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Khamenei to Mousavi: toe the line or else
Today's Headlines
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Page 6: Politix
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Page 4: Opinion
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
"Political Courage" - White House Style - The Spin Makers
Posted by: Shusotch Peacock2747 || 06/19/2009 06:55 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Republicans, along with a few Democrats, have been concerned about the White House's methods in removing Walpin. The law requires the president to give Congress 30 days' notice, plus the cause for the firing of an inspector general. In Walpin's case, the White House called Walpin out of the blue, gave him one hour either to resign or be fired, and only later notified Congress, and then without giving any cause for its action. Only later, after a lone Democrat, Sen. Claire McCaskill, said the White House "failed to follow the proper procedure" and requested a written explanation for the firing, did the White House respond.

Maybe they...forgot?
And I'll bet you just made it onto some kinda list, Claire. And not a good one.
Posted by: tu3031 || 06/19/2009 11:05 Comments || Top||

#2  Which would explain why they wanted the IGs to come under the direct control of congress a couple months ago.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 06/19/2009 14:08 Comments || Top||

#3  Under Lenin the troublesome IG would have found that "fired" would have quite a different meaning. We're not that far left - yet.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon || 06/19/2009 14:22 Comments || Top||


Economy
Mich. unemployment rate hits 14.1 percent in May
Michigan's unemployment rate jumped to 14.1 percent in May, its highest mark in nearly 26 years, according to a state report released Wednesday. The monthly seasonally adjusted rate is the highest recorded in the state since reaching 14.2 percent in July 1983. The rate is up from 12.9 percent in April and 8.2 percent a year ago.

The state's job situation likely will get worse as state economists predict Michigan's unemployment rate could average 14 percent this year and more than 15 percent in 2010. The struggles of the domestic auto industry including bankruptcies of Chrysler LLC and General Motors Corp. have hit Michigan particularly hard.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm had warned the latest jobless report would be ugly prior to its release. "It's not good, and it's not unanticipated given what's happening in the automotive sector," Granholm told reporters Wednesday. "As we've said all along, in this summer, things are going to get worse before they get better, and today's unemployment number is a reflection of that."

Several states have not yet reported their May unemployment rates. But Michigan likely will remain the state with the nation's highest jobless percentage.

The national jobless rate was 9.4 percent in May.
Posted by: || 06/19/2009 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUMS > RETAILERS RUN/HEAD TOWARDS THE EXITS IN DETROIT [ + Michigan at large].
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 06/19/2009 0:11 Comments || Top||

#2  The taxpayer is going to end uo infesting billions into Detroit to try to save it instead of letting economics dictate. And we're going to wait as long as possible so as to make that effort more expensive and less effective.
Posted by: Mike N. || 06/19/2009 0:43 Comments || Top||

#3  infesting billions into Detroit

Prolly a typo, but much funnier and closer to the truth this way.
Posted by: SteveS || 06/19/2009 0:53 Comments || Top||

#4  The US is suffering from a lot of bad infestments.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 06/19/2009 1:31 Comments || Top||

#5  The 65 Million that voted for DemObamarats last November made an Infestment in Washington. Wait until next April 15, after you pay your taxes; because of this infestment, you will want "change", after all thats all you will have left in your pocket.
Posted by: Injun Flease7735 || 06/19/2009 6:05 Comments || Top||

#6  Ok Rantburgers, take a look at the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), unemployment and Consumer Price Index (CPI) projections at the link and tell me this is going to get better anytime soon.
Posted by: Shusotch Peacock2747 || 06/19/2009 6:47 Comments || Top||

#7  When FDR Barry begins issuing Gas Ration Stamps or vouchers to "the selective needy" to pay for $9.00 per gallon gasoline, a light may come on. No guarantees however.
Posted by: Besoeker || 06/19/2009 7:29 Comments || Top||

#8  The Detroitification of America has begun. Watching California and Detriot are examples of the Government impact on quality of life. Instead of fixing the problems they allow the cancer to grow to healthier areas.

Sad to watch and experience.
Posted by: airandee || 06/19/2009 8:28 Comments || Top||

#9  Oregon is just behind Michigan. I'm not worrird, though, the rest of the nation will catch up with us by next summer.
Posted by: Richard of Oregon || 06/19/2009 9:30 Comments || Top||

#10  Next year's April 15th is going to be a happy day for me, personally, Shusotch. The government's promised to mug an array of more-productive members of society for the sake of my new split-level condo & its cherry new mortgage.

Of course, April 2011's going to be a day of mourning and penury for yours truly, but them's the breaks.
Posted by: Mitch H. || 06/19/2009 9:46 Comments || Top||

#11  More like locusts, or measured looting.

Mitch, havn't ya heard that tax free day is being extended into August and gonna have taxes due on April 1st?
/sarc, I think
Posted by: swksvolFF || 06/19/2009 13:03 Comments || Top||

#12  Gov. Jennifer Granholm had warned the latest jobless report would be ugly prior to its release. "It's not good, and it's not unanticipated given what's happening in the automotive sector," Granholm told reporters Wednesday. "As we've said all along, in this summer, things are going to get worse before they get better, and today's unemployment number is a reflection of that."

So don't worry about it folks. We knew it was comin, so it's not a big deal. Okay?
Of course, I can say that because I have a job.
Posted by: Gov. Jennifer Granholm || 06/19/2009 14:21 Comments || Top||

#13  And the proposed OWG-NWO GREAT LAKES - and NORTHEAST FREE TRADE ZONES, as per the alleged NORTH AMER HIGHWAY, RUSSIA CONNECTING TO ALASKA = ALCAN, ARCTIC, + OBAMA'S PROPOSED NORTH ATLANTIC LINK TO EUROPE???

Lets not fergit ANTARCTICA = SOUTH POLE.
Posted by: JosephMendiola || 06/19/2009 20:18 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Obama’s Pledge on Donations Faces Reality
Geez, Barry, even the Times is starting to notice fer crissakes...
WASHINGTON -- When President Obama arrived at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a fund-raising reception on Thursday night, the new White House rules of political purity were in order: no lobbyists allowed.

But at the same downtown hotel on Friday morning, registered lobbyists have not only been invited to attend an issues conference with Democratic leaders, but they have also been asked to come with a $5,000 check in hand if they want to stay in good favor with the party's House and Senate re-election committees.

Continued on Page 49
Posted by: tu3031 || 06/19/2009 10:40 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  When in doubt, campaign eh?

Get the feeling that there is concern about 2010 and 2012?
Posted by: swksvolFF || 06/19/2009 15:04 Comments || Top||


Shocker: New Obama appointee has a tax problem
Johnson! Stop the presses!!
Posted by: Beavis || 06/19/2009 10:16 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Posted by: Mike || 06/19/2009 11:13 Comments || Top||

#2  Well, it certainly means they're not the 'little' people. Glad they cleared that point up.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 06/19/2009 11:35 Comments || Top||

#3  Joe the Plumber would have paid penalties and fees for filing late. Especially if the IRS had to be the one to call and say, "hey dummy, where are your tax returns for two years?"

One set of rules for the elite, and another set for the rest of us.
Posted by: Steve White || 06/19/2009 12:09 Comments || Top||

#4  One would think that with the slew of tax problems, now outside the realm of random chance, someone would check with the IRS beforehand. Incompetence or...? Then again with a tax cheat in charge of the IRS....

I like taxes. Fair taxes. They pay for roads, police, military, court system, etc. To not pay your fair share of taxes is to cheat your neighbors. Now, for our kids to pay out their diapers for a car they can't even drive for 16 years after birth, well...
Posted by: swksvolFF || 06/19/2009 14:19 Comments || Top||

#5  I'm almost too shocked for words. I am beyond flabbercastration! These dems who didn't pay taxes during the GWBush administration didn't because they didn't want to support his administration? Or his policies? The new standard is you don't have to pay taxes for anything you don't agree with or believe in? But I thought it was the patriotic thing to do. That's what Biden told us. Confusion says he who has the gold and power makes the rules?
Posted by: JohnQC || 06/19/2009 14:32 Comments || Top||

#6  Paying taxes is patriotic!
Nurse! Where's my tapioca!
Posted by: Joe Biden, Vice President Guy || 06/19/2009 14:37 Comments || Top||

#7  When it comes to taxes I'm with Adam Smith

"Both ground-rents and the ordinary rent of land are a species of revenue which the owner, in many cases, enjoys without any care or attention of his own. Though a part of this revenue should be taken from him in order to defray the expenses of the state, no discouragement will thereby be given to any sort of industry. The annual produce of the land and labour of the society, the real wealth and revenue of the great body of the people, might be the same after such a tax as before. Ground-rents and the ordinary rent of land are, therefore, perhaps, the species of revenue which can best bear to have a peculiar tax imposed upon them."
Posted by: Bright Pebbles || 06/19/2009 18:44 Comments || Top||


Schwarzenegger sends testicle sculpture to Democrats
CALIFORNIA State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried to encourage lawmakers to pass a tough budget by sending them a sculpture of bull's testicles.

Califonia is facing a $US24.3 billion ($30 billion) shortfall this year.

Senate President Darrell Steinberg wasn't amused, sending Schwarzenegger a note in return lecturing him on not taking proceedings seriously.

The steel, football-sized testicles came back, too.

Perhap Mr Steinberg was miffed that the Governator's attempt at humour was better than his own attempt to raise a laugh by sending Arnie a bag of mushrooms.

Schwarzenegger had claimed the Democrats' budget proposals to deal with the shortfall were “hallucinatory”.

Mushrooms? Geddit?

Schwarzenegger and the Democrats have had a somewhat uneasy relationship after he famously termed them "girlie men".

Mr Steinberg's spokeswoman, Alicia Trost, said the relationship between the Governor and the Senate was "good".

"We've got more important things on our plate right now than to waste any more time on such trivial matters," she told The Associated Press.
Posted by: tipper || 06/19/2009 00:06 || Comments || Link || [5 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Senate President Darrell Steinberg wasn't amused, sending Schwarzenegger a note in return lecturing him on not taking proceedings seriously

Snort! Where do I begin?
Posted by: gorb || 06/19/2009 3:31 Comments || Top||

#2  Hey Arnie, good try. You know, I know and most of California knows the Democrats are uniqueeunuchs. Suggest you resend the "sculpture" next door to Nevada. Harry has been missing his for years.
Posted by: Injun Flease7735 || 06/19/2009 5:58 Comments || Top||

#3  Should "hallucinatory democrat" be hyphenated? Just asking.

Hallucinatory-democrat?
Posted by: Besoeker || 06/19/2009 7:34 Comments || Top||

#4  Bosoeker - hallucinatory democrat equates to "normal mental state of a person from the Democratic party".

Have you seen how people with "Obama Biden" stickes drive their cars ?
Posted by: Ebbaving the Scantily Clad3496 || 06/19/2009 7:55 Comments || Top||

#5  Hallucinations complicated by the dreaded and virtually untreatable virus..... Myhandizoutis.

No known cure.
Posted by: Besoeker || 06/19/2009 8:32 Comments || Top||

#6  Plus Cranialanalitis.

Say that fast 3 times.
Posted by: whitecollar redneck || 06/19/2009 9:26 Comments || Top||

#7  The Cali Legislature is apparently dead-set on raising taxes again, despite their trouncing at the polls. They can't take a hint, it appears.

Hint? Sorry, I meant "slap in the face"...
Posted by: mojo || 06/19/2009 10:58 Comments || Top||

#8  Coprocephalia as well....
Posted by: Chemist || 06/19/2009 11:18 Comments || Top||

#9  Arnie's gift was pefectly appropriate, but I'd suggest he could use them for himself, since he has been totally been beaten into submission by the state's democrats and unions. Or maybe he could just go back on steroids.
Posted by: AuburnTom || 06/19/2009 13:39 Comments || Top||

#10  "Whats that?"

"Donno. Governor sent it"

"Looks like a reusable shopping bag. Is it a koala?"

"Might be full money bags, guess we should raise taxes then."
Posted by: swksvolFF || 06/19/2009 13:52 Comments || Top||

#11  The facts being this year the Democrats have painted themselves in a corner. They and they alone have spent the state broke. Right now the leaders are looking (without success) for someway to place the blame on Arnold or the GOP. Once a day one of them gives a press conference and breathlessly says they are going to have to cut services and then runs back into their hole to watch for reactions. So far everyone is cool with the cut in the bloated services and more importantly WHO is getting services. I would propose that before anyone gets welfare, food stamps, disability check, gets a free lunch, or attends public school they need to prove they are here legally. The legislature says that illegals only account for $6 BILLLION in services, so can be sure the figure is much higher.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge || 06/19/2009 15:28 Comments || Top||

#12  Maybe he should have sent them a horse's head for their bed--something they could understand.
Posted by: JohnQC || 06/19/2009 17:08 Comments || Top||

#13  a filleted bass
Posted by: Frank G || 06/19/2009 18:05 Comments || Top||

#14  Are thoe the Balls that I heard vanished fom the Wall Street Bull?

(I heard people were offended so they were removed.)Urban legend?
Posted by: Redneck Jim || 06/19/2009 20:03 Comments || Top||

#15  The Democrats need a 'rectal cranectomy' not just a testicular implant.
Posted by: abu do you love || 06/19/2009 22:51 Comments || Top||


Obama will not endorse Madigan for Senate but encouraging her to run
Though the White House seems to have been on a recruiting mission to get Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to run for the Senate, asked what President Obama, White House chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett were up to when they met with her Friday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama was not going to endorse anyone. But then again Gibbs also said, "the president's not going to get involved in this race," when it seems he has already, by virtue of the meeting.

A Madigan spokesman told me on Wednesday Madigan flew to Washington alone on a commercial jet Friday to discuss a Senate bid. Madigan and Obama were seatmates when they served together Illinois state senate.
Posted by: || 06/19/2009 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  "Madigan and Obama were seatmates" - as in "Hot Seats" (?) or is it the "Big O" and might be challenged on statements he makes supporting her candidacy ? - Ranty minds want to know.
Posted by: Don Vito Chailet8960 || 06/19/2009 8:25 Comments || Top||

#2  I can just picture daisy fields and seat mates running through them. The sun is shining and all is good. Rahm Emanuel is waiting at the end of the path to take them to happy land. Not. Another Chicago thug making their way to the beltway.
Posted by: Art || 06/19/2009 10:37 Comments || Top||


U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Demands Answers on Voter Intimidation Case Dismissal
JENNIFER RUBIN
As was commented upon here at CONTENTIONS, and widely reported and remarked upon elsewhere, the Obama Justice Department took the unusual action last month of dismissing a default judgment against the New Black Panther Party in connection with a case of voter intimidation on Election Day on November 4, 2008. Members of the NBPP were caught on film blocking access to the polls and physically and verbally intimidating voters, even going so far as to wield a nightstick in front of voters and poll watchers. The Justice Department's lawyers gathered evidence, obtained the affidavit of former civil rights advocate Bartle Bull, and filed a complaint. When the defendants did not respond and the court invited the Justice Department to file a default judgment, the case was inexplicably withdrawn.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has now taken up the issue and sent a letter to Loretta King, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, demanding an explanation. By a vote of 4-0 (with one member abstaining for reasons not yet clear), the Commission members voted to send the letter seeking to get to the bottom of this. After setting out the facts which gave rise to the original Justice Department complaint, the Commissioners explain:
Though it had basically won the case and could have submitted a motion for default judgment against the Party and its members for failing to respond to the Division's complaint, the Division took the unusual move of voluntarily dismissing the charges against all but the defendant who waived [sic] the nightstick. Yet even as to that remaining defendant, the only relief the Division requested was weak - an injunction prohibiting him from displaying the weapon within 100 feet of any polling place in Philadelphia. It has since been revealed that one of the defendants had been carrying credentials as a member of, and poll watcher for, the local Democratic committee.
The Commissioners write that the previously announced efforts by the Justice Department to play an aggressive role in enforcing voting rights "ring hollow if they are not accompanied by swift, decisive action to prosecute obvious violators." The Commissioners ask that the Civil Rights Division advise the Commission of the rationale for dismissing the charges against defendants and of its evidentiary and legal standards for dismissing certain charges in cases of alleged voter intimidation." They further ask for information on "any similar cases in which CRD has dismissed charges against a defendant."
Posted by: || 06/19/2009 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  if they were honest the response from DoJ would be,

"We dropped the case because we want to encourage the intimidation of poll watchers. Unless the poll watchers are intimidated we can't maximize the dead vote, the illegal immigrant vote and the felon vote."
Posted by: Lord garth || 06/19/2009 8:26 Comments || Top||

#2  gonna give rise to some unpleasant "blow back" next election
Posted by: Lumpy Thrung3115 || 06/19/2009 12:16 Comments || Top||


Democrats weasel their way round Obamas cash ban
[Iran Press TV Latest] Democrats have found a way round the strict cash ban that US President Barack Obama endorsed on lobbyists, a report says.

Organizers introduced an "Issues Conference" for the morning-after the Democrats Lobbying fundraising dinner that cost USD 5,000 per-person.

The invitations did not only specify the conference was only intended for lobbyists but that it was subject to personal contributions, Politico reported.

An email obtained by Politico disclosed the details of the invitation sent to the Democrat lobbyists. "The Issues Conference is separate from the DSCC/DCCC events with President Obama."

Obama refuses to attend fundraising events that lobbyist are allowed to contribute cash, so organizers will not be able to collect money at Thursday night's dinner being held at the Tony Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

The president, however, would not be present at the conference, allowing the Democrats to dash in an estimated USD 3 million from the lobbyists.

The Democrats that had rejected Republicans ways at their fundraising event are now using the same method, although Democrats say Obama has not lifted a finger in promoting the event.
Posted by: Fred || 06/19/2009 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I'm agreeing with Iran Press TV? Who'd'a'thunk it?
Posted by: Glenmore || 06/19/2009 1:34 Comments || Top||



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Meet the Mods
In no particular order...
Steve White
Seafarious
tu3031
badanov
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Two weeks of WOT
Fri 2009-06-19
  Khamenei to Mousavi: toe the line or else
Thu 2009-06-18
  Iran cracks down
Wed 2009-06-17
  Mousavi calls day of mourning for Iran dead
Tue 2009-06-16
  Hundreds of thousands of Iranians ask: 'Where is my vote?'
Mon 2009-06-15
  Tehran Election Protest Turns Deadly: Unofficial results show Ahmedinejad came in 3rd
Sun 2009-06-14
  Ahmadinejad's victory 'real feast': Khamenei
Sat 2009-06-13
  Mousavi arrested
Fri 2009-06-12
  Iran votes: Not a pretty sight
Thu 2009-06-11
  Gitmo Uighurs in Bermuda
Wed 2009-06-10
  Foopy becomes first Gitmo boy to stand trial in US
Tue 2009-06-09
  Truck bomb and gunnies attack 5-star Peshawar hotel
Mon 2009-06-08
  March 14 Maintains Parliamentary Majority in Record Turnout
Sun 2009-06-07
  30 MILF banged, camp seized
Sat 2009-06-06
  32 dead in mosque Pakaboom
Fri 2009-06-05
  Sufi Muhammad arrested


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