Obama's edge not so sharp

Article 11-9-09

Post election results hint change


by Michael Graham
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Nov. 9, 2009

How’s that “hope and change” working out for you? I can’t speak for the Democrats, but Republicans - particularly New England ones - are loving it.

After a year of defeat and dire predictions, Massachusetts conservatives have renewed hope for 2010. There’s definitely change on the way, and in a state whose legislators are about 90 percent Democrat, change can only be good for Republicans.

And who can we thank for this new conservative spirit of hopeful-changeyness? The Republican Party’s new hero: Barack Obama.

One year ago today, pundits were writing off the American right for the next election cycle, the next decade - some even said the next generation was lost to the Republicans. And now, just 10 months into the Obama presidency, what’s really been lost?

Virginia (Obama, plus five in 2008), New Jersey (Obama, plus 15) and probably the massive health reform bill (Obama, plus 28 speeches, press conferences and town halls, to no effect).

How quickly we’ve gone from “Obama - how can he lose?” to “Is there anything he can win, other than the (snicker) Nobel Peace Prize?”

Tuesday’s election proved that one of the other things Obama can’t win is another term in the corner office for Deval Patrick. Instead, it looks like New Jersey deja vu all over again.

You remember New Jersey - where an unpopular and largely inept governor was relying on Obama’s star power and his state’s solid Democratic majority to get him re-elected. That, and Gov. Jon Corzine’s ability to spend $30 million - $12 million more than his opponent.

And if all that didn’t work, Corzine had an independent candidate pulling votes away from his challenger, too.

Sound familiar? If you work in the Massachusetts governor’s office, it should. Except Deval Patrick doesn’t have Corzine’s millions, and Obama won’t be able to spend as much time in Massachusetts during the national 2010 midterms as he was able to in New Jersey.

Then again, given the results on Tuesday, that may not be such bad news.

Obama is a problem for Patrick because the president has pushed so far left so fast, he’s washing away the bad taste of the Bush years from the mouths of New Englanders. Republicans, who were anathema to Massachusetts independents only a year ago, are now viewed as just the other group of incompetent politicians.

Andy Smith at the New Hampshire Survey Center believes both of that state’s congressional seats could go Republican and the GOP could retain the seat of retiring Sen. Judd Gregg. Sen. Chris Dodd (D) is in real trouble in Connecticut.

And Patrick? Or as he’ll be known during campaign season, “Tax-raising, toll-hiking, job-killing, drapery-loving, pals-get-a-$100k pay-day” Patrick?

Nah, you’re probably right, Democrats: He’s a shoo-in.

Republican Charlie Baker is an electable candidate. His voters will be energized. There will be a tea-party-powered slew of Republican and independent challengers taking on Democratic incumbents across the state. The national GOP will have reason to send resources to New England.

And all these newfound benefits to the Baker campaign were locked in thanks to Tuesday’s election results.

The White House insists that the election had nothing to do with Barack Obama. It appears a significant portion of the electorate wants nothing to do with him, either.

Change: Republican Governor-elect Bob McDonnell
waves to the crowd at his victory party in Richmond,
Va., Tuesday. (DNN Staff photo)

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Article 11-2-09

Statistics say, Massachusetts is worst run state


by Michael Graham
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Nov. 2, 2009

In Boston, the livin’ is never easy.

A new report from Northeastern University finds we’re one of the priciest housing markets in America. Only San Francisco has higher rents, for example.

Massachusetts has the highest energy costs in the country. Our roads are very expensive (only New Jersey spends more per state road mile) and are generally crappy - even when they’re not covered with sides of beef.

And now Bay Staters face yet another challenge, according to the liberal group ONE Massachusetts: You’re undertaxed.

In fact, ONE Massachusetts is so certain you want to pay higher taxes, they’re holding a “virtual rally” Thursday to lobby Gov. Deval Patrick to use “the obvious alternative to 9C cuts, which is, to be blunt, additional adequate and balanced revenues.”

That language comes from the ONE Massachusetts Web site, which also features attacks on Proposition 2, support for higher meals taxes and a call for Beacon Hill to impose our 6.25 percent sales tax on services. That’s everything from lawn care to pet grooming to dating services.

(Say, didn’t some ladies get in trouble charging for “dating services” on Craigslist?)

The premise of the ONE Massachusetts movement is that you don’t want the precious darlings in the government sector to undergo the same job cuts you’re facing in the legit economy. They’re shocked that Patrick might cut 2,000 state jobs - as opposed to the taxpayers, who’ll faint in astonishment if he actually does.

Massachusetts liberals believe that through a series of, shall we say “unfortunate circumstances” - indicted pols, blown budgets, no-show jobs - government is suffering bad PR. If ONE Massachusetts can just turn that around, you’ll be thrilled to pay more taxes. In the case of the sales tax on services, $7 billion more.

These nut . . . - er, “progressive advocates” - point to the same statistic: Massachusetts ranks 23rd among states in taxes paid as a percentage of our income. And thanks to a small number of extremely wealthy residents, they’re right.

For folks in the McMansions of Weston and Patrick’s swanky neighbors in the Berkshires, state taxes are chump change.

But for us chumps, it’s a different story. Our population growth has been far below the national average. We’ve lost 25,000 manufacturing jobs, and the middle class can’t handle our housing costs or our eighth highest property taxes.

Meanwhile, that statistic - taxes as a percentage of income - says nothing about what we’re getting for our money. The real number is how much does our government cost us compared to other states. How much does state and local government shake us down per person - rich or poor - to keep the lights on?

By that measure, we’re one of the worst-run states.

Massachusetts ranks eighth in per-person spending on state government. Add in local government, and we’re the fifth highest. But it’s worse than that.

Every state that ranks higher than us in per capita spending is at the bottom in population. That’s because there are certain fixed costs of operation that both a Wyoming (population 532,668) and a Massachusetts (6,497,967) must bear.

Guess which state is the only one both in the top 10 for per capita spending and the top 15 for population? You’re living it. You’re also surrounded by loonies who want to raise your taxes.

Congratulations!

The State House (above) has become
the place where loons of Democrats
continue to drive Massachusetts into
the ground. (File Photo)



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Hire me, and your poll numbers will go up, Mr. President

Article 10-26-09

President Obama urged to back this Bill



by Bill O'Reilly
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Oct. 26, 2009

President Obama should fire White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and hire me as his top adviser. Don’t laugh. I can almost guarantee higher poll numbers for the president if he brings me on board.

The first thing I would do is declare a truce with Fox News. Right now, the president is spending more time launching offensives against FNC than against the Taliban. The American people want Osama bin Laden’s head on a stick, not Glenn Beck’s. What exactly does attacking FNC get the president? Plus, it’s hypocritical. Didn’t Barack Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize?

Next, I would suggest that the commander in chief actually listen to his top general in Afghanistan and his secretary of defense. After listening, the president would immediately send 40,000 more troops to provide additional security in that Godforsaken place. As a trusted adviser, I would remind the president that the U.S. military is a vital enterprise and deserves a chance to win in Afghanistan.

After accomplishing those two things, Obama and I would get lunch. Then, back to work.

Bringing down health-care costs is huge for the president, and I would advise him to drop the so-called public option and concentrate on increased insurance competition across state lines. If insurance companies could compete nationwide, health premiums would fall. And if you add tort reform to blunt the out-of-control medical lawsuit industry, doctors and medical personnel could charge less because their enormous medical malpractice bills would shrink.

By the way, the vast majority of Americans would support both of those things because they are free. They don’t cost the taxpayers anything. The public option would cost trillions. A good adviser should be frugal with taxpayer dollars.

Having dealt with all of that, the president and I would sit down for a heart to heart. I would tell him that he has to tamp down his fascination with far-left radicals. Hanging around with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was OK when Obama was a Chicago community guy shooting hoops in the schoolyard. Now that he’s the most powerful man in the world, the left-wing loon factor must become a red flag.

I would gently suggest to the president that he tell his top aides not to publicly say Chairman Mao was a great philosopher, as White House Communications Director Anita Dunn recently did. In fact, while Mao was weaving his philosophy, more than 30 million Chinese died grisly deaths. So, as the president’s top adviser, I would urge the following: NO MORE REFERENCES TO MAO!

Finally, I would advise Obama to stay off TV for a while. There is no question that he is overexposed. However, I would counsel him to appear on “The O’Reilly Factor.” Because O’Reilly is no longer in the anchor seat, having taken the White House position, the president might even be able to complete a sentence. So, OK to Fox News. Detente at last.

It's not like President Obama needs some
help, as his poll numbers continue to
decline. (File photo)

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Up is down and dow is up on Planet Deval

Article 10-19-09

Bay State faces, this time, a $600M deficit

by Howie Carr
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Oct. 19, 2009

So which is it, Deval? Is Massachusetts “poised” for economic recovery - or Armageddon? I’m confused.

This is what Deval said on Wednesday: “Massachusetts is poised to come out of this downturn faster and stronger than the rest of the country.”

This is what he said 24 hours later, on the subject of the state’s $600 million budget deficit (so far) and the possibility of laying off 2,000 state employees: “There are some things we do in state government . . . that we are not going to be able to do anymore.”

Mixed message, anyone?

Deval on Wednesday: “We can plot a course together to make the most of our recovery.”

Deval on Thursday: “There are no quick fixes, no easy choices, no low-hanging fruit.”

Obviously, the electorate here in the low-hanging banana republic of Massachusetts is none too bright - 54 percent voted for Deval, and by the way, how is that property-tax relief he promised working out for you? Together we con. But you can’t fool all of the people all of the time, even if you have the trust-fund media trying their damnedest to put Deval’s political three-card monte game over on the public again.

Which is where the word “poised” comes in. It is surely no coincidence that in announcing that happy days are here again, Deval employed the “p” word. Funny, a certain struggling broadsheet just three weeks ago ran a front-page fantasy that began: “Massachusetts is poised to recover from the economic downturn sooner and faster than the nation as a whole.”

Evidence? Unemployment jumped last week to 9.3 percent, the highest since 1976. A headline Wednesday: “Bay State Chap. 7 bankruptcy filings soar.” A Friday headline: “(Unemployment) insurance fund running out.”

Here’s how the grift works. First the fawning in-the-satchel press runs a story that might charitably be described as thinly sourced. The moonbat governor lifts the lead of the puff piece and inserts it into his press release. What little remains of the rest of the mainstream media can parrot it back.

But sometimes the evidence becomes too overwhelming for even a bow-tied bumkisser to ignore. That’s when Deval and his media cheerleaders trot out another verb to explain away the reality of the economic meltdown they have visited upon us.

The word is “lag.”

Oh sure, they sheepishly admit, it looks bad now, but (fill in the blank: unemployment, bankruptcies, plummeting tax revenues, dead housing market) always “lags” the recovery.

You have to think Deval is watching the New Jersey governor’s race very carefully. As in Massachusetts, you have an unpopular incumbent who has likewise presided over massive corruption and huge tax increases that have cratered the economy.

But the Jersey incumbent, Jon Corzine, also has an independent draining off just enough anti-Democrat votes to keep him running even with his Republican challenger. Sound familiar?

Meanwhile, despite all the gloom-and-doom talk, are the hacks really worried about being laid off? Senate President Therese Murray was quoted as saying her payroll patriot pals are panicking.

“It’s painful, it’s very painful. And you know these people, you can see their faces, you know their families. It’ll be devastating.”

Jeez, they might even have to go out and get . . . real jobs. Or try to, anyway.

Meanwhile, Deval’s Dear Leader, Barack Obama, will be in town this week. And I just thought of another word the media love to throw around when trying to gloss over what their political idols have done to the economy.

The word is “bailout.” What do you suppose Deval’s personal bailout plan is, and will he be discussing it with his friend? I would say yes, Deval is poised for a bailout.

With yet another deficit of $600M this time,
Gov. Deval Patrick suggest cutting another
2,000 jobs or slash wages. (DNN Staff photo)



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More B.S.: President Obama could win Kentucky Derby, too

Article 10-13-09

Barack wins Nobel Peace Prize in record time


by Howie Carr
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009

Either the Red Sox win Sunday afternoon at Fenway or they go home for the winter. There’s only one man who can absolutely guarantee this must-win game.

Now pitching for the Red Sox: Barack Hussein Nobel Obama, the southpaw who wants to get both of his paws on your wallet.

So what if he’s 48 and has never played the game? He’ll get the “W” - that’s the lesson of this Nobel Peace Prize nonsense. He can throw the ball in the dirt in front of home plate - strike one! He can toss it over the catcher’s head - strike two! He can roll it to the plate like he’s back in that Pennsylvania bowling alley - Yer out!

It’ll be a perfect perfect game: 81 pitches, 81 strikes, at least if the home-plate umpire knows what’s good for him, if he doesn’t want to be called a . . . well, you know what Barack’s Kool-Aid-swilling cheerleaders call anybody who dares say the emperor has no clothes.

Who are these rac- I mean, who are these nattering nabobs of negativism who say Barack Obama has done nothing to earn this latest handout? Of course he’s advanced the cause of world peace. Have you forgotten the Beer Summit?

Even as we speak, the Obama administration is trying to return Manuel Zelaya to power in Honduras - you know, the dear pal of Hugo Chavez who is holed up in the Brazilian embassy down there, claiming he is being poisoned with death rays by "Israeli mercenaries.” Barack really knows how to pick ’em, doesn’t he?

Is Barack still trying to quit smoking? Let’s give him the Nobel Prize for Medicine. I heard he’s finally learned the phrase “p/e” stands for price-to-earnings ratio. Surely that merits the Nobel Prize for Economics.

The head of the IRS, Tim Geithner, is an admitted serial tax cheat. Ditto, the head of the House tax-writing committee, Charles Rangel. Do they have a Nobel Prize yet for irony. Or hypocrisy?

Wasn’t it nice of Barack to halfheartedly put on his self-deprecating hat Friday at the White House, saying, “I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures.”

More insincere words have never been spoken. What was it Winston Churchill who said of his rival Clement Atlee: “Mr. Atlee is a very modest man. But then he has much to be modest about.”

Don’t you ever dare say anything like that about Barack or they’ll call you a - well, you know they’ll call you, at least on MSNBC, where Comrade Chris and Comrade Keith both got tingles up their legs on Friday.

Barack is a guy who was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple. When are we going to see his SAT and LSAT scores? Must have been very good, considering he was admitted to Columbia and Harvard Law, right? Got to be editor of the Harvard Law Review without writing a single article - how do these things happen?

The Norwegian moonbat in charge of these latest reparations - I mean very-well-deserved honors - said the $1.4 million payoff, er, prize, is intended to “contribute a little bit to enhance what he is trying to do.” Hmmm. Around here, we call that walking-around money. You know, to “grease a few guys,” as one indictment put it, quoting a solon who received a much smaller “prize.”

Why don’t we just give Barack the Triple Crown right now? Not just the baseball Triple Crown, but the Triple Crown of horse racing too - he deserves it as much as he deserves this next trip to Scandinavia, a make-up call for losing the Olympics in Copenhagen.

Is it too early to get down a bet on the Kentucky Derby? I want Barack. Win, place AND show.

Above is Former President Jimmy Carter’s
Nobel Peace Prize, which took him 22 years
to achieve after his presidency. (File Photo)


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