Viral (sorta) of the day: Steele runs off donors

This was on Newsmax. I think it is a good follow up to KOOK's post about Mr. Steele from the other day:

Steele's Side Pursuits Drive Away Donors

Thursday, 07 Jan 2010 09:29 AM

Article Font Size

By: Ralph Z. Hallow

Some wealthy contributors are shunning the Republican National Committee and donating instead to the other GOP campaign committees or directly to candidates - in many cases because of discontent with the leadership of Michael S. Steele, the party's national chairman.

"I don't plan to give to the Republican National Committee this cycle, and no other major donor I know is planning to either," Christine Toretti, a Pennsylvania RNC member and a longtime major donor to the RNC and other GOP campaign committees and causes, told The Washington Times.

Mrs. Toretti said that she and other major donors have never received a telephone call from Mr. Steele soliciting money for the RNC, the GOP's chief campaign fundraising committee.

Lawrence Bathgate, who served a record three times as RNC finance chairman during and after the Reagan era, told The Times, "No, I haven't given to the RNC this cycle."

"I will help the Republican Governors Association and the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee this year. I've made commitments," Mr. Bathgate said.

Mr. Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, has had a contentious tenure as RNC chairman after his election a year ago, with open infighting among party officials over his leadership.

The Times first reported displeasure by RNC members, including several former party chairmen, over Mr. Steele's acceptance of pay for speeches while holding down his full-time job as national chairman, for which he receives $223,500 a year plus unlimited expenses. To the further consternation of party elders and many rank-and-file members, he has embarked on a promotional tour for his new book, "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda."

Mr. Steele; his chief of staff, Ken McKay; RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen; and RNC press secretary Gail Gitcho all declined to respond to questions posed by The Times about his private business pursuits.

Republican donors have been far more generous recently to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) than to the RNC, despite polls showing that Democrats in Congress are vulnerable and conceivably could lose control of the House and several Senate seats.

The RGA has $25 million cash on hand - compared with the RNC's $8,749,091 cash on hand. The Democratic National Committee - which historically has been outraised by the RNC - had $13,187,246 cash on hand and was $5 million in debt as of Nov. 30, according to the latest Federal Election Commission report.

Under Mr. Steele, the RNC - which had nearly $23 million in cash and no debts when he took office - spent heavily last year on a string of off-year races, winning big victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial contests but losing two special House races in New York. But the spending has left the RNC with far less money to spend than in other election cycles.

At this time in 2005, the RNC had $34 million in cash on hand, but even that wasn't enough to keep the party from losing its House and Senate majorities in November 2006, for the first time in 12 years.

The imbalance could mean that congressional Republican leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio will have fewer resources from the national party coffers for the 2010 midterms, compared with the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls supported by RGA Chairman Haley Barbour.

The GOP has targeted from 48 to 70 House races - it won't say publicly exactly how many - for November, far more than in 2005. Party officials say privately that they will need at least $50 million cash on hand by this fall to augment spending by the NRCC in those House races and to help the NRSC pick up four to six seats.

Mrs. Toretti said the rise in giving to the RGA and NRSC "tells me major donors don't have confidence in the RNC chairman."

The disparity comes as leading party figures are increasingly going public with their unhappiness over the RNC under Mr. Steele's direction.

"I am not here to beat up on an RNC chairman," former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson told The Times, "because I know how big and important the job is and what opportunities can be created."

"But that is just the point - under those circumstances, I do not see how a chairman can do book tours and give speeches for fees that go to him and not the RNC, which needs more money badly," said Mr. Nicholson, who was President George W. Bush's secretary of veterans affairs.

"You cannot serve two masters in that job," Mr. Nicholson said. "I think when elected, you agree to give the RNC and its mission 100 percent of your efforts."

Hari Sevugan, Democratic National Committee spokesman, said that "to the best of our knowledge, no Democratic national chairman has written a book or promoted his book while serving as national chairman."

Critics say Mr. Steele's new book, which retails for $18, is an example of using his office and title for personal gain. On the front of the dust jacket is his RNC title and a large color picture of the author.

Mr. Steele suffered another blow this week when a key ally, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, was forced to resign after criticism from conservatives and from RNC officials who also have criticized Mr. Steele.

A number of major contributors - some of whom declined to state their complaints on the record - said Mr. Steele has not made personal calls to them as all other chairmen have. Some said they were astounded that he told a television interviewer this week that he didn't think the Republicans would recapture the House this year and wasn't sure they were "ready" to retake the majority. He hurriedly backtracked on his comments after his remarks sparked a political firestorm.

Many said the party chairman's most important task is making fundraising calls and solidifying personal relations as a way to fill the party's campaign war chest.

"No one has called asking me for money, and I don't know of any major donor who has been called," Mrs. Toretti said. "The only attempt Michael made to get money was a trip he made to see Dick Scaife, and he didn't get any money from him for the RNC."

Mr. Scaife is a wealthy Pennsylvania Republican and longtime major contributor to GOP and conservative causes.

Some wealthy Republicans complain that major events hosted by Mr. Steele lump $1,000 donors with $25,000 donors and $50,000 donors, when contributors tend to want to be grouped with those who gave similar amounts. At least one of Mr. Steele's events for major donors had to be canceled for lack of interest.

Mr. Steele's paid speeches also continue to upset his critics.

Al Hoffman, twice elected RNC finance chairman, said, "I don't think it appropriate for an RNC chairman to be making speeches and money on the side. I never thought an RNC chairman should do anything in the way of fiscal pursuits that could become a distraction."

RNC ethics rules appear to forbid anyone working for the national committee from taking outside income or using a committee position for personal gain.

Really??? Whooda thunk it????? Not Steele, no way, I can't believe it.

Viral (sorta) of the day: Steele runs off donors

This was on Newsmax. I think it is a good follow up to KOOK's post about Mr. Steele from the other day:

Steele's Side Pursuits Drive Away Donors

Thursday, 07 Jan 2010 09:29 AM

Article Font Size

By: Ralph Z. Hallow

Some wealthy contributors are shunning the Republican National Committee and donating instead to the other GOP campaign committees or directly to candidates - in many cases because of discontent with the leadership of Michael S. Steele, the party's national chairman.

"I don't plan to give to the Republican National Committee this cycle, and no other major donor I know is planning to either," Christine Toretti, a Pennsylvania RNC member and a longtime major donor to the RNC and other GOP campaign committees and causes, told The Washington Times.

Mrs. Toretti said that she and other major donors have never received a telephone call from Mr. Steele soliciting money for the RNC, the GOP's chief campaign fundraising committee.

Lawrence Bathgate, who served a record three times as RNC finance chairman during and after the Reagan era, told The Times, "No, I haven't given to the RNC this cycle."

"I will help the Republican Governors Association and the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee this year. I've made commitments," Mr. Bathgate said.

Mr. Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, has had a contentious tenure as RNC chairman after his election a year ago, with open infighting among party officials over his leadership.

The Times first reported displeasure by RNC members, including several former party chairmen, over Mr. Steele's acceptance of pay for speeches while holding down his full-time job as national chairman, for which he receives $223,500 a year plus unlimited expenses. To the further consternation of party elders and many rank-and-file members, he has embarked on a promotional tour for his new book, "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda."

Mr. Steele; his chief of staff, Ken McKay; RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen; and RNC press secretary Gail Gitcho all declined to respond to questions posed by The Times about his private business pursuits.

Republican donors have been far more generous recently to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) than to the RNC, despite polls showing that Democrats in Congress are vulnerable and conceivably could lose control of the House and several Senate seats.

The RGA has $25 million cash on hand - compared with the RNC's $8,749,091 cash on hand. The Democratic National Committee - which historically has been outraised by the RNC - had $13,187,246 cash on hand and was $5 million in debt as of Nov. 30, according to the latest Federal Election Commission report.

Under Mr. Steele, the RNC - which had nearly $23 million in cash and no debts when he took office - spent heavily last year on a string of off-year races, winning big victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial contests but losing two special House races in New York. But the spending has left the RNC with far less money to spend than in other election cycles.

At this time in 2005, the RNC had $34 million in cash on hand, but even that wasn't enough to keep the party from losing its House and Senate majorities in November 2006, for the first time in 12 years.

The imbalance could mean that congressional Republican leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio will have fewer resources from the national party coffers for the 2010 midterms, compared with the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls supported by RGA Chairman Haley Barbour.

The GOP has targeted from 48 to 70 House races - it won't say publicly exactly how many - for November, far more than in 2005. Party officials say privately that they will need at least $50 million cash on hand by this fall to augment spending by the NRCC in those House races and to help the NRSC pick up four to six seats.

Mrs. Toretti said the rise in giving to the RGA and NRSC "tells me major donors don't have confidence in the RNC chairman."

The disparity comes as leading party figures are increasingly going public with their unhappiness over the RNC under Mr. Steele's direction.

"I am not here to beat up on an RNC chairman," former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson told The Times, "because I know how big and important the job is and what opportunities can be created."

"But that is just the point - under those circumstances, I do not see how a chairman can do book tours and give speeches for fees that go to him and not the RNC, which needs more money badly," said Mr. Nicholson, who was President George W. Bush's secretary of veterans affairs.

"You cannot serve two masters in that job," Mr. Nicholson said. "I think when elected, you agree to give the RNC and its mission 100 percent of your efforts."

Hari Sevugan, Democratic National Committee spokesman, said that "to the best of our knowledge, no Democratic national chairman has written a book or promoted his book while serving as national chairman."

Critics say Mr. Steele's new book, which retails for $18, is an example of using his office and title for personal gain. On the front of the dust jacket is his RNC title and a large color picture of the author.

Mr. Steele suffered another blow this week when a key ally, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, was forced to resign after criticism from conservatives and from RNC officials who also have criticized Mr. Steele.

A number of major contributors - some of whom declined to state their complaints on the record - said Mr. Steele has not made personal calls to them as all other chairmen have. Some said they were astounded that he told a television interviewer this week that he didn't think the Republicans would recapture the House this year and wasn't sure they were "ready" to retake the majority. He hurriedly backtracked on his comments after his remarks sparked a political firestorm.

Many said the party chairman's most important task is making fundraising calls and solidifying personal relations as a way to fill the party's campaign war chest.

"No one has called asking me for money, and I don't know of any major donor who has been called," Mrs. Toretti said. "The only attempt Michael made to get money was a trip he made to see Dick Scaife, and he didn't get any money from him for the RNC."

Mr. Scaife is a wealthy Pennsylvania Republican and longtime major contributor to GOP and conservative causes.

Some wealthy Republicans complain that major events hosted by Mr. Steele lump $1,000 donors with $25,000 donors and $50,000 donors, when contributors tend to want to be grouped with those who gave similar amounts. At least one of Mr. Steele's events for major donors had to be canceled for lack of interest.

Mr. Steele's paid speeches also continue to upset his critics.

Al Hoffman, twice elected RNC finance chairman, said, "I don't think it appropriate for an RNC chairman to be making speeches and money on the side. I never thought an RNC chairman should do anything in the way of fiscal pursuits that could become a distraction."

RNC ethics rules appear to forbid anyone working for the national committee from taking outside income or using a committee position for personal gain.

Really??? Whooda thunk it????? Not Steele, no way, I can't believe it.

Viral (sorta) of the day: Steele runs off donors

This was on Newsmax. I think it is a good follow up to KOOK's post about Mr. Steele from the other day:

Steele's Side Pursuits Drive Away Donors

Thursday, 07 Jan 2010 09:29 AM

Article Font Size

By: Ralph Z. Hallow

Some wealthy contributors are shunning the Republican National Committee and donating instead to the other GOP campaign committees or directly to candidates - in many cases because of discontent with the leadership of Michael S. Steele, the party's national chairman.

"I don't plan to give to the Republican National Committee this cycle, and no other major donor I know is planning to either," Christine Toretti, a Pennsylvania RNC member and a longtime major donor to the RNC and other GOP campaign committees and causes, told The Washington Times.

Mrs. Toretti said that she and other major donors have never received a telephone call from Mr. Steele soliciting money for the RNC, the GOP's chief campaign fundraising committee.

Lawrence Bathgate, who served a record three times as RNC finance chairman during and after the Reagan era, told The Times, "No, I haven't given to the RNC this cycle."

"I will help the Republican Governors Association and the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee this year. I've made commitments," Mr. Bathgate said.

Mr. Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, has had a contentious tenure as RNC chairman after his election a year ago, with open infighting among party officials over his leadership.

The Times first reported displeasure by RNC members, including several former party chairmen, over Mr. Steele's acceptance of pay for speeches while holding down his full-time job as national chairman, for which he receives $223,500 a year plus unlimited expenses. To the further consternation of party elders and many rank-and-file members, he has embarked on a promotional tour for his new book, "Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda."

Mr. Steele; his chief of staff, Ken McKay; RNC Treasurer Randy Pullen; and RNC press secretary Gail Gitcho all declined to respond to questions posed by The Times about his private business pursuits.

Republican donors have been far more generous recently to the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) than to the RNC, despite polls showing that Democrats in Congress are vulnerable and conceivably could lose control of the House and several Senate seats.

The RGA has $25 million cash on hand - compared with the RNC's $8,749,091 cash on hand. The Democratic National Committee - which historically has been outraised by the RNC - had $13,187,246 cash on hand and was $5 million in debt as of Nov. 30, according to the latest Federal Election Commission report.

Under Mr. Steele, the RNC - which had nearly $23 million in cash and no debts when he took office - spent heavily last year on a string of off-year races, winning big victories in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial contests but losing two special House races in New York. But the spending has left the RNC with far less money to spend than in other election cycles.

At this time in 2005, the RNC had $34 million in cash on hand, but even that wasn't enough to keep the party from losing its House and Senate majorities in November 2006, for the first time in 12 years.

The imbalance could mean that congressional Republican leaders such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio will have fewer resources from the national party coffers for the 2010 midterms, compared with the Republican gubernatorial hopefuls supported by RGA Chairman Haley Barbour.

The GOP has targeted from 48 to 70 House races - it won't say publicly exactly how many - for November, far more than in 2005. Party officials say privately that they will need at least $50 million cash on hand by this fall to augment spending by the NRCC in those House races and to help the NRSC pick up four to six seats.

Mrs. Toretti said the rise in giving to the RGA and NRSC "tells me major donors don't have confidence in the RNC chairman."

The disparity comes as leading party figures are increasingly going public with their unhappiness over the RNC under Mr. Steele's direction.

"I am not here to beat up on an RNC chairman," former Republican National Committee Chairman Jim Nicholson told The Times, "because I know how big and important the job is and what opportunities can be created."

"But that is just the point - under those circumstances, I do not see how a chairman can do book tours and give speeches for fees that go to him and not the RNC, which needs more money badly," said Mr. Nicholson, who was President George W. Bush's secretary of veterans affairs.

"You cannot serve two masters in that job," Mr. Nicholson said. "I think when elected, you agree to give the RNC and its mission 100 percent of your efforts."

Hari Sevugan, Democratic National Committee spokesman, said that "to the best of our knowledge, no Democratic national chairman has written a book or promoted his book while serving as national chairman."

Critics say Mr. Steele's new book, which retails for $18, is an example of using his office and title for personal gain. On the front of the dust jacket is his RNC title and a large color picture of the author.

Mr. Steele suffered another blow this week when a key ally, Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer, was forced to resign after criticism from conservatives and from RNC officials who also have criticized Mr. Steele.

A number of major contributors - some of whom declined to state their complaints on the record - said Mr. Steele has not made personal calls to them as all other chairmen have. Some said they were astounded that he told a television interviewer this week that he didn't think the Republicans would recapture the House this year and wasn't sure they were "ready" to retake the majority. He hurriedly backtracked on his comments after his remarks sparked a political firestorm.

Many said the party chairman's most important task is making fundraising calls and solidifying personal relations as a way to fill the party's campaign war chest.

"No one has called asking me for money, and I don't know of any major donor who has been called," Mrs. Toretti said. "The only attempt Michael made to get money was a trip he made to see Dick Scaife, and he didn't get any money from him for the RNC."

Mr. Scaife is a wealthy Pennsylvania Republican and longtime major contributor to GOP and conservative causes.

Some wealthy Republicans complain that major events hosted by Mr. Steele lump $1,000 donors with $25,000 donors and $50,000 donors, when contributors tend to want to be grouped with those who gave similar amounts. At least one of Mr. Steele's events for major donors had to be canceled for lack of interest.

Mr. Steele's paid speeches also continue to upset his critics.

Al Hoffman, twice elected RNC finance chairman, said, "I don't think it appropriate for an RNC chairman to be making speeches and money on the side. I never thought an RNC chairman should do anything in the way of fiscal pursuits that could become a distraction."

RNC ethics rules appear to forbid anyone working for the national committee from taking outside income or using a committee position for personal gain.

Really??? Whooda thunk it????? Not Steele, no way, I can't believe it.

Protests and terrorism...Lets say...

Lets (totally hypothetically) say you have a pResident who in a Nixonesque fashion has gone off the deep end. Lets say that the pResidents handlers were growing dissatisfied with the pResidents job performance, the election outcome from last tuesday and and the pResidents sinking approval ratings. Lets say that the pResidents handlers see the growing movement of angry American citizens in this country and are not at all pleased with the results of this movement. Lets say that the pResidents handlers and those surrounding him saw a protest of 20-40,000 people gathering around Capitol hill to protest the 2nd most important part of the puppeteers' agenda and wanted to get it off the news channels that have recently started to turn on the President. What lengths would these go to in order keep the massive protests off Fox and the other Cable news channels. I know that what I am implying here (once you connect the dots) is insane, treasonous, and if it turns out to be true and it gets out could start world war 3 but when I saw this going on yesterday, my first question was why did this have to happen right when the protests were going to bre televised? Then I looked at the timeline. Conspicously, the massacre happened just at the right time so that the news would be covering it during the length of the DC protest. Then I looked at the name of the shooter and the name ofthe President. hmm. Nah couldn't be, I mean it's just a name, right? No, this pResident has never resorted to dirty tactics and those around him are clean as a whistle. For me to think that there my be some sort of connection is absolutely nuts right? Not like our president has had any association with nuts (Aren't Acorns nuts)? Now I leave this to you to think this through. Is my tinfoil hat on so tight it has cut off circulation to half my brain or does something not add up with the story about what happened in Texas yesterday? Maybe it's the lack of remorse that the pResident laid out in his speech or the off timing of the event. WAs the event timing odd you ask? Well thinks think this through like Andrew33 would. The shooting took place at !:30 in Texas. That;s 2:30 in DC, while the protest was scheduled to begin at 3:00; Now if you wanted something to preempt the media what time would you have it take place? If were me, I'd would allow about half an hour to let things play out and the media get involved sos it would be 2:30 eastern, !:30 central. But this is just random coincidence

Protests and terrorism...Lets say...

Lets (totally hypothetically) say you have a pResident who in a Nixonesque fashion has gone off the deep end. Lets say that the pResidents handlers were growing dissatisfied with the pResidents job performance, the election outcome from last tuesday and and the pResidents sinking approval ratings. Lets say that the pResidents handlers see the growing movement of angry American citizens in this country and are not at all pleased with the results of this movement. Lets say that the pResidents handlers and those surrounding him saw a protest of 20-40,000 people gathering around Capitol hill to protest the 2nd most important part of the puppeteers' agenda and wanted to get it off the news channels that have recently started to turn on the President. What lengths would these go to in order keep the massive protests off Fox and the other Cable news channels. I know that what I am implying here (once you connect the dots) is insane, treasonous, and if it turns out to be true and it gets out could start world war 3 but when I saw this going on yesterday, my first question was why did this have to happen right when the protests were going to bre televised? Then I looked at the timeline. Conspicously, the massacre happened just at the right time so that the news would be covering it during the length of the DC protest. Then I looked at the name of the shooter and the name ofthe President. hmm. Nah couldn't be, I mean it's just a name, right? No, this pResident has never resorted to dirty tactics and those around him are clean as a whistle. For me to think that there my be some sort of connection is absolutely nuts right? Not like our president has had any association with nuts (Aren't Acorns nuts)? Now I leave this to you to think this through. Is my tinfoil hat on so tight it has cut off circulation to half my brain or does something not add up with the story about what happened in Texas yesterday? Maybe it's the lack of remorse that the pResident laid out in his speech or the off timing of the event. WAs the event timing odd you ask? Well thinks think this through like Andrew33 would. The shooting took place at !:30 in Texas. That;s 2:30 in DC, while the protest was scheduled to begin at 3:00; Now if you wanted something to preempt the media what time would you have it take place? If were me, I'd would allow about half an hour to let things play out and the media get involved sos it would be 2:30 eastern, !:30 central. But this is just random coincidence

My weekend agenda...

It has come time for me to take one of my little breaks. I hate doing so, but I have no choice. You really don't want me going off the deep end do you? (I know your'e saying didn't he go off the deep end long long ago, in a galaxy far far away) But seriously, It is break time for me so I am going to repost a few older posts that many of our newer readers are likely unfamiliar with but have some connection to current events. Also, if our fellow bloggers have something very important that they really want to get reposted, send your post or a link to me via e-mail and I will pick one or two a day to repost until I come off my break. So, my tinfoil hat is off for a while, wait, I forgot that my tinfoil hat got used in that nutty balloon. Have a good weekend and I hope all your sports teams win, as long as they are not playing against my sports teams.

My weekend agenda...

It has come time for me to take one of my little breaks. I hate doing so, but I have no choice. You really don't want me going off the deep end do you? (I know your'e saying didn't he go off the deep end long long ago, in a galaxy far far away) But seriously, It is break time for me so I am going to repost a few older posts that many of our newer readers are likely unfamiliar with but have some connection to current events. Also, if our fellow bloggers have something very important that they really want to get reposted, send your post or a link to me via e-mail and I will pick one or two a day to repost until I come off my break. So, my tinfoil hat is off for a while, wait, I forgot that my tinfoil hat got used in that nutty balloon. Have a good weekend and I hope all your sports teams win, as long as they are not playing against my sports teams.

The 5000 year leap...really amazing.

Thomas Jefferson saw the exact way that our economy has now failed. Fractional banking...abuse of credit by banks and doing business on capital that doesnlt exist.

Folks, there are no new ideas or really new problems...and the founders knew it, and tried to prepare us for it.

The 5000 year leap...really amazing.

Thomas Jefferson saw the exact way that our economy has now failed. Fractional banking...abuse of credit by banks and doing business on capital that doesnlt exist.

Folks, there are no new ideas or really new problems...and the founders knew it, and tried to prepare us for it.

Census

Utah's congressional delegation is calling President Obama's decision to move the U.S. census into the White House a purely partisan move and potentially dangerous to congressional redistricting around the country.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told FOX News on Monday that he finds it hard to believe the Obama administration felt the need to place re-evaluation of the inner workings of the census so high on his to-do list, just three weeks into his presidency.
"This is nothing more than a political land grab," Chaffetz said.
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the move "shouldn't happen." He and Chaffetz are trying to rally Republicans "before its too late."
"It takes something that is supposedly apolitical like the census, and gives it to a guy who is infamously political," Bishop said of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who would be tasked with overseeing the census at the White House.
The U.S. census -- a counting of the U.S. population -- is conducted every 10 years by the Commerce Department. Its results determine the decennial redrawing of congressional districts
As a matter of impact, the census has tremendous political significance. Political parties are always eager to have a hand in redrawing districts so that they can maximize their own party's clout while minimizing the opposition, often through gerrymandering.
The census also determines the composition of the Electoral College, which chooses the president. If one party were to control the census, it could arguably try to perpetuate its hold on political power.
The results of the census are also enormously important in another way -- the allocation of federal funds. Theoretically, a political party could disproportionately steer federal funding to areas dominated by its own members through a skewing of census numbers.
At this point the White House doesn't seem willing to say what Emanuel's role will be in overseeing the census, and White House officials say census managers will work closely with top-level White House staffers, but will technically remain part of the Commerce Department.
But critics say the White House chief of staff can't be expected to handle the census in a neutral manner. Emanuel ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2006 election, and he was instrumental in getting Democrats elected into the majority.
"The last thing the census needs is for any hard-bitten partisan (either a Karl Rove or a Rahm Emanuel) to manipulate these critical numbers. Many federal funding formulas depend on them, as well as the whole fabric of federal and state representation. Partisans have a natural impulse to tilt the playing field in their favor, and this has to be resisted," Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told FOX News in an e-mail.
Critics note that the method of counting can skew the census. Democrats have long advocated using mathematical estimates, a practice known as "sampling," to count urban residents and immigrants. Republicans say the Constitution requires a physical head count, which entails going door-to-door.
In 2000, Utah, which has three congressmen, was extremely close to landing a fourth House seat based on U.S. Census numbers, but the nation's most conservative state fell short by a few hundred votes because the Census Bureau wouldn't count Mormon missionaries from Utah serving temporarily overseas.
The GOP took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Utah leaders had hoped the 2010 census would rectify the problem, but now worry that they will lose again if the census is managed by partisans.
When Obama nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be commerce secretary -- he was later forced to withdraw -- he indicated that Richardson would be in charge of the census.
The decision to move the census into the White House was announced just days after Obama named New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican, to be his commerce secretary. Gregg has long opposed "sampling" by the census and has voted against funding increases for the bureau.
Sabato said moving the census "in-house" will likely set up a situation where neither the Commerce Department nor the White House will know exactly what is going on in the Census Bureau. He said the process is "too critical to politics for both parties not to pay close attention."
"I've always remembered what Joseph Stalin said: 'Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.' The same principle applies to the census. Since one or the other party will always be in power at the time of the census, it is vital that the out-of-power party at least be able to observe the process to make sure it isn't being stacked in favor of the party in power. This will be difficult for the GOP since I suspect Democrats will control both houses of Congress for the entire Obama first term," Sabato said.

Census

Utah's congressional delegation is calling President Obama's decision to move the U.S. census into the White House a purely partisan move and potentially dangerous to congressional redistricting around the country.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told FOX News on Monday that he finds it hard to believe the Obama administration felt the need to place re-evaluation of the inner workings of the census so high on his to-do list, just three weeks into his presidency.
"This is nothing more than a political land grab," Chaffetz said.
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, told the Salt Lake Tribune that the move "shouldn't happen." He and Chaffetz are trying to rally Republicans "before its too late."
"It takes something that is supposedly apolitical like the census, and gives it to a guy who is infamously political," Bishop said of Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who would be tasked with overseeing the census at the White House.
The U.S. census -- a counting of the U.S. population -- is conducted every 10 years by the Commerce Department. Its results determine the decennial redrawing of congressional districts
As a matter of impact, the census has tremendous political significance. Political parties are always eager to have a hand in redrawing districts so that they can maximize their own party's clout while minimizing the opposition, often through gerrymandering.
The census also determines the composition of the Electoral College, which chooses the president. If one party were to control the census, it could arguably try to perpetuate its hold on political power.
The results of the census are also enormously important in another way -- the allocation of federal funds. Theoretically, a political party could disproportionately steer federal funding to areas dominated by its own members through a skewing of census numbers.
At this point the White House doesn't seem willing to say what Emanuel's role will be in overseeing the census, and White House officials say census managers will work closely with top-level White House staffers, but will technically remain part of the Commerce Department.
But critics say the White House chief of staff can't be expected to handle the census in a neutral manner. Emanuel ran the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2006 election, and he was instrumental in getting Democrats elected into the majority.
"The last thing the census needs is for any hard-bitten partisan (either a Karl Rove or a Rahm Emanuel) to manipulate these critical numbers. Many federal funding formulas depend on them, as well as the whole fabric of federal and state representation. Partisans have a natural impulse to tilt the playing field in their favor, and this has to be resisted," Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told FOX News in an e-mail.
Critics note that the method of counting can skew the census. Democrats have long advocated using mathematical estimates, a practice known as "sampling," to count urban residents and immigrants. Republicans say the Constitution requires a physical head count, which entails going door-to-door.
In 2000, Utah, which has three congressmen, was extremely close to landing a fourth House seat based on U.S. Census numbers, but the nation's most conservative state fell short by a few hundred votes because the Census Bureau wouldn't count Mormon missionaries from Utah serving temporarily overseas.
The GOP took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but was ultimately unsuccessful. Utah leaders had hoped the 2010 census would rectify the problem, but now worry that they will lose again if the census is managed by partisans.
When Obama nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be commerce secretary -- he was later forced to withdraw -- he indicated that Richardson would be in charge of the census.
The decision to move the census into the White House was announced just days after Obama named New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg, a Republican, to be his commerce secretary. Gregg has long opposed "sampling" by the census and has voted against funding increases for the bureau.
Sabato said moving the census "in-house" will likely set up a situation where neither the Commerce Department nor the White House will know exactly what is going on in the Census Bureau. He said the process is "too critical to politics for both parties not to pay close attention."
"I've always remembered what Joseph Stalin said: 'Those who cast the votes decide nothing. Those who count the votes decide everything.' The same principle applies to the census. Since one or the other party will always be in power at the time of the census, it is vital that the out-of-power party at least be able to observe the process to make sure it isn't being stacked in favor of the party in power. This will be difficult for the GOP since I suspect Democrats will control both houses of Congress for the entire Obama first term," Sabato said.

How Bad has the Iraq war been: in perspective

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the Month of January.That's just one American city, About as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq . When some claim that President Bush shouldn't Have started this war, state the following: A. FDR led us into World War II. B. Germany never attacked us ; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost .. An average of 112,500 per year. C. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea . North Korea never at tacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... An average of 18,334 per year. D. John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. E. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost . An average of 5,800 per year. F. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us . He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three Times by Sudan and did nothing Osama has attacked us on Multiple occasions. G. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush Has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who Slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. The Democrats are complaining About how long the war is taking. But It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno To take the Branc h Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons In Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find The Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard Than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick It took less time to take Iraq than it took To count the votes in Florida!!!! Our Commander-In- Chief is doing a HARD JOB! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant To realize the facts But Wait there's more!

How Bad has the Iraq war been: in perspective

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq in January. In the fair city of Detroit there were 35 murders in the Month of January.That's just one American city, About as deadly as the entire war-torn country of Iraq . When some claim that President Bush shouldn't Have started this war, state the following: A. FDR led us into World War II. B. Germany never attacked us ; Japan did. From 1941-1945, 450,000 lives were lost .. An average of 112,500 per year. C. Truman finished that war and started one in Korea . North Korea never at tacked us. From 1950-1953, 55,000 lives were lost ... An average of 18,334 per year. D. John F. Kennedy started the Vietnam conflict in 1962. Vietnam never attacked us. E. Johnson turned Vietnam into a quagmire. From 1965-1975, 58,000 lives were lost . An average of 5,800 per year. F. Clinton went to war in Bosnia without UN or French consent. Bosnia never attacked us . He was offered Osama bin Laden's head on a platter three Times by Sudan and did nothing Osama has attacked us on Multiple occasions. G. In the years since terrorists attacked us , President Bush Has liberated two countries, crushed the Taliban, crippled Al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and captured a terrorist who Slaughtered 300,000 of his own people. The Democrats are complaining About how long the war is taking. But It took less time to take Iraq than it took Janet Reno To take the Branc h Davidian compound. That was a 51-day operation. We've been looking for evidence for chemical weapons In Iraq for less time than it took Hillary Clinton to find The Rose Law Firm billing records. It took less time for the 3rd Infantry Division and the Marines to destroy the Medina Republican Guard Than it took Ted Kennedy to call the police after his Oldsmobile sank at Chappaquiddick It took less time to take Iraq than it took To count the votes in Florida!!!! Our Commander-In- Chief is doing a HARD JOB! The Military morale is high! The biased media hopes we are too ignorant To realize the facts But Wait there's more!

John Glenn

JOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR) Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13 Some people still don't understand why military personnel Do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum Is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive Impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed Services do what they do for a living This IS a typical, though sad, example of what Some who have never served think of the military. Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn): "How can you run for Senate When you've never held a real job?" Senator Glenn (D-Ohio): "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different Occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my Checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was Not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the Daily cash receipts to the bank." "I ask you to go with me ... As I went the other day... To a veteran's hospital and look those men ... With their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA And go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans Of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... And you look those kids in the eye and tell them That their DADS didn't hold a job. You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends Buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch Those waving flags You stand there, and you think about this nation, And you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? What about you?" For those who don't remember During WW.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney Representing the Communist Party in the USA . Now he's a Senator!

John Glenn

JOHN GLENN (ON THE SENATE FLOOR) Mon, 26 Jan 2004 11:13 Some people still don't understand why military personnel Do what they do for a living. This exchange between Senators John Glenn and Senator Howard Metzenbaum Is worth reading. Not only is it a pretty impressive Impromptu speech, but it's also a good example of one man's explanation of why men and women in the armed Services do what they do for a living This IS a typical, though sad, example of what Some who have never served think of the military. Senator Metzenbaum (speaking to Senator Glenn): "How can you run for Senate When you've never held a real job?" Senator Glenn (D-Ohio): "I served 23 years in the United States Marine Corps. I served through two wars. I flew 149 missions. My plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire on 12 different Occasions. I was in the space program. It wasn't my Checkbook, Howard; it was my life on the line. It was Not a nine-to-five job, where I took time off to take the Daily cash receipts to the bank." "I ask you to go with me ... As I went the other day... To a veteran's hospital and look those men ... With their mangled bodies in the eye, and tell THEM they didn't hold a job! You go with me to the Space Program at NASA And go, as I have gone, to the widows and Orphans Of Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee... And you look those kids in the eye and tell them That their DADS didn't hold a job. You go with me on Memorial Day and you stand in Arlington National Cemetery, where I have more friends Buried than I'd like to remember, and you watch Those waving flags You stand there, and you think about this nation, And you tell ME that those people didn't have a job? What about you?" For those who don't remember During WW.II, Howard Metzenbaum was an attorney Representing the Communist Party in the USA . Now he's a Senator!

Troubled Thinking...

JohnM
Troubled Thinking...
Thu Jun 22, 2006 19:50
205.188.116.9

A Cautionary Tale It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then -- just to loosen up. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker. I began to think alone -- "to relax," I told myself -- but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time. That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's. I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't help myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Muir, Confucius and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?" One day the boss called me in. He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job." This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confess, "I've been thinking..." "I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!" "But Honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver. "You think as much as college professors and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won't have any money!" "That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently. She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door. I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with NPR on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors. They didn't open. The library was closed. To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye, "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked. You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinkers Anonymous poster. This is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Porky's." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting. I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed...easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking. I think the road to recovery is nearly complete for me. Today I took the final step............ I joined the Democratic Party.

Troubled Thinking...

JohnM
Troubled Thinking...
Thu Jun 22, 2006 19:50
205.188.116.9

A Cautionary Tale It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then -- just to loosen up. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker. I began to think alone -- "to relax," I told myself -- but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time. That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's. I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't help myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Muir, Confucius and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?" One day the boss called me in. He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job." This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confess, "I've been thinking..." "I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!" "But Honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver. "You think as much as college professors and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won't have any money!" "That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently. She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama. "I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door. I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with NPR on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors. They didn't open. The library was closed. To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye, "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked. You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinkers Anonymous poster. This is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker. I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Porky's." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting. I still have my job, and things are a lot better at home. Life just seemed...easier, somehow, as soon as I stopped thinking. I think the road to recovery is nearly complete for me. Today I took the final step............ I joined the Democratic Party.

Ridiculous Poem from Immaculation and My Attempt.

It doesn’t even rhyme. I have read it three times and it just makes me angry. I do not know why it makes me angry, probably because I know it is somehow racial…why I should feel guilty as a white man or something.
I don’t know. I like poetry. I can recite several poems word for word, and I like them…

I don’t think this is poetry…and I do not understand it…gobblydegook….pisses me off.

Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."
We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."
Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.


That steaming pile of poo was The inaugural poem for Barack Hussein Obama.

Here I can do one too..

Oh glorious morning
I have to go to the bathroom and do my business, walking past the coffee pot, looking at the clock or not, listening to people speak and not speaking. All I hear is noise, I stepped on a toy in the den, the name of my child is loud upon my tongue
I have too much crap to do today, going to work, supporting the lazy, patching a hole in my pants because I am broke, repairing things that need fixed because everything is made in china
Someone is making too much damn noise somewhere sounds like jungle drums
I tell them to shut the hell up
I have to take the bus to work, I cannot afford a car
A farmer considers why prices are so high, while his pay is so low. A teacher says “the answer to the question 4 on the test is B” so that everyone passes the test, education in the 21st century
We encounter each other at the unemployment line, we start to speak but, what is there to say? We wish we would have considered the consequences and we reconsider our vote
We cross dirt roads, because the state cannot pave them, too many welfare payments to make because of the will of someone who said, “everyone gets everything no matter who works”
We need to find a place that is safe, I walked into something I could not see, my electric has been shut off.
I say it plain that many have died to prevent this day, and yet no one really cares, scream the names of the living who brought us here; liberal progressives every one
Sing a song about the heartland the only place I feel at home, sing about the way a good man works until the daylight is gone; sing the rain on the roof on a summer night, where they still know wrong from right, sing a song about the heartland sing a song about my life
Some live by “take from thy neighbor for thyself”
Others praise “doing nothing”, or “take all you can get, the white man will make more”
What if the mightiest words are “get a damn job” and “let me keep my money” but no one hears them because they are all high on peace and love…drugs that cost nothing but make us stupid and incapable of rational thought
In todays pc world, this foul climate, anything can be done, and anything can be said, unless you are a white Christian man under the age of 60, then you are an intolerant bigot no matter what
Down the drain, circling the bowl, up shit creek- that is what we are boldly walking toward

Ridiculous Poem from Immaculation and My Attempt.

It doesn’t even rhyme. I have read it three times and it just makes me angry. I do not know why it makes me angry, probably because I know it is somehow racial…why I should feel guilty as a white man or something.
I don’t know. I like poetry. I can recite several poems word for word, and I like them…

I don’t think this is poetry…and I do not understand it…gobblydegook….pisses me off.

Praise song for the day.
Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."
We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."
We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.
Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."
Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.
What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.
In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.


That steaming pile of poo was The inaugural poem for Barack Hussein Obama.

Here I can do one too..

Oh glorious morning
I have to go to the bathroom and do my business, walking past the coffee pot, looking at the clock or not, listening to people speak and not speaking. All I hear is noise, I stepped on a toy in the den, the name of my child is loud upon my tongue
I have too much crap to do today, going to work, supporting the lazy, patching a hole in my pants because I am broke, repairing things that need fixed because everything is made in china
Someone is making too much damn noise somewhere sounds like jungle drums
I tell them to shut the hell up
I have to take the bus to work, I cannot afford a car
A farmer considers why prices are so high, while his pay is so low. A teacher says “the answer to the question 4 on the test is B” so that everyone passes the test, education in the 21st century
We encounter each other at the unemployment line, we start to speak but, what is there to say? We wish we would have considered the consequences and we reconsider our vote
We cross dirt roads, because the state cannot pave them, too many welfare payments to make because of the will of someone who said, “everyone gets everything no matter who works”
We need to find a place that is safe, I walked into something I could not see, my electric has been shut off.
I say it plain that many have died to prevent this day, and yet no one really cares, scream the names of the living who brought us here; liberal progressives every one
Sing a song about the heartland the only place I feel at home, sing about the way a good man works until the daylight is gone; sing the rain on the roof on a summer night, where they still know wrong from right, sing a song about the heartland sing a song about my life
Some live by “take from thy neighbor for thyself”
Others praise “doing nothing”, or “take all you can get, the white man will make more”
What if the mightiest words are “get a damn job” and “let me keep my money” but no one hears them because they are all high on peace and love…drugs that cost nothing but make us stupid and incapable of rational thought
In todays pc world, this foul climate, anything can be done, and anything can be said, unless you are a white Christian man under the age of 60, then you are an intolerant bigot no matter what
Down the drain, circling the bowl, up shit creek- that is what we are boldly walking toward

Would You Buy The All New Pelosi CAR 2012?

Congressional Motors Announces The First Car for 2012, ThePelosi

It's in the way you dress. The way you boogie down. The way you sign your unemployment check. You're a man who likes to do things your own way. And on those special odd-numbered Saturdays when driving is permitted, you want it in your car. It's that special feeling of a zero-emissions wind at your back and a road ahead meandering with possibilities. The kind of feeling you get behind the wheel of the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition from Congressional Motors.

All new for 2012, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the mandatory American car so advanced it took $100 billion and an entire Congress to design it. We started with same reliable 7-way hybrid ethanol-biodeisel-electric-clean coal-wind-solar-pedal power plant behind the base model Pelosi, but packed it with extra oomph and the sassy styling pizazz that tells the world that 1974 Detroit is back again -- with a vengeance.

We've subsidized the features you want and taxed away the rest. With its advanced Al Gore-designed V-3 under the hood pumping out 22.5 thumping, carbon-neutral ponies of Detroit muscle, you'll never be late for the Disco or the Day Labor Shelter. Engage the pedal drive or strap on the optional jumbo mizzenmast, and the GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition easily exceeds 2016 CAFE mileage standards. At an estimated 268 MPG, that's a savings of nearly $1800 per week in fuel cost over the 2011 Pelosi.

Even with increased performance we didn't skimp on safety. With 11-point passenger racing harnesses, 15-way airbags, and mandatory hockey helmet, you'll have the security knowing that you could survive a 45 MPH collision even if the GTxi SS/Rt were capable of that kind of illegal speed.

But the changes don't stop there. Sporty mag-style hubcaps and an all-new aggressive wedge shape designed by CM's Chief Stylist Ted Kennedy slices through the wind like an omnibus spending bill. It even features an airtight undercarriage to keep you and a passenger afloat up to 15 minutes -- even in the choppy waters of a Cape Cod inlet. Available a rainbow of color choices to match any wardrobe, from Harvest Avocado to French Mustard.

Inside, a luxurious all-velour interior designed by Barney Frank features thoughtful appointments like in-dash condom dispenser and detachable vibrating shift knob. A special high capacity hatchback holds up to 300 aluminum cans, meaning fewer trips to the redemption center. And the standard 3 speaker Fairness ActoPhonic FM low-band sound system means you'll never miss a segment of NPR again.

Best of all, the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt is made right here in the U.S.A. by fully card-checked unionized workers and Detroit's famous visionary jet-set managers. Even if you don't own one, you can enjoy the patriotic satisfaction that you're supporting the high wages, good benefits, and generous political donations that are once again making the American car industry the envy of the world.

But why not buy one anyway? With an MSRP starting at only $629,999.99, it's affordable too. Don't forget to ask about dealer incentives, rebates, tax credits, and wealth redistribution plans for customers from dozens of qualifying special interest groups. Plus easy-pay financing programs from Fannie Mae.

So take the bus to your local CM dealer today and find out why the Pelosi GTxi SS/Rt Sport Edition is the only car endorsed by President Barack Obama. One test drive will convince you that you'd choose it over the import brands. Even if they were still legal.