o'one & done - W.H. Panic! (James Carville, Young Turks, Chris Matthews) 3 videos & Where's Hillary?

What should the White House do? Panic!
By James Carville, CNN - Contributor, Thu September 15, 2011

article source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/14/opinion/carville-white-house-advice/?hpt=po_r1
(CNN) -- "People often ask me what advice I would give the White House about various things.  Today I was mulling over election results from New York and Nevada while thinking about that very question.  What should the White House do now?  One word came to mind: Panic." -- James Carville

video source: http://youtu.be/C56utxT1IPI

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video source: http://youtu.be/jOKGaJKI7co

Uploaded to Youtube by TheYoungTurks on Sep 15, 2011

"Democratic Strategist James Carville had incredibly harsh, justified
 criticism for President Obama.  The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it  down."

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Trouble in River City

Is Chris Matthews getting religion? -- rfh

video source: http://youtu.be/uLcWAeGRJKM

Where's Hillary?

Hillary for president
August 05, 2011| By Christopher Sprigman  [excerpts - rfh] 
Read the full article at: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-08-05/news/ct-oped-0805-hillary-20110805_1_spending-cuts-gop-controls-hillary-clinton
    "I didn't have a high-profile role in the campaign; I worked behind the scenes drafting policy documents.  But I traveled to Denver to speak at a policy debate held during the Democratic National Convention, and spoke at a Richmond, Va., campaign event alongside Google CEO Eric Schmidt."
     "The Obama campaign ran on the hard work of many thousands of people like me.  But President Obama won't be able to depend on the same kind of help in 2012.  Because, it turns out, Hillary Clinton was right."
     "Hillary, I'm sorry for not listening to you back in 2008.  But perhaps you'll give me another chance.  Resign as secretary of state, and run against Obama in 2012.  I will work my heart out for you.  And I bet that millions of other angry Democrats will be with me."
Christopher Sprigman is a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. 

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o'amnesty - o'pander's Illegal Immigrants' healthcare

Left-wingnuts often make the claim that o'scamcare doesn't "mandate" that illegal aliens are to receive medical care ... typical '1984 Orwellian' "Newspeak." -- rfh

From: Minuteman PAC  Sent: Friday, August 12, 2011 Subject: Stop ObamaCare for Illegal Immigrants

Joe Wilson was right... ObamaCare DOES cover illegal immigrants!      Earlier this week, we let you know about the $8.5 million in ObamaCare funding directed by the Department of Health and Human Services solely to provide free or reduced healthcare to migrant workers and their families - in other words, illegal immigrants!      Remember all the flak Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina took from the Obama-loving leftwing media back in September 2009 when he yelled "You lie!" when Obama promised the nation that ObamaCare would not cover illegal immigrants?      Now, we have our answer.  Wilson was right and Obama continues to be a liar...

     Sadly, providing illegal immigrants with free healthcare subsidized using YOUR tax dollars is nothing new.
     In 2007, we learned about Mexico's Ventanillas de Salud (Health Windows) program that directs MEXICAN citizens who illegally live in the U.S. to use taxpayer funded clinics in a dozen cities which have Mexican consulates.
     In Los Angeles County alone, illegal immigrants cost taxpayers nearly $440 million in health services annually and whopping $1.1 billion statewide.
     The Mexican consul in Los Angeles proudly announced that nearly 300,000 illegal immigrants hailing from Mexico and living in the area benefited from the referral program.

     To really rub salt in the wound, the whole referral operation promises to assess "consulate clients" (illegal immigrants) for eligibility to government-funded (that's U.S.-funded) health insurance and other primary care services and offers free legal assistance to those who are denied coverage.
     That must be nice.
     One of the most memorable quotes during the process of passing ObamaCare was Nancy Pelosi's "We need to pass Obamacare so that the public can find out what's in it."  One of the more memorable results of ObamaCare thus far was all of the friends and loyal lobbyists in the Obama Club who have received ObamaCare waivers.
     Now, with healthcare funding and services for illegal immigrants and cuts for the care of U.S. Citizens, we have one more reason to add to our laundry list for defeating Barack Obama in 2012.
     Thanks to Americans like you, who care about the safety and future of our country, there is mounting pressure to stop Obama from transforming America into a socialist state jam-packed with illegal immigrants benefiting from our tax dollars.  But it will take the lead of an emboldened House and Senate to turn up the pressure.  THEY MUST HEAR LOUDLY FROM PATRIOTS LIKE YOU!      Our mission is clear: Help elect candidates who carry out their constitutional duty to defend our borders and oust those who do not.
      Everyday Washington tells us we can no longer afford to care for our own citizens in need, so why are we caring for Mexico's?
For America, Minuteman PAC

          P.S.  As you well know, Minuteman PAC is an independent Political Action Committee of the Minuteman civilian border security movement, supported by many volunteers of the nation's oldest, largest and most-effective citizen's border vigilance group, the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.  ... If you can afford it, please generously give a contribution of $20, $30, $50, $100 or more to Minuteman PAC to get this word out to your fellow Americans!  We will need funds above and beyond $250,000 to help make our case on radio, TV, in newspapers and on the Internet to in order to secure our border with Mexico, crush Obama's plans to grant mass-Amnesty, and nix ObamaCare for illegal immigrants.

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bcc'd "red diaper babies" & RINOs

email Congress & W.H.: http://capwiz.com/congressorgfb/issues/alert/?alertid=41045506

government contacts: http://harrold.org/rfhextra/contact_the_us_government.html

o'keynesian - 1st time since 1917 ratings: US economy downgraded! -- o'humpty dumpty

Time to resign: Treasury Secretary, Federal Reserve Director

U.S. Downgraded: http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/downgrade.asp

What Does Downgrade Mean?
A negative change in the rating of a security. This situation occurs when analysts feel that the
future prospects for the security have weakened from the orginal recommendation, usually due to a material and fundamental change in the company's operations, future outlook or industry. 

Investopedia explains Downgrade
Analysts place recommendations on securities to give their clients or investors a general idea on the expected performance of that security looking forward. These recommendations are adjusted when the basis behind the recommendation changes, such as the price of the stock or newly released data in the company's financial statements.

An analyst may downgrade a stock from a buy to a sell, after the company released information about an Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the company's operations.

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United States of America Long-Term Rating Lowered To 'AA+' Due To Political Risks, Rising Debt Burden; Outlook Negative

We have lowered our long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to 'AA+' from 'AAA' and affirmed the 'A-1+' short-term rating.

We have also removed both the short- and long-term ratings from CreditWatch negative.

The downgrade reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics.

More broadly, the downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenges to a degree more than we envisioned when we assigned a negative outlook to the rating on April 18, 2011.

Since then, we have changed our view of the difficulties in bridging the gulf between the political parties over fiscal policy, which makes us pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the Administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics any time soon.

The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. We could lower the long-term rating to 'AA' within the next two years if we see that less reduction in spending than agreed to, higher interest rates, or new fiscal pressures during the period result in a higher general government debt trajectory than we currently assume in our base case.

TORONTO (Standard & Poor's) Aug. 5, 2011--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said today that it lowered its long-term sovereign credit rating on the United States of America to 'AA+' from 'AAA'. Standard & Poor's also said that the outlook on the long-term rating is negative. At the same time, Standard & Poor's affirmed its 'A-1+' short-term rating on the U.S. In addition, Standard & Poor's removed both ratings from CreditWatch, where they were placed on July 14, 2011, with negative implications.
     The transfer and convertibility (T&C) assessment of the U.S.--our assessment of the likelihood of official interference in the ability of U.S.-based public- and private-sector issuers to secure foreign exchange for debt service--remains 'AAA'.
     We lowered our long-term rating on the U.S. because we believe that the prolonged controversy over raising the statutory debt ceiling and the related fiscal policy debate indicate that further near-term progress containing the growth in public spending, especially on entitlements, or on reaching an agreement on raising revenues is less likely than we previously assumed and will remain a contentious and fitful process. We also believe that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the Administration agreed to this week falls short of the amount that we believe is necessary to stabilize the general government debt burden by the middle of the decade.
Our lowering of the rating was prompted by our view on the rising public debt burden and our perception of greater policymaking uncertainty, consistent with our criteria (see "Sovereign Government Rating Methodology and Assumptions," June 30, 2011, especially Paragraphs 36-41). Nevertheless, we view the U.S. federal government's other economic, external, and monetary credit attributes, which form the basis for the sovereign rating, as broadly unchanged.
     We have taken the ratings off CreditWatch because the Aug. 2 passage of the Budget Control Act Amendment of 2011 has removed any perceived immediate threat of payment default posed by delays to raising the government's debt ceiling. In addition, we believe that the act provides sufficient clarity to allow us to evaluate the likely course of U.S. fiscal policy for the next few years.
     The political brinksmanship of recent months highlights what we see as America's governance and policymaking becoming less stable, less effective, and less predictable than what we previously believed. The statutory debt ceiling and the threat of default have become political bargaining chips in the debate over fiscal policy. Despite this year's wide-ranging debate, in our view, the differences between political parties have proven to be extraordinarily difficult to bridge, and, as we see it, the resulting agreement fell well short of the comprehensive fiscal consolidation program that some proponents had envisaged until quite recently. Republicans and Democrats have only been able to agree to relatively modest savings on discretionary spending while delegating to the Select Committee decisions on more comprehensive measures. It appears that for now, new revenues have dropped down on the menu of policy options. In addition, the plan envisions only minor policy changes on Medicare and little change in other entitlements, the containment of which we and most other independent observers regard as key to long-term fiscal sustainability.
     Our opinion is that elected officials remain wary of tackling the structural issues required to effectively address the rising U.S. public debt burden in a manner consistent with a 'AAA' rating and with 'AAA' rated sovereign peers (see Sovereign Government Rating Methodology and Assumptions," June 30, 2011, especially Paragraphs 36-41). In our view, the difficulty in framing a consensus on fiscal policy weakens the government's ability to manage public finances and diverts attention from the debate over how to achieve more balanced and dynamic economic growth in an era of fiscal stringency and private-sector deleveraging (ibid). A new political consensus might (or might not) emerge after the 2012 elections, but we believe that by then, the government debt burden will likely be higher, the needed medium-term fiscal adjustment potentially greater, and the inflection point on the U.S. population's demographics and other age-related spending drivers closer at hand (see "Global Aging 2011: In The U.S., Going Gray Will Likely Cost Even More Green, Now," June 21, 2011).
     Standard & Poor's takes no position on the mix of spending and revenue measures that Congress and the Administration might conclude is appropriate for putting the U.S.'s finances on a sustainable footing.
     The act calls for as much as $2.4 trillion of reductions in expenditure growth over the 10 years through 2021. These cuts will be implemented in two steps: the $917 billion agreed to initially, followed by an additional $1.5 trillion that the newly formed Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is supposed to recommend by November 2011. The act contains no measures to raise taxes or otherwise enhance revenues, though the committee could recommend them.
     The act further provides that if Congress does not enact the committee's recommendations, cuts of $1.2 trillion will be implemented over the same time period. The reductions would mainly affect outlays for civilian discretionary spending, defense, and Medicare. We understand that this fall-back mechanism is designed to encourage Congress to embrace a more balanced mix of expenditure savings, as the committee might recommend.
     We note that in a letter to Congress on Aug. 1, 2011, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated total budgetary savings under the act to be at least $2.1 trillion over the next 10 years relative to its baseline assumptions. In updating our own fiscal projections, with certain modifications outlined below, we have relied on the CBO's latest "Alternate Fiscal Scenario" of June 2011, updated to include the CBO assumptions contained in its Aug. 1 letter to Congress. In general, the CBO's "Alternate Fiscal Scenario" assumes a continuation of recent Congressional action overriding existing law.
     We view the act's measures as a step toward fiscal consolidation.
     However, this is within the framework of a legislative mechanism that leaves open the details of what is finally agreed to until the end of 2011, and Congress and the Administration could modify any agreement in the future. Even assuming that at least $2.1 trillion of the spending reductions the act envisages are implemented, we maintain our view that the U.S. net general government debt burden (all levels of government combined, excluding liquid financial assets) will likely continue to grow. Under our revised base case fiscal scenario--which we consider to be consistent with a 'AA+' long-term rating and a negative outlook--we now project that net general government debt would rise from an estimated 74% of GDP by the end of 2011 to 79% in 2015 and 85% by 2021. Even the projected 2015 ratio of sovereign indebtedness is high in relation to those of peer credits and, as noted, would continue to rise under the act's revised policy settings.
     Compared with previous projections, our revised base case scenario now assumes that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, due to expire by the end of 2012, remain in place. We have changed our assumption on this because the majority of Republicans in Congress continue to resist any measure that would raise revenues, a position we believe Congress reinforced by passing the act. Key macroeconomic assumptions in the base case scenario include trend real GDP growth of 3% and consumer price inflation near 2% annually over the decade.
     Our revised upside scenario--which, other things being equal, we view as consistent with the outlook on the 'AA+' long-term rating being revised to stable--retains these same macroeconomic assumptions. In addition, it incorporates $950 billion of new revenues on the assumption that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for high earners lapse from 2013 onwards, as the Administration is advocating. In this scenario, we project that the net general government debt would rise from an estimated 74% of GDP by the end of 2011 to 77% in 2015 and to 78% by 2021.
     Our revised downside scenario--which, other things being equal, we view as being consistent with a possible further downgrade to a 'AA' long-term rating--features less-favorable macroeconomic assumptions, as outlined below and also assumes that the second round of spending cuts (at least $1.2 trillion) that the act calls for does not occur. This scenario also assumes somewhat higher nominal interest rates for U.S. Treasuries. We still believe that the role of the U.S. dollar as the key reserve currency confers a government funding advantage, one that could change only slowly over time, and that Fed policy might lean toward continued loose monetary policy at a time of fiscal tightening. Nonetheless, it is possible that interest rates could rise if investors re-price relative risks. As a result, our alternate scenario factors in a 50 basis point (bp)-75 bp rise in 10-year bond yields relative to the base and upside cases from 2013 onwards. In this scenario, we project the net public debt burden would rise from 74% of GDP in 2011 to 90% in 2015 and to 101% by 2021.
     Our revised scenarios also take into account the significant negative revisions to historical GDP data that the Bureau of Economic Analysis announced on July 29. From our perspective, the effect of these revisions underscores two related points when evaluating the likely debt trajectory of the U.S. government. First, the revisions show that the recent recession was deeper than previously assumed, so the GDP this year is lower than previously thought in both nominal and real terms. Consequently, the debt burden is slightly higher.  Second, the revised data highlight the sub-par path of the current economic recovery when compared with rebounds following previous post-war recessions. We believe the sluggish pace of the current economic recovery could be consistent with the experiences of countries that have had financial crises in which the slow process of debt deleveraging in the private sector leads to a persistent drag on demand. As a result, our downside case scenario assumes relatively modest real trend GDP growth of 2.5% and inflation of near 1.5% annually going forward.
     When comparing the U.S. to sovereigns with 'AAA' long-term ratings that we view as relevant peers--Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K.--we also observe, based on our base case scenarios for each, that the trajectory of the U.S.'s net public debt is diverging from the others. Including the U.S., we estimate that these five sovereigns will have net general government debt to GDP ratios this year ranging from 34% (Canada) to 80% (the U.K.), with the U.S. debt burden at 74%. By 2015, we project that their net public debt to GDP ratios will range between 30% (lowest, Canada) and 83% (highest, France), with the U.S. debt burden at 79%. However, in contrast with the U.S., we project that the net public debt burdens of these other sovereigns will begin to decline, either before or by 2015.
      Standard & Poor's transfer T&C assessment of the U.S. remains 'AAA'. Our T&C assessment reflects our view of the likelihood of the sovereign restricting other public and private issuers' access to foreign exchange needed to meet debt service. Although in our view the credit standing of the U.S. government has deteriorated modestly, we see little indication that official interference of this kind is entering onto the policy agenda of either Congress or the Administration. Consequently, we continue to view this risk as being highly remote.
     The outlook on the long-term rating is negative. As our downside alternate fiscal scenario illustrates, a higher public debt trajectory than we currently assume could lead us to lower the long-term rating again. On the other hand, as our upside scenario highlights, if the recommendations of the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction--independently or coupled with other initiatives, such as the lapsing of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for high earners--lead to fiscal consolidation measures beyond the minimum mandated, and we believe they are likely to slow the deterioration of the government's debt dynamics, the long-term rating could stabilize at 'AA+'.
     On Monday, we will issue separate releases concerning affected ratings in the funds, government-related entities, financial institutions, insurance, public finance, and structured finance sectors.

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Debt, The Fed & Your Money? - (By DRH, audio: 12m43s)

"Another Rant About the "Debt Ceiling" Only a Few Will Hear"

audio source: http://youtu.be/Vqeew-pAu3s

 

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W Ketchup Applauds the Tea Party's Efforts to Slay the Leviathan

From: W Ketchup News Sent: Monday, August 01, 2011 Subject: W Ketchup Applauds the Tea Party's Efforts to Slay the Leviathan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For media inquiries contact Bill Zachary (917) 733-3038 -- Eagle Bridge, NY - August 1, 2011  

If you are having trouble reading this press release, please go to this link: http://www.wketchup.com/newsreleases/110801.php

To join the W Ketchup email list, please click on the following link:  Join Email List

W Ketchup Applauds the Tea Party's Efforts to Slay the Leviathan

     In 1816 Congress granted a charter to the Second Bank of the United States to act as a central bank, to use the public credit to issue fiat money.  Both the public and private sectors, freed from the constraints of money backed by precious metals, went on a spending spree.  Within twenty years the country was mired in debt.
     Andrew Jackson, running on a hard money platform, revoked the bank's charter. Nicholas Biddle, the bank's president, called the revocation a "manifesto of anarchy."

     After the bank lost its charter the money supply contracted and by 1839 the country's societal debt level had become unmanageable.  But, according the 1982 Minority Report of the U.S. Gold Commission, authorized by Ronald Reagan:

The people were quite willing to have the states repudiate their debts outright, demonstrating an astute perception of the reckless course the states had taken. . . . The implication was that the disappearance of foreign credit to the states would have the healthy effect of cutting off their wasteful spending as well as avoiding the imposition of a crippling tax burden to pay for the interest and principal.

     W Ketchup Chairman Bill Zachary commented: "The solid Americans of the 19^th century were simply not willing to work for decades to pay off debts incurred by profligate politicians enabled by corrupt bankers.  After some sharp, quick economic pain, the country benefited enormously.  The debt was gone, and the states had such poor credit ratings that no one would lend them money."
     In 1913 the Congress charted a new central bank, the Federal Reserve.  Over the past few decades the United States government has saddled its citizens with the largest debt ever contemplated in human history.  Just the official federal debt, at over $14 trillion, computes to more than $46,000 per American.  Various analysts have calculated the net present value of the promises made by federal entitlement programs to be over $200 trillion, exceeding $650,000 per American.
     Conservative members of the House of Representatives are currently blocking the Democrats' plan to push the country deeper into debt.  Without an increase in the debt ceiling the Treasury will be forced either to default on existing debt or to cut spending dramatically.
     Last week Citigroup's chief economist, Willem Buiter, said: "Default would be an act of collective insanity."  Steven Roach, head of Morgan Stanley in Asia, agreed the debate on the debt ceiling exhibited: "astonishing recklessness."  Andrew Garthwaite, head of strategy at Credit Suisse, called missing a debt coupon payment "horrible" and "unthinkable."
     Dan Oliver, CEO of W Ketchup, reacted: "In 2011 we see the same cast of characters as back in the 1830s: greedy bankers who thrive on government debts to defraud the industrious public.  A default would, indeed, cause immediate financial dislocations, but the long-term benefits of extracting parasites always outweigh any short-term unpleasantness.  Moreover, anyone storing wealth in Federal Reserve Notes or government bonds supports a corrupt system and deserves to lose all of his capital."
     Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the Republican stalwarts the "radical right wing."   Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders accused Republicans of "blackmailing the American people."  Paul Krugman, left-wing economic commentator for the New York Times, wrote that conservatives have "taken America hostage" and threaten to "disrupt the essential business of government."
     James Madison wrote in Federalist Number 63: "If such a revolution [as the government's becoming a tyranny] should ever happen from causes which the foresight of man cannot guard against, the House of Representatives, with the people on their side, will at all times be able to bring back the Constitution to its primitive form and principles."
     Oliver noted: "Contrary to the shrill cries from the Left, the system is working exactly as intended by the founders.  The public is appalled at the debt accumulated by politicians, not to mention the now 4,500 federal crimes contained in over 27,000 pages of federal code.  It is past time to end this abusive system."
    Congress spent $28.3 trillion over the past decade.  The Congressional Budget Office recently forecasted that under current law Congress would spend $45.8 trillion over the next decade.  The $2.4 trillion in cuts outlined in the current proposal refers to a reduction of the increase in federal spending from an extra $17.5 trillion to an extra $15.4 trillion.  Federal spending would rise by 54% instead of by 62%.
     Oliver continued: "We support the efforts of the Tea Party to starve the Leviathan by cutting it off from taxes, debt, and seigniorage.  We call on conservatives to vote against any increase in the statutory debt ceiling."
     W Ketchup urges its customers to convert at least some of their Federal Reserve Notes into delicious W Ketchup while they still have value.

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To order W Ketchup, please click on the link below: Order Ketchup

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W Ketchup donates a portion of every purchase to the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which helps fund college tuition for the children of America's fallen heroes.
Founded in 2004, W Ketchup is a private company that makes ketchup in America solely from ingredients grown in the USA and does not support any liberal agendas. For more information contact 1-866-WKETCHUP, or write to 954 Lexington Ave, #236, New York, NY 10021-5013.  < Back to News

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Calvin Coolidge (1873-1933), 30th US President, "It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones."

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bcc'd  red diaper babies, fellow travelers, & RINOs

o'redistribute - Poverty in America

From: baja Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2011 Subject: Poverty in America

Study: Americans "in Poverty" Are Seldom Poor

     Most of the Americans the federal government defines as "in poverty" are "not poor in any ordinary sense of the term," according to a new study - especially when compared to the poor in less developed countries.

     "To the average American, the word "poverty" implies significant material deprivation, an inability to provide a family with adequate nutritious food, reasonable shelter, and clothing," the study from The Heritage Foundation states.

     "The actual living conditions of America's poor are far different from these images."

     The Census Bureau reports that there are 43 million Americans living in poverty.  To help them, taxpayers spend some $900 billion a year in federal and state dollars - over $20,000 for each person deemed poor - through more than 70 means-tested programs providing cash, food, housing, medical care and more.

     But according to the government's own survey data, in the past decade the average household defined as poor by the government lived in a house or apartment with air conditioning and cable TV, The Heritage Foundation study found.

     The household had a car - one-third had two or more cars -  two color televisions, a DVD player, and a microwave.

     "The home of the average poor family was in good repair and not overcrowded," the study observes.

     "In fact, the typical poor American had more living space than the average European - average, not poor.

     "When asked, most poor families stated they had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs."

      Study authors Robert Rector and Rachel Sheffield cite U.S. Department of Energy data showing that in 2005, the most recent year on record:

• 62 percent of poor American households had a clothes washer in the home, and 53.2 percent had a clothes dryer.

• 65.1 percent had more than one TV.

• 54.5 percent had a cellular phone.

• 38.2 percent had a personal computer.

• 36.6 percent had an answering machine.

• 29.3 percent had a video game system.

• 25 percent had a dishwasher.

• 5.2 percent had a photocopier - and .6 percent even had a Jacuzzi.

     The study also found that 5.9 percent of households "sometimes" did not have enough food, and just 1.5 percent "often" did not have enough.

"Some poor Americans do experience significant hardships, including temporary food shortages or inadequate housing, but these individuals are a minority within the overall poverty population," the study authors concluded.

     "Poverty remains an issue of serious social concern, but accurate information about that problem is essential in crafting wise public policy. Exaggeration and misinformation about poverty obscure the nature, extent, and causes of real material deprivation, thereby hampering the development of well-targeted, effective programs to reduce the problem."

     Former Congressman Ernest Istook, now a distinguished fellow at The Heritage Foundation, echoed that sentiment in a recent Newsmax blog: "By defining poverty so broadly, we drain resources that instead could be focused on those who truly are in dire straits.   And we spend billions that could be cut from the budget instead."

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Sa.30Jul11 Poll Results: President's performance

See All President Obama Job Approval Polling Data RCP Polls Average President Obama Job Approval Black=Positive Red=Negative

Obama's Job Approval / Disapproval from Real Clear Politics example from - Rassmussen: Date: Sa.30Jul11 Presidential Approval Index -21 Strongly Approve 23% Strongly Disapprove 44% Total Approve 44% Total Disapprove 56% also see: Rasmussen Reports' Daily Presidential Tracking Poll also see: Rasmussens' Favorables: Congress Members, Presidents & Other Major Figures also see: "USA Today's" Interactive Presidents Comparison Chart (1945-Present)

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bcc'd "red diaper babies", some of their "fellow travelers" & RINOs

o'debt - The Ceiling, Deficit, Budget recommendations

(faxed to their offices and emailed direct via their web sites - rfh)

To: (Barry Dunham) Barack Hussein Obama (Soetoro [Lolo Soebarkah]) II Jr.  (President)

       Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (Senator, D-CA)

       Barbara Levy Boxer (Senator, D-CA)

       Robert Earl (Bob) Filner (Representative, D-CA 51st)

     ● People 'outside the beltway' do know what the debt ceiling is.   We don't all have "low, sloping foreheads." (NYT)
     ● Do not raise the debt ceiling!   If anything, lower it.
     ● Pass a balanced budget amendment to be sent to the states for ratification.
     ● Legislate federal spending cuts.   Real cuts...no more phony "down the road promises." 
     ● No more passing the buck to "study commissions, panels, or committees"
     ● You are responsible for our fiscal mess.   Do the job you were elected to do - fix it.
     ● Quit laying off your responsibilities on previous administrations, both Democrat and Republican, and that holds for previous Democrat and Republican led Houses of Congress who may have failed to do their jobs but that doesn't excuse your failures to 'step up to the plate' and get our fiscal house in order.
     ● Cut entitlements including medicare.
     ● Repeal o'scamcare.
     ● Cut taxes, across the board, military, civilian, foreign aid, entitlements, benefits, ...any federally funded or subsidized programs.
     ● Cut budgets for all government agencies, across the board, at least 10% starting this fiscal year.
     ● Cut any entitlements or benefits that Representatives or Senators and your staff have that ordinary folks don't have.
     ● Pass a budget.  Going almost 3 years without is a fraud upon the people, if not criminal negligence.
     ● Instead of playing "robin hood" with our tax money, pass a scheme whereby all people pay taxes equally be it a flat tax or a fair tax.
     ● Eliminate at least four (4) trillion from the federal budget, now, not 'down the road'...real cuts, not bookkeeping juggling.   Make those cuts permanent.
     ● Mandate a defined downsizing of the government payroll and expenditures.
     ● You were elected to represent the people, not a political party, not a party line, not some foreign socialist ideology but American Republicanism and capitalism.
     ● We have to pay our bills.   We have to balance our check books.   We have to budget our expenses.  We have to cut expenses and live within our means.   So must the federal government.
     ● Do the job we elected you to do and quit making excuses for your failures to manage our monies properly.
     ● I and my friends will vote in November 2012 and vote against anyone who fails to 'clean up' the budget circus in Washington, D.C.
     ● We know who pays taxes and who doesn't.
     ● Knowing that nearly 50% of all people pay no taxes should be a warning that must not go unheeded.  Consider a proposal that no one can vote on a tax or revenue issue unless they are paying federal income tax or property taxes.
     ● You are responsible for the fiscal mess we are in and you sought the responsibility to manage it.
     ● You are not doing your job.  Show us that you can.

Sincerely, a constituent who'll vote in November 2012.
Robert Harrold, El Centro, California 92243

"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure.  It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills.  It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies.  Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally.  Leadership means that "the buck stops here."  Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren.  America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." -- Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), March 20, 2006

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Who Pays Income Taxes and how much?

Tax Year 2008

Percentiles Ranked by AGI	AGI Threshold on Percentiles	Percentage of Federal Personal Income Tax Paid
Top 1%	$380,354	38.02
Top 5%	$159,619	58.72
Top 10%	$113,799	69.94
Top 25%	$67,280	86.34
Top 50%	$33,048	97.30
Bottom 50%	<$33,048	2.7
Note: AGI is Adjusted Gross Income Source: Internal Revenue Service http://ntu.org/tax-basics/who-pays-income-taxes.html

chart source: http://www.federalbudget.com

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Actually, Wealthy Americans Pay A Larger Share of Federal Taxes Than Ever Before

Vincent Fernando, CFA and Kamelia Angelova | Apr. 14, 2010

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-actually-wealthy-americans-pay-a-larger-share-of-federal-taxes-than-ever-before-2010-4

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