Sunday Morning!

Away we go.

Comments

[Jane says obamasucks]

fembot leftys'

I really hope I can remember that.

LOL

That was JMH Frau, I think. I also got one that says "OMG" (Obama must go) that I get a lot of compliments on.

I saw one today that just said: "Dump DOdd" so Ct is getting into the mix.

Thanks Rick, altho I'm not sure I can decipher that -

[MikeS]

"The more I look at this "healthcare" bill, the worse it gets."

FDR had his "New Deal." Obama has his "Raw Deal." In November, we the people will call for a "Re-deal."

[Captain Hate]

Obama must really be in trouble if he bothered to make a "surprise" visit to Afghanistan.

That won't hurt him but he doesn't get anything positive until he does his long awaited and promised "pivot on the economy". Good luck on that happening.

[Rick Ballard]

Jane,

Sorry -

gov/private split including self-employed and including public education in gov:

15/85

There are 21M+ public employees. There will be fewer by September.

[MaryD]

MikeS, I believe Obama's is actually the "Big %^&*(# Deal"

[Danube of Thought]

Thanks, CatthF; I found the app but haven't a clue as to how to start using it. I will see if I can fiddle with it. Sounds revolutionary for someone like me.

[Danube of Thought]

Wait! I think I'm getting it! Wahoo!

[Jane says obamasucks]

Thanks Rick - Less because of the census?

[Extraneus]

The general public hates that tit for tat, partisan, stuff, and I have to admit that I, for one, have had it up to the gills with backward looking politics.

I don't know. When you show Rasmussen numbers giving Dems a 7-point edge on ethics and corruption, I don't think trying to get Republicans to keep their noses clean is going to cut it. Things happen, especially to Republicans targeted by MSM after a victory. Better to go on offense, I think.

"We apologize for having to spend time on backward looking politics, but our staffers have uncovered what can only be described as a cesspool of corruption associated with the [enter program here], and the people have a right to know what happened and why." -- Speaker-Elect Paul Ryan

TARP disbursements?

Stimulus funds going 70% to Democrat districts?

Republican-owned car dealerships taken out.

GM and Chrysler bond-holders threatened, stabbed in backs.

Health care bribes?

New Black Panther party suit?

Have I left anything out?

If Republicans get power again, I see no reason to pass up an opportunity to exact justice for the American people. As long as it's fair.

[Frau Witizbold]

"If you want to win, don't let them define you".
GWB/Rove defined Sen.Conehead (D-South of France) and it stuck. The Deems continue to label their "distinguished friends across the aisle" as corrupt and poor on education. That has to change. The Republicans have to reestablish who is corrupt right now (!), how affirmative action harms and who really fought for civil rights.

Last quote from Horowitz (honest):
The Democrats take ten seconds to get their message across.
This, in a nutshell, is the Republican problem. Republicans are problem-solvers not ideological warriors. They are not prepared for the political battle the Democrats have come to fight. This is more than a partisan dilemma. It is a national tragedy. Translated into human terms, the success of modern Democratic Party liberalism has meant millions of blighted lives in America's inner cities, an unconscionable tax burden on American's middle classes, and an unsafe living environment for us all. This is reason enough to support the Republican agenda. If only Republicans knew how to make their case." (p.61, The Art of Political War, David Horowitz, 2000)

[Manuel Transmission]

Well, gang, just returned from a great brunch with Melinda and our two spouses. Great fun! Had to brave the bumps down and back, but the actual wx was much better than forecast. Can't imagine how great it will when we can have a few drinks to lubricate the conversations and time to explore those dozens of story alleyways that were only glanced at on the way by.

[Rick Ballard]

"Less because of the census?"

Jane,

No. Less because states and municipalities are busted. Sales tax revenues continue to fall, property tax revenues continue to fall, income tax revenues continue to fall - upickem - it's falling. The Dem Job Killers used half of Stim I to purchase the positive '09 Q4 GDP report. It didn't buy any jobs and there is no way the second part of the spending is going to buy more than a very few weeks of respite from major forced layoffs of gov workers.

State budgets are in as bad as (or worse) shape than the Feds. At midyear the Feds are off projection by more than 7%. There is no way in hell that hole gets filled before year end except by increased borrowing. Watch Christie in NJ - he's facing the facts.

[Al Asad]

"Rove is going to be on his book tour near me this week. I'll let you know if I decide to go."

MayBee;

Are you attending Thousand Oaks, Beverly Hills, or La Jolla? Sure would like to join
y'all

[Al Asad]

"Republicans are problem-solvers not ideological warriors. They are not prepared for the political battle the Democrats have come to fight."

Rubbish. You're just angry because the falcon has heard the falconer.

[healthislifeinsurance]

Everyone is leaving but some Canadian guy who was a terrorist hostage that wants more money for Africa.

We need more NGO money for Afghanistan. Iraq is like Indonesia, not safe enough. Maybe the king can do some housing for the natives with Chinese NGO financing.........

Rove doesn't know who talked Plame and at what meeting and neither does anyone else; they end up with the same problem Plame made for them.

[Frau Witizbold]

Ex -
Add *unequal*,/b> health care provisions for unions, govt. insiders and elites. Jane can deliver the language for that.

Your list need addressing now and not later. Those very things get forgotten. Did Abrams get forgotten? How about Foley and Cunningham? There were, in addition, the manufactured corruption charges against DeLay and Stevens.

[Frau Witizbold]

oops is right. I hope Capt. is not on board. He didn't like my last bolding. (I was trying to un-Anduril my post.)

Perhaps the troll (Miss Geburt?) will fill up the rest of the thread with stuff we won't read. Deem it so...

[josh]

"There were, in addition, the manufactured corruption charges against DeLay and Stevens."

And don't forget the railroading of an American president..(RMN)

[bgates]

Have I left anything out?

Walpinquiddick (the IG who was fired so he couldn't investigate Obama's pal, the mayor of Sacramento);

Rahm's discussions with Blago about how to dispose of what was, admittedly, a f'n valuable thing;

How the Obama campaign got away with cashing a campaign donation from Mickey Mouse;

That's the first few outright criminal scandals I can think of.

[Captain Hate]

Long way to go on this page, Frau; holding that meddlesome shift key down prematurely

[Danube of Thought]

MSU in its sixth final four in twelve years. Lots of people out there must hate Michigan State, right?

[Extraneus]

Yeah, Frau, I like that 10-second message idea. That's what I was thinking about with the "we unfortunately found a cesspool of corruption" line. I'm sure the pros can do a lot better, especially since some people (myself included) don't even know what a cesspool actually is. It does sound pretty gross, though. Something catchy and gross would be best.

[Captain Hate]

I hated losing to MSU a week ago but no way do I hate them or Izzo, a quality guy.

[bgates]

I could say in response to your implied query that it's a pool filled with cess, but that would be begging the question.

[Gmax]

Whats not to like about MSU? The best mascot in the country, and a team that just gets it done, even with their All American point guard sitting in street clothes with an injury.

[Extraneus]

Wow, here's a good factoid.

2,000 House staffers make six figures

I think the public would be interested to know that, especially after this last spit in their faces.

[Extraneus]

It does raise the question as to whether it's a Norman or a Saxon word.

[bgates]

The headline "There Are 2,000 House Staffers" would be an outrage on its own.

In an apparent attempt to ameliorate the fury the real headline creates, the Politico story in Extraneus' link notes that the staffers could make several times as much by lobbying. One wonders how long it takes the staffers to do that, who would think that fact makes the problem look any better, and how on earth this could possibly be happening under the most transparently ethical Congress ever.

[laura]

Extraneus,

It might be easy pickins, but to be honest, I'm not sure how low we want to go. Part of the problem is that DC ain't cheap and too many congressman short change the public good with pimply political aides instead of hiring competent, knowledgeable people.

A good friend of ours just completely four years of hell as one of the military liaison officers to congress. He said the 23 year old's that staff most of the offices don't have a clue as to the military, they are purely ideological hacks.
Imagine that across the board, well I can actually, the health care bill.

I just think it is a problem that is always going exist. we might be able to use it to our benefit now, but I'm not sure we want to harp on it.

[Jane says obamasucks]

No. Less because states and municipalities are busted. Sales tax revenues continue to fall, property tax revenues continue to fall, income tax revenues continue to fall - upickem - it's falling.

Rick,

How do you see it playing out?

Why on earth is there a need to 2000 staffers in the house? It's not like they do constituent service.

[boris]

Unboldly go internet exploring.

[Extraneus]

I'd be all for hiring however many competent staffers are required to dismantle the welfare state in the smartest, least disruptive way, but that seems like a stat that could help elect the people who'd hire them. Just think of what those 2000 scheming six-figure moles have been cooking up all this time.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I've decided that we need a "justice" logo, since that's what gets the left all gaga. They are always fighting for "economic justice" and "social justice", I want to start a movement for entrepreneurial justice. After all we have had to sacrifice for years and years to keep all those people with their hands out in large screen TV's and I-phones.

I call on all good tea partiers to start fighting for entrepreneurial justice. And let's not stop until no congressperson has more than one staffer.

[laura]

Does anybody know what the total number of staffers is? That would be an eye opener for the public.

[laura]

Jane, hmmmm, one congressman and one staffer.

What better way to reduce the gov't portfolio and ensure we have Congress critters with at least basic competence in some area even if its just answering the phone.

[Extraneus]

From the legistorm.com link at the Politico piece, there are around 10,000 total staffers. That's 23 per house member.

[hit and run]

laura:
Does anybody know what the total number of staffers is? That would be an eye opener for the public.

There was an article just the other day that I commented on. I can't find the comment via google (I Blame Global Warming Bush The Gin),but it told us how many people Pelosi and Boehner had on staff. Pelosi (IIRC) had just over 100,and Boehner maybe 60% of Pelosi's.

Pelosi's staff averaged around $81K - and Boehner's staff was over $100K. Make of that what you will.

Again,pulling from a severly chemically impaired memory at this point.

Oh,look,a refill. Gotta run.

[Pagar]

Anyone know where staffers come from? Who does Sen Brown have for staff? What happened to Kennedy's staff? My thought, especially since the Internet makes it much easier for one to obtain info, is that there should be drastic reductions in staff.

[sbw]

If O is in Afghanistan, start the rumor he's serving plastic turkey.

[Old Lurker]

Congressional staffers?

C-Span says 24,000.

LUN

[sbw]

Drat! Insty got the turkey call long ago.

[Extraneus]

Since I still have the calculator out, that's an average of 55 per house member. Of course the majority and leadership have a lot more than the average.

[narciso]

His chief of staff, Schirage (sic) is a former
State Department official, most recently as CSIS. Little information about other staff

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Jane, hmmmm, one congressman and one staffer.

Apparently you never intend to call on your Congresscritter for any help with a Federal problem. You have no one you want recommended for one of the service academies, you don't want any research done on any legislative proposal, you want your Congresscritter to type all his own letters and bills, you want him/her to attend every scheduled event even if it means working round the clock. You certainly don't want anyone to answer your call when you want to complain or need help. You want him to do all his/her bookkeeping and office management duties, etc.

And on and on.

[Neo]

Penn State climate professor: 'I'm a skeptic'

Penn State global warming scientist Michael E. Mann regrets he did not instantly object when a fellow climatologist asked him in 2008 to delete e-mails subject to Freedom of Information requests.

"I wish in retrospect I had told him, 'Hey, you shouldn't even be thinking about this,'" Mann told The Morning Call in his first interview since the university last month launched an investigation into his conduct. "I didn't think it was an appropriate request."

[mefolkes]

Please listen to Sara, folks. She was a staffer. It's easy to get angry, but it is totally unrealistic to expect a representative in this complicated, modern age to have far less staffing than your neighborhood news stand.

[Extraneus]

Lawmakers Willing to Gamble on Public Anger Over Health Care

You'll learn to like it. That's the message from White House advisers and Democratic lawmakers to Americans opposed to the health insurance overhaul signed into law last week.

I like that one. They're "willing to gamble."

[Frau Verzeihung]

Financial justice ...?

[Extraneus]

Isn't this Horowitz's criticism of Republicans? We're problem-solvers, so we're willing to cut them slack on the 2000 six-figure staffers? How about we rile up the electorate instead?

Besides, those aren't the ones doing constituent services. That's what the $30K staffers are for. The big shots are the ones writing 2000 page bills.

[Frau Finanzamt]

Financial justice ...?
Rio Linda wouldn't understand "Fiscal justice."

[Extraneus]

(Just keep posting. We'll be through with the bolding soon at this rate.)

[JeanD]

Haven't most people been trained to accept the corruption, unless it involves a Republican who fails to uphold "family values"? We can bark until we're blue in the face, but bad behavior from Dems never gains traction. The tax cheats running the show? No problem! The Black Panthers threatening voters? No problem! Firing an IG? No problem! Politicizing DOJ? No problem!

Hell, didn't John Conyers' wife just get a public defender appointed for her case in that wealthy city of Detroit?

Even after a whole year of nonstop wrangling about HCR, half of the population couldn't identify Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi, even if you paid them.

The message people will respond to, and have said matters, is JOBS. Where are they, and why doesn't this Administration care about them? Almost everyone has been affected by the economy, or knows someone who is struggling, unemployed, etc.

(But, if there are hearings, I want a ticket!)

[Frau Finanzamt]

To boldly go...go...go

[Frau Finanzamt]

To boldly go...go...go

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

The Legislative offices in DC are the smallest part of a Congressional staff. It is the Constituent service offices, and most Districts have more than one, are where the real work is done. The DC office might have 6 to 10 staffers. The offices are pretty small and there isn't much room. Those 6 will include a receptionist and an admin assistant or office manager plus legislative aides.

In the principle Constituent offices there is usually an office mgr and receptionist plus the scheduler who usually travels with the Member and service reps with different specialties such as a military liaison, someone to handle immigration/passport problems or any overseas problems a constituent might run into, one who liaisons with the IRS or governmental affairs and veteran's affairs.

The smaller satellite offices in a District usually have a receptionist and maybe one rep, depending on the size in miles of the District.

Districts are drawn after the Census and they are usually very close to the same size as to population within a District. Rural areas or sparsely populated states may have Districts that comprise the whole state or at the very least encompass hundreds of square miles, whereas urban Districts may encompass just a small area densely packed with people and they can get away with only one service office.

I'm not counting the staff for the campaign offices since they are funded from contributions and not from the public tax payer till.

How would the Congressperson even do his/her job with only one staffer?

[MarkO]

Go ahead. Hate Duke. Can you imagine that Duke won with Singler failing to make a single field goal?

This Duke team has many ways to win. It's like having three out pitches. I like our chances, but we're not that good.

[Ignatz]

--(Just keep posting. We'll be through with the bolding soon at this rate.)--

We luddites in IE have been for some time.

--Apparently you never intend to call on your Congresscritter for any help with a Federal problem.--

I don't mind them having 100 staffers, I just don't want them to have anything to do.
If the federal government was about 1/3 its present size, as it should be, they would have very few federal problems to deal with and so would we.

[Frau Finanzamt]

I really liked seeing somewhere that Stupak spelled backward is kaputs!!

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Yes, in the service offices staffers are probably making $30-40,000. But add it up. There are 435 Members, each with a Legislative Aide who is probably the one making $100,000. There are 100 Senate office with their Legis. Aides.

So there you have 535 right there. Then you have those on staff that actually staff the committee hearings. Watch CSPAN and you'll see them sitting behind their Members. Some of these are hired because of their expertise in a given field and they make bigger bucks.

Are any of these worth over a $100,000, that can be debated. Are they necessary, I would say yes. Congressional offices are extremely busy places and always feel way understaffed for the amount of work to do. An 18 hour day is more the norm than the exception.

[Pagar]

Narciso, That's about what I found, him, a lady for Communications Director and mention of him hir ing Kennedy staffer who worked immigration issues. I would think immigration issues would be one of the things where there would be a great difference between Kennedy and Brown. Wonder if the staffer changed his beliefs?

The last help I ever got from a Senator or his staff was from Sen Strom Thurmond. It was amazing how quickly the situation changed, after I call the Senator. I mean we are talking a matter of minutes for a matter between the VA, FHA, a state agency, and myself. Since than it has all went down hill, Hollins responded to a request with a letter say he couldn't help. Recently we have send letters to Rep Clyburn, (who I knew to some extent before he got to be important), Sen DeMint and Sen Graham. No response from any of them.

[narciso]

The surprising thing is not the staff, that's to be expected, but how ill informed they are
on strategy, history, the subject of the legislation they are purportedly debating; as we've seen recently

[Jim Ryan]

Dahlkemper's aide was excellent, treated us Tea Partiers well when we were there, listening and debating. She took all comers with grace.

Then Dahlkemper caved, so whatever.

[Frau Finanzamt]

Sara, did you ever see the list of expensive trips Baba Boxer sent her staffers on? They are rewarded with trips to faraway places with strange sounding names...

Also along this line, during the Clinton administration we were able to check on the money spent on the trips abroad. I still have those reports. Our present fellow is not shaving costs in these hard times, is he? Will we get to see what Pres. Fixer has done with our money?

[Jim Ryan]

Let's say Christie and McDonnell become widely known for balancing their budgets in NJ and VA. In 2012 with the crushing debt and the continuing depression, they'd make a pretty good "it's the budget, stupid" ticket.

[JeanD]

So, since we are trying to get to the bottom of this page, here is my fantasy reality show proposal:

The entire Congress must do their taxes on TV, all in one room, and all at the same time. Every member gets a 1040 with instruction booklet, a couple of pencils, a calculator, a stack of scratch paper, and a blue or black pen.

They cannot speak to each other. If any member needs a form not included in the booklet, he must sacrifice $100 million of pork in the next budget.

If he wants a consultation on a question, he will sacrifice $500 million per 10 minutes of consultation.

If he wants to have someone else complete his return, he will sacrifice an entire department of the government.

With pay-per-view of the best Congressional Tax Prep bloopers, and the harrowing experience of filling out their own taxes, Congress will want to eliminate costly departments, simplify the tax code, and reduce the deficit in just one weekend!

Oh, and they only get as much time as the booklet estimate says it takes to fill out the form.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your reality!

[Old Lurker]

Maybe if you didn't have 24,000 staffers, we might not get 2,400 page laws that go unread by the actual congressperson.

Maybe if we had less involvement with our Federal Government, we'd need less "help" from the congress critters.

[JM Hanes]

I was interested to learn that $172,500 is the cap, because that's what all of Obama's buddies in the White House get (except for his healthcare guy, who somehow gets more). Can you guess who the lowest paid staffers in the West Wing are? The vetters! LOL!

[Strawman Cometh]

"What about those foreigners? America is the only place where that question gets asked." David Stern.
Where do we find these assholes?

[Jane says obamasucks]

.Apparently you never intend to call on your Congresscritter for any help with a Federal problem. You have no one you want recommended for one of the service academies, you don't want any research done on any legislative proposal, you want your Congresscritter to type all his own letters and bills, you want him/her to attend every scheduled event even if it means working round the clock. You certainly don't want anyone to answer your call when you want to complain or need help. You want him to do all his/her bookkeeping and office management duties, etc.

Sarah,

I've been calling my congressman constantly since August. I've also emailed him. I've never so much as got a question answered, or an acknowledgment of my email/

SO yeah, since he works for me, and is not doing his job I'm perfectly happy for him to work round the clock. And I'd cut his pay too.

[JM Hanes]

JeanD:

Politico surveyed the Senate sometime last year, and of those who answered, a majority did not do their own tax returns.

[DrJ]

JMH,

I was interested to learn that $172,500 is the cap

That's actually a real problem, as that is just not that much money. Profs in many areas make a great deal more than that, and NIH publishes guidelines on how one can draw more than that from grants.

My experience is that the lower-ranked people, like admins, make out very well in government service. Those who are senior in rank just do not.

Wonder why the senior people are all idiots?

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

Call his District office and not DC. Or write a letter not an email. Remember, Washington offices are for writing and holding hearings on legislation and they aren't really equipped to handle Constituents. Even if you do get through, the chances are your message will get forwarded to the District to be handled.

Frau: I can't speak for Senate offices as to staff travel. In our office, our Member was the only Serbian-American in Congress and every Serb in America looked to her as their adoptive Member. She made 6 trips to Yugoslavia accompanied by one or two staffers to try to stave off the Civil War that destroyed that country.

Also, I cannot speak for how Democrats do it. They, of course, feel that the public money is their own personal petty cash fund.

[Jane says obamasucks]

I'd say a majority of them cheat on their taxes, but that that would be wrong.

Or would it?

They're "willing to gamble."

I've noticed. And the media is willing to shill for them. I predict it will not work. They are all so sure we will forget the process when all that fab health care comes our way. I think they completely misjudge the mood. The process means whether or not we live by our constitution, and in this case we didn't.

I have always contended that the reason Roe v Wade remains such a potent issue is because it was decided by the Courts - the wrong process - and as a result people will never let go. And they shouldn't.

[rse]

LUN is an article on the real impact of HCR with graphics that will make your day.

Plus Breitbart has apparently raised the bounty to $100,000.

It would be nice if Atlanta media stations covered that.

[JeanD]

JMH, that's why it is a fantasy. If they had to do what they expect us to do it might just humble them a bit.

They get travel per diems, but don't have to account for any of it, but if you have a client lunch meeting, you'd better be able to prove it with receipts, and even then it might not be fully deductible.

Why is that?

[Jane says obamasucks]

Call his District office and not DC. Or write a letter not an email.

I've done all those things. Stop shilling for him. He has no excuse at all. His staff lies and is uninformed. And he is no better.

My revenge is that I talk about him every week on the radio - what I did to contact him and how he failed to respond.

[Extraneus]

Who cares whether their staff works 18-hour days? They're obviously not doing a great job. The point is, what will Joe and Jane Sixpack think when they hear about the 2000 staffers making over $100G/yr. Do we want Joe and Jane on our side or not?

Joe and Jane should know about the staffers' sweet sweet pensions, too. And their paid-for health care plans. And the fact that gov't flunkies make more money than they do, for the same exact jobs.

The Dems are happy to lie about things to get their voters riled. When we can use truth to do it, why look a gift horse in the mouth?

Isn't this a better version of the executive salaries attack? The execs are paid by boards of directors, whose interest is in making money for the company and stockholders. What interest do these high-priced bureaucrats have? Surely not one so pure.

[Frau Finanzamt]

JeanD. Can we have Ben Stein and Jimmy Kimmel to present your "Can Your Congressman Compute Come Apr. 15"?

Vamp, vamp, vamp...

Ex - the OED does not have an answer as to whether the word is Norman or Anglo-Saxon. We may have a good use for the word "cestoid," however.

[Jim Ryan]

DATELINE Washington, DC. President McDonnell was attended by Vice-President Christie as he was presented with the third consecutive balanced budget by the Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. None of the 121 Democratic Representatives and Senators was in attendance.

The mood in the Oval Office was jovial, as Republican House and Senate members celebrated the second anniversary of the Medicare and Social Security reforms which precipitated the return of the AAA credit rating for the U.S. Federal Government and, along with the tax cuts of 2012, the return of a vibrant GDP growth rate and 5% unemployment rate.

"I'm almost as happy to see this budget on my desk as I was to see the repeal of ObamaCare, or whatever the hell it was called, delivered to us back in 2012," Vice-President Christie quipped.

Former president Biden released a statement that "It is a sad day for American families when yet again draconian cuts in spending and tax breaks for the rich are touted as responsible by President McDonnell and the Republicans in Congress. But after the indignity suffered by President Obama and the 34 indicted Democratic members of Congress during all those days of outrageous hearings back in 2011, it comes as no surprise the the Republicans would stoop this low."

[Extraneus]

That's actually a real problem, as that is just not that much money.

Please don't make a sign of that for a tea party, DrJ. I'm begging you.

[Rick Ballard]

"How do you see it playing out?"

Jane,

One offs are very hard to call. The Fed has been propping Treasury sales via the purchase of GSE junk. Theoretically, they're done with that next week. I have yet to see an explanation of the source of funds to support the Maladministration's drunken sailor spending once Uncle Ben turns off the printing presses. The economy does not generate enough free cash flow to purchase the scheduled bond sales and private debt issues. The implication is that an increase in the amount of interest necessary to draw bids will occur and such an increase will exacerbate the deficit. The "planned" deficit is already a pathetic joke and when the scope of the bust becomes known interest rates should take another bounce.

I suppose the government could let the PPT sit idle for a bit and let the equity exchanges fall 25-30% in order to drive investors to the "safety" of Treasuries at low interest rates but that's a single shot as well.

Oh well, there's always the chance of a nice fire at the Reichstag to take people's mind off the fact that we're broke.

[Jim Ryan]

Virgil Goode sent an excellent, specific, and personal response every time I wrote him.

[DrJ]

No way, Ext. But the senior staff scales in government really are compressed. They have no way to make the side deals that, for example, the congress critter can make. And compared to the private world, the money just is not that much.

[Petites japonicus Giganteus9189]

Service Academies are already there. O, Harvard and dems are paying off universities with service payments. He's also taking over the private loan industry and it will be so much easier to pay with service.

Hilly will just get it started after all the payments are done and it's all government now anyway,so why not? Everyone got paid and those staff jobs at the universitiespay real well.

We can always turn Congress into a service job with same pay and term limits. We won't have royals and seats and families and wives and husbands and children and 50 year service.

Think of all the people who could get to serve it we did that.

Opportunity to be a Congressman, unlike O and actually vote and become President.

[Jane says obamasucks]

Oh well, there's always the chance of a nice fire at the Reichstag to take people's mind off the fact that we're broke.

I know we can't sustain Romneycare and Obamacare on top is just going to push us over the edge - so I'm wondering what Governor Baker will cut first. Cops? teachers? firemen? or maybe the kajillion idiots Governor Patrick hired to do nothing for alot of money.

I say June 1st fire all the teachers and keep the cops and fireman, to be followed by everyone else.

[Danube of Thought]

Some babe at the Politico gives us what we knew was coming. But by the time it's started, the bounce is already gone.

"President Barack Obama has in one week gone from a man begging for votes from freshman congressmen to a globe-trotting commander-in-chief parachuting into a war zone. Not long ago, Obama was pleading with Democrats that his presidency was on the line if health reform failed. Now he expects new Wall Street regulations on his desk by September – or Memorial Day, if possible. The White House is also looking for Democrats to pass a revamped education law and renewed campaign finance...blah blah blah..."

Parachuting? Did Bush ever parachute?

[hit and run]

DoT:
Parachuting? Did Bush ever parachute?

George HW Bush,yes. On his 75th, 80th and 85th birthdays,no less.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Dahlkemper's aide was excellent, treated us Tea Partiers well when we were there, listening and debating. She took all comers with grace.

Jim, are you in Dahlkemper's district? That's where I grew up.

[centralcal will not comply]

I dunno, Dot, the Politico "babe" got the globe trotting part right.

[Danube of Thought]

Go ahead, somebody--anybody--tell me the Nanny State isn't already here:

A requirement tucked into the nation’s massive health care bill will make calorie counts impossible for thousands of restaurants to hide and difficult for consumers to ignore. More than 200,000 fast food and other chain restaurants will have to include calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-throughs.

The new law, which applies to any restaurant with 20 or more locations, directs the Food and Drug Administration to create a new national standard for menu labeling, superseding a growing number of state and city laws. President Barack Obama was expected to sign the health care legislation Tuesday.

The idea is to make sure that customers process the calorie information as they are ordering. Many restaurants currently post nutritional information in a hallway, on a hamburger wrapper or on their Web site. The new law will make calories immediately available for most items.

“The nutrition information is right on the menu or menu board next to the name of the menu item, rather than in a pamphlet or in tiny print on a poster, so that consumers can see it when they are making ordering decisions,” says Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, who wrote the provision.

[Rick Ballard]

"I say June 1st fire all the teachers and keep the cops and fireman, to be followed by everyone else."

Jane,

40% of the firemen (well insulated houses just don't burn very quickly), 35% of the cops (relaxed concealed carry laws will fix any increase in crime) and 50% of the teachers (no teacher at all is much better than perpetual indoctrination).

[Jim Ryan]

Jim, no. I was up at Congress with the Tea Party two weeks ago. Our busload of tea partiers visited some of the Stupak 12 and we met with our Cong Perriello for 45 minutes. Stopped by Bachman and Ryans's offices, too. We are the Charlottesville crew.

[Rick Ballard]

I suggest that restaurants refer to the menu change as The Revenge of the First Lardy. It's just a damned shame she's illiterate - if she weren't, she might have been able to waddle around a bit in the footprints of a real First Lady.

[Frau Rot Nummer 5]

DoT CA is ahead of the curve, unfortunately. In a TV interview, an owner of multiple restaurants said she dreads having to suffer the anticipated law suits when customers hope to prove that the estimated calorie count is wrong. Years ago in Germany, the notations on the menus were for different dyes used in the dishes.

[centralcal will not comply]

Rick Ballard: Pithy, as always. I so like to read your comments.

[Jane says obamasucks]

40% of the firemen (well insulated houses just don't burn very quickly), 35% of the cops (relaxed concealed carry laws will fix any increase in crime) and 50% of the teachers (no teacher at all is much better than perpetual indoctrination).

Okay, but I still want to fire all the teachers and start at the beginning. Give them 10% of their promised pension and send them on their merry way. Tell them it is the private sector or nothing and good luck with that.

(I'm not in a terribly charitable mood)

[Frau Rot Nummer 5]

Thanks JMH for the LOL sticker. My husband flaunts it on his truck back window.

Thank you, Sara, for the inside info on the staffers. I resent seeing some weasel reading, often seemingly for the first time, what was prepared for him/her by staff.

[Janet]

LUN audio of the new NLRB appointee on illegal immigrants (or as he says, aliens who do not have proper work paperworks)

[JM Hanes]

So glad you're enjoying it Frau, it's one of my favorites. If I'd had a sign instead of a camera in hand last September, I'd have stuck on the back. Maybe I'll stick it on my own back next time!

Speaking of nutrition, DoT, this just in: Cut back on those carbs, up your intake of fat!

[Boatbuilder]

The calorie count requirement is absolutely vital to the health of our nation. How else are all the benighted souls who patronize fast food establishments going to discover that a double bacon cheeseburger comes with a whole big bunch of calories?

(Speaking for myself, that's what I like about them. The McDonald's Angus Deluxe is absolutely wonderful).