Recession Woes: Not for the President

In an article reported in the Associated Press, apparently President Bush is one of few people that doesn't think the U.S. is headed for a recession. Although many economists have reported that the U.S. is teetering on a recession, Mr. Bush has decided unilaterally that that's not going to happen.

Of couse much like many "Bushisms" the President declined to accompany the statement with any sort of evidence. Frequently I wonder where the president gets most of his ideas or if he just makes stuff up as he goes along. Although I agree with some of his statements including that we need to see the effect the stimulus package, I for one would like more plans about how we plan to reverse the current situation and fix the problems that got us into this in the first place.

I expect to see banking regulations enforced in the near future, but who knows; that is a mess for the next president.

IRS v. Obama

Presidential hopeful Barack Obama may have undergone much criticism in his bid to become president, but it now appears his chruch in coming under the microscope. According to multiple articles in widely recognized papers including the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press "The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Sen. Barack Obama gave at its national meeting last year after he became a candidate for president, the denomination said Tuesday."

The IRS has stated that it has a reasonable belief that the chruch violated restrictions on political activity for tax-exempt organizations. "Obama, a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, spoke about faith and public life at the denomination's June 2007 General Synod in Hartford, Conn."

The IRS has stated its concern that the church violated restrictions through its advertisment that 10,000 people planned to attend. Additionally, tables were set up outside to raise money for the campaign. The IRS has declined to comment on the investigations.

For those that know anything about tax exempt status, it would be a huge blow if the church were to lose such status. It would be ironic if Mr. Obama sacrificed his church in order to get elected president. Although ultimately nothing might come of this, one would thing a politician aspiring to the office of President would know better.

The Colvin Report: Prince Harry On The Front LInes

Reports have broke that Prince Harry has been with his brigade on the front lines in Afghanistan for the past 10 weeks.

He had previously been denied deployment because of the risk that he would become a target, but that did not stop the Prince.

We can all learn a few things from Prince Harry.

He is third in line to the English Throne, but yet he fought for the right to represent his country and fight terrorism on the front lines.

While it is unfortunate that someone let the press in on the secret deployment, his brave and courageous act should be an example for everyone.

This is a dangerous world we live in and some times the only option is to stand up and fight.

The Colvin Report: McCain / Obama Round 1

McCain plans to stay the course in Iraq until the U.S. can responsibly withdrawal, but where exactly does Obama stand on the issue?

Well, in the debate, Obama said: “As commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad.”

Interesting, McCain took the opportunity to attack.

“I have some news. Al Qaeda is in Iraq. It’s called ‘Al Qaeda in Iraq."

All Obama could say is: “But I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as Al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq.” But... what does that have to do with you saying you would go into Iraq if Al-Qaeda was building a base?

As McCain points out: "It's a remarkable statement to say that you would send troops back to a place where al Qaeda has established a base -- where they have already established a base."

So does Obama want us to leave or stay... I'm confused

The Colvin Report: Columbia University's Pal

According to Ahmadinejad, "Iran is the number one power in the world"

Not the U.S., not U.K., not China, not Russia, but Iran.

He went on to add: "Today the name of Iran means a firm punch in the teeth of the powerful and it puts them in their place."

Well, As an American, I'm not sure Iran is putting us in our "place" but I am certain of one thing, he is a delusional man who has no business in America or taking parts in unconditioned talks with a U.S. President.

The Colvin Report: Idea's From the Left Think-Tanks

Here is a great idea for attacking McCain.

He was born on a U.S. Military Base in Panama while his fathers was on orders from the United States of America.

Therefore, he is foreign born and cannot run for president...

Right, nice try.

Goes right in with the Anti-American campaign strategy, but are you serious?

While it is true there is no precedence for the case, because no president has ever been born outside the physical boundaries, I believe the Court would have to follow the spirit of the constitution to embody U.S. Soil. Anything else would be unjust.

The Colvin Report: More Ties For Obama

William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn. Members of a radical left-wing group known as Weather Underground. Both participated in a bombing of a police station, the pentagon, and the accidentally blowing up of a Greenwich Village townhouse between the 60's and 70's.

But lets be fair, its been a long time, maybe they regret their decisions:

Lets see... Here is a 2001 NY Times Article quoting Ayers: “I don't regret setting bombs; I feel we didn't do enough." He then went on to add,''Everything was absolutely ideal on the day I bombed the Pentagon.''

Not exactly an upstanding citizen.

Well, it seems these domestic terrorists have been friends with Obama since his Chicago days and they have continued to support and donate towards Obama's presidential campaign.

Another bombshell, no pun intended, for Obama.

The Colvin Report:The Farrakhan Connection

Whats the deal with Obama, his church and the anti-semitic islamic minister Louis Farrakhan?

Farrakhan, who has drawn attention for calling Judaism a “gutter religion,” dubbed the Illinois senator the “hope of the entire world” on Sunday.

Obama was asked during a debate with Hillary Clinton Tuesday night if he would reject that support — but the Illinois senator at first hedged.

“I can’t say to somebody that he can’t say that he thinks I’m a good guy,” Obama said. “You know, I have been very clear in my denunciations of him and his past statements." Hillary decided to press him on the issue and he then decided to reject the endorsement.

This isn't the end of the problem for Obama, as the HRC staff is now questioning his relationship with Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the recently retired pastor at Obama’s Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. The church magazine gave Farrakhan the 2007 lifetime achievement award for social justice.

Life time achievement huh, where do Obama's ties lie?

This is the same church that requires a "Non-negotiable commitment to Africa" from all members and Obama's foreign aid initiatives indicate he will follow through with that commitment (before dealing with an American recession).

At least this helps explain why his wife has never been proud of America.

In honor of William F. Buckley Jr.

The father of modern conservatism, or the "new right", died today. He was the creator of the conservative intellectual pow-wow, the National Review, and served as a striking and refined voice in movement conservatism for more than 40 years. While I didn't always agree with him, I enjoyed watching him sparring with Gore Vidal in the 60s (below), and he always brought a fresh perspective. One of his most interesting stances involved the legalization of marijuana, a common-sense issue, I believe, whose time will soon arrive. Good luck in the next world, Bill.

The Colvin Report: Campaign Finance Reform Mastermind George Soros

Last night Obama said that he would not commit in writing to abiding by the campaign finance reforms. Further, he had recently called for the investigation into McCain's spending compliance.

McCain had fought for reform, but has not accepted a dime of government for his campaign. But that doesn't stop Obama, he doesn't want to allow McCain to continue without accepting those funds and their limitations.

Obama knows that McCain cannot run a campaign if he is forced to abide by reform while Obama does not, because McCain could essentially spend no money until after the National Conventions.

What is interesting is that the huge supporter of campaign finance reform, George Soros, is the man donating millions and millions of dollars to smear campaigns. He supports the groups such as Moveon.org, Americans for Progress, and the usual liberal suspects.

So, what does this mean?

George Soros has the power to shape the election by dumping millions of dollars in smear campaigns while McCain stands defenseless, not allowed to combat these campaigns. George Soros is a scumbag with deep pockets and no bounds. He is a dangerous man. And either way, he wins. He supported McCain's reform institute and he dumps money into Obama's campaign.

Obama is playing politics, keeping the upper hand. He says he will talk to McCain after he is the official nominee, but this means he can spend unlimited money until Clinton backs out.

Could McCain's campaign finance initiatives, the ones republicans wisely feared, be what brings him down?

P.S. George Soros is the guy seated to the right of Obama.

The Colvin Report: The House Barack Built

Uh oh Mr. Obama... You 'don't' collect money from lobbyists, you 'do' love your country, you 'aren't' a muslim, and now you 'did' pay for your Chicago Mansion.

Interestingly enough, a British-Iraqi elite 'lent' millions of dollars to Obama just before making a huge land deal in Chicago. An investigation now shows that money may have went towards Obama's home.

A company related to the British man, Mr Auchi, who has a conviction for corruption in France, registered a 3.5M loan to Mr Obama's bagman Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

Three weeks later, Mr Obama bought a house while Mr Rezko's wife bought the garden plot next door from the same seller on the same day. (put a 125k down payment on 625k on a mutual income of 35k per year). Mr. Obama got his house from the seller for 300k off listing price(1.625M-->1.325M) and Mr. Rezko paid 625k for the thin plot of empty land, if you can really call it a plot, it was only a 10 foot strip. Obama now owns both plots, his wife uses the strip as a garden.

According to Times, Mr Rezko has since been indicted for allegedly scheming to pressure companies seeking business with the state of Illinois for kickbacks and contributions to the governor Rod Blagojevich's campaign. Obama is linked to this kickback for receiving 10k (aside from the house). Mr. Rezko has 'helped' Obama with his campaign's since the early 90's.

Obama is not as clean as he seems... will the Teflon Man act work through November? How long can 'fear mongering' be a defense?

Mark Penn, you devil

If Charlie Black works for John McCain.

And Mark Penn works for Hillary Clinton, 

what happens if Charlie Black works for Mark Penn?

Good quesiton.

The art of fear

An enlightening look at the the politics of terror:

A British View On American Patriotism Among Recent Controversy

See Full Article Here By. Gerard Baker

For most ordinary Americans, those not encumbered with an expensive education or infected by prolonged exposure to cosmopolitan heterodoxy, patriotism is a consequence of birth.

Their chests swell with pride every time they hear the national anthem at sporting events. They fill up with understandable emotion whenever they see a report on television about the tragic heroics of some soldier or Marine who gave his life in Iraq or Afghanistan. ***

And surely even critics of the US could scarcely deny that there have been real causes for American pride in the past 25 years: the fall of the Berlin Wall; the victory in the first Gulf War in 1991; the nation's unity in grief and resolve after September 11. Heck, I suspect most Americans got a small buzz of patriotic pride this week when they heard that one of their multimillion-dollar missiles had shot a dead but dangerous satellite travelling at 17,000 miles per hour out of the sky so that it fell harmlessly to Earth.

But not, apparently, Michelle Obama, wife of the man who is now the putative Democratic candidate for US president, and at this point favourite to succeed to that job. In what might be the most revealing statement made by any political figure so far in this campaign season, Mrs Obama caused a stir this week. She said that the success of her husband Barack's campaign had marked the first time in her adult life that she had felt pride in her country. ***

This, even by the astonishingly self-absorbed standards of politicians and their families, is a remarkably narrow view of what makes a country great. And though she later half-heartedly tried to retract the remark it was a statement pregnant with meaning for the presidential election campaign. ***

I suspect it reveals much about what the Obama family really thinks about the kind of nation that America is. Mrs Obama is surely not alone in thinking not very much about what America has been or done in the past quarter century or more. In fact, it is a trope of the left wing of the Democratic party that America has been a pretty wretched sort of place.

There is a caste of left-wing Americans who wish essentially and in all honesty that their country was much more like France. They wish it had much higher levels of taxation and government intervention, that it had much higher levels of welfare, that it did not have such a “militaristic” approach to foreign policy. Above all, that its national goals were dictated, not by the dreadful halfwits who inhabit godforsaken places like Kansas and Mississippi, but by the counsels of the United Nations.