Some wisdom from Sen. Schumer

It's what gives Washington and government a bad name. It's sheer stupidity.

It would be nice if he would apply this wisdom to the federal government's other stupid endeavors, not just to yesterday's Air Force One photo-op stunt.

Arlen Specter switches parties

Good riddance. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

No comment needed

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2009/04/a_rahm_bomb_for_jane_harman.html

"Tax cut" alert

I work for a small company and I'm really the only employee except the owner. He has an accountant who reviews my bookkeeping every month and he handles all the payroll and tax issues. I asked him yesterday (as I was preparing my payroll check) if I should change the withholding amount because I understood that the Obama tax cut passed by Congress (and heralded today by the President in his speech at noon), would give me an extra $7-$13 in my paycheck. Brian told me that I had a choice. He said I could "pay it now, or pay it next April." Not being an accountant, I asked him to please explain...

It seems that this "tax cut" is not really a tax cut at all. It's a "cut" in what is being withheld by the employer. But there is no mention of any actual tax cut in the tax tables. You STILL OWE THE SAME AMOUNT. The total tax will be due in April 2010, so you'll have to give it all back or hope that your deductions will counter balance what you owe. So if you got a nice refund this year (which is just a tax free loan to the government), it will be much smaller next year (multiply the higher balance you get times the number of paychecks and you'll have an idea.) And if you owed money this year, prepare to pay a lot more next year.

Congress and the President know this, of course, and the media should too, but it's not mentioned, except in a few places. So, do yourself a favor. Check this out, of course and if you confirm it, tell your employer to NOT "give" you the extra cash, unless you take it and put it in your piggy bank marked "IRS-due 4/15/10."

Cheers.

Health-Status insurance

A CATO policy paper on how "health-status insurance" could be the free-market fix for the health care industry we're looking for:

http://cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=9986


This is very well written, and makes complete sense to me. The idea is to decouple short-term "health insurance" (that is, the premium you pay to cover this year's health insurance) from "health-status insurance" (which would cover the increased health insurance premiums you would have to pay if your medical situation worsens).

Obama calls for "a world without nuclear weapons"

In response, I call for a world without swords. Look at how progressive and peace-loving I am!

Two thoughts on "The bow"

First - the White House issuing a statement denying that the President bowed to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia last week will force the Drive-Bys to cover the issue.

Second - When people see the video most people will know the White House is not just spinning, but lying. And they may wonder that if this White House lies so easily about something so obvious, what else might they lying about?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0409/White_House_No_bow_to_Saudi.html

Re: DC Opportunity Scholarships

Hope-and-change beat NR to the punch this time, although the analysis here is much better than mine.

Money quote:

If you have any doubt as to whether this program should exist, ask yourself a simple question: Would you enroll your children in violence-ridden D.C. public schools with decades-long records of academic failure? Bill and Hillary Clinton didn’t. Barack and Michelle Obama didn’t. Members of Congress don’t.

What about you? Would you enroll your children in those schools?

The DC Opportunity Scholarships issue provides a perfect test of the President's "I'm a pragmatist, not an ideologue" line that so many of his supporters believe. Those supporters should take a close look at this issue and ask themselves if the President and his administration are behaving pragmatically or ideologically.

GM total confidence

As the anger welled up inside me after coughing up $800 in underpaid federal income taxes tonight, I couldn't help but think about those sappy GM total confidence ads that are all over television.

The voice-over tells us that "America needs a comeback". Apparently, America can't stage a comeback unless you (yes, you) don't go out right now and buy a GM. Concerned that you might not be able to afford a new car payment, especially if you lose your job? You shouldn't be, because GM will make your car payment for you if you lose your job. Think that buying a car, which depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot, might not be the best investment you could make right now? Not to worry, as GM is guaranteeing the trade-in value of your car at NADA clean value. Apparently, GM decided not to publicize the fact that the federal government now backs their warranties as a part of their "total confidence" plan, but they very well could have -- it fits nicely into the whole picture.

Given that the federal government, for all intents and purposes, now controls and financially backs General Motors, I couldn't help but think about how much of my $800 underpayment (not to mention the thousands in withholding I already paid, at 0% interest) will end up in the pockets of idiots who go out and buy a car that they can't afford, lured in by the "total confidence" offered by Government Motors. I probably shouldn't think too much of it, though, since I'm already funding that idiot's mortgage, his idiot kid's college education, and his whole family's health insurance (well, I guess that last one won't take effect until next year). Why shouldn't I fund his car as well? I mean, that's the patriotic thing to do, right? I'd have to be some sort of cold-hearted selfish jackass to dare claim that I deserve the right to buy my own house, car, health care, or education with the money I earned. Right?

Stop making sense

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/04/stop_making_sense.html

It's neither the law nor the facts, but what you can get the jury to do.

While absorbing that concept, consider that about one third of the US population thinks the phrase, "to each according to his need, from each according to his abilities," is in the US Constitution. One third also believes that the US government conspired in the 911 attacks. A majority thinks sheep farts have more to do with temperature variations on earth than the ball of nuclear fire the size of 1.3 million earths that is eight light-minutes away.

And now, as stock markets plummet around the globe and our national debt is set to triple in just two years, the number of people who believe we are on the right track has tripled.

DC Opportunity Scholarships

A new study shows that kids in the program are now performing *better* academically than their public school counterparts. Of course, this study conveniently comes out just after the President kills the program. Perhaps the President can explain why his daughters deserve to attend Sidwell Friends but Deborah Parker's children do not.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123897492702491091.html

Obama promised that he was a pragmatist who would make decisions based on "what works", not on the "childish" political arguments of the past. Well, the DC voucher program works...