Independent booksellers fight back

This is a very, very old problem. The people who do it better get more customers, and the smaller firms (which years ago put the mom and pop firms out of business) complain to the government. I feel badly for the book sellers--I like nothing better than to nose around a cosy bookstore, but there sure are a lot of holes in their arguments. The letter to DOJ from the ABA.

I really think their gripe is with the publishers, not Wal-Mart, Target and Amazon. The book business has been screwy for many, many years. Long before Sam Walton ever thought of expanding his little five and dime store. I remember thinking that when I sat by the hour tearing the covers off books and hauling the guts to the trash bin behind the bookstore.

Mr. President, there is no consensus

Why does he keep smacking us with the global warming myth? Calling us names like naysayers and cynics. Defeatists. Living in the past. Pretending that most people believe it? Any thinking person can see where we're going with the cap and trade bills and agreements--not to protecting future generations, not to lower energy costs, not to saving glaciers and polar bears. Not only do we know the temperature hasn't risen in a decade, but we're on to his one world, global control scheme. It's just an opinion but considering what a bad country he believes he's heading, I think our president, hopes soon to be ruler of the world. (Look out Norway, he's got his eye on you!)

“There are those who will suggest that moving toward clean energy will destroy our economy — when it’s the system we currently have that endangers our prosperity and prevents us from creating millions of new jobs. There are going to be those who cynically claim — make cynical claims that contradict the overwhelming scientific evidence when it comes to climate change, claims whose only purpose is to defeat or delay the change that we know is necessary.” Obama's remarks at MIT, Friday

If anyone bought into this, it would be the building trades, architects in particular. Their livelihood depends on it--they're wetting themselves over the thought of tearing down the clunkers and getting government money to build green. And yet the cover story of Architect says 46% believe in climate change, 34% believe it isn't caused by humans, 13% believe global warming is a myth perpetuated by the media, and 7% aren't sure that building green will help when China and India are expanding so rapidly. So let's see, that's 46% for, and 54% who either don't believe it's man made, or it's a myth, or that there aren't political solutions. Does that sound like a consensus to you?

And how about Pew Research Center? According to the New York Times

The decline in the belief in solid evidence of global warming has come across the political spectrum, but has been particularly pronounced among independents. Just 53% of independents now see solid evidence of global warming, compared with 75% who did so in April 2008. Republicans, who already were highly skeptical of the evidence of global warming, have become even more so: just 35% of Republicans now see solid evidence of rising global temperatures, down from 49% in 2008 and 62% in 2007. Fewer Democrats also express this view – 75% today compared with 83% last year.

Obama and Waxman are losing ground on this, even among their own people. No wonder he wants to rush it through. The biggest drop of support is in the Mountain States. Hmmm. Do you suppose they are figuring out what cap and trade will do to their economy?

What's the hurry, Mr. President? "Never waste a [man made, trumped up, media engorged, one-world government] crisis."

Kiplinger drinks the Obama Kool-aid

This little item came through today in AIArchitect, the "Kiplinger Connection."

Economic Stimulus
Was the economic stimulus a success? Depends on how you measure.
The answer’s no, if set against Obama’s original goals: Holding joblessness around 8% and limiting the economic contraction this year to about 1.2%. [Yup, he missed that big time.]

But measured against what would have been, it was a rousing success. [You're kidding, right? Have you noticed your grandchildren will pay for this?] Washington added about $90 billion to GDP in the second and third quarters, through direct payments to the states, COBRA subsidies for the unemployed, reduced income tax withholding plus the first round of infrastructure spending. [Notice how little was spent on infrastructure--but isn't that what he promised?] Otherwise, the second quarter contraction would have been worse than the 0.7% it was, and third quarter GDP would have been expected to come in flat. As it is … GDP surely rose in the third quarter, probably by a healthy 3.5% or so. [Gee, maybe he can keep this going 10 years like FDR did?]

One reason for the view that the stimulus isn’t panning out: Obama’s tendency to focus on infrastructure development. Spending on it has been slow to take off…with long lead times for planning and contracting … and slow to pay off in terms of increased business spending and job creation. [Or maybe he was wasting too much political capital on stealing our health care and had no appointments who knew anything about business and capitalism?]

Shoulda coulda woulda--there is no way to measure "what would have been," just as there's no way to know about that job you didn't take, or the one you didn't marry, or that promotion you didn't get, or club you didn't join, or that trip you didn't take. Sure--might have been super, or it could have been a bust. You just don't know. Nor do we know what would have happened if the federal government had just let the recession run its course, let bad companies fail--no cash for clunkers, no take-over of banks and automakers, no petty czars poking their noses into business, no threatening Fox News for pointing out the obvious, no denigration of 95% of American businesses who belong to the Chamber, no take over of the economy in order "not to waste a crisis." But if government stayed out of our business, out of market manipulation, out of mortgages, out of schools--well, wouldn't that mean we don't need them. And what would they do with all that surplus, pent up wind power?

Trying out the new sidewalks

This morning I took advantage of the new sidewalks and timed myself on a walk around the neighborhood which formerly would have meant wet shoes and falling into the traffic from the bad slope. Half an hour, or approximately 2 miles. The intersection wasn't quite finished, so I didn't connect to the sidewalks on the other side that would have led to the park, choosing instead to walk briefly inside Columbus (no curbs, no sidewalks, poorly paved street) and then back again into our community. In spite of the gray skies, the color in the trees is still beautiful. I don't know how many variety of maple trees there is, but they all seemed to be a different color--ochre, yellow, burgundy, gold, red, lime with a touch of rose, scarlet, purple, and some as green as an August day. With some shin stretches and good solid shoes I should be able to tolerate walking on concrete. So as I'm walking and enjoying the fall weather, I'm thinking--M W F exercise class, T Th S walking the neighborhood for half an hour. That really sounds good until the wind picks up and the temperature drops into the 20s. My mother took up cross country skiing at my age--don't think I'll do that--she was just amazing--but in her memory, I'll try to keep up. Besides, we don't get much snow here.

The perfect birthday card

Sometimes it's just not worth it. I look and look and look. Some cards are so not true. When my dad was alive it was virtually impossible to find a good card--sailboats and golf clubs were just not him. I always look for the right words after I find the right art. This week was my son-in-law's birthday. He's not the home made card type--and I do many of those with my own art. So the hunt was on. Finally, I found it. The art was just awful--bad colors, yucky graphics, but the text fit.
(on the front)
Son-in-law
Strong
Good-hearted
Intelligent
Real
Beyond amazing

(inside)
It means so much
to have someone like you
in our family.
Hope you know
how much you're loved
and appreciated.
The four of us went out to eat at our favorite sports bar and caught up (at least my daughter and I did--the guys probably talked sports). She's doing such an amazing job on her treadmill exercise routine--but hurt her tendon on the recent vacation trip, so we're taking over my exercycle today (which is gathering dust) so she can get aerobic but not put pressure on her foot. I don't know how many dress sizes she's dropped but at least four, and all through the discipline of regular, intense exercise. She was dangerously close to being a diabetic, and all her labs are normal now. She's such an inspiration, I'm even wearing my sweats and athletic shoes to go for a walk (on our new sidewalk) after coffee. It's takes a lot to get me to exercise, and to appear in public dressed this way.

And I apologized for the poor art work--He did like the sentiment.

We no longer have this couch, so I'm guessing ca. 2005

Thanks America!

Some very wealthy suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, are getting new sidewalks, road repairs, and other dinky little jobs cleaned up at your expense (stimulus money). Soon I'll be able to walk to my favorite coffee shop--I don't think it's this stretch, but one further south if I read the papers correctly. Now, we've certainly sent our share to Washington, D.C. and because of the wealth here, Obama will get his pound of flesh in return for these sidewalks. In recent years (since 2004) the progressive movement in U.A. has really been flexing its muscle, but really, if the richest communities in the country like Upper Arlington, Dublin and Worthington, loaded with OSU faculty and government employees, can't pay for their own sidewalks across the street from one of the finest golf courses in the nation, something's really screwy in the federal government.

One of the city workers stopped me on my walk yesterday and asked how I liked the brick retaining wall (had to cut into our landscaping), and I said it looked nice. He started to say something about Obama (I had the impression he thinks it's free money), and then quickly changed the subject when I asked him why Arlington needed stimulus money.

Here's an August article from Business First detailing some of the other projects around our city.

Friday Family Photo--Christopher

In two Monday Memories I featured our nephew Caleb, entering the army reserves. This is our nephew Christopher, grandson of Brother Bob and Sister Jean (as is Caleb, son of Joan and Dan), son of young Robert and Christa. He's recently finished his Air Force training and was hoping for an exotic relocation--wishes granted--he'll be in Dayton, OH!

Obama's promises to the gay lobby

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. "By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all."

On October 10 the president gave this speech to the HRC which included:

My expectation is that when you look back on these years, you will see a time in which we put a stop to discrimination against gays and lesbians -- whether in the office or on the battlefield. (Applause.) You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman. (Applause.) You will see a nation that's valuing and cherishing these families as we build a more perfect union -- a union in which gay Americans are an important part. I am committed to these goals. And my administration will continue fighting to achieve them.

Of course, he’s flipped, flopped, and bamboozled the American public before resulting in the biggest loss in approval numbers in the briefest time of any president. I don't know why the GLBTs should have any more faith in him than Christians, business people, insurance salesmen, auto dealers, bankers, home owners, newscasters or anyone else he's lied to and absconded with their wealth and freedoms. Of any group in the U.S. in danger from his cozy relationship with Muslims, it would be this community.

What's behind the closed doors?

While I head for the coffee shop, Murray will give you his ideas on what Harry Reid was trying to do this week with the healthcare bill.

This week Senator Harry Reid (D-Nev) tried taking 250 billion of expenses out of the healthcare Bill in an attempt to lower the overall cost. $250 Billion! How ? By simply eliminating it from the healthcare Bill and paying the 250 billion out to doctors over a 10 year period of time. This would be unfunded and simply be added to the national debt!

It appears there were two problems he was trying to solve. Lower the cost of the health plan to make it look better and still appease the doctors who aren't supporting the plan. You see, even though the AMA claims to be for the plan, the majority of the doctors in this country are not. That's why Obama held that little fiasco handing out white coats to a select few who were supposed to be doctors in an attempt to fake us out one more time. Obama is good at that.

Fortunately 12 Democrats plus the Republicans defeated the move which proved to be a miscalculation by Reid. I'm sure there will be other attempts to make this "dog" bill look better before it's over. This attempt to extract 250 billion of costs out of the healthcare bill has NOT CAUSED A RIPPLE in the mainstream media. With all the attention and focus on this bill, wouldn't you think NBC, CBS, ABC and the major newspapers would jump all over this? No, no, no! They'd rather give us another report on the Swine Flu.

Well the only people that have so far [Thursday] is Fox News. You know Fox. That's the News station that the Obama administration keeps trying to shut down. They have all the others cooperating but so far they haven't been able to quiet Fox but that doesn't mean they haven't been trying! They put political pressure on Fox's advertisers and claim that Fox IS NOT a news station.

There probably is another reason for sneaking out some of the costs of the healthcare bill. These are my own thoughts. You see, Tuesday the Democrats were behind closed doors ( no Republicans allowed in spite of the fact that Obama calls this a bi-partisan effort) to merge two of these bills into one. Now in order to do this there had to be some arm twisting to get everyone in the room to agree. So how do they do this? PORK! Yes folks, it's PORK time again. Since the CBO has already come up with a number, they can't come out of that room with a bigger one. So I think ol' Harry figured if he gets the 250 billion out of the Bill then there's room for $250 billion of negotiable PORK. Pork is always a tool that is used to pass a dog bill. Regardless, whether that was the plan or not, you can count on the fact that if there isn't any PORK in the current Bills , there certainly will be!
Murray

If you can find another reason for the closed doors, the campaign to isolate and then close down Fox, and the sneaky $250 billion move, write me!

70 year old woman shoots intruder in motel

In town for the Quarter Horse Show, this lady grabbed her gun when an intruder in the motel room where she was staying demanded money. He's dead. She had a permit. She probably saved their lives, but is very upset. The annual All-American Quarter Horse Congress is in its third week at the state fairgrounds and ends Sunday. It is the world's largest single-breed horse show and attracts more than 600,000 people to Columbus each year. Don't mess with the cowgirls.

Update: He's now been identified -- had a prison record and was wanted in Missouri.

She’s been there

Tucked inside the story of her saddness and regrets over her own abortion in 1986 at Ambivablog, was this interesting aside:

"I once had a flabbergasting conversation with the mother of the family I told you about that lost a daughter to cancer. She’s a close friend of mine, a vivacious, youthful 80 now, and I love her very much, but I think of her as what I call an “NPR listener” -- someone who holds all liberal principles as unquestionable and superior. We were talking after one daughter’s abortion, but before the other’s illness became known. She was telling me about a conversation she’d had with a priest or minister who was pro-choice, and she said with vehemence, “He's not stupid. He knows that’s – “ with a wave of her hand – “nothing.” I was open-mouthed. This is a woman who will carry a spider carefully outdoors and release it! And I thought, “That ‘nothing’ was your grandchild.” How can someone have such reverence for the tiny miracle of a spider (which I share, by the way), yet believe that a human embryo, burrowed into the wall of a womb and growing and unfolding its design with a dizzying impulsion, is “nothing”?

I know exactly how, because I’ve been there.

The story of her abortion

Sometimes things aren't as they seem

Have you been wondering about the more than usual chaos in the vaccine supply this year? First they hype the H1N1 flu; then tell everyone to get the seasonal flu vaccine; then waffle on who should get H1N1; leak stories about health providers not wanting it; then show long lines of people waiting.

So, is this 1) intended to induce panic so you'll feel out of control and turn even more to the government or 2) it's a preview of how the socialized medicine system will work.

Here's today's item from OSUToday, which every day sends me something different

". . . only faculty and staff who have previously registered for an appointment will receive their seasonal influenza vaccination. Walk-ins can no longer be accommodated due to the remaining supply of vaccine dedicated for campus use. Keep in mind, the university's supply is running very low, as stated yesterday."

There's two more click throughs to find out about swine flu, which will also require prior registration and supplies will arrive on a weekly basis.

Our church (UALC) has cancelled its two seasonal flu shot Sundays (with Kroger Pharmacy), something it does each year. Wasn't a problem last year. I got mine at Walgreens before they ran out, and my husband found a dr. office that had 2 left and he went there directly.

The lies we believe

Lies have been in the news lately. How about those lies we tell ourselves? Dr. Chris Thurman has written a book, "The Lies We Believe" which he says are at the root of a lot of our personal problems and unhappiness. Give up those lies and you're on your way to . . . well, maybe a healthier life? My copy came from the church library and seems to be a 2nd ed., although it doesn't actually say that--a combination of the original book and workbook. It's a Christian book published by Thomas Nelson. As part of the "growthwork" he lists 30 lies, and the reader is to rate herself from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) avoiding if possible too many 4s which would sort of be fence sitting. These are the lies we believe, and the rest of the book explains how to recognize them in your thinking, and try to go for the truth. Because who wants a life based on lies? (Apparently a lot of people!)

1. I must be perfect.

2. I must have everyone's love and approval.

3. It is easier to avoid problems than to face them.

4. I can't be happy unless things go my way.

5. My unhappiness is someone else's fault.

6. You can have it all.

7. My worth is determined by my performance.

8. Life should be easy.

9. Life should be fair.

10. I shouldn't have to wait for what I want.

11. People are basically good.

12. All my marital problems are my spouse's fault.

13. If my marriage takes hard work, my spouse and I must not be right for each other.

14. My spouse can and should meet all of my emotional needs.

15. My spouse owes me for what I have done for him/her.

16. I shouldn't have to change who I am to make my marriage better.

17. My spouse should be like me.

18. I often make mountains out of molehills.

19. I often take things personally.

20. Things are black or white to me.

21. I often miss the forest for the trees.

22. The past predicts the future.

23. I often reason things out with my feelings rather than the facts.

24. God's love must be earned.

25. God hates the sin and the sinner.

26. Because I'm a Christian, God will protect me from pain and suffering.

27. All of my problems are caused by my sins.

28. It is my Christian duty to meet all the needs of others.

29. A good Christian doesn't feel angry, anxious, or depressed.

30. God can't use me unless I'm spiritually strong.

If you are not a Christian or even if you have no religious faith at all, you can probably substitute something that fits. Some of these don't sound like lies (18-21), but I'll read further to see how he explains that.

Also, if you're not married, or don't have significant problems in your marriage, I'm guessing you can fill in those with parents, siblings, friends or work colleages.

I see lies number 1-11 as those you believe when you're young--at least up to age 40. One day you wake up and realize . . . Life isn't fair, You can't have it all, Not everyone is going to love me and I really don't care, I can too be happy if I don't get my own way--in fact, I just might be happier, and People aren't basically good--some are real stinkers, some evil, and some are depraved and seem to have been so since the beginning.

There are other lies we buy into, especially when we're older. The ones about family and friends, for instance. This is not Thurman's list--just mine.

1. They had good parents, a great education and all the advantages--they shouldn't be acting this way (be in jail), (divorcing the wonderful long suffering spouse), (living in poverty), (failing at careers), etc.

2. I shouldn't be this sick--I've been very careful.

3. All you need to do is set limits.

4. If you expect the best, you'll get the best.

5. Other families don't have these problems.

6. Other people have more (better, richer, smarter, etc.) friends.

7. I don't have time to (fill in the blanks--read, play tennis, join a gourmet club, travel, knit, paints, etc.)

8. Everyone at church is a hypocrite.

9. Science has all the answers.

10. Poverty is the root cause of crime (assault, mental illness, terrorism, homelessness, abuse, etc.).

11. When I get that next promotion (car, house, outfit), I'll be happy.

12. I can fix other people.

13. If they had just listened to me. . . then. . .

14. If the pastor doesn't visit me in the hospital, the church call doesn't count.

15. I'm always the one who has to clean up the mess others make.

16. It's easier to lie than to tell the truth.

17. One more bite won't matter. . . I'll just even this up a bit.

And there are more--can you make your own list?

However, if you are over 60, it's the "shoulda coulda woulda's" that hobble us, more than the lies. I'll have to make a list of those.

More on the Kinston NC nanny case

More on Attorney General Holder treating southern blacks like children. Although the majority of registered voters in the town of Kinston are black, they don't vote in proportion to their registration, therefore they are considered the "minority" and apparently in deep need of nannying.

This item appears in James Taranto's column (Oct. 21).

. . . the Aug. 17 letter in which Loretta King acting assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, informed the Kinston's lawyers of the decision:
According to the 2000 Census, the City of Kinston has a total population of 23,688 people, of whom 14,837 (62.6%) are African-American. The total voting age population is 17,906, of whom 10,525 (58.8%) are African-American. The American Community Survey for 2005-2007 estimates the total population to be 22,649, of whom 14,967 (66.6%) are African-American. As of October 31, 2008, the city has 14,799 registered voters, of whom 9,556 (64.6%) are African-American.

Although black persons comprise a majority of the city's registered voters, in three of the past four general municipal elections, African Americans comprised a minority of the electorate on election day; in the fourth , they may have been a slight majority. For that reason, they are viewed as a minority for analytical purposes. Minority turnout is relevant to determining whether a change under Section 5 [of the Voting Rights Act] is retrogressive.

Black voters have had limited success in electing candidates of choice during recent municipal elections.

The letter does not allege any effort to suppress the black vote. Assuming the absence of such efforts, the reason that "black voters have had limited success in electing candidates of choice" is that so many of them have not bothered to vote!

The Justice Department's position, then, is that the Voting Rights Act requires the department to intervene on behalf of the political preferences that it imputes to people who cannot be troubled to go to the polls. This may well be a correct reading of the law--in which case, it's a screwy law.

Also, it's quite possible that black voters in Kinston didn't go to the polls because there was no one running for whom they wished to vote. Here we are electing city council members soon, and I don't recognize a single name, haven't followed the issues, and my vote will just be a wild guess (unless I start doing my duty as an informed voter). There are many reasons for low voter turn out--youth, old age, and disinterest probably being the big three.

Biden quoting Reagan

Although without attribution I think it's called something else.

David A. Ridenour at National Center: "Speaking to the AFL-CIO's 2009 legislative conference in Atlantic City, Vice President Joe Biden said, "When a guy in Minooka is out of work, it's an economic slowdown. When your brother-in-law's out of work, it's a recession. When you're out of work, it's a depression."

Hmm... Sounds a bit familiar.

Didn't Ronald Reagan say on the campaign trail in 1980, "Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his"?

I hate it when people remake a classic."

It doesn't end with gay pastors

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has been sparing over its sexuality statement for 20 years (1989 the task force was formed), and in August 2009 the liberals won--by a tiny margin. The English in the document is so obscure you'd never get out of Writing 101 if you tried this at the college level. Now hundreds of Lutheran churches are leaving as soon as they can secure their buildings and pensions and work out the business relationships with new umbrella organizations through which they can continues missions, teaching and publication. As I have often pointed out to my clueless (and holier than thou) friends, it wasn't going to end with gay marriage, or ordaining gay pastors in "loving committed relationships." Polygamists and man-boy love advocates were waiting in line for us to lower the bar.

So I hate to say "I told you so," but I will. Obama's nominee Chai R. Feldblum, to the Equal Employment Opportunity Council, is a lesbian who believes any number, any mix and match, makes a family and a household. Read her story at InsideCatholic.com

Obama has flip flopped on so many issues, his backing off of marriage between a man and woman is no surprise.

Feldblum's advocacy of the homosexual lifestyle is quite startling, given the fact that she teaches at a Catholic law school. As a matter of fact, she is seen in this video arguing not only that the government has a duty to promote homosexuality but also proclaiming, "Gay sex is morally good."

Since President Obama nominated Feldblum on September 15, his outreach to the homosexual community has rapidly accelerated. His keynote speech to the Human Rights Campaign on October 11 contained all the positions advocated by his EEOC nominee: "You will see a time in which we as a nation finally recognize relationships between two men or two women as just as real and admirable as relationships between a man and a woman."

Obama's declaration "to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and to pass the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act" reflects Feldblum's commitment to employ the power of government to encourage the growth of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender social units, thus presenting a direct challenge to traditional marriage."

My only question is what is this woman doing at a Catholic school? A question we soon won't be able to ask because it is hate speech to believe what God said in Genesis 1-2. Hate speech legislation isn't about protecting minorities from violence--that happens most in their own communities--it's about shutting up and outlawing anything you don't want to hear, including the truth.

Rt. 66 Norwegian style

This is on Renny BA's blog. Stop by for a visit. He features many interesting sights, sounds and foods of Norway--even commented on the Nobel mess, although he's not at all political. I just thought this was a great video and I love the enthusiasm.



If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, the highway that's the best.
Get your kicks on Route 66!

He also has some great autumnal photos on his blog--seems to come a little earlier than here in Midwestern USA.

I think my mother used Rt 66 when she drove the family from Illinois to California and back during WWII.

And Rt. 66 Toledo style

Rt. 66 Kitchen Bar and Grill near the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio--it's a miracle these clowns didn't kill anyone.

Short memory--the paranoid conspiracies of the right, never the left

Thomas Frank at the Tilting Yard in the WSJ today displays a very short memory. The only paranoid conspiracies and talkers he can think of are all appearing on Fox News. He's forgotten Rosie and the Dixie Chicks; Carville and Dean; Carter and Gore; Rahm and Dunn; Moore and Soros. I guess he got the Obama memo on denigrating Fox. Next he’ll be touting volunteerism and green tips. He apparently doesn’t remember the Hollywood stars and talkers who bought into the conspiracy theories about 9/11, accusing George Bush of plotting the whole thing; or the Katrina Hurricane when an entire state and city firmly in control of Democrats managed to blame President Bush for years of their neglect, Corps of Engineers, environmental EPA decisions, etc.; nor does he remember all the Democrats who pounded the podiums about WMD in the late 90s when they thought Al Gore was going to be President; or how the Republicans were accused of stealing not only the 2000 election but the 2004; and who can forget the Patriot Act conspiratists? And have you read Janet Napolitano's latest dictionary of terrorism words? I mean before it got pulled for really, really bad press. Wow. Talk about paranoid. It's her middle name! And who could be kookier than the global warmists? They make the birthers look absolutely reasonable, but with less evidence. Yes, Mr. Frank, Mr. Pseudo-journalist, you ought to see a doctor--your short term memory is really slipping.

So whose news is biased? Associated Press?

Here’s the Fox News account on Sept. 14 of the Senate vote resulting from videos which Brietbart TV supplied Glenn Beck radio and Fox News (Sept. 10 airing), followed by the accounts of CBS (page not available except in cache), MSNBC/NBC, and ABC, all of which used the identical Associated Press report which gave more coverage to ACORN's excuses than the tapes. I cut and pasted the first part--they are all identical. I wonder which one Mr. Gibbs thinks isn't news?

Fox News, Sept. 14, 2009 (AP) WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.

The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired on the FOX News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
----------------
CBS News Sept. 14, 2009 (AP) Washington --The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.

The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired frequently on media outlets such as the Fox News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
---------------------
MSNBC Sept. 14, 2009 AP WASHINGTON - The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.

The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired frequently on media outlets such as the Fox News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.
----------------
ABC News Sept. 14, 2009 AP - The Senate voted Monday to block the Housing and Urban Development Department from giving grants to ACORN, a community organization under fire in several voter-registration fraud cases.

The 83-7 vote would deny housing and community grant funding to ACORN, which stands for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

The action came as the group is suffering from bad publicity after a duo of conservative activists posing as a prostitute and her pimp released hidden-camera videos in which ACORN employees in Baltimore gave advice on house-buying and how to account on tax forms for the woman's income. Two other videos, aired frequently on media outlets such as the Fox News Channel, depict similar situations in ACORN offices in Brooklyn and Washington, D.C.

Note: On September 15, four days after the tapes were first aired on Fox, Charlie Gibson laughed when asked about it on WLS (Chicago) saying that he was unaware of the scandal.

Fixing troubled mortgages for the elderly

Sometimes older is not wiser. It seems that Pedro Garcia, a retired corrections officer, refinanced the home he bought for $23,000 40 years ago for $490,000 with what is known as an exotic "option ARM." In 2009 the house was valued at $150,000. When his payments had balooned beyond his pension's monthly income he quit paying. Bank of America, under pressure from tax cheat Geithner to remedy these bad decisions and "predatory lending" when money was flowing, refinanced it for $85,000 and then gave him a reverse mortgage on that, so he is now paying nothing. Of course, he'd already used that refinancing money--$70,000 to fix up the house, medical bills for his ill wife, and monthly living expenses. I guess the bank just eats that. But he still has a small second mortgage, which has also been modified by that lender. Something like 500,000 borrowers have been rescued by Obama's $75,000,000,000 foreclosure prevention plan. (WSJ story here) According to the article, Mr. Garcia and others were misled by these predators and the ARMs they pushed. No mention in this article about the number of non-profit organizations (like ACORN) that worked with banks and pushed both subprimes and ARMs especially for minorities. 32% of option ARMs were in foreclosure or delinquent as of August, compared to 48% of subprime. The difference is the option ARM people were good credit risks, sensible and wiser. Go figure. Pot. Rainbow. Free money.

And we're still seeing schemes from the government to put people into more housing debt, this time it's Obama instead of the Bushes or Clinton. Earlier this week there was an article on the tax credit plan for first time buyers. Claims for the $8,000 tax credit might have significant fraud. What a surprise! This little goodie if it is extended, will cost the tax payers an additional $16.7 billion. The new proposed ceiling might be $300,000 income per couple instead of the current $150,000. Under the current stimulus plan we the tax payers pay $43,000 for each borrower who uses that $8,000 tax credit. If they raise the ceiling, each tax credit will cost us $250,000 per home sale. (WSJ story here) Folks, you all took second grade math. Does this make any sense to you?

Update: On April 3, 2008 Michelle Malkin exposed the housing counseling racket, deep within the Bush Administration: ". . . mortgage counseling is a thriving racket that benefits far Left groups ranging from the AARP to ACORN to La Raza and Legal Aid. The Department of Housing and Urban Development funds hundreds, if not thousands, of these groups across the country. In October, HUD announced more than $44 million in new housing counseling grants to over 400 state and local efforts. The White House has increased funding for housing counseling by 150 percent since taking office in 2001." http://michellemalkin.com/2008/04/03/the-left-wing-mortgage-counseling-racket/

But wait--she appears on Fox News from time to time, so it must not be reliable.