President Obama To Sign Pork-Laden Omnibus Spending Bill

From ABC News:

Obama administration officials Sunday announced that despite expressed "concerns" with the billions in earmarks contained in the $410 billion omnibus spending bill -- and campaign pledges to "slash earmarks by more than half" -- the President would sign the bill.

Taxpayers for Common Sense says the bill contains 8,570 earmarks at a cost of $7.7 billion. An estimated 60% of the earmarks are from Democrats, while Republicans requested the remaining 40%.

In his list of the Top Ten Porkiest projects that he tweeted on his Twitter page last week, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. -- who is urging President Obama to veto the bill -- cited both the $300,000 earmark for a Montana World Trade Center from GOP Rep. Dennis Rehberg of Montana, and a $1.8 million pig odor and manure management program from Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa.

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My Comment: Sigh ..... our tax dollars at work.

The Complete Sir Allen Stanford Story

The Sir Allen Stanford Story: The Emperor Has No Clothes Revisited -- Latin American Herald Tribune

In a scheme going back over 20 years, it appears that Stanford's "Banks" were nothing more than a ponzi scam, bilking investors for billions -- atleast $8 billon and counting -- but it took a smart Venezuelan analyst named Alex Dalmady to cry out that the emperor had no clothes, setting off a chain of events that within two weeks would lead to the collapse and closure of affiliated banks in Caracas, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Antigua.

In the early days of America, a banker was discussing how he came to be so rich. “Well, I didn’t have much else to do, so I rented an empty store and painted “BANK” on the window. The first day I was open for business, a man came in and deposited $100. The second day another fellow came in and deposited $250, and so along about the third day, I got confidence enough in the bank to put in a hundred myself.”

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My Comment: This financial Ponzi scheme, with all of its political connections, are revealed in detail .... and in full .... by this article.

I also consider this article to be the best news story that has so far been done on the Stanford Financial scandal. The reporter outlines the history of this scandal, the connections, the political favors, and the corruption it spawned in all of its glory details.

It is a long article to read, but all the dirt is there.

Do What I Say, Not What I Do

Texas Lawmakers Rip Budget, But Seek Millions -- Houston Chronicle

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ron Paul vehemently denounced the $410 billion catch-all spending bill approved last week by the House of Representatives.

But although the libertarian-leaning Republican from Lake Jackson cast a vote against the massive spending measure, his fingerprints were on some of the earmarks that helped inflate its cost.

Paul played a role in obtaining 22 earmarks worth $96.1 million, which led the Houston congressional delegation, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of more than 8,500 congressionally mandated projects inserted into the bill. His earmarks included repair projects to the Galveston Seawall damaged by Hurricane Ike and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

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My Comment: 40% of all earmarks have a Republican fingerprint. But I am still surprised by Ron Paul's earmarks. In last year's presidential Campaign he was always giving an air that things will be different in Washington, starting with his own behavior.

Sigh ..... I know that the political process has a corrupting influence. I guess Rep. Ron Paul, like everyone else, knows that since the taxpayers in his district will be paying taxes .... you might as well get something for them.

But this is how the corruption starts.

Obama Will Nearly Quadruple Deficit This Year

From Gateway Pundit:

USA Today an interactive chart on the the Obama Administration's significant increas in spending this year.

In President Bush's last year in office, 2008, the deficit reached $459 billion:

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Who's In Bed With Wall Street -- A Commentary

New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton announced today that $18.55 million will be heading Staten Island's way for the construction of an Army Reserve center. (Associated Press)

From Daily Comet:

Smoking is good for you. Eating deep fried spam is even better. And listening to a medical doctor on economic analysis is about as productive as listening to an economist provide expert commentary on medical issues. So maybe the first two sentences are a bit of an exaggeration, but make about as much sense as the economic commentary provided by Dr. Michael Robichaux in a recent column and response.

I have respect for the good doctor. He is an honorable man and loves his community, state and nation. He has a passion for justice and rights for all, and I respect that. He is highly regarded in his medical practice and his patients treat him with high regard and affection. Unfortunately, his passion and loyalty to his personal beliefs often blind his own objectivity and prohibit the sound reasoning that one might expect of a highly educated individual.

Read more .....

Hat Tip: Instapundit

My Comment: This author names the villains involved.

Roland Burris' Attorney Warns Against Special Election

Roland Burris (Photo from The Guardian)

From The Chicago Tribune:

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris' lawyer is warning of a fight if lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn try to dislodge Burris from office by approving a special election for his Senate seat---and the warning includes an indication that Burris could run in 2010.

Burris has rejected calls for his resignation by several leading Democrats concerned about his various explanations of the extent of contacts he had with allies of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Burris was appointed by Blagojevich to the Senate three weeks after Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges that included an allegation he sought to sell the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama.

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My Comment: Roland Burris' lawyer has a point .... but it is hard to defend Sen. Burris' rights when he was not even elected to the Senate .... but appointed by a "corrupt" Governor.

Porn In The USA: Conservatives Are Biggest Consumers

From ABC News:

8 of Top 10 Porn-Consuming States Voted Republican in 2008 Presidential Election

Americans may paint themselves in increasingly bright shades of red and blue, but new research finds one thing that varies little across the nation: the liking for online pornography.

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My Comment: If true, I guess CPAC will be rocking and rolling tonight.