The Federal Reserve's massive stimulus program had little impact on the U.S. economy besides weakening the dollar and helping U.S. exports, Federal Reserve Governor Alan Greenspan told CNBC Thursday.
In a blunt critique of his successor, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Greenspan said the $2 trillion in quantative easing over the past two years had done little to loosen credit and boost the economy.
"There is no evidence that huge inflow of money into the system basically worked," Greenspan said in a live interview.
"It obviously had some effect on the exchange rate and the exchange rate was a critical issue in export expansion," he said. "Aside from that, I am ill-aware of anything that really worked. Not only QE2 but QE1."
Greenspan’s comments came as the Fed ended the second installment of its bond-buying program, known as QE2, after spending $600 billion. There were no hints of any more monetary easing—or QE3—to come.
Greenspan said he "would be surprised if there was a QE3" because it would "continue erosion of the dollar."
I am no Wall Street whiz kid or a high finance expert,but I knew beforehand that printing money and buying your own debt was a terrible idea,and I didn't need Alan Greenspan to tell me that or anyone else,common sense told me that much.
Yet there has never been any nation even remotely similar to America. Here’s why. Most revolutions seek to destroy the existing class order and use all-powerful government to mandate an equality of result rather than of opportunity — in the manner of the French Revolution’s slogan of “liberty, equality, and fraternity” or the Russian Revolution’s “peace, land, and bread.” In contrast, our revolutionaries shouted “Don’t tread on me!” and “Give me liberty or give me death!” The Founders were convinced that constitutionally protected freedom would allow the individual to create wealth apart from government. Such enlightened self-interest would then enrich society at large far more effectively that could an all-powerful state. Such constitutionally protected private property, free enterprise, and market capitalism explain why the United States — with only about 4.5 percent of the world’s population — even today, in an intensely competitive global economy, still produces a quarter of the world’s goods and services. To make America unexceptional, inept government overseers, as elsewhere in the world, would determine the conditions — where, when, how and by whom — under which businesses operate. Individual freedom in America manifests itself in ways most of the world can hardly fathom — whether our unique tradition of the right to gun ownership, the near impossibility of proving libel in American courts, or the singular custom of multimillion-dollar philanthropic institutions, foundations, and private endowments. Herding, silencing, or enfeebling Americans is almost impossible — and will remain so as long as well-protected citizens can say what they want and do as they please with their hard-earned money. Race, tribe, or religion often defines a nation’s character, either through loose confederations of ethnic or religious blocs as in Rwanda, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia, or by equating a citizenry with a shared appearance as reflected in the German word “volk” or the Spanish “raza.” And while the United States was originally crafted largely by white males who improved upon Anglo-Saxon customs and the European Enlightenment, the Founders set in place an “all men are created equal” system that quite logically evolved into the racially blind society of today. This year a minority of babies born in the United States will resemble the look of the Founding Fathers. Yet America will continue as it was envisioned, as long as those of various races and colors are committed to the country’s original ideals. When International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of sexual assault against a West African immigrant maid in New York, supposedly liberal French elites were outraged that America would dare bring charges against such an establishment aristocrat. Americans, on the other hand, would have been more outraged had their country not done so. The Founders’ notion of the rule of law, coupled with freedom of the individual, explains why the United States runs on merit, not tribal affinities or birth. Most elsewhere, being a first cousin of a government official, or having a prestigious name, ensures special treatment from the state. Yet in America, nepotism is never assured. End that notion of American merit and replace it with racial tribalism, cronyism, or aristocratic privilege, and America itself would vanish as we know it. There is no rational reason why a small republican experiment in 1776 grew to dominate global culture and society — except that America is the only nation, past or present, that put trust in the individual rather than in the state and its elite bureaucracy. Such confidence in the average free citizen made America absolutely exceptional — something we should remember more than ever on this Fourth of July.
The greatness of America doesn't lie in our government-though our government has the potential to display it-but it lies in the ordinary men and women,who live extraordinary lives because they are free to do so.This is what we are fighting to preserve and hold on to in this country,against a large and powerful,tyrannical-though it poses as caring and benevolent-Federal government,that wishes to dictate to us every detail of our lives,thus taking away our liberties.The age old question is this,would you rather exist secure in slavery,or would you rather live and die as a freeman,that's the choice?
During his remarks to troops at Fort Drum today, the President was reminiscing about the times he has spent with the US Army's 10th Mountain Division, when he got something wrong. "Throughout my service, first as a senator and then as a presidential candidate and then as a President, I’ve always run into you guys. And for some reason it’s always in some rough spots. First time I saw 10th Mountain Division, you guys were in southern Iraq. When I went back to visit Afghanistan, you guys were the first ones there. I had the great honor of seeing some of you because a comrade of yours, Jared Monti, was the first person who I was able to award the Medal of Honor to who actually came back and wasn’t receiving it posthumously." The problem is, Jared Monti was killed in action in Afghanistan, on June 21, 2006. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously, September 17, 2009. President Obama handed the framed medal to his parents, Paul and Janet Monti. He and the First Lady comforted them in the Oval Office following the ceremony.
The MSM is silent regarding Mr. Obama's "flubbed" remarks.
On June 3rd,Sarah Palin,said,Paul Revere,"warned the British"(see post here),and the MSM went berserk,declaring Sarah Palin an "idiot"even though she was correct.
Once again,the MSM applies a hypocritical double-standard in regards to Sarah Palin and Barack Obama.Guess which side they are on?
Imagine our surprise when reading media reports today that the “One Nation Tour” has been cancelled. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Oh, wait, that’s because it hasn’t been cancelled. (Good ol' media... you never cease to amaze!)
As I said myself at the end of the east coast leg of the tour, the summer is long, and I’m looking forward to hitting the open road again. The coming weeks are tight because civic duty calls (like most everyone else, even former governors get called up for jury duty) and I look forward to doing my part just like every other Alaskan.
I wouldn’t think it to be such a slow news day that, what with numerous wars and serious economic woes concerning Americans, a bus is driving news stories today. The next leg of the tour continues when the time comes. In the meantime, no one should jump to conclusions – certainly not the media with their long track record of getting things wrong or just making things up.
- Sarah Palin
Wishful thinking MSM,but your not getting rid of her that easy!
I'm not one to put much stock in polls,especially this early,but this from the new Zogby poll;
The poll found Mrs. Bachmann garnering 24 percent of the vote, well-ahead of businessman Herman Cain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who each received 15 percent support.
This poll and all others are absolutely meaningless until either Sarah Palin and Rick Perry decide whether they are going to run or not.Either one or both of them will dramatically alter the shape of this race.
On the other hand it may be spelling doom for Mitt Romney.Bachmann and Cain combined garner 39% in this poll.That's 39% I don't ever see Mitt getting.He is too wishy washy and Romneycare will sink him.
"Setting myths aside, a review of the Civil War era strongly suggests that economics, not a moral crusade, brought on the war and shaped its aftermath. More specifically, an examination of this period indicates that the evolution of the Northern and Southern economies was the most important factor producing the conflict . . . Now more than ever we must set aside old myths. Economics more than high moral concerns produced the Civil War." ~ Professor Marc Egnal
"You talk about a man killing his own people. When you lie to the American people saying that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. When you lie and then take innocent young men who come to serve their country, and send them to die in Iraq and Afghanistan, over lies, that's a murderer in the White House."
I love it when liberals use their own hyperbole on one another.
"It saddens me when sometimes my fellow Republicans duck and cover in the face of pressure from the left. Our party cannot be all things to all people," Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) said at a Republican party event in Louisiana today.
"Our opponents on the left are never going to like us, so let's quit trying to curry favor with them!"
I'm still holding out for Sarah Palin,but Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said all the right things at the RLC in New Orleans yesterday.
Demonstrators today encircled the Greek parliament in Athens in an attempt to stop MPs voting on even deeper austerity measures for the debt-ridden country.
They were involved in a tense stand-off with riot police in Constitution Square as a 24-hour strike began. The walkouts left hospitals running on emergency staff, disrupted transport and forced radio and TV news shows off the air. Prime minister George Papandreou was attempting to push through the measures which will include higher taxes and wider spending cuts. The government needs to pass a new 2012-2015 austerity programme worth more than £20 billion this month or face being cut off from continued funding of rescue loans from European countries and the International Monetary Fund.
This will be us very soon,if we don't get our fiscal house in order,now.
Pelosi saw her wealth rise due to some stock gains and real estate investments made by her husband, Paul. Apple stock owned by Pelosi's spouse rose from at least $500,000 in 2009 to $1 million in 2010. The minority leader's husband also took a bigger stake in Matthews International Capital Management — worth at least $5 million last year, compared to $1 million in 2009 — and his investment in some undeveloped residential real estate in Sacramento, Calif., jumped to at least $5 million in value.
This what the world looks like under National Socialism. The government gets to choose the winners and losers in life and those who are in political power and those who are well connected to that power prosper,while those of us who are not connected to the power elite wither on the vine.
Why is unemployment so high?Barack Obama knows,"ATM's" and other new technologies are to blame.From Michelle Malkin;
Earlier today, the professor-in-chief himself opened his mouth and exposed his abject ignorance of how free markets work. Straining to explain away another Wreckovery Summer, President Obama blamed technological innovation instead of his own hapless technocrats for high unemployment. He told the Today Show: “There are some structural issues with our economy where a lot of businesses have learned to become much more efficient with a lot fewer workers. You see it when you go to a bank and you use an ATM, you don’t go to a bank teller, or you go to the airport and you’re using a kiosk instead of checking in at the gate.” Can he possibly be more out of touch?
Its one thing to lie to me,its another thing however to insult my intellegence and the above statement from the POTUS is insulting.
The outburst from Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the so-called Shanghai Cooperation Organization should close the chapter on the much bandied about “outreach” to Iran voiced by candidate Obama in 2008. Events in Syria, despite the administration appellation of Assad as a “reformer,” likewise ended another chapter in the supposed reset diplomacy of reaching out to illiberal Middle East regimes that might not have been so illiberal had Bush & co. just given them a chance.
I don’t think the outreach to Russia is paying any dividends; they were silent as Ahmadinejad went on his rampage, have been sounding off about missile defense and U.S. ships in the Black Sea, and are clearly not “helping” to curtail the Iranian nuke project. We hope for the best in Egypt, but for now the military interim government is jailing more people than did Mubarak and a plebiscite would probably elect an Islamist government that would reject the Camp David Accords with Israel. Pakistan just arrested those who helped us kill bin Laden, most likely in fear that someone would leak information that its own intelligence services were involved in shielding him for a decade. The Europeans are leaving Afghanistan despite the presence of a new multilateralist in the White House. Given that the Bush administration followed the War Power Acts by obtaining congressional decrees to go into Afghanistan and Iraq, one waits for the liberal anger at Obama for following in the footsteps of Clinton in the Balkans and not consulting Congress; all that is academic, since the Anglo-French and the lead-from-behind U.S. are still flummoxed by 6-million-person Libya. Pressuring Israel has led nowhere; since the apparent Palestinian coalition government-to-be that includes Hamas includes de facto a charter calling for Israel’s destruction. And the subtext behind much of this administration’s foreign policy abroad and redistributive plans at home — emulation of the soft-power, socialist European Union — has imploded: The only strange thing about the massive U.S. debt is that Europe’s is worse and with less available in the way of mechanisms to address it. And if the air strikes over Libya are evidence of a new EU rapid-response force, well, enough said on that. If European redistribution and antagonism to private enterprise have shown us the way, it has been the way to their problems: near-steady 10 percent unemployment, massive deficits, sky-high gas and food prices, and an immigration mess. All of the above can neither be defended as something positive nor blamed on George Bush, so the third alternative of simply not talking about the state of the nation and world, and instead focusing on either trivia, Republican heartlessness in trimming away entitlements, or the quasi-racist and illiberal criticism of Barack Obama is about all that is left
Although Mitt Romney has been leading in the polls, his lead over other potential rivals has been slim. Being a “frontrunner” this far ahead of next year’s nominating convention would not mean much, even if Governor Romney’s lead and his support were much bigger than they are.
The albatross around Romney’s neck is the Romneycare medical plan that he signed into law in Massachusetts. His refusal to repudiate Romneycare means that, as a presidential candidate, he would forfeit one of the strongest arguments against Barack Obama, who has Obamacare as his albatross.
Nor is an about-face on Romneycare a viable option for Mitt Romney. He has already made too many other about-faces for voters to trust him after another. He has painted himself into a corner.
"He said if his son that was gay he better come home and talk to him like a man and not [he mimicked a gay, high pitched voice] or he would pull out a knife and stab that little N (one word I refuse to use) to death."
The MSM is outraged.
Last week comedian,Christopher Titus,said this,referring to Sarah Palin;
You know what man? I am, I am going to literally, if she gets elected president, I am going to hang out on the grassy knoll all the time, just loaded and ready, because you know what? It’s for my country. It’s for my country. If I've got to sacrifice myself, it’s for my country.
If I was a Republican and was going to launch or "relaunch" my presidential campaign-like Newt Gingrich has-the last place on Earth would be,Beverly Hills,California.Newt,even Jethro would know better than that.
Also,Michael Barone has written Newt's political obituary here.
To the Sisters, Brother, Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Friends of Trig Paxson Van Palin (or whatever you end up naming him!): I am blessing you with this surprise baby because I only want the best for you. I've heard your prayers that this baby will be happy and healthy, and I've answered them because Ionly want the best for you! I heard your heart when you hinted that another boy would fit best in the Palin family, to round it out and complete that starting five line-up. Though another girl would be so nice, you didn't think you could ask for what you REALLY wanted, but I knew, so I gave you a boy because I only want the best for you! Then, I put the idea in your hearts that his name should be "Trig", because it's so fitting, with two Norse meanings: "True" and "Brave Victory". You also have a Bristol Bay relative with that name, so I knew it would be best for you! Then, I let Trig's mom have an exceptionally comfortable pregnancy so she could enjoy every minute of it, and I even seemed to rush it along so she could wait until near the end to surprise you with the news - that way Piper wouldn't have so long to wait and count down so many days - just like Christmastime when you have to wait, impatiently, for that special day to finally open your gift? (Or the way the Palins look forward to birthday celebrations that go on for three, four days... you all really like cake .) I know you, I knew you'd be better off with just a short time to wait! Then, finally, I let Trig's mom and dad find out before he was born that this little boy will truly be a GIFT. They were told in early tests that Trig may provide more challenges, and more joy, than what they ever may have imagined or ever asked for. At first the news seemed unreal and sad and confusing . But I gave Trig' s mom and dad lots of time to think about it because they needed lots of time to understand that everything will be OK, in fact, everything will be great, because I only want the best for you! I've given Trig's mom and dad peace and joy as they wait to meet their new son. I gave them a happy anticipation because they asked me for that. I'll give all of you the same happy anticipation and strength to deal with Trig's challenges, but I won't impose on you... I just need to know you want to receive my offer to be with all of you and help you everyday to make Trig's life a great one. This new person in your life can help everyone put things in perspective and bind us together and get everyone focused on what really matters . The baby will expand your world and let you see and feel things you haven't experienced yet. He'll show you what "true, brave victory" really means as those who love him will think less about self and focus less on what the world tells you is "normal" or "perfect". You will grow and be blessed with greater understanding that will be born along with Trig. Trig will be his dad's little buddy and he'll wear Carhartts while he learns to tinker in the garage. He'll love to be read to, he'll want to play goalie, and he'll steal his mom's heart just like Track, Bristol, Willow and Piper did. And Trig will be the cuddly, innocent, mischievous, dependent little brother that his siblings have been waiting for in fact Trig will - in some diagnostic ways - always be a mischievous, dependent little brother, because I created him a bit different than a lot of babies born into this world today. Every child is created special, with awesome purpose and amazing potential. Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed up world you live in down there on earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome. Doctors call it "Down's Syndrome", and Downs kids have challenges, but can bring you much delight and more love than you can ever imagine! Just wait and see, let me prove this, because I only want the best for you! Some of the rest of the world may not want him, but take comfort in that because the world will not compete for him. Take care of him and he will always be yours! Trig's mom and dad don't want people to focus on the baby's extra chromosome. They're human, so they haven't known how to explain this to people who are so caring and are interested in this new little Alaskan. Sarah and Todd want people to share in the joy of this gift I'm giving to the Palin family, and the greater Alaska family. Many people won't understand... and I understand that. Some will think Trig should not be allowed to be born because they fear a Downs child won't be considered "perfect" in your world. (But tell me, what do you earthlings consider "perfect" or even "normal" anyway? Have you peeked down any grocery store isle, or school hallway, or into your office lunchroom lately? Or considered the odd celebrities you celebrate as "perfect" on t.v.? Have you noticed I make `em all shapes and sizes? Believe me ,, there is no "perfect"!) Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You will have to trust me on this. I know it will take time to grasp this and come to accept that I only want the best for you, and I only give my best. Remember though: "My ways are not your ways, my thoughts are not your thoughts... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, my ways are higher than yours!" I wrote that all down for you in the Good Book ! Look it up! You claim that you believe me - now it's time to live out that belief! Please look to me as this new challenge and chapter of life unfolds in front of you. I promise to equip you. I won't give you anything you can't handle. I am answering your prayers. Trig can't wait to meet you. I'm giving you ONLY THE BEST! Love, Trig's Creator , Your Heavenly Father
I was very disappointed when I heard Herman Cain say this;
The 2nd amendment,to put it plain and simple,is non-negotiable!We have a God given right to protect ourselves,persons who are in our care,and our property,from anyone wishing to do them harm,with whatever force maybe necessary,period.We have a Constitutional right to arm ourselves with any weapon that may aid us in the defence of our lives,our families,and homes,without any interference from the Federal or state governments.
Here are 10 questions,via Free North Carolina,that Herman Cain needs to answer to clarify his position on the 2nd amendment;
1. Do you believe that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land" and that the Bill of Rights acknowledges our birthrights? 2. If so, should these rights be proactively protected from infringement by all levels of government, including city, county and state? 3. Please give some examples of gun laws you consider constitutional. 4. Please give some examples of gun laws you consider unconstitutional. 5. Does the right to bear arms include the right for any peaceable citizen to carry them concealed without a permit, as in Vermont? 6. Do you believe that Americans have a right to own, use and carry weapons of military pattern, and will you use the prestige of elected office to publicly promote that right? 7. Do you support or oppose registration of weapons? Why? 8. Do you support or oppose licensing requirements to own or carry firearms? Why? 9. What specific gun laws will you work to get repealed? 10. If elected, will you back your words of support for firearms rights up with consistent actions? How?
All day yesterday the MSM sorted through Sarah Palin's e:mails and found absolutely nothing!If anyone in the history of the United States has been vetted completely,it has been Sarah Palin.
On the other hand the MSM has largely ignored Congressman Anthony Weiner's texting scandal with a 17 year old girl.
So why is the press now ignoring the ‘underage girl’ angle of the #Weinergate story that has had MORE proof behind it then the Tweet Seen ‘Round The World that went to Seattle co-ed Gennete Cordova? This bears repeating, so I’ll repeat it. There has been more clear, explicit, inexplicable and publicly available information about an inappropriate online relationship between Rep. Anthony Weiner and the girl Patterico calls “Ethel” then there has been about ANY other person – yet the press hasn’t even asked pertinent questions about. Most of this info was available during the ENTIRE story. Reporters like Tommy Christopher certainly know all about it, but failed to even mention it once in his reporting
We no longer have a free and independent media,but a free and partisan media.The MSM is no longer just "biased",it has now openly chosen sides,the liberal side.They will suppress news they think harms their left wing agenda or even fabricate news when it suits their cause.
If it wasn't for Patterico,Andrew Brietbart and others,we would no very little,if any thing at all about this whole sordid scandal involving,Anthony Weinner.Thank God for citizen journalist like them.
Don't be dismayed though,the MSM will continue to dig into every crack and crevice of Sarah Palin's life and continue to find nothing.
The Dalai Lama is dumber than the rock he seeks to become one with.How stupid is it to embrace the ideology of those-the Red Chinese-who seek to kill you and destroy your culture in Tibet.This is the equivalent to the Pope saying he is "a Muslim",insane.
It's a miracle she's alive, but still, this is sad news for those who hoped and prayed for her return to public life. At LAT:
Gabrielle Giffords is nowhere close to returning to Congress. And there remains real doubt about whether she ever will.
That appears to be the bottom line of an article Thursday in the Arizona Republic that provides the most complete assessment yet of the wounded congresswoman’s current condition. Giffords was shot in the head by a gunman in Tucson in January. Now, six months later, she still struggles mightily to communicate, although her staff believes her comprehension skills are strong. And it remains unclear just how much damage her brain has suffered.
Asked for a blunt description of Giffords’ condition, her chief of staff, Pia Carusone, replied: "She's living. She's alive. But if she were to plateau today, and this was as far as she gets, it would not be nearly the quality of life she had before."
As to whether she resembles herself before the shooting, Carusone said, “There's no comparison. All that we can hope for is that she won't plateau today and that she'll keep going, and that when she does plateau, it will be at a place far away from here."
The news may be sobering, but it's not necessarily a surprise. The state of Giffords' health has been closely guarded information as early, hopeful accounts of her rapid physical and motor recovery yielded to more cautious -- and less frequent -- reports. She remains at a Houston rehabilitation facility while her staff manages her day-to-day congressional business.
Although her two trips to Florida to witness the launch of her husband’s space shuttle mission were hailed as significant milestones, she was kept from the public. No photo of her after the shooting has yet been released, but Carusone said that day is coming.
It has been 6 months since Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords suffered a severe gun shot wound to the head and miraculously she survived.In those 6 months she has made great strides in her recovery but it is unknown how much of her life she will regain. According to the report her Chief of Staff,Pia Carusone,it will be a very long while,if ever,Giffords regains her normal life.
During these past 6 months,while Gabrielle Giffords has been fighting for her life and to regain her life,the people of Arizona's 8th Congressional District have gone unrepresented in Congress.It is clear that Congresswoman Giffords will not be able to resume her seat before her term expires at the end of 2012.The people of the 8th District will go almost 2 years without representation and thats not fair to them.
It is time for Gabrielle Giffords to resign her seat in Congress.I know what happened to her was horrible but it is only delaying the inevidentable for her to hold on to this seat.Its the right thing to do.Its right for Miss Giffords and its right for the 8th District too.
“Grim scenes abounded as the homeward-bound North Carolinians rode South. One event in particular must have made [General Bryan] Grimes wonder what was in store for him as a defeated soldier without the means to fight back. According to Grimes’ astute traveling companion, Thomas Devereux:
“A few miles from the forks of the road we came to an old man, Loftin Terrel, his house was on the roadside and he was knee-deep in feathers where [Sherman’s] bummers had ripped open the beds, a yearling and a mule colt were lying dead in the lot; they had been wantonly shot.
Old man Terrel was sitting on his door step, he said there was not a thing left in the house and every bundle of fodder and grain of corn had been carried off; that he had been stripped of everything he owned and he had not a mouthful to eat. They had even killed his dog which was lying dead near the house.”
Atrocities like this were not local,but happened all over the South.Both small and great suffered at the hands of the Union.
The trouble is that lesser men have taken the reins of a great nation and have come to believe that simply because they carry the same title as George Washington, that they also possess the same wisdom, the same temperament, the same qualities as did he. They do not.
Some believe that since they have the ability to make laws as did Jefferson, Madison and Adams that they somehow have an understanding of what makes a society a success. It is the same as a little-leaguer smacking a home run in a small field and comparing himself with Hank Aaron. Yet, the little-leaguer is also a batter who has hit a home run, perhaps even younger than did Hammerin' Hank. The comparison, however, is silly, though through a child's eyes it might not seem ridiculous at all.
Anthony Weiner comes to mind when I think of these lesser men who now roam the halls of our congress, who pass laws for us to abide, who stand between us and the liberty we deserve. Have no doubt, they are the ones who in their limited vision have resorted merely to deprivation of liberty to solve every ill. The founders were greater men, men who understood that liberty must be preserved and that it is the duty of the legislator to achieve liberty while still providing protections of liberty among the populace.
The problem is that we have become a society of lesser men and our elected representatives only reflect the degraded culture we have become.Hopefully we will return to the God of our Founding Fathers and their ideas and principals that have truly made us great and the envy of the whole world.
You know what man? I am, I am going to literally, if she gets elected president, I am going to hang out on the grassy knoll all the time, just loaded and ready, because you know what? It’s for my country. It’s for my country. If I've got to sacrifice myself, it’s for my country.
This is absolutely NOT FUNNY! The left and their cronies in the entertainment industry have constantly malicously maligned Sarah Palin from the moment John McCain chose her to be his running mate in 2008.Not only have they attacked the Govenour,but have also vicously attacked her children,going so far as to question the paternity of Palin's special needs son Trig
This is not only despicable,but also dangerous,in the aftermath of the shootings in Tuscon,AZ.that left Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifords critically wounded with a gun shot to the head.
You don't think this is dangerous,just listen to Sarah's parents,Sally and Chuck Heath,as they describe a specific threat against the Governor's life.Pay careful attention to the look of worry on Sarah's mom,Sally face;
These people "sleep with their guns",because they fear what the left's lunatic fringe might do to Sarah and her family.Yeah this is no laughing matter.
Also,where is the outrage of the MSM over this?They openly held the Governor responsible for Giffords shooting all because she "targeted" Giffords seat as one in which Republicans could flip this past November.Where are they now?
Just imagine if,Christopher Titus,instead of referring to Sarah Palin,but referred to Barack Obama in his sick and twisted "joke"?The MSM would be going ballistic right now.They would be calling for his immediate firing.He would be branded a racist for life and another right wing nut instigating violence.More than likely it would be hard for him to find work in Hollywood every again. .
Comedians are given a lot of leeway with their subjects.It is the nature of comedy to push the envelope and to make fun of things we would normally not make fun of.Christopher Titus has crossed a line here though by making sport of killing Sarah Palin in this political climate.
On this day 67 years ago the Allies landed on the beaches of Normandy and began the liberation of France and Europe from Nazi Germany.God bless all the men who took part in Operation Overlord.To those who are still with us and to those who have passed away and most importantly those who remain there today as silent guardians of liberty,thank you for your service and your bravery,you saved the world from tyranny.
No one has ever paid a better tribute to those brave men as Ronald Reagan did at the 40th anniversary of the battle in 1984;
Howard Dean said this in The Hill about a possible,Sarah Palin,run for the White House;
“Any time you have a contest — particularly when unemployment is as high as it is — nobody gets a walkover,” Dean said. “Whoever the Republicans nominate, including people like Sarah Palin, whom the inside-the-Beltway crowd dismisses — my view is if you get the nomination of a major party, you can win the presidency, I don’t care what people write about you inside the Beltway,” Dean said.
JAMES ARNESS was born in Minneapolis, MN on May 26, 1923 passed away on June 3, 2011 at the age of 88 from natural causes.
He served his country in the army during WWII at Anzio He was wounded in his right leg and received the Purple Heart. He is best known for his role of Marshal Matt Dillon in the TV series Gunsmoke. Gunsmoke ran from 1955-1975 and is still on the air today being discovered by many old and new fans alike.
Over the 20 years of Gunsmoke he worked with 100’s of actors, some of them just starting out like Harrison Ford, Burt Reynolds, Charles Bronson, and Betty Davis.
His acting debut was in a movie called The Farmer’s Daughter opposite Loretta Young. He worked for the John Wayne’s film production company Batjac and made movies with John Wayne including Islands in the Sky, Hondo, The Sea Chase and Big Jim McLain.
The Thing which aired in 1951 is a sci-fi classic and Jim’s 6’7” height made the creature more believable.
He acted in many movies before he started Gunsmoke. Later he went on to do the mini series How the West Was Won and McLain’s Law.
Jim will be deeply missed by his family and friends. In lieu of flowers the family asks that donation be made to United Cerebral Palsy in Jim’s name.
Jim is survived by his wife Janet, 2 sons and six Grandkids. The services will be private for family only.
For my father,when it came to cowboys,their was John Wayne and Matt Dillon and all the rest.In fact if push came to shove he would have chosen Matt Dillon over The Duke,in a very close vote.
My father loved westerns and he especially loved Gunsmoke.When I was little you kept quiet when the news came on or a documentary about WWII came on and especially when Gunsmoke came on,whether it was a brand new episode or a rerun he had seen a thousand times before,you kept quiet.In his last years of life he would get up at 5A.M. just to watch it,he loved it so much.If Gunsmoke had a number 1 fan he was it.
God bless you James Arness and thank you for the wonderful hours of enjoyment you gave my father as Matt Dillon.
Yesterday and today the blogasphere is in an uproar over remarks,Sarah Palin,made concerning Paul Revere's famous midnight ride 236 years ago.Patterico has a nice run down of all the intellginsa,who think Palin is so stupid with her comments about the famous Midnight Rider.In her remarks she said this;
As it turns out, it seems that Mama Grizzly may know more about American history than the media elite.At Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion,Professor,William A. Jacobson,sets all the know it all straight concerning Paul Revere.He quotes from a letter Paul Revere wrote in 1789 of his midnight ride;
I observed a Wood at a Small distance, & made for that. When I got there, out Started Six officers, on Horse back,and orderd me to dismount;-one of them, who appeared to have the command, examined me, where I came from,& what my Name Was? I told him. it was Revere, he asked if it was Paul? I told him yes He asked me if I was an express? I answered in the afirmative. He demanded what time I left Boston? I told him; and aded, that their troops had catched aground in passing the River, and that There would be five hundred Americans there in a short time, for I had alarmed the Country all the way up. He imediately rode towards those who stoppd us, when all five of them came down upon a full gallop; one of them, whom I afterwards found to be Major Mitchel, of the 5th Regiment, Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by name, & told me he was going to ask me some questions, & if I did not give him true answers, he would blow my brains out. He then asked me similar questions to those above. He then orderd me to mount my Horse, after searching me for arms
So it seems Paul Revere really did warn the British after all.Who would have known?Sarah Palin knew!
Also,Professer Jacobson clears up the matter of the gun shots and the ringing of church bells from,David Hackett Fischer's book,"Paul Revere's Ride,"(BTW its an eye opening account of the beginning of the Revolution,if you have not read it.);
"A townsman remembered that 'repeated gunshots, the beating of drums and the ringing of bells filled the air.'.... Along the North Shore of Massachusetts, church bells began to toll and the heavy beat of drums could be heard for many miles in the night air."
Will the MSM apollogize for referring to,Sarah Palin,as an idiot?I wouldn't hold my breath,but as usual,Mama Grizzly,is right more times than she is not.
.......... Kevorkian, 83, died at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he had been hospitalized with kidney and heart problems.
Also;
Death came naturally to the man who’d vowed he’d starve himself rather than endure submit to the state’s authority behind bars.
What a hypocrite!After all these years of preaching his message of "dying with dignity,chooses to hang on to life to the very end and die naturally.Absolute hypocrite!
I hope,Jack Kevorkian,repented before he died,because he has just found out death is only the beginning,not the end.Heaven is real,Hell is hot,and eternity is a long time.
Peter Yastrow,a market strategist for Yastrow Orgier thinks so.He told CNBC this;
"We have many, many homeowners that are totally underwater here and cannot get out from under. The technology frontier is limited right now. We definitely have an innovation slowdown and the economy’s gonna suffer."
"Interest rates are amazingly low and that, thanks to Ben Bernanke, is driving everything," Yastrow said. "We’re on the verge of a great, great depression. The [Federal Reserve] knows it.
In the Great Depression of the 1930's our money was still good.We have all been regaled in stories by our fathers and grandfathers on what they could buy with a nickle,it was just getting the nickle that was the problem.
In this up coming depression it want be hard to get a nickle or a dollar,its just that you will need a fist full of dollars to buy a loaf of bread.Our money has become and will further become worthless.
Via The Decatur Daily News; A Russian brought turmoil to Athens in 1862. Union Col. John Basil Turchin, born Ivan Vasilovitch Turchinov in 1820 near St. Petersburg, Russia, invaded the town May 2 and told his men, "I see nothing for two hours."
DAILY Photo by John Godbey This historic marker ensures the town will never forget that Union Col. Basil Turchin let his men plunder Athens.
During those two hours, his men raped a black woman, scared a pregnant white woman who miscarried and died, and took or destroyed more than $54,000 in property, including about 200 Bibles, which soldiers trampled."Not during the remainder of the war was such wanton destruction of property seen by those men," wrote participant Sgt. George H. Putenney of the 37th Indiana. A once pro-Union town became an enraged town, forcing Turchin's court-martial and delighting in his death in a mental institution. Athens was a strategic site for both armies during the Civil War. The railroad that once took North Alabama cotton to Nashville became the supply route for Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman because it went from Nashville to Decatur, and connected with routes to Chattanooga and Atlanta. The town's destiny with destruction started to unfold April 11, 1862, when the advance guard of Union Brig. Gen. Ormsby M. Mitchel's 3rd Division, Army of the Ohio, took Huntsville. Under Mitchel's command was Turchin, a former colonel in the Imperial Guards of Russia. He immigrated to the United States in the 1850s, and met Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan, who would become commander of the Union army, while working for the Illinois Central Railroad. He gave himself a more American-sounding name. When the Civil War erupted, he became a colonel. Mitchel sent Turchin with the 24th Illinois and 19th Illinois to Decatur. They repaired bridges and culverts, and took Decatur on April 13. Turchin went on to Tuscumbia, took possession and set up his headquarters in Town Creek. Rumor seals fate Athens' fate was sealed by false information that Confederate Col. John S. Scott, 1st Louisiana Cavalry, slipped to a black man known to give information to Union soldiers. Scott told the black man that he had 15,000 troops advancing on Tuscumbia. Turchin heard the rumor and notified Mitchel that he was retreating to Decatur. His troops burned the Decatur railroad bridge. The 18th Ohio Infantry under Col. T.R. Stanley went to Athens to guard the railroad and Limestone Bridge from the Confederates. On May 1, 1862, Scott attacked Stanley's troops. Scott said he drove them to within six miles of Huntsville. "They left their tents standing," Scott reported. He burned the Limestone Bridge between Decatur and Huntsville. Cheers, waving The Confederates "were greeted with cheers and a waving of hats and handkerchiefs by the citizens on the square," wrote Mary Fielding, 29, in her diary. She was a live-in companion for an invalid planter's wife. "The ladies at the tavern brought to light a Confederate flag that hasn't seen the light in some time before, I guess." Fielding also wrote that some citizens assisted Scott's cavalry in driving the Union soldiers from town. Joseph E. Arnold, a bass drummer with the 18th Ohio Regiment, said the citizens treated the soldiers well before the retreat and he saw no demonstrations against the troops during retreat. Yet some members of the 18th Ohio told Mitchel that citizens jeered retreating Union soldiers and fired at them from their rooftops. Citizens burned the Memphis and Charleston Railroad bridge near Mooresville, they reported, and captured a supply train. Mitchel heard they plundered the train, fired at soldiers inside and set it on fire, leaving two trapped Union soldiers to burn to death. Union troops from Mooresville drove the citizens away without their booty. Angered, Mitchel told Turchin's brigade in Huntsville "not to leave even a grease spot" where the community had stood, according to Capt. Knowlton H. Chandler, 19th Illinois Volunteers. Mitchel ordered Turchin, who was in command of the 19th Regiment Illinois Volunteers, 8th Brigade, Army of the Ohio, to drive the Confederate force from Athens. When Turchin arrived in Athens on May 2, Scott had already left. The soldiers marched up Clinton and Washington streets while coach maker William C. McEnary watched. "Col. Turchin ordered us home," McEnary said. "When I looked up at him, he said, 'None of your laughing or jeering,' and . . . ordered me arrested." 'I see nothing . . ." A New York Herald reporter quoted Turchin's famous words to his men, "I see nothing for two hours." Charlotte Hine, a widow, said a soldier told one 14-year-old female slave, "I want to use you." Hine ran into the yard and saw two soldiers rape her. Hine said she helped the girl's mother escape into a thicket, as the soldiers had said they would "have her next." Soldiers also fired inside the home of a Mrs. Hollingsworth and threatened to burn it, causing her to miscarry and subsequently die. They stole or destroyed Bibles, furniture, medical instruments and merchandise. When citizens complained, Mitchel ordered a search of the soldiers' knapsacks and baggage. Officers reported no articles found that regulations did not authorize. When Gen. Don Carlos Buell, commander of the Army of the Ohio, moved his headquarters to Huntsville in June, he launched an investigation into the sack of Athens. He relieved Turchin of command of the 8th Brigade on July 2 and ordered him to report to his regiment with the 19th Illinois Volunteers. Court-martial On July 5, Buell ordered a court-martial, and Turchin submitted his resignation. He wrote, "I was at the head of my brigade everywhere and always on duty. Instead of thanks, I receive insults; therefore I respectfully tender my unconditional resignation." Turchin faced multiple charges and pleaded innocent except to violating regulations by having his wife near battle lines. Turchin requested that the court require witnesses to state under oath whether they were for the Union or Confederate States, and then require them to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States before testifying. The court refused. Brig. Gen. James A. Garfield, a future U.S. president, served on the court-martial panel during the first part of the trial. He also preached at Mooresville Church of Christ at a church elder's request. The elder was an ancestor of local historian Richard Martin. At first, Garfield was appalled by Mitchel and Turchin's actions. 'So black a page' "There has not been found in American history so black a page as that which will bear the record of Gen. Mitchel's campaign in North Alabama," Garfield said. As the trial progressed, however, Garfield changed his mind, saying Turchin had "quite won my heart." Garfield resigned from the panel before the trial ended due to health problems from dysentery. Turchin testified that to protect his men and secure the area, soldiers destroyed some fields and fences, but added that the citizens did not ask for protection. He ordered his men to disarm citizens and take horses for the U.S. military. "Since I have been in the Army, I have tried to teach the Rebels that treason to the Union was a terrible crime," he said. Turchin said his action from "a military point of view at Athens, was done in accordance with military exigencies under the then passing circumstances." "I proved that the extent of depredations committed in Athens was not known by me and was not reported to me by anybody in proper time," Turchin said. "I have been hated everywhere by secessionists in Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, and I consider it to be a good recommendation for a loyal officer." Turchin said he received a report of three soldiers raping a "yellow girl of Mrs. Hine's." Turchin said he found the offender and sent him to the provost marshal at Huntsville, where he was under arrest "some time," then released. Turchin admitted there were instances of insubordination and "other grave offenses," and the men who committed them remained "a long time under arrest in their regiments." Findings of guilt The court found him guilty on all but two counts, the charge of not paying for board and the charge of taking more than adequate provisions from citizens. Turchin's wife, Nadine, persuaded President Lincoln to set aside the verdict and commission him a brigadier general. He returned to Chicago, where citizens welcomed him as a hero. Mary Fielding wrote in her diary, "Twill be done again all over the South where they have the power." Athens citizens did not forget the destruction of their town. When Turchin became deranged and went to the Southern Hospital for the Insane in Anna, Ill., in April 1901, the Athens newspaper's headlines proclaimed, "Gen. Turchin Insane!" "There are none to weep . . . over the dire misfortune that has befallen the Russian renegade," the paper reported. Turchin died at the hospital June 18, 1901. A historical marker at the Limestone County Courthouse ensures the town never forgets the man who came to Athens and shut his eyes for two hours.
Some people refer to the rape of Athens as "trivial" ,but the events that happened there were far from "trivial",it was a beginning of a larger devastation that was to come upon the South.
When Abraham Lincoln "set aside the verdict" and rewarded Turchin with a star on his shoulder,Lincoln sanctioned and commissioned out right war on innocent civilians.The rape of Athens made it possible for men like Sherman and Sheridan to wage a savage war of destruction that was aimed against the innocent and defenceless of society,women,children and the elderly.It allowed an unjust war to become barbaric.
, a review of the Civil War era strongly suggests that economics, not a moral crusade, brought on the war and shaped its aftermath. More specifically, an examination of this period indicates that the evolution of the Northern and Southern economies was the most important factor producing the conflict . . . Now more than ever we must set aside old myths. Economics more than high moral concerns produced the Civil War." ~ 
