Factcheck.org — a nonpartisan, nonprofit group, which “aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics” — touches on just some of the many whoppers in Barack Obama’s speech to Congress last week. My favorite line is: “Obama continued his recent habit of asserting projections as fact” — a tool that was on full display during the recent stimulus fear orgy.
Some more:
He said “we import more oil today than ever before.” That’s untrue. Imports peaked in 2005 and are substantially lower today.
He claimed his mortgage aid plan would help “responsible” buyers but not those who borrowed beyond their means. But even prominent defenders of the program including Fed Chairman Bernanke and FDIC chief Bair concede foolish borrowers will be aided, too.
He said the high cost of health care “causes a bankruptcy in America every 30 seconds.” That’s at least double the true figure.
He flubbed two facts about American history. The U.S. did not invent the automobile, and the transcontinental railroad was not completed until years after the Civil War, not during it.
He claimed that his stimulus plan “prevented the layoffs” of 57 police officers in Minneapolis. In fact, it’s far more complicated than that, and other factors are also helping to save police jobs.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wait, someone is actually fact checking Obama?
Raw Federal Election Commission donation data
Link
Barack's Trillion Dollar Hat Trick
2- $1 Trillion in new tax hikes
3- $1 Trillion Deficit
Hyperinflation in Zimbabwe-50k notes used to pan for gold
With an extraordinary video smuggled out by anti-Mugabe activist.Link
The opposition activist has produced extraordinary footage of what Zimbabweans have to do in order to survive in a wrecked economy. As money is worthless – Zimbabwe is plagued by the world's highest inflation rate – the villagers are reduced to panning for gold in rivers. Instead of attending school, youngsters from the village scrabble knee-deep in muddy water or dig ever deeper holes in a desperate search for a few grains of gold.
These small supplies of the precious metal have thus become a crucial commodity Zimbabweans can trade for food; a loaf of bread is worth 0.1 grams. But only the young have the strength to dig and pan for gold; the village elders must go hungry, unless they have friends or relatives they can rely on. Some parents have been forced to feed rats to their children, and hunger has turned family members against each other.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Taxpayers backs are breaking...hear the snap and
see the graph. It now costs more to insure Treas Bonds than some AAA corporate bonds.And Barack Obama wants to lay $1 trillion more each year on the backs of taxpayers. There is a limit, even a limit to the creditworthiness of American Taxpayers.
Link
In other news, the cost of buying a five-year credit default swap (CDS) to insure against the possible default of U.S. Treasury bonds reached 100 basis points for the first time yesterday. In English, the price of insuring $10,000,000 worth of Treasury bonds for five years now costs $100,000 –up from just $5,000 one year ago.
Your editors do not exactly know what the 20-fold jump in CDS prices means, but we are pretty sure we know what it does NOT mean. It does NOT mean that the U.S. government is becoming MORE credit-worthy.
As the nearby chart indicates, the price of insuring Treasury debt against default now costs more than the price of insuring the debt of almost any AA or A+ rated company in the country. In other words, the Treasury is not quite as AAA as it should be, according to the buyers of credit default swaps.
MTSU students get a head start on real world
Matthew has the story.
19 Georgia Lawmakers delinquent on their taxes
The report on the alleged tax dodgers, with names and Social Security numbers redacted, has been forwarded to Republican and Democratic leaders of the state House of Representatives and Senate.
“Leaders of both parties have made it clear this will not be tolerated,” state Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs), chairman of the House Ethics Committee, said in an interview late Thursday night.
Wilkinson said House and Senate leaders are now discussing what should happen to the 16 House members and 3 senators in wake of the disclosure.
Wilkinson said he requested the report from the Department of Revenue after another House member was found delinquent on his tax returns.
There apparently is no provision in state law to keep the Legislature from seating members who are behind on their taxes, Wilkinson said. But he said both chambers do have the right to expel members who fail to hand over taxes to the government.
“Both the House and the Senate will clarify this issue in coming weeks,” he said.
Louisiana Bank says bye-bye to TARP
Link HT: Nashville Post Bidness
We believe recent actions, interpretations, and commentary regarding various aspects of the program places our Company at an unacceptable competitive disadvantage. Our Board of Directors has determined that continued participation in this program is no longer in the best interest of our Company and its shareholders." Byrd continued, "Our Company occupies a unique position of strength, growth, and opportunity relative to other participants in the financial services industry. We are pleased to be able to redeem the Treasury's investment in our Company."
Thursday, February 26, 2009
$1 Trillion in Tax Hikes in Obama's Budget
Link
President Obama's budget proposes $989 billion in new taxes over the course of the next 10 years, starting fiscal year 2011, most of which are tax increases on individuals.
1) On people making more than $250,000.
$338 billion - Bush tax cuts expire
$179 billlion - eliminate itemized deduction
$118 billion - capital gains tax hikeTotal: $636 billion/10 years
2) Businesses:
$17 billion - Reinstate Superfund taxes
$24 billion - tax carried-interest as income
$5 billion - codify "economic substance doctrine"
$61 billion - repeal LIFO
$210 billion - international enforcement, reform deferral, other tax reform
$4 billion - information reporting for rental payments
$5.3 billion - excise tax on Gulf of Mexico oil and gas
$3.4 billion - repeal expensing of tangible drilling costs
$62 million - repeal deduction for tertiary injectants
$49 million - repeal passive loss exception for working interests in oil and natural gas properties
$13 billion - repeal manufacturing tax deduction for oil and natural gas companies
$1 billion - increase to 7 years geological and geophysical amortization period for independent producers
$882 million - eliminate advanced earned income tax creditTotal: $353 billion/10 years
Springfield, TN Bond Protest Petition
Click HERE (PDF) to Display and Print the Petition.
The Springfield Board of Mayor and Aldermen just decided to put $3 million of NEW DEBT on the backs of Springfield taxpayers. The City does NOT need to be borrowing more money when the economy is in shambles. Under TN Law the citizens of Springfield can force a vote on this new debt but time is short.
If you are a registered voter in Springfield, TN PLEASE Sign and have friends and family sign and return to the address on the petition. If you need more information call Mike Hollingsworth at 533-5458. All petitions must be submitted within 20 days so it is VERY important to act quickly. Please print additional copies and hand them out at church, at your work and around the neighborhood. Thank YOU.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Federal Govt spending is consuming the economy
Federal Government spending will soon represent almost 1/3 of GDP. With State and local spending, it will approach 45%.Link
3rd Alabama Legislator Convicted
The conviction likely sent shock waves through the Alabama legislature and the upper echelons of the AEA (Teacher union). Schmitz was convicted of fraud in connection with a phony job where she did little work. Basically the AEA and powerful legislators set her up there so that she could draw taxpayer dollars with no work product in return. She wasn’t the only legislator with such a cushy arrangement and judegment day may be on the horizon for more.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Either he is delusional or he thinks we are.
Nashville TeaParty: Fri Noon at Legislative Plaza
Contact: Judson Phillips
| Host: | |
| Type: | |
| Network: | Global |
| Date: | Friday, February 27, 2009 |
| Time: | 12:00pm - 1:00pm |
| Location: | Legislative Plaza |
| City/Town: | Nashville, TN |
Ominibus Appropriations Bill
Link
H.R. 1105
FY 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act
Table of Contents
- Introductory Matter
Bill | Statement - Division A - Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division B - Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division C - Energy and Water Development
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division D - Financial Services and General Government
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division E - Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division F - Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division G - Legislative Branch
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division H - State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs
Summary | Bill | Statement - Division I - Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies
Summary | Bill | Statement | Certification Letters - Division J - Further Provisions Relating to the Department of Homeland Security and Other Matters
Bill | Statement
Top Income TN Zipcodes per IRS Income Stats
| Zip Code | Number of Returns | Average Income | Federal Tax | Effective Tax Rate |
| Memphis, TN 38197 | 21 | $312,000 | $31,600 | 10.0% |
| Lookout Mtn, TN 37350 | 1,006 | $230,110 | $53,110 | 20.0% |
| Memphis, TN 38187 | 265 | $225,250 | $60,090 | 21.0% |
| Nashville, TN 37215 | 11,560 | $201,740 | $49,590 | 22.0% |
| Memphis, TN 38120 | 7,260 | $200,270 | $51,590 | 22.0% |
| Cookeville, TN 38503 | 626 | $188,400 | $55,020 | 25.0% |
| Germantown, TN 38139 | 7,547 | $183,250 | $45,510 | 21.0% |
| Nashville, TN 37205 | 12,491 | $182,540 | $49,030 | 23.0% |
| Chattanooga, TN 37402 | 1,183 | $161,610 | $60,950 | 19.0% |
| Chattanooga, TN 37450 | 13 | $153,540 | $25,600 | 13.0% |
| Brentwood, TN 37027 | 22,624 | $147,390 | $35,750 | 21.0% |
| Franklin, TN 37069 | 8,301 | $139,870 | $33,980 | 20.0% |
| Brentwood, TN 37024 | 475 | $138,070 | $35,010 | 22.0% |
| Chattanooga, TN 37401 | 280 | $132,200 | $25,410 | 14.0% |
| Nashville, TN 37220 | 3,270 | $132,030 | $30,650 | 20.0% |
| Nashville, TN 37203 | 4,885 | $125,930 | $45,500 | 25.0% |
| Memphis, TN 38130 | 296 | $124,690 | $21,370 | 13.0% |
| Memphis, TN 38177 | 158 | $124,490 | $25,810 | 17.0% |
| Franklin, TN 37068 | 471 | $123,320 | $30,050 | 20.0% |
| Germantown, TN 38183 | 455 | $119,770 | $27,560 | 19.0% |
Monday, February 23, 2009
AP: Obama's deficit goals depend on "improbable"
Link
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's ambitious goal of cutting the federal deficit in half relies on a perfect - some might say improbable - convergence of factors: a recovered economy, a tax boost for the rich and success in easing foreign entanglements.
In calling for a deficit of about $530 billion in four years, Obama has established a marker by which to measure his first-term performance as president. The dollar figure could be his albatross or his badge of success.
"This will not be easy," Obama said Monday as he kicked off a fiscal summit at the White House. "It will require us to make difficult decisions and face challenges we've long neglected."
For Obama, the challenge is clear: He will have to increase spending on health care and energy if he wants to accomplish the policy overhaul he promised during his campaign, yet he also needs to cut spending elsewhere and increase revenue to meet his deficit goal.
Many agencies have already missed the deadline
Link
Agencies have had mixed success at meeting one of the first deadlines related to the massive economic stimulus package: the goal of selecting by Feb. 13 a high-level official to oversee spending.
A number of agencies contacted by Government Executive have placed someone in charge of economic recovery act activities, as requested by White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag in a Feb. 9 memorandum. But at least several others missed the Feb. 13 deadline.
The Homeland Security Department, which will receive nearly $2 billion to install explosives detection and checkpoint screening systems in airports, construct and improve border security, and improve Coast Guard infrastructure has yet to name its stimulus point person. A department spokeswoman said an announcement could come soon.
The General Services Administration, which will get more than $5.5 billion to make federal buildings and government vehicles more energy efficient and to expand border security, still is working on designating an official, a spokesman said.
And the Agriculture Department, which will receive more than $1 billion for Forest Service projects, modernization of the Farm Service Agency's computer systems, and headquarters repairs and security enhancements, is not yet prepared to make an announcement, a spokesman said.
Some agencies are waiting for President Obama to appoint high-level deputies who fit the criteria for the position.
The Stimulus Bill will create bureaucratic bloat
Link
The Stimulus Bill contains an enormous number of reporting requirements. For example, Stimulus dollars have to be accounted separately, and agencies must separately report on who gets the dollars, including subcontractors or sub-grantees, and how many jobs are created.
Programs, agencies, OMB, and the new, $84 million Recovery Act Accountability and Transparency Board (see p. 175 of the bill) are all required to report on the progress of spending, often on different timetables. In fact, according to new OMB guidance, there are eight levels of reporting that are now required, with the first report from agencies due March 3.
There is a risk of creating, at least on paper, a parallel government – the regular government and the Stimulus government — programs (and dollars) being funded via Stimulus dollars. The Stimulus spending ($787 billion) is almost the size of a “regular” annual budget (about $990 billion in discretionary spending in 2009, once you back out interest on the debt and entitlement programs).
9,000 earmarks in soon to be debated Omnibus bill
Link HT: Andy at Club for Growth
During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidates Barack Obama and John McCain fought vigorously over who would be toughest on congressional earmarks.
"We need earmark reform," Obama said in September during a presidential debate in Oxford, Miss. "And when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."
President Obama should prepare to carve out a lot of free time and keep the coffee hot next week as Congress prepares to unveil a $410 billion omnibus spending bill that's riddled with thousands of earmarks, despite his calls for restraint and efforts on Capitol Hill to curtail the practice.
The bill will contain about 9,000 earmarks totaling $5 billion, congressional officials say. Many of the earmarks - loosely defined as local projects inserted by members of Congress - were inserted last year as the spending bills worked their way through various committees.
So while Obama and McCain were slamming earmarks on the campaign trail, House and Senate members - Democrats and Republicans - were slapping them into spending bills.
"It will be a little embarrassing for the president if he signs a bill with that many earmarks on it," said Stan Collender, a veteran Washington budget analyst. "He'll say they're left over from the Bush years, and he as to say that next year the bill will be clean."
UK Trashguys to build "rubbish profile" of households
And tax you accordingly.Link
Waste collection crews are being issued with devices featuring GPS technology that allow councils to store a history of information about individual rubbish collections, including whether householders are failing to recycle properly.
The system feeds binmen with up-to-the minute information about houses they are visiting.
It also provides local authorities with enough information to issue recycling advice or automated fines to residents who fail to obey bin rules.
Opposition MPs and campaigners say the technology will make it easy for the government to resurrect plans for the introduction of a £50 pay-as-you-throw tax on millions of families.
Recycling charges are part of the Government's waste strategy to encourage households to recycle at least 40 per cent of their rubbish by 2010, rising to 50 per cent by 2020.
TN Higher Ed, awash in taxpayer money,
When the National Park service is threatened with budget cuts, they nearly always respond by threatening to close the most visible and important attraction, the Washington Monument. Thus the name "Washington Monument" ploy.
Now TN higher Ed is taking a page from that book by threatening to stop printing the student newspaper at MTSU.
This shamelessly greedy ploy by a TN higher ed bureaucracy that acts more like a bank robber than an educational institution is absolutely unforgivable.
More Development News on Bigdog military Robot
LinkBoston Dynamics’ quadrupedal BigDog robot set a new legged autonomous distance record last year by traveling 12.8 miles without any human intervention. Following a series of GPS waypoints, BigDog walked a 2.5 miles per hour, autonomously avoiding obstacles and dealing with varied terrain until its fuel ran out.
This is pretty impressive, but not good enough for DARPA, who wants a legged robot with a range of 20 miles and a 400 pound payload for its new Legged Squad Support System program. Based on the progression of the BigDog system, though, I have no doubt that this will be achievable in the near future.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Ca Repubs deny party funding to 6 tax hikers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Republican Party has approved a measure reprimanding six GOP lawmakers who voted for the largest tax increase in state history.
The measure to deny the six party funding for the 2010 election was approved Sunday by delegates during the party's convention in Sacramento.
Three lawmakers each from the Senate and Assembly broke ranks last week to give Democrats and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger the necessary votes for passing a compromise budget solution to the state's $42 billion shortfall.
Supporters say Sunday's resolution sends a strong message to politicians that there will be consequences for breaking their no-tax pledge.
Dem Congress in 1993 vs 2009
LinkYet the surface equality masks a major difference between the two Democratic Congresses. The conservative Southern wing of the party was much stronger then than it is now, giving Obama the chance to govern these days with a Democratic majority in Congress that is really a functioning majority.
The regional shift of strength within Democratic congressional ranks over the last decade and a half has been significant. In January 1993, Southern Democrats comprised nearly one third of the party's number in the House and more than one quarter in the Senate. Nowadays, the Southern component of the Democratic majority is less than one quarter in the House and barely 10 percent in the Senate. The Democrats have made up for their Southern losses by gaining congressional seats in the party's more liberal beachheads on the two coasts.
That geographical change has had significant ideological implications. When the conference report on Clinton's budget bill passed the House in the summer of 1993 by the razor-thin vote of 218 to 216, there were 41 Democratic defectors--a majority of which (23) were from the South.
When Obama's economic stimulus bill first passed the House late last month, the vote was a clear cut 244 to 188. The number of Democratic defectors totaled only 11, six from the South. And when the conference report on the stimulus passed late last week, the total number of Democratic defectors was down to seven.
Gone is the talk of a "conservative coalition" of Republicans and Southern Democrats capable of controlling Congress--terminology that was in vogue for much of the second half of the 20th century.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The thieves in Congress give us a "tax cut"
2- He runs up a debt of $10,000, spends $9,900 and then gives you $100 and calls it a "tax cut."
3- And beams with pride for helping you, and asks to be re-elected so he can do it again.
Jackson Lawmakers say NO to tax increase
Three area state lawmakers made it clear Friday they would not support tax increases this session, despite a possible $1 billion revenue shortfall.
[...]
When asked if lawmakers would support new taxes, including the possibility of raising the state's gasoline tax by 1 to 3 cents, all three said no.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Former American Idol in Tax Trouble
LinkWhat Ruben owes:
- The IRS filed a $60,469 lien against Studdard on Feb. 4 for unpaid income taxes, according to the Shelby County (Ala.) Recorder's office. According to the lien, which you can see here, he owes the money from 2007.
- The state of Alabama filed a $2,149 lien against Studdard on July 25, 2008, according to the Jefferson County Recorder's office.
- The state of Alabama filed a $19,581 lien against Studdard on July 25, 2008 in Jefferson County.
- The IRS filed a $171,920 lien against Studdard on May 16, 2008, in Jefferson County.
Harvard Prof: stimulus a "terrible piece of legislation."
Are TN Legislators Commited to Open Records?
Link
NASHVILLE - More than half of the members of the Tennessee General Assembly failed to comply with a recent open records request, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.
In an open records request sent to all 132 state lawmakers on January 26, legislators were asked to allow for the review of a screen shot of their legislative email address' "inbox" and "sent items" folders. Only 60 of the 132 state lawmakers complied with the open records request.
"It's an insult to the residents of this state that the lawmakers who work for us ignore the laws that keep government accountable and transparent," said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson. "It certainly makes me wonder what these lawmakers have to hide."
TN Taxpayers to borrow $262 mil for corp welfare?
Link
Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, a Finance Committee member in whose district the Volkswagen plant is going, said Wednesday he and other Republicans want to see if federal stimulus funds might be used to cover all or part of the state’s commitments instead of issuing bonds.
The senator, who has not signed on as a sponsor of the bond bill, said issuing bonds would be a departure from recent state policy. But he emphasized he and other Republicans fully intend to honor state obligations to Volkswagen and Hemlock.
“We are committed and I believe everyone on the Finance Committee is committed that all of this is going to be taken care of,” he said. “This is a question of the methodology, how do we go about fulfilling that commitment?”
Noting the state is spending large sums for VW, which is building a $1 billion facility, and for Hemlock, which plans a $1.2 billion plant, Rep. Fitzhugh said other areas of the state could use the stimulus funds.
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, a bill co-sponsor, called the state obligations “critical” to Chattanooga and said, “I will be fighting for any mechanism that brings jobs to the Chattanooga area.”
Another health theory debunked? Anti-oxidants bunk?
And now researchers at McGill University, in a study published in the February issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, are calling the entire oxidative stress theory into question. Their results show that some organisms actually live longer when their ability to clean themselves of this toxic molecule buildup is partially disabled. Collectively, these molecules are known as reactive oxygen species, or ROS for short.
Dr. Siegfried Hekimi of McGill's Department of Biology, said most of the evidence for the oxidative stress theory is circumstantial, meaning oxidative stress could just as easily be a result of aging as its cause.
"The problem with the theory is that it's been based purely on correlative data, on the weight of evidence," explained Hekimi, McGill's Strathcona Chair of Zoology and Robert Archibald & Catherine Louise Campbell Chair in Developmental Biology. "It is true that the more an organism appears aged, whether in terms of disease, or appearance or anything you care to measure, the more it seems to be suffering from oxidative stress".
Mass may go for record GAS TAX: 50.5 cents/gal
The Associated Press, quoting a draft of the plan last week, said the Patrick was considering streamlining operations into Highway, Rail and Transit, Aviation and Ports, and Registry of Motor Vehicles divisions. The AP also reported Patrick was considering a 27-cent gas tax increase, which would leave Massachusetts with the nation's highest rate at 50.5 cents per gallon.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
CQ Report: Zach Wamp got earmark for Murtha
Link
This chart lists members of the House who secured earmarks for clients of The PMA Group in the fiscal 2008 defense appropriations law, which was enacted in 2007. It shows the value of earmarks for projects requested only by that one lawmaker, those requested jointly with another lawmaker, and whether The PMA Group's political action committee or its employees gave that House member campaign money between 2001 and 2008. Full Story
Gathering Signatures yesterday in Giles County, TN
The Giles Home Rule Group continues gathering signatures in the Giles County Courthouse. They are petitioning the County Commission to hold a Charter Commission election so a new Home Rule Charter can be created for Giles County.Had a great visit yesterday with Shirley, Bill, David, Roger and Allen at the Courthouse. Congrats to all involved in this effort.
Visit their website HERE.
Like most well intentioned disasters, NCLB
It identified the obvious problems that everyone acknowledges but it leaves in place all the players that caused the decline in public education in the first place and it avoids the obvious solution. It simply overlaid all the problems with another layer of money and bureaucracy.
A new study shows the "standards" imposed by NCLB are illusory at best.
The obvious solution is putting more power in the hands of parents.
Link
Analysts took 36 real schools (18 elementary, 18 middle) and “moved” them from state to state (28 states in all) to see how many would make “adequate yearly progress” under each state’s NCLB rules. The alarming results? In some states, nearly all of the elementary schools would make AYP while in others practically none of them would. These are the exact same schools. This tells us that the present system isn’t working. A school’s AYP status depends at least as much on what state it’s in as on the performance of its students.
Murtha Earmark Scandal: 1/4 of House Members
PMA’s founder, Paul Magliocchetti, is a former House Appropriations Committee aide who has a long-running relationship with Murtha, D-Pa., the chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
Murtha, who used to boast that his middle initial stands for “power,” carved out $38.1 million for PMA clients in the fiscal 2008 defense spending law, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense.
Indiana Rep. Peter J. Visclosky , who serves on Murtha’s subcommittee and additionally is chairman of the subcommittee that allocates money for the Pentagon’s nuclear programs, earmarked $23.8 million for PMA clients in the fiscal 2008 defense spending bill.
His former chief of staff, Richard Kaelin, lobbies for PMA, as does Melissa Koloszar, a former top aide to defense appropriator James P. Moran , D-Va.
Moran sponsored $10.8 million for PMA clients, and Rep. Norm Dicks , D-Wash., another member of the subcommittee, sponsored $12.1 million.
NYTimes: ACORN rolling out civil disobedience
Link
The community organizing group Acorn unveiled the campaign with a spirited rally on Friday at a Brooklyn church and will roll it out in at least 22 other cities in the coming weeks. Through phone trees, Web pages and text-messaging networks, the effort will connect families facing eviction with volunteers who will stand at their side as officers arrive, even if it means risking arrest.
“You want to haul us out to jail? Fine. Let the world see how government has been ineffective,” Bertha Lewis, Acorn’s chief organizer, said in an interview. “Politicians have helped banks, but they haven’t helped families in the way that it’s needed, and these families are now saying, enough is enough.”
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
3 guys who sent their children to Private schools
How many "major education reform" initiatives have we had over the last 20 years. Hundreds. And how many have been proposed by people who sent their children to private schools. Probably as many.
THIS IS CRAZY!!! We don't need any more studies, we already KNOW HOW TO EDUCATE children.
Bill Frist and Phil Bredesn and Karl Dean ALL refused to send their children to public schools and yet they self-righteously and condescendingly ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to offer Tennessee parents the same choices they DEMANDED for their own children.
Waste our time with another STUDY??? This is INSANITY!!!
Link
Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced today that he will chair a new nonpartisan statewide initiative aimed at making education Tennessee’s top priority and accelerating education reform efforts across the state.
The initiative is called the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education — or SCORE. Frist announced the initiative at Fall Hamilton Elementary School in Nashville.
He was accompanied by Gov. Phil Bredesen, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Tim Webb and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.
“The world is changing,” Frist said, “and far too many of Tennessee’s schools are failing to prepare our students for this new world.”
Twelve Senators voted against all three bailouts
Link from Andy at Club for Growth
There were only 12 brave Senators who voted against the TARP, the auto bailout, and the stimulus. Here they are:
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bunning (R-KY)
Cochran (R-MS)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Enzi (R-WY)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Americans luv their Sprawl
The Pew Research Center just finished a study about where Americans would like to live and what sort of lifestyle they would like to have. The first thing they found is that even in dark times, Americans are still looking over the next horizon. Nearly half of those surveyed said they would rather live in a different type of community from the one they are living in at present.
Second, Americans still want to move outward. City dwellers are least happy with where they live, and cities are one of the least popular places to live. Only 52 percent of urbanites rate their communities “excellent” or “very good,” compared with 68 percent of suburbanites and 71 percent of the people who live in rural America.
Cities remain attractive to the young. Forty-five percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 would like to live in New York City. But cities are profoundly unattractive to people with families and to the elderly. Only 14 percent of Americans 35 and older are interested in living in New York City. Only 8 percent of people over 65 are drawn to Los Angeles. We’ve all heard stories about retirees who move back into cities once their children are grown, but that is more anecdote than trend.
"With God as my witness I am not a monster."
Link
CHICAGO (AP) -- A former Chicago alderman has been sentenced to four years for taking thousands of dollars in payoffs and campaign money from developers who wanted zoning changes and other favors.
Arenda Troutman also omitted the cash she received from her taxes.
At her sentencing hearing Tuesday, Troutman appeared before U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo and told him: "With God as my witness I am not a monster."
Castillo told the 17-year veteran of the Chicago City Council that he knew she wasn't a monster. But he disputed her claim that she didn't know that some of her associates were street gang members.
TN Housing Market Analysis from MTSU
Link HT: Kingsport TN GovtConclusion
The fourth quarter was difficult for the Tennessee economy.
The increase in job losses will create a substantial headwind
for the housing market. Although mortgage rates are ex-
tremely low, a decline in household confidence along with
falling housing prices will likely keep many home buyers on
the sidelines. The inventory of foreclosures will continue to
rise, as indicated by the rising number of new foreclosures.
Home sales continue to fall, putting downward pressure on
prices. Since supply is falling faster than demand, the inven-
tory of homes on the market is declining. The scarce good
news is the increase in multi-family permits.
CA Repubs toss leader over budget accord
SACRAMENTO — The Senate Republican leader who agreed to a budget deal with billions of dollars in tax increases was ousted by his GOP colleagues in a late-night coup early this morning, injecting another dose of uncertainty into the high-stakes battle over the state budget.
Around midnight, the Senate Republican caucus voted to boot Dave Cogdill of Fresno, one of the so-called "Big 5" leaders who reached a pact last week to close the state's staggering $40 billion deficit with a mix of steep tax hikes, spending cuts and borrowing.
Cogdill, who was chosen to lead the caucus last year in large part because of his conservative anti-tax credentials, angered his GOP colleagues last week when he brought them a budget package that included $14.3 billion in tax increases. The measure remains a single Republican vote in the Senate shy of approval.
"It's a shame it ended this way," the usually straight-faced Cogdill said with a hint of emotion after learning the news. "But we did what we thought was right. I love this state." Voted in as the new Republican leader was Dennis Hollingsworth, R-Murietta, who wasted no time emphasizing his opposition to higher taxes while criticizing the budget deal.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Taxpayers taking an $86 billion bath on TARP
Link HT: Real Time InvestigationsFor the week ended February 13, 2009, the aggregate Ethisphere TARP Index is down a total of $86.5 billion, out of the original investment principal of $195.5 billion for a total balance of $109 billion. However, the Adjusted Ethisphere TARP Index, which excludes the calamity investments, has an aggregate loss $27.6 billion as of the week ended February 13, 2009, bringing the original investment principal down to $68 billion.
Memphis Principal arrested on drug charges
Link(MEMPHIS 2/16/2009) A Memphis City Schools Principal has been arrested on drug charges. 47-year-old Marty Pettigrew, principal at Colonial Middle, has been charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, and speeding.
According to court papers, police pulled Pettigrew over at the corner of Lynchburg and Fieldcrest around 10:15 p.m. Friday night, February 6th.
Officers observed Pettigrew going about eight miles over the speed limit behind the wheel of a Mercedes, when they pulled him over.
Two passengers in the car, Hans Banks and Andre Banks, were also arrested.
Performance based contracts...must be private sector?
Link
Private child support companies have proven track records in Tennessee. They have been operating programs in large urban and small rural judicial districts and all sizes in between for nearly two decades. Most important, all of these contracts are performance-based. If the companies don't perform, they don't get paid. They have a vested interest in getting the job done and done right, which corresponds directly with the interest we have in ensuring that the children and the taxpayers get what they deserve.
Now a crime to photograph Law Enforcement in UK
From today, anyone taking a photograph of a police officer could be deemed to have committed a criminal offence.
That is because of a new law - Section 76 of the Counter Terrorism Act - which has come into force.
It permits the arrest of anyone found "eliciting, publishing or communicating information" relating to members of the armed forces, intelligence services and police officers, which is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism".
That means anyone taking a picture of one of those people could face a fine or a prison sentence of up to 10 years, if a link to terrorism is proved.
The law has angered photographers, both professional and amateur, who fear it could exacerbate the harassment they already sometimes face.
Monday, February 16, 2009
25 sites help you find what they are saying about you
Link
Search
With these search engines, you can dig to find out who has the dirt on you.
- Social Mention: Use this social media search engine to find your name and brand on blogs, comments, bookmarks, videos, and much more.
- The Internet Address Book: See where you can be found on the Internet from this website, and register so that you can control the information that’s shared.
- Wink: Use Wink’s comprehensive people search to find yourself online, and claim your online identity.
- ZabaSearch: ZabaSearch is well known for being eerily accurate about the information it can dig up on you-so be sure to check this one out.
- Spydentity: Spydentity searches webpages, blogs, profiles, photos, and lots more to find your personal information online.
- PeekYou: PeekYou makes it easy to find yourself by your real, name, online username, and more.
- Pipl: Pipl’s comprehensive people search will show you information about your name, email, username, and phone number.
Public Records
Make use of these tools to research your own public records.
- iSearch: iSearch can help you find your public records data, professional information, social networking, and lots more.
- Intelius: Intelius is a smart tool that can help you find your personal information, including home value, income, and public records.
- Mamma: This mother of all search engines offers a way to find your public records, unlisted phone numbers, and background check information.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Nationalizing Banks ok with these two Republicans
"This idea of nationalizing banks is not comfortable," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). "But I think we've got so many toxic assets spread throughout the banking and financial community, throughout the world, that we're going to have to do something that no one ever envisioned a year ago, no one likes. To me, banking and housing are the root cause of this problem. I'm very much afraid any program to salvage the banks is going to require the government... I would not take off the idea of nationalizing the banks."
The remark prompted a bewildered smile of sorts from fellow panelist Maxine Waters (D-CA) who said, to no one in particular, "We have come a long way."
Indeed we have. While Graham was supported in his assessment by Waters and Rep. Peter King (R-NY), both of whom said nationalization should remain on the table, he found opposition from his Democratic counterpoint on the panel, Chuck Schumer."I would not be for nationalizing," said the New York Senator, whose constituency includes the epicenter of the U.S. banking industry. "I don't think government is good at making these decisions."
New name needed for Czar of all Czars
Cute Onion-like news spoof.
Link HT: David Davis
The Federal Agency for Renaming Solutions, which is working overtime to find a more attractive title for the bank bailout program TARP, will also tackle the task of renaming the Czar Czar—the Czar that rules over all other Czars.
The office of the US Czar Czar was recently created to oversee the exponentially growing army of czars appointed to control all aspects of existence. The czars are being given distinctive names, such as Autocrat for the Car Czar, Munarch for the Municipal Bond Czar, Bail Boss for the Bank Czar and Morticia for the Mortgage Czarina.
“Our staff is working 24 hours a day searching for appropriate names,” said Snaky Mox, the director of FARS. “These are very complex issues for which there is no precedent, so we need to be free to make judgment calls along the way.”
Political corruption in Illinois, a Grand Tradition
Blagojevich didn't invent crooked politics in Illinois, though if the charges of rampant shakedowns and hanging a "for sale" sign on a vacant U.S. Senate seat are true—and he insists they are not—he may have raised the art form.
Consider this recent box score toted by political scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago: 1,000 public officials and businessmen convicted of public corruption in Illinois since 1970, including three governors, 19 Cook County judges and 30 Chicago City Council members.
Corruption has been embedded in Illinois' political DNA since pioneer days. European immigrants found jobs and housing easier to come by if they helped keep the powers-that-be in power.
"The social compact in this state was built on corruption," said Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "It worked very well for some people."
$50 mil to stimulate arts infrastructure
Link
Washington, D.C. -- The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was passed by the House and Senate with $50 million designated to assist the nation's arts and cultural workforce (?) through funding to the National Endowment for the Arts.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Your employer is bankrupt and Taxpayers are bailing
YOU WALK OUT OF NEGOTIATIONS!!
Link
DETROIT (AP) — A person briefed on concession talks between the United Auto Workers and General Motors Corp. says union negotiators walked away from the bargaining table Friday night.
The person says the talks broke off when the company made proposals that the UAW considers detrimental to providing health care to retirees. He asked not to be identified because the talks are private.
The person said no new talks have been scheduled.
"Free" Public Property has no owner and no value
A popular bicycle rental scheme in Paris that has transformed travel in the city has run into problems just 18 months after its successful launch.
Over half the original fleet of 15,000 specially made bicycles have disappeared, presumed stolen.
They have been used 42 million times since their introduction but vandalism and theft are taking their toll.
The company which runs the scheme, JCDecaux, says it can no longer afford to operate the city-wide network.
Championed by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, the bikes were part of an attempt to "green" the capital.
Affidavit: Blago brother solicited cash from Burris
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother solicited U.S. Sen. Roland Burris for up to $10,000 in campaign cash before Blagojevich named Burris to the coveted post -- something Burris initially failed to disclose under oath before an Illinois House impeachment panel, records and interviews show.
Burris acknowledges being hit up for the money in a new affidavit he has sent to the head of the House committee that recommended Blagojevich be removed from office.
The affidavit is dated Feb. 5 -- three weeks after Burris was sworn in to replace President Obama in the Senate.
Burris -- who did not give money to the Blagojevich campaign fund in response to the previously undisclosed solicitation -- provided a copy of the sworn statement to the Chicago Sun-Times Friday in response to questions about his contacts with the Blagojevich camp about fund-raising.
Burris acknowledged having three conversations with Robert Blagojevich, who headed the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund -- and one of those was likely recorded by the FBI.
Govt Retirement Bonanza in San Diego
With ominous vengeance, San Diego's pension crisis has returned.
To understand why, consider the case of Eugene Gordon, an assistant city attorney who recently retired. The highest base salary earned by Gordon was $152,792 a year. But his taxpayer-funded pension is at least $235,003 a year.
Take another look at those two figures. They are not a misprint. Gordon's city pension is 54 percent higher than his base salary ever was.
Nor is Gordon's imperial-style pension an anomaly. Most longtime employees of the city of San Diego can retire as early as age 60 with retirement checks that significantly exceed their highest-year salaries. Public safety workers can pull down the same oversized pensions at age 55.
CRS Report on Fairness Doctrine
Any attempt to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine likely would be met with a constitutional challenge. Those opposing the doctrine would argue that it violates their First Amendment rights. In 1969, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Fairness Doctrine, but applied a lower standard of scrutiny to the First Amendment rights of broadcasters than it applies to other media. Since that decision, the Supreme Court’s reasoning for applying a lower constitutional standard to broadcasters’ speech has been questioned. Furthermore, when repealing the doctrine, the FCC found that, as the law stood in 1987, the Fairness Doctrine violated the First Amendment even when applying the lower standard of scrutiny to the doctrine. No reviewing court has examined the validity of the agency’s findings on the constitutional issue. Therefore, whether a newly instituted Fairness Doctrine would survive constitutional scrutiny remains an open question.
Friday, February 13, 2009
CBO est of Increase in Federal Deficit caused by
And, in addition, Congress will be running their normal multi 100 billion dollar budget deficits.
Link
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2019 | 2009- 2019 | |||
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| Estimated Budget Authority |
| 288.7 | 7.1 | 4.6 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0 | 311.2 | ||||
| Estimated Outlays |
| 34.8 | 110.7 | 76.3 | 38.1 | 22.9 | 12.8 | 7.0 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 308.3 | ||||
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| DIVISION A—REVENUES | |||||||||||||||||
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| Estimated Revenues | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | * | -0.1 | |||||
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| Estimated Budget Authority |
| 90.3 | 107.6 | 49.0 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 15.1 | 4.7 | -4.7 | -4.1 | -1.9 | -1.4 | 269.5 | ||||
| Estimated Outlays |
| 85.3 | 108.6 | 49.9 | 8.1 | 7.4 | 15.1 | 4.7 | -4.7 | -4.1 | -1.9 | -1.4 | 267.0 | ||||
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| -64.8 | -180.1 | -8.2 | 10.0 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 0.1 | -211.8 | ||||
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184.9 |
399.4 |
134.4 |
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Dennis Lennox: My new HERO
The board of commissioners approved a resolution Wednesday to abolish the post of drain commissioner. Dennis Lennox was elected last November after campaigning on a promise to get rid of the job.
He says it's not needed because Cheboygan County has no drains to regulate.
State law requires that counties with more than 12,000 residents elect a drain commissioner. The post dates to Michigan's statehood in 1837, when local officials were in charge of developing and managing drainage ditches to eradicate swamplands.
MSNBC's Chuck Todd on the "Whitehouse Bubble"
For instance, today, the president gave a speech in the East Room to the business council, an audience of dozens of CEOs and major business leaders in America. As per usual, we're allowed to watch the event behind a ropeline. Ok, standard procedure for any event for any candidate, let alone a president. But unlike public events, here at the White House, when the event ends, we get no access to the audience unless the audience happens to amble up to the ropeline and chat with the press.
Today, it was so bad that we were kept behind closed doors so that these CEOs and other business leaders could leave without accidentally mingling with us poor press peons. Once the CEOs were clear and escorted downstairs, then we were let out of our East Room pen. And it's not like we could rush over to the east side of the White House and find anyone left to interview about their role on this business council. By the time, a member of the press leaves out the one exit they can come in and out of, those guys and gals would be history. I'm sure most of them had cars at the ready to quickly get them to their next meeting.
It could be worse, you could be living in California
"Capitulation to Folly is not Compromise."
Link
| Personal Income Tax | ||
| Income Levels | Current Rate | New Rate* |
| >$0 | 1% | 1.05% |
| >$7,168 | 2% | 2.10% |
| >$16,994 | 4% | 4.20% |
| >$26,821 | 6% | 6.30% |
| >$37,233 | 8% | 8.40% |
| >$47,055 | 9.3% | 9.77% |
| >$1,000,000 | 10.3% | 10.82% |
| *-Increase would be cut in half if state receives more than $9.1 billion in federal stimulus funding. | ||
| Sales Tax (state and key cities) | ||
| City | Current Rate | New Rate |
| (State Base) | 7.25% | 8.25% |
| Los Angeles | 8.75% | 9.75% |
| San Diego | 7.75% | 8.75% |
| San Jose | 8.25% | 9.25% |
| San Francisco | 8.50% | 9.50% |
| Long Beach | 8.25% | 9.25% |
| Fresno | 7.975% | 8.975% |
| Sacramento | 7.75% | 8.75% |
| Oakland | 8.75% | 9.75% |
| Santa Ana | 7.75% | 8.75% |
| Anaheim | 7.75% | 8.75% |
| Bakersfield | 7.25% | 8.25% |
| Riverside | 7.75% | 8.75% |
| South Gate | 9.75% | 10.75% |
| Vehicle License Tax | Current Rate | New Rate |
| Statewide | 0.65% | 1.15% |
| Gasoline Tax | Current Rate | New Rate |
| Statewide | 18¢/gallon | 30¢/gallon |
Latest version of "Stimulus" Bill Text
It’s 11pm ET on Wednesday (assume this is a typo, should be Thursday), and the full legislative text of the final version of Congress’s $789.5 billion economic stimulus package has just been released. It’s scheduled for a possible vote by the House of Representatives sometime tomorrow. It’s 999 pages in total – Better get reading…H.R. 1 – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
Police drive Detroit Council Pres son to private school
DETROIT -- Council President Monica Conyers has been using a police officer and department-issued car to chauffeur one of her sons to a private suburban school about 15 miles from the city.
It's unclear how long Conyers has used the officer to escort her son, but Detroit News staffers witnessed an unmarked Crown Victoria police car drive the youth to school on Monday and Tuesday.
On neither day did staffers see Conyers in the car or at the school. The car windows were heavily tinted.
But Conyers and her spokeswoman maintain she was in the car -- perhaps sleeping in the backseat -- and always accompanies her son with the officer. Police backed up the assertion.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Valentines Party for Charlie Rangel
Some very rich tax lobbyists are throwing Charlie Rangel a Valentine's Day Party. How Sweet. Maybe they can give him some pointers on how to fill out a tax form.Link
Unbelievable -Judges sentenced kids for cash
Prosecutors say Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan took $2.6 million in payoffs to put juvenile offenders in lockups run by PA Child Care LLC and a sister company, Western PA Child Care LLC. The judges were charged on Jan. 26 and removed from the bench by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court shortly afterward.No company officials have been charged, but the investigation is still going on.
The high court, meanwhile, is looking into whether hundreds or even thousands of sentences should be overturned and the juveniles' records expunged.
Among the offenders were teenagers who were locked up for months for stealing loose change from cars, writing a prank note and possessing drug paraphernalia. Many had never been in trouble before. Some were imprisoned even after probation officers recommended against it.
Economist: We are knee deep in middle class
Link“We expect a lot from the middle classes,” say Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo, of the Poverty Action Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Following the historical examples of Britain and America, they are expected to be the dominant force in establishing or consolidating democracy. As a group, they are meant to be the backbone of the market economy. And now the world looks to them to save it from depression. With the global economy facing the biggest slump since the 1930s, the World Bank says that “a new engine of private demand growth will be needed, and we see a likely candidate in the still largely untapped consumption potential of the rapidly expanding middle classes in the large emerging-market countries.”
Ala Gov orders State Check Register Posted Online
Link
The Governor’s directive orders the Finance Department to develop and operate a website providing information “of all appropriated or non-appropriated funds by a state agency in forms including, but not limited to, grants, contracts and subcontracts.”
The executive order states the website must be online no later than March 1 of this year with information on spending from fiscal year 2008 and with monthly reports of expenditures incurred in the 2009 fiscal year. Software that makes the database searchable must be in place by September 1.
Canadian IRS owes $1.3 mil for unlawful Search
He was bullied and harassed over documents he had ALREADY given to the CRA.Link
Neumann was at home on Sept. 7, 2005, when he saw the police cars. When he answered the door, a CRA investigator told him she had a warrant to search his home for records regarding the Bonnar investigation.
When Neumann asked her why the CRA was accompanied by police, the police officer said in most cases, everyone in the house is arrested.
"Does that mean you're going to arrest me?" asked Neumann. The officer did not reply.
Neumann complied with orders to pull out all the cash he had in the house, and took a computer expert upstairs to his office to download anything he wanted. The search lasted several hours.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Searchable database of Obama Speeches 02-09
All 222 of them:
1. Against Going to War with Iraq (October 02, 2002 - The Federal Plaza in Chicago, IL)
2. Keynote Address (July 27, 2004 - Democratic National Convention)
3. John Lewis's 65th Birthday Gala (February 21, 2005 -)
4. American Legion Legislative Rally (March 01, 2005 - American Legion Legislative Rally)
5. TechNet (March 08, 2005 -)
6. CURE Keynote Address (March 11, 2005 -)
7. Herblock Foundation Annual Lecture (April 06, 2005 - Washington, DC)
8. Nuclear Option (April 13, 2005 - Washington, DC)
9. Amendment for Meals & Phone Service to Wounded Veterans (April 14, 2005 - Washington, DC)
10. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum Opening (April 20, 2005 - Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum)
11. SIUC College of Agriculture's 50th Anniversary (April 23, 2005 - Carbondale, IL)
12. A Hope To Fulfill (April 26, 2005 - National Press Club)
13. NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner (May 02, 2005 - Detroit, Michigan)
14. Rockford Register Star Young American Awards (May 07, 2005 -)
15. America's Nuclear Non-Proliferation Policy (May 26, 2005 - Washington, DC)
16. Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery (May 30, 2005 - Ellwood, Illinois)
17. Knox College Commencement (June 04, 2005 - Galesburg, Illinois)
18. Nomination of Justice Janice Rogers Brown (June 08, 2005 - Washington, DC)
19. Pritzker School of Medicine Commencement (June 13, 2005 - Chicago, Illinois)
20. American Library Association (June 27, 2005 -)
21. American Legion Conference (July 15, 2005 - Springfield, Illinois)
22. Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill & Avian Flu (July 19, 2005 - Washington, DC)
23. AFL-CIO National Convention (July 25, 2005 - Chicago, Illinois)
24. Securing Our Energy Future (September 15, 2005 - Washington, DC)
25. Confirmation of Judge John Roberts (September 22, 2005 - Washington, DC)
26. Avian Flu (October 18, 2005 - Washington, DC)
27. Death of Rosa Parks Senate Floor Statement (October 25, 2005 - Washington, D.C.)
28. Teaching Our Kids in a 21st Century Economy (October 25, 2005 -)
29. Chicago White Sox Senate Floor Statement (October 27, 2005 - Washington, D.C.)
30. Non-Proliferation & Russia: The Challenges Ahead (November 01, 2005 - Washington, DC)
31. "Sex on TV 4" Report (November 9, 2005 - Washington, DC)
32. National Womens Law Center (November 10, 2005 - Washington, DC)
33. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award Ceremony (Nove. 16, 2005 - Washington, DC)
34. Moving Forward in Iraq (November 22, 2005 - Chicago, IL)
35. Confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito, Jr. Floor Statement (January 26, 2006 -)
36. Lobbying Reform Summit (January 26, 2006 - Washington, DC)
37. Energy Security is National Security (February 28, 2006 -)
38. Energy Independence and the Safety of Our Planet (April 03, 2006 - Chicago, IL)
39. Emily's List Annual Luncheon (May 11, 2006 - Washington, DC)
40. Floor Speech - Opposition to Photo ID Amendment (May 24, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
41. Floor Statement General Michael Hayden Nomination (May 25, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
42. Univ. of Massachusetts at Boston Commencement Address (June 02, 2006 - University of Massachusetts at Boston)
43. Federal Marriage Amendment (June 5, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
44. Take Back America Conference (June 14, 2006 - Washington, DC)
45. Northwestern University Commencement Address (June 16, 2006 - Evanston, Illinois)
46. Call to Renewal Keynote Address (June 28, 2006 - Washington, DC)
47. Campus Progress Annual Conference (July 12, 2006 - Washington, DC)
48. Floor Statement of Support for Stem Cell Research (July 17, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
49. In Support of HR 9 - the Voting Rights Act (July 20, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
50. Vote against the Gulf of Mexico Energy Bill (August 1, 2006 - Washington, D.C.)
51. AFSCME National Convention (August 07, 2006 - Chicago, IL)
52. Xavier University Commencement Address (August 11, 2006 - New Orleans, Louisiana)
53. An Honest Government, A Hopeful Future (August 28, 2006 - Nairobi, Kenya)
54. Energy Independence: A Call for Leadership (September 20, 2006 -)
55. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony (November 13, 2006 - Washington, DC)
56. A Way Forward in Iraq (November 20, 2006 - Chicago)
57. World AIDS Day Speech: Race Against Time (December 01, 2006 -)
58. Time Has Come for Universal Health Care (January 25, 2007 - Washington, DC)
59. Floor Statement on Iraq War De-escalation Act of 2007 (January 30, 2007 - Washington, D.C.)
60. Announcement for President (February 10, 2007 - Springfield, IL)
61. AIPAC Policy Forum (March 02, 2007 - Chicago, IL)
62. Selma Voting Rights March Commemoration (March 04, 2007 - Selma, AL)
63. Chicago Council on Global Affairs (April 23, 2007 - Chicago, IL)
64. Turn The Page - California Democratic National Convention (April 28, 2007 - CA)
65. California State Democratic Convention (May 02, 2007 - San Diego, CA)
66. National Conference of Black Mayors (May 05, 2007 - Baton Rouge, LA)
67. Detroit Economic Club (May 07, 2007 - Detroit, MI)
68. Southern New Hampshire University Commencement (May 19, 2007 - Southern New Hampshire University)
69. Cutting Costs & Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System (May 29, 2007 - University of Iowa)
70. Hampton University Annual Ministers' Conference (June 05, 2007 - Hampton, Virginia)
71. Strengthening Families in a New Economy (June 15, 2007 - Spartanburg, South Carolina)
72. Take Back America 2007 (June 19, 2007 - Washington, D.C.)
73. Taking Our Government Back (June 22, 2007 - Manchester, NH)
74. A Politics of Conscience (June 23, 2007 - Hartford, CT)
75. National Education Association Annual Meeting (July 05, 2007 - Philadelphia, PA)
76. Changing the Odds for Urban America (July 18, 2007 - Washington, DC)
77. National Council of La Raza (July 22, 2007 - Miami, FL)
78. College Democrats of America (July 26, 2007 - Columbia, SC)
79. The War We Need to Win (August 01, 2007 - Washington, DC)
80. Sacred Trust (August 21, 2007 - Kansas City, MO)
81. Labor Day Rally (September 03, 2007 - Manchester, NH)
82. Turning the Page in Iraq (September 12, 2007 - Clinton, IA)
83. Our Common Stake in America's Prosperity (September 17, 2007 - New York, New York)
84. Tax Fairness for the Middle Class (September 18, 2007 - Washington, DC)
85. Howard University Convocation (September 28, 2007 - Washington, DC)
86. A New Beginning (October 02, 2007 - Chicago, IL)
87. Real Leadership for a Clean Energy Future (October 08, 2007 - Portsmouth, NH)
88. Lessons from Iraq (October 12, 2007 - Des Moines, IA)
89. A Challenge for Our Times (November 02, 2007 - Manning, SC)
90. A Change We Can Believe In (November 03, 2007 - Spartanburg, SC)
91. Reclaiming the American Dream IA (November 07, 2007 - Bettendorf, IA)
92. Iowa Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (November 10, 2007 - Des Moines, IA)
93. United Auto Workers Conference (November 13, 2007 - Dubuque, IA)
94. Our Kids, Our Future (November 20, 2007 - Manchester, NH)
95. Democratic National Committee Fall Meeting (November 30, 2007 - Washington, DC)
96. A Call to Serve (December 05, 2007 - Mt. Vernon, IA)
97. Foreign Policy Forum (December 18, 2007 - Des Moines, IA)
98. Our Moment Is Now (December 27, 2007 - Des Moines, IA)
99. Iowa Caucus Night (January 03, 2008 - Des Moines, IA)
100. New Hampshire Primary (January 08, 2008 - Nashua, NH)
101. The Great Need of the Hour (January 20, 2008 - Atlanta, GA)
102. Economic Speech (January 22, 2008 - Greenville, SC)
103. South Carolina Victory Speech (January 26, 2008 - Columbia, SC)
104. Kennedy Endorsement Event (January 28, 2008 - Washington, DC)
105. Response to the State of the Union (January 28, 2008 - Washington, DC)
106. Reclaiming the American Dream KS (January 29, 2008 - El Dorado, KS)
107. The Past Versus the Future (January 30, 2008 - Denver, CO)
108. Super Tuesday (February 05, 2008 - Chicago, IL)
109. Rebuilding Trust with New Orleans (February 07, 2008 - New Orleans, LA)
110. Virginia Jefferson-Jackson Dinner (February 09, 2008 - Richmond, VA)
111. Potomac Primary Night (February 12, 2008 - Madison, WI)
112. Keeping America's Promise (February 13, 2008 - Janesville, WI)
113. National Gypsum (February 24, 2008 - Lorain, OH)
114. March 4th Primary Night (March 04, 2008 - San Antonio, TX)
115. Endorsement by US Admirals and Generals (March 12, 2008 - Chicago, IL)
116. A More Perfect Union (March 18, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA)
117. The World Beyond Iraq (March 19, 2008 - Fayetteville, NC)
118. The Cost of War (March 20, 2008 - Charleston, WV)
119. Renewing the American Economy (March 27, 2008 - New York, NY)
120. AFL-CIO (April 02, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA)
121. Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 04, 2008 - Fort Wayne, IN)
122. Remarks Gary, Indiana (April 10, 2008 - Gary, IN)
123. AP Annual Luncheon (April 14, 2008 - Washington, PA)
124. Alliance for American Manufacturing (April 14, 2008 - Pittsburgh, PA)
125. Building Trades National Legislative Conference (April 15, 2008 - Washington, PA)
126. Town Hall Meeting w/ Veterans and Military Families (April 15, 2008 - Washington, PA)
127. Pennsylvania Primary Night (April 22, 2008 - Evansville, IN)
128. Press Avail on Energy Plan (April 25, 2008 - Indianapolis, IN)
129. Plan to Fight for Working Families and Take on Special Interests in Washington (May 03, 2008 - Indianapolis, IN)
130. Primary Night (May 06, 2008 - Raleigh, NC)
131. Economic Discussion (May 09, 2008 - Beaverton, Oregon)
132. Veterans Remarks (May 12, 2008 - Charleston, WV)
133. Macomb Community College (May 14, 2008 - Warren, MI)
134. Forging a New Future for America (May 20, 2008 - Des Moines, IA)
135. Renewing U.S. Leadership in the Americas (May 23, 2008 - Miami, FL)
136. Wesleyan University Commencement (May 25, 2008 - Middletown, CT)
137. Memorial Day (May 26, 2008 - Las Cruces, NM)
138. Troy High School (June 02, 2008 - Troy, MI)
139. Final Primary - Presumptive Democratic Nominee Speech (June 3, 2008 - St. Paul, Minnesota)
140. Final Primary Night (June 03, 2008 - St. Paul, MN)
141. AIPAC Policy Conference (June 04, 2008 - Washington, DC)
142. Health Care Town Hall (June 05, 2008 - Bristol, VA)
143. Change That Works for You (June 09, 2008 - Raleigh, NC)
144. Apostolic Church of God (June 15, 2008 - Chicago, IL)
145. Renewing American Competitiveness (June 16, 2008 - Flint, MI)
146. A Metropolitan Strategy for America's Future (June 21, 2008 - Miami, FL)
147. Discussion with Working Women (June 23, 2008 - Albuquerque, NM)
148. A Serious Energy Policy for Our Future (June 24, 2008 - Las Vegas, NV)
149. Opening of Competitiveness Summit (June 26, 2008 - Pittsburgh, PA)
150. National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (June 28, 2008 - Washington, DC)
151. The America We Love (June 30, 2008 - Independence, MO)
152. Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (July 01, 2008 - Zanesville, OH)
153. On Veterans (July 03, 2008 - Fargo, ND)
154. An Agenda for Middle-Class Success (July 07, 2008 - St. Louis, MO)
155. League of United Latin American Citizens (July 08, 2008 - Washington, DC)
156. Joint Event with Senator Hillary Clinton (July 10, 2008 - New York City, NY)
157. Women's Economic Security Town Hall (July 10, 2008 - Fairfax, VA)
158. A Secure Energy Future (July 11, 2008 - Dayton, OH)
159. 80th Convention of the American Federation of Teachers (July 13, 2008 - Chicago, IL)
160. 99th Annual Convention of the NAACP (July 14, 2008 - Cincinnati, OH)
161. A New Strategy for a New World (July 15, 2008 - Washington, D.C.)
162. Summit on Confronting New Threats (July 16, 2008 - West Lafayette, IN)
163. A World that Stands as One (July 24, 2008 - Berlin, Germany)
164. Town Hall on the Economy, MO (July 30, 2008 - Springfield, MO)
165. Town Hall on Energy, IA (July 31, 2008 - Cedar Rapids, IA)
166. Town Hall on the Economy, FL (August 01, 2008 - St. Petersburg, FL)
167. Town Hall on the Economy (August 02, 2008 - Titusville, FL)
168. Urban League (August 02, 2008 - Orlando, FL)
169. New Energy for America (August 04, 2008 - Lansing, MI)
170. Energy Town Hall, OH (August 05, 2008 - Youngstown, OH)
171. Town Hall on Energy, IN (August 06, 2008 - Elkhart, IN)
172. VFW National Convention (August 19, 2008 - Orlando, FL)
173. Vice President Announcement (August 23, 2008 - Springfield, IL)
174. The American Promise (Democratic Convention) (August 28, 2008 - Denver, CO)
175. AARP Life@50+ National Expo (September 06, 2008 - Illinois)
176. A 21st Century Education (September 09, 2008 - Dayton, OH)
177. Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institue Gala (September 10, 2008 - Washington, DC)
178. On Taxes (September 12, 2008 - Dover, NH)
179. Confronting an Economic Crisis (September 16, 2008 - Golden, CO)
180. The Change We Need (September 17, 2008 - Elko, NV)
181. Remarks Espanola, NM (September 18, 2008 - Espanola, NM)
182. The Fed/Treasury Plan (September 19, 2008 - Miami, FL)
183. Remarks Daytona Beach, FL (September 20, 2008 - Daytona Beach, FL)
184. Remarks Charlotte, NC (September 21, 2008 - Charlotte, NC)
185. Plan To Protect Taxpayers and Homeowners (September 23, 2008 - Tampa, FL)
186. Remarks Dunedin, FL (September 24, 2008 - Dunedin, FL)
187. The Clinton Global Initiative (September 25, 2008 - New York, NY)
188. Remarks Greensboro, NC (September 27, 2008 - Greensboro, NC)
189. Remarks Detroit, MI (September 28, 2008 - Detroit, MI)
190. Remarks Westminster, CO (September 29, 2008 - Westminster, CO)
191. Remarks Reno, NV (September 30, 2008 - Reno, NV)
192. Remarks La Crosse, WI (October 01, 2008 - La Crosse, WI)
193. Remarks Grand Rapids, MI (October 02, 2008 - Grand Rapids, MI)
194. Remarks Abington, PA (October 03, 2008 - Abington, PA)
195. Health Care (October 04, 2008 - Newport News, VA)
196. Remarks Asheville, NC (October 05, 2008 - Asheville, NC)
197. Remarks Indianapolis, Indiana (October 08, 2008 - Indianapolis, IN)
198. Remarks Dayton, OH (October 09, 2008 - Dayton, OH)
199. Remarks Chillicothe, OH (October 10, 2008 - Chillicothe, OH)
200. Remarks Philadelphia, PA (October 11, 2008 - Philadelphia, PA)
201. A Rescue Plan for the Middle-Class (October 13, 2008 - Toledo, OH)
202. Remarks Londonderry, NH (October 15, 2008 - Londonderry, NH)
203. Remarks Roanoke, VA (October 17, 2008 - Roanoke, VA)
204. Remarks St. Louis, MO (October 18, 2008 - St. Louis, MO)
205. Remarks Fayetteville, NC (October 19, 2008 -