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Archive for July, 2009

Obama Continues Losing Ground

by Doug Mataconis @ Thursday, July 30th, 2009. Filed under Barack Obama, Politics

Three new polls make clear what I noted yesterday; Barack Obama’s political capital is disappearing quickly.
First, the new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows that Obama has lost ground personally, and in support for his health care reform plan:
WASHINGTON – Despite his public-relations blitz over the past two weeks to promote his plans to reform [...]

Orly Taitz Helps Majorly Kooky Leave A Fellow Officer In The Lurch

by Doug Mataconis @ Thursday, July 30th, 2009. Filed under Barack Obama, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Politics

Stars and Stripes reports that Major Stefan Cook’s decision to use his military reservist status to advance a meritless conspiracy theory has had an impact on one of his fellow officers:
Army Maj. Stefan Cook sought out a notorious lawyer in February, formally volunteered for an Afghan deployment in May and was granted orders to deploy [...]

Charts Of The Day

by Doug Mataconis @ Thursday, July 30th, 2009. Filed under Economics, Politics

Two charts that illustrate the truth about the tax burden in the United States.
First, there’s the interesting fact that one corporation paid almost as much taxes in 2007 as the bottom 50% of taxpayers:

Second, there’s the comparison between the taxes paid by the top 1% of taxpayers, and the taxes paid by the bottom 50%:

American Voters To Congress: Reduce The Deficit, Don’t Raise Taxes, And Don’t Cut Services

by Doug Mataconis @ Thursday, July 30th, 2009. Filed under Economics, Politics

Sometimes, you’ve just got to say it; the voters are stupid:
A majority of Americans believe that the federal government should focus on reducing the budget deficit rather than spending to stimulate the economy, a new CBS News/New York Times poll finds.
Asked whether the government should focus on deficit reduction or stimulus spending, 58 percent of [...]

Bad News For Sarah Palin (And Mitt Romney)

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under 2012 Election, Mitt Romney, Politics, Sarah Palin

From the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll:
[A]ccording to the poll, a whopping 67 percent of Americans — and 43 percent of Republicans — say they would not like to see her president someday
Of course, things aren’t much better for the former Governor of Massachusetts:
50 percent of the public — and 33 percent of Republicans [...]

The Man With The Iron Heart — An Early Book Review

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under Alternate History, Book Reviews, Books, Harry Turtledove

I’m doing something that I’m pretty sure I haven’t done in a long time; I’m giving up on, and reviewing, a book before I’ve finished with it. The reasoning is rather simply and will, I think, become clear below.
The Man With The Iron Heart is one of Harry Turtledove’s latest ventures into the world of [...]

New Jersey Don’t Get No Respect

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under Humor, In The News

Jon Stewart defends his, and my, home state:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Tell Me Again Why Democracy Is A Good Idea

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under Dumbasses, Politics

When the vast majority of the voting public comprises people like this:

H.L. Mencken put it best:
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
H/T: The New Editor

Birthers On Capitol Hill, Part II

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under Barack Obama, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Politics

A continuation of Monday’s fun:

“It’s pretty simple. It’s just a simple matter of fact.” — Tom McClintock (R., CA)

Yes, but I think Congressman McClintock needs to have talk with Roy Blunt:
BLUNT: What I don’t know is why the President can’t produce a birth certificate. I don’t know anybody else that can’t produce one. And I [...]

Quote Of The Day

by Doug Mataconis @ Wednesday, July 29th, 2009. Filed under Barack Obama, Obama Derangement Syndrome, Politics

Since no other President has ever been hounded to produce his birth certificate, there must be something different about Obama that would drive all these people crazy like this. I wonder what it is about Obama that is different from every other President? They didn’t even do this to Clinton, and they hated him.
I just [...]

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