Blog @ MoreWhat.com

Even though many countries throughout the world largely blame the US for what was called the global financial crisis the greed responsible and regulatory incompetence that enabled excessive risk in financial markets has its roots where most massive failures do; the legislative halls of the US Congress and other such institutions around the planet. Those countries citing the US as responsible for their crippling losses are as guilty as anyone for gladly participating while everything was working out in that house of cards.

International criticism and commentary aside there have been other suggested culprits throughout the long history of actions leading to the economic problems Americans now face. Senator Chris ‘Countrywide’ Dodd as well as sputtering Congressman Barney Frank are but two politicians connected to the banking industry. There are many more who helped themselves to the profits available in the mortgage industry during the run up to disaster and one such person is none other than Rahm Emanuel, President Obama’s Chief of Staff. The President’s choice for Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, also has dirt on his hands from his tenure at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

During the initial reporting on such matters over the last couple of years the mortgage portion of the crisis included criticism that the Community Reinvestment Act was responsible for much of what happened. It was suggested that financial institutions were forced to extend credit for housing that borrowers were not likely to pay back.

Another culprit receiving criticism in recent years was the Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC. In the past this site featured press releases from the SEC describing the results of legal action against various types of fraud in the financial markets. Almost exclusively the outcome involved what essentially was profit sharing between the offenders and the government. Rather than ever seeing jail time the perps were merely barred from engaging in business in the financial markets and paying some amount of money to the SEC that no doubt came from the ill-gotten gains.

Testimony by former Fed Chair Paul Volcker has focused attention on what may be the single largest reason for problems in banking and Wall Street. The Banking Act of 1933 also known as Glass=Steagall was enacted to avoid problems within the banking industry that occurred then and are remarkably similar to what happened lately. Over the years various parts of the ‘act’ were repealed and some are calling for restoration of those limitations now.

You can do a search on the topic at your favorite engine. You will likely find information about the original safeguards and a repeal history. In addition, HR4375 is a bill sponsored by a Democrat and co=sponsored by nine more plus a Republican. The bill seeks to restore some of Glass-Steagall. Also Senators McCain and Cantwell are in the news claiming to want the same thing or something similar.

This story and the items mentioned above point to the central theme of this post. Political rhetoric and ‘after the fact’ reactions are all too common. It is the evidence that proves what most of us already know about government and those who run it. They govern poorly allowing events to occur that could have been prevented. Where were all these people before the problems referenced here took place? Certainly most of them were in office before the so-called global financial crisis emerged.

The author of this blog supports restoring common sense in government. Like most expressing a personal preference for conservative principles and adhering to our nation’s founding documents Congress and the rest of government is encouraged to concur. And if in this particular case wisdom dictates restoring Glass-Steagall to its original form, please do.

It seems logical to accept the following idea. If the current economic turmoil is in fact the worst since the Great Depression and none has occurred since Glass-Steagall until certain portions of it were repealed then restoring the original legislation is prudent.

It would be helpful to all involved if those in government could produce a series of consecutive actions that can be applauded universally as successful and impressive. At least then citizens could be reassured that it IS possible for government to do something right. There is currently little evidence to suggest that is the case.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Honda Motor Co said it will recall another roughly 378,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix potentially faulty airbag systems that are linked to at least one known fatality and 11 injuries in the U.S.

The expanded recall brings to more than 826,000 vehicles the number of Honda and Acura models covered by a series of airbag system recalls that began in 2008.

The company said some airbags in its older vehicles deploy with too much pressure, and send metal fragments flying into the car.

Never liked airbags and never will. And even though potential user injury is a common complaint and has been for years the current report trumps the previous worries generally limited to smaller or older passengers.

Nanny state proponents wonder why so many oppose government intervention claimed to be on behalf of the public. Here’s a good example. Or should we accept the risk of shrapnel from airbags along with other known and unknown hazards?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Transparency and accountability have been a focus in the long battle to defeat liberal control of healthcare in the United States. While the antiseptic qualities apply, described in the phrase, sunshine is the best disinfectant, public demand to review healthcare reform legislation and have input is key. President Obama’s release of his budget proposal for 2011 which begins in October requires the same scrutiny and public focus.

Are you kidding me? A three point eight trillion dollar budget ($3.8 trillion) is not what the doctor ordered. Just as the Democratic party and their agenda is on life support so is the US economy. Given that the vast majority of federal budgets are entitlements and discretionary spending this budget number is preposterous. Like the stark reality being experienced by the unemployed and under-employed the White House and Congress need a wake up call.

The plan includes big increases in personal and business taxes, modest spending cuts and increased outlays for education, defense and jobs initiatives.

First of all, tax increases are nonsense in this economy. Second, modest spending cuts are equally ignorant. As for education, sure, it is important. But the simple fact that everyone will have to suffer includes education. So your college plans are postponed for a year or two. Join the Peace Corps or something. And why do we think education can only be improved by spending money. That hasn’t improved student or teacher performance yet.

Cutting more entitlements would certainly help paying for any defense needs. And who the hell needs a jobs bill now that needs to be paid for over ten years? $80 to $100 billion over ten years for government make work jobs? That’s ridiculous.

And enough with the future timelines for reducing spending, deficits and the national debt. Do it now. Right now, in this budget in this year turn the corner and halt the damage being done by government malfeasance. As an ending note to this post Lamar Alexander put it best in describing current politics in Washington.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), appearing on the same program, praised Mr. Obama for talking about spending and tax cuts, but said his ideas were flawed. “I’ll give the president some credit,” he said. “He’s in the right church but the wrong pew.”

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

BTW, following links to the WSJ articles is worth the trip.  And so is the following link.

Debt deluge: Here comes the $1.6 trillion flood of red ink (Michelle Malkin) 

Turnout could hit as high as 70 percent Tuesday in the high-stakes U.S. Senate battle between Democratic Attorney General Martha Coakley and GOP state Sen. Scott Brown, according to some local election officials.

Absentee ballot requests have increased - on par with levels ordinarily seen in a presidential election - some town clerks say. And town and city halls were buzzing last week with people voting and asking questions about registration in advance of the election to fill the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s seat, said Theodora Eaton, president of the state’s city and town clerk’s association.

Under normal circumstances anticipation of high voter turnout for an election, any election, would be a good thing. It may still be a good thing for the special election in Massachusetts. But in light of the crazy spectacle surrounding last year’s senatorial election in Minnesota between incumbent Norm Coleman and challenger Al Franken an uncertain immediate future for the winner of the election to fill Ted Kennedy’s vacant senate seat may arise.

Since a win by Scott Brown would represent the 41st vote against Obamacare there have been rumors that he would not be seated instantly while the Democrats in Washington continue to force their version of healthcare reform on a wary public. That suggestion was met with another related to political suicide for liberals in the 2010 elections. Seems a risky proposition given all the seats that will be contested given retirements and public discontent.

If Coakley wins it seems reasonable that she would swiftly be seated to advance questionable healthcare reform. But then, that is what was expected in the Minnesota fiasco last year. And there’s always the question of vote early and vote often given ACORN, the new black panthers intimidation scandal and SEIU thug tactics at Tea Parties and elsewhere. Fiction, conjecture or actual fact there will be plenty of debate on every aspect of this relatively historic election that may put Camelot to a long overdue rest.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

What’s the single largest problem with passing healthcare reform in one of its current versions or proposals in Congress? The funding of currently proposed legislation for healthcare reform starts almost immediately if passed. Whether you can keep your current coverage may begin to change in as little as one year. But the reform part, good, bad or ugly does not begin until 2014.

Start paying for reform as soon as any legislation passes but wait for any perceived benefit for four years. The most troubling issue with that condition is Congress can continue to alter the game after initial passage and make ‘reform’ worse than it is right now as the public loses interest over time. If you review most legislation that moves through Congress that is what it does, alters previous legislation.

So your chances for any benefit from what proponents call reform starts with pay for no play and diminishes from there. Opponents of healthcare reform point to higher taxes, higher premiums and less choice on medical care. If they’re right, regardless of your opinion of reform, you stand to lose immediately by paying for what reform covers with no chance to benefit for at least four years. And your chances beyond that period of time are small.

So even if you live in Nebraska or Louisiana where Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) sold their yes votes on healthcare reform for Medicaid deals for their respective states, you lose. And even residents of those two states stand to lose over time regardless of initial perks for selling their votes. Another member of Congress, Rep Joseph Cao (R-LA) from the 2nd district sold his vote for healthcare on the mere promise from President Obama that he would help him with healthcare issues. Well, that’s the public version of what happened.

For something of a reality check on healthcare reform and its politics here is an excerpt and link to Kimberly A. Strassel’s take on the situation.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The Health Lady Has Yet to Sing

JANUARY 14, 2010, 10:35 P.M. ET
By KIMBERLEY A. STRASSEL

Critics of the legislation shouldn’t get their hopes too high. The Democratic leadership is now clinically obsessed with passage. No first-round yes vote has yet jumped ship, and even if some do, Mrs. Pelosi has options. Prior no votes might be convinced that a more “moderate” Senate bill gives them cover to flip. Three no votes, including Tennessee’s John Tanner, are retiring, and may feel liberated. The White House no doubt has a list of plum jobs it can offer people as consolation prizes for voting yes and losing their seats.

The point is rather that there is now officially enough nervousness that anything can happen. Whatever the Tuesday election outcome, Mr. Brown already claims victory for rattling Democratic minds. And should he win, health care becomes even more toxic. This isn’t over yet.

Urge Democratic Leader to Comply with Open Government Act of 2007
Jan 12 2010

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today joined 21 of their Senate Republican colleagues in signing a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., asking him to provide a list of all earmarks and congressional directed spending in the Senate health care bill, as well as in any future version of the health care bill that House and Senate Democrats might push to a vote.

Isakson and Chambliss have repeatedly criticized the lack of transparency throughout the process of drafting the $2.5 trillion health care bill, as well as the backroom deals that Reid made with certain Senate Democrats in order to secure their votes.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Majority Leader Reid,

We write to express our concern over the inclusion of several provisions in the Manager’s Amendment to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Since the nearly 400 page amendment was introduced, we discovered over half a dozen provisions that appear to have been included for the primary purpose of benefitting some states in particular. Though your office has referred to these provisions as “a normal part of the legislative process,” we are concerned that the inclusion of these items without appropriate disclosure may violate The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-81) changed Senate rules to enhance transparency in the legislative process. The relevant change requires any amendment sponsor to publicly disclose each congressionally directed spending item and limited tax benefit included in that amendment. The design of this provision was to ensure that the American people know which lawmakers advocated for specific carve outs and earmarks.

It is clear that the Manager’s Amendment, in addition to the underlying bill, includes specific provisions which benefit some states and not others. We therefore ask you, as the sponsor of the Manager’s Amendment and underlying bill, to provide a list of all earmarks and congressional directed spending as required by The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. We request this information be shared with our offices and posted on the majority’s website within 24 hours.

Finally, we anticipate that in coming weeks you and Speaker Pelosi will introduce a bill combining the House and Senate health bills. Upon the introduction of that bill we request a similar list of provisions, as required by The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007, be shared with our offices and posted on the majority’s website within 24 hours.

The American people deserve a transparent Congressional process. All Americans should know which States and entities will benefit from Congressional negotiations related to the health bills and amendments.

You gotta love the CBO. Okay, you don’t have to but they’re so cool they have been added to this blog’s resource list in the sidebar. Both the CBO and The Director’s Blog have a link. This reaction to the CBO could change at any time as with other links featured here. But certainly the work of the CBO in the current political climate deserves credit.

Both sides of the healthcare debate as well as other issues have frequently referred to the CBO’s analysis to make their case. But just like the one presented on this blog today you need to follow the link to make up your own mind and form an opinion.

The linked excerpts below highlight the business as usual aspects of the current healthcare debate on one aspect of the so-called reform. Proponents of the Democrats’ healthcare reform legislation love to say it will strengthen Medicare. Opponents, including this blog, say it will weaken it.

The title of the Director’s Blog post featured here describes the analysis presented. This particular one was published one day before Democrats in the Senate forced through ‘reform’ late at night on Christmas Eve.

Effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on the Federal Budget and the Balance in the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund

The permanent charade by politicians and program financing such as Medicare is highlighted in the next link.

The HI trust fund, like other federal trust funds, is essentially an accounting mechanism.

The effect of this accounting is explained as follows and again is nothing new.

However, because the government has used the cash from the trust fund surpluses to finance other current activities rather than saving the cash by running unified budget surpluses, the government as a whole has not been truly prefunding Medicare benefits.

Why this is important in the current debate is explained below.

Unified budget accounting shows that the majority of the HI trust fund savings would be used to pay for other spending under the PPACA and would not enhance the ability of the government to redeem the bonds credited to the trust fund to pay for future Medicare benefits.

Clearly, those suggesting current healthcare reform strengthens Medicare are WRONG. With Social Security and Medicare and probably with the remainder of the staggering three fourths of the annual budget which is entitlements, it is all smoke and mirrors. But CBO was polite enough to simply call it an accounting mechanism. After pressure applied by the White House on the CBO it is understandable. That’s another reason CBO is cool.

This is not new or some sort of revelation. If one reviews the experience of government programs, the legislation that causes it as well as modifying it from time to time one fact remains clear. The costs always exceed the forecasts. Certainly at the outset Social Security and Medicare were never predicted to become insolvent. Nor were their proponents suggesting a continuous increase in the taxes needed to keep them from going broke.

The same applies to current healthcare reform. As an example, the CBO often reminds the public about the limitations of its analysis. Projecting outcomes over a ten year analysis has some uncertainty but appears manageable. However, analysis beyond the initial ten year window is all but meaningless. The variables of what may happen over that much time are too difficult to predict. No one can take into account all the events that may happen by then. Including more meddling by politicians that always occurs.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

“Building a robust clean energy sector is how we will create the jobs of the future,” Obama said in prepared remarks. “The Recovery Act awards I am announcing today will help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing our energy security.”

The excerpt above is from ABC News. The expose’ below is from Michelle Malkin.

“Green Jobs” = SEIU/Union Jobs

Via Inside Charm City, Maryland’s Democrat Senators dole out green job funding to an SEIU partnership… 

Via Morgen at Verum Serum, a closer look at the latest round of Big Labor’s green pork grant recipients:

All of this is nothing more than paying off your accomplices, Mr President. Beyond the obvious culture of corruption this represents, adding insult to injury, you’re doing it with taxpayer money.

But somehow you cannot bring yourself to do the right thing.  Give the tax money back to those in the private sector who really create jobs and fuel the economy.  They always have and always will.  Your make work scams and union payoffs will do nothing for the taxpayers whose money you divert to your cronies.

Man up and do the right thing.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

The critical issue these days when discussing political parties should be national security as without effective defense every other debate is moot. The GOP fall from grace preceding two election cycles of defeat merely allowed the continuation of flawed governance. The only difference is party blue rather than party red.

Michael Leiter is a Bush appointee. Obama did not replace him. Leiter is in the news due to the Flight 253 terror plot. There are conflicting reports between at least three sources, the NY Post, the NY Daily News and US News & World Report. The conflict is whether Leiter was on vacation before the event and declined to return or that he left the day after the botched national security that allowed the botched terror plot.

from the NY Post….

The White House acknowledged Thursday that Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, had taken six days annual leave after the Dec. 25 attempted plane bombing but said he remained intimately involved in the U.S.’s response to the thwarted terror attack.

It was reported Thursday that government sources were upset that Leiter had gone on a ski trip following Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s attempt to destroy a Detroit-bound plane.

“People have been grumbling that he didn’t let a little terrorism interrupt his vacation,” one of the sources is reported to have told the newspaper.

from USN&WR…

Terror Chief Michael Leiter Wasn’t Vacationing Through Attack

Only later did he head out of town. “Only after explicit consultations with both the White House and the Director of National Intelligence and considering the current threat environment did Director Leiter take six days of annual leave after the event, which again did not affect in any way his ability to remain engaged with all elements of the United States Government,” he said.

The piece above critcizes the NY Daily News for reporting Leiter was on vacation and declined to return to work after the Flight 253 incident on Dec 25th. But Alex Kingbury at USN&WR misses the point.

The stumbling US national security ‘team’ seriously botched this one. Liberals in Congress criticize conservatives for holding up a critical confirmation of Obama’s nominee to head TSA. Napolitano’s no help. So having the head of another national security ‘resource’ take to the slopes AFTER a security breach is equally disturbing. Not like they fixed what’s wrong before he left.

At the very least this supports Senator Jim DeMint’s ‘holding up’ the confirmation of Erroll Southers as the head of the Transportation Security Administration. These national security vacancies require very special people to lead the effort. One could say there are vacancies in leadership roles that are filled not to mention other positions throughout government.

Nearly a decade after 9/11 everyone should be able to expect better than this from US national security. Among other things Bush bashers love to draw comparisons. Any criticism expressed toward the current administration is met with rebuttals concerning the Bush years. The point those arguments fail to recognize is 9/11 publicly exposed national security vulnerabilities and placed the topic front and center. Much was corrected by the Bush adminisstration and not without excessive opposition from the left. Now that the left is once again in the majority in Washington they are not allowed a pass to make earlier mistakes over again.

US national security failures started with Clinton and ended with Bush. Let’s not have a do over.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Barry from DC’s homeland security princess, Janet Napolitano, first stated the US national security system worked in referring to an attempt to detonate explosives on board a US airliner landing in Detroit on Christmas. Today she is stumbling over herself to produce damage control for her previous appraisal. No doubt this is taking place at the ‘urging’ of others in the Obamanation.

But let’s not focus only on the Obama Administration’s reaction to a failed terrorist attack. Failed only because the terrorist fortunately botched the assignment. Members of the US Congress are equally disappointing in their response to the event.

from the House Committee on Homeland Security…..

The reported act of terrorism – whether directly related to al Qaeda or not – and the response to it will be the focus of an oversight hearing next month. The Committee will get to the bottom of what did and did not happen with Mr. Abdulmutallab and what security precautions need to take place in the future.”

from the Senate Committee on Homeland Security….

WASHINGTON - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins, R-Me., announced Monday that they would convene a hearing in January to examine the layers of security meant to protect airline passengers from terrorist attacks but which accused terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab successfully evaded.

Hearings scheduled for January!!! So this is how are fine leaders respond to dropping the ball on national security. Not to worry folks, your elected and appointed leaders are on the job. They’re not concerned enough to interrupt their Christmas and New Year’s plans to deal with security breaches so you should not worry either. Just continue as before….. clueless.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Open thread: Obama’s statement on the Christmas Day jihadi attack; Perfunctory, hasty, and bloodless (Michelle Malkin)

Another event to once again raise the discussion on national security. Not like the status of US national security is ever erased from the American consciousness but one has to wonder if that includes the Obama Administration? The President has been criticized for not being more visible on this and other issues since heading to Hawaii on vacation. His security princess, Napolitano, stated after the Flight 253 incident, the first of two, that ‘the system’ was working properly. That someone was able to board a commercial aircraft and attempt to detonate explosives on final approach contradicts Napolitano’s conclusion. Unless only doing something after the fact is her idea of national security. And even then, simply notifying other commercial aircraft of the conditions on Flight 253 is of little value.

For those who missed it a Delta or Northwest (owned by Delta) flight, number 253, had a Nigerian passenger who attempted to detonate explosives on board as summarized above. A strange coincidence, or not, involved the same flight number on a subsequent flight in which another passenger was either detained and/or arrested for causing a disturbance. One troubling set of circumstances finds reports about the first incident suggesting the description of the ‘perp’ as a terrorist was premature and early reports about the second incident being characterized as a second terrorist attack. How’s that for a spot on press response?

Here’s a more recent account of the second incident.

A U.S. law enforcement official says an unruly passenger was detained Sunday when a Northwest Airlines flight landed in Detroit, Michigan, but he was later declared as not a security threat.

The plane was on the same route and carried the same flight number as one on Friday, when a Nigerian man allegedly tried to blow up Northwest Flight 253 just before landing.

In the latest incident, security personnel arrested a passenger upon landing Sunday because he was verbally abusive to the flight crew and had locked himself in the airplane bathroom for a long time.

The pilot radioed for emergency help. Passengers were evacuated and dogs sniffed the luggage which was spread out on the tarmac.

A law enforcement official tells news agencies that the passenger turned out to be a businessman who got sick during the flight .

And another recent update provides an excerpt on the initial incident.

Passengers have told investigators the man went into the bathroom for 20 minutes before landing, and then when he went to sit down, said he had stomach problems, and pulled a blanket on himself.

Just as the plane was getting ready to land, they heard a pop, smelled smoke and then saw the man on fire.

A Dutch passenger jumped on the Nigerian to subdue him, and blankets were used to put out the fire.

Does this brief review adequately establish Napolitano’s press statements are absurd? Certainly everyone is entitle to their opinion but you can guess that most Americans expect a different outcome in order to state the ’system worked’ when discussing US national security.

On the topic of President Obama’s silence on the matter in recent reports this blog’s reaction. It is reminiscent of an old expression about incompetence that begins with ‘better to be viewed as an idiot than….’. You probably know the rest.

Some related items are provided below on the explosive (PETN) reportedly used in the first incident.

a highly explosive organic compound belonging to the same chemical family as nitroglycerin—i.e., the nitric acid esters of polyalcohols.

PETN was introduced as an explosive after World War I. It is used by itself in detonators and detonating fuses (Primacord) and in a mixture, called pentolite, with an equal amount of trinitrotoluene (TNT) in grenades and projectiles.

PETN is a colourless, crystalline material that is generally stored and shipped as a mixture with water. It is less sensitive than nitroglycerin but is easily detonated. Valued for its shattering force and efficiency, PETN is the least stable of the common military explosives but retains its properties in storage for longer periods than nitroglycerin or cellulose nitrate (nitrocellulose) does. PETN is also used in medicine as a heart stimulant.

Yup, good old-fashioned human technology about a century old.

OSHA does not have a PEL for pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), which is used both as a drug for preventing angina pectoris and as an explosive.

If you really need to know what a PEL is the following link explains along with many other items typcially covered on a MSDS or Material Safety Data Sheet. And one last related OSHA link.

OSHA has data on PETN. Now if only DHS had detection methods for this well-known explosive and implemented them to avoid a Flight 253 problem.

As a final note for this post a political point is in order. Bush bashers frequently express 9/11 happened on the Bush 43 watch so it was his fault. This blog has stated in the past that there is plenty of blame to go around regarding US national security. A couple of things to keep in mind. 9/11 was not conceived, planned or otherwise arranged by terrorists in less than eight months which is the time George W Bush was in office prior to the attack. Before that President Clinton completed two terms in office and posts here as well as information freely available elsewhere indicate some dropping of the ball as regards terrorism and Osama bin Laden, etc.

When Bush 43 took office and after 9/11 occurred it became his war on terror and he owned the problem. An unfortunate downside to pursuing public office. Post 9/11 the Bush Administration was successful on matters of national security for two terms. The same ownership transfer now applies to President Obama. Given the Flight 253 episode(s), Napolitano’s statement, Obama’s silence, the previous and now infamous warning by VPOTUS Joe Biden the national security situation is once more front and center.

Nothing about current US national security policy inspires confidence.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Another slight departure for typical posting on this blog courtesy of a story one simply cannot ignore. There are serious and dangerous implications in this bit of news. And there is the entertainment value from the fact that the scenario is so stupid as to be categorized under stranger than fiction. In other words, you cannot make this stuff up. Well, certainly you could. But would it be believable? Would it provide the suspension of disbelief most fiction writing requires? The sad truth is conditions on this planet have deminished to a point where this kind of story is all to common.

The man who oversees Texas’ criminal justice system called Wednesday for a shake-up as authorities searched for a prisoner in a wheelchair who escaped on foot Monday from two armed guards as he was being transferred between prisons.

That’s right! An inmate escaped on foot from a wheelchair. The report suggests this may have been a hoax conjured by the inmate relating to the claim he had a stroke and needed the wheelchair for mobility. Oh yes, mobile he is.

Now for the serious part. The 6-foot, 200-pound Comeaux was serving a life sentence for aggravated sexual assault and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Now for the strange part. This is what his Mom had to say. “I’m trying to find out what the heck happened,” she said from her home in Houston. “How did my son come in contact with a gun inside the prison? I know he didn’t leave and go shopping. I’m looking at a corrupt system here.”

And there’s more.“His record is bad, and I admit that. I’m not hiding that.”

She said she hopes he returns to his parents’ house “so that I can talk to him, give him a good meal, a good bath, and send him back where he come from.”

She is also concerned that this may be a state conspiracy to set up her son for execution during the ensuing manhunt.

Wow, we actually have more problems to solve than those they are creating in Washington. Who’d a thunk it?

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

“I do realize that those types of things shouldn’t happen,” Adams said in that statement. “I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL.

That may be. But the goofy NFL makes little sense in handing down this fine. $250,000 from an owner for flippin’ the bird. At least two players have been fined for the same ‘offense.’ One at $7,500 and one at $10,000.

The NFL fined former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo $1 million after he pleaded guilty to a felony and suspended him for the 1999 season.

Since then, the biggest fine handed down by the NFL to an individual was $500,000 to New England coach Bill Belichick for the Spygate scandal. The league also fined the New York Jets and former coach Eric Mangini $125,000 in September for violating its rules on injury reporting with Brett Favre last season.

NFL logic apparently dictates one million for a felony, half a million for elaborate cheating, a quarter mil for flippin’ someone off and half that for breaking reporting rules.

This strategy does not seem to be working given all the ‘infractions.’ But then it’s just about the money. Nevermind the ‘bird’ infraction should not equal half of that for cheating or a quarter of what a felony raises for the league.

How much should the league be penalized for extorting the public for stadiums, overcharging for tickets and limiting viewing as they move to pay per view everything? And the college ranks are following suit. Unless you do it their way, you can watch any team but your own on traditional network broadcasts.

None of your tax dollars go to the schools featuring the college football teams, right?

The trends in sports programming combined with the feeble offerings in television overall allow one to drastically reduce if not eliminate old viewing habits. Eventually, only true couch potatoes who would watch anything as long as food and drink are available will be the revenue for the industry. But they probably know that already. Which is why they offer what they do…. too little for too much.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

One of Senator Harry Reids’ recent press releases was whining about the GOP holding up confirmation of Obama nominees. It was stated that this is hurting the country by not allowing the administration to get on with their agenda. The Democratic party may have nothing to offer but they have excuses. How about the long list of Obama nominees who bowed out after being exposed as, most commonly, tax evaders. Yet they still managed to get Tax Cheat Tim Geithner confirmed as Secretary of the Treasury. A department that has been plagued by incompetence in this and the previous administration. So what else is going on with Obama staffers?

Well, for all practical purposes Anita’s Dunn. It’s great when a person’s name fits the story like that. A low-profile aide to President Obama will soon be managing the public face of his Administration. Dan Pfeiffer was named the next White House communications director on Nov. 10, following the announcement that current communications chief Anita Dunn will step down by the end of the year.

Other reports on Dunn’s exit come in two flavors. The right claims she is being thrown under the bus for the Fox News fiasco and generally not performing to the Messiah’s satisfaction. The left echoes the White House claim she only planned on staying a matter of months due to family considerations. You would think those looking for a public statement to explain getting fired could come up with a new one. The family considerations angle is really cliche as well as not believable.

(CNSNews.com) – The acting inspector general of AmeriCorps said he shredded White House documents at the request of an agency press spokeswoman that pertained to the controversial firing of the previous inspector general, who was ousted after investigating a political ally of President Obama.

That’s a pretty good story. Considering the former IG was fired for spanking those involved in the misuse of Americorps funds. Apparently President Obama was not fond of that transparency and accountability.

White House Counsel Greg Craig is expected to announce as early as Friday that he plans to step down from his post following a rocky tenure, people familiar with the matter said.

Craig, the top lawyer at the White House and a close aide to President Barack Obama, has helped lead the administration’s efforts on several national-security policies that initially enjoyed popular support but have since become liabilities for Obama.

So to Senator Reid’s accusation the GOP is hurting America by holding up Obama nominations one could answer this way. Hey Harry, if the GOP is in fact holding up your nominees they may be doin’ y’all a favor. The ones that make it past getting nominated are not doing so well. Those who bowed out under scrutiny before the process indicate poor choices as well. And this post only reviews a tiny fraction of the failures. So just to improve the coverage let’s just mention one more, Van Jones.

Add Congress to the White House record of incompetence and a power grab agenda that includes healthcare and other parts of the private sector and you have the liberal recipe for disaster. Too bad it’s the only recipe they know. With any luck at all we can make it to the 2010 elections, clean house and repair the damage done.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com

Reports supported by the White House hailing the success of billions in porkulus spending to create or save jobs underscore the liberal need to preempt news their agenda is failing. Other reports tell a different story about stimulus money and jobs.

from the LA Times….
…some federal agencies and recipients of the money provided incorrect job counts. The review found some counts were more than 10 times as high as the actual number of jobs; some jobs were credited to stimulus spending when, in fact, none were produced.

from the AP….
Elsewhere in the U.S., some jobs credited to the stimulus program were counted two, three, four or even more times.

and it gets better…..
Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The White House is pushing back hard against an Associated Press story released late Tuesday saying jobs credited to the Obama administration’s $787 billion recovery package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), were counted more than once in the first audit of the program.

If you review economic data and analysis over the course of this year an abundance of conflicting assessments will be found. From revised estimates and forecasts to suspect reasons given for outcomes suggested any conclusion drawn can be matched with an alternate conclusion that is entirely different. This latest fiasco from the White House demonstrates the widespread disinformation strategy that is collapsing in Washington.

So, what else are they lying about? Stay tuned.

Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com