by Jack Lee

This should come as no surprise, but Hollywood has falsely characterized cops as evil and corrupt in a movie about the real life story of a black drug dealer, Frank Lucas, played by Denzel Washington.

Lucas came off looking like Robin Hood and the cops, well, they were the real villains, ruthless, greedy and corrupt to the bone. This movie, American Gangster, sets a real bad example for the kids in the hood showing how far street smarts can take you if you’re willing to be bold and kill those who need killing. While the cops are depicted as a business nuisance in the drug trade, as they ineptly try to muscle in on a piece of Frank’s action.

Lucas finally gets taken down by feds and then he gets off most of the charges because he names names and this allows the feds to take down a ton of corrupt cops and agents.

Only one major flaw in this true movie, it never happened except in the mind of Hollywood producers.

The suit says the movie defamed hundreds of DEA agents and NYPD officers by claiming that the mobster's testimony "led to the convictions of three-quarters of New York City's Drug Enforcement Agency." In reality, no DEA agents or New York City police officers were ever convicted as a result of tips provided by Lucas.

"This is absolutely off the wall," said Dominic Amorosa, a prosecutor in the federal case against Lucas in 1975 who now represents the DEA agents. "I don't know what these people were thinking, but they are going to pay for it."

A Universal Pictures spokesman said in a written statement that the lawsuit is "entirely without merit" (no surprise there either) and "'American Gangster' does not defame these or any federal agents," adding that the corrupt law cops were supposed to be New York police officers, not DEA agents! (That’s the defense?)

Posted by Post Scripts at 07:46 AM | Comments (1)

January 16, 2008

See No Evil

by Tina Grazier

George Bush, the United States Military, and by association, the American people have been sharply criticized for the supposed mistreatment of terrorists held at Guantanomo Bay.

"Hostage Letters Recount Jungle Hell," by Frank Bajak – AP

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A satchel of letters carried out of the jungle by two women freed by Colombian rebels details the heart-wrenching suffering and depredation of the hostages they left behind. *** The letters from eight captive politicians, police officers and soldiers describe being chained by the neck, and suffering from malaria, tropical parasites, heart ailments and diarrhea so severe that one captive couldn't walk. *** Lt. Col. Luis Mendieta...wrote that he is frequently tethered with two fellow captives by chains around their necks. He describes surviving two bouts of malaria, chronic chest pains and being so stricken by tropical ailments that he had to crawl on his hands and knees for about five weeks. *** Among the hostages often chained to Mendieta is former state governor Alan Jara, who was kidnapped in July 2001. His letter says he suffers chronic headaches due to a parasite that has apparently infected his brain, Jenny Mendieta said. "He could die at any moment," she said.

This article should provide some much needed perspective to the over the top reporting on conditions at Guantanamo but the liberal press, and certain entertainers, won't notice the contrast and will instead choose to "see no evil" here...defend this insane and despicable position, if you think you can.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:34 PM | Comments (2)

Gray Coalition

by Tina Grazier

“[T]here is a growing gap between the rich and the poor. If we were all rich, that would be very nice. If we were all poor, it would be too bad, but we would be the same.”—former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright

Ms Albright apparently doesn't see, or appreciate, the unique spirit of every individual...or the grace to be found in individual experience... a telling example of progressive thought.

Might we suggest anesthesia, or perhaps sensory deprivation tanks, for the masses. It would be a lot less painful than this agonizing slide into a state of gray.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

A Soldier Speaks Out

The following was taken from remarks by Nick F. in response to “Trashing the Military.”

It begs the question, just how far are liberal progressives willing to go to make their ideal a reality?

To what depths are they willing to sink? What manner of subterfuge and deception are
they to accept in their quest for political control?

Personally I don't know. It can be attested to that the 20th century has seen its fair share of secular progressive advancement at any cost; but the horrors of this phenomena have always been far from our shores for the most part.

I worry about a political ideology which sees itself as beyond contestation. Beyond reasonable debate. So superior that it does not require full disclosure. So determined to dominate that honesty is seen as more of a stumbling block than an asset.

I would love it if anyone with progressive ideas could provide a single laudable reason for this New York Times story.

Does the article inform? No, it distorts. Does the article uplift? No it demeans using innacurate information and disingenuous sympathy. Does the article reveal something that citizens need or want to know? No, it only serves to distort facts as a means of skewing perceptions. What this reveals is the sleazy approach to the dissemination of “information” that New York Times journalists engage.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:34 AM | Comments (0)

January 15, 2008

Trashing the Military

Truth Escapes the New York Times…Again!

Jack and I agree, Post Script readers will want to know about this:

The lie, straight from the pages of the New York Times, as reported in The Weekly Standard article, “The Wacko-Vet Myth - Now echoed by the New York Times,” by John J. DiIulio Jr.:

The Times "found 121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war." All but one case involved male veterans. They speculated that their research "most likely uncovered only the minimum number of such cases, given that not all killings" were "reported publicly or in detail," and because "it was often not possible to determine the deployment history of other service members arrested on homicide charges."

Here’s the truth as reported in a New York Post article, “Smearing Soldiers,” by Ralph Peters:

“military service reduces the likelihood of a young man or woman committing a murder by 80 percent.”

Both the Standard and Post pieces are filled with statistics and facts that paint a much different picture of military personnel returning from war …the Post even tells you what to google to find them for yourself. After all the journalistic stumbling in recent years you’d think the New York Times would realize they can’t get away with lying as they once did…or perhaps they don’t care. The rabble on the left and the great unwashed don’t care much about truth anyway and in an election year it’s appearance that counts:

Of course, all of this is part of the disgraceful left-wing campaign to pretend sympathy with soldiers - the Times column gushes crocodile tears - while portraying our troops as clichéd maniacs from the Oliver Stone fantasies that got lefties so self-righteously excited 20 years ago (See? We were right to dodge the draft . . .). - NYP

One more truth...it'll brighten your day and bring much deserved honor those who serve in our military:

Know what else you'll learn? In 2005 alone, 8,718 young Americans from the same age group were murdered in this country. That's well over twice as many as the number of troops killed in all our foreign missions since 2001. Maybe military service not only prevents you from committing crimes, but also keeps you alive? - NYP

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:33 PM | Comments (7)

Fiscal Frivolity Hits the Fan

Posted by Tina Grazier

Clinton, Obama vs. pay-go, by Alexander Bolton - The Hill

The two leading Democratic presidential candidates have put congressional leaders in a bind by suggesting they waive budget rules and borrow tens of billions of dollars to boost the economy. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have backed away from raising taxes or cutting spending — options that would pay for their economic stimulus packages. *** This means their approaches would violate the pay-as-you-go budget rules that Democrats adopted after winning control of Congress. *** Democrats who control Congress are left with a tough choice — either sacrifice their recently acquired boast of fiscal responsibility or snub their own party’s presidential choice.

Let the weaseling commence! Meanwhile...

A serious and greatly entertaining perspective on this delicious little dilema can be found in the WSJ piece, “Rubinomics R.I.P.”

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)

Picture Worth a Thousand Words? NOT!

Posted by Tina Grazier

PA Chairman With PLO Flag That Erases Israel, by Nissan Ratzlav-Katz - Israel National News

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas was filmed this week at a PLO Central Committee meeting with an emblem that negates the existence of Israel as a backdrop. The PLO emblem includes the PA flag above a map which depcits Palestine replacing the entirety of the State of Israel. Directors Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook explained the emblem: "This symbolizes that all of Israel is, or will someday be, 'Palestine.'"

How many times, and with how many "pictures", must we be told by Palestinians that they wish to wipe Israel off the map before we take their word for it?

See no evil, hear no evil…deny the existence of evil…might as well wear some flowers in your hair, tune in…drop out...or should I simply say, "Peace man!"

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

Proposition 93 Gets Another Huge GOP Endorsement

by Jack Lee

Last week it was the former GOP Speaker of the Senate and Assembly, Jim Brulte, that tossed his considerable voter influence to Prop 93. We wondered what could be worse? Well, here's what's next... Arnold Schwartzenegger ENDORSED 93 today!

This is certainly a blow to our local bid for the assembly and no doubt it has to be just as big a blow to the other assembly campaigns that will be forced to drop out should 93 pass.

We saw this potential problem coming and we told to our grass roots campaign supporters straight up that after Feb. we might not be in business. We were reluctant to take donations before then because of Prop 93...even if it cost us the election. This was an ethical call and it was the right call.

On a related issue and one of my concerns for the future of our elections is what it costs to run. For many years voters and candidates have been concerned about this skyrocketing cost of just running for election, but they have been divided on what to do about it. One thing we can agree on is that high costs are keeping too many good people from running. Look at the exclusive club controlling Sacramento and look at the results!

Big money and political dynasty building...these are two very simple concepts, two very simple ethical issues that should be a no brainer to understand. But, too many in politics have refused to understand or pay attention because it's not in their personal interests to do so. Now in this one particular election (2008) all their plots, plans and ploys could be for naught and in that sense I say, tough luck! Unfortunately, in the future the biggest price to paid for what they (politicians and too many hand picked candidates) call political ethics will not be paid by them, it will be paid by us in the form of bad special interest legislation. Count on it and all you have to do to know this is true is look! Look at the lousy legislation cranked out for decades that benefits only the few.

Only the rich or well connected can have a reasonable chance of actually being elected today. Voters have been saying that it should not take the hundreds of thousands of dollars and in some cases, over a million dollars, just to run for a 2-year assembly job that pays $100,000! Voters are not stupid. They know when people invest that kind of big money in a race they expect big payback. And you better believe there will be a payoff for somebody... somewhere and it inevitably comes out of the pockets of the voters in the form of bad special interest legislation and we've got decades of bad legislation to prove it.

Our founding fathers and every patriot since those times has told us that we need all the good people we can get to step forward and be a candidate for office so that we can truly be a government of the people, by the people and for the people...but, this message has been lost on political opportunists. "We the people" can't advance democracy by allowing competition to be stiffled and allowing the costs of running to go far beyond what the average candidate could raise honestly. We know all this, and yet almost every state campaign goes for the big money and all the connections that come with it.

The people don't want incumbents proposing their hand picked candidates and why should they? It has the effect of creating a dynasty; this also defeats terms limits...voters that examine the problems know how wrong this is, but do politicians listen? You tell me. We've talked about this many times before, both here and in major editorials all over the state, but it still happens because not enough people are demanding it stop.

"SACRAMENTO -- Softening his past opposition to changes to California's term-limits law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is endorsing a Feb. 5 ballot measure that would allow many sitting lawmakers to run for office again this year rather than be forced to leave the Legislature.

Schwarzenegger, who as a candidate in 2003 supported California's existing term-limits law as a shield against "special interests" obtaining too much power, reversed himself in an essay released Monday that said the original law went too far.

Under the current system, our elected officials are not given the time they need to reach their full potential as public servants," Schwarzenegger wrote in an opinion article published on The Times website Monday and in the newspaper today. "Imagine what would happen if we told a big-city police chief or a sheriff he could stay in the job just long enough to start mastering it and then had to move on."

Schwarzenegger's backing is a boost for the Proposition 93 campaign and its chief proponent, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez (D-Los Angeles), who will be forced out of his seat after this year unless the term-limits law is changed.

Nuñez endeared himself to Schwarzenegger by pushing a healthcare overhaul that the two leaders negotiated through the Assembly last month.

But his endorsement conflicts with his original view on term limits, and with comments he made throughout last year that he would support changes to the restrictions only if a measure were also placed on the ballot to strip lawmakers of the power to draw their own districts.

Proposition 93 would reduce the total number of years a legislator can serve from 14 to 12. But it also would allow lawmakers to serve all of their time in either the Assembly or the state Senate, unlike the existing law, which limits them to six years in the lower house and eight in the upper house.

In addition to possibly extending Nuñez's time in office, the measure could lengthen the tenure of Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and dozens of other current lawmakers.

That provision has led opponents to describe the initiative as a thinly veiled effort by incumbents to maintain their power.

The California Republican Party opposes the measure, and the only other statewide elected Republican, Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, is among those bankrolling the campaign against it.

Tony Quinn, a retired Republican consultant, called the governor's support for the proposition "a sign of weakness," because Democratic leaders did not meet his demand to place a redistricting measure on the ballot.

"If this is a quid pro quo for healthcare, which every single Republican in the Legislature opposed, this is going to only make them more alienated and make it more difficult to get a long-term budget solution," Quinn said, alluding to Republicans' ability to block a state budget deal. "For him to further appear to be so willing to pander to the Sacramento establishment, it certainly undercuts the image he ran on five years ago."

The Yes on 93 campaign, which is being run by Nuñez's campaign consultant, Gale Kaufman, did not respond to requests for a comment. The campaign's spokesman, Richard Stapler, denied knowledge of the governor's endorsement.

Schwarzenegger was elected in 2003 on a campaign platform that included unqualified support for the state's 1990 term-limits law. A month before the October 2003 recall election, Schwarzenegger issued a statement describing himself as "such a strong believer in term limits" and declaring that "a change in the current term-limits law would further entrench the special interests."

"As we are now seeing with the state's budget crisis and anti-business policies, it is too easy for the politicians to become disconnected from the people they are supposed to represent," Schwarzenegger said in that statement.

Now, Schwarzenegger has written that he has reached the opposite conclusion. He said lawmakers need years to master the complexity of California's government, from its byzantine water laws to its troubled finances. In addition, existing term limits have created "a relentless campaign cycle" as lawmakers seek their next office -- a cycle that has made legislators more dependent on lobbyists and contributors.

"Legislators become more concerned with campaign cash, endorsements and independent expenditures than public policy," Schwarzenegger writes. "So they operate in fear of alienating the special interests they must constantly rely on for campaign money."

A Field Poll last month reported that voters favored the initiative 50% to 32%. But that support was down 9 percentage points from August.

A December poll by the Public Policy Institute of California found that while most voters supported reducing the total time in the Legislature as well as allowing politicians to serve all their time in either the Senate or the Assembly, only 42% favored permitting sitting lawmakers to remain in the Legislature beyond the 14 years they are currently allowed.

Kevin Spillane, a strategist for the No on 93 campaign, said the governor's endorsement "is about a deal on healthcare" that "has nothing to do with term limits or redistricting."

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:01 AM | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

Voter ID-A “Brazen Effort?

by Tina Grazier

An editorial in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Voter ID law an ugly effort to subvert ballot,” by Cynthia Tucker makes several outrageous claims:

“This is a brazen effort to block the votes of thousands of people of color who might have the temerity to vote for Democrats…” *** “It is difficult for middle-class citizens to believe, I know. If you live in the comfortable economic mainstream, where taking airplane trips and renting DVDs is a routine part of life, you can't imagine voters without a state-sponsored photo ID.”

Bigotry has indeed found a home in liberal political circles.

This woman assumes that only people “of color” would be effected by voter ID laws. She also demonstrates an amazing prejudice against “middle class citizens” in general and republicans in particular.

Just for fun let’s look at a little history regarding voter fraud and voter ID law.

Are Democrats Seeking Voter Fraud? – Human Events - 09/25/2006

Last September, the Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by (Jimmy) Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker made a sensible proposal for stopping voter fraud—which, even at minimal levels, could alter the outcome of close elections... *** “The electoral system cannot inspire public confidence if no safeguards exist to deter or detect fraud or to confirm the identity of voters,” said the Carter-Baker commission. “Photo IDs currently are needed to board a plane, enter federal buildings and cash a check. Voting is equally important.” *** “To insure that persons presenting themselves at the polling place are the ones on the registration list, the commission recommends that states require voters to use the REAL ID card, which was mandated in a law signed by the President in May 2005,” said the commission. “The card includes a person’s full legal name, date of birth, a signature (captured as a digital image), a photograph and the person’s Social Security number. This card should be modestly adapted for voting purposes to indicate on the front or back whether the individual is a U.S. citizen.” *** Anticipating that some Democrats would claim this requirement amounts to a “poll tax,” placing an unfair financial burden on poor people who don’t drive and who wouldn’t otherwise secure a state-issued photo ID, Hyde put language in the bill requiring states to give the cards to the poor for free.

So there was a commission including the very liberal Jimmy Carter that recommended the use of voter ID cards. How can this be? Jimmy couldn’t possibly be part of that vast right wing conspiracy…he wouldn’t dream of heading a campaign to disenfranchise po’ folk of color...would he? Hmmmm...and the very conservative Henry Hyde proposed providing the ID cards for FREE to poor Americans (of any color). Amazing!

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) did not agree, (with the proposal) citing a long list of liberal organizations opposed to the bill. Among them: the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans for Democratic Action, Common Cause, Emigrantes Sin Fronteras, the National Council of La Raza, the National Center for Transgender Equality and People for the American Way.

What? …no one from ACORN stepped forward to oppose the idea? Perhaps this charming bit of voter fraud history offers a clue:

Carmen R. Davis, 38, was charged in January with committing voter registration fraud and identity theft before the November elections.

The charges against her and three other former ACORN workers have become a national issue. Some allege that the indictments are part of a political effort to suppress minority voter turnout. *** Interim U.S. Attorney Bradley Schlozman brought the charges less than a week before the election. Prosecutors later dropped charges against one defendant, whose identity had been stolen by the actual culprit, they said. Davis subsequently was indicted. *** Earlier this week, Dale D. Franklin, who pleaded guilty in February to filing false voter registrations, received probation. Brian Gardner pleaded guilty in March and is awaiting sentencing. Kwaim A. Stenson is set for trial in July.

And another:

Another ACORN Employee is Guilty of Voter Registration Fraud

Kwaim A. Stenson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a felony count of submitting a false voter registration application to the Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners in July. *** Stenson, 19, was one of four ACORN workers indicted by a federal grand jury in November, less than a week before the election. The timing raised allegations that the effort was politically motivated to suppress turnout by minority voters.

And here’s another example of voter fraud from Newsmax:

Jim Collier's Ghost and Voter Fraud in South Florida, by Christopher Ruddy

In 1998, Miami became the center of controversy when a state court removed the sitting mayor because of voter fraud. *** …(Jim and Kenneth Collier) were writing about the corrupt voting practices there a decade earlier. *** Guess who voter fraud flourished under when the Colliers investigated this abuse? Janet Reno, who, as the state attorney, served as Miami's chief law enforcement officer. *** The Colliers revealed in their 1992 book how they uncovered preprinted voter ballots in a warehouse rented by a Miami political candidate.

This information brought to us by FAIR demonstrates a valid cause for Americans to be concerned.

“With the passage of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 — known as the Motor Voter law — the process of registering to vote became nearly automatic for anyone applying for a state driver’s license,” Stein told members of the committee. Because all states issue licenses to noncitizens and many even allow illegal aliens to obtain licenses, the potential for voter fraud becomes massive.

Voter fraud has been a problem for a long time and instances have been cited involving both parties. As the Supreme Court decides the constitutionality of voter ID let us remember that any measure that helps to identify people entering the polling booth (as well as those who vote by mail) is a good thing for ALL Americans.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:48 PM | Comments (5)

Congress - Is It Really A Culture of Corruption?

by Jack Lee

Well over 50% of Americans feel Congress is corrupt. and to add insult to injury a total 75% don't approve of the way Congress has handled their job. A glance at history says there have always been many examples of corruption to be found in Congress. "The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet." Mark Twain. And there was this other favorite quote, "An honest man in politics shines more there than he would elsewhere!"

Now moving ahead to recent times, we see examples like these: Wayne Hayes went down in scandal over a busty blond secretary hired only for sex, William Jefferson got caught with cold cash in his freezer, James Trafficant was indicted for tax evasion and racketeering, Randy "Duke" Cunningham fell to bribery, Mark Folley resigned over ex with an under age page, Sen. Larry Craig was caught in a sex sting in an airport men's room... and remember when 31 law makers were targeted in Abscam?

The list grows longer with each passing generation and it looks like Mark Twain was right.

Now on a local note in 1991, when the voters decided they were in need of a change in parties, John Doolittle entered Congress along with many others in a new wave of patriotic righteousness. He was fresh with ideas and idealism! The Democrats had made a mess of things and now these new Marshals, these men of good character, were determined to restore that lost trust and confidence back to the American people.

Doolittle was a firebrand and a leader of courage. He set about as a member in "The Gang of Seven", as they liked to refer to themselves, to right every wrong and expose every wrongdoer. Among his early accomplishments was his lead role in exposing the infamous House banking scandal. John T. Doolittle was man of rock solid ethics and he did not disappoint. He believed in God, the Constitution and the American way and in all respects he is one of us to his very core... in 1991. Now these many years later he has left Congress during an election year and amid a widespread corruption scandal.

You have to ask yourself, what happened? I don't pretend to know the mind of Mr. Doolittle but I do know this, he was a good man that served his country well for many years, just like Randy "Duke" Cunnignham who was also a fighter pilot ace and I also know temptation in Washington is beyond belief and it exists on so many levels.

Congress has the power to influence the flow for hundreds of billions of dollars and somebody always desperately wants some of the action or something else from these men of good character every minute of every day.

To remain above the dirt and corruption associated with such enormous power is a feat in itself. Especially, while being assured by your so-called political friends that "everybody does it" and "it's ok" because you have to bend the rules occasionally if you really want to get things done. Sometimes I wonder if we are not asking too much of these mortals?

It takes someone of almost superhuman conscience and character to resist the monstrous temptations that challenge our men and women in Congress year after year and all it takes is just one time to cross that fine line, a line that has been well camouflaged in ways that only Washington insiders can appreciate.

As the old saying goes, "When you dance with the devil, you don't change the devil, the devil changes you". And that is the risk faced by every elected official in Congress. So the next time when you see your local Representative why not thank him/her for being honest and staying out of the scandals? Give them our encouragement to stay strong even though you might take exception to some of their political votes. Wally Herger is that kind of ethical man and you might fault him for his politics, but you can't fault him for his integrity and for that he has my respect.

Congress is not a culture of corruption... it is only a reflection of our culture.

In closing just one more thought from a letter written to a friend by Mark Twain, "Yes, you are right--I am a moralist in disguise; it gets me into heaps of trouble when I go thrashing around in political questions" I can relate only too well to this one!

Posted by Post Scripts at 07:52 AM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2008

History Repeating

Posted by Tina Grazier

It is painful to reflect how often public education tends to corrupt the principles and morals. - Matthew Henry, 1662-1714

Any thoughts?

**Late breaking addition:

The above quote was part of commentary by Matthew Henry on Daniel 1:1-7. Just after posting it I came across the following related story:

Oregon school bans motto for religious reference –AP

BLUE RIVER -- Despite the connection to the school mascot, a rural school district has banned a proposed motto for a graduating high school class because it contains a religious reference. Some of the 90 seniors at McKenzie High School had been inspired by a Bible verse quoted at the August funeral of a classmate killed in an all-terrain vehicle accident. *** The entire verse was: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles." *** The students deleted any references to God in the proposed motto based on the verse and the school mascot name, the Eagles. But McKenzie School District officials rejected the motto as too religious: "They that believe shall mount up with wings as eagles." Brianna Rux, 17, one of the seniors, disagreed with the decision and wrote a guest opinion in The Register-Guard protesting it. She said the verse seemed particularly fitting, given the mascot name and that class members have pulled together to rise above their grief. "Ourselves being Eagles, it seemed a good way to describe who we are that no matter what we believe in, we can overcome," she told the Eugene newspaper on Friday.

Religiophobic educators in the public school system strike again...corrupting principles and morals!

Posted by Post Scripts at 02:09 PM | Comments (3)

Fill 'Er Up - $1.00

by Tina Grazier

General Motors is betting the farm on a fuel producing company, Coskata, that could mean $1.00 a gallon fuel for cars by 2011. WOW! While a bit of a gamble for GM, this bold move is a grand testiment to the free market and it's ability to deliver sensible solutions to everyday problems. This is the way to make a difference...and we don't even have to protest or wear ribbons. GM needs a boost, the people need relief at the pump, and all would benefit if air quality is improved. Bravo!

GM bets on $1-a-gallon ethanol maker - David Shepardson / Detroit News Washington Bureau

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. announced today that it's taken a stake in a biofuels research firm that aims to widely market $1-a-gallon renewable fuel as soon as 2011. *** GM chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner, announcing the deal today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, didn't say how large an investment that automaker has made in the Warrenville, Ill-based start-up firm, Coskata Inc. *** But Wagoner said the deal was essential, adding "We must radically ramp up the production of ethanol." *** Coskata aims to produce 100 million gallons a year of ethanol made by bacteria from matter such as grass and woodchips.

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)

January 12, 2008

Hugo Darling,

If it walks like a duck…by Tina Grazier

Chavez says no military solution to war in Colombia, Reuters, by Staff

CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Saturday that Colombia's long guerrilla war had no military solution and peace talks would only prosper when rebel armies there were labeled insurgents, not terrorists. The leftist Venezuelan leader enjoyed international praise this week for securing the freedom of two female politicians kidnapped by Colombia's Marxist rebels.

Just a spoonful of sugar makes the terrorist calm down? I don’t think so:

Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia - FARC

Although only nominally fighting in support of Marxist goals today, the FARC is governed by a general secretariat led by longtime leader Manuel Marulanda (a.k.a. “Tirofi jo”) and six others, including senior military commander Jorge Briceno (a.k.a. “Mono Jojoy”). It is organized along military lines and includes several units that operate mostly in key urban areas such as Bogota. In 2003, the FARC conducted several high profile terrorist attacks, including a February car-bombing of a Bogota nightclub that killed more than 30 persons and wounded more than 160, as well as a November grenade attack in Bogota’s restaurant district that wounded three Americans. *** Bombings, murder, mortar attacks, narcotrafficking, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla and conventional military action against Colombian political, military, and economic targets.

Dr. Steven Taylor-Polyblog

Mr Chavez used his annual state of the nation speech to make the appeal, addressing himself to Colombia’s conservative President Alvaro Uribe. *** “I ask you (Uribe) that we start recognising the Farc and the ELN as insurgent forces in Colombia and not terrorist groups, and I ask the same of the governments of this continent and the world,” Mr Chavez said. *** But Mr Uribe quickly rejected the idea. *** He said the insurgents were terrorists who funded their operations with cocaine smuggling, recruited children and planted land mines in their effort to topple a democratically elected government. *** “The only thing they have produced is displacement, pain, unemployment and poverty,” Mr Uribe said.

(all emphasis mine)

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:11 PM | Comments (3)

California Gets 3 Strikes!

by Jack Lee

CALIFORNIA THREE STRIKES TAKES ON NEW MEANING:

1. Worst crime rate
2. Worst educational system
3. Worst state deficit

The number of persons in custody in our state prisons and county jails has been on a steady rise for decades. According to the Dept. of Justice statistics starting in 1966 we had a total of 1289 people per every 100,000 state residents. By 1982 this rate had climbed to 1535 people in jails per 100k and by 1994 it leapt to 2704 persons in custody per 100,000 pop. It is interesting to note that as our school system began to fail in the late 1960's and test scores dropped the crime rate coincidentally increased. Narcotic activity also increased and so did the per capital numbers on welfare.

The current in custody rate per 100,000 is 2915 and the prisons are packed full. In a few weeks the governor may release 20,000 prisoners early to relieve the overcrowding.

The answer from our uninspired state lawmakers has been to throw more money at it and always take the path of least resistance.

Well, I guess when you demand better you will get better, but so far the rage and demand for accountability has been limited to a very small percentage of the population. The overwhelming majority of folks don't like this situation obviously, but they are reluctant to do more than complain and then they are too quick to acclimate to what they feel is impossible to fix.

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:24 PM | Comments (1)

January 11, 2008

BIG GREEN BRO

by Tina Grazier

By now I'm sure you've heard of the new proposal to make sure the State of California and power companies can, at their discretion, control energy consumption in your home. The question I have is what do you think...good idea or completely NUTS?

CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN', By Chelsea Schilling - WorldNetDaily.com

Add thermostats to the list of private property the government would like to regulate as the state of California looks to require that residents install remotely monitored temperature controls in their homes next year. *** The government is seeking to limit rolling blackouts and free up electric and natural gas resources by mandating that every new heating and cooling include a "non-removable" FM receiver. The thermostat is also capable of controlling other appliances in the house, such as electric water heaters, refrigerators, pool pumps, and lights in response to signals from utility companies. If contractors and residents refuse to comply with the mandate, their building permits will be denied. *** The proposal, set to be considered by the commission Jan. 30, requires each thermostat to be equipped with a radio communication device to send "price signals" and automatically adjust temperature up or down 4 degrees for cooling and heating, as California's public and private utility organizations deem necessary.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:50 PM | Comments (2)

Reagan's Favorite Newspaper Backs Thompson

Posted by Tina Grazier

HUMAN EVENTS, Ronald Reagans "favorite newspaper," has chosen to endorse the candidacy of Fred Thompson:

We begin by recalling the profound words of Ronald Reagan at the Conservative Political Action Conference Feb. 15, 1975: “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” We believed that then, and we believe it now. The issue for us -- and for the conservative community -- boils down to which of the candidates is most representative of the fundamental conservative principles we believe in. The answer is Fred Thompson. *** To reach that conclusion, we looked closely at the former Tennessee senator and his opponents to judge whether they measure up to conservative standards. Some come close, and others clearly do not. *** We make this endorsement on the basis of much research, having interviewed Sen. Thompson and some of his opponents, as well as examining what they have all said and done. We conclude that Thompson is a solid conservative whose judgment is grounded in our principles.

I highly recommend the article, which contrasts Thompson and his worthy opponents, particularly for those who haven't quite decided on a candidate. February 5th is just around the corner.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:27 PM | Comments (2)

January 10, 2008

Hillary's Economic Fix

Posted by Tina Grazier

Clinton to Seek Package to Lift Confidence in Economy, by Steven R. Weisman - NYT

WASHINGTON — Adjusting her campaign to address increased fears of a recession, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that she would call for quick enactment of a $70 billion emergency spending package and for a possible $40 billion tax rebate later if economic conditions worsen. *** Mrs. Clinton said her proposal, to be announced on Friday in California, would aid lower-income families facing foreclosures of their mortgages, subsidize home heating assistance, extend jobless benefits and create jobs in the energy and environment sector. *** Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday that she would call for quick enactment of a $70 billion emergency spending package and for a possible $40 billion tax rebate later if economic conditions worsen.

This woman doesn't have a clue. First she plays the responsible card:

“One of the cornerstones of our presidential campaign is that every new initiative must be paid for,” said Neera Tanden, Mrs. Clinton’s policy director. “But fiscal stimulus is the exception to that rule. The principle is that the spending should be temporary and not add to long-term deficits.”

Then she yells, "Chaaaaaarge it!" as she goes on a spending spree with "other peoples money":

$30 billion for an “emergency housing crisis fund” for states to help low-income families unable to make mortgage payments and in danger of losing their

$25 billion to help low-income families pay heating bills this winter, a tenfold increase of the existing federal program.

$10 billion to extend unemployment insurance for people unable to find jobs.

$5 billion would go for alternative energy programs like home weatherization and low-emission automobiles.

The only thing this proposal for government "spending" will "stimulate" is a few votes for Hillary Clinton. This isn't smart...it's politically calculating...and to h**l with the overall economy...you know that thing that ALL AMERICANS depend on to put bread on the table.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:28 PM | Comments (0)

Fred Head Appeal

by Nick Freitas

Tonight we all got to see the Fred Thompson us "Fred Heads" knew was always there.

He is adding a little rigor to his substance, and I hope it doesn't go unnoticed by South Carolina voters.

We have a chance to elect a genuine conservative to the White House.

Now I want to talk about one more reason to support Fred Thompson.

Policy implementation. Now as conservatives, we have certain principles, and those principles equal policy end states. Essentially our ideal, for how we would like to see ths country run. Those principles are centered around liberty, personal responsibility, a strong national defense, strict adherence to the constitution, respect for private property and economic freedom and the defense of the family and innocent human life at all its stages.

But in addition to these principles, conservatives respect tradition. We understand that to attempt to change tradition over night leads to bad policy. As soon as benefits are not immediately realized the electorate feels duped, and runs back toward old polices all the more determined to defend them. In short it is not simply about the policy, but how it is implemented to ensure that it is given adequate time to work.

Over the last 80 years our society has become addicted to bad policy decisions, which have unfortunately taken on the perception of tradition. Entitlement programs, the welfare state, valuing a false equality over liberty have all worked themselves into the fabric of American society over the years, and we are never going to be able to make our case that these things should be changed, by demanding drastic changes over night.

So what is the best way to ensure that our values and policy positions succeed in the LONG run?

Ask Fred Thompson. Fred Thompson presents realistic goals which give people options. Do you like the current tax system? Ok continue to fill out the miles worth of paper work, or you can file under a flat tax system. Do you like social security,? Ok well here is the realist way to fix it, and if you don't want it, here is a practical way for you to start to take back control of your retirement from the federal government.

Fred Thompson is not trying to make everyone happy by telling them that they can have it all. Instead he offers sound policy which allows people the greatest amount of freedom to determine for themselves which policy works.

Now here is the good news; CONSERVATIVE / LIBERTARIAN policy works best! But by giving people the option, by allowing them to see the policy work instead of insisting they take your word for it, they no longer feel the pressure to oppose it, for fear that they will lose their livelihood. The policy becomes their own! That is how to achieve lasting change! That is how to ensure a return to Constitutional fundamentals, and Fred Thompson is the only candidate who understands this very important dynamic.

So I want to encourage everyone to take another look at Fred Thompson, I am confident you will be impressed with what you see.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:05 PM | Comments (1)

It's Confirmed - Doolittle Is Out

by Jack Lee

Republican Rep. John Doolittle announced his retirement Thursday after a 17-year congressional career. He said he would drop his re-election bid for a 10th because he no longer loved his job.

We can only hope that Republican candidates can now save this congressional district from falling to democrats. That would be like adding insult to the injury caused by the Doolittle scandal.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:52 PM | Comments (7)

McCain's Energy Tax Plan

McCain’s Costly Tax on Energy, by Roy Cordato - NRO

Raleigh, N.C. – What do John McCain, Environmental Defense, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Pew Center on Climate Change have in common? They have united to support a massive new tax increase on energy — which will raise costs throughout the economy and threaten the vitality of, among others, the oil and automobile industries. *** The proposed bill, co-sponsored with Joe Lieberman, mandates an energy-rationing scheme that all economists acknowledge is equivalent to a broad-based energy tax which is similar to Bill Clinton’s 1993 Btu tax proposal. Energy would be taxed through the back door by placing a cap on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that energy-producing companies can emit. It puts a legal limit on the amount of energy that can be drawn from conventional sources such as oil, coal, and natural gas.

Please vote wisely in February...and November!

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

UK Nukes OK

New U.K. nuclear plants approved - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LONDON – The British government today announced support for the construction of new nuclear power plants, backing atomic energy as a clean source of power to fight climate change.
Business Secretary John Hutton told legislators that nuclear power "should have a role to play in this country's future energy mix, alongside other low-carbon sources." *** He said nuclear energy was a "tried and tested, safe and secure" source of power. *** Hutton said the new plants would be paid for by private energy companies, not the government, and that most would be built on the sites of existing stations.

Has the world turned upside down or does the more liberal UK just understand the real threat to the planet?

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)

Fred On Immigration

"We need to be a nation of high fences and wide gates -- and we get to decide when to open it and when to close it."

This is right on the money! It expresses a position of responsibility, of respect for the law, and it removes the argument. We welcome people to the US AND we expect them to come legally and only at our discression.

Fred Thompson is an adult who knows how to lead. He doesn't try to please "groups" of voters He did well in the debates tonight. I thought the best top three candidates were Thompson, Romney and Giuliani. I have serious issues with the rest of the field.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:59 PM | Comments (1)

Absentee Ballot - Interesting Trend

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:13 PM | Comments (0)

Major U.S. Companies Aiding Terrorists

by Jack Lee

There have been a lot of stories going around for years about certain US companies dealing with rogue countries. Now a new academic study written for MIT has detailed in very cold terms how some of our Fortune 100 corporations are still doing business with terrorist states, including Iran. In particular GE and Halliburton were mentioned. Both have a number of subsidiary companies outside the US and in the Middle East that deal regularly with both Iran and Syria. They say they are just fulfilling old contracts, but are they really and is this a trade sanction violation?

Our government is aware of it, but they tend to take their queue from the White House as part of our foreign policy. The SEC and State Dept. have clear rules against such business deals with terrorists and especially against Iran. As you know Iran has been caught a number of times supplying insurgents and helping to kill our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Until the MIT article broke, only the left in America was screaming about US companies doing deals with rogue nations. Unfortunately we weren't listening to them because so much of what the left says is just a bunch of baloney, but apparently we were wrong on this one and now the evidence proves it.

Since 9/11 President Bush has been regularly briefed about US companies that deal with terrorist nations and he has declined to take any affirmative action to stop it. My question to you is, should President Bush take action against these companies and enforce the rules, even if it could hurt the company's bottom line?

"Halliburton currently has at least two major projects in Iran. Along the Iraqi border, a subsidiary of Halliburton is helping to build one of the world’s largest fertilizer plants. Another Halliburton subsidiary is providing a $226 million drilling rig to the Iranian National Oil Company.

Meanwhile GE is also doing work in Iran. A Canadian subsidiary of GE has provided Iran with four hydroelectric generators to expand a dam along the Kuran River. And an Italian subsidiary of GE is supplying pipeline equipment and gas turbines for Iran’s oil industry.

This all comes despite the fact that Iran is one of the seven nations listed by the State Department as a state sponsor of terror. The other nations are Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, North Korea and Cuba.

Until recently the dealings of Halliburton and GE in countries like Iran got little attention. But a new financial company has begun tracking which companies have investments in the nations on the State Department’s list.

The company is Conflict Securities Advisory Group and it has created a massive database that lists which countries deal with all of the countries on the State Department list except Cuba. The Group has found that there 35 major U.S. companies that have operations in these countries. Overall some 375 publicly traded companies around the world are operating in these countries."

For more information on this subject see FOX NEWS, Oreilly Factor, Jan. 10, 2008

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:05 PM | Comments (2)

Stock Tip - CFC

by Jack Lee

If you look down the page on Post Scripts you will see a little stock tip I gave you. Today the impact of a [false rumor] that drove this stock down is over. Investors they have returned!

UP 55% in 1 day

Was it just a lucky guess? I suppose you could say that, however, I've been playing the stock market since I was 13 years old, so I should know a little something by now. Hope you made a few bucks.

I admit luck always has a lot to do with it, but also understanding the fundamentals of the market and the psychology of the investor helps luck happen!

I've tried to quantify what I do here in the market for others, but it doesn't translate real well because it's as much an art as it is a science. However, I can tell you this much that could be helpful. I look for a high quality stock that is oversold, one that has long term appeal, one that has a good P/E and P/S and then ease into it in a dollar cost average. Timing is everything and that part is up to you and how [you] see the technicals.

I like to make 3 buy-ins in tough times like now, it's much safer to average in. For instance the bank stocks look pretty rough and just for example, let's look at just one bank stock. Bank of America. Bank of America is really beaten down, right? Sure just like all the rest and as you know this is all thanks to the mortgage debacle. This is a temporary situation and when the real estate problem is ancient history (2-3 years) Bank of America will still be around and it will likely still be very profitable and that makes it a good play. It has sound fundamentals and the P/E ratio is almost twice as good as it should be to be considered a decent value. So in this case the stock is not only oversold, it's greatly oversold! Now here's the kicker, it has a nice little dividend too! This gives you more reason to stay for the long haul because even if the stock drops you still continue to get the same yield of money per share. I like that and so I have initiated buying Bank of America stock (symbol BAC).

The average trading price of this stock for most of last year was around $50, now it's priced at around $38 and I don't see a lot of downside left. Earnings are due out January 22nd and this should establish a point where many investors will re-establish the new price range. I've projected earnings (somewhat risky) and already started to buy (when most others are selling) because I like the company and I think the risk is now acceptable. There are many, many other stocks like this that are offered at even better discounted prices. This makes buying, even buying stock when we could be facing a short recession as an acceptable risk. Please don't just focus on BAC, it was only used as example how I tend to invest...you must due your own due diligence, ok? But, if my thoughts are of some use, then great, be my guest.

I was the only one to make this call and it worked, but obviously I can't always guarantee such stunning results, however, I had every confidence this would happen or I would not have mentioned it and my prediction of making as much as 40% in the short term was greatly exceeded. (I deliberately try to under estimate)

If you have any questions feel free to ask, I'll do my best to answer them.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:58 AM | Comments (3)

January 09, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: Key GOP Leader Endorses Prop 93

by Jack Lee

Politics is a strange game, but when one of the most powerful figures in the history of California Republican politics comes out in support of Prop 93 it makes you wonder what's happened? This is a key former GOP leader in the Senate and Assembly, a man to whom many Republicans owe much for his support, a man even who helped mentor and train Assemblyman Rick Keene's own chief of staff. Who is this man? His name is none other than... Jim Brulte!

That's right, former State Senator and Republican Leader Jim Brulte Endorses Proposition 93!

Brulte today reaffirmed his endorsement of Proposition 93, the Term Limits and Legislative Reform Act. Brulte discussed the need to reform California’s 17-year-old term limits law while participating in a panel discussion on legislative reform with Gov. Pete Wilson, Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr., State Sen. John Burton, and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

“I have always supported the concept of term limits, but I also feel that legislators need the time to gain experience in office to be effective,” said Brulte. “That is why I think the reforms in Proposition 93 are sound and have endorsed this initiative.”

Et Tu. . . Brulte?

This is a huge blow to the grass roots effort to stop prop 93 and it sends very mixed signals to California Republicans at a time when any confusion about prop 93 will only play into the hands Democrats. I absolutely can't believe this has happened to us! The only thing that could have been worse now is for "W" and Arnold to endorse 93.

Folks, I'm not kidding when I say that Jim Brulte was one of the most respected leaders in the GOP and I am totally at a loss to understand this endorsement.

Now look at this list of prop 93 supporters that Jim Brulte's has aligned himself with and you have to REALLY wonder why?

California Teachers Association
SEIU State Council
SEIU Local 1000
California Labor Federation
AFSCME
California Gray Panthers
Equality California
Latino Voters League
California League of Conservation Voters
Sierra Club
California State Council of Laborers
IBEW, California
California Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union
California Attorneys, Administrative Law Judges & Hearing Officers in State Employment (CASE)
Blue Cross of California
Pacific Gas and Electric
San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR)
Southeast Community Development Corporations
Planning and Conservation League
California School Employees Association
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
Latino Issues Forum
San Francisco Democratic Party
Ventura County Democratic Central Committee
Del Norte County Democratic Party
Sacramento County Young Democrats
Uptown Democratic Club
Governor Gray Davis (Ret.)
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell
Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign
Malcolm Burnstein, Co-Chair of the California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus
California Democratic Party
California Young Democrats

"Ne illegitimi carbunculi tibi in facie sint!"

*Jim Brulte served in the State Assembly from 1990-1996, where he served as Minority Leader of that body from 1992-95. After his service in the Lower House, Brulte was elected to the State Senate in 1996, where he would serve until 2004. In 2000, Brulte's Republican colleagues elected him Senate Minority Leader.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:09 PM | Comments (2)

Rudy's Tax Plan

Club for Growth Praises Rudy's Tax Plan

The Giuliani tax cut plan would extend the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts immediately; eliminate the Death Tax completely; lower the capital gains and dividends tax rate to 10% and index capital gains to inflation; lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%; and permanently index the Alternative Minimum Tax to inflation with a plan for eventual elimination. *** The Giuliani tax cut plan also contains a particularly bold pro-growth tax simplification strategy that would give taxpayers the option of opting into a simple tax plan in which their taxes could be done on one page. Instead of the current tax behemoth, the voluntary tax plan would constitute across the board cuts in marginal tax rates by proposing three simple rates of 10%, 15%, and 30%. *** “Giuliani’s tax cut plan will encourage capital formation, and capital is the key driver of productivity, higher wages, and a better standard of living for all Americans,” Mr. Toomey continued. “He does that by not only lowering the capital gains and dividends rates, but also by indexing capital gains to inflation. Also, the Mayor’s plan dramatically lowers marginal tax rates at the personal and corporate level, which will encourage a significant burst of economic activity and growth.” *** “The current U.S. tax code is a monstrosity of inefficiency and deterrence, with some of the highest corporate tax rates in the developed world and a tax code that totals more than 66,000 pages. Mayor Giuliani’s tax cut proposal today would dramatically move the American tax code and economy in the right direction. This is exactly the kind of plan economic conservatives should embrace.”

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:29 PM | Comments (1)

Hillary - Crying Her Way to Victory!

by Jack Lee

Was it her teary eyes just 24 hours before the New Hampshire vote that turned around a potential second loss to Barack Obama? Some think it was. She was asked on morning TV shows if choking up in public and showing her emotions was the turning point in her New Hampshire campaign and she freely said: “I think it could well have been.” Her husband, Bill Clinton, chimed in by wiping away a tear as he spoke in a soft halting voice, hinting he was choking back even more tears as he talked about his wife being the come back kid just like him.

On another subject, did you know crocodiles do indeed have lachrymal glands and produce tears to lubricate the eyes as humans do. They don't cry though. Whatever emotion they experience when finding and devouring prey we can be certain it isn't remorse.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:50 PM | Comments (1)

Deep Thoughts

During these troubled times, people of all faiths should remember these four religious truths:

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God's chosen people.

2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.

4. And now the most important one, Baptists do not recognize each other at Hooters.

Posted by Post Scripts at 03:01 PM | Comments (0)

Oh Mama…do you rally want Obama?

Obama is the Most Pro-Abortion Candidate Ever, by Terence Jeffrey - Townhall.com

He is so pro-abortion he refused as an Illinois state senator to support legislation to protect babies who survived late-term abortions because he did not want to concede -- as he explained in a cold-blooded speech on the Illinois Senate floor -- that these babies, fully outside their mothers' wombs, with their hearts beating and lungs heaving, were in fact "persons."

"Number one," said Obama, explaining his reluctance to protect born infants, "whenever we define a pre-viable fetus as a person that is protected by the Equal Protection Clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we're really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a -- a child, a 9-month old -- child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it -- it would essentially bar abortions, because the Equal Protection Clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute."

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:41 AM | Comments (1)

RECESSION?

Posted by Tina Grazier

Ask some economic pointy headed types about a possible recession and you get:

Goldman Sachs sees recession in 2008, by Daniel Burns and Nick Olivari - Reuters

NEW YORK - Goldman Sachs on Wednesday said it expects the U.S. economy to drop into recession this year, prompting the Federal Reserve to slash benchmark lending rates to 2.5 percent by the third quarter. In a note to clients, Goldman said real gross domestic product would contract by 1 percent on an annualized basis in both the second and third quarters.

***

…but on the other hand…

U.S. Will Escape Recession, Economists Say in Survey, by Shobhana Chandra - Bloomberg News

The U.S. will skirt recession as consumer spending slows without collapsing, a survey of economists showed. Economic growth will average 1.5 percent in the first six months of 2008, matching the fourth quarter's pace, according to the median estimate of 62 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News from Jan. 3 to Jan. 8.

***

What might our fearless leader do about it:

Bush reportedly mulling tax rebates, breaks, MarketWatch.com, by Staff

The Bush administration is considering giving individual taxpayers rebates to encourage spending and and granting tax breaks for businesses to spur investment, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. Talk of a stimulus package has taken on greater urgency in recent days. It's expected that President Bush would unveil the details of such a package when he delivers the State of the Union speech to Congress on Jan. 28.

President George W. Bush knows the American people...not government...will put the economy back on track and make it work.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:14 AM | Comments (1)

$ Democrat Control $

by Tina Grazier

Democrats have railed against republicans about debt for months...do they really give a rip? The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a report card for the democrat run Congress…and it ain’t pretty:

"the federal budget deficit was about $107 billion in the first quarter of fiscal year 2008, CBO estimates — about $27 billion more than in the same period last year." Reports the CBO, "Outlays have risen by 9 percent compared with their level in the first three months of 2007."

Lest the Democrats blame the soaring spending on the war in Iraq, the CBO reports that "Defense and non-defense spending each rose by about 8 percent, while net interest on the public debt increased by 17 percent." One big driver of spending was Medicaid, the federal health program for the poor. The CBO reports, "Medicaid spending in the first quarter was almost 11 percent more than the program's outlays in the first three months of 2007."

Clearly criticisms aimed at republicans about debt are not born of concern for future generations, bloated government, or irresponsible management of taxpayer money but instead only from their own desire for political control to spend your money. Principles don’t matter…power matters…and to h**l with the deficit.

Resource: Democrats and the Deficit - New York Sun Editorial

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)

January 08, 2008

CLINTON WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE - BIG DEAL

Hillary Clinton won the New Hampshire US Democratic primary on Tuesday, a huge victory that bolstered her bid for the party's presidential nomination after a third place loss in Iowa last week.

Democrat Senator Barack Obama conceded defeat to the former first lady in the key presidential primary.

Republican John McCain, meanwhile, capped his rise from the political scrap heap with a big win over Mitt Romney that gave new life to his once-struggling presidential campaign.

Senator Obama congratulated Senator Clinton on her win. For more on this story click here.

"I want to congratulate Senator Clinton on a hard-fought victory here in New Hampshire - she did an outstanding job," he said.

( If Hillary wins the nomination for the presidency from her party it will be a testament to the naivity and ignorance of the democratic voter. On some level I should be happy if this happens because she will be far easier to defeat by almost any Republican candidate than than Obama or even Edwards. )

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:46 PM | Comments (0)

A Quicky Stock Tip - Country Wide Financial

by Jack Lee

I rarely give any advice on buying a single stock, however here's one worth considering, but remember you use your own due dillegence before investing in this or any other stock.

This particular stock was the victim of an absolutely false rumor that they were announcing bankruptsy and at one point it fell about 30% today.

The stock is one of the U.S.'s largest mortgage companies, Countrywide Financial (symbol CFC) and this rumor also helped to send financial stocks into an unwarranted tailspin further dropping the dow. CFC had been trading in the $40 and it's now down to $5 bucks and change. This is one of those rare moments when you might want to risk some spare change and buy a beaten down stock that has been really oversold due to a false rumor. I'm going to buy a few hundred shares on open tomorrow and watch it rebound.

Don't bet your life savings on it, but it's a gamble worthy of a few bucks (in my humble opinion) and then just let it sit in your closet for a month or two as it recovers. My guess is you will see at least 20% return and possibly as much as 40% in the short term.

The DOW is currently down about 11% and some pundents are saying stocks are now at sale prices, with many selling at 30-40% off their highs. ( Remember, timing is everything when it comes to the market and bargain stocks can always become better bargains! So be careful. )

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:10 PM | Comments (0)

More Primaries Coming Up

by Jack Lee

Feb. 5th is the big one!

Tuesday, January 15 - Michigan's jump to mid-January triggered shifts by Iowa and New Hamshire. The Republican National Committee voted to deprive Michigan of half its delegates because its contest will fall before Feb. 5.

Saturday, January 19 - The Democratic National Committee allowed Nevada and South Carolina to move their contests to January to provide regional and ethnic balance. South Carolina Republicans moved their primary in front of their Democratic counterparts to skip ahead of Florida. The Republican National Committee voted to deprive South Carolina of half its delegates because its contest will fall before Feb. 5. Nevada was not penalized because its caucus is nonbinding.

Saturday, January 26 - After South Carolina Republicans moved their primary to Jan. 19 to skip ahead of Florida, Democrats advanced theirs by three days for the same purpose.

Tuesday, January 29 - In shifting its primary forward, Florida hoped for a bigger role in the nominating process. The Democratic National Committee stripped Florida of all its delegates to the national convention because it moved ahead of Feb. 5 without permission. The Republican National Committee voted to deprive Florida of half its delegates because its contest will fall before Feb. 5.

Tuesday, February 5 - California and 19 other states have scheduled their contests for the earliest date allowed by the party without special exception. California Primary has 173 GOP delegates and 441 Democrat delegates. This is the big one that will decide the fate of the candidates.

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:20 PM | Comments (0)

STOCKS OFF TO WORST START IN HISTORY!

U.S. stocks fall as prices of commodities rise. Crude-oil futures hit $100; gold closes at highest level since 1980.

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. stocks on Wednesday started off 2008 with a whimper instead of a bang as escalating commodity prices and a gauge of manufacturing activity fueled worries about the economy, propelling the Dow to its steepest start-of-a-year point drop ever. For the full story click here.

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)

DOOLITTLE OUT - RICO OLLER IN?

The embattled Congressman John Doolittle-R, currently under an FBI corruption probe linked to the infamous Jack Abramoff scandal has apparently decided to throw in the towel, according to this breaking news story, "Doolittle will drop out to allow Sen. Rico Oller to run for the 4th District Congressional seat, the California Majority Report has learned. The move, first noted back in November in the Stockton Record, could come as early as this week.

If true, this is a stunning revelation because his most ardent supporters and key Republican figures in Placer County have openly decried they have Doolittle's personal assurance that he would never drop out and he would fight all the way to victory.

It has been a little over a month ago that very conservative arm of the Republican Party, the CRA, gave Mr. Doolittle their full support with a vote of confidence at their convention where they also endorsed presidential candidate Mitt Romney. This vote was thought to be ill advised by at least some in the CRA as many Republicans from within his own 4th Congressional district and many of his Republican colleagues in Congress were openly asking him to resign lest they lose his seat to Democrats in the next election.

No doubt Doolittle's failure to raise campaign money from his usual sources was a sign that his days were numbered, especially when Democrat Charlie Brown was raising even more money in this otherwise strong Republican district. Doolittle narrowly defeated Brown in the last election.

This sudden turn of event has to come at the chagrin of his stalwart supporters who may be wonder what other suprises may follow?

For more on this story follow this link to CBS News.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

On Fred Thompson

by DHB (A reply to recent Thompson comments)

I agree that Thompson's lack of unbridled ambition is refreshing. While some commentators criticize him for not trying hard enough, I am troubled by the other candidates trying too hard. They seem to be fueled by extreme vanity and hubris. The idea of spending 500 million dollars on a campaign for a job that pays 200 thousand is suspicious. Some, like Hillary, seem like they would kill for the job. Just after the Iowa polls showed that most people thought she was too calculating and lacking in human emotion, she went before the cameras and had a tear in her eye. Her supporters loved it, but many cynical observers saw it as an act. We remember how Bill could cry on cue. Even if was genuine, that brings up another point. It would be understandable for a candidate to get teared up when talking about something really serious, like the death of his child, or maybe Guilliani talking about his friends who died on 9-11. But Hillary was crying about being down in the polls. How crass is that?

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)

January 07, 2008

Campaign Watch - Fred Thompson

“If men of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honor of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth; if men possessed of these other excellent qualities are chosen to fill the seats of government, we may expect that our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation.” —Samuel Adams

INSIGHT - “Every voter ought not merely to vote, but to vote under the inspiration of a high purpose to serve the nation. It has been calculated that in most elections only about half of them entitled to vote actually exercise their franchise. What is worse, a considerable part of those who neglect to vote do it because of a curious assumption of superiority to this elementary duty of the citizen. They presume to be rather too good, too exclusive, to soil their hands with the work of politics... Popular government is facing one of the difficult phases of the perpetual trial to which it always has been and always will be subjected. It needs the support of every element of patriotism, intelligence and capacity that can be summoned.” —Calvin Coolidge

CAMPAIGN WATCH - “I must confess that Fred Thompson] is the only one [of the GOP presidential candidates] I don’t have major reservations about—apart from his electability. Yes, I worry that he supported McCain-Feingold and that he might not be a strong supply-sider. But on most issues, he seems reliably conservative and appears to have a solid and strong character. I do believe that with Fred, we know what we are getting. I find his lack of ‘fire in the belly’ refreshing. He strikes me as one of the few presidential candidates since Ronald Reagan whose primary motivation is not personal aggrandizement but rather serving and leading the nation in very troubled and dangerous times. I see him as almost being drafted into this project, and his refusal to drool publicly over the prospect of becoming the most powerful man in the world is positively delightful.” —David Limbaugh

Posted by Post Scripts at 01:51 PM | Comments (2)

POPULISM

by Jack Lee

The dictionary definition of a populist goes something like this, it is a person who engages in rhetoric that will appeal to the masses by pointing out either real or fictitious divisions between the masses and the "elite" or rich class in an attempt to separate them into two diverse camps.

The rhetoric style takes on an emotional appeal that is directed at certain identities that may include, but are not limited to, national identify, social classes based on income, ethnic, racial and even geographic regions. The rhetoric attempts to pit a class against the "elite". Religious or a political philosophy is commonly pitted against the evil "elite" (ruling class). We've seen that done in the class warfare between Sunni and Shia Muslims. However, in its most basic form populism always pits the downtrodden us against the evil rich them.

In this century the manner in which populism is employed is the classic leftist style as seen in speeches by Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin and Mao to name a few. These populist leaders exploit the numerical superiority of the masses to turn them on the "elite" or as they like to call them, the bourgeoisie. The so-called "elite" (or rich) are the best educated and typically the best informed in matters of state and therefore often rise to leadership positions. Whatever ills that befall society can quickly be transferred to being the fault of the "elite" or bourgeoisie. It doesn’t take a very skilled orator to do this because it's almost part of human nature that we should have an inclination to fault government and the wealthy for every malady or problem confronting society; in reality it's just common jealousy cloaked behind the self-righteous authority of the populist.

The masses therefore are easy prey for the populists. They are typically either young zealots or undereducated blue color workers. In either case, they are dangerously ignorant of the inner workings of economics, government and world affairs so they buy into the emotional arguments of the populists quite easily, without seeking a more pragmatic view. Their voter power of their force of arms in a revolt is fueled by class warfare and the "elite" are easily overthrown. An extreme example of this was seen in Cambodia under the Pohl Pot regime where the "elite" (persons with a college education) were systematically murdered. The Cultural Revolution where murder and book burnings were common place is another example of populism taken to a deadly conclusion.

We are headed down the path toward a populist state mired in socialism and the pathetic part is most people don't even have a clue, but then again that's how it works. If we were aware it wouldn't be possible.

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:28 AM | Comments (2)

SALVATION APPROACHES! HURRAY FOR US!

by L. A. Simpson

I would rather "have a dream" than the same old depressing world Bush and Cheney have arranged for us.

Everyone is sick of the gloom and doom, look at the home foreclosures, look at the price of oil, and heating costs, the cost of medical care, etc. They have almost succeeded in wiping out the middle class, so that they will reach their goals of creating two classes of only the extremely wealth and the poor.

Everyone was united both nationally and worldwide after 9-11 until the [pre-emptive] war move to Iraq, instead of getting Bin Laden who by the way is still on the loose after seven years.

Fred Thompson might have gotten his percentage rate up, if his reflexes were amped up about 90%. And nobody wants a trophy wife in the White House. He should of thought of that before he put his ex-wife out to pasture and decided to run for office.

People want "change", Barack is appealing to independents and even Republicans! So get used to it, there is going to be a Democratic President elected in 2008. Jefferson and Jackson aren't rolling in their graves, they are dancing on them.

Turn on your Rush Limbaugh Show and pour yourself another glass of the Kool-Aide, its all you got to hang on to now.

Oh when the saints, come marching in, oh when the saints come marching in...

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:16 AM | Comments (6)

January 06, 2008

I Have a Fantasy

The “United America” Dream
by Tina Grazier

Candidates who claim they can bring democrats and republicans together in today’s political atmosphere are delusional and possibly too stupid or naïve to be considered as serious candidates for president. As the war against terrorism has shown, even an enemy bent on destroying America fails to unite the people. We are and will remain divided.

John McCain, who positioned himself as the Maverick of the republican party, became a media darling by playing to the democrats ear, yet when rhetoric transferred into action his bipartisan deals quickly soured many of his former supporters in the GOP. He may have gained a few admirers from the other side and “the middle” but he lost a number of republicans and did not unite the country.

Following his recent victory in Iowa, Barack Obama made the same kind of uniting speech:

"I'll be a president who finally makes health care affordable and available to every single American, the same way I expanded health care in Illinois, by bringing Democrats and Republicans together to get the job done."

Oh please. The bitter and fervent battle over healthcare, and whether or not the government should be in charge of it, will continue no matter who we elect. The nation will remain divide on this issue and most others. But, there is one other very important fact that shatters Obama’s little speech…along with his credibility…as reported in the story, “Obama's Iowa victory speech brings double takes,” by Nick Shields writing in the Daily Herald:

But Illinois doesn't have universal health care. In fact, Obama's comment comes as Illinois is embroiled in a full-scale political fight over whether to expand coverage.

Obama’s claim is not only fantasy, it is fantasy based on myth. Whether this represents an "I've got a dream" moment or is just some meaningless campaign verbage it is not a good place to begin. When picking a candidate it’s time we Americans gave up the idea of a Kumbaya moment…it ain’t gonna happen..and why should it?

Posted by Post Scripts at 06:49 PM | Comments (1)

Levee Break Dumps Ice Water on Town

FERNLEY, NEV. - A ruptured levee on a rain-swollen canal spilled a frigid wall of ice water' into the desert town of Fernley on Saturday, flooding hundreds of homes and forcing the rescue of dozens of people by helicopter and boat.

No injuries were reported in the town about 30 miles east of Reno, after a section of the Truckee Canal levee up to 150 feet long broke soon after 4 a.m. Saturday.

As many as 3,500 people were temporarily stranded and an estimated 1,500 were displaced from their homes, Lyon County Fire Chief Scott Huntley said Saturday night. About 25 people remained at a shelter set up at a high school after a peak of about 150 earlier in the day.

Latest storm leaves over 5 feet of snow on Sierra Nevada mountains.

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:40 AM | Comments (0)

January 05, 2008

Winter Storm Hits Hard

By Jack Lee

This is all that is left of our new tractor shed roof! We built it last summer and it was anchored into the ground with concrete pier blocks and strapped at the corners, but it was obviously not enough when winds whipped over 70 mph and possibly as high as 80 mph in brief gusts. Half of this metal roof, with it's 4X4's posts still attached went flying over the shop and landed in the back yard some 175 feet away. Some of the other roof debris took out a chicken run on its way to the backyard and knocked down a 6 inch thick fence pole. That took a lot of wind force to do that!

Almond trees took the brunt of farm damage. Some of the almond trees were blown completely out of the ground and landed in nearby tree rows. In the picture (left) shown here are rows of trees that went down just outside the little town of Dayton. Tree damage is very visible along the Durham-Dayton Hwy. south of Chico. The damaged trees are mature and in normal conditions they would be at their peak production. This tree loss will really set back farm incomes in 08. Walnut trees faired much better thanks mainly to their deep tap root that kept them from blowing over. Out here (Butte City) we didn't lose one walnut tree, but there was one decorative Sequoia redwood that lost a lot of limbs on the southeast side, looks kinda weird with limbs on just one side

The hole in this roof is the horse barn. The tin tore right through the nails and pieces of tin landed 100 feet away. The horses became spooked at some point during the violent winds and knocked out or kicked out one of the center support posts, but fortunately the roof still held....I built this one a little stronger because of the horses and thank goodness I did!

It's real disappointing to see all this damage; we just started to get the place in shape and Shari was really happy with her new tractor shed, which is now in shambles. Oh well, it's all part of ranch life I guess. We might go another 20 years and never see winds like this or we could see it next month,,,,you just never know. And think of it like this, mother nature is the farmers business partner! (Some partner)

Back in Chico ...street lights were out all over town, limbs lay in streets, the few gas stations that were open were crowded because of so many being shut down due to a lack of power. Over all power outages were sporadic and widespread and not just limited to Chico. Paradise, Oroville, Hamilton City, Orland many other surrounding towns all had downed power lines.

In Stockton the rains came down in torrents. My son called to report his street was under a foot of water. An intersection about a half block away was not visible, except for the street signs marking the corners in a lake of muddy water. (This was well inside the residential area of Stockton)

Do you have a storm story you would like to share?

Posted by Post Scripts at 07:00 PM | Comments (1)

January 03, 2008

Narcosubs

Now drug smugglers turn to submarines, by Jeremy McDermott - The Scotsman

Medelllin - South American drug seizures at sea are at a record high, with 70 tons of cocaine worth more than £800 million found by the Colombian navy alone last year, prompting drugs cartels to move their shipments deeper under cover, beneath the waves. During last year, more than ten submarines – or ''narcosubs'' – were discovered by the Colombian and United States navies *** The submarines, alongside go-fast speedboats, were being built by rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

Huckabee & Obama - BIG Winners in Iowa

Former Gov. Mike Huckabee won the Iowa Republican caucus on Thursday, surging past better-known rivals to triumph in the first nominating contest of the 2008 U.S. presidential election, U.S. media reported. McCain battled former Sen. Fred Thompson for third place, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul lagged behind.

Huckabee won 34% of the vote! Romney 25% , Fred Thompson had 14 percent, John McCain had 13 percent and Ron Paul had 10 percent.

Huckabee said his campaign was running on ideas, not money a remark aimed at Romney who suffered a crushing defeat after vastly outspending Huckabee in massive get out the vote campaign.

"People really are more important than the purse, and what a great lesson for America to learn," Huckabee said in thanking his supporters.

For most of 2007, Huckabee languished in the single digits in the polls and had very little success raising money. But his momentum picked up in the final six weeks of the year when social conservatives -- an important voting bloc in Iowa -- began to move his way. Huckabee wants a simple flat tax system and if he gets his way it would be the end of the IRS as we know it.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:37 PM | Comments (1)

A Great Storm Commeth

by Jack Lee

There is mounting evidence that America may be in for some very hard economic times in 08. Leading economic indicators tend to backup what many now fear and what and more and more experts are saying. Recession is looming. A year ago Alan Greenspan said it is "possible" the U.S. economy might fall into recession by the end of the year. He said the U.S. economy has been expanding since 2001 and that there are signs the current economic cycle is coming to an end. Most recently Greenspan gave us a 50-50 chance of recession.

The Federal Reserve, which is neither federal nor a reserve, has been desperately trying to prop up the economy with prime rate cuts, but it comes at a cost, a weakening dollar!

America's trade deficit has been helped recently by a weak dollar, but even this has its limits and we are fast approaching those limits. China, India, Japan Middle-East and Western European nations have been collecting our paper money by the billions and that action is a losing proposition for them as the dollar falls. In order to prop up their losses due to the faltering dollar they are making investments in American infrastructure and even in key financial industries. Recently 5% of Citigroup was sold to the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi for a cash infusion of 7.5 billion. UBS Bank has sold . . .

off a good deal of it's equity to Singapore and the UAE. Any sudden drop in the dollar now could spark a run on greenbacks and that would be worse economically speaking than 9/11.

On another front, many large U.S. retirement funds have invested heavily in purchasing AAA rated derivatives, which are financial instruments whose value is derived from the value of something else, in most cases this real estate and their value is based upon the value of the underlying asset, i.e. home and property values. However the AAA paper was never really AAA. Much of it was stratified to include a certain portion of sub-prime loans.
The sharply falling values in real estate are not reflected in the current assets of pension funds who are still counting this paper at full value. This leaves these funds with less real cash than they have on the books if they had to cash in those derivatives, and that my friends sets us up for a looming disaster.

Real estate insurance companies have also lost value and some have become worthless. They simply don't have the assets to cover losses and so many real estate sub prime loans are held without mortgage insurance.

Housing is the leading economic indicator and when it goes down low enough and for long enough period of time then everything...EVERYTHING...else will follow in suit. What is [low enough] to trigger a widespread chain reaction to the economy? Experts say when housing dives 20% or more we're in real bad trend and guess what folks? We're there and have been for well over 6 months.

Now factor in the record high price of crude oil and the rising natural gas prices and its impact on homes as well as industry. Initially this acts like a tax and it puts the brakes on inflation, but over an extended time this will facilitate across the board price hikes in everything from medical, durable goods and even food. Speaking of the later, this is a serious inflation indicator and food prices have risen sharply in the last 12 months. Milk prices were up 23.2 percent through November. "A lot of basic foodstuffs seem to be going up and dairy products are going through the roof," said John Norris, director of wealth management for Oakworth Capital Bank and food price guru. Again, this is a sign that the inflation bear is on your doorstep.

Declining revenues are already being felt in government. California moved quickly from a rosy economy fostered mostly due to skyrocketing real estate values and all the property taxes they generated and now it's on the downhill side moving just as quickly into declining property values and their taxes.

California had ramped up spending to match the bonanza of new property tax revenues and now the implosion of the real estate market has left them hanging from a high place as those revenues evaporate, and according to a growing chorus of experts the worst is yet to come!

Government is faced with two basic choices, raise taxes or do layoffs. In a society heavily invested in socialism higher taxes seem like the inevitable choice of government. What will higher taxes do? Well, they sure won't stimulate economic growth. Higher taxes will exacerbate whatever fallout is taking place due to the housing woes and the now declining retail sales as discretionary spending money dries up.

Abroad, America's gloomy economic picture is being viewed with great concern because so much of our paper currency is being held by skittish nations who can ill afford to see a further devaluation of the dollar. But, when the first creditor nation, (such as China) makes its move to dump greenbacks... well, watch out, we'll have a run on the dollar like never before! China holds over $900bn in a mix of US bonds, as of Aug. 2007. Dumping greenbacks is describled as China's nuclear option... if all else fails.

According to the Economist magazine, "The dollar's value against the basket of leading currencies tracked by America's Federal Reserve has recently been at an all-time low. Against a broader range of currencies, the dollar has lost a quarter of its value in the past five years. Its decline has been especially marked against the euro. At one point in 2002 the euro was worth 86 cents; today it buys $1.48. " And this..."But now it faces a nasty squall that combines both cyclical and structural blasts. Its decline in the past five years has imposed a huge capital loss on foreign-exchange reserves. If this becomes too painful, central banks may be tempted to cut their losses and dump their dollars, causing a slump in the currency's value. "

It's worth noting that U.S. imports from China are 5.7 times higher than U.S. exports to China. Last year, U.S. exports to China were $34.7 billion. Imports were $196.7 billion for a U.S. trade deficit with China of $162 billion.
In 1985 U.S. trade with China was in balance at $3.8 billion and just 10 years later we see U.S. imports from China four times U.S. exports to China!

Investors in stocks and bonds are paying prices that indicate they believe a snowballing housing crisis and worsening credit crunch will soon tip the U.S. economy into a recession.

As you may recall, if you are a regular reader, I have been warning you of this time and here it is right on schedule. The best advice now for families is to pay down high interest loans (credit cards) and start saving and avoid frivilous debt.

The 2008 economic forecast calls for storm clouds ahead with only scattered patches of light. The only thing that will turn this around is for Americans to take great responsibility in saving money and demanding their representatives follow them, but the cure won't happen instantly. This situation has been a long time coming and some of it's ill's will just have to run the course.

Government can prolong the situation through bailouts and that will not teach people what then need to learn! A mild recession can be a good learning experience without a great price and we can come back stronger. There is an old saying that is very true, adversity breeds character and character is something lacking in our country right now, from politicians who behave like spendthrifts to the voters that put them there. We need a course correction and this financial setback may be just what we need for the long run.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:28 AM | Comments (3)

January 02, 2008

Iowa Surprise?

Soon enough we'll know if surprises are in store in Iowa but according to Peter Robinson over at the Corner at National Review:

According to Zogby’s latest—and I quote: “Sen. Fred Thompson…has seen a late-breaking surge.”

Posted by Post Scripts at 11:01 PM | Comments (0)

Two Wrongs Spoil American Opportunity

by Tina Grazier

Hard work, unlawful tactics help some Hispanic builders conquer industry, by Daniel Connolly - Commercial Appeal [Memphis, TN]

Construction work helped Jose Nunez rise from a shack in Mexico to a middle-class lifestyle as head of a small Memphis-area crew. He said he has followed his parents' advice to work hard, and now happy clients sometimes invite him to family parties.He also acknowledges hiring illegal immigrants and skirting workplace laws, though he sees it as helping poor people. This mix of hard work and legal violations is not uncommon in the Memphis construction industry.

Working hard to lift one's family from poverty is admirable as is individually helping poor people. Breaking the law, however, is not admirable and I imagine most people would notice this glaring injustice. But there is another wrong that makes this story doubly offensive.

The obvious injustice is the advantage, based on illegal activity, that has given Mr. Nunez his success. Not so obvious is the disadvantage for businesses that are not engaged in "hiring illegal immigrants and skirting workplace laws". These businesses find they can no longer compete...and it is government that has served up the iniquity.

It is not reasonable or acceptable that government determines wages and other employee/employer agreements. These things should be decided privately between employer and employee. Less government intrusion would not stop Mr. Nunez from "conquering the industry" and realizing the American dream but it would force him to compete fairly in the marketplace. This goes to the very heart of "equal opportunity"...we must let the free market work.

Note: If Mr. Nunez was himself in America illegally you can make that three wrongs.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)

2008 Off to Very Rough Start

The saying goes that January sets the stage for the coming months. The first day of stock trading the market dives 255 points before close on oil prices and inflation fears. Then 08 inherits these problems that have carried over from the end of 07...

Rebellion in Kenya, violence in Pakistan

Oil at record high - pump prices soaring

Inflation threatens recession (food prices up 30%)

Disruption in oil from Mexico

Dollar still falling against Euro

Retail sales slump as housing market continues to drop - worse to come

Many states budgets going into red, California budget $14 billion in red!

Ford and GM stocks are being hammered. Trading at record lows in last 12 months.

Posted by Post Scripts at 12:18 PM | Comments (0)

Market Down 255 pts - Oil $100 barrel

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The rising price of oil is starting to bite - at the pump, the airline ticket counter and possibly in your home.

Oil hit $100 a barrel Wednesday and gasoline prices could soon top their all-time record from last May of $3.22 a gallon.

"There's no doubt, gasoline prices are rocketing higher," said Stephen Schork, publisher of the industry newsletter the Schork Report. "We could be paying more for gas than we were during the start of the summer driving season."

Gas prices now average $3.05 a gallon nationwide, according to AAA. Many states have had gas over $3 for some time.

Posted by Post Scripts at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

Did you know...

Car collisions kill 46,000 each year in the U.S. Of these, 25,136 were a result of road departure, 9,213 intersection-related, and 4,749 were pedestrians. (FHWA)

Bicycle verses car the motorists is usually at fault. Motorists are exclusively at-fault in 60% of car-bike collisions, vs. 17% for cyclists.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)

07 Safe Year for Flying

by Jack Lee

According to the NTSA last year was one of the safest in airline history. There were 28 fewer air accidents in 07 than in 06 and overall the total number was the smallest since 1963. The majority of accidents were caused by pilot error on landing with the final approach being the most hazardous.

Posted by Post Scripts at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)

Did you know...

Fewer than 10 percent of voters in Pelosi's 8th Congressional District are registered Republican. But in the new GOP delegate selection system, her liberal San Francisco means just as much as Rep. John Doolittle's 4th Congressional District, one of the state's few reservoirs of Republican voters. The winner in each (congressional) district will get three delegates to the national convention.

In 2008, the state GOP party is junking its long-standing system that awarded presidential delegates only to the winner of the statewide popular vote. Now it will award 159 of its 173 California presidential delegates based on who wins in each of the state's 53 separate congressional districts. It is one of many potential prizes for GOP presidential candidates courtesy of the California Republican Party's new process for selecting presidential delegates.

Mark DiCamillo, director of the California Field Poll, said the result could be that one candidate wins the popular vote and another wins the delegate count.

That was the thinking of state Republican Party officials such as Tom Hudson, chairman of the Placer County Central Committee in Doolittle's district.

Hudson helped draft the new delegation selection rules in 1999. They didn't apply in the 2004 primary because President Bush was running unopposed, Hudson said. This time around, he is pleased to see the results: Republicans in a competitive field publicly stumping for votes in diverse parts of California.

"We did expect campaigning in heavily Democratic districts, and we think that is a good thing," Hudson said. "It may help our turnout in November … and it helps introduce a new generation of people to Republican thinking and Republican ideas."

Posted by Post Scripts at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)

January 01, 2008

New Law 2008

Effective July 1, 2008, the legislation prohibits drivers from using a wireless telephone while operating a motor vehicle unless the driver uses a hands-free device. Drivers who violate the law will face a base fine of $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense.

Posted by Post Scripts at 03:50 PM | Comments (0)

A Story of Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves"inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride,superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Posted by Post Scripts at 03:47 PM | Comments (0)

Your Little Girls Are Wearing What???

By Jack Lee

According to a recent Washington Post article, the following statements were the most popular on the chests of tee shirts designed for teenage girls: "Weapons of Mass Distraction", "Trust Me...I'm Single", "Don't Call Me a Cowgirl Until You See Me Ride", "I Know What Boys Want", "Yes, But Not With U", "Your Boyfriend Is a Good Kisser", "Two Boys for Every Girl", "Single and Ready to Mingle", "Flirting My Way to the Top" and "I'm Too Hot to Handle."

These tee shirts are supposed to be funny but I can't believe they are not having an effect on girls who are too young too understand the double entandras or veiled meanings asking for sex. Sadly, it's just another bi-product of the sex-driven fashion industry and their co-conspirators in Hollywood. They are over sexualizing our youngest culture and it becomes dangerous when it reaches down to our pre-teens.

Victoria has no Secret in this new culture because it's all on display in the mall. And what's the net effect on young girls and boys? Ruined lives and children born out of wedlock. Now we have a certain status among teens based on promiscuity symbols. Our children are at risk as they are forced to grow up too fast in only one area as they leave judgement and innocence behind in the rest.

Posted by Post Scripts at 08:58 AM | Comments (0)