Right Wing Lunatic

Oh Snap!

2008-09-22T13:38:00.001-07:00

The UN atomic watchdog pressed Iran Monday to disprove allegations of past nuclear weapons work, saying Tehran should not be concerned about divulging sensitive information because its confidential.

Iran cannot simply dismiss all the charges as "fabricated," the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, told a meeting of the body's 35-member board.

Tehran must "clarify the extent to which the documentation is factually correct and where, as it asserts, such information may have been fabricated or relates to non-nuclear purposes," ElBaradei said on the first day of a week-long board meeting.

Neither could the Islamic republic hide behind the argument that in order to respond to the accusations, it would have to divulge information pertinent to its national security, the IAEA chief said.

Even the IAEA is saying that Iran is probably after nuclear weapons. Russia and China have no other choice then to admit that this is indeed the case. If Russia and China veto UN sanctions, then the only choice left is either broad sanctions outside of the UN, or a military strike by Israel.

Either way isn't going to bode well for Iran.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Transition And Travel

2008-09-22T12:37:00.001-07:00

Ok, I've spoken to my web guy, and we should be transitioning the website to Wordpress very soon. You should see the new changes in the next few days.

Also, I am traveling to Dallas, Texas for business, so I won't be posting until Thursday. Sorry guys, you'll have to just wait it out until your next fix. :)

Travis

I Hate Being Right

2008-09-22T12:36:00.001-07:00

Especially when being right means that people die:

Pakistani investigators are hunting an Al-Qaeda cell based in Islamabad that is believed to have carried out the bombing of the Marriott Hotel, security officials said Monday.

Investigators said they believed the attackers constructed the massive 600-kilo (1,300 pound) truck bomb at a safe house in the capital, since all lorries entering the heavily-guarded city are searched at checkpoints.

Dramatic footage of Saturday night's attack showed the attacker failed to get through a barrier when he crashed his explosives-laden truck into the hotel's security gates. At least 60 people were killed.

"Our focus at the moment is to track down the network in Islamabad which must have facilitated the movement and construction of the bomb," a senior official involved in the investigation told AFP.

Whether it was Al-Qaeda or not, we warned you, I WARNED YOU, that failure to do anything would result in more attacks and an emboldened enemy. You failed to heed our warnings, pushed back against us when we went after them, and now 60 people are dead because of your lack of spine.

Maybe next time you'll listen? Or are more people going to need to die before you do?

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

I Feel So Dirty

2008-09-22T12:34:00.001-07:00

But here it goes: Democrats are right.

Ok, I'm back. Here's WHY they are right:

The Bush administration's proposed $700 billion financial rescue took fuller shape on Monday as Senate Democrats circulated a counter proposal that would require the government to receive an ownership stake in the companies it helps.

The proposal, offered up by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., would require companies who sell assets to Uncle Sam to give the government shares in the company, according to a draft obtained by CNN.

The Senate Democrats' proposal would also require the government to come up with "a systematic approach for preventing foreclosures and ensuring long-term, sustainable homeownership through loan modifications and use of the HOPE for Homeowners Program" on the mortgages it buys in the bailout.

Now, this is being proposed by Christopher Dodd, so anything out of this guy's mouth is suspect. However, I do agree that if we taxpayers are footing the bill, we should get a cut of the proceeds. There's nothing wrong with a company asking for help, but any investor, the government included, would ask for something in return.

IF, and this is a big IF, it works, great. I want my taxes lowered accordingly when we cash out. It's not likely to happen of course, but I'm tired of being treated like a damned piggy bank. I want something tangible for my tax dollars, instead of watching it get pissed away with wasteful spending.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Welcome

2008-09-21T16:24:00.001-07:00

A young teenage girl was about to finish her first year of college. She considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat but her father was a rather staunch Republican.

One day she was challenging her father on his beliefs and his opposition to taxes and welfare programs. He stopped her and asked her how she was doing in school.

She answered that she had a 4.0 GPA but it was really tough. She had to study all the time, never had time to go out and party. She didn't have time for a boyfriend and didn't really have many college friends because of spending all her time studying.

He asked, "How is your friend Mary." She replied that Mary was barely getting by. She had a 2.0 GPA, never studied, but was very popular on campus, went to all the parties all the time. Why she often didn't show up for classes because she was hung over.

Dad then asked his daughter why she didn't go to the Dean's office and ask why she couldn't take 1.0 off her 4.0 and give it to her friend who only had a 2.0. That way they would both have a 3.0 GPA.

The daughter angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair, I worked really hard for mine and Mary has done nothing".

The father slowly smiled and said, "Welcome to the Republican Party".

Travis

Politicians Are Retarded

2008-09-20T23:33:00.001-07:00

The Bush administration asked Congress on Saturday for the power to buy $700 billion in toxic assets clogging the financial system and threatening the economy as negotiations began on the largest bailout since the Great Depression.

The rescue plan would give Washington broad authority to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from U.S. financial institutions for the next two years. It does not specify which institutions qualify or what, if anything, the government would get in return for the unprecedented infusion.

Democrats are pressing to require that the plan help more strapped borrowers stay in their homes and to condition the bailout on new limits on executive compensation.

Congressional aides and administration officials are working through the weekend to fill in the details of the proposal. The White House hoped for a deal with Congress by the time markets opened Monday; top lawmakers say they would push to enact the plan as early as the coming week.

"We're going to work with Congress to get a bill done quickly," President Bush said at the White House. Without discussing specifics, he said, "This is a big package because it was a big problem."

The proposal is a mere three pages long, but it gives sweeping powers to the government to dispense gigantic sums of taxpayer dollars in a program that would be sheltered from court review.

"It's a rather brief bill with a lot of money," said Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Banking Committee chairman. "We understand the importance of the anticipation in the markets, but we also know that what we're doing is going to have consequences for decades to come. There's not a second act to this—we've got to get this right."

Lawmakers digesting the eye-popping cost and searching for specifics voiced concerns that the proposal offers no help for struggling homeowners or safeguards for taxpayers' money.

The government must bail out the financial system "because if we don't, it will have a tremendous impact on American consumers, homeowners, taxpayers and the rest," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in San Francisco.

But, she added, "We cannot deal with this unless this bailout helps families stay in their homes."

They don't deserve to stay in their FUCKING HOMES NANCY! Jesus you are one of the dumbest politicians I have every seen in my entire life. You want the government to bail these companies out? Fine, but I want assets for my money. I want people to either pay their mortgage, like the promised when they bought the place, or I want to become part owner of the home I'M PAYING FOR!

$700 billion dollars is $2,300 for every man, woman, and child in America. Can any of you afford an additional $200 a month in expenses per person in your home?

Let these people fail. Let these people who bought homes sell them and move out into an apartment. This is a bullshit idea, and it's only a bandaid for a bigger problem. What are we getting for our money? What consequences are these lenders and homeowners facing for their bad business decisions? "Too big to fail" means "too big to exist". I'm sick of paying for everyone else. I pay my fair share, plus more. I pay taxes that some of you may never pay. I pay more in taxes then my neighbor makes in a year. Where's my "bail out"?

When is Nancy going to care about making MY MORTGAGE PAYMENT? Heads up politicians: Every, single one of you that votes for this is going to be publicly outed by me and I will vote against any one who votes for this. You vote for this, you obviously have no brain in your head and you are not fit to lead.

We'll start at the top: Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and anyone, including Republicans, else.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Poor Management

2008-09-20T22:34:00.001-07:00

Please meet poor idea.

The current financial crisis facing our country has been caused by the extreme right-wing economic policies pursued by the Bush administration. These policies, which include huge tax breaks for the rich, unfettered free trade and the wholesale deregulation of commerce, have resulted in a massive redistribution of wealth from the middle class to the very wealthy.

The middle class has really been under assault. Since President Bush has been in office, nearly 6 million Americans have slipped into poverty, median family income for working Americans has declined by more than $2,000, more than 7 million Americans have lost their health insurance, over 4 million have lost their pensions, foreclosures are at an all time high, total consumer debt has more than doubled, and we have a national debt of over $9.7 trillion dollars.

While the middle class collapses, the richest people in this country have made out like bandits and have not had it so good since the 1920s. The top 0.1 percent now earn more money than the bottom 50 percent of Americans, and the top 1 percent own more wealth than the bottom 90 percent.

But they also pay 90% of the taxes.

In my view, we need to go forward in addressing this financial crisis by insisting on four basic principles:

(1) The people who can best afford to pay and the people who have benefited most from Bush’s economic policies are the people who should provide the funds for the bailout. It would be immoral to ask the middle class, the people whose standard of living has declined under Bush, to pay for this bailout while the rich, once again, avoid their responsibilities. Further, if the government is going to save companies from bankruptcy, the taxpayers of this country should be rewarded for assuming the risk by sharing in the gains that result from this government bailout.

Specifically, to pay for the bailout, which is estimated to cost up to $1 trillion, the government should:

a) Impose a five-year, 10 percent surtax on income over $1 million a year for couples and over $500,000 for single taxpayers. That would raise more than $300 billion in revenue;

Reduce spending? Nah, even with the majority of the top financial minds in America saying that spending needs to be curbed, obviously the problem lies in that there needs to be more taxes. Of course! It all makes sense now!

Travis

Thank You, Mr. Biden

2008-09-19T15:53:00.001-07:00

So I’m watching the O’Reilly Factor the other day, as I do every day and the news clip of Joe Biden was playing where he alluded to the fact that it is our patriotic duty to pay higher taxes. In other words, by contributing to income re-distribution we will become patriots? Hmmm? I thought that was Communism? Damn, for my entire life I was lied to and was told that Communism was bad. I feel truly enlightened now that the Democrats have finally shed light on all the misinformation I was fed over the years. Wow, you mean the whole twenty five years I was in the Navy, that my shipmates and I sailed dangerously close to communist Russia in order to rid the world of oppressive communism for nothing? You mean my Commanders were lying to me when I was trained to defend our country from the Communist Soviet Union, North Korea, Cuba, and China? Whew, I feel so much better now that the Democratic vice Presidential candidate is the smartest politician in the United States. Those damn Republicans had it wrong all these years I guess. And here I was a believer.

I don’t consider myself a political or economic scholar but, I do know that I came from less than modest means and after many years of hard work and dedication to the service of my country, I became successful. I understand that for some, success is hard and an arduous task. And that for others, misfortune can happen beyond individual control. However, with every opportunity the United States government, civic organizations, charities, foundations, religious organizations and community volunteers make available, there is no reason for anyone to be in need of a percentage of every individual Americans paycheck. If you think that Americans are going to sit by and let some left-wing Washington ass kisser take their hard earned money in order to appease the progressive factions of their party, then Joe Biden is not the smartest Politian in America, he’s the dumbest. If the citizens of the United States let this monstrosity happen by electing two of the hardest lefties in the nation’s history as President and vice President, then we got what we deserved. Not only am I clinging to my guns and religion, but my hard earned cash too Joe.

Navy Chief

United Stated Navy. Retired.

The Bluff

2008-09-19T15:44:00.001-07:00

Obama: I will meet with Iranian leaders!

Ahmadinejad: Ok.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad put Barack Obama on the spot Thursday, offering to debate with both U.S. presidential candidates when he arrives at the United Nations next week for its annual summit.

The fiery Iranian leader, who provoked a storm of controversy when he visited last year, said he would debate global issues at a public forum in UN headquarters if the candidates agreed.

Obama said early in his campaign that, as president, he would be prepared to meet the leaders of U.S. foes such as Iran and Syria.

The statement sparked a sharp rebuke from Republican candidate John McCain, who argued it showed the Illinois senator's inexperience in knowing how to deal with recalcitrant leaders on the world stage.

Leading UN powers have been in a standoff with Iran over that country's refusal to roll back its nuclear ambitions, which the United States and its allies believe are aimed at producing a nuclear bomb.

Your move Obama.

Travis

FINALLY!

2008-09-19T13:17:00.001-07:00

Teachers and parents in Dallas, Texas, are angry about new grading policies that they say are dumbing down the district and pushing students through the system who haven't earned it.

Students who fail a test in Dallas this year get to retake it, with the failed score tossed out.

One of the most contentious of the policies allows a student who fails a test to retake it, with the lower score being tossed out.

"Instead of setting high expectations and the high standards and holding them to that, we seem to be wanting to lower the bar and give them an excuse not to succeed," said Dale Kaiser, president of the National Education Association, the teachers union.

Dallas Independent School District officials refused multiple interview requests from CNN. But in interviews with CNN affiliates and in documents outlining the grading policy, district officials say the goal of the grading system is to emphasize learning, not failure.

"This is not about giving anybody any sort of free ride. What this is about is giving students a second chance to be successful," John Dahlander, a spokesman for the school district, told CNN-affiliate WFAA.

The policy allowing failed test scores to be thrown out is just one of several changes to the grading policy that went into effect at the start of this school year.

Other grading policies include:

• For elementary and middle school students, only homework grades "that raise a student's average" will be recorded.

• Students must be given one opportunity to turn in homework assignments that weren't finished on time.

• Parents must be contacted before a teacher records a zero in the grade book.

"I think it's ridiculous," said parent Bobbie Wilhite. "It's tough out there once you get out of high school. We're already namby-pamby enough for our kids."

Finally, I'm not the only one noticing that kids these days are being hand held throughout their lives, and are totally unprepared for the real world.

"only home grades that raise the average" are recorded? What kind of bullshit line of thinking is that? Does your boss only think of things when doing your annual review that make you look better? Of course, not, he/she looks at the whole picture. Then they decide on how much your raise should be accordingly. Don't like it? Get another job or work harder.

What the fuck are parents needing to be told for their kid getting a zero? Why are they allowed to turn in an assignment late? We were allowed that, but you automatically lost a percentage of your grade every day it was late, sometimes even by the hour. After I believe it was 3 days, you shouldn't even bother, because even if the paper was perfect, you still failed.

It's a rough world people, and when you coddle your kids, you are telling them that it's ok to hide under mommy's skirt and she'll protect you at all times. When mommy retires or dies, then they will have a meltdown sometime in the future, I guarantee it.

It's time to go back to the old ways. Kids got out of line? They got swatted by the teacher or principal. Don't show up? You get detention. Homework not up to snuff? You fail. Fail enough times, you repeat the grade. You will grow up and know how to think and act properly, I promise you that if these things are reenacted.

Want to know what the real world is like? Here you go:

It's just not as intense, but the rules are the same. First time, every time. Watch your team mates back. Work hard and you will be rewarded.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

A Bit Of Fiscal Responsibility

2008-09-19T12:51:00.001-07:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign a compromise budget deal after lawmakers ceded to his demands for budget reform, his spokesman said Friday.

"The governor has an agreement with legislative leaders on the budget," spokesman Aaron McLear said. "They met his demands. They included real budget reform, and they did not take money from people's paychecks."

California lawmakers were scheduled to vote Friday on the compromise budget deal -- averting a historic veto by Schwarzenegger, who had called lawmakers' previous budget plan fiscally irresponsible.

The new plan eliminates some of the borrowing gimmicks that lawmakers had included to help close a $15.2 billion hole, but leaves others intact. It also strengthens the state's rainy day fund.

The state's four legislative leaders met with the governor Thursday and agreed to many of his demands after conceding they were uncertain whether they could muster the two-thirds vote of the state Legislature required to override his veto.

Yep, that's right, they wanted to override a veto because it would allow them to continue to spend freely. To give you an idea, the California state budget is larger then many countries.

They are up to their eyeballs in debt, and they wanted to make it deeper?

Schwarzenegger had criticized the earlier plan for failing to meet his demands for a more robust rainy day fund. He said the budget relied on accounting gimmicks -- such as collecting an extra 10 percent of workers' income tax in advance and repaying it later -- that could lead to an even larger deficit next year.

The four legislative leaders said they had agreed to remove that provision in their latest deal.

They planned to take up two bills. One would levy larger fines against businesses that underreport their tax liabilities, and another would ensure the state's rainy day fund could only be tapped when revenues fall below projected spending -- the last remaining piece of the budget reforms Schwarzenegger sought.

The remainder of the budget approved Tuesday will stand, including $7.1 billion in spending cuts that advocates say will trigger deep cuts to health care in the future.

There you go. SPENDING CUTS. Sometimes you have to cut the budget in areas that aren't politically popular, but that's just the way the ball bounces. It's even nice to see Arnold see through the bullshit of collecting more income tax, only to pay it back later. With administrative overhead, it would actually COST more money then anything. Stupid idea. Good job Arnie.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Financial Bailout That You And I Are Going To Pay For

2008-09-19T12:36:00.001-07:00

President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Friday outlined a series of far-reaching steps - likely to cost hundreds of billions of dollars - aimed at stemming a widening financial crisis that is roiling the financial markets and undermining confidence in the banking system.

"We must act now to protect our nation's economic health from serious risk," Bush said at a White House press conference. "There will be ample opportunity to discuss the origins of this problems. Now is the time to solve it."

"This is no time for partisanship," Bush added. "We need to move urgently needed legislation as quickly as possible without adding controversial provisions that could delay action."

Earlier, Paulson said that federal action would target the mortgage-related "illiquid assets" that are burdening the finance industry.

"The federal government must implement a program to remove these illiquid assets that are weighing down our financial institutions and threatening our economy," said Paulson. "This troubled asset relief program must be properly designed and sufficiently large to have maximum impact."

The new program would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, according to Paulson.

The downside to the plan is its enormous cost, said Baumohl, estimating that the federal bail-out of the financial markets could swell the national deficit to $1 trillion annually.

Now, my gut reaction is "why am I paying for this", but then a bunch of financial people, who are easily smarter then me in this area, are saying it's a good thing and it should have come sooner.

So, maybe they know more then I do, maybe they know something that will be helpful. I'm just not sure. One thing I do know is that Obama's got a sneaky thing going on:

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said on Friday he supported efforts by the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to shore up confidence in the financial markets and said he would hold off from presenting his own economic recovery plan.

"The events of the last few days have made it clear that we must take further bold and decisive action to shore up confidence in our financial markets and avoid a deepening economic crisis that could jeopardize the life savings and well-being of millions of Americans," Obama said in a statement.

Why is he "holding off" presenting his plan? Simple: He's waiting to see if this works or not. You see, if he comes out and says "this is exactly what I'm thinking", and it fails, it's a big hit against him. He's doing this for purely political reasons, not because he's looking out for the average American.

My bet is that his plan is filled with more regulation and higher taxes. I can almost guarantee that if this doesn't fix it, Obama's going to come out and say "I have a plan" and people will flock to it, regardless of if it's a good one or not. However, if this government plan does work, you'll never hear about Obama's "plan" again, regardless of what it contained, and I can equally guarantee that he won't show it to the public if the ideas in it are vastly different then what's going on right now.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Democratic Leaders Are Dumb

2008-09-19T12:25:00.001-07:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed Thursday to press ahead with a Democratic plan to inject more than $50 billion or so into the economy, despite opposition from the White House and moderates in her own party.

“The worsening economy demands another bipartisan economic recovery effort,” Pelosi wrote in a letter delivered to President Bush Thursday evening.

Just hours earlier, the California Democrat had seemed pessimistic about the chances for a second stimulus bill to follow on the tax rebates enacted in February. She told reporters that it would only advance after Democrats attempt to put some of the more popular components on a budget bill Congress must pass in the next two weeks.

“We’ll see what we can get” in that bill, Pelosi told reporters. “And then we’ll see where we go from there.” The “continuing resolution” is necessary to keep the government running after Sept. 30.

“Let’s face it, we can only have a stimulus if the president will sign it,” Pelosi added.

Later, Pelosi renewed her vow to try to pass a stimulus measure that would combine billions of dollars for jobs-producing infrastructure projects, more food stamps, additional Medicaid aid to states, home heating subsidies and a further extension of unemployment insurance.

Ok, so the last one didn't work with more than $100 billion dollar infusion, so what makes them think another $50 billion will work? It's not even money we have, it's borrowed money. It's an idiotic idea at best, and Nancy Pelosi is simply trying to prop up her numbers by basically buying votes. Simply put, you need to cut spending. Do that, and everything else will fall into place. Our budget is $3 trillion dollars, so how about instead of spending more money, you put say oh I don't know, $500 billion a year towards reducing the federal debt. It'll be COMPLETELY paid off within 20 years. Not really that difficult people.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Get Out!

2008-09-18T15:47:00.001-07:00

State Rep. Mike Kernell said today that he was aware of Internet rumors about his son being the subject of speculation that he accessed the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Asked whether he or his son, a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, had been contacted by authorities investigating the break-in of Palin's account, he responded:

"Me, no."

As far as his 20-year-old son, David, he said: "I can't say. That doesn't mean he has or hasn't (been contacted by investigators)."

Kernell, D-Memphis, cited the father-son relationship.

He said he had talked to his son today, but that he talks to his son regularly.

He declined further comment.

The focus of a the email break in of Sarah Palin is the son of a Democratic State Representative.....how.....odd. :)

Travis

Biden calls paying higher taxes a patriotic act

2008-09-18T12:20:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right folks. When people in the financial district are telling you that the only way to solve the problem is to reduce spending, Joe Biden is telling people that to pay more money to give it to poorer people is "patriotic".

Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday that paying more in taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans. In a new TV ad that repeats widely debunked claims about the Democratic tax plan, the Republican campaign calls Obama's tax increases "painful."

Under the economic plan proposed by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, people earning more than $250,000 a year would pay more in taxes while those earning less — the vast majority of American taxpayers — would receive a tax cut.

Although Republican John McCain claims that Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

How is redistributing wealth going to "get America out of the rut"? Simple, it isn't. It's an effort to get votes. It has NOTHING to do with getting out of a financial pinch. Democrats lately reek of desperation. You want to "help get America out of the rut", then you cut spending.

Taxing wealthy people to give to the poorer isn't going to do jack, and if you believe that, you're an idiot.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Celebrating Genius'

2008-09-18T11:11:00.001-07:00

Too often, we as a society celebrate professional athletes, movie stars, and musicians. While they are certainly talented in their own field, they don't really do much in terms of helping society.

Doctors, teachers, and this student, are people who are unsung and I want to take a moment to show you how gifted some people really are:

William Yuan, a seventh-grader from Portland, OR, developed a three-dimensional solar cell that absorbs UV as well as visible light. The combination of the two might greatly improve cell efficiency. William's project earned him a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Library of Congress to accept the award, which is usually given out for research at the graduate level.

“Current solar cells are flat and can only absorb visible light,” he said. “I came up with an innovative solar cell that absorbs both visible and UV light. My project focused on finding the optimum solar cell to further increase the light absorption and efficiency and design a nanotube for light-electricity conversion efficiency.”

My only issue is that he shouldn't be given a $25,000 scholarship, he should be given a completely free college education. That way, he can focus his intelligence on making things better for all of us, rather than having to worry about how to pay for school. It's win-win all the way around.

Congratulations William!

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Harry Reid Gets Dressing Down

2008-09-18T09:25:00.001-07:00

And the best part is that it's all about him and Nancy Pelosi blaming the Bush administration, which I just talked about yesterday:

U.S. Senate Majority leader Harry Reid has said he doesn't have a clue about how to fix the financial crisis.

"No one knows what to do. We are in new territory here. This is a different game," the Democrat from Nevada said late Wednesday. In fact, Congress is likely to do what it usually does when the chips are down -- punt.

Still it's amazing that, in the biggest financial crisis since the Depression, the man in charge of the world's greatest deliberative body can't even think of the one thing everybody else has to do when times are tough: cut the budget.

It really isn't brain surgery; it's just addition and subtraction -- well, really just subtraction.

The problem is, it's so simple, probably only a hockey mom could understand it.

And that's the real issue.

It's not in Reid's interest to do anything.

A big fat financial crisis is just the ticket to see his party's nominee safely across the finish line in the presidential election.

So throwing up his hands is exactly the right political move.

But -- and it's a big but -- the current fiasco on Wall Street is still only a prelude to what happens when the U.S. is finally held to account for the combined costs of Social Security, Medicare and the trillions of dollars in debt already on the books.

So perhaps once the Obama coronation is safely over and Joe Lieberman has been shown to his new office -- formerly the Senate janitorial closet -- the majority leader can take it upon himself to show some real leadership and take an axe to federal spending.

Even people over at marketwatch.com are seeing Harry's full of shit. What's even better, is that he's calling him out as a failed "leader". He even flatly tells it how it is: It's a political ploy.

It's nice to see Democratic "leaders" called out for their line of BS.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Harry Reid's Full Of @#$$

2008-09-17T21:21:00.001-07:00

ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf reports from Capitol Hill: Don't look for any legislation in the near future to address the financial crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, asked today what new regulatory actions Congress can take, said, bluntly, "No one knows what to do. We are in new territory here. This is a different game. We're not here playing soccer, basketball or football, this is a new game and we're going to have to figure out how to do it."

A Reid spokesman said neither Treasury Secretary Paulson nor Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke offered up any suggestions for new regulatory legislation when they met with Reid in the Capitol building Tuesday night, either.

In the short run, Democrats are trying to push through a second stimulus package with funding for infrastructure improvements, renewable energy tax credits and other things. But all agree it will be up to the next President and Congress to do any re-regulation.

Ok, so "no one knows what to do", but he and Nancy Pelosi is damned sure that it's the Bush administration's fault. So, anyone with half a brain cell knows that Nancy and her ilk are just trying to play upon the feelings of Americans in a financial pinch, instead of appealing to the facts.

But the senate majority leader said, "the good intentions of these two decent men cannot escape the reality that the Bush administration's willful of oversight and zealous embrace of big business is responsible for the crisis we now face."

Yep, had nothing to do with the bad business decisions of the people who were running the companies, it's all Bush's fault! Jeez people, do any of you think before you speak, or all you just above a retarded monkey?

Reid went through a litany of bankruptcy protection bills aimed at shielding consumers rather than corporations that he said Republicans had blocked. With more protections for consumers and if the Bush administration had more zealously, or at all, policed the markets with the regulatory tools at their disposal, he wondered if the financial crisis would be happening at all.

But, check out this little jewel.

I join as a cosponsor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005, S. 190, to underscore my support for quick passage of GSE regulatory reform legislation. If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole.

John McCain said that in 2005, LONG before Democrats took power in Congress, so if he was warning about it then, who do you suppose is to blame here if you want to point fingers? It shows you how people have been blinded by hype by people like Obama about financial responsibility. McCain knew there was trouble in 2005, yet no one did a thing about it. Even the writer of the article is noticing that Harry Reid's full of shit.

And he seemed to forget how he voted on a now-controversial bill that largely de-regulated the financial services industry in 1999. It was written by Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas, who has since retired and is a McCain economic adviser. And Democrats, including Reid, opposed the bill when it first passed the Senate with 54 votes.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Proof Of Iranian Nuclear Weapons Program

2008-09-17T17:41:00.001-07:00

The U.N. nuclear watchdog showed documents and photographs on Tuesday suggesting Iran secretly tried to modify a missile cone to fit a nuclear bomb, diplomats said, and Tehran again dismissed the findings as forged.

Iran said an International Atomic Energy Agency inquiry into its nuclear activity was at a dead-end because the IAEA was demanding Tehran reveal conventional military secrets without nuclear dimensions. Iran has denied seeking atom bombs.

The Vienna-based U.N. watchdog said in a report on Monday that Iranian stonewalling had brought an agency inquiry into whether Tehran had covertly researched ways to make a nuclear bomb to a standstill.

Britain has accused Iran of showing contempt for the U.N. watchdog and, with the United States and France, vowed to seek harsher sanctions on Tehran over its defiance of U.N. demands for full disclosure and a suspension of uranium enrichment.

The IAEA wants Iran to clarify intelligence material pointing to links between Iranian projects to process uranium, test high explosives and modify a Shahab-3 missile cone in a way suitable for a nuclear warhead.

The Islamic Republic has denied the allegations but the IAEA says Iran must substantiate its position by granting access to sites, documents and relevant officials for interviews.

Top agency inspectors briefed its board of governors on the report's findings on Tuesday ahead of a meeting by the 35-nation body next week likely to heighten pressure on Iran to cooperate.

Washington's IAEA envoy said the group was shown photos and documents of Iranian work on re-designing a Shabab-3 to carry what would appear to be a nuclear weapon.

"The (IAEA) Secretariat told us the information they have is in their words, 'very credible', unquote, and they have asked iran to provide 'substantive responses', unquote," Gregory Schulte told reporters.

He said the meeting was told that Iran had refused IAEA requests to interview engineers involved in the work and visit their ostensibly civilian workshops, depicted in photos.

Full sanctions, where not a dollar is exchanged with Iran from all UN member nations, or a military strike. Those are the two options I see right now. There's no mistaking these photos and the source now. For the longest time, Iran touted the IAEA when there was doubts, now that proof has surfaced with these pictures, Iran is claiming fabrication and blocking access to various sites for inspection.

Any "don't bomb Iran" folks care to pipe up? Or are you all going to slither away without saying a word?

Any "George Bush is making it all up about Iran" folks going to say anything, now that it's been proven that he was right all along?

Didn't think so.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

America! @#$^ Yeah!

2008-09-17T17:20:00.001-07:00

Occassionally, I get the rantings of a reader that just speaks volumes about the kind of nut jobs that frequent my site from time to time, that just stand out. The kind that make you go "wow, that guy's my #1 fan!". Christian is one such reader:

Hey, guy, seriously...Shut the Fuck Up! You fucking moron. What, do you speak on behalf of the U.S. government (I know, I know)? Since when does the U.S. have the right to just barge into Pakistan without permission? Oh yeah, one more thing, FUCK AMERICA! You're walking on Indian land faggot, couch quarterback, cultureless, pilgrim asswipe! There's another war comin' here in the states (actually it's been going on for 500 plus years) so I wouldn't be so worried about what happens all the way in faraway Pakistan. I expect you to be offended and I expect you to get angry and offer me some little high school teacher excuse for all the crimes that were committed by America the ugly so I'll ask you to save it. The movement in general is growing daily and it seems as if all of our fallen warriors of the past are reviving in our youth of today! The ten thousand unarmed warriors of Tenochtitlan, the thousands of Cholula, of Cajamarca, the hundreds of Wounded Knee, of Sand Creek that were killed are reborn in our youth. The Eagle and the Condor are coming together and we will regain our lands from the white colonial rulers and elite. Oh, by the way, we don't need your religions either. We have our own religions that make a heck of a lot more sense than your superstitious religions. Ours were based on science and observation of the universe as well as philosophy; yours are based on blind faith. And so, the mental and physical colonialism will stop. Bye Bye anchor baby.

Hooray for me! I'm making friends! I can totally see myself going to the movies with this guy and talking about girls and hitting the strip clubs.

Christian, I love you buddy!

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Racism In Election?

2008-09-17T12:33:00.001-07:00

Race is arguably the biggest issue in this election, and it's one that nobody's talking about.

The differences between Barack Obama and John McCain couldn't be more well-defined. Obama wants to change Washington. McCain is a part of Washington and a part of the Bush legacy. Yet the polls remain close. Doesn't make sense…unless it's race.

I actually agree with this guy, but a different twist. I think that some people, in fact a lot of people, are voting for Obama simply because he's black. How else can you explain Obama getting upwards of 80%+ percentage of black voters in some states?

Some people will reject or accept Obama simply because of the color of his skin. I reject him for his hypocritical nature and his ideology. You know, the more important aspects of a Presidential candidate. :)

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Weight Gain Not Intentional To Avoid Execution

2008-09-17T12:29:00.001-07:00

A double murderer scheduled to be executed next month in Ohio said Tuesday he has not deliberately gained weight to rule out his death by lethal injection.

Killer Richard Cooey has gained 70 pounds since his incarceration, which he says should block his execution.

Instead, Richard Cooey said in a death row interview that his execution cannot be carried out humanely under current state procedures because his veins are hard to reach.

"Vein access was an issue even when I was back in the service," Cooey, 41, said in an hour-long interview with the Associated Press at the Ohio State Penitentiary.

Cooey, 5-foot, 7 inches tall and 267 pounds, said he has gained perhaps 70 pounds while being locked up for raping and killing two University of Akron students 22 years ago while he was on leave from the U.S. Army. He blamed the weight gain on medication and lack of exercise.

"It's hard getting access to my veins," said Cooey, who was handcuffed and locked in a closet-sized visiting room. He spoke through a straw-sized slit in a reinforced glass partition.

Cooey said he has heard secondhand about comedians' jokes about the Ohio inmate who claims he's too fat to be executed.

But he says that ridicule reflects ignorance of his underlying claim that it's the inaccessibility of his veins that makes it difficult to get an IV inserted for a lethal injection.

The legal challenge is based on constitutional issues and not fear of execution, Cooey said. "It has nothing to do with weight gain," he said.

Instead of lethal injection, "If it would make people happy, shoot me in the head with a .45," Cooey said. "Do it legally."

I'm ok with shooting him in the head with a .45. He murdered two people. He doesn't even deny that. What I'd also argue, is that while your arms, legs and stomach have gotten fat, I'll bet that the veins in his neck are just fine.

When you murder someone in cold blood, you deserve to die for that crime. You robbed someone of a family member, of a friend. So, instead of whining about how it'll be "hard to find a vein", how about you man up and take your punishment? Is it really that difficult to find a vein, and if so, is it really that difficult to just shoot him?

Ohio - Lethal Injection - If lethal injection held unconstitutional, then any subsequently prescribed legal method.

Hanging's Constitutional. So's electrocution, firing squad, and the gas chamber. I'm just saying....

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Shipping My Kids To Florida

2008-09-17T12:23:00.001-07:00

A teacher's ability to control students could get more physical. In an effort to maintain safe classrooms, the Florida Board of Education is considering giving teachers more physical power to control students by using "reasonable force."

"I think it would be a useful tool depending on the amount of force involved," said parent Robin Page.

"I say if it gets out of line, smack them around. Sometimes you got to do it," Brent Sanders, a parent, said.

Another parent, Jane Lane, said, "I think it's probably not a good idea. Whenever you have 'reasonable' as a standard, it's subject to individual interpretation, and you have all degrees of the spectrum, which just leads to some sort of abuse."

The proposed rule says reasonable force is defined as appropriate physical response necessary to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment.

There was a time, not too long ago, that if you go out of line, you got a smacking from the teacher, or the principal. Notice we didn't have school shootings, idiot kids who can't spell, and we still ended up as the most powerful nation on Earth.

Coincidence? I don't think so. If you raise your kids to be responsible and respectful, they'll continue the tradition when they reach adulthood, and you likely won't ever get a call from the police asking you to come down to the station.

Travis

travis@rightwinglunatic.com

Star Spangled Patriotism

2008-09-17T08:55:00.001-07:00

A camera at a celebrity flag-football game became Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard's worst nightmare. Howard turned to the camera and said, "'The Star-Spangled Banner' is going on right now and I don't even celebrate that s--t. I'm black, goddamnit. Howard an Obama supporter makes no qualms about ensuring the media know he believes that if your black, you are not to celebrate America and its traditions. Well, let me tell you people. I served with every race and religion of Americans in the Navy and we had a saying which I still believe today, “In the Navy, your not White, Black, Brown, etc… We are all Blue”. Any idiot who uses their position in the media's spotlight to seethe their hatred for America just because they are “lucky” enough to have the ability is the worst kind of individual (in my opinion). If you ask the typical American what patriotism means to them, most will tell you that just having the freedom and ability to be able to express opinion mean the world to them. No one ever said we all have to agree but no one ever said that because you are more fortunate to have access to the media, (left-wing for the most part) that you use every opportunity to bash this country and our leaders. This makes us all look weak and divided in the eyes of the world and frankly makes us look as stupid as extremist countries. Are you listening Hollywood?

Navy Chief

Watch Out!

2008-09-17T08:53:00.001-07:00

Watch Out; By Navy Chief, United Stated Navy. Retired.

SAN'A, Yemen (Sept. 17) - Suspected militants armed with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and at least one suicide car bomb assaulted the U.S. Embassy in the Yemeni capital on Wednesday. The coordinated attack killed 16 people, including six assailants’, officials said.

It was the deadliest attack on a compound that has been targeted four times in recent years by bombings, mortars and shootings. Yemen, the ancestral homeland of Osama bin Laden, has struggled to put down al-Qaida-linked Islamic militants, often to the frustration of U.S. counterterrorism officials.

So, I have been pondering the real motivation of the Democratic Party. Obviously any major party wants to gain or re-gain power in politics. The original and noble reason is to serve constituencies. As a vast world traveler from my long military career, I have been to almost every country in the world, have seen countless cultures, values, and traditions. Something really bothers me. How can elected officials who write foreign policy and manage overseas diplomacy ever do so without ever stepping foot in that country? Many elected Politian’s have done this with by surrounding themselves with the right people who have had hands on experience in this field. Further, when your goal is to appease those that will harm us with a “head-in-the-sand” approach, how can that be good for the United States of America? The current President had really no initial experience in these areas when he became Commander in Chief, but he ensured that his cabinet was capable of providing essential experience to do so.

I have had hands on experience with foreign hostiles, POW’s, and basic brain washed individuals who no matter how they are approached, will try to kill you by any means necessary. I sometimes felt almost sorry for those stupid bastards at times. From infancy, the extremist regimes program their young people to hate America and the west in general by using a religious excuse which after careful interpretation is blatant crap. Most really don’t know any better. It is the leadership within the bunkers of Afghanistan and Iraq who cower like little bitches and send the ignorant to do their dirty work. Never the less, Whom do you think will be savvy and straight forward enough from the two parties running for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency this year? I can tell you from experience any “Jack-Ass” who will talk with hostile regimes without pre-condition is wrong for you and your country. No one is perfect mind you, but I will venture to say that if terrorist’s can plan an attack on the United States for over six years and never be questioned because the leadership in Washington is too busy fulfilling their own special interests and political agendas, those type of leaders are wrong for this country. Consider this. If all the Democratic Party is concerned with is Sarah Palin, we are in for big troubles come January if we let a novice in the white house because the left-wing media thinks it’s a good idea.

Navy Chief