Note to the MSM--IT'S THE DEMS FAULT!

Just some rational logic for you, folks....

 The day the Democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009; it was actually January 3rd 2007 the day the Democrats took over the House of  Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress.

The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the  first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.

 For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy  that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this:January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and  the Congress.

 At the time: 
The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77
 The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%
 The Unemployment rate was 4.6%
 George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of
 JOB GROWTH!

 January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House
 Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate
 Banking Committee.

 The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part
of the economy?


 BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!
  Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in
 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy.

 And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac?
 OBAMA!

 And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie?
 OBAMA and the Democrat Congress!

 Budgets do not come from the White House.
 They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since
 January 2007 is the Democratic Party.
 Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 &
 2009 as well as 2010 & 2011.  In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases.
 
 For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets.  And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009.   If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five  years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.

 If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted  for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January
 20th.

So, Mr. Obama, when you talk about the deficit and refer to the tired old policies of the past....you are not talking about Mr. Bush, even though he indeed did have a hand in increasing the debt.  No, sir, you are talking about yourself and your cronies in the Congress.  So, sir, when it comes to this crappy economy, homes underwater, and unemployment, not only do you and Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Democrats own it, YOU BUILT THAT!

It Would Be Nice If We Had Democrats Committed to America

That is a paraphrase of the latest tripe from the lips of Debbie WasAMan Schultz, DNC chair. In an attack on Romney, she said that it would be nice if we had a presidential candidate committed to America. Of course, she didn't say Obama was committed to America (which we know he is only committed to remaking America into a communist dictatorship), but she meant that Romney is not committed to America because he has some investments in banks overseas. Hey Debs, guess what? Mitt cannot control exactly where his money is. Remember, he has a BLIND TRUST! Meaning, he doesn't get to decide where the money goes. You and Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, do get to decide where your money goes....and let's see. First, from The Weekly Standard:

Disclosure forms reveal that Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a member of Congress from Florida, previously held funds with investments in Swiss banks, foreign drug companies, and the state bank of India. This revelation comes mere days after the Democratic chair attacked presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for holding money in Swiss bank accounts in the past.But disclosure forms reveal that in 2010, Wasserman Schultz invested between $1,001-$15,000 in a 401k retirement fund run by Davis Financial Fund. As the fund discloses, it is invested in the Julius Baer Group Ltd. and the State Bank of India GDR Ltd., as well as other financial, insurance, bank institutions.

Gee, Debbie, why didn't you invest in America? But your fearless leader, Nancy Pelosi, she isn't committed to America, either...fromthe Daily Caller :

we can add Nancy Pelosi to the list of prominent Democrats to profit from overseas investments.

According to Pelosi’s 2011 financial disclosure statement, the Democratic House Minority Leader received between $1 million and $5 million in partnership income from ”Matthews International Capital Management LLC,” a group that emphasizes that it has a “A Singular Focus on Investing in Asia.” A quick trip to the company website reveals a featured post extolling the virtues of outsourcing.

“Designed in California, Made in Manila” sounds like an excellent title for a smear ad to be run the by the Barack Obama campaign. Instead, it appears to be Nancy Pelosi’s investment strategy.

Pelosi is also a small investor in the embattled “Moduslink Global,” one of the “outsourcing pioneers” that Mitt Romney has been criticized for associating with while at Bain Capital.

It’s not surprising that a wealthy politician would invest globally (nor should it be considered problematic). This is interesting because of the attacks on Mitt Romney’s investments — because Obama purportedly believes in the virtues of “insourcing” and anti-globalization. (Obama appears to be running on a protectionist platform that went out of style with Canadian tuxedos)

Obama sure can preach the economic nationalism, but it doesn’t appear his fellow leaders and surrogates are buying the message.

If they aren’t, why should other Americans?

Of course, these are two idiots who said we had to pass a bill to find out what is in it. And then there is Obama and all his mysterious foreign donors, etc.....Gee, Mr. Obama, why aren't you committed to America?

Students Get Betrayed On Loans By Obama

Remember when Obama said he was going to make education more affordable? Remember when all those idiotic "student types" between the ages of 18-25 voted for him? Wonder how they are feeling now that Obama has taken away an important subsidy? And it was his "Grand Bargain" with Harry Reid, B**ch McConnell, Boehner and Pelosi that did it! From USA Today:

To pay for that, graduate students who get federally subsidized loans would see the interest on those loans begin to accrue while they're still in school, beginning July 1 next year. Currently, that interest doesn't begin accruing until the students graduate. That saves lots of money for doctoral candidates, medical school students, law students and others in long-term graduate programs

So, we are going to give the money that would have went to these people seeking to better their education and retrain themselves to people who are most likely going to drop out of college anyway. Nice! This is a bad deal for people who have already gone through college, and are out there trying to get advanced degrees or post graduate degrees to find a job. Nice work, Obama. Now, as you struggle through grad school and live on ramen noodles and stale milk, Thank Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Boehner, and McConnell.

ht to Tax Prof Blog.

Who Are The Profiteers of the Recession? Democrats

Funny, I thought Democrats and Liberals were for the 'little guy,' that they feel our pain. How much pain is Nancy Pelosi feeling when her wealth has grown 62%?!? Has your wealth grown 62%? So, who profits off the suffering of the populace? Democrats! From the Hill:

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saw her net worth rise 62 percent last year, cementing her status as one of the wealthiest members of Congress.

Pelosi was worth at least $35.2 million in the 2010 calendar year, according to a financial disclosure report released Wednesday. She reported a minimum of $43.4 million in assets and about $8.2 milion in liabilities.

For 2009, Pelosi reported a minimum net worth of $21.7 million.

Now, the article also says John Boehner made some more money, but nowhere near a gain of 62%!

Weiner Update: Pelosi Loves the Weiner, and A New Weiner Examination

Nancy Pelosi refuses to take much of a stand on Anthony Weiner. She thinks he can stay:

Amid increasing calls for Rep. Anthony Weiner to resign, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says the decision should be up to the congressman and his New York constituents.

The former speaker said in San Francisco that she believes the decision should be made by "the individual member" and the people in his district.

Weiner, a seven-term Democrat, has admitted sending sexually explicit photos and messages over the Internet to a half dozen women over the past three years. Pelosi has asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate whether Weiner used any government resources.

But Nancy, do you love a weiner that shows itself to little girls? From Delaware:

NEW CASTLE, Del. -- Police here are investigating direct online communications between New York Rep. Anthony Weiner and a 17-year-old girl and are looking for any other young women who may be involved, though the nature of the communications wasn't immediately clear.

The police probe comes as Weiner, who is married, fends off calls from both sides of the aisle in Congress for him to quit after he admitted to lying about his inappropriate online and phone communications with a half dozen women.

Weiner's interactions with the Delaware girl "were neither explicit nor indecent," Weiner spokeswoman Risa Heller said Friday night.

Two officers from the New Castle County Police Department arrived at the high school junior's home around 4:30 p.m. Friday and asked to speak with the girl's mother about the daughter's contact with Weiner, the disgraced Democrat. Another officer appeared at the home a short time later. A FoxNews.com reporter was at the home when the police arrived.

The girl, whose name is being withheld because she is a minor, told FoxNews.com, "I'm doing OK."


The police left the home after about 30 minutes, followed by the daughter and mother, who left in a separate car. It was not clear if the mother and daughter were going to continue the conversation with police at another location.

Sources close the student said the girl followed Weiner on Twitter after seeing him speak during a school trip to Washington on April 1. Weiner, after signing on to follow the girl's Twitter feed, direct-messaged the girl on April 13, the sources said, though it is not clear what other communication the two may have had between or after those dates. Weiner no longer follows the girl on Twitter.

At a news conference Monday, Weiner responded to mounting reports of inappropriate online communications by admitting he had sent lewd photos and sexually suggestive messages to six women through social networking sites over a three-year period.

Pelosi Global Warming Panel Axed! Thank You New Republican Majority

I am feeling better about Republican leadership in the House day by day. Globaloney(tm)panel to be eliminated:

House Republicans will scrap the committee set up by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate global warming, the panel’s top Republican announced Wednesday.

Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) made official what many had already expected – the GOP majority will axe the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which Pelosi created in 2007.

“This hearing will be the last of the select committee,” Sensenbrenner announced.

Good, investigating the causes of a hoax just wastes the taxpayer dime anyway, I say.

PIC: Boehner on Phone with Obama After Election

For me, this pic is what the national elections story was all about...

Now, I can look forward to the reverse of this picture...

...and O what a Sweet Day that will be...

MUST READ: "Ted Strickland's Rusty Vision: Democrats are at War with Ohio Industry"

Mytheos Holt over at National Review has writted the MUST READ piece of the day entitled "Ted Strickland's Rusty Vision."

What Ohio can’t afford is more abuse from Strickland’s party. At the national level, the Democratic economic agenda is set by Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, whose fantasies about green jobs and hostility to trade are doing no favors to struggling Rust Belt economies. Meanwhile, Strickland’s own program is fundamentally at loggerheads with the economic-development strategy currently being pursued by the very Ohio Department of Development the governor was so eager to praise.

Currently, the department works from a model that emphasizes the comparative advantages of Ohio’s major cities by designating them “centers of excellence” or “hubs” of various industries. So far, seven such hubs have been named, the most recent being Columbus, which was designated the Ohio Hub of Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Storage. The other centers are the Youngstown Entrepreneurial Hub of Advanced Materials Commercialization and Software Development, the Akron Biomaterials Commercialization Hub, the Cincinnati Consumer Marketing Hub of Innovation, the Toledo Northwest Ohio Solar Energy Innovation Hub, the Cleveland Health and Technology Corridor Hub, and the Ohio Aerospace Hub in Dayton.

Without exception, every single one of the industries attached to these “hubs” has been handicapped or soon will be handicapped by either the Democratic legislative agenda or Strickland’s own actions.

Read the whole thing here.

Dems: "OK, There Maybe, Might Be, Could Be...."

...a double dip recession after all. After telling us in earlier this year that there was little to no chance of a double dip recession, Dems are now trying to scare people with the idea so as to get another money wasting and job killing porkulus package done. From The Hill:

Democrats are starting to warn of major risks to the economy after months of downplaying the threat of a double-dip recession. In letters, interviews, and public statements, President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other senior Democrats are now raising red flags that the economy could falter without additional stimulus efforts.

Obama urged congressional leaders in mid-June to pass an extension of tax breaks and unemployment benefits, and up to $50 billion in aid for states and local governments. Without Congress acting, Obama said the economy could “slide backwards.”

Two weeks later, in an interview with the Huffington Post, Pelosi said that absent new federal help, “we could slip back and have another recession, and if we do it’s harder to come back.”

Funny, I thought we didn't need to worry because this summer the porkulus and all the previous federal spending would kick in and we would have jobs galore and the unicorns would be farting ozone that would plug up the hole and the ice caps would refreeze and the seas would go down.....wait, you mean porkulus didn't work? Aw, snap, let's do it again. Now, what is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? Check.

On Feb. 7, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner downplayed any such threat on ABC’s “This Week”.

“I think we, we have much, much lower risk of that today than at any time over the last 12 months or so,” Geithner said.

The shift in rhetoric and emphasis comes as Democrats head into tough midterm elections, in which Republicans charge the majority has failed to shore up the economy. According to a series of Pew polls, only one-third of voters believe the 2009 stimulus package helped the economy and less than half say additional spending would help a lot.

Over the last year, the percentage of voters in Pew polls that believe Obama’s economic policies have made the economy worse has risen from 16 percent to 29 percent. Democrats argue Republicans are scuttling their efforts to improve the economy.

And how are they supposed to do that? Dems have clear majorities in BOTH Houses AND the White House!!!!!!!! Wouldn't it be nice to actually hear some responsibility for a change, instead of rhetoric akin to this:


Let's just see what stimulus has wrought, yes? To wit:

The Labor Department reported on Friday that the economy gained 83,000 private sector jobs but lost a total of 125,000 jobs because of a decline in the number of temporary workers on the 2010 Census.

The U.S. economy has gained nearly 600,000 private sector jobs this year, but the numbers have slowed in the last two months. The private sector was gaining roughly 200,000 private-sector jobs per month in March and April, but has only gained a total of 123,000 over the past two months.

The unemployment rate dipped in June to 9.5 percent, but the decrease is more a matter of how the rate is calculated than a decisive improvement in the economy. Fewer people were actively searching for jobs in June, leading to the decline in the unemployment rates.

The economy last month posted 7.9 million fewer jobs than in December 2007, when economists date the beginning of the recession. Many economists suggest the recession ended in the third quarter of 2009, but the official body that makes that determination has yet to announce an end.

The labor market weakness follows similarly tough reports on the nation’s housing and manufacturing markets. Consumer confidence numbers have declined, and stock markets have slumped. The Standard & Poor’s 500 is off roughly 16 percent since its 52-week high in April.

And despite controlling 2 of the 3 branches of federal government, Barry and Nancy and Harry would have us believe that it is all the fault of Republicans and those damned bitter clingers. Uh huh.....right.....

Boehner Bulletins: No Budget, Obamacare

John Boehner is working hard to keep the people of his district and the nation informed of the horrendous things going on in DC. In this latest update, he discusses that for the first time in modern history, there will be no budget from the House this year:

In light of House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s (D-MD) announcement this morning that House Democrats will not pass a budget this year – failing to fulfill what he has called “the most basic responsibility” of governing – the following important fiscal health warning has been issued:

THE BUDGET HAS BEEN

CANCELLED

WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT

THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET

PLANNED FOR FISCAL YEAR 2011 HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WASHINGTON DEMOCRATS’ OUT-OF-CONTROL SPENDING SPREE.

AN APOLOGY FOR THIS BETRAYAL OF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE FORTHCOMING AT THIS TIME.

BE ADVISED THAT THE FOLLOWING SERVICES WILL BE INTERRUPTED:

Imposing the fiscal discipline economists say is needed to create jobs and boost our economy

Reining in the out-of-control spending spree that is killing American jobs

Carrying out the “most basic responsibility of governing”

Stopping middle-class tax hikes that will sock family budgets at the worst possible time

Providing the leadership on jobs and the economy that Americans say is sorely lacking

Protecting our kids and grandkids from the enormous debt burden Washington has placed on them

We reserve the right to notify you of additional consequences that may arise in light of this budget failure, which is unprecedented in the modern era. In the interim, please brace for more spending, more debt, more tax hikes, more broken promises.

For families and small businesses looking for a government that listens to the people it serves and respects their hard-earned money, House Republicans are offering better solutions to cut spending now and help small businesses put people back to work.

Think that blows? Oh, it gets worse. Obamacare is really going to hit Ohio hard:

Just in time for the upcoming three month anniversary of the signing of President Obama’s new health care law, the state of Ohio has determined that taxpayers will be forced to foot the bill for millions of dollars in additional costs to expand Medicaid under the new law. The Columbus Dispatch reports:

The sharp Medicaid expansion under the new federal health-care law will cost Ohio taxpayers $1.45 billion from 2014 through 2019, according to projections released to The Dispatch yesterday by the state.

Job and Family Services spokesman Benjamin Johnson said the agency estimates that Ohio's cost in 2014 will be $190 million and $267 million the next year. By 2019, the state cost will reach an estimated $332 million.

As Ohio prepares to face an estimated $8 billion budget deficit in an already difficult economy, this additional burden is the last thing the state needs. Throughout the debate over health care, Congressman Boehner and fellow Ohio members of Congress repeatedly warned Governor Ted Strickland (D) about the unfunded mandates that could be forced on Ohio under the president’s plan. On October 20, 2009 the members wrote:

Many other governors, Democratic and Republican, have gone on the record with their clear opposition to this plan due to the harmful effect it will have on the people of their states. As Dennis Smith of the Heritage Foundation wrote recently: 'One day perhaps, Congress will realize that expanding Medicaid comes at the expense of other state and federal priorities including education and the child welfare system. As Medicaid grows, funding for other programs shrink, which in turn, increases demand for Medicaid to become the source of funding for those other programs. Only the governors have the clout to push back and break the vicious cycle that. . .threatens to bankrupt the states.'

For this reason, we respectfully ask that you express clear opposition on behalf of our state to the legislation moving through Congress.

Despite these warnings, Gov. Strickland refused to stand up for Ohio taxpayers, and instead enthusiastically endorsed the president’s proposal. Now taxpayers will be forced to pick up the tab.

The more that Ohioans learn about all the mandates, tax hikes, and Medicare cuts in the president’s new health care law, the more they want nothing to do with it. Recent surveys have found that 59 percent of Ohioans want the president’s costly new health care law repealed.

Earlier this week, House Republicans adopted an idea from Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) on AmericaSpeakingOut.com that would have repealed the unconstitutional individual mandate at the core of the president’s health care law and offered it for an up or down vote in Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rallied her members to defeat the measure 187-230.

"Hey, Imma letcha finish but..."

INFO: New Federal Bureaucracies Created in Pelosi Health Care Bill

The House Republican Conference has compiled a list of all the 118 new boards, bureaucracies, commissions, and programs created in H.R. 3962, Speaker Pelosi’s government takeover of health care:



1. Retiree Reserve Trust Fund (Section 111(d), p. 61)

2. Grant program for wellness programs to small employers (Section 112, p. 62)

3. Grant program for State health access programs (Section 114, p. 72)

4. Program of administrative simplification (Section 115, p. 76)

5. Health Benefits Advisory Committee (Section 223, p. 111)

6. Health Choices Administration (Section 241, p. 131)

7. Qualified Health Benefits Plan Ombudsman (Section 244, p. 138)

8. Health Insurance Exchange (Section 201, p. 155)

9. Program for technical assistance to employees of small businesses buying Exchange coverage (Section 305(h), p. 191)

10. Mechanism for insurance risk pooling to be established by Health Choices Commissioner (Section 306(b), p. 194)

11. Health Insurance Exchange Trust Fund (Section 307, p. 195)

12. State-based Health Insurance Exchanges (Section 308, p. 197)

13. Grant program for health insurance cooperatives (Section 310, p. 206)

14. “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 321, p. 211)

15. Ombudsman for “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 321(d), p. 213)

16. Account for receipts and disbursements for “Public Health Insurance Option” (Section 322(b), p. 215)

17. Telehealth Advisory Committee (Section 1191 (b), p. 589)

18. Demonstration program providing reimbursement for “culturally and linguistically appropriate services” (Section 1222, p. 617)

19. Demonstration program for shared decision making using patient decision aids (Section 1236, p. 648)

20. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicare (Section 1301, p. 653)

21. Independent patient-centered medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302, p. 672)

22. Community-based medical home pilot program under Medicare (Section 1302(d), p. 681)

23. Independence at home demonstration program (Section 1312, p. 718)

24. Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research (Section 1401(a), p. 734)

25. Comparative Effectiveness Research Commission (Section 1401(a), p. 738)

26. Patient ombudsman for comparative effectiveness research (Section 1401(a), p. 753)

27. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1412(b)(1), p. 784)

28. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for nursing facilities (Section 1412 (b)(2), p. 786)

29. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (Section 1413(a)(3), p. 796)

30. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (Section 1413(b)(3), p. 804)

31. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (Section 1422, p. 859)

32. Demonstration program for approved teaching health centers with respect to Medicare GME (Section 1502(d), p. 933)

33. Pilot program to develop anti-fraud compliance systems for Medicare providers (Section 1635, p. 978)

34. Special Inspector General for the Health Insurance Exchange (Section 1647, p. 1000)

35. Medical home pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1722, p. 1058)

36. Accountable Care Organization pilot program under Medicaid (Section 1730A, p. 1073)

37. Nursing facility supplemental payment program (Section 1745, p. 1106)

38. Demonstration program for Medicaid coverage to stabilize emergency medical conditions in institutions for mental diseases (Section 1787, p. 1149)

39. Comparative Effectiveness Research Trust Fund (Section 1802, p. 1162)

40. “Identifiable office or program” within CMS to “provide for improved coordination between Medicare and Medicaid in the case of dual eligibles” (Section 1905, p. 1191)

41. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (Section 1907, p. 1198)

42. Public Health Investment Fund (Section 2002, p. 1214)

43. Scholarships for service in health professional needs areas (Section 2211, p. 1224)

44. Program for training medical residents in community-based settings (Section 2214, p. 1236)

45. Grant program for training in dentistry programs (Section 2215, p. 1240)

46. Public Health Workforce Corps (Section 2231, p. 1253)

47. Public health workforce scholarship program (Section 2231, p. 1254)

48. Public health workforce loan forgiveness program (Section 2231, p. 1258)

49. Grant program for innovations in interdisciplinary care (Section 2252, p. 1272)

50. Advisory Committee on Health Workforce Evaluation and Assessment (Section 2261, p. 1275)

51. Prevention and Wellness Trust (Section 2301, p. 1286)

52. Clinical Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1295)

53. Community Prevention Stakeholders Board (Section 2301, p. 1301)

54. Grant program for community prevention and wellness research (Section 2301, p. 1305)

55. Grant program for research and demonstration projects related to wellness incentives (Section 2301, p. 1305)

56. Grant program for community prevention and wellness services (Section 2301, p. 1308)

57. Grant program for public health infrastructure (Section 2301, p. 1313)

58. Center for Quality Improvement (Section 2401, p. 1322)

59. Assistant Secretary for Health Information (Section 2402, p. 1330)

60. Grant program to support the operation of school-based health clinics (Section 2511, p. 1352)

61. Grant program for nurse-managed health centers (Section 2512, p. 1361)

62. Grants for labor-management programs for nursing training (Section 2521, p. 1372)

63. Grant program for interdisciplinary mental and behavioral health training (Section 2522, p. 1382)

64. “No Child Left Unimmunized Against Influenza” demonstration grant program (Section 2524, p. 1391)

65. Healthy Teen Initiative grant program regarding teen pregnancy (Section 2526, p. 1398)

66. Grant program for interdisciplinary training, education, and services for individuals with autism (Section 2527(a), p. 1402)

67. University centers for excellence in developmental disabilities education (Section 2527(b), p. 1410)

68. Grant program to implement medication therapy management services (Section 2528, p. 1412)

69. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors in underserved communities (Section 2530, p. 1422)

70. Grant program for State alternative medical liability laws (Section 2531, p. 1431)

71. Grant program to develop infant mortality programs (Section 2532, p. 1433)

72. Grant program to prepare secondary school students for careers in health professions (Section 2533, p. 1437)

73. Grant program for community-based collaborative care (Section 2534, p. 1440)

74. Grant program for community-based overweight and obesity prevention (Section 2535, p. 1457)

75. Grant program for reducing the student-to-school nurse ratio in primary and secondary schools (Section 2536, p. 1462)

76. Demonstration project of grants to medical-legal partnerships (Section 2537, p. 1464)

77. Center for Emergency Care under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (Section 2552, p. 1478)

78. Council for Emergency Care (Section 2552, p 1479)

79. Grant program to support demonstration programs that design and implement regionalized emergency care systems (Section 2553, p. 1480)

80. Grant program to assist veterans who wish to become emergency medical technicians upon discharge (Section 2554, p. 1487)

81. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (Section 2562, p. 1494)

82. National Medical Device Registry (Section 2571, p. 1501)

83. CLASS Independence Fund (Section 2581, p. 1597)

84. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (Section 2581, p. 1598)

85. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (Section 2581, p. 1602)

86. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1610)

87. National Women’s Health Information Center (Section 2588, p. 1611)

88. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1614)

89. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women’s Health and Gender-Based Research (Section 2588, p. 1617)

90. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1618)

91. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health (Section 2588, p. 1621)

92. Personal Care Attendant Workforce Advisory Panel (Section 2589(a)(2), p. 1624)

93. Grant program for national health workforce online training (Section 2591, p. 1629)

94. Grant program to disseminate best practices on implementing health workforce investment programs (Section 2591, p. 1632)

95. Demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (Section 3101, p. 1717)

96. Demonstration program for substance abuse counselor educational curricula (Section 3101, p. 1719)

97. Program of Indian community education on mental illness (Section 3101, p. 1722)

98. Intergovernmental Task Force on Indian environmental and nuclear hazards (Section 3101, p. 1754)

99. Office of Indian Men’s Health (Section 3101, p. 1765)

100. Indian Health facilities appropriation advisory board (Section 3101, p. 1774)

101. Indian Health facilities needs assessment workgroup (Section 3101, p. 1775)

102. Indian Health Service tribal facilities joint venture demonstration projects (Section 3101, p. 1809)

103. Urban youth treatment center demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1873)

104. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for diabetes prevention (Section 3101, p. 1874)

105. Grants to Urban Indian Organizations for health IT adoption (Section 3101, p. 1877)

106. Mental health technician training program (Section 3101, p. 1898)

107. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (Section 3101, p. 1909)

108. Program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims and perpetrators (Section 3101, p. 1925)

109. Program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (Section 3101, p. 1927)

110. Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1966)

111. Committee for the Establishment of the Native American Health and Wellness Foundation (Section 3103, p. 1968)

112. Grant program for mental health and substance abuse screening (Manager’s Amendment, p. 31)

113. Centers for Disease Control Office of Minority Health (Manager’s Amendment, p. 35)

114. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Manager’s Amendment, p. 35)

115. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Minority Health (Manager’s Amendment, p. 36)

116. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Minority Health (Manager’s Amendment, p. 36)

117. Food and Drug Administration Office of Minority Health (Manager’s Amendment, p. 36)

118. Outreach program to increase awareness of diabetes screening benefits (Manager’s Amendment, p. 39)

51% of People Fear Govt More than Insurance Companies on Healthcare

Gosh, what was it Thomas Jefferson said about these type of situations? Hmmm...Oh yeah...

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Well, gee, a majority of Americans fear their government, according to Rasmussen, so I will let that speak for itself when it tells me how close to liberty or tyranny we are.....But here are the details from Rasmussen Reports:

When it comes to health care decisions, 51% of the nation’s voters fear the federal government more than private insurance companies. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% hold the opposite view and fear the insurance companies more. Seven percent (7%) are not sure who they fear the most.

Most of those who attend church at least once a month fear the government more. Those who rarely or never attend church or religious services fear private insurance companies more.


While 41% fear the insurance companies more than the government, just 25% agree with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that health insurance companies are "villains."


Recent polling has shown that the public is fairly evenly divided about the health insurance proposals being made by the president and congressional leaders of his party. However, those who feel strongly about the issue are more likely to oppose the effort.


As Congress has debated potential reforms, confidence in U.S. health care system has increased. Just 19% of Americans now rate the overall system as poor while 48% say it’s good or excellent.
Most voters believe that middle class tax cuts are more important than new spending on health care.

Boehner Responds to Pelosi and Hoyer on "unAmerican" Town Hallers

From Matt's Congressman, My House Minority Leader, and a Great American, John Boehner, responding to the disgusting and statist comments by Nancy "Nazi" Pelosi and Steny "What? Me Read Bill? Hoyer in a USA Today OpEd:

“For months, House Democratic leaders have worked to silence any opposing views in this health care debate, both here in Washington and around the country where millions of Americans are struggling in this economy. Every poll taken in the last month shows that a majority of Americans are concerned about, if not outright opposed to, the Democrats’ plan because of the cost and consequences it would mean for their own health care. Each public forum should give every participant the opportunity to express their views, but to label Americans who are expressing vocal opposition to the Democrats’ plan “un-American” is outrageous and reprehensible.

“The American people deserve answers to basic questions about whether the Democrats’ plan will increase health care costs, add to the deficit, increase taxes on middle-class families and small businesses, put government between doctors and patients, force anyone to lose their current health coverage, kill jobs, promote taxpayer-funded abortion, or cut Medicare. The fact is Democrats have not been able to address the very real concerns the American people have.

“It’s time for Democrats to start listening. When we return to Washington in September, Democrats should scrap their costly plan and finally work on bipartisan reforms that give Americans what they are seeking: better access to affordable care.”

Right on! Right on! And how about calling for an apology and resignation? How about telling the American people what the real problems with healthcare are (overregulation by states that stifle interstate competition and excessive lawsuits) with some real conservative solutions?

Yet Another Health Care Update: Pelosi Has a Target

The insurance industry had about 2.3 million wage and salary jobs in 2006. Insurance carriers accounted for 62 percent of jobs, while insurance agencies, brokerages, and providers of other insurance-related services accounted for 38 percent of jobs. -- Bureau of Labor Statistics

Quoth Nancy Pelosi (POLITICO):

“Of course, they’ve been immoral all along,” she added. “They are the villains in this. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening, and the public has to know. They have had a good thing going for a long time at the expense of the American people and the health of our country.”

If given the chance, she would eliminate all 2.3 million jobs in the insurance industry.

Some of these folks make a little over $11/hour. These are the people Pelosi claims are the problem. Is it immoral to have a job, Madame Speaker?

Don't be fooled...

UPDATE: Of course... Speaker Will Keep 'Villains' Money ...I am shocked -- SHOCKED -- to find gambling in this establishment...

Working Together For Americans on Healthcare? Dems Say NEVER!

This in from Matt's congressman, House Minority Leader, and a Great American, John Boehner:

The Democratic leadership in Congress appears determined to produce a costly, job-killing health care bill that few outside the Washington Beltway support. For evidence, one need only look at the long list of common-sense changes House Republicans proposed this month while the bill was being considered by the Ways & Means, Energy & Commerce, and Education & Labor Committees. These amendments, which were designed to make the health care bill more palatable to the American people, were unceremoniously crushed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her committee chairmen with little public attention or debate. Here are 31 common-sense health care amendments that were offered by Republican legislators in committee, but killed by the Democratic leadership

Here are some of the common sense measures deemed bad by the idiotiarian "too stupid to read our own bills" Democrats:

Stop the government-run health plan. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered an amendment to improve the Democratic legislation by taking out the section of the bill that would create a government-run health plan to compete with private sector health plans. Reps. Phil Roe (R-TN) and John Kline (R-MN) offered similar amendments in the Education & Labor Committee. The GOP amendments were all killed in committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and her chairmen.

Prevent bureaucrats from making personal medical decisions for patients. Rep. Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-GA) offered an amendment in the Energy & Commerce Committee to bar federal political appointees and bureaucrats from intervening in patient treatment decisions. The Gingrey amendment would have ensured patients and doctors remain as the sole individuals responsible for making these critical decisions. Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) led Democrats in opposition to the amendment, which was defeated.

Require all Members of Congress to get their health insurance through the proposed government-run plan. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV) offered an amendment in the Ways & Means Committee that would have required Members of Congress to enroll immediately in the government-run health plan that would be established under the Democratic bill. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) offered an amendment to put his committee on the record in support of enrolling Members of Congress in the government-run plan as well. While the Wilson amendment was approved by voice vote in the Education & Labor Committee, the Heller amendment was killed in the Ways & Means Committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel.

Keep the federal government out of health care decisions. Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA) offered an amendment to prohibit the federal government from conducting so-called comparative effectiveness research, in which the federal government would ultimately help determine which medical treatments are administered to whom in America – otherwise known as government rationing of health care. The Herger amendment was killed at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel. Days later, in a July 22 prime-time press conference, President Obama told the nation the health care bill “will keep government out of health care decisions,” despite the fact that the comparative effectiveness language remains in the bill.

Protect Americans from “hurry up and wait.” Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX) offered an amendment that would repeal the government-run health plan if wait times exceed the average wait times in private plans. The Brady amendment was killed at the behest of Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Rangel.

Stop the job-killing employer mandate. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) offered an amendment in the Committee on Ways & Means to improve the Democratic legislation by taking out the section of the bill that requires American employers to provide health coverage for all of their employees, and Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) offered similar amendments in the Committee on Education & Labor. Independent analysts agree this Democratic mandate on employers is likely to result in the elimination of millions of American jobs, and it could hardly come at a worse moment for the nation’s economy. The GOP amendments were killed in committee at the behest of Speaker Pelosi.

Check out the whole list. These proposals would lower costs and open up more options for Americans, as opposed to the Ageist Eugenics Final Solution plan under Team Obama.

Boehner On Pelosi Using Stimulus to Save Her Rodent Cousins

From Matt's Congressman, House Minority Leader, and a Great American, John Boehner:

STIMULUS” FOR MICE: WITH UNEMPLOYMENT RISING, DEMOCRATS’ “STIMULUS” HELPS SAN FRANCISCO MICE, BUT NOT AMERICAN WORKERS

WASHINGTON TIMES ON GOP RESPONSE: MOUSE MONEY “EPITOMIZES THE FAILURE OF STIMULUS SPENDING TO HELP AN ECONOMY STILL SHEDDING JOBS”

July 9, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

How does helping the salt marsh harvest mouse help middle-class families and small businesses struggling with dramatic job loss during this recession? That’s a good question to ask House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), other Democrats in Congress, and the Administration, as it was recently revealed that the tiny little mouse is getting $16 million in taxpayer dollars thanks to the Democrats’ “stimulus” spending bill that isn’t working. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) exposed the mouse money in his weekly press briefing earlier today:

“The bottom line is this: the stimulus isn’t creating enough jobs, but here’s one thing the stimulus is accomplishing. You’ll recall earlier this year on the debate on the stimulus bill, the Democrats promised that the stimulus bill would be free of earmarks. And a lot of us disagreed. We pointed to one particular request that we were convinced was going to be funded in this. That was to protect the salt marsh harvest mouse near Speaker Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. You remember the Democrats claimed ‘no no no, we’re not going to fund this, it’s not in the bill, it’s not going to happen.’ Well, guess what? $16 million of the stimulus money was appropriated to take care of the salt marsh harvest mouse.” (VIDEO)


The Washington Times has the details about how the mouse got its money from a bill Democrats promised would be about creating jobs during the ongoing recession:

“The tiny mouse that became a hotly disputed symbol of wasteful spending in the congressional debate over the $787 billion economic stimulus bill has returned to pester House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.”

“The Obama administration quietly announced last week that as much as $16.1 million from the stimulus program is going to save the San Francisco Bay area habitat of, among other things, the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.”

“That has revived Republican criticism that the pet project was an ‘invisible earmark’ in the massive spending bill for Mrs. Pelosi, whose San Francisco district abuts the bay, and epitomizes the failure of stimulus spending to help an economy still shedding jobs.”


Money for mice. Is that what middle-class families and small businesses expected from the Democrats’ trillion-dollar “stimulus” spending bill? Wasn’t the legislation supposed to create jobs “immediately” and keep unemployment below eight percent? So let’s get this straight: the stimulus isn’t creating jobs for American workers, but it is making sure American harvest mice have nice comfortable homes in the midst of the recession. No wonder the American people think Washington is so out of touch.

Pelosi: One Rodent Using OUR Money to Save Another

Nancy Pelosi has the face of a dead rat, and that is being polite. This rat, this rodent, this anti-American bigoted, sexist twit who is now the Speaker of the House, she is using your money to save a mouse. Yes, folks, once again, we are seeing mismanagement of public funds on an awesome scale, and once again, a Democrat is at the helm. From the Washington Times:

The tiny mouse that became a hotly disputed symbol of wasteful spending in the congressional debate over the $787 billion economic stimulus bill has returned to pester House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Obama administration quietly announced last week that as much as $16.1 million from the stimulus program is going to save the San Francisco Bay area habitat of, among other things, the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse.

That has revived Republican criticism that the pet project was an "invisible earmark" in the massive spending bill for Mrs. Pelosi, whose San Francisco district abuts the bay, and epitomizes the failure of stimulus spending to help an economy still shedding jobs.

"Lo and behold, the government has announced that the mouse is getting its money after all," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner said while standing beside a poster of the furry varmint. "Speaker Pelosi must be so proud."

The Ohio Republican continued, "So let's get this straight: The stimulus isn't creating jobs for American workers, but it is making sure American harvest mice have nice comfortable homes in the midst of the recession."

Now Mr. Boehner, Nancy is just trying to help line her own nest for when she returns to her own habitat and species.

If Porkulus One did nothing but end more Jobs, What do You think the Sequel is Going to do?

We have all seen how Obama's Porkulus Bill (which was never read or allowed to be on the web for five days before being voted on, as per Obama's election promises) has done nothing but add to the economic crisis. Now, Obama is talking about another Porkulus Bill aka Stimulus bill. Funny, Obama himself has said we are out of money. Don't think so? Let's go back to May 23rd:

SCULLY: You know the numbers, $1.7 trillion debt, a national deficit of $11 trillion. At what point do we run out of money?

OBAMA: Well, we are out of money now. We are operating in deep deficits, not caused by any decisions we've made on health care so far. This is a consequence of the crisis that we've seen and in fact our failure to make some good decisions on health care over the last several decades.

OK, so then why, O Fearless Leader, are we talking about another stimulus, as we are hearing whispers of:

That’s why we have already started to hear hints of a second stimulus package on the way. On CNBC on Thursday, White House economic adviser Christina Romer answered the question of whether there would be a second stimulus with: “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

Um....could we please see the statistics and evidence of the "effectiveness" of this so-called stimulus? Here are some hard numbers:

This week, with news of some 467,000 jobs lost in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the U.S. has now lost about 2 million jobs since the economic stimulus package was passed. Even more notable is that the average workweek has been slashed to 33 hours — the lowest number on record. When the president signed his $787 billion stimulus package into law, he confidently asserted that unemployment would not exceed 8 percent. If Congress had not passed it, he warned, it would rise to 9 percent by 2010. Well, unemployment reached 9.5 percent last month, meaning, by the president’s own logic, his stimulus package has failed.

No, this self-loving narcissus can twist logic, for here is his defense of porkulus:

If you listen to President Barack Obama, however, whatever jobs were not lost were either “saved or created” by the stimulus. In other words, credit for whatever has not gone wrong goes to the Obama administration and its Democratic allies who control Congress.

So, even though there has been a HUGE net loss of jobs since the porkulus, Obama and Pelosi and Co. should be praised for saving jobs that were already there? Hmmm....Uh, anyone find this a bit hard to swallow? Anyone think we are really getting creative with what, to coin a Clintonism, the definition of teh word is is?

And here is the real kicker folks. Only $56.3 billion of the $787 billion stimulus has been paid out, yet the push is coming to persuade us to spend more money on top of money that has yet to be spent. By now it’s clear that what little of the taxpayer-funded stimulus has been spent has created pork, not jobs. That’s why news reports keep coming about things like stimulus projects placing rails around nonexistent lakes and redecorating old theaters. Not to mention the turtle trail, the thousands to a town to stop a homeless problem that doesn't exist, etc. It is a disgrace.

What do you think Porkulus 2: Economic Boogaloo is going to do? Could we see 18% unemployment after this fraud? Will they even write a bill, or will they just pretend, like the House did with Cap and Tax? I thought this admin and Congress were going to be transparent in their dealings. The only thing transparent is their blatant attempt to destroy the American Capitalist system and take everyone down with it in a mad power grab to satisfy their own impotent egos.

And we have this analysis from the Heritage Foundation, which is like based on facts and numbers and stuff(check out the graph, which I can't pull to put here from where I am blogging from):

In January, President Obama pressed for an $800 billion economic “stimulus” package to turn the economy around. Though the bill largely consisted of increased spending on traditional liberal priorities, the President claimed that it would “create or save” 3.5 million jobs. The President’s economic advisors predicted that unemployment would rise to 9 percent by 2010 if Congress did not pass the stimulus bill, but that with the stimulus unemployment would stay below 8 percentage points.

Congress passed the stimulus bill in February 2009 and the President has repeated his claims. President Obama recently said that the stimulus bill has already created or saved 150,000 new jobs and that it will “create or save” another 600,000 jobs by the end of the summer. Asked when the public should begin to judge the effects of the stimulus, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said “I think we should begin to judge it now.”

In that case, the stimulus must be judged a failure. The figure above shows the projections the administration made in January with and without the stimulus bill, and the actual unemployment rate since then. Unemployment has risen not only above what the President’s advisors predicted would happen if the stimulus passed, but above what they estimated would occur without the stimulus. By the President’s own measure, the stimulus has failed. The promised benefits from the $800 billion in additional federal spending and debt remain invisible.

And then there is this elucidation by the President of Heritage, as well:

If there's any good news from this recession, it may be this: We've seen how Washington works. The picture is so ugly, it may be enough to spark real reform in the years ahead. Here's what's been going on:

Every so often Congress gets hold of a bill that simply must pass. A defense spending bill, say, during war time. So lawmakers exploit the situation, tacking on pet projects that have nothing to do with defense.

This year's must-pass bill is a "stimulus" measure.

True to form, Congress has loaded the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 with hundreds of billions in wasteful spending. The bill includes $650 million for digital TV coupons, $140 million to study the atmosphere and $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.

None of these proposals would create jobs or boost our economy. They're just old-fashioned waste. And that's a problem. Crying "stimulus," Congress intends to spend money it doesn't have to accomplish things that don't need to be done on a scale never before seen. If signed into law, this leviathan would be the largest single spending bill ever passed, adding at least $819 billion (before interest) to the national debt.

If lawmakers had decided to borrow the money for this stimulus plan directly from Americans, the average family would have to fork over $10,520 this year. That's more than what that same family will spend on food, clothing and health care for the entire year.

If lawmakers were honest about what they're doing (spending borrowed money) they'd have to admit that they're asking hard-pressed American families to loan the government more this year than those families will otherwise spend on essentials.
...
Once these bureaucracies expand, good luck trimming them back. They're apt to be as temporary as the New Deal "Rural Development Utilities Programs." Its mission to electrify rural America was completed decades ago, yet it still exists.

Politicians think they can palm most anything off as "stimulus." An early version of the bill, for example, included hundreds of millions for contraceptives. "The family planning services reduce cost," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explained while defending the plan on ABC, "to the states and to the federal government." That's arguable at best.

Still, even if that were true, reducing the birthrate would be a pretty slow-motion way of reducing federal costs. It would be faster and more efficient to axe a department or two instead.

Luckily, the contraception spending was axed once people became aware of it. That proves that, when the public pays attention -- and complains -- lawmakers will do the right thing.

Hopefully it's the beginning of a trend.

I don't know, Ed...More people have to wake up and start asking for people to answer for these crimes against American prosperity.

Let Them Eat Cake Update: Congress Travels High on the Hog, While You Stay Home...

Yes, we are truly returning to the era of the Aristocracy and the rest of the people. The aristocracy is now made up of the government class and the wealthy, while the rest of us sit and stew and pray that we can make ends meet. While our savings are drying up and we work longer, and just take one day off for the kids, Congress's travel budget has swollen and they are getting luxurious trips...ON OUR DIME!!!!!! From the WSJ:

Spending by lawmakers on taxpayer-financed trips abroad has risen sharply in recent years, a Wall Street Journal analysis of travel records shows, involving everything from war-zone visits to trips to exotic spots such as the Galápagos Islands.

The spending on overseas travel is up almost tenfold since 1995, and has nearly tripled since 2001, according to the Journal analysis of 60,000 travel records. Hundreds of lawmakers traveled overseas in 2008 at a cost of about $13 million. That's a 50% jump since Democrats took control of Congress two years ago.

The cost of so-called congressional delegations, known among lawmakers as "codels," has risen nearly 70% since 2005, when an influence-peddling scandal led to a ban on travel funded by lobbyists, according to the data.

The Journal analysis, based on information published in the Congressional Record, also shows that taxpayer-funded travel is a big and growing perk for lawmakers and their families. Some members of Congress have complained in recent months about chief executives of bailed-out banks, insurance companies and car makers who sponsored corporate trips to resorts or used corporate jets for their own travel.

Although complete travel records aren't yet available for 2009, it appears that such costs continue to rise. The Journal analysis shows that the government has picked up the tab for travel to destinations such as Jamaica, the Virgin Islands and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Lawmakers frequently bring along spouses on congressional trips. If they take commercial flights, they have to buy tickets for spouses. If they fly on government planes -- as they usually do -- their spouses can fly free.

Paris Air Show
In mid-June, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii) led a group of a half-dozen senators and their spouses on a four-day trip to France for the biennial Paris Air Show. An itinerary for the event shows that lawmakers flew on the Air Force's version of the Boeing 737, which costs $5,700 an hour to operate. They stayed at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel, which advertises rooms from $460 a night.

The lawmakers were invited to a dinner party at the U.S. Embassy and had cocktails at a private party at the Eiffel Tower. Mr. Inouye attended a dinner sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association, a U.S. trade group. Another senator on the trip, Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, took a cruise on the River Seine with defense-industry executives and elected officials from Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

Mr. Inouye and Mr. Shelby declined to comment.

Hey, members of Congress, how about a Motel 6? They leave the light on for you! It is ridiculous. When the Chosen One and his minions in Congress and the Rollover Republicans are telling us to make do with less, stories like this make one want to storm the Bastille! It is a crime how our money is spent by these spoiled brats, and all they do is ask for more.

Funny, the budget has swelled for travel to these luxurious and exotic locales by 50% under Bullwhip Nancy's watch. I thought she was going to bring this type of graft and corruption under control. But wait, isn't she the one that demanded a jumbo jet for her and her posse to parade around the world in? Never mind. Wake up America!