2MuchPoliticalPower

1. The Federal Reserve sought to hide its involvement in Bank of America Corp’s acquisition of Merrill Lynch as Merrill’s financial condition worsened, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said on Wednesday. (Watch “Breaking The Bank” from Frontline on PBS — Eye Opening)
2. Limbaugh Blames President Obama for Sanford’s Sex Melodrama. (Hear for yourself)
3.  Legislators in more than a half-dozen states, their revenues evaporating in the recession, frantically worked to stave off government shutdowns and devastating service cuts.
4. Jeremy Scahill on Democracy Now!: Obama Implements Bush Policy in Iraq (video). President George Obama?
5. North Korea will find it increasingly difficult to trade arms due to U.S. moves and U.N. sanctions to punish it for a May nuclear test, but those measure will not end the weapons exports the destitute state relies on for foreign currency, experts said.

Cap & Trade Bill, American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, or Waxman-Markey Bill; whatever you call it — what is in it?

On Friday the House of Representatives had this bill on the floor for discussion.  If you didn’t know, it passed 219-212.  By the way, people of Gilbert, our Representative Jeff Flake (R) “flaked-out” with a No-Vote!

But, it should be noted other rather important events transpired that you should be aware of when this bill was on the floor of the House of Representatives this past Friday. 

First the shameful: Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee Rep. Henry Waxman (D) 30th District of California and co-sponsor (writer) of this ginormous bill sent a 300 plus page addendum, to this already 1,000 page bill, at 3 in the morning, on the day of the vote!  Most of this admendum was bogus and nothing to do with the bill itself (Not mentioning the bill itself is a farce and will affect everyone and everything if it is passed in the Senate).

For this despicable action, House Minority Leader Rep. John Boehner (R) 8th District Ohio, started to recite everything in the newly issued 300 page addendum. 

Around the 17th minute Mr Waxman issued a “parliamentary inquire” against Mr Boehner for speaking longer then he was yielded.  This was rejected twice.  Because, it is an unwritten rule that “leaders” can talked as long as they want about the bill on the floor.

So, Mr Boehner talk for additional 42 minutes!  If you don’t watch all of it watch the last ten minutes, this is historic. [LINK]

Call your Senators and have them Vote NO on HR 2454!

Last week — Sen. John Ensign, R-NV, head of the Republican Policy Committee (offered to resign), chairman of the Policy Committee (resigned), and member of the Christian ministry Promise Keepers — confesses to having an extra-marital affair with another woman — later identified as 46-year-old Cindy Hampton, a former campaign aide. Ensign said the affair began in December 2007 and ended in August 2008.

Today — South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, chairman of the Republican Governors Association (resigned) – admits to having an extramarital affair with a woman living in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Both of whom voiced that President Bill Clinton should have resigned his presidency when he committed adultery in his second term in the late 1990’s.  Mr. Sanford even spoke of it earlier this month in an interview with Fox News, go figure!

Also, both were thinking of running for the Republican nomination for President of The United States in 2012.  I think those prospects are out of the question now, don’t you?

Please read the Letter/Plea sent to the Entertainment Mass Media from Jenny Sanford. [LINK]

1. Home Loan Scamming Is Still Going Strong — and Now You’re Paying for It.
2. George Mason Universities Professor Tyler Cowen writes in The New York Times Something’s Got to Give in Medicare Spending.
3. The Capitalist Manifesto: Greed Is Good (To a point) another great article by Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria.
4. Court gives would-be assassin John Hinckley more freedom: Hinckley may now get a driver’s license and do volunteer work.  (So Wrong)
5. I read this good article written by Joe Scarborough recently in Time Magazine called, “They Only Look Dead” and online the title of this article is called, “How the Republicans Can Come Back”
   

This so-called “Historical Keepsake Photo” of the U.S. Presidents, with Obama as a pair of white eyes on a black background,  was sent out by Sherri Goforth, an aide to Republican State Senator Diane Black(R-TN) – on the taxpayers’ dime yet. Confronted about it, the clueless Goforth explained she “went on the wrong email… and hit the wrong button.” Oh, right, the racist idiocy button. Good one, Goforth. [LINK]

If you notice the “real-43rd President” is also in the this picture (in the back ground).  Nice subliminal message GOP. 

PBS’s FRONTLINE on Tuesday, June 16th called: Breaking The Bank

Alex Tabarrok writes a great post, on Marginal Revolution (an economy blog), Apportioning Blame for the Deficit, using this pie chart:

1. Howard Dean’s Fighting Words for Congressman Phil Gingrey (D-GA)
2. Obama Has 250,000 “Contractors” in Iraq and Afghan Wars, Increases Number of Mercenaries 
3. Health Professionals Tell Congress They Want Single-Payer
4. Progressives Have a Chance to Dominate American Politics for the Next 40 Years
5. Libertarians condemn Obama’s unemployment numbers

From the office of House Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio): 

Democrats’ Bill Would Increase Taxes, Raise Health Care Costs & Ration Care; House Republicans Are Proposing Better Solutions (Today’s Proposal with expanded explanations of each item)

1. A Government Takeover of Health Care

2. Forcing More than 100 Million Out of their Health Care

3. Rationing Health Care Treatments

4. A New Mandate on Individuals

5. A New Mandate on Employers

6. Harming Small Businesse

7. Expanding Entitlements

8. Unfunded Mandates on States

9. How many Taxes will Democrats Raise?

10. Shift Massive New Costs Onto Taxpayers