"Dinner With Barack" Campaign Underway

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom and Samantha Cameron, talk with guests during the State Dinner on the South Lawn of the White House, March 14, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Cash For Access: Donate For Dinner With Barack Obama -- The Telegraph

While David Cameron is facing questions over dinner parties thrown for "premier league" Conservative party donors, Barack Obama is offering the chance to meet the US President for an optional contribution to his re-election campaign.

Seemingly unaware of the latest "cash for access" scandal in the UK, which has been dubbed on Twitter, "Cam dine with me", President Obama launched his latest "Dinner with Barack" competition on his official Twitter account.

Campaign staff linked to a website for his regular fund-raiser in which participants are given the chance to win dinner with three others and the President.

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My Comment: Having dinner with the President .... now that will be an experience that will last a life time. Unfortunately .... it is a 'cash for access 'fund raiser'.

So Much For Media Objectivity In Wisconsin

25 Journalists Signed Walker Recall Petition -- Don Surber

So much for objectivity by Gannett Wisconsin Media in reporting the attempt to recall Republican Governor Scott Walker.

The chain sheepishly announced over the weekend that, well, 25 of its 223 news employees signed the anti-Walker petition.

From Kevin Corrado, president and publisher of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: “In this politically charged climate, Wisconsin residents have gotten caught up in state politics with an intensity not seen in decades. It’s an issue this newspaper has covered extensively, including Sunday, when the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team broke a story exposing 29 circuit court judges who signed the petitions to recall Gov. Scott Walker.”

Oops.

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My Comment: Oops .... indeed.

Why California’s High-Speed Rail Project Is A Greater Waste Of Tax Dollars Than Most Green Projects

Solyndra Times Seven -- City Journal

Why California’s high-speed rail project is an even greater waste of federal tax dollars.

The national media have devoted plenty of skeptical attention to California’s bullet-train boondoggle—from the ballooning cost of the California High-Speed Rail Authority project to its shoddy management to the baffling decision to build the first segment in the lightly populated Central Valley. But the press has yet to focus on a crucial fact: the bullet train isn’t just some quirky Left Coast fiasco; it’s also a grotesque waste of federal money. The project serves as a powerful reminder of the Obama administration’s mishandling of the $787 billion stimulus that Congress passed in February 2009 with solemn assurances of prudence and accountability. The bullet-train project, in fact, can be thought of as “Solyndra times seven”—that’s how far its costs outstrip those of the much-touted Bay Area solar panel manufacturer that burned through $528 million in federal loans before declaring bankruptcy and folding last September.

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My Comment: I suspect that if the California high speed rail project goes ahead .... the final cost will actually be even greater than the worst case scenario.

The White House Saw The Collapse of Solyndra As A Political Issue

White House Saw Solyndra Collapse As Vital Political Issue -- Rick Moran, American Thinker

The Obama administration sought to soften the political blow the Solyndra bankruptcy was going to have, partly by massaging the press in advance of the collapse.

The Hill:

Several key White House offices were involved with the Obama administration's messaging plans and other preparations as the collapse of the taxpayer-backed solar company Solyndra was imminent, newly released documents show.

The latest White House documents delivered to House Republicans on Friday again highlight the extent to which senior administration officials braced for the fallout as Solyndra - a company President Obama had personally visited - was about to go under.

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My Comment: I would also love to know who in the media willingly permitted themselves to be manipulated by this White House push.

Did Jon Corzine Perjure Himself In Front Of Congress?

Jon Corzine

Here's The Memo That Could Finally Send A Wall Street Bigshot -- Jon Corzine -- To Jail -- Business Insider

There was a major development yesterday in the nation's collective desire to send at least one Wall Street bigshot to jail after the financial crisis.

Normally, after a financial collapse and crash like the one we had, Wall Streeters are rounded up in packs, vilified, and incarcerated.

This time, however, no bigshot has been so much as charged with anything, let alone sent to jail.

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Update: Email Ties Corzine to Missing Funds -- Wall Street Journal

My Comment: Why has he not been hauled in front of a judge? Where are the prosecutors?

Former Senator John Edwards Denies Being One Of Manhattan Madam's Clients

Photo: John Edwards on Meet the Press

Ex-Senator John Edwards Denies Report He Patronized Hooker Linked To Accused Soccer Mom Madam Anna Gristina -- New York Daily News

Woman told investigators he paid her for sex in city in 2007, website says
Former Sen. John Edwards is denying a report that he used the services of a call girl employed by accused Soccer Mom Madam Anna Gristina while he was running for President.

The woman told investigators that Edwards paid her for sex during a 2007 visit to New York to raise money for his failed White House bid, DNAinfo reported Thursday.

One of Edwards’ attorneys issued a strongly worded statement denying the allegation.

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More News On Accusations That Former Senator John Edwards Used the Services of A Prostitution Ring

Disgraced senator John Edwards denies being one of Manhattan Madam's clients -- Daily Mail
John Edwards Denies Prostitute’s Claims -- New York Times
John Edwards denies prostitute claim -- Politico
John Edwards denies woman's link to New York prostitution service -- The Guardian
John Edwards Denies ‘Millionaire Madam’ John Report -- ABC News
John Edwards denies prostitution links to Scottish madam -- The Telegraph

1.8 Million Dead People Still Registered To Vote

Study: 1.8 Million Dead People Still Registered To Vote -- NPR

Democrats and Republicans don't agree on much. But they do agree that voter registration lists across the country are a mess.

A new report by the Pew Center on the States finds that more than 1.8 million dead people are currently registered to vote. And 24 million registrations are either invalid or inaccurate.

There's little evidence that this has led to widespread voter fraud, but it has raised concerns that the system is vulnerable.

Election officials say one problem is that Americans move around a lot. And when they do, they seldom alert the local election office that they've left.

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My Comment: WHAT!!!! Dead people are not allowed to vote???? I`m shocked I tell you .... shocked.

The Controversy Over Solyndra Continues

After Taking Credit for Solyndra “Success” in 2011, Obama Now Says It “Was Not Our Program, Per Se” (Video) -- Gateway Pundit

He must think we’re stupid…

In May 2011 the Obama Administration praised Solyndra as a stimulus success story. But, that was before it went bankrupt. Today Obama said Solyndra, “Was not our program, per se.”

Obama told the Marketplace’s Kai Ryssdal that Solyndra really “was not our program.”
Unbelievable.

Real Clear Politics posted the transcript.

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My Comment: More on President Obama's blaming Congress for it's bankruptcy can be found here.

Senators Demand Firing Of Prosecutors In The Ted Stevens Case

Senators Demand Firing Of Prosecutors In Case Against Stevens -- The Hill

Senators are pushing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to fire the prosecutors responsible for the “disgusting” botched criminal case against the late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).

The outrage in the upper chamber follows the release last week of a 525-page report that found the government kept numerous pieces of evidence from Stevens’s attorney that could have proven his innocence or caused the case against him to be dismissed.

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My Comment: These prosecutors did everything possible to subvert the legal system ti convict Sen. ted Stevens .... so yes .... they deserve to be fired.

Cartoon Pic For Today

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Who Are The Super Rich Donors Bankrolling The GOP Race

Meet The 11 Super Rich Donors Who Are Bankrolling The GOP Race -- Business Insider

Behind every 2012 presidential candidate, there is a millionaire or billionaire holding the purse strings to the campaign's war chest.

Relaxation of campaign finance laws has given rise to a new class of super-donors who are now acting as kingmakers in this year's presidential election.

It's an elite club that includes Wall Street titans, Texas oil tycoons, billionaire tech execs, and an outspoken evangelical mutual fund manager, all of whom have given $1 million or more to support Republican SuperPACs. According to the Washington Post, these sugar daddies have forked over a combined $54 million so far this election cycle, helping bankroll an onslaught of negative attacks that have made this year's Republican primary one of bloodiest in recent memory.

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My Comment: A lot of billionaires in this crowd.

Bob Perry Gives $3 Million To Pro-Romney Super PAC

‘Swift Boat’ Donor Gives $3 Million To Pro-Romney Super PAC -- Washington Post

Texas homebuilder Bob Perry, who came to national prominence during the 2004 campaign for helping fund the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, donated $3 million in February to Restore Our Future, a super PAC supporting former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

Perry’s donation accounted for nearly half of the $6.4 million raised by Restore Our Future last month. The group spent nearly twice as much as it raised and had $10.5 million in the bank as of March 1.

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My Comment: A return of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign .... but this time targeting President Obama. Hmmm .... I would not bet against that.

Is President Obama Misleading The Public On America's Untapped Oil Resources

President Obama at a solar energy facility in Nevada on Wednesday. Republicans criticized the trip as a political stunt. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Energy Industry Accuses Obama Of Misleading Public About Extent Of Untapped Oil Resources -- FOX News

In almost every energy speech, President Obama makes this statement: "We've got 2 percent of the world oil reserves. We use 20 percent."

But there's more to those numbers than meet the eye.

"It's accurate but extremely misleading," says Dan Kish of Institute for Energy Research, which is supported by the industry. "What he is talking about is oil we already have found."

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My Comment: President Obama .... since the beginning of his Presidency has been very blunt on his support for alternative energies. Unfortunately .... after spending billions and having very little to show for it .... he should not double down on it nor should he underestimate and underpromote what America's energy sector can accomplish.

National Debt Has Increased More Under Obama Than Under Bush

(Credit: CBS)

National Debt Has Increased More Under Obama Than Under Bush -- CBS

(CBS News) The National Debt has now increased more during President Obama's three years and two months in office than it did during 8 years of the George W. Bush presidency.

The Debt rose $4.899 trillion during the two terms of the Bush presidency. It has now gone up $4.939 trillion since President Obama took office.

The latest posting from the Bureau of Public Debt at the Treasury Department shows the National Debt now stands at $15.566 trillion. It was $10.626 trillion on President Bush's last day in office, which coincided with President Obama's first day.

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My Comment: One can easily blame President Obama .... and I do .... but the Republicans have not been good on this issue either.

Life In Prison Begins For Rod Blagojevich

Obama's Political Pal Is Now Inmate No. 40892-424 -- Investor.com

Night One is now over.

Rod Blagojevich, former Illinois governor, long-time political ally and picnic pal of Barack Obama and loud-mouthed mediagenic felon, is now Inmate No. 40892-424, a resident of Federal Correctional Institution Englewood, just outside Denver.

He's scheduled to reside there for the next 14 years after his conviction on 18 counts of corruption, including trying to sell or trade his gubernatorial nomination to fill President-elect Obama's empty U.S. Senate seat.

Barring a presidential pardon, Blago must serve at least 85% of his sentence. On his scheduled release his two daughters will be 29 and 22.

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My Comment: It would not surprise me if President Obama ends up pardoning Rod Blagojevich

Why Are American's Helping The Chinese To Spy On Their Own Citizens?

Cities in China are installing surveillance systems with hundreds of thousands of cameras like these at a Beijing building site. Keith Bedford for The New York Times

Firm Romney Founded Is Tied to Chinese Surveillance -- New York Times

BEIJING — As the Chinese government forges ahead on a multibillion-dollar effort to blanket the country with surveillance cameras, one American company stands to profit: Bain Capital, the private equity firm founded by Mitt Romney.

In December, a Bain-run fund in which a Romney family blind trust has holdings purchased the video surveillance division of a Chinese company that claims to be the largest supplier to the government’s Safe Cities program, a highly advanced monitoring system that allows the authorities to watch over university campuses, hospitals, mosques and movie theaters from centralized command posts.

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My Comment: It's all about the money. Hmmmm ... it seems that Romney has good company in this "Chinese investment".

Is The U.S. Navy's Biofuels Program A Boondoggle?

Last month, the U.S. Navy deployed the Paul F. Foster - a decommissioned destroyer now used for experimental purposes - on a 17-hour voyage powered by Solazyme Inc.'s algae-derived biofuel. Photo: U.S. Navy

McCain Sees Another Solyndra In Navy Biofuels Spending -- The Hill

The Navy’s push to develop biofuels to run its fleet of planes and warships could devolve into a “Solyndra situation” for the Pentagon, a top Republican senator said today.

During Tuesday’s hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, ranking member John McCain (R-Ariz.) compared the now-bankrupt solar energy company, into which the White House sank $535 million in loan guarantees, to Navy-led efforts in alternative energy.

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My Comment: What caught my eye was the following ....

.... But Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) pointed out that even at a competitive price, the Navy’s plan to use a “50/50 blend” of diesel fuel and a biofuel supplement would still cost $15 per gallon. Traditional JP-5 jet fuel used in the Navy’s fighter aircraft runs $4 to $5 per gallon on average, Inhofe said.

$15 per gallon !!!!! .... you've got to be kidding me. And what is even worse is that these are just projections .... projections from a government agency that has a lousy record in projecting anything.

Bottom line .... it is too expensive and if implemented will help in busting the defense department's budget. My suggestion .... go back to the drawing board and find an alternative plan that is more practical and economically feasible.

Probe Blasts Prosecutors In Ted Stevens Case

Probe Into Ted Stevens Case Finds Vital Evidence Concealed -- Kansas City/McClatchy News

WASHINGTON -- A special prosecutor's finding that Justice Department attorneys concealed vital information from the defense in the case against then-Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, one of the nation's longest-serving senators, has prompted calls for Congress to clamp down on prosecutors.

In a case that could have future implications in how the Justice Department prosecutes public officials, a report released Thursday found that the Stevens investigation and prosecution "were permeated by the systematic concealment" of key evidence that would have been beneficial to his defense and that "seriously damaged the testimony and credibility" of the government's key witness, the corrupt Alaskan former chief of oil field-services company Veco Corp.

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More News On Prosecutors Concealing Vital Evidence On Ted Stevens

Report: Prosecutors Hid Evidence In Ted Stevens Case -- NPR
Court-appointed counsel issues report harshly critical of Stevens prosecutors -- CNN
Prosecutors Withheld Stevens Evidence, Report Says -- Wall Street Journal
Probe faults FBI, IRS agents in Stevens case -- FBI
Report: Intentional misconduct in prosecution of Ted Stevens -- L.A. Times
Prosecutors repeatedly hid evidence in Senator Stevens case -- Reuters
Report blasts prosecutors in Ted Stevens case -- Politico
Details Of Witness Relationship With Underage Girl Hidden, Report Into Stevens Prosecution Says -- TPM
Ted Stevens report: Unknown is, would he have been found guilty? -- L.A. Times

My Comment: Ted Stevens is dead .... which makes this probe mute (for him).

Rod Blagojevich Enters Prison

Blagojevich Reports to Prison -- Wall Street Journal/AP

LITTLETON, Colo.—Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich entered a federal prison in Colorado on Thursday to begin a 14-year sentence for corruption, the latest chapter in the downfall of the charismatic politician.

Followed by helicopters and television news crews, the 55-year-old Democrat pulled up in a black SUV at the Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in suburban Denver just before 1 p.m. after stopping for lunch and taking a break to make a cellphone call.

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More News On Rod Blagojevich Going To Prison

Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich has last minute burger before starting 14-year prison sentence -- New York Post
Ex-Ill. Gov. Blagojevich begins prison term -- SFGate/AP
Ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich walks into Colo. prison to begin 14-year sentence for corruption -- Star Tribune
US ex-governor heads to jail for corruption -- AFP
Ex-Ill. Gov. Rod Blagojevich enters Colo. prison to begin 14-year sentence for corruption -- Washington Post
Cameras in tow, Blagojevich surrenders to prison -- Reuters
Illinois' Rod Blagojevich, with small wave, enters federal prison -- L.A. Times
As Blagojevich Heads to Prison, What Will Become of His Hair? -- ABC News

My Comment: Unless something happens to him in prison, we are not going to hear from him for a very very long time.

Rod Blagojevich Goes To Prison

Blagojevich Says Goodbye Before Prison -- CNN

Chicago (CNN) -- Crowded by sign-wielding supporters, former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich made what's expected to be his final speech before he heads to Colorado to start a 14-year prison sentence on a corruption conviction.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he told the crowd. "But this is the law and we follow the law."

Blagojevich was convicted of corruption in June 2011 after a jury returned 17 guilty verdicts against him. Among other allegations, he was accused of trying to profit as he considered whom to appoint to take Barack Obama's open Senate seat.

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Update: Blagojevich On Going To Prison: ‘Hardest Thing I’ve Ever Had To Do’ -- CBS News Chicago

My Comment: He still believes that he has done nothing wrong. OK .... I am sure the parole board is going to be swayed by his argument. Otherwise .... I wish him the best (yeah right) for the next few years.

Cartoon Pic For Today

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Suing To Get The Records For Michelle Obama’s 2010 'Whirlwind' Vacation To Spain

Air Force Sued For Michelle Obama’s 2010 'Whirlwind' Vacation To Spain Records -- Daily Beast

During her time in the White House, Michelle Obama has most definitely demonstrated a penchant for taking expensive vacations with her family and friends – at taxpayers’ expense. Judicial Watch previously obtained documents regarding a June 21-27, 2011, trip taken by Mrs. Obama, her family and her staff to South Africaand Botswana. Through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) we obtained the mission expense records and passenger manifests for the Africa trip, which yielded a cost of $424,142 for the flight and crew alone. Other expenses, such as off-flight food, transportation, security, etc. were not included.

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My Comment: My prediction .... getting these records will be like squeezing blood from a stone .... it's going to be hard.

Highway Bill Amendment Defeated That Would Have Sent Billions To Promote Natural Gas Companies

Highway Bill Amendment Defeated That Would Have Sent Billions To Soros, Pickens, Douglas Companies -- Human Events

The Senate Tuesday killed legislation to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to encourage companies to use natural-gas powered vehicles. The legislation also would have benefited wealthy backers of the Democratic measure, including George Soros, T. Boone Pickens, and Kevin G. Douglas.

The amendment to the highway bill required 60 votes to pass but was defeated 51 yeas to 47 nays.

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My Comment: Putting aside the gas jokes, this is a lot of money for a highway amendment bill.

President Obama's Green Energy Abyss

Obama's Energy Abyss -- Post Gazette

He keeps wasting money on renewables

Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe," Steven Chu, now the energy secretary, said in a 2008 interview with the Wall Street Journal.

A gallon of regular costs more than $8 there. The Oil Price Information Service thinks the average price here will rise to $4.25 a gallon by the end of April. That would exceed the record of $4.11, set in July 2008.

A gallon of regular cost just $1.85 the day before President Barack Obama was inaugurated. If the price were to double again during a second Obama term, Mr. Chu's goal could be achieved.

Sen. Obama expressed little concern when the price of gas was approaching the current record high.

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Update: Obama’s Weekly Address – Investing in Clean Energy -- ABC News

My Comment: President Obama will continue to divert Federal monies into green projects not because of facts .... but because he believes that this is the solution. Science and market forces be damn.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's Conflict Of Interest In Natural Gas Bill

Photo: Nancy Pelosi. Wikipedia

Pelosi's Conflict Of Interest In Natural Gas Bill -- The Examiner

There aren't many things in the fields of energy and environment on which Democrats and Republicans agree, but manipulating the U.S. tax code to make money apparently is one of them. How else to explain the unlikely partnership between oilman T. Boone Pickens, former Reagan cabinet officials James C. Miller III and John S. Herrington, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi? Pickens, Miller and Herrington are on the board of directors of the Clean Energy Fuels Corp., while Pelosi owns stock in the company worth $50,000 to $100,000. Clean Energy Fuels Corp. stands to be the biggest beneficiary of passage of the Nat Gas Act now before Congress.

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My Comment: Passing legislation that will enhance your stock value .... how sweet can that be.

Rod Blagojevich Becomes Federal Prisoner Number 40892-424

Photo: Rod Blagojevich

Blagojevich Will Find Life Inside A Jolt, Ex-Inmates Say -- Politico

This week, Rod Blagojevich becomes federal prisoner number 40892-424.

The former Illinois governor is expected on Thursday to arrive at Englewood, a low-security facility in Littleton, Colo., located 15 miles southwest of Denver, to begin serving his 14-year sentence for corruption. Never one to shy away from the media spotlight, Blagojevich plans to make a final public statement in front of the cameras on Wednesday, just hours before he must leave behind his wife, Patti, and two young daughters, Amy, 15, and Anne, 8.

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My Comment: Good riddance.

$10 Million To Develop $50 Light Bulb

A look inside the Florida factory of LED bulb manufacturer Lighting Science Group, the sort of innovative, "green" company that many would like to keep in the U.S. Washington Post

Obama Spends $10 Million To Develop $50 Light Bulb -- Don Surber

The Obama administration created a $10 million L Prize to award the manufacturer who came up with an affordable and efficient light bulb. One would think the marketplace would take care of that but our federal government no more believes in free enterprise than I believe in global warming. This program began under President Bush.

Ah yes, who knows more about efficiency than the federal government?

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Update: Government-subsidized green light bulb carries costly price tag -- Washington Post

My Comment: There is NO MARKET for a $50 light bulb .... unless (of course) the government mandates it.