Giuliani Defends Wall Street Bonus -

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Giuliani Defends Wall Street Bonus -
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GIULIANI: I remember when I was mayor, one of the ways in which you determined New York City’s budget, tax revenues, was Wall Street bonuses. Wall Street had a billion, two billion in bonuses, city had a deficit. Wall Street had 15 to 20 billion, New York City had a 2, 3 billion surplus. And it’s because that money gets spent. … It does have a reverse effect on the economy, if you somehow take that bonus out of the economy. It really will create unemployment. It means less spending in restaurants, less spending in department stores. So everything has an impact.

CHRISTIANITY TODAY BLOG: Are they fabricating a Brit Hume thread?

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In all of my ultra left-wing liberal rhetoric, I have always made an effort to stay clear of the evangelical right just incase there really is a God. Yet today I have become very suspicious of the "Christianity Today" Blog and a running thread regarding Brit Hume leaving Fox News. I had visited the blog and even posted a message Christmas Eve, but I was shocked to see that instead of posting my message to the thread, they altered it entirely and have me praising Brit "Frickin' Hume as if he was the greating anchorman to ever walk the earth.

As I continued to browse through what others had to say about the Brit Hume thread, I noticed a strange series of commonality between many of the post including the one that I supposedly wrote. Let me use a couple of question marks in true Fox fashion.

Would a widely respected Christian blog fabricate posted messages for the benefit of they're own ego or that of Fox News or Brit Hume himself?

Below are examples of suspicious post in the Brit Hume thread that I am referring to:

(Identical Post 4 days apart)

Posted by: Fran at November 5, 2008

We're really saddened to hear of Brit's departure!We always loved his pompous, professorial looking down at you while staring, over his half glasses at you while at the same time he had that slight grin as if he were laughing at himself.We personally despise arrogance in anybody, and this man doesn't have an arrogant bone in his body.

Posted by: Rich and Carol at November 9, 2008
We're really saddened to hear of Brit's departure!We always loved his pompous, professorial looking down at you while staring, over his half glasses at you while at the same time he had that slight grin as if he were laughing at himself.We personally despise arrogance in anybody, and this man doesn't have an arrogant bone in his body.

_____________________________________________________

(Commonalities to coincidental to ignore)

Posted by: Opal at October 30, 2008

The bright spot in my day was the Fox News Show anchored by Mr. Hume. His calm demeanor, occasional wit, incisive questions always held my interest. He presented the news in a balanced fashion, yet exposed fallacies of reporting errors. He never seemed to present himself as the "authority". Most of all, his repartee with the panel of contributors, was always thought provoking. He will be missed.

Posted by: Catherine at November 4, 2008
I just heard Brit Hume's departure during the Presidential Election coverage on Fox News. I have never been so shocked, saddened and disappointed with an anchorman leaving his chair. I've watched and recorded "Special Report with Brit Hume" every single day for years.
As one who watches Fox news religiously, Brit Hume's departure from Fox comes as a shock. I have always liked Brit Hume's approach to the news, and learning about his Christian faith explains it. He definitely had a demeanor that was unique, inviting, and respectable.

Posted by: Rich and Carol at November 9, 2008
We're really saddened to hear of Brit's departure!We always loved his pompous, professorial looking down at you while staring, over his half glasses at you while at the same time he had that slight grin as if he were laughing at himself.

Posted by: Peter Lujan at November 4, 2008
While I'm not a particular fan of FoxNews, I always liked the timbre of Brit's voice and his demeanor. I just learned tonight that he's leaving and about losing his son. I cannot even imagine what that must be like. I wish you and your family God speed Brit, you will be missed.

Posted by: Timmy at November 3, 2008
I am very sad to learn of Brit's departure from FoxNews. I depended on him to tell the truth to listeners of Fox. I wish you well in your quest and I know that God will be with you all the way. We will continue to pray for you and our nation. Thanks for your time with all of us.

Posted by: Chico Brisbane at December 24, 2008
I will miss Brit Hume too. He was a man that had a calm demeanor when he delivered the news. I thought that he was a Christian, but didn't know it until recently. I thoroughly enjoyed his coverage of the 2008 Presidential election. He was a true man of God, a man of character. I wish there were more news anchors like him. God blees you and your family, Brit. You will be in our prayers.

Posted by: Mary Lynne at November 4, 2008
I'm sad to hear about Brit Hume's departure from Fox, but I am happy for him. He has been a bright light on Fox. He will be missed.

Anti-Gay Prop 8 Donor Names To Be Made Public Monday

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A federal judge denied a request Thursday to keep secret the names of donors to California's anti-gay marriage initiative, saying the publichas a right to know who gave money to the state ballot measure.
Supporters of the Proposition 8 initiative, which overturned a state Supreme Court ruling that allowed gay marriage, had sought a preliminaryinjunction to remove the identities of those who contributed to their campaign from the secretary of state's website. The initiative was approved by voters in November.
They also asked U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. to block the Monday release of every financial donor to the homophobic cause.

Sarah Palin Bad-Mouths Stimulus Bill While Holding Her Hand Out For Alaska's Share

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WASHINGTON — A group of conservative Senate Republicans vowed Thursday to vote against an $888 billion economic stimulus package when it comes up for a vote in the Senate.

President Obama lobbied Republican congressional leaders to support the measure, but the version of the stimulus bill approved Wednesday by the House did not receive any Republican votes. The Senate is expected to start debate on Monday and the bill is already facing resistance from some Republicans.

It is hardly surprising that those most opposed to this piece of legislation had their hands out first for a piece of the stimulus package. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stuck her hand out furthest and fastest like a ninja warrior while similtaniously misrepresenting aspects of the stimulus package which is a trademark tactic of the blogojevichian governor of Alaska.

Obama and Democrats had made it a top priority to get the package of spending increases and tax cuts through the House. They did it in eight days after Obama's inauguration.

The 647-page measure is divided about 2-to-1 between new spending and tax cuts. It includes hundreds of billions of dollars in benefits for those hard hit by the recession, for state and local governments facing layoffs and cuts, and for initiatives designed to create or save 3 million jobs.

The Democratic bill includes tax cuts for about 95% of working Americans — $500 for individuals, $1,000 for couples — and for small businesses.

"I hope that we can continue to strengthen this plan before it gets to my desk," Obama said Wednesday. "But what we can't do is drag our feet or allow the same partisan differences to get in our way."

"This was not a stimulus bill. It was a spending bill," Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., the GOP whip, said Wednesday.

Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said House Republicans "made a decision to vote as a bloc against it. I think the American people want us to work together."

New Ethics Violations For Sarah Palin Top Aides - January 26, 2009

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Governor Sarah Palin is once again in the media with new ethics violation charges against two of her top aides -- Communications Director and Press Secretary, Bill McAllister, and Palin's Anchorage office director, Kris Perry--are being hit with new ethics charges, to be filed today with the state Attorney General.

Alaskan political watchdog Andree McLeod is filing the complaint because employees working for the Governor conducted partisan political activites on behalf of the unethical Governor and her failed campaign for Vice President.

In her complaint against McAllister, McLeod sites a series of activities that she contends violate Alaska's "Executive Branch Code of Ethics," which prohibits public officials from using or authorizing "the use of state funds, facilities, equipment, services, or another government asset or resource for partisan political purposes."

In her complaint to Alaska Attorney General Talis Colberg, McLeod charges that state documents indicate McAllister traveled with the Palin entourage to Minneapolis for the Republican National Convention and that he was on the Alaska payroll from September 1st through the 5th of 2008, allegedly "to provide staff support to the governor regarding state business."

However, an email from McAllister to Palin on her controversial private Yahoo email account indicates that McAllister was clearly coordinating Palin's activities on behalf of Palin and the RNC. McLeod’s complaint cites several incidents involving McAllister during the presidential campaign that cross over into partisan activities. But perhaps the most clear-cut violations of the Ethics Code by McAllister cited by McLeod are a series of interviews that McAllister gave following the announcement that Democrat Bob Poe would be challenging Palin for Governor in 2010. McAllister responded directly to charges that Poe made during the announcement of his candidacy, and not only disputed Poe's charges on behalf of Palin, but took political potshots at Poe:

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Poe would claim, counter to the obvious facts, that the governor is putting national political aspirations above her role as chief executive of the state. Since the election, the governor has spent less than a day out of state attending to partisan activities.”

Then he changed it to five days:

“The governor is here has been gone a mere five days in the past two months. Since the election, she has been in Alaska, is working, is focused, and doesn't need a nudge from Bob Poe to do it.”

McAllister then got more aggressive. A January 9, 2009, Anchorage Daily News article again had McAllister said that Poe was presumptuous to comment on the internal workings of the administration and that “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” McAllister rejected Poe's criticism that Palin's absences have hurt the state. Other governors, including George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, ran for national office while running their states. Since the election, Palin has been out of the state for five days and she's devoted less than one day to political activity despite numerous requests, McAllister said.

In Kaylene Johnson's hagiography on Palin, McAllister brags about betting on Palin in her primary battle with former Alaska governor Frank Murkowski: "I had a bet with my colleagues at work," McAllister boasts, "a high-end single-malt scotch with one and a fine bottle of wine with the other--that Sarah would win the primary." This came while he was covering the race--clearly a violation of journalistic ethics.

McLeod's charges against Perry--Palin's former campaign manager who headed up the Wasilla Chamber of Commerce while Palin was mayor there--are similar to those directed at McAllister. Apparently, Perry spent six weeks on the campaign trail with Palin. She also traveled to Georgia with Palin when she campaigned for Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss--while she was still on the timeclock in Alaska.

This is not the first time those around Palin or Palin herself have been hit with ethics charges. In her ill-fated 2002 campaign for lieutenant governor, Palin was caught using City of Wasilla resources for campaign related mailings, phone calls, faxes and printing. She also campaigned on city time. More recently, Zane Henning has charged Palin with violations of the ethics code for using state offices for her interview with Greta Van Susteren from the McLeod finds Palin's hypocrisy troubling.

"The self-proclaimed queen of ethics has again crossed the line and violated her own oft- repeated ethics principles," McLeod declared. "This dog won't hunt."

In August of last year, before Palin was nominated as John McCain's GOP running mate, McLeod filed ethics charges against Palin's *blogojevichian administration over the hiring of Palin political crony Tom Lamal. She also has a legal case pending against Palin in which she is trying to make public more than 1,000 state emails that were copied to the governor's husband, Todd. In October, an Anchorage judge ordered Palin and others in her office to "retrieve and preserve" any emails from private accounts that concern state business that were copied to the so-called "First Dude."

* (Blogojevichian – adj.) – A phrase coined by writer Jerry Sifuentes at Chico Brisbane to describe a public official(s) who lack the integrity and ethics that are requsite element(s) of public office.

Obama inagural highlights_2

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Obama inagural highlights_2
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Highlights of the inaguration and the transfer of power between the 43rd and 44th Presidents

White House fills empty seats with interns for Bush’s final conference to make the room seem less empty.

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When the White House announced President Bush’s final press conference yesterday, it sent a bulletin to reporters declaring “one correspondent per organization” and “standing room only for non-seat holders.” But as the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank points out, not enough reporters attended for the presser to make it “standing room only”:
Further complicating his last-minute legacy rehabilitation: Nobody seems to be paying attention. The White House had high expectations for yesterday’s final, historic news conference. “ONE CORRESPONDENT PER ORGANIZATION,” proclaimed the bulletin sent to reporters. “STANDING ROOM ONLY FOR NON-SEAT HOLDERS.” But when the appointed hour of 9:15 a.m. arrived, the last two rows in the seven-row briefing room were empty, and a press aide told White House interns to fill those seats.
At the conclusion, Bush ended the dismal event by saying “It has been an honor to work with you. … I wish you all the very best.” And with that, Bush concluded the briefing and walked off the podium, leaving the press corps unsure of how to react. Some hesitated to stand, while most stayed seated. One said “thank you Mr. President,” and a small number offered half-hearted applause. Watch it:

George Bush And The Build Up To War In Iraq

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George Bush And The Build Up To War In Iraq
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A look back at the Bush Administration and the effect the Iraq War will have on his legacy.

VIDEO: Sean Hannity squirms when asked a logical question

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Watch Sean Hannity squirm when asked a logical question by guest Bob Beckel. WATCH VIDEO:

Bitter Grapes For Obama

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The following are public opinions published in the "Your View" section of Southern California's largest daily newspaper, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Jan. 6, 2009 - Investigating himself

Loren Kizzia, of West Covina, Ca.
"I heard on the news that Obama's staff has investigated Obama's staff to determine whether Obama's staff had inappropriate contacts with Illinois Gov. Blagojevich and his alleged 'pay to play' scheme. The results of the investigation are that Obama's staff had no inappropriate contacts!Whew! There for a minute, I thought that they might be trying to do a cover up.The funny part is that the news media are treating this whitewash as an actual exoneration of Obama!"

Well Mr. Kizzia, here is what we know for a fact which differs from the propaganda that you are obviously getting from The Fox News Channel. White House Chief of Staff designate Rahm Emanuel talked twice with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and four times with the governor's chief of staff but did not engage in any inappropriate discussions about Obama's vacant Senate seat, a report by Obama's presidential transition staff asserts.

U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald called the Blagojevich arrest the end of a "political corruption crime spree" that included attempts to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect President-elect Barack Obama. The existence of FBI recorded wiretaps-- almost all of which remain unheard by the public -- has prompted furious speculation about whether any of them captured discussions between Blagojevich and members of Obama's staff. However transcripts of the recordings confirm what U.S. Atty. Patrick Fitzgerald's described during a press conference when he said that the Illinois Governor was frustrated by contacts with some of [Obma's] staff. Fitzgerald quoted a Blagojevich conversation in which the governor said the Senate seat is "a [Fucking] valuable thing. You just don't give it away. ... I've got this thing, and it's [Fucking] golden, but 'they're [Obama's Team] are not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Fuck] them."

If Loren Kizzia is right about this being a whitewash, then not only is the media in on it, so are the FBI, The U.S. Attorney's Office etc. These are pearls of wisdom from the same Loren Kizzia when he said in another opinion during the 2008 primary.

"Obama is running like a deer! The girl (Clinton) is kicking his rear end and he wants his mommy!" -Loren Kizzia West Covina, Ca.

Well...Mr. Kizzia, the election didn't quite turn out the way you hoped it would, did it? My best advice for you sir is to stop watching The Fox News Channel, Take your meds as perscribed and eventually the paranoia will fade away. Good Luck Sir!

Chico Brisbane

Twitters Hacked: Fox News, Barack Obama, Rick Sanchez, Britney Spears

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SOURCE: The Huffington Post
A flurry of high-profile Twitter accounts have been hacked, most prominently the Fox News account, which has declared that Bill O'Reilly is gay.
Fox News' Twitter posted an update, since deleted, Monday morning announcing, "Bill O Riley is gay."

CNN's Rick Sanchez, a prominent Twitter user, was also hacked. His malicious tweet read, "i am high on crack right now might not be coming to work today."
Britney Spears's Twitter also fell victim, with hackers announcing that her vagina is "4 feet wide with razor sharp teeth."

Update: Barack Obama's Twitter, which hasn't been used since November 5, has also been hacked. The Washington Times points out that a message was posted around 12:30 PM eastern time promoting a survey on Obama:

A message sent about 12:30 eastern time alerted the president-elect's tens of thousands of Twitter followers of a new message: "What is your opinion on Barack Obama? Take the survey and possibly win $500 in free gas." The message then linked to an odd two-question survey on a third party's Web site. The post was taken down shortly after it was posted.

Gun Control Opposition Will Only Expand Gun Control Legislation

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Trying to come to some sort of consensus between the Second Amendment and gun control legislation is made even more difficult due to the topic not being just a two sided issue. It's easy to know where people stand when the there are only those who are for or against an issue. In the case of gun control, I am one of those who is somewhere in the middle of the issue. The Second Amendment of the Constitution provides the right for individuls to keep and bare arms and that is a right that should never be taken away. EVER! - Now having said that, I do think that like many provisions of the constitution, changes in society make it necessary to sometimes expand, reduce the provisions of the amendment.

Obama is actually straddling the issue somewhat like the Bush Administration did when it filed a brief in the [D.C. gun] case last month. He does support individual rights, but says—and this is the qualifier--the government can impose reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. And he then suggests that any existing laws are reasonable.

To cite Justice Scalia himself from his majority opinion:

"Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited...[It is not a] right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose."

If anyone is hurting the Second Amendment and the right to bare arms, it's the NRA and their ultra radical fear mongering and George Bush type ALL-OR-NOTHING mentality. As gun owners, I think that we can start to regulate ourselves or run the risk of having the Government do it for us. On every single level, from the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden to House Congressional races and local ballot initiatives, the gun lobby's fear mongering lost, and sensible candidates who support gun violence prevention won. In states where the gun lobby boasts of its power in key battleground states, and where the NRA claims to have large numbers of hunters and NRA members, such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Barack Obama rolled right of their "perception" of power and rightfully so.

If any gun owner and NRA member what's to preserve the right to own a gun, they'd better think twice if they think that the NRA can responsibly champion thecause via scare tactics and the tired "From my dead cold hands" mantra. In 2007, there were approximately 12,000 people killed in gun-related homicides, yet at the same time 16,750 people committed suicide with a gun, plus another 650 unintentional gun related death. Not to take away from those sad statistics, there were 625,328 people who died by other accidental means during the same time period. About 40,000 of which died in traffic accidents. And a large percentage of those accidents involved alcohol. The rest resulted for other types of accidents including, but not limited to work and industrial, drug overdoses and drowning, slips and falls, and recreational accidents just to namr a few.

With a population of 305,519,779 people in the United States, the odds of being killed in a gun-related crime are not worth depriving an entire country of their constitution right to own a gun(s) - The question is: How many, what types, and what requirements must be met to exercize that right.

The video below illustrates an exaggerated view of the opposition over the issue, but as I said before. One has to question the motives of those who want to own an arsonal of weapons and particularlly unregistered firearms without Government intrusion whatsoever. If you have to prove that the can safely operate a motor vehicle in this country before being licenced to do so, than something similar should be mandated to own and operate a firearm.
Barack Obama and Archie Bunker On Gun Control

WATCH VIDEO:

Government Plan To Collect DNA Samples From All Arrested Of Federal Crime

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The government plans to begin collecting DNA samples from anyone arrested by a federal law enforcement agency — a move intended to prevent violent crime but which also is raising concerns about the privacy of innocent people. Using authority granted by Congress, the government also plans to collect DNA samples from foreigners who are detained, whether they have been charged or not. The DNA would be collected through a cheek swab, Justice Department spokesman Erik Ablin said Wednesday. That would be a departure from current practice, which limits DNA collection to convicted felons.

The problem that I have with this is in those cases where a person is not indicted, acquited, or the charges are dropped. At that point, your DNA and arrest records are now in CODIS with convicted felons, murderers, rapist, and child molestores just to name a few.

Expanding the DNA database, known as CODIS, raises civil liberties questions about the potential for misuse of such personal information, such as family ties and genetic conditions.Ablin said the DNA collection would be subject to the same privacy laws applied to current DNA sampling. That means none of it would be used for identifying genetic traits, diseases or disorders. Congress gave the Justice Department the authority to expand DNA collection in two different laws passed in 2005 and 2006.

There are dozens of federal law enforcement agencies, ranging from the FBI to the Library of Congress Police. The federal government estimates it makes about 140,000 arrests each year. Justice officials estimate the new collecting requirements would add DNA from an additional 1.2 million people to the database each year. Those who support the expanded collection believe that DNA sampling could get violent criminals off the streets and prevent them from committing more crimes.

"A Chicago study in 2005 found that 53 murders and rapes could have been prevented if a DNA sample had been collected upon arrest."

I'm not sure how a DNA sample at FBI HQ in Quantico, Va. will prevent a rape from happening anywhere in the country. If someone is arrested for rape, put on trial, and then convicted, then by all means take a DNA sample at that point so when this person is released, you have his/her DNA in CODIS should he/she reoffend after release.

"Many innocent lives could have been saved had the government began this kind of DNA sampling in the 1990s when the technology to do so first became available," Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said. Kyl sponsored the 2005 law that gave the Justice Department this authority.

Thirteen states have similar laws: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The new regulation would mean that the federal government could store DNA samples of people who are not guilty of any crime, said Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union.

"Now innocent people's DNA will be put into this huge CODIS database, and it will be very difficult for them to get it out if they are not charged or convicted of a crime," McCurdy said.

If a person is arrested but not convicted, he or she can ask the Justice Department to destroy the sample.

The Homeland Security Department — the federal agency charged with policing immigration — supports the new rule.

"DNA is a proven law-enforcement tool," DHS spokesman Russ Knocke said.

The rule would not allow for DNA samples to be collected from immigrants who are legally in the United States or those being processed for admission, unless the person was arrested.

The proposed rule is being published in the Federal Register. That will be followed by a 30-day comment period.