Obama Determining YOUR salary, Will He Fire Bank CEOs next?, Climate Bill, North Korea, Pakistan

“It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice, there's someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there's service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master.” Ayn Rand “Government ‘help’ to business is just as disastrous as government persecution...the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off.” Ayn Rand 1) Beyond AIG: A bill to let Big Government set your salary It was nearly two weeks ago that the House of Representatives, acting in a near-frenzy after the disclosure of bonuses paid to executives of AIG, passed a bill that would impose a 90 percent retroactive tax on those bonuses. Despite the overwhelming 328-93 vote, support for the measure began to collapse almost immediately. Within days, the Obama White House backed away from it, as did the Senate Democratic leadership. The bill stalled, and the populist storm that spawned it seemed to pass.  But now, in a little-noticed move, the House Financial Services Committee, led by chairman Barney Frank, has approved a measure that would, in some key ways, go beyond the most draconian features of the original AIG bill. The new legislation, the "Pay for Performance Act of 2009," would impose government controls on the pay of all employees -- not just top executives -- of companies that have received a capital investment from the U.S. government. It would, like the tax measure, be retroactive, changing the terms of compensation agreements already in place. And it would give Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner extraordinary power to determine the pay of thousands of employees of American companies. See: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Beyond-AIG-A-Bill-to-let-Big-Government-Set-Your-Salary-42158597.html 2) Wall Street Bets Obama Will Fire Bank CEOs Next Says CNBC Reporter After General Motors (NYSE:GM) Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner was forced out by President Barack Obama, Wall Street is betting bank CEO firings will be the next shoe to drop.  CNBC’s New York Stock Exchange floor reporter Bob Pisani told viewers of CNBC’s March 30 “Street Signs” the market’s actions, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropping as much as 300 points, are reflect, in part,that the government is going to force bank CEOs out as they did with Wagoner. See: http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090330160548.aspx 3) Contracts Now Seen as Being Rewritable Contracts everywhere are under assault. The depth of the recession and the use of taxpayer dollars to bail out companies have made it politically acceptable for overseers to tinker with employment agreements.  …Across the country, Vallejo, Calif., just got permission in bankruptcy court to tear up its contracts with firefighters and other workers. In Stockton, the city manager is studying whether to follow Vallejo’s lead. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/business/economy/31contracts.html?ref=todayspaper 4) Democrats Unveil Climate Bill The Waxman-Markey bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, emerges at a time when many Americans, and their representatives in Congress, are wary of wide-ranging environmental legislation that could raise energy costs and potentially cripple industry. The bill, a version of a so-called cap-and-trade plan, also comes as the Environmental Protection Agency is about to exert regulatory authority over heat-trapping gases under the Clean Air Act. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/us/politics/01energycnd.html?_r=1&hp 5) Is There a War on the Term 'War on Terror' "I haven't gotten any directive about using it or not using it. It's just not being used," said Clinton during a briefing with reporters aboard her plane to the Hague to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.   "The administration has stopped using the phrase and I think that speaks for itself," she said at a different point during her trip. "Obviously." …The story began after the Washington Post's Al Kamen obtained an e-mail from an official in the Office of Security Review, Dave Reidel, saying that, "This Administration prefers to avoid using the term 'Long War' or 'Global War on Terror' (GWOT). Please use 'Overseas Contingency Operation.' " See: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/03/is-there-a-war.html 6) Pakistani Taliban threatens attack on White House ISLAMABAD – Pakistan's Taliban chief claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a police academy, saying he wanted to retaliate for U.S. missile attacks on the militant bases on the border with Afghanistan. Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the United States, also vowed to "amaze everyone in the world" with an attack on Washington or even the White House. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan 7) North Korea Threatens War Against Japan Over Missile (Update4) March 31 (Bloomberg) -- North Korea’s government vowed to wage war against Japan if Japanese defense forces try to shoot down a missile that the communist nation says will carry a communications satellite. See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aoXwM34Au.xI&refer=japan 8) New Israeli PM says 'extremist Islam' trying to destroy his country "In order for there to be peace, our Palestinian allies and partners also have to fight terrorism," he said. "They must bring up their children in the spirit of tolerance and peace. In the last two decades, six heads of government in Israel have failed to achieve a peace settlement, but they were not at fault. I say to the leaders of the Palestinian Authority: If you really want peace, then peace can be achieved. "We don't want to control another people," Netanyahu said of Israel's military control of Palestinian territory, which dates to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. "We don't want to control the Palestinians. In a final a settlement, the Palestinians will have all the rights to rule themselves except those which threaten Israel's ability to protect itself." See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/31/israel.new.prime.minister/ And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics 9) Insurgent Threat Shifts in Pakistan KABUL, March 30 -- The brazen occupation of a Pakistani police academy Monday by heavily armed gunmen near the eastern mega-city of Lahore was the latest indication that Islamist terrorism, once confined to Pakistan's northwest tribal belt, now threatens political stability nationwide. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033000098.html

Obama Perilous Legal Pick, Russia Antagonizing Canada, Bank Forced into TARP

1) OBAMA'S MOST PERILOUS LEGAL PICK JUDGES should interpret the Constitution according to other nations' legal "norms." Sharia law could apply to disputes in US courts. The United States constitutes an "axis of disobedience" along with North Korea and Saddam-era Iraq.  Those are the views of the man on track to become one of the US government's top lawyers: Harold Koh.  President Obama has nominated Koh -- until last week the dean of Yale Law School -- to be the State Department's legal adviser. In that job, Koh would forge a wide range of international agreements on issues from trade to arms control, and help represent our country in such places as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice.  It's a job where you want a strong defender of America's sovereignty. But that's not Koh. He's a fan of "transnational legal process," arguing that the distinctions between US and international law should vanish. See: http://www.nypost.com/seven/03302009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/obamas_most_perilous_legal_pick_161961.htm 2) Warships set sail ahead of N. Korean rocket launch SEOUL, South Korea – Japanese, South Korean and U.S. missile-destroying ships set sail to monitor North Korea's imminent rocket launch, as Pyongyang stoked tensions Monday by detaining a South Korean worker for allegedly denouncing the North's political system. North Korea says it will send a communications satellite into orbit between April 4 and 8. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090331/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_missile 3) Russia, China cooperate on new currency proposals: (more on getting rid of that pesky US dollar) Russia and China are coordinating proposals on a new global currency that could replace the US dollar as a reserve currency to prevent a repeat of the global economic crisis, the Kremlin said on Monday.  "We have received proposals from our colleagues in China, detailed proposals," President Dmitry Medvedev's top economic adviser Arkady Dvorkovich said. "Our positions are very similar.  "We have similar positions on the development of the international financial architecture," he told reporters.  Ahead of the Group of 20 summit in London later this week, the Kremlin has published a raft of proposals to overhaul the global economic order, including plans for a supra-national currency that could replace the US dollar. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.7e6cab4fec704a0fdd135ecdac00673b.9c1&show_article=1&catnum=0 4) Canada says will defend its Arctic: (Russia continues to become militarily antagonistic…) The Canadian government on Friday reaffirmed its Arctic claims, saying it will defend its northern territories and waters after Russia earlier announced plans to militarize the North. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.92e661444313b232e8931de00c29c73b.3a1&show_article=1 5) German Chancellor Won’t Give In to U.S. Pressure, New York Times Reports March 30 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel won’t give in to U.S. pressure to increase economic stimulus spending, stressing that overspending could plant the seeds for a new crisis, she told the New York Times in an interview. See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=akG.AozphHLo&refer=germany 6) Rise of sea levels is 'the greatest lie ever told' …But if there is one scientist who knows more about sea levels than anyone else in the world it is the Swedish geologist and physicist Nils-Axel Mörner, formerly chairman of the INQUA International Commission on Sea Level Change. And the uncompromising verdict of Dr Mörner, who for 35 years has been using every known scientific method to study sea levels all over the globe, is that all this talk about the sea rising is nothing but a colossal scare story.  Despite fluctuations down as well as up, "the sea is not rising," he says. "It hasn't risen in 50 years." If there is any rise this century it will "not be more than 10cm (four inches), with an uncertainty of plus or minus 10cm". And quite apart from examining the hard evidence, he says, the elementary laws of physics (latent heat needed to melt ice) tell us that the apocalypse conjured up by Al Gore and Co could not possibly come about. See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherbooker/5067351/Rise-of-sea-levels-is-the-greatest-lie-ever-told.html 7) Job Losses From Obama Green Stimulus Foreseen in Spanish Study March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Subsidizing renewable energy in the U.S. may destroy two jobs for every one created if Spain’s experience with windmills and solar farms is any guide. See: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a2PHwqAs7BS0 8) Bank forced to participate in TARP The U.S. Treasury told, not asked, U.S. Bank to participate in the program, which is a Darwinian attempt to “synthesize” weaker banks into stronger banks through consolidation, Davis said at the forum, held at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans in Minneapolis. U.S. Bank (NYSE: USB) sold $6.6 billion in preferred stock with warrants to the U.S. Treasury in November through its capital purchase program. See: http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/02/16/daily17.html 9) Centrue Bank president resigns: Atlas Shrugs… Don Davis, president of Centrue Bank in St. Louis, has resigned because his income will be severely restricted by new federal limitations on bank executives. See: http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/03/23/daily12.html

Obama Takeover of GM, North Korea, Ammo Shortage

1) GM CEO Wagoner to step down at White House request DETROIT – General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner will step down immediately at the request of the White House, administration officials said Sunday. The news comes as President Barack Obama prepares to unveil additional restructuring efforts designed to save the domestic auto industry. …Wagoner, 56, has repeatedly said he believed it was better for him to lead GM through its crisis, but he has faced sharp criticism on Capitol Hill for what many lawmakers regard as years of missteps, mistakes and arrogance by the Detroit Three automakers. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090330/ap_on_bi_ge/gm_wagoner What?!?!? How can that be constitutional? Oh, I forgot, that document is just a rag anyway… 2) Obama order worries speech groups Free speech advocates from across the political spectrum are accusing President Barack Obama of impinging on First Amendment rights and are gearing up to take their case public.  At issue is an unprecedented directive that Obama — who has long railed against lobbyists as the personification of a corrupt Washington culture — issued last week barring officials charged with doling out stimulus funds from talking to registered lobbyists about specific projects or applicants for stimulus cash. …“And that is unconstitutional, because it takes a class of people and says that they are not worthy to petition the government,” Wenhold said, adding that his group will hold a Tuesday news conference to highlight the First Amendment impact of the rule. “It just goes too far,” he said, asserting “if anybody is paying attention, they should be wondering ‘is my group next?’ If they take the right to petition the government away from one class of people, who is going to be next?” See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20580.html 3) Gates: U.S. Not Prepared to Respond to North Korea Missile Launch The United States can do nothing to stop North Korea from breaking international law in the next 10 days by firing a missile that is unlikely to be shot down by the U.S. or its allies, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday. Appearing on "FOX News Sunday," Gates said North Korea "probably will" fire the missile, prompting host Chris Wallace to ask: "And there's nothing we can do about it?" "No," Gates answered, adding, "I would say we're not prepared to do anything about it." Gates said while he doesn't think North Korea has the capability yet to shoot off a long-range nuclear-tipped missile, "I don't know anyone at a senior level in the American government who does not believe this technology is intended as a mask for the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile." Gates conceded that North Korea will likely get away with thumbing its nose at the international community by test-firing the missile. He also said that six-party talks aimed at curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions have been largely fruitless. "It's very troubling," Gates said. "The reality is that the six-party talks really have not made any headway anytime recently." See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/29/gates-prepared-respond-north-korea-missile-launch/ 4) Fear of new regs drives gun, ammo shortage CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Concern that the Obama administration could impose a new ban on some semiautomatic weapons is driving worried gun owners to stockpile ammunition and cartridge reloading components at such a rate that manufacturers can't meet demand. …"You know there's something wrong when I've got little old ladies coming in buying 5,000 rounds of .22 shells," Holtz said. See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hHN8azPdktiyq5rfkevDE2rauhnwD977SAKG0

Climate Change Plan Shifts World Economy, The 'Give Act', Christians 'bizarre and judgmental'

1) U.N. 'Climate Change' Plan Would Likely Shift Trillions to Form New World Economy

A United Nations document on "climate change" that will be distributed to a major environmental conclave next week envisions a huge reordering of the world economy, likely involving trillions of dollars in wealth transfer, millions of job losses and gains, new taxes, industrial relocations, new tariffs and subsidies, and complicated payments for greenhouse gas abatement schemes and carbon taxes — all under the supervision of the world body. See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510937,00.html 2) More on Mandatory Volunteerism… Expanded Americorps has an authoritarian feel With almost no public attention, both chambers of Congress in the past week advanced an alarming expansion of the Americorps national service plan, with the number of federally funded community service job increasing from 75,000 to 250,000 at a cost of $5.7 billion. Lurking behind the feel-good rhetoric spouted by the measure’s advocates is a bill that on closer inspection reveals multiple provisions that together create a strong odor of creepy authoritarianism. The House passed the measure overwhelmingly, while only 14 senators had the sense and courage to vote against it on a key procedural motion. Every legislator who either voted for this bill or didn’t vote at all has some serious explaining to do. …To begin with, the legislation threatens the voluntary nature of Americorps by calling for consideration of “a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people.” It anticipates the possibility of requiring “all individuals in the United States” to perform such service – including elementary school students. The bill also summons up unsettling memories of World War II-era paramilitary groups by saying the new program should “combine the best practices of civilian service with the best aspects of military service,” while establishing “campuses” that serve as “operational headquarters,” complete with “superintendents” and “uniforms” for all participants. It allows for the elimination of all age restrictions in order to involve Americans at all stages of life. And it calls for creation of “a permanent cadre” in a “National Community Civilian Corps.” See: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/Expanded-Americorps-has-an-authoritarian-feel-41889742.html 3) Congresswoman: Hands off dollar! Wants ban on U.S. use of any foreign currency A member of Congress is warning the Obama administration to keep its hands off the U.S. dollar's status as the world's international currency.  U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., has introduced a resolution that would bar the U.S. from recognizing any other currency than the dollar as its reserve currency. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93086 4) Tancredo: Clinton aids Obama's 'war on guns' Criticizes her claim U.S. at fault in Mexican drug violence …"The guns that are sold in the United States, which are illegal in Mexico, get smuggled and shipped across our border and arm these terrible drug-dealing criminals so that they can outgun these poor police officers along the border and elsewhere in Mexico," she [Clinton] said.  "So we've got to help out here. We can't stand by and say, Well, you know, you guys just do the best you can, when we, unfortunately, are the market for drugs, when a lot of the money is laundered in the United States back into the hands of the drug kingpins, and when the weapons have come from our country. So I think recognizing the co-responsibility is just stating the obvious," Clinton said.  Tancredo said that's just wrong, and Clinton knows it.  "The heavy weaponry is not coming from the U.S.," he said, citing the Mexican military as a source for drug cartels for automatic weapons, as well as gun dealers throughout South and Central America. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93096 5) Abortion Industry Needs "Pride" Movement: Brown University Bioethicist and Author March 26, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The abortion industry needs a "pride" movement, similar to that of the immensely successful homosexualist movement, a prominent US bioethicist says. Jacob M. Appel, an author, professor at Brown University and graduate of Harvard Law, wrote on the website "Opposing Views," that "the moment is ripe - more than ripe - for an Abortion Pride Movement." Really??? See: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/mar/09032602.html 6) Matthews: Does Palin Think McCain is the 'Anti-Christ?' The protrayal of mainstream Christian faith as ‘bizarre and judgmental’. Look how far we’ve come… An offended Chris Matthews, on Thursday night's "Hardball," was so shocked by Sarah Palin's claim that there wasn't anybody to pray with on the McCain campaign, that he hurled multiple insults Palin's way, calling her, "a little scary," and asked if Palin thought McCain was, "the Anti-Christ?" Matthews was appalled by Palin's recent revelation that she had trouble finding someone to pray with before her vice presidential debate and the MSNBC host worried such talk about "The Deity in a political environment," wasn't "normal."  Matthews' guest panelists also joined in the fray as the Washington Post's Lois Romano declared, "I think it's bizarre and I think it's judgmental," and Mother Jones magazine's David Corn cackled it was "mean and catty." RNC chair Michael Steele was also knocked for a recent profession of faith, as Matthews blurted: "Why does everything sound like the '700 Club,' with this party now? I mean everything seems to be a religious discussion." See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-dickens/2009/03/26/matthews-does-palin-think-mccain-anti-christ 7) Limbaugh's Ratings Surge Coincides with White House Attacks See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/brent-baker/2009/03/26/limbaughs-ratings-surge-coincides-white-house-attacks

More on Global Currency, 'The Give Act', Militia Profiling

1) More calls for global currency… UN panel touts new global currency reserve system A UN panel of expert economists pressed Thursday for a new global currency reserve scheme to replace the volatile, dollar-based system and for coordinated steps by rich countries to stimulate their economies. On the monetary front, Stiglitz, the 2001 Nobel economics laureate, told a press conference here there was "a growing consensus that there are problems with the dollar reserve system.  He noted that such a system was "relatively volatile, deflationary, unstable and (had) inequity associated with it."  "Developing countries are lending the United States trillions dollars at almost zero interest rates when they have huge needs themselves," Stiglitz noted. "It's indicative of the nature of the problem. It's a net transfer, in a sense, to the United States, a form of foreign aid."  This week, China's central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan suggested the dollar could be replaced as a reserve currency by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) basket comprising dollars, euros, sterling and yen, saying it would not be easily influenced by individual countries. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.18e9e5692442aa61d7510553b5ffc14e.8b1&show_article=1 1b) Glenn talks with Congresswoman Bachmann (about many things, but world currency comments are below) CONGRESSWOMAN BACHMANN: What that means is all of the countries in the world would have a single currency. We would give up the dollar as our currency and we would just go with a one world currency and now for the first time we're seeing major countries like China, India, Russia, countries like that calling for a one world currency and they want this discussion to occur at the G20. So I asked both the treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chair if they would categorically denounce this. The reason why is because if we give up the dollar as our standard and commingle the value of a dollar with the value of coinage in Zimbabwe, that dilutes our money supply. We lose control over our economy and economic liberty is inextricably entwined with political liberty. Once you lose your economic freedom, you've lost your political freedom and then we are no more as an exceptional nation as we always have been. So this is imperative. Well, what happened, the day after I asked that question for the treasury secretary, secretary Geithner went before the council on foreign relations and the same subject came up. After that meeting after he categorically denounced it to me, he said to the council on foreign relations he would be open to this proposal of a single currency, of expanding the international monetary funds' special drawing down rates. That's what they're called. And this created a huge firestorm which the value of the dollar literally tumbled upon his words when he said that. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/23295/ 2) More on “The Give Act”, now assigned a new HR Bill number (HR 1444) A proposal in Congress to study whether "mandatory" service should be required of all young people in the United States has suddenly disappeared from a bill that would reauthorize other national service programs such as AmeriCorps. But the plan has appeared in another bill at just about the same time.  WND reported more than a week ago on a plan in the U.S. House of Representatives to determine whether "a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people" should be developed across the United States. But the language that was included in H.R. 1388 suddenly disappeared.  At about the same time, H.R. 1444 by U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., appeared and was assigned to the House Committee on Labor and Education.  The bill, under Section 4 (b)6, states: “Whether a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people could be developed, and how such a requirement could be implemented in a manner that would strengthen the social fabric of the Nation and overcome civic challenges by bringing together people from diverse economic, ethnic, and educational backgrounds.” See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93015 3) Now banks don’t want government money and are trying to return TARP funds as fast as they can. Can you blame them? Banks Paying Back the TARP Billions: Bad for the Economy? "I think the general principal is that if you're on the TARP list at a later date, it may hamper your ability to raise funds or to compensate your employees, so get off that list as quickly as you can," he said.  Last week, officials at Bank of America, Citigroup and JP Morgan criticized the proposed bonus tax, arguing that it was unfair and could lead the firms to lose talented employees. See: http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=7173568 4) YouTube star summoned to White House? The man who created two phenomenally successful "We The People" YouTube videos urging Americans to stand up against Congress and reclaim their republic now – or perhaps lose it forever – reportedly has been summoned to the White House by President Obama to discuss the subject matter of the short films. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92999 5) Fox News: Are You Profiled as a Militia Member? See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,510325,00.html 5b) Report Links Conservative Groups to Domestic Terrorism? …The report linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism and cited as suspicious those individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.  It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with "radical" ideologies based in Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93067 6) WJC blasts UNHRC religious criticism resolution The World Jewish Congress (WJC) on Friday strongly condemned the previous day's passage in the United Nation Human Rights Council of a resolution calling "defamation of religion" a human rights violation. See: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1237727553553&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull 7) FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU U.S.-backed forces infiltrated by terrorists? JAFFA, Israel – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah organization suspects its U.S.-backed militias and official intelligence service have been infiltrated by the rival Hamas terrorist organization, according to PA sources speaking to WND. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93018 8) Green is the new red…more folly in the name of green: Spokane residents smuggle suds over green brands SPOKANE, Wash. – The quest for squeaky-clean dishes has turned some law-abiding people in Spokane into dishwater-detergent smugglers. They are bringing Cascade or Electrasol in from out of state because the eco-friendly varieties required under Washington state law don't work as well. Spokane County became the launch pad last July for the nation's strictest ban on dishwasher detergent made with phosphates, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. The ban will be expanded statewide in July 2010, the same time similar laws take effect in several other states. …Among other states that have banned or are banning phosphates in dishwasher detergent are Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Vermont, Minnesota, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York. A bill on Capitol Hill would impose a nationwide ban. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_re_us/bootleg_detergent

'Mandatory Youth Service Bill Advances, States' Rebellion Pending, Space Storm

1) 'Mandatory youth service' bill advances: House version commissions panel to consider 'volunteer' requirement  Congress appears ready to pass an Obama administration plan that could create mandatory public service requirements for all American youth, fulfilling a campaign promise.  The bill, HR 1388: The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act, otherwise known as the "GIVE Act," has already passed the House by a vote of 321-105.  On Tuesday, the Senate voted closure on the motion to proceed by a margin of 74-14 in a move that makes its ultimate passage likely.  The bill, promoted by the Obama administration as a means of encouraging America's youth to participate in voluntary community service, has received little scrutiny from Congress or the public.  Yet, a version of the bill in the House proposes to establish a Congressional Commission on Civil Service tasked with determining whether a mandatory service requirement for all young people in America could be developed and implemented, though it is not clear that provision will survive a conference committee. Moreover, an amendment to the bill introduced by Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., one of the bill's 37 co-sponsors in the House, appears to severely restrict the First Amendment by prohibiting the youth participating in the program from attempting to influence legislation, organize or engage in protests, petitions, boycotts or strikes. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92902 2) States' Rebellion Pending Our Colonial ancestors petitioned and pleaded with King George III to get his boot off their necks. He ignored their pleas, and in 1776, they rightfully declared unilateral independence and went to war. Today it's the same story except Congress is the one usurping the rights of the people and the states, making King George's actions look mild in comparison. Our constitutional ignorance -- perhaps contempt, coupled with the fact that we've become a nation of wimps, sissies and supplicants -- has made us easy prey for Washington's tyrannical forces. But that might be changing a bit. There are rumblings of a long overdue re-emergence of Americans' characteristic spirit of rebellion. Eight state legislatures have introduced resolutions declaring state sovereignty under the Ninth and 10th amendments to the U.S. Constitution… …The eight state legislatures that have enacted 10th Amendment resolutions deserve our praise, but their next step is to give them teeth. See: http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2009/03/25/states_rebellion_pending 3) Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe IT IS midnight on 22 September 2012 and the skies above Manhattan are filled with a flickering curtain of colourful light. Few New Yorkers have seen the aurora this far south but their fascination is short-lived. Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker, then become unusually bright for a fleeting moment. Then all the lights in the state go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power. A year later and millions of Americans are dead and the nation's infrastructure lies in tatters. The World Bank declares America a developing nation. Europe, Scandinavia, China and Japan are also struggling to recover from the same fateful event - a violent storm, 150 million kilometres away on the surface of the sun. It sounds ridiculous. Surely the sun couldn't create so profound a disaster on Earth. Yet an extraordinary report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in January this year claims it could do just that. See: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20127001.300-space-storm-alert-90-seconds-from-catastrophe.html?full=true 4) FNC's Morris Contends Obama Wants Bank Package to Fail It is one thing - as Rush Limbaugh has been vilified for - to say you have a desire for the president to fail, but what about accusing the president of wanting his own policies to fail? That's what Fox News Channel's Dick Morris said on the March 25 broadcast of "Your World with Neil Cavuto." According to Morris, those who are criticizing Obama for his spending, including Daniel Hannan, who represents South East England for the Conservative Party, made famous by a YouTube video eviscerating Keynesian politics, are missing the point. Obama wants to worsen the economic conditions to expand the powers of government according to Morris. See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/03/26/fncs-morris-contends-obama-wants-bank-package-fail 5) GOP gloves off for budget brawl House Republicans have begun unveiling detailed alternatives to President Barack Obama’s policies — a concerted effort to push back against Democratic efforts to label them “the Party of No.”  On Wednesday, it was a housing plan. Thursday, it will be a big, TV-friendly stack of budget blueprints, “The Republican Road to Recovery.” That’s to match the president’s own platitudinous budget title, “A New Era of Responsibility.”  The House Republicans’ budget document, provided to POLITICO ahead of its release, makes sure no one can miss the point: Each chapter begins “The Republican Plan,” and each section is divided into “The President’s Budget” and “Republicans’ Solution.” House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the housing proposal that he rolled out with eight other House Republicans on Tuesday was “in response to the administration — and the president himself, who continues to say that Republicans don’t have any ideas.” See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20509.html 6) Glenn Beck: 98% of Obama's budget through..except He has now spent more than even most critics including me could have possibly imagined. We have the largest deficits in our history by far locked in for the next 10 years and now this from ABC News: On a conference call with reporters, budget director Peter Orszag indicated that while 98% of the budget markups in the House and Senate are on par with the administration's budget blueprint, some campaign trail promises may get left on the cutting room floor like... wait for it, wait for it. Let me give you a second just to guess. 98% of the things that he wanted and he promised are in the budget. That means of every 50 things he wants, he's only not able to get one. What's that one thing? What's that one thing he really wants, he really, really cares about that he's not going to be able to get? Wait for it. Remember he wants it so very much. Give you a second to think. Time's up. Oh, what is free milk? No, sorry. While 98% of the budget markups quoting from ABC News in the House and Senate are on par with the administration's budget blueprint, some campaign trail promises may get left on the cutting room floor like middle class tax cuts. What?  See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/23229/ 7) Glenn Beck: Finland vs. Estonia: Freedom vs. Socialism I mean it. It's not like there's 50 years of evidence to look at and say socialism doesn't really work, I mean unless, unless you count let's say a recent interview with Mart Laar. He is the former president of Estonia. He made the following statement, quote: In 1939 it was hard to find two more similar countries as Finland and Estonia. They are very similar in language, culture and living standards. Our economies were more or less the same. Then in 1940 Estonia was occupied by the Soviet Union and Finland successfully protected its independence.  So now what does it look like at the end of a 50-year period of communism in Estonia and relative freedom in Finland? There are over 5 million people in Finland, now less than 2 million in Estonia. The average female in Finland lived almost five years longer. The average male in Finland lived more than seven years longer. Astonia's infant mortality rate was four times that of Finland. Finland's GDP was almost nine times that of Estonia. GDP per capita was three times as high in Finland. And in Estonia there were only 25 telephones for every 100 people, less than half the amount in Finland. Personally I think these are all a coincidence. I mean, I don't see any patterns here at all. By the way, Estonia freed up their economy and now it is rated as the 12th most economically free country in the world. Since then they average 6% GDP growth per year. That average is higher than our growth rates during the dot-com boom. But you know what we should do? We should totally try socialism out. I mean, what could possibly go wrong? See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/23185/

John Galt AIG Resignation Letter, Reid fast-tracking health overhaul, China, NK, Extinction?

1) ‘John Galt’ Speaks in Resignation Letter to AIG: excerpts below It is with deep regret that I submit my notice of resignation from A.I.G. Financial Products. I hope you take the time to read this entire letter. Before describing the details of my decision, I want to offer some context: I am proud of everything I have done for the commodity and equity divisions of A.I.G.-F.P. I was in no way involved in — or responsible for — the credit default swap transactions that have hamstrung A.I.G. Nor were more than a handful of the 400 current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. Most of those responsible have left the company and have conspicuously escaped the public outrage. …My guess is that in October, when you learned of these retention contracts, you realized that the employees of the financial products unit needed some incentive to stay and that the contracts, being both ethical and useful, should be left to stand. That’s probably why A.I.G. management assured us on three occasions during that month that the company would “live up to its commitment” to honor the contract guarantees. …You’ve now asked the current employees of A.I.G.-F.P. to repay these earnings. As you can imagine, there has been a tremendous amount of serious thought and heated discussion about how we should respond to this breach of trust. As most of us have done nothing wrong, guilt is not a motivation to surrender our earnings. We have worked 12 long months under these contracts and now deserve to be paid as promised. None of us should be cheated of our payments any more than a plumber should be cheated after he has fixed the pipes but a careless electrician causes a fire that burns down the house. See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=todayspaper 2) EU presidency: US stimulus is 'the road to hell' BRUSSELS (AP) -- The head of the European Union slammed President Barack Obama's plan to spend nearly $2 trillion to push the U.S. economy out of recession as "the road to hell" that EU governments must avoid. The blunt comments by Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek to the European Parliament on Wednesday highlighted simmering European differences with Washington ahead of a key summit next week on fixing the world economy. See: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/EU-presidency-US-economic-apf-14737788.html 2a) Fed begins move that could sink dollar: Economists warn government subsidizing purchase of its debt NEW YORK – The Federal Reserve began today to buy longer-term U.S. Treasury securities in a move some economists believe will end up "monetizing" the dollar, a process that could inflate the amount of money in circulation and cause serious devaluation of the currency on world markets. The move comes the same day U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told the Council on Foreign Relations that the U.S. is "open" to a proposal by China to replace the dollar as the world's reserve currency with a "super-currency" to be created by the International Monetary Fund, or IMF. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92836 2b) W.H. allies target moderate Dems Americans United for Change (AUC), the labor-backed organization that has produced a steady stream of pro-White House ads, is going up on the air Wednesday in 11 states and Washington, D.C. The goal is to push Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and members of a new group of centrist Democrats to get behind a spending blueprint that many of them have already criticized. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20471.html 3) Reid open to fast-tracking health overhaul WASHINGTON – Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated Wednesday he's willing to move sweeping health care legislation through the Senate with a procedural maneuver that would block a GOP filibuster. The prospect of the controversial tactic has already ignited Republicans' ire, and key Senate Democratic chairmen have said they don't want to do it. Reid, D-Nev., took a different position on a conference call with reporters. "I think it's something we need to consider," Reid said. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_re_us/health_overhaul_reid 4) FedEx Threatens to Cancel Jet Orders  Package-Delivery Company Puts Boeing Order in Question Over Bill to Make Unionizing Easier FedEx Corp. is threatening to cancel the purchase of billions of dollars worth of new Boeing Co. cargo planes if Congress passes a law that would make it easier for unions to organize at the package-delivery company. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123791678454427343.html 5) Pentagon questions growing Chinese military power WASHINGTON (AP) - China is increasing its military power more rapidly and developing new "disruptive technologies" that are shifting the military balance in its region and possibly beyond, a new Pentagon report said. …"However, much uncertainty surrounds China's future course, particularly regarding how its expanding military power might be used," said a summary of the report obtained by The Associated Press. See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97543T81&show_article=1&catnum=0 6) Clinton: NKorea plan to fire missile 'provocative' MEXICO CITY – Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday warned North Korea that firing a missile for any purpose would be a "provocative act" that would have consequences. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090326/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_nkorea_missile 7) Headed toward extinction? World depopulation — rather than overpopulation — is the troublesome trend that should concern the entire planet. …Yes, human population is still growing in some places dramatically so. But at the same time, a strange new phenomenon is spreading around the globe, one whose very existence contradicts the deepest foundations of our modern mind-set. Darwinism presupposes, and modern biology teaches, that all organisms breed to the limit of their available resources. Yet starting in the world's richest, best-fed nations during the 1970s,and now spreading throughout the developing world, we find birthrates falling below the levels needed to avoid long-term, and in many instances, short-term, population loss. The phenomenon has spread beyond Europe and Asia to Latin America. …As the number of women of reproductive age falls in country after country, world population is acquiring negative momentum and thus could decline even if birthrates eventually turn up. Societies around the globe need to ask why they are engaging in what biologists would surely recognize in any other species as maladaptive behavior leading either to extinction, or dramatic mutation. See: http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/03/headed-toward-e.html 8) Postal chief says post office running out of money See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_ot/postal_woes   9) 'Spy plane' to find energy waste in UK A council spent £30,000 on a plane and thermal imaging cameras to identify firms that were wasting money through energy loss. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/norfolk/7960201.stm

US Seeks Expanded Power to Seize Firms, AIG Tax Bill Unconstitutional, Iran has 'penetrated' Obama Admin

1) U.S. Seeks Expanded Power to Seize Firms The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032302830.html And: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/24/AR2009032400847.html?hpid=topnews And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/bailout_bernanke_geithner 2) The AIG (And Everyone Else) Bill: Counterproductive and Unconstitutional It’s Not Constitutional, Plain and Simple Bill of Attainder: The Constitution prohibits Congress from punishing individuals, which is the role of the justice system. This prevents legislative tyranny and is essential to ensuring that those accused of wrongs receive due process and can mount a defense. It also encourages “sound legislation,” which is not accomplished by legislators being whipped into a frenzy and interfering in personal and economic affairs. An End Run? Congress added more taxes to the bill to get around the bar of bills of attainder, but it can’t make an unconstitutional act permissible by cloaking it in the guise of a tax bill. Taxation Not the Answer: Congress is prohibited from using the tax code as a weapon of convenience against a select group of unfavorable people, even when the political opportunity exists. See: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/20/the-aig-and-everyone-else-bill-counterproductive-and-unconstitutional/ 2a) 3 in 4 say Congress should return AIG money: President, Dodd each collected more than $100,000 Three in four Americans want members of Congress to return money they got from bailout-financed American International Group for their political campaigns, according to a new poll.  The poll from The O'Leary Report by Brad O'Leary and Zogby International today revealed that 73 percent of Americans think politicians, including President Obama and Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., should not have profited from AIG and should return the money.  Obama and Dodd were the top recipients of campaign largesse from AIG over the past two years, with Obama getting $104,332 and Dodd raking in $103,900. Others got money, too, but in smaller amounts. All together, AIG donated $644,218 to federal politicians. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92797 2b) Dodd's Wife a Former Director of Bermuda-Based IPC Holdings, an AIG Controlled Company No wonder Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn) went wobbly last week when asked about his February amendment ratifying hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG. Dodd has been one of the company's favorite recipients of campaign contributions. But it turns out that Senator Dodd's wife has also benefited from past connections to AIG as well. See: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/03/dodds_wife_a_former_director_o.html 3) FACT CHECK: Obama having it both ways on economy? WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's plea Tuesday for patience in the economic turmoil fits with the view of most economists that a turnaround will take some time. It doesn't fit quite so neatly with his bullish budget. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_go_pr_wh/fact_check_obama 3a) Sen. Gregg Criticizes 'Banana Republic' Budget Proposal The ranking Republican on the Senate Budget Committee warned on Monday that President Obama's budget proposal will lead to unsustainable debt levels and send the country on a fiscal path resembling that of a "banana republic."  Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offered a grim assessment of the $3.6 trillion proposal following a report over the weekend that found the budget plan would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade. See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/23/republican-criticizes-banana-republic-budget-proposal/ 3b) La. Gov. Jindal urges GOP to stand up to Obama See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090325/ap_on_el_ho/jindal_republicans 4) Senator proposes nonprofit status for newspapers WASHINGTON (AP) - Struggling newspapers should be allowed to operate as nonprofits similar to public broadcasting stations, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., proposed Tuesday.  Cardin introduced a bill that would allow newspapers to choose tax-exempt status. They would no longer be able to make political endorsements, but could report on all issues including political campaigns. See: http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=D974G6TG0&show_article=1&catnum=0 5) AP source: EPA closer to global warming warning The Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step on the long road to regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. See: http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2009/03/24/ap_source_epa_closer_to_global_warming_warning 6) Report: Iran has assembled network of lobbyists that has 'penetrated' administration WASHINGTON — The number of significant pro-Iran lobbyists has grown and key players have gained access to the new administration of President Barak Obama, a report said. ShareThis    The Center for Security Policy said veteran Iranian lobbyists, several of them former government officials, have been granted access to the Obama administration. See: http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2009/me_iran0230_03_19.asp 7) Centrist Labor joins new Israeli government JERUSALEM – Israel's Labor Party voted Tuesday to join the incoming government of Benjamin Netanyahu, lending a moderate voice to a coalition dominated by hard liners and easing concerns of a head-on confrontation with Washington over Mideast peacemaking. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090324/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_politics 8) NKorea reasserts right to satellite launch See: http://townhall.com/news/world/2009/03/24/nkorea_reasserts_right_to_satellite_launch

Betraying Israel, China suggests one world currency as alternative to holding US assets

1) A fearful thing, betraying Israel …All of this is lost on the liberal media, just as it apparently has been on the liberal Obama administration. The World Tribune reported this week that Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi cut short his visit to Washington after getting an "extraordinarily cool" reception from the new U.S. administration.  General Ashkenazi reportedly attempted to arrange meetings with President Obama, Vice President Biden and intelligence czars Bob Gates, Dennis Blair or Michael Mullen. None of them would see him. He had valuable intelligence information about Iran to share with them.  The Tribune quoted an unnamed diplomat who told them, "The administration is sending a very clear message to Israel, and this is we want to talk about Palestine and not Iran."  When an Iranian-made atomic bomb hits the U.S., they may wish they had never said this.  And Israel Today is reporting that the Obama administration is not just cool to Israel. It alleges that President Obama "is about to break America's long ties of friendship with Israel, and maybe even take steps toward the dissolution of the Jewish state." See: http://www.hallindsey.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=59 2) Treasury's toxic asset plan could cost $1 trillion WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration's latest attempt to tackle the banking crisis and get loans flowing to families and businesses will create a new government entity, the Public-Private Investment Program, to help purchase as much as $1 trillion in toxic assets on banks' books. See: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090322/D973AFAO0.html 3) China calls for new reserve currency China’s central bank on Monday proposed replacing the US dollar as the international reserve currency with a new global system controlled by the International Monetary Fund. In an essay posted on the People’s Bank of China’s website, Zhou Xiaochuan, the central bank’s governor, said the goal would be to create a reserve currency “that is disconnected from individual nations and is able to remain stable in the long run, thus removing the inherent deficiencies caused by using credit-based national currencies”. Analysts said the proposal was an indication of Beijing’s fears that actions being taken to save the domestic US economy would have a negative impact on China. See: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7851925a-17a2-11de-8c9d-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1 4) Rep. Frank calls Scalia a 'homophobe' in interview See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090324/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_frank

'This country will go bankrupt', Obama Doubts Gitmo Decisions

1) Obama criticizes some (his own) Guantanamo release decisions WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama says the U.S. hasn't done a good job sorting out who should be released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Obama says in a broadcast interview that some of the people released from the facility in Cuba have rejoined terrorist groups. He also says U.S. officials have not always been effective in determining which prisoners will be a danger once they are let go. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_guantanamo 2) VP adviser: AIG bonus tax may go too far WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden's economic adviser warned Sunday that a congressional plan to tax American International Group Inc. executives' bonuses may go too far in using the tax code as a tool for retribution.  President Barack Obama has not said whether he would veto some version of a House-backed plan to heavily tax the $165 million in bonuses. Biden economist Jared Bernstein said it's important to look at what version of the proposal comes out of the Senate.  "I think the president would be concerned that this bill may have some problems in going too far—the House bill may go too far in terms of some—some legal issues, constitutional validity, using the tax code to surgically punish a small group," Bernstein said in a television interview. "That may be a dangerous way to go." Do ‘ya think?!?!?!? See: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9734MA00&show_article=1 2b) Chicago Way extension runs right through D.C. Obama told Jay Leno he was surprised that those greedy AIG executives who helped lead the country into financial ruin were in line to receive $165 million in bonuses paid for by bailout cash authorized by his administration. "Stunned, stunned is the word," said Obama. Stunned? It turns out that his Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner—who didn't pay all of his federal taxes but was still deemed worthy by Obama of collecting yours—knew all about the AIG bonuses weeks ago. See: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-bd-22-mar22,0,5436164.column 3) Senator Gregg: 'This country will go bankrupt' WASHINGTON (CNN) – Even though he was almost a member of the new Obama administration, New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg Sunday slammed President Obama’s approach to handling the country’s fiscal outlook. “The practical implications of this is bankruptcy for the United States,” Gregg said of the Obama’s administration’s recently released budget blueprint. “There’s no other way around it. If we maintain the proposals that are in this budget over the ten-year period that this budget covers, this country will go bankrupt. People will not buy our debt, our dollar will become devalued. It is a very severe situation.” Gregg, known as one of the keenest fiscal minds on Capitol Hill, also told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King that he thought it was “almost unconscionable” for the White House to continue with its planned course on fiscal matters with unprecedented actual and projected budget deficits in the coming years. See: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/22/gregg-this-country-will-go-bankrupt/ And, Resistance grows to Obama's bigger government, See: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE52L0J820090322 3a) GOP predicts doomsday if Obama budget passed WASHINGTON – Congressional Republicans on Sunday predicted a doomsday scenario of crushing debt and eventual federal bankruptcy if President Barack Obama's massive spending blueprint wins passage. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090322/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_economy 3b) Fed's secrecy policy 3 years old tomorrow: In 2006, money suppliers stopped reporting publicly on money supply Just last Wednesday the Fed said it would flood the teetering financial system with an additional $1.2 trillion.  The money will be used, the Fed said, to buy government bonds and mortgage-related securities in hopes of lowering the borrowing costs for home mortgages and other types of loans, thereby stimulating economic activity. In other words, the central bank will print more money to pay for the purchases.  What the Fed does not explain publicly is how those kinds of infusions of money out of thin air, with nothing to back it, reduce the purchasing power and assets of all Americans by devaluing the dollar. The $1.2 trillion is in addition to hundreds of billions already added to the system since the beginning of the year and dwarfs even the biggest government bailouts to date. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92534 4) Shocker: 'Global warming' simply no longer happening  Temperatures dropping, fewer hurricanes, arctic ice growing, polar bear population up See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92557

US Maximum Wage, Gov Trashes US Dollar, Russia

1) Administration Seeks Increase in Oversight of Executive Pay We have a minimum wage; we’re about to have a maximum wage… WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will call for increased oversight of executive pay at all banks, Wall Street firms and possibly other companies as part of a sweeping plan to overhaul financial regulation, government officials said. …The new rules will cover all financial institutions, including those not now covered by any pay rules because they are not receiving federal bailout money. Officials say the rules could also be applied more broadly to publicly traded companies, which already report about some executive pay practices to the Securities and Exchange Commission.   WHAT?!?!!?!?!?!? See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/us/politics/22regulate.html?_r=1 2) Two corporate credit unions taken over by government WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal regulators on Friday seized control of two large institutions that provide wholesale financing for U.S. credit unions, a move they say was needed to stabilize the credit union system. The National Credit Union Administration said it has taken over and put into conservatorship the two corporate credit unions, U.S. Central Federal Credit Union, based in Lenexa, Kan., and Western Corporate Federal Credit Union, in San Dimas, Calif. U.S. Central has about $34 billion in assets while Western Corporate, known as WesCorp, has an estimated $23 billion in assets. A conservatorship enables the government to operate a financial institution. Corporate credit unions provide financing and investment services to the much larger population of retail credit unions. Some of the 28 corporate credit unions in the U.S. have sustained steep losses on paper from the depressed value of the mortgage-linked securities they hold. See: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/2-corporate-credit-unions-apf-14707022.html 3) Dollar Rally Crumbles as Fed Ramps Up Printing Press March 19 (Bloomberg) -- The rally that pushed the dollar to the highest levels since 2006 is in danger of crumbling as the Federal Reserve starts buying Treasuries and ramps up its purchases of mortgage debt, adding to a flood of greenbacks.  “The implications of today’s Fed decision are unambiguous,” currency strategists at Citigroup Inc. wrote in a research report within a half hour of the Fed’s decision yesterday. The dollar “should weaken,” they said.  Fed policy makers said yesterday they plan to buy up to $300 billion of U.S. government bonds and step up purchases of mortgage bonds, expanding the central bank’s balance sheet by as much as $1.15 trillion. The extra supply of dollars threatens to overwhelm investors just as the budget deficit swells. See: http://bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=afRBNPiWNYeY&refer=home 4) Russian planes again fly over U.S. Navy ships U.S. military officials said that in both cases, U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighters met up with the Russian aircraft about 70 nautical miles from the U.S. ships and flew alongside them until they left the area. On both days, U.S. aircraft tried contacting the Russian planes on international air frequency radio channels, but the Russian pilots did not respond, officials said. The last time Russian planes flew over a U.S. Navy ship was February 2008, when two Bears flew 2,000 feet over the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz south of Japan. Russian long-range flights skirting U.S. or other nations' boundaries have also been common over the last year. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/us.russia.planes/index.html?iref=mpstoryview 5) Source: 'Several' Missing Somali-Americans Back in U.S. After Overseas Terror Mission Many of the Somali-American men who were recruited to join an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group overseas have returned to the United States, according to a source familiar with an FBI investigation into the matter — but the FBI still has not revealed publicly if it is pursuing arrests in the case. See: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509839,00.html 6) US commanders say US ready for any NKorean missile WASHINGTON (AP) — Two top American military commanders say the United States is "fully prepared to respond" to North Korea's planned rocket launch next month, calling it a threat to U.S. security. The comments come as North Korea reportedly prepares for what the U.S. believes will be a long-range missile test in early April. See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJe29dzr3Xp0pPHuipQs51_jBmYQD9715QCO0

Mob Rule, ObamaNation Mandatory Volunteerism, ACORN probe, Pelosi Praises Illegal Immigrants

1) Mob Rule: Scorn Trails A.I.G. Executives, Even in Their Driveways The A.I.G. executive who was nicknamed “Jackpot Jimmy” by a New York tabloid walked up the driveway toward his bay-windowed house in Fairfield, Conn., on Thursday afternoon. "How do I feel?” said the executive, James Haas, repeating the question he had just been asked. “I feel horrible. This has been a complete invasion of privacy." Mr. Haas walked on, his pink shirt a burst of color on a slate-gray afternoon. The words came haltingly. "You have to understand,” he said, “there are kids involved, there have been death threats. ..." His voice trailed off. It looked as if he was fighting back tears. "I didn’t have anything to do with those credit problems,” said Mr. Haas, 47. “I told Mr. Liddy” — Edward M. Liddy, the chief executive of A.I.G., the insurance giant — “I would rescind my retention contract.”  He ended the conversation with a request: “Leave my neighbors alone.” See: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/nyregion/20siege.html?_r=1 1b) Senate Republicans brake rush to tax AIG bonuses WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans are drawing out a flap that has made the Obama administration squirm, applying the brakes to Democratic attempts to quickly tax away most of the bonuses at troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies. …If the government goes around canceling contracts like those calling for AIG bonuses, people might stop entering into contracts that call for using government bailout money designed to get credit flowing again to help spend the nation out of recession.  Some firms could be scared away from the bailout program, said Scott Talbott, senior vice president of government affairs for the Financial Services Roundtable.  "Ultimately it will undermine the recovery efforts," Talbott said. "It will have a chilling effect on ability to attract and retain employees," Talbott said Indeed it will! See story 1c!!!! See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_go_co/aig_bonuses 1c) Fannie, Freddie Decry Bill to Tax Bonuses Legislation to severely tax bonuses at companies receiving government aid may imperil the Obama administration's housing recovery program by igniting an exodus of employees from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, employees at the companies said. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/19/AR2009031903810.html The AIG mess: My husband’s commentary: “The AIG executives and other similar capitalistic executives are the new Jews of Nazi Germany. In very bad times, a scapegoat is needed for the populace to blame. Because of their hard work and strong values, The Jews in Germany were generally successful and therefore they were targets for all the ills of post war Germany. And the angry people bought it. "Yeah! Get those Jews -those dirty bastards!" So then, their glorious government with a fresh and charismatic young ideologue named Hitler took power with the "ultimate solution" to all of Germany's woes. And the people cheered with glassy eyed adoration and took up their own bricks to break the Jews windows drag them out of their homes, send them to camps and systematically kill them. The truth is that Germany's troubles before, during and after World War One were all due to corrupt government. Government is, almost universally, the root of evil in all countries; including the rise and fall of the third reich.”   2) Auditors project deeper deficits for Obama budget President Barack Obama's budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade, more than four times the deficits of Republican George W. Bush's presidency, congressional auditors said Friday. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090321/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget And: http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2009/03/20/auditors_project_deeper_deficits_for_obama_budget 2) House adopts plan for 'volunteer' corps, Also requires new evaluation of 'mandatory' service for all The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a plan to set up a new "volunteer corps" and consider whether "a workable, fair, and reasonable mandatory service requirement for all able young people" should be developed.  The legislation also refers to "uniforms" that would be worn by the "volunteers" and the "need" for a "public service academy, a 4-year institution" to "focus on training" future "public sector leaders." The training, apparently, would occur at "campuses."  The vote yesterday came on H.R. 1388, which reauthorizes through 2014 the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, acts that originally, among other programs, funded the AmeriCorps and the National Senior Service Corps. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92288 2a) ObamaNation, volunteerism, The Give Act By Judi McLeod Monday, March 16, 2009  The biting winds of change are blowing through ObamaNation. The same “volunteerism” that kept America running since the days of its founding, wiped out with the stroke of a pen, will no longer be volunteerism. It becomes forced labor and like the practice of another era, presses American citizens of all ages and creeds, unknowingly into military service.  On paper, H.R. 1388 is the “Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education Act”; the more innocuous sounding “The Give Act”, for short. But “The Give Act” is not part of Obama’s distant future for unsuspecting American citizens, because it hits the House floor tomorrow. See: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/9374 3) Glenn Beck: Pelosi praises illegal immigrants OLTMAN: I think it's bad enough, Glenn, to have congressmen going around the country pandering to illegal aliens, trying to overturn the laws, certainly not protecting jobs for American workers. But when a speaker of the house who is second in line to succession to the president and a national political figure starts pandering to illegal aliens and telling them that they are very patriotic because they are taking responsibility for our country's future, I think that's something everybody ought to hear. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/23008/ 4) Democrat Conyers suggests probe of ACORN In an startling partisan shift, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. on Thursday proposed holding hearings on claims the liberal activist group ACORN engaged in a pattern of crimes ranging from voter fraud to a mob-style “protection” racket.  Mr. Conyers, Michigan Democrat and fierce partisan, suggested a congressional probe after scathing testimony about the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) during a hearing on various voting issues related to the 2008 presidential election.  Mr. Conyers called the accusations “a pretty serious matter.” See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/20/conyers-suggests-probe-of-acorn/ And: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92369 5) U.S. backs global alternative to dollar: EU crisis builds momentum for IMF to form alternative exchange Increasingly, the International Monetary Fund, with the support of the United States and Russia, appears positioned to launch a one-world currency at the upcoming G-20 meeting in London.  The move is intended to be a last-ditch effort to prevent massive bank failures from occurring throughout the European Union. The idea is for the IMF to issue at least $250 billion in Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, to IMF member states as a method of placing a safety net under developing countries that might otherwise have to declare bankruptcy. The idea gained momentum Tuesday when the Moscow Times published an article revealing that the Kremlin intended to use the G-20 meeting, beginning April 2, to push for the IMF to utilize SDRs as "a super-reserve currency widely accepted by the whole of the international community." See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92207 6) Wal-Mart awards $2 billion to U.S. hourly employees See: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE52I4PS20090319 7) INTERVIEW-U.S. farm group backs world grain reserve proposal See: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/reuters/2009/03/19/2009-03-19T141723Z_01_LJ943430_RTRIDST_0_CEREALS-G8-US-INTERVIEW.html

Obama Received AIG Bonus, ACORN mob tactics, FED Devaluing our Currency, Obama 2.0

1) Dodd: Administration pushed for language protecting bonuses (CNN) -- Senate Banking committee Chairman Christopher Dodd told CNN Wednesday that he was responsible for language added to the federal stimulus bill to make sure that already-existing contracts for bonuses at companies receiving federal bailout money were honored. Dodd acknowledged his role in the change after a Treasury Department official told CNN the administration pushed for the language. See: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/18/aig.bonuses.congress/index.html Remember from the last post that AIG has sent BILLIONS overseas to European banks. This is all a smoke screen… 1a) House passes bill taxing AIG and other bonuses WASHINGTON – Denouncing a "squandering of the people's money," lawmakers voted decisively Thursday to impose a 90 percent tax on millions of dollars in employee bonuses paid by troubled insurance giant AIG and other bailed-out companies. The House vote was 328-93. Similar legislation has been introduced in the Senate and President Barack Obama quickly signaled general support for the concept (emphasis mine). "I look forward to receiving a final product that will serve as a strong signal to the executives who run these firms that such compensation will not be tolerated," the president said in a statement. …Republicans took Democrats to task for rushing to tax AIG bonuses worth an estimated $165 million after the majority party stripped from last month's economic stimulus bill a provision that could have banned such payouts. Remember, government money comes with strings… …The bill would impose a 90 percent tax on bonuses given to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at American International Group and other companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money. It would apply to any such bonuses issued since Dec. 31. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_go_co/aig_outrage 1b) Obama Received a $101,332 Bonus from AIG Senator Barack Obama received a $101,332 bonus from American International Group in the form of political contributions according to Opensecrets.org. The two biggest Congressional recipients of bonuses from the A.I.G. are - Senators Chris Dodd and Senator Barack Obama.  See: http://www.examiner.com/x-268-Right-Side-Politics-Examiner~y2009m3d17-Obama-Received-a-101332-Bonus-from-AIG 2) Fed to pump another $1 trillion into U.S. economy WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve sharply stepped up its efforts to bolster the economy on Wednesday, announcing that it would pump an extra $1 trillion into the financial system by purchasing Treasury bonds and mortgage securities. Having already reduced the key interest rate it controls nearly to zero, the central bank has increasingly turned to alternatives like buying securities as a way of getting more dollars into the economy, a tactic that amounts to creating vast new sums of money out of thin air. But the moves on Wednesday were its biggest yet, almost doubling all of the Fed's measures in the last year. …But there were also clear indications that the Fed was taking risks that could dilute the value of the dollar and set the stage for future inflation. Gold prices rose $26.60 an ounce, hitting $942, a sign of declining confidence in the dollar. The dollar, which had been losing value in recent weeks to the euro and the yen, dropped sharply again on Wednesday. See: http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/18/business/fed.php 3) Hill panel testimony to accuse ACORN of mob tactics A lawyer for a whistleblower on the activist group ACORN is prepared to tell a House panel Thursday that the group provided liberal causes with protest-for-hire services and coerced donations from the targets of demonstrations through a mob-style "protection" racket.  ACORN called it the "muscle for the money" program, according to prepared testimony Pittsburgh lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh plans to deliver at a hearing of the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights and civil liberties.  A copy of her prepared testimony was obtained by The Washington Times.  The protest shakedowns are among a slew of accusations that Ms. Heidelbaugh intends to make against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. She also will accuse the nonprofit group of violating tax, campaign-finance and other laws by sharing a list of President Obama's maxed-out campaign donors to solicit more funds for a get-out-the-vote drive. The accusations, which are based entirely on sworn court testimony late last year by ACORN whistleblower Anita Moncrief, range from unlawfully coordinating campaign activity with Mr. Obama's presidential campaign to deliberately engaging in voter-registration fraud and misusing federal grant money. See: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/19/hill-panel-testimony-to-accuse-acorn-of-mob-tactic/ 4) Obama's campaign network mobilized to promote agenda Four months after the election, President Barack Obama is resurrecting his campaign army in Florida and nationwide to help him sell his $3.5 trillion budget to Congress. It's the first call to action by Organizing for America, the Democratic Party initiative to turn the campaign's vast grass-roots network into a year-round support system that registers voters, promotes the administration's policies and lays the groundwork for a second term. Known informally as Obama 2.0 because it represents the second phase of the Internet-savvy campaign, the program will test the staying power of a celebrity president long after the bumper stickers start to fade.  The Democratic Party plans to deploy staffers across the country over the next several weeks, including 35 to 40 people in Florida, the nation's largest swing state. The campaign-in-waiting could set the stage for Florida Democrats in the 2010 election, when a U.S. Senate seat and possibly other statewide offices will be up for grabs. See: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/story/955747.html 5) At G20, Kremlin to Pitch New International Currency The Kremlin published its priorities Monday for an upcoming meeting of the G20, calling for the creation of a supranational reserve currency to be issued by international institutions as part of a reform of the global financial system.  The International Monetary Fund should investigate the possible creation of a new reserve currency, widening the list of reserve currencies or using its already existing Special Drawing Rights, or SDRs, as a "superreserve currency accepted by the whole of the international community," the Kremlin said in a statement issued on its web site. See: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/600/42/375364.htm 6) Guantanamo Detainees May Be Released in U.S. WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Eric Holder said some detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may end up being released in the U.S. as the Obama administration works with foreign allies to resettle some of the prisoners. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123741378746277081.html?mod=googlenews_wsj 7) Tax Day tea parties expected to number more than 1,000 'We don't necessarily need mainstream media anymore' See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92276 8) Mystery solved: Police chief ordered troops: U.S. Army forces sent to Alabama town after shooting spree See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92191 9) Obama secures $500,000 book advance See: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/19/Obama_secures_500000_book_advance/UPI-82081237468228/ Rush comments: I remember when Mr. Newt announced a book deal when he was Speaker of the House, my gosh, the Drive-Bys and the Democrats just castigated Newt for trading on his office.  See: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031909/content/01125104.guest.html

Unity '09, Russia Arming, Obama Manipulating Stock Market?

1) Unity '09: Dem groups quietly align

A broad coalition of left-leaning groups is quietly closing ranks into a new coalition, "Unity '09," aimed at helping President Barack Obama push his agenda through Congress.  Conceived at a New York meeting before the November election, two Democrats familiar with the planning said, Unity '09 will draw together money and grassroots organizations to pressure lawmakers in their home states to back White House legislation and other progressive causes. The online-based MoveOn.org is a central player in the nascent organization, but other groups involved in planning Unity '09 span a broad spectrum of interests, from the American Civil Liberties Union to the National Council of La Raza to Planned Parenthood, as well as labor unions and environmental groups. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20008.html 2) Medvedev orders large-scale Russian rearmament MOSCOW (AFP) — President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday announced a "large-scale" rearmament and renewal of Russia's nuclear arsenal, accusing NATO of pushing ahead with expansion near Russian borders. Meeting defence chiefs in Moscow, Medvedev said he was determined to implement reforms to streamline Russia's bloated military and stressed Moscow continued to face several security threats needing robust defense capacity. "From 2011, a large-scale rearmament of the army and navy will begin," Medvedev said. …The head of Russia's strategic missile forces, Nikolai Solovtsov, told news agencies that Russia would start deploying its next-generation RS-24 missiles after the December 5 expiry of the START-1 treaty with the United States. Moscow hopes to replace the treaty with a new accord. Russia says its nuclear-capable, multiple-warhead RS-24 missiles are capable of overcoming defences such as the US missile shield. See: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jm82XaN3cRVKmuux4vxfTXGexI4Q 3) Gates readies big cuts in weapons …Now, as the only Bush Cabinet member to remain under President Obama, Gates is preparing the most far-reaching changes in the Pentagon's weapons portfolio since the end of the Cold War, according to aides. Two defense officials who were not authorized to speak publicly said Gates will announce up to a half-dozen major weapons cancellations later this month. Candidates include a new Navy destroyer, the Air Force's F-22 fighter jet, and Army ground-combat vehicles, the offi cials said. More cuts are planned for later this year after a review that could lead to reductions in programs such as aircraft carriers and nuclear arms, the officials said. See: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/03/17/gates_readies_big_cuts_in_weapons/   So, at the same time Russia is massively rearming, the US is making big cuts. Does that seem wise to anyone? 4) Is Obama manipulating the stock market?  Economist claims president 'jawboning' economy to boost Dow …Bolser said Bernanke's appearance on "60 Minutes" appeared to be part of the Obama administration's plan to influence the stock market and push the economy in a positive direction. …Bolser noted the Fed was backing up the Obama administration's positive rhetoric with a series of highly complicated market transaction designed to build up the stock market by pumping billions into various avenues, including the purchase of futures contracts, aimed at forcing the Dow to rally. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92100 5) Veterans Groups Blast Obama Plan for Private Insurance to Pay for Service-Related Health Care President Obama's plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has angered veterans groups who say the government has a moral obligation to pay for service-related medical care.  See: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/17/vets-group-blasts-obama-plan-private-insurance-pay-service-related-health-care/ And: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92111 6) Study: Israel may attack Iran nuclear sites with ballistic missiles Ballistic missiles could be Israel's weapon of choice against Iranian nuclear facilities if it decides on a pre-emptive attack and deems air strikes too risky, according to a report by a Washington think-tank. See: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1071718.html 7) China Gains Key Assets In Spate of Purchases SHANGHAI -- Chinese companies have been on a shopping spree in the past month, snapping up tens of billions of dollars' worth of key assets in Iran, Brazil, Russia, Venezuela, Australia and France in a global fire sale set off by the financial crisis.  The deals have allowed China to lock up supplies of oil, minerals, metals and other strategic natural resources it needs to continue to fuel its growth. The sheer scope of the agreements marks a shift in global finance, roiling energy markets and feeding worries about the future availability and prices of those commodities in other countries that compete for them, including the United States. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031603293.html?hpid=topnews 8) GOP eyes Bush v. Gore for Coleman A state court could rule any day now on Norm Coleman’s challenge to Al Franken’s 225-vote lead in Minnesota, but the race may be far from over no matter what the judges say.  Top Republicans are encouraging Coleman to be as litigious as possible and take his fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if he loses this round, believing that an elongated court fight is worth it if they can continue to deny Democrats the 59th Senate seat that Franken would represent.  And in pushing a possible Supreme Court conclusion, Republicans are raising case history that makes Democrats shudder: Bush v. Gore. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20084.html 9) Sources: US to sign UN gay rights declaration WASHINGTON – The Obama administration will endorse a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that then-President George W. Bush had refused to sign, The Associated Press has learned. See: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090318/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_gay_rights

Obama Protest Ignored by Media, Iranian Drone Shot Down, Fines for Growing Food?

1) Obama Protests aka Tea Parties Largely Ignored by Media Since CNBC's Rick Santelli first suggested a Chicago Tea Party to protest President Obama's plans to "stimulate" the economy and bailout homeowners through unrestrained government spending, organized demonstrations have been occurring across the fruited plain. In fact, as Glenn Reynolds reported moments ago, there's one happening today in Cincinnati.   Unfortunately, unless you frequent conservative websites, you'd have no idea that such events were being staged.  See: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/03/15/obama-protests-aka-tea-parties-largely-ignored-media 2) More on States Refusing Stimulus and Why Debt-laden state governments were supposed to be the big winners from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill. But at least five Republican Governors are saying thanks but no thanks to some of the $150 billion of "free" money doled out to states, because it could make their budget headaches much worse down the line. And they're right. See: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123535040968044863.html 3) Obama’s Scary Hoover-Style Tax Hikes The composition of the tax hikes in the 2010 budget is frighteningly similar to the Revenue Act of 1932, the much-maligned Hoover tax hikes that put the “Great” in Great Depression by putting an enormous tax burden on millions of Americans, largely through excise taxes. These taxes, raised even further by FDR, were justified by the promise that the funds would be returned in the form of relief programs, which is to say that some portion of the tax revenue, after administrative costs in Washington, would go back to the states with strings attached, often to further political rather than economic objectives. See: http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/03/02/kerpen_obama_hoover/ 3b) The Cost of the Cap-and-Trade Program for American Households A cap-and-trade program to control greenhouse gas emissions will impose an enormous economic burden on American households, according to a new study by the George C. Marshall Institute.

See:http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_ID=17637

3c) Glenn Beck: Obama wants your thermostat …Czar Browner says, I think first of all that the science has just become incredibly clear that the impacts are real, that they will be real and we need to do something right away. We need to make sure that we're moving electricity in the smartest way -- listen to this -- and using the most cost effective electricity at the right time of day. Eventually we can get to a system where an electric company will be able to hold back some of the power so that your air conditioner won't operate at its peak. See: http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/22793/ And: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/energy/2009/03/09/on-climate-change-the-science-has-just-become-incredibly-clear.html 4) AIG ships billions in bailout abroad (yes, billions, not a measly $165 million) Billions of American taxpayer dollars used to bailout insurance giant AIG are flowing to some of the largest foreign banks in the world, according to new documents released by beleaguered company Sunday. See: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20039.html 5) US says it shot down Iranian drone last month See: http://townhall.com/news/world/2009/03/16/us_says_it_shot_down_iranian_drone_last_month And: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq 6) Lose your property for growing food? Big Brother legislation could mean prosecution, fines up to $1 million House Resolution 875, or the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009, was introduced by Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., in February. DeLauro's husband, Stanley Greenburg, works for Monsanto – the world's leading producer of herbicides and genetically engineered seed.  DeLauro's act has 39 co-sponsors and was referred to the House Agriculture Committee on Feb. 4. It calls for the creation of a Food Safety Administration to allow the government to regulate food production at all levels – and even mandates property seizure, fines of up to $1 million per offense and criminal prosecution for producers, manufacturers and distributors who fail to comply with regulations. See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=92002