Obama criticizes Bush spending, deficits. Calls for even more of both.

Near the end of what was supposed to be an address on Iraq tonight, Barack Obama made a pitch for even bigger spending and intrusive government.

"Unfortunately, over the last decade, we have not done what is necessary to shore up the foundation of our own prosperity. We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits. For too long, we have put off tough decisions on everything from our manufacturing base to our energy policy to education reform. As a result, too many middle class families find themselves working harder for less, while our nation's long-term competitiveness is put at risk."

So, Obama insinuates that George W. Bush slashed back "investment" in welfare spending, leaving him with no choice to but drastically increase spending to play catch-up.

With Americans of all political stripes outraged over Obama's policies of out-of-control spending and uncontrolled, unchecked government power, does this rationalization for even more statism pass the smell test?

Not even close. Another Obama misrepresentation.

"Entitlement spending has reached a record 14 percent of GDP...Other spending categories that have grown rapidly since 2000 include: anti-poverty programs (89 percent faster than inflation), K–12 education (219 percent), veterans spending (107 percent), and Medicare (81 percent)." - The Heritage Foundation, Brian Riedl, June 1, 2010, "Federal Spending by the Numbers 2010"

And as for Obama criticizing Bush for the former president's reckless deficit spending?

Obama's first fiscal year deficit will be larger than all of Bush's deficits combined.



http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

DGA claims $1 million from Fox e-mail

In an e-mail going out shortly to supporters, the Democratic Governors Association says it's raised $1 million off appeals pegged to News Corp.'s contribution to the Republican Governors Association and asks for more.

Prediction: They didn't really raise $1 million off the e-mail and had a large donor give the remainder to get to $1 million.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

If half-hearted promises and contempt are leadership, then American troops disappove of Obama leadership

This is a pretty stunning smackdown. Mr. Obama goes on primetime television this evening to deliver his "we're withdrawing from Iraq, but not really, and could be back soon" address:

A Military Times poll this year of its subscribers -- which include active-duty, reserves and guard troops, and some retirees and family members -- found that a majority disapproved of his leadership as their commander.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Government blocks rebuilding of New Orleans, but city's schools prosper under market reforms

Much to the chagrin of school union bosses, New Orleans' children are seeing dramatic improvements in learning and achievement now that their schools are free from top-down government control.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Obama sics bureaucracy on 23,000 Gulf jobs

From the Monday, Aug. 30 Wall Street Journal (Page A4)

The [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement] has issued only three new permits to start wells in shallow water since the April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, according to the agency's website. The agency issued three to six permits a week prior to the accident, industry officials say.

Louisiana's lieutenant governor, Scott Angelle, who has participated in talks with Mr. Bromwich's agency, said the government was effectively shutting down shallow-water drilling.

"Someone is slow-walking this deal," Mr. Angelle said, referring to shallow-water permits.

The Obama administration says that there is no moratorium on shallow-water drilling...

Despite the fact shallow-water rigs have had no spills and a stellar safety record, radical green activists have targeted them -- and the jobs they provide -- for extinction. The elimination of offshore energy exploration would not only send a shattering new ripple of unemployment through an economy already broken by radical green activism, but would send gasoline prices even higher.

Under legislation sought by Western Tradition Partnership, Washington bureaucrats would no longer have the unchecked power to simply make up their own regulations.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Cross-posted at Western Tradition Partnership, http://www.westerntradition.org

UN probe: ‘Little evidence’ for ‘man-made global warming’ claims

London’s Daily Express reports this morning on what Western Tradition Partnership has been telling Americans for three years — the “green” agenda is based on an anti-scientific hoax.

The world’s leading climate change body has been accused of losing credibility after a damning report into its research practices.

A high-level inquiry into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found there was “little evidence” for its claims about global warming.

It also said the panel had emphasised the negative impacts of climate change and made “substantive findings” based on little proof.

The review by the InterAcademy Council (IAC) was launched after the IPCC’s hugely embarrassing 2007 benchmark climate change report, which contained exaggerated and false claims that Himalayan glaciers could melt by 2035.

The panel was forced to admit its key claim in support of global warming was lifted from a 1999 magazine article. The report was based on an interview with a little-known Indian scientist who has since said his views were “speculation” and not backed by research…

…Among the blunders in the 2007 report were claims that 55 per cent of the Netherlands was below sea level when the figure is 26 per cent.

It also claimed that water supplies for between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa will be at risk by 2020 due to climate change, but the real range is between 90 and 220 million.

The claim that glaciers would melt by 2035 was also rejected.

The probe into the UN climate panel comes months after leaked e-mails revealed much of the “man-made global warming” activist community’s political agenda is based on claims scientists admit were falsified and the result of “tricks.”

Why would radical greens lie about mythological “man-made global warming?” Former U.S. Senator Tim Wirth (Democrat-Colorado) offers one reason:

“What we’ve got to do in energy conservation is try to ride the global warming issue. Even if the theory of global warming is wrong, to have approached global warming as if it is real means energy conservation, so we will be doing the right thing anyway in terms of economic policy and environmental policy.”

WTP will continue to fight efforts by radical green-allied politicians to impose a national energy tax on Americans — one based on this admittedly falsified activist “research” – during the lame duck session of Congress.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Cross-posted at http://www.westerntradition.org