairy prices won't go up [this just got tacked on].  But nothing in stone about actually cutting spending.  There will be future talks which is Washington-speak for we're gonna ignore that.

The reality is that, aside from a tax increase on high income families, the cliff is getting higher every day and all the posturing is not addressing the very basic issues: our government is spending too much on new programs while unable to balance the budget.  The heavy hand of government comes down only on business in the form of more and more regulations that stifle growth, but never comes down to close the government wallet to stifle spending.

Any agreement based on present negotiations is hardly better than nothing.  The next crisis will, of course, be the debt ceiling.  The dancing continues.

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HR 6649 - Reward Turkish Government For Threatening Israel

SEARCH BLOG: TURKEY.

On the last day of the year, there has been an attempt to allow President Obama to send, for free, two U.S. frigates to Turkey.  This has been receiving bi-partisan opposition in the House of Representatives because Turkey, over the past year, has used their navy to threaten Israel and Cyprus and to forcefully aid Hamas.

Other frigates were being offered up to Mexico and Thailand for no cost.  In addition, Taiwan would be allowed to purchase four frigates.

The DOD has offered up these transfers as a matter of "national security interests."  The argument is that the bill has been available for examination for two weeks [during the time the Congress has been away or working on the fiscal cliff issues].

After debate, the Chairman called for a voice vote to suspend normal rules so that this bill could be passed.  The vote passed with at least a dozen aye votes and a couple of nay votes.

In another voice vote, the House passed H.R. 6649, a bill authorizing the transfer of 10 frigates to U.S. allies Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey. There was some debate over whether two of these frigates should be given to Turkey given that country's recent posture toward Europe, but despite this opposition, no one asked for a recorded vote on the bill. [source]

That's how things get done in Obama's world.  Full debate and mark-up through committee for renaming post offices; abbreviated debate with no committee mark-up and most members absent for important foreign affairs votes.  And Turkey gets to expand its navy to further threaten Israel and aid terrorists.

US TO DONATE TWO FRIGATES TO TURKEY

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Fiscal Cliff And Higher Taxes - Follow The Money

SEARCH BLOG: TAXES.

The Democratic Party has failed to develop a budget for the past four years.  By simply ignoring good fiscal management, the Democratic Party has plunged the U.S. deeply into debt and now wants to shift the blame for this mismanagement onto the Republican Party because the Republican-controlled House of Representatives does not want to allow the mismanagement to continue... masked by higher taxes.

President Obama has tried to maintain his distance from the debate over how to resolve his party's fiscal mismanagement, but now is attempting to create the impression that he is taking a "leadership" position in his attempt to create the impression that the Republicans will not compromise so that there can be a "bi-partisan" solution.  The reality is that President Obama wants to legislate increase taxes but only offer a vague promise to bring spending under control... not actually reduce spending.

What is the result of that approach?  Just look at France.

[source]

Yes, follow the tax money... right out of the country.  The wealthy have options.  When push comes to shove, they will walk away with their money and tax revenues will fall.

RELATED:

Blame It On Bush Once Again

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Over-Regulated?

SEARCH BLOG: GOVERNMENT.

If you are a small business, you probably are in violation of at least one and perhaps several federal regulations without having the slightest idea that you are.  That won't affect you unless some situation comes up where you are involved in a legal issue.  Then watch out.  This looks to be an opportunity for a "LegalZoom" type of website that quickly identifies both federal, state, and local regulations affecting specific businesses.  Of course, the database for that website would probably be unmanageable.

Here is a snapshot from Regulations.gov, the federal government website.

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Is The Fiscal Cliff Just A "Trigger Mechanism" For "Fundamentally Changing" The United States?

SEARCH BLOG: OBAMA and ECONOMY.

It seems amazing to many that there is so little concern about the massive debt that has been accruing in the Federal government.  A little bailout here, a little "quantitative easing" there, and presto-chango we have a Keynesian solution to all of our problems.

As noted in the previous post, the next president faces a $20 trillion federal debt and few options to pay it down.  One of the authors of Econbrowser, a liberal economist from the University of Wisconsin, proposed that inflation would solve all of our problems... just make money worth less or worthless?  To be fair, the proposal was for modest, targeted inflation, not runaway inflation.

The present crisis is the so-called "fiscal cliff" which seems to be generating a lot of hot air in Washington, D.C., but not much real action.  Solutions range to spending cuts ... cutting the rate of spending increases from planned levels, but still above present levels... to a symbolic tax increase on "wealthy" Americans ... those making more than $250,000.  The latter, of course, is classic class warfare, but not much in the way of a solution to ever-increasing debt.

But this is small change.  Perhaps we need to harken back to President Obama's words.

Some reduction in the rate of spending increases and some minor tax increase are not "fundamental changes."  What would be fundamental?  The following is from Doug Hagmann at the Canada Free Press:

Life for the average American is going to change significantly, and not the change people expect. First, DHS is preparing to work with police departments and the TSA to respond to civil uprisings that will happen when there is a financial panic. And there will be one, maybe as early as this spring, when the dollar won’t get you a gumball. I’m not sure what the catalyst will be, but I’ve heard rumblings about a derivatives crisis as well as an oil embargo. I don’t know, that’s not my department. But something is going to happen to collapse the dollar, which has been in the works since the 1990s. Now if it does not happen as soon as this, it’s because there are people, real patriots, who are working to prevent this, so it’s a fluid dynamic. But that doesn’t change the preparations. 

And the preparations are these: DHS is prepositioning assets in strategic areas near urban centers all across the country. Storage depots. Armories. And even detainment facilities, known as FEMA camps. FEMA does not even know that the facilities are earmarked for detainment by executive orders, at least not in the traditional sense they were intended. By the way, people drive by some of these armories every day without even giving them a second look. Commercial and business real estate across the country are being bought up or leased for storage purposes. Very low profile. 

Anyway, I am hearing that the plan from on high is to let the chaos play out for a while, making ordinary citizens beg for troops to be deployed to restore order. but it’s all organized to make them appear as good guys. That’s when the real head knocking will take place. We’re talking travel restrictions, which should not be a problem because gas will be rationed or unavailable. The TSA will be in charge of travel, or at least be a big part of it. They will be commissioned, upgraded from their current status. 

They, I mean Jarrett and Obama as well as a few others in government, are working to create a perfect storm too. This is being timed to coincide with new gun laws.

That sounds fairly "fundamental."

How much clearer do you want it? The Second Amendment will be gone, along with the first, at least practically or operationally. The Constitution will be gone, suspended, at least in an operational sense. Maybe they won’t actually say that they are suspending it, but will do it. Like saying the sky is purple when it’s actually blue. How many people will look at the sky and say yeah, it’s purple? They see what they want to see. 

So the DHS, working with other law enforcement organizations, especially the TSA as it stands right now, will oversee the confiscation of assault weapons, which includes all semi-automatic weapons following a period of so-called amnesty. It also includes shotguns that hold multiple rounds, or have pistol grips. They will go after the high capacity magazines, anything over, say 5 rounds. 

They will also go after the ammunition, especially at the manufacturer’s level. They will require a special license for certain weapons, and make it impossible to own anything. More draconian than England. This is a global thing too. Want to hunt? What gives you the right to hunt their animals? Sound strange? I hope so, but they believe they own the animals. Do you understand now, how sick and twisted this is? Their mentality? 

The obvious intent is to disarm American citizens. They will say that we’ll still be able to defend ourselves and go hunting, but even that will be severely regulated. This is the part that they are still working out, though. While the plans were made years ago, there is some argument over the exact details. I know that Napalitano, even with her support of the agenda, would like to see this take place outside of an E.O. [Executive Order] in favor of legislative action and even with UN involvement.

The Republicans wouldn't let that happen, would they?

Stop thinking about a normal situation. The country is divided, which is exactly where Obama wants us to be. We are as ideologically divided as we were during the Civil War and that rift is growing every day. Add in a crisis - and economic crisis - where ATM and EBT cards will stop working. Where bank accounts will contain nothing but air. They are anticipating a revolution and a civil war rolled into one (emphasis added by this author). 

Imagine when talk show hosts or Bloggers or some other malcontent gets on the air or starts writing about the injustice of it all, and about how Obama is the anti-Christ or something. They will outlaw such talk or writing as inciting the situation - they will make it illegal by saying that it is causing people to die. The Republicans will go along with everything as it’s - we have - a one party system. Two parties is an illusion. It’s all so surreal to talk about but you see where this is headed, right?

That's just nonsense talk.

Perhaps.  There are a lot of conspiracy theorists on the left and the right.  The propose scenarios that might be possible, but seem completely implausible.  The suspension of the Constitution?  Government by Executive Order?  Arming of Executive Branch departments.  Firing of top military officers?

Implausible.

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Obama: John Kerry To Carry On My World Apology Tour

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If you thought Hillary Clinton was a disaster as Secretary of State, you might be unprepared for the new era of American apologizing to the world with John Kerry in that role.

Washington (CNN).

 -- President Obama has decided to nominate Sen. John Kerry to be the next secretary of state and could make a formal announcement as early as next week, a Democrat who spoke to Kerry told CNN Saturday. The expected nomination follows U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's decision to withdraw her name from consideration for the post. She dropped out of the running Thursday after weeks of criticism from Republicans about statements she made about the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. [full story].

Possibly the only position Sen. Kerry could hold that would be worse than his present position of senator and potential position as Secretary of State would be Secretary of Defense.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012.

War Hero John Kerry May Be Secretary Of Defense.

Gateway Pundit has this old video of John Kerry who picked up a couple a scratches, a couple of Purple Hearts, and an early trip back to the U.S. to ingratiate himself with the left wing and tell whoppers to Congress.



As Secretary of State, he can certainly damage relationships with our allies as he courts favor with our antagonists, but at least he can't screw up the entire military structure.  One has to wonder what Teresa Heinz sees in this unappealing person.  Of course, we can all understand why President Obama finds John Kerry appealing... two political peas in a pod.

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