Portman Update

What exactly is the nature of Rob Portman's concerns with NAFTA and Bush administration trade policy? Details and specifics are needed in order to evaluate the implications and assess any damage or benefit.

We'll try to dig in to it and report back on what we learn.

Boehner Challenges HUD on New $17.2 Million Grant for ACORN

Release:

WASHINGTON, DC – House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today sent a letter to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Steven Preston, urging him to protect taxpayers and withhold funding from the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) until credible congressional oversight hearings are completed in a manner that clears the organization of wrongdoing. Boehner’s request follows last week’s announcement that NeighborWorks America, a government-created entity which directs tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to state housing agencies and nonprofit groups, has awarded two taxpayer-funded grants totaling $17.2 million to the group. In October, Boehner sent a letter to President Bush requesting that all federal funds be withheld from ACORN after the Associated Press reported that the scandal-tarnished organization was under investigation by the FBI for a “coordinated national scam” of voter registration fraud.

“ACORN is not an organization that should be subsidized by taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” Boehner wrote. “ACORN, which for years has been closely connected with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, appears to have played a key role in the irresponsible schemes that led to the recent financial meltdown that has already cost Americans trillions of dollars in the form of government bailouts and lost retirement savings. Congress has not yet held investigatory hearings to examine the details of ACORN’s involvement in these schemes. Until credible oversight hearings are conducted and completed in a manner that clears ACORN of wrongdoing, the organization should not receive taxpayer money.”

Earlier this year, Boehner released an analysis showing that ACORN already has received at least $31 million in federal funding from various federal agencies since 1998. This total does not count the untold millions more that ACORN has received indirectly through state and local agencies that receive federal block grants.

“I ask that you direct Federal Housing Commissioner Brian D. Montgomery, who serves on the board of directors of NeighborWorks with five other federal officials, to exercise his authority as a director to prevent the release of the funds awarded last week,” concluded Boehner. “The American people have a right to know that their tax dollars are being used responsibly by the federal government and those to whom it provides federal grants. Until such assurances are provided concerning ACORN through appropriate federal oversight and investigation, the organization should not receive another penny from American taxpayers.”

NOTE: Boehner’s letter today to Secretary Preston follows and is available here. The letter sent by Boehner to President Bush in October is available here.

Voinovich Letter to Paulson on Bailout Transparency

VoinovichPaulson - Upload a Document to Scribd

Note to the Senator: Maybe this bill shouldn't have been rushed through... I'm just saying...

Boehner Statement on the Justice Department's Refusal to Enforce Federal Voting Laws

Boehner Statement on the Justice Department’s Refusal to Enforce Federal Voting Laws, Require Ohio Secretary of State Brunner to Preserve Integrity of Ohio’s Vote on Tuesday

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice declined to intervene in Ohio voter registration controversy and refused to require Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner to preserve the integrity of Tuesday’s election:

“I’m disappointed by the Justice Department’s refusal to stop Secretary Brunner’s calculated effort to undermine the integrity of Ohio’s election. Of the 660,000 new voter registrations in Ohio, more than 200,000 have been found questionable. Yet Secretary Brunner has refused to provide county elections officials with access to a computerized database with the most up-to-date voter registration information so that local officials can verify that voters are, in fact, who they claim to be.

“The tactics she’s employed come right from the ACORN playbook, a group with which she is intimately linked. ACORN, which my office has identified as the recipient of at least $30 million in taxpayer funds, has been at the forefront again of allegations of voter registration and potential ballot fraud across Ohio and the nation. Between ACORN’s activities and Brunner’s refusal to comply with the Help America Vote Act, there is little wonder that Ohioans believe their votes will be devalued come Tuesday.”

Favors for Oil Scandal

A reader brought this story to my attention a couple of days ago, but it was too late for me to address it then and I didn't want to cover it on 9/11. By now, you may have heard about this story; but if not, let me warn you that it will make you angry at all the parties involved.

There are two versions of this story, both by AP reporter Dana Cappiello, which is kind of odd in and of itself, but the stories are consistent in the details.

The Reader's Digest version is this: oil industry negotiators engaged officials from the Interior Department in various forms of unethical behavior including "influencing contracts, working part-time as private oil consultants and having sexual relationships with — and accepting golf and ski trips, snowboarding lessons and concert tickets from — oil company employees."

Am I surprised by any of this? Not really... This is Big Government at its finest. While I would like to think that the oil industry is more mature than this sort of behavior, the reality is that these people are in the business of making money and while I certainly don't condone these shenanigans, I certainly am not shocked to discover that it is happening.

It is disappointing though. We should expect more from people who represent us and our businesses. Sadly, the Marc Dann / Eliot Spitzer model of doing business with the government is becoming more common and I'm afraid that the shock value of these revelations is starting to wear off to the point that eventually this sort of thing won't even be news anymore. This...

"During the course of our investigation, we learned that some RIK employees frequently consumed alcohol at industry functions, had used cocaine and marijuana, and had sexual relationships with oil and gas company representatives,"

...is, I suspect, the tip of this particular iceberg. It is inexcusable for this type of behavior to be going on in the post-Enron world. Business AND Government needs to do more to ensure that ethical behavior is the standard and if that means a review of each and every deal over a certain dollar threshhold, then so be it. Of course, all that is going to do is create more red tape and run up the cost of business which is why it is in the interest of Big Business and Big Government to police themselves and to behave in a manner that reflects well on themselves.

Bush Did What?!?!?

This is simply astounding. Those of you who think WMD bows and worships the Bush administration ought to take special notice of what I am about to say...

If President Bush was aware and responsible of this activity, he deserves every condemnation heaped upon his administration for it. That the State Department would even consider reparations to Libya for American retaliation over a terrorist attack is absurd, but that's the State Department for you.

The only reparations that Libya deserves is $0.35 so they can call somebody who cares...

I am pretty disgusted with this news...and the American people should be as well.

Idiot Liberal Krugman Conspiracy: Tomatoes are Bush and Friedman's Fault!

Paul Krugman got a rotten tomato. And in the fasion typical of the liberals who blame a tornado and a blizzard both on global warming, he blames Bush and Friedman, who also cause war, famine, and global warming in addition to salmonella, at least according to Mr. Krugman:

Lately, however, there always seems to be at least one food-safety crisis in the headlines — tainted spinach, poisonous peanut butter and, currently, the attack of the killer tomatoes.

How did America find itself back in The Jungle?

However, the great folks over at Marginal Revolution have done what liberals don't do a whole lot...actually look at the data. Well, liberals will look at data then doctor it, like that nut at NASA who made up all that climate data. But looking at the CDC data from 1998 til 2007, we get a different picture....

What we see is a lot of variability from year to year but a net downward trend. You can also look at cases per year which are more variable but also show a net downward trend. No evidence whatsoever that we are back "in The Jungle."

Liberals try to play word and number games in the comments, but as usual, they are refuted by, I don't know....real facts.

Another Resignation

AP News Alert:

WASHINGTON (AP) A government official says that Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson will announce his resignation Monday morning.

This guy is so low-profile I didn't recognize his name at first...

UPDATE: No wonder this guy was so low-profile...it appears he's a scumbag... Innocent until proven guilty and all that...but scumbag...

Executive Branch Pork?

Our good friend MADISON wrote in again:

Do you agree that this represents pork barrel spending by the executive branch at the same time they are taking a public stance against pork?

[Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link]

And this list covers a mere two month period. They may be good programs IF we were flushed with money and not continuing to increase the debt load on future generaions. In the mean time they are nice payoffs to make an administration look good.

Generally speaking, I concur with this assessment. Most of these are grants of one sort or another and the only legitimate argument that I can come up to justify this spending is if people in these areas of the country lost their jobs due to government regulation and need to be re-educated in a different field.

I don't know if this sort of spending can technically be classified as "pork" but it certainly is questionable spending in a time of deficit.

Black Market Nuke Arrest Update

AP News Alert:

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) Authorities say the three suspects who tried to sell uranium for $1 million are a Ukrainian and two Hungarians.

I have finally located a story buried in Yahoo News's world news section...

Two Hungarians and a Ukrainian arrested in an attempted sale of uranium were peddling material believed to be from the former Soviet Union that was enriched enough to be used in a radiological "dirty bomb," authorities said Thursday.

The three, who were arrested Wednesday in eastern Slovakia and Hungary, were trying to sell just under a pound of uranium in powder form, said 1st Police Vice President Michal Kopcik.

"It was possible to use it in various ways for terrorist attacks," Kopcik said.

One of my biggest concerns with the Bush administration has been how little they have done on the non-proliferation front in dealing with Russia on Soviet era weapons. And why hasn't Putin done more to secure this material?

Police spokesman Martin Korch could not say whether the seized material had been enriched to weapons-grade.

"I can confirm that it was uranium-235 and uranium-238," he told The Associated Press.

Slovak and Hungarian officials were to hold a news conference later in the day

Authorities said Wednesday they confiscated the uranium during the arrests of two suspects in eastern Slovakia and a third in Hungary. It remained unclear to whom the suspects were trying to peddle the material.

Uranium is considered enriched if it contains more than 20 percent uranium-235, the fissile form of the element. It is considered weapons-grade if it contains at least 85 percent uranium-235. Natural uranium contains less than 1 percent of the fissile isotope, and uranium-238 is a lower grade form of the element.

The arrests heightened concerns that Eastern Europe could be a source of radioactive material for a so-called "dirty bomb," which would use conventional explosives to scatter radioactive debris.

To be perfectly honest, I am surprised this sort of thing hasn't happened sooner...

Richard Hoskins, the IAEA official who administers the database, said that last year alone the U.N. nuclear watchdog registered 252 reported cases of radioactive materials that were stolen, missing, smuggled or in the possession of unauthorized individuals — a 385 percent increase since 2002.

But Hoskins cautioned that the spike probably was due at least in part to better reporting and improved law enforcement efforts. Of the 252 cases, about 85 involved thefts or losses, and not all the material was suitable for use in a weapon, he said.

Even so, "there are far too many incidents of material not being properly controlled," Hoskins told AP in a telephone interview. "If we can do a better job, we can help keep these materials from falling into terrorist hands."

Concerns about nuclear smuggling have generally been focused on Russia and countries of the former Soviet Union, where security at nuclear-related industries deteriorated after the 1991 Soviet collapse.

If the United Nations ever were to be relevent, here is an issue they should have done something about...but didn't.

Bush's State Dept Wusses Out Again

AP News Alert:

WASHINGTON (AP) The State Department is dropping plans to force diplomats to serve in Iraq, The Associated Press has learned.

Did they get volunteers for the mission or not? That is the question...

Time Running Out for Dems on AMT Patch

Previously on WMD, we got around to addressing the AMT patch issue. Now, word comes from Secy. Paulson, that time is just about up for Democrats to do the right thing and put up a clean AMT bill:

“By this time each year, income tax forms and instructions have been revised to reflect current law. Consistent with historical practice, they do not reflect pending legislation. There are 12 forms (the AMT forms and 11 credit forms) that will be affected if and when Congress enacts the AMT patch. These forms are attachments to either the Form 1040 or Form 1040A. The IRS will release the Form 1040 and 1040A tax packages to the printing vendors by November 7, 2007. All additional forms and instructions must be finalized by November 16, 2007, to ensure that the 2008 filing season proceeds with minimal disruption.”

Democrats love All Manner of Taxes (AMT) (*), so I'm not sure we can count on them doing the right thing. Look for your tax bill to keep going up...

* = Thanks Tom!

President Bush Honors Fallen Heroes

President George W. Bush is in Emmitsburg, MD this morning at the National Firefighters' Memorial to lay a wreath to honor the 87 brave folks who fell in the line of duty this year. Here is the story:

Oct 7, 2007 — President Bush plans to be in Emmitsburg, Md., this morning to participate in the 26th annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.
White House officials say he will make remarks, lay a wreath and greet the families of the 87 firefighters killed in the line of duty last year and four others not previously honored.

Bush last attended the service in 2001, just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He is the only president to have attended the annual ceremony.

This President cares about our heroes....As I watch the coverage, the President of the United States is comforting families one by one, meeting them, hugging and consoling them....God bless them, God Bless the President, and God bless America....

Rove Resigning Coverage

By now, everybody knows that Karl Rove will be leaving the service of the president at the end of August. The coverage of Rove's departure is sure to be yet another opportunity for the vultures in the 527 media to rehash "Spy Games"... Be sure to check the names in these stories... You will see the president, you might see Dick Cheney, you will definitely see Scooter Libby and probably Robert Novack as well. The name you won't see? Richard Armitage, the guy who actually revealed the name of Valerie Plame.

North Korea Update

AP News Alert:

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) The U.N. nuclear chief says inspectors have verified the shutdown of North Korea's nuclear reactor.

If this crisis is averted, does George W. Bush and his administration get some credit?

WMD Blast

NOTE: This post will be updated throughout the day with interesting links and observations.

John Boehner Op-Ed in ITB: "College Bill Adds To Entitlement Burden"

Taegan Goddard notes the Quinny poll's results for the presidential race in Ohio. I have my own questions about that poll -- which I hope to get to later -- but it looks like good news for Rudy...at least, until he gets to the general election where HILLARY! Inc. edges him...

AP News Alert:

WASHINGTON (AP) The administration's report on Iraq today will show that there has been satisfactory progress on eight benchmarks, unsatisfactory progress on another eight, and mixed results on the other two, defense officials said.

As I expected, this actually turned out to be a mixed bag. Last week, we were hearing from leakers that this report was going to say that no progress was being made and that we were in a total quagmire with no hope. As usual, the politically motivated leakers were wrong.

Another AP News Alert:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) President Gen. Pervez Musharraf vows to crush Islamic extremists in every corner of Pakistan.

I prefer action to all these words...

Strickland is Seeking Attention

I've been watching these stories about Taxin' Ted Strickland's ordeal with the Bush administration on the Ohio National Guard situation and I can't help but thinking that Ted is really struggling to noticed by the cute little red-haired girl from high school that didn't know he existed. Ted, she didn't care about you back then and you aren't anybody today either... Get over yourself already...this political grandstanding is just making you look impotent...

Yet Another Democrat Who Thinks That His Rights Are More Important Than Yours

Back in the day, "Baghdad Jim" McDermott (D-Saddam's Iraqistan) got an illegally taped conversation between Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- and other Republican leaders discussing strategery on how to deal with an ethics charge made against then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

Boehner sued and won a hefty settlement in an appeals court decision that made news back in May, but that isn't why you called...

Now, McDermott is appealing to the Supreme Court saying this (Politico):

"With all due respect to the Court of Appeals, the constitutional issues involved here are much too important to be confused by a split decision," McDermott said in a statement released by his office. "The protections afforded all Americans by the First Amendment have been placed on a very slippery slope by this decision. By taking away my First Amendment protections, the decision endangers freedom of speech and the press across America."

So now illegal wiretaps are a First Amendment matter when Democrats do it, but when a Republican administration wants to tap the phones of folks talking to terrorists that's a no-no.

When you play politics, Mr. McDermott, especially the way you Democrats do, sometimes you get burned. You got burned. But you got what you wanted. Newt Gingrich stepped down. Democrats keep talking about winning at all costs, but when they are actually forced to pay the cost, they never seem to want to pony up. Your victory against Mr. Gingrich costs nearly a million dollars. If you weren't willing to pay the costs of acquiring this information illegally, you should never have done so in the first place.

Now let me put on the prognosticator hat for a moment. If the Supreme Court refuses to hear the case, McDermott and his friends will claim that the Evil Right Wing Conspiracy is out to get him. If they do take up the case and then decide that McDermott still is liable, the same result. My view: Scooter on, Baghdad Jim...and pay up for your victory.

ScooterOn.org

Once again, we see Ohio Democrats acting like the hypocrites that we all know that they are...

If Democrats want to make the point that Republicans like George W. Bush can no longer be considered "law and order" types because the president used the authority that the Constitution has granted him, one ought to be able to find at least a single Ohio Democrat who criticized Bill Clinton for pardoning the likes of Marc Rich.

Of course, the defense that they offer up for that is..."Oh my God, Bill Clinton again? Move on..." An entire political movement was based on the idea that Democrats should tell Republicans to move on from Bill Clinton bashing.

Interesting how the left didn't bother to take their own message to heart. Presidential Opposition Derangement Syndrome has been perfected under the MoveOn regime. I have to say, I really thought that the conservatives tearing in to Clinton at every opportunity was detrimental to the movement, but these liberals have turned an art in to science, seemingly at will.

It also might help their cause if Democrats could get this story right. This also used to bother me about the Clinton impeachment too. Clinton didn't get in to trouble because of sex; he got in to trouble because he lied under oath. Scooter Libby didn't reveal a covert agent's name to the press. Dick Armitage did that and Valerie Plame WASN'T a covert agent. Did Scooter Libby lie under oath? Well, he was certainly convicted of such, and as such he was facing real punishment. That's more than I can say for Bill Clinton...

Scooter on, liberals...

Just so there is no confusion, I think Scooter should have gone to prison and stayed there until the last day of President Bush's term. Bush should have pulled a Clinton and actually pardoned Libby right before he hopped on Marine One for the last time just like Josiah Bartlett did on the West Wing with Tobey Ziegler. I mean if that sort of behavior is fit for the fictional "ideal" president, it has to be good enough for George W. Bush, right?

Assuming, of course, that Scooter didn't win on appeal...

Scooter-ing on from the criminalization of politics...

More Evidence French Frogs Not Our Friends, Conspiracy Nutjobs

If the new French president was truly an ally of the US or honorable, he would fire this dumb frog b***h who joined the 9/11 conspiracy chorus.

A senior French politician, now a minister in President Nicolas Sarkozy's government, suggested last year that U.S. President George W. Bush might have been behind the September 11, 2001 attacks, according to a website.
The www.ReOpen911.info website, which promotes September 11 conspiracy theories, has posted a video clip of French Housing Minister Christine Boutin appearing to question that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group orchestrated the attacks. Boutin's office sought to play down the remarks.

Asked in an interview last November, before she became minister, whether she thought Bush might be behind the attacks, Boutin says: "I think it is possible. I think it is possible."

Do you know what is certain, not just possible? That France gave Iraq money when it was illegal as adjudicated by the UN, and gave them illegal weapons. We have the books and transactions. Even as the Kurds were slaughtered, France gave Hussein money and weapons. We have uncovered the info in Iraq. That is not just possible, it is fact!
And this is beyond badmouthing Bush. Call him a buffoon, call him an idiot. This is badmouthing the US, making light of the sacrifice of thousands. The reopen 9/11 pepole are some of the same people who said no one died in the planes that crashed into the towers or in the field or at the Pentagon. And this stupid frog wench joined their chorus? France is not our friend, as long as these ungreatful cowards continue to crow in this manner.
So kindly piss off, madam Minister.