Lawmakers this week raised fresh questions about the proposed network by Virginia-based Lightsquared, a firm backed by billionaire Philip Falcone, a prominent donor to Obama's Democratic party.

◼ Lawmakers question White House role in wireless project - Yahoo

Republican lawmakers say the White House may have tried to push through a company's proposed wireless network despite objections from the military that the project could disrupt vital satellite navigation systems....

At a hearing Thursday of the House of Representatives strategic forces subcommittee, the Republican chairman, Michael Turner, said he would request that the House Oversight Committee investigate whether the company received special treatment from the White House or federal regulators.

The hearing came after a report in the Daily Beast website alleged the White House pressed the head of US Air Force space command, General William Shelton, to downplay his concerns and alter his testimony to lawmakers....

◼ The Pentagon has worried for months that a project backed by a prominent Democratic donor might interfere with military GPS. Now Congress wants to know if the White House pressured a general to change his testimony. - The Daily Beast

The four-star Air Force general who oversees Air Force Space Command walked into a highly secured room on Capitol Hill a week ago to give a classified briefing to lawmakers and staff, and dropped a surprise. Pressed by members, Gen. William Shelton said the White House tried to pressure him to change his testimony to make it more favorable to a company tied to a large Democratic donor....

According to officials familiar with the situation, Shelton’s prepared testimony was leaked in advance to the company. And the White House asked the general to alter the testimony to add two points: that the general supported the White House policy to add more broadband for commercial use; and that the Pentagon would try to resolve the questions around LightSquared with testing in just 90 days.

◼ Did Obama’s former investment play role in pressuring 4-star general to change testimony? - HotAir

As it turns out, LightSquared is more than just a Democratic donor. The Lonely Conservative points us to a July 2011 article at The Huffington Post, in which it seems that Barack Obama himself has a personal interest in LightSquared:

Obama himself was an early investor and came to the presidency a firm believer in expanding broadband. He remains close to other early investors, like Gips and investment manager George W. Haywood, inviting some to luxe social events at the White House and more intimate gatherings like a night of poker and beer.

Presidents put their investments into blind trusts when they take office in order to avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest. Well, most modern Presidents do, anyway. It seems that Obama considers himself an exception to this rule, or at the very least he did until April 2010. The Washington Post’s Michael Shear reported at that time that Obama had refused to establish a blind trust...

Republicans? In California?

◼ For several weeks now, I’ve been hearing rumors that there was something in California called a “Republican Party” with elected officials and stuff. - The Other McCain

...Imagine my surprise, then, when my buddy Joe Fein in L.A. wrote a blog post saying that not only is there a “Republican Party” in California, but they’re having what they call a “state convention.” I figured this meant that three or four guys were getting together in the corner booth at a diner on Wilshire Boulevard or something, but Joe has some pictures and at least one of them shows what appear to be at least half a dozen people in what looks like a hotel lobby.

Joe also has pictures of what he calls the “media department” of this alleged California GOP — I dunno, to me it looks like a dude with a laptop....

3,250 jobs, $5 Million per job....

◼ Obama admin reworked Solyndra loan to favor donor - ajc/AP
◼ Documents show Solyndra sought second government loan guarantee for $469 million - Daily Caller

Venture Socialism

...Solyndra proves President Obama’s investment strategy doesn’t work. Venture socialism never will. Making investments based on political goals, not competitive merit is an outdated European notion—not a successful American one.

The Obama Administration’s decisions to favor companies like Solyndra, while targeting thriving job-creators like The Boeing Company and Gibson Guitar is not only unfair, it demonstrates sheer ignorance of economic principles that have made America the most prosperous country in the history of the world....

The Obama Administration shouldn’t be given another chance to attempt to pick winners and losers in the market. The government should not be permitted to micromanage the economy and decide what industries will thrive or perish. The only economic system that works is one based on free people making free decisions. Venture socialism will never produce the success that free-market capitalism has. Solyndra is proof. read the rest

Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.

◼ The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription

◼ September 17, 2011 (Observed September 16, 2011)

Why 30 Bloggers are Worth More for the CAGOP then One MSNBC

◼ The future of the Republican Party and the nation, if the CAGOP wants to succeed in getting the message out, is to let in the Bloggers. - Valley Of The Shadow

The Bloggers on the Right are there as Defence AND Offence (if used correctly). On the chessboard of the Political realm, we Bloggers are the Knights on the board. We can move quickly, think around corners and hide in plain sight.

Oh my: New book claims Obama White House is “hostile” to women

◼ “The president has a real woman problem” - HotAir
◼ Book: Women in Obama White House felt excluded and ignored - Nia-Malika Henderson and Peter Wallsten/Washington Post

A new book claims that the Obama White House is a boys’ club marred by rampant infighting that has hindered the administration’s economic policy and left top female advisers feeling excluded from key conversations.

“Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President,” by journalist Ron Suskind due out next Tuesday, details the rivalries among Obama’s top economic advisers, Larry Summers, former chairman of the National Economic Council, and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner. It describes constant second-guessing by Summers, now at Harvard, who was seen by others as “imperious and heavy-handed” in his decision-making.

In an excerpt obtained by The Post, a female senior aide to President Obama called the White House a hostile environment for women.

“This place would be in court for a hostile workplace,” former White House communications director Anita Dunn is quoted as saying. “Because it actually fit all of the classic legal requirements for a genuinely hostile workplace to women.” also on Kindle

Pennsylvania GOP's Nebraska-Maine proposal

◼ That would make re-election much, much more difficult for President Obama. - David Freddoso/Washington Examiner

You win a state, you get all of its electoral votes -- right? That's how it works in most states, but there are two exceptions. In Maine and Nebraska, candidates can split the electoral votes. Candidates are awarded two for winning the state, and one more for each Congressional District they carry. Barack Obama, for example, won one electoral vote from Nebraska in 2008 by carrying the Omaha-based 2nd District....

(O)verall, such a system seems very harmful to Democrats -- perhaps because of racial gerrymandering inspired by provisions of the Voting Rights Act. If every state had used the Maine-Nebraska system in the 2000 election, then George W. Bush would have won with 299 electoral votes instead of 271, despite losing the popular vote. If they had used it in the 2004 election, he would have won with 317 EVs, instead of 286. If this had been in place in 2008, Obama would have won just 296 electoral votes, instead of the 365 he actually got.

EPA delays global warming rules again

◼ For the second time in four months the Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that they will again delay the release of their much anticipated global warming regulations. - Conn Carroll/Washington Examiner

The EPA's latest retreat on climate change regulation comes almost two weeks after President Obama ordered EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to rescind her ozone rules. According to the EPA's own esitmates, the ozone rule would have infliced $90 billion in costs on the U.S. economy every year. Analysts expect the EPA's global warming regulations to cost more than $100 billion annually.

Republican union cash kings cave on NLRB vote

◼ The bill passed 238 - 186 with seven Republicans voting to protect the NLRB. All seven have taken cash from big labor - Conn Carroll/Washington Examiner

This afternoon the House of Representatives passed Rep. Tim Scott’s, R-S.C., bill prohibiting the National Labor Relations Board from "ordering any employer to close, relocate, or transfer employment under any circumstance." The legislation is aimed at punishing the NLRB for its attempt to stop Boeing from opening a factory in South Carolina.

California unemployment rate rises to 12.1%

◼ California's unemployment rate ticked up a notch in August, to 12.1% from 12% the month before, according to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employers shed 8,400 jobs from payrolls. - LA Times

California has the second-highest unemployment rate in the nation, after Nevada, where 13.4% of the people in the labor force are out of work.

◼ U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Michael Reagan v. Dianne Feinstein?

◼ Feinstein weak in poll, but no GOP challenger yet - SF Chronicle via Drudge

This year, as 1,000 GOP activists gather today in Los Angeles for their fall convention, things are different, as even the California Republican Party chairman has no idea who will take on 19-year-incumbent Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein next year - and no major candidates have stepped up.

But the landscape may change soon, analysts said, given Feinstein's recent campaign money problems and a Field Poll released today that gives one of California's most consistently popular politicians a 41 percent approval rating, the lowest of her Senate career.

One person considering a run, The Chronicle has learned, is Michael Reagan, a former conservative talk-radio host and the son of former President Ronald Reagan.

Lawsuit asks court to kill new California Senate districts

◼ Gilliard's group has raised nearly $500,000 thus far for its two-pronged effort to kill the Senate maps, including $188,000 from the California Republican Party and a cumulative $200,000 from current or past GOP state senators. - Sacramento Bee/Capital Alert

Arguing that California's newly drawn Senate districts are unconstitutional, a Republican Party-backed group filed a lawsuit today asking the California Supreme Court to kill the new maps.

"We believe there are serious constitutional flaws in the maps produced by the redistricting commission, and these are matters that the Supreme Court should look at immediately," spokesman David Gilliard said.

Gilliard's group, Fairness & Accountability In Redistricting (FAIR), also is collecting signatures in a referendum drive aimed at asking voters to reject the newly drawn Senate districts in a statewide election next June.

Submit questions to September 22nd Fox News/Google GOP debate

◼ September is a crowded debate month for the 2012 Republican candidates.

September is a crowded debate month for the 2012 Republican candidates. On September 22nd, the candidates will meet in a match up sponsored by Fox News, Google and the Florida Republican Party. This debate will be a similar format to the "CNN/YouTube" debate we witnessed during the 2008 elections where candidates took questions from citizens via video. Fox News’ YouTube channel is accepting questions now.

Air Date: Thursday, September 22nd at 9pm EST (6:00 OUR TIME) on Fox News

Submit Questions: Fox News/Google Debate

Crony Capitalism on Steroids from GE to Solyndra (UPDATED)

◼ A good writeup by Sarah Palin about the crony capitalism in the Obama administration, but in my opinion, the *bam* comes near the end - The Right Scoop

◼ Sarah Palin

◼ GE responds to charges of crony capitalism - Timothy P. Carney/Washington Examiner

The White House’s $535 Million Photo Op

◼ Reince Priebus at RedState

As the Solyndra scandal continues to unfold, Americans are clamoring for the President to take responsibility. With more suspicious details coming to light, multiple entities have launched investigations—the FBI, the Inspector General of the Energy Department, the Inspector General of the Treasury Department, and the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee. From what we’ve seen so far, the verdict seems pretty clear: the White House recklessly propped up Solyndra to please campaign backers and stage a political photo op.

◼ Solyndra represents stimulus failure - Reince Priebus at Politico

California Republican Party kicks off convention

◼ The action takes place at JW Marriott at L.A. Live - Sacramento Bee/Capitol Alert

The California Republican Party starts its three-day fall convention today in Los Angeles with an all-day presidential straw poll followed by a dinner featuring Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who's running for president, and Rep. Jeff Denham of Atwater, who's not....

Saturday's schedule is even longer. Presidential candidates Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan will speak at the Lincoln Clubs breakfast. Lunch features Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista and radio talk show host Dennis Prager. Dinner speakers include Rep. Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs, Board of Equalization member Michelle Steel, state Sen. Mimi Walters of Laguna Niguel, and Assembly Republican leader Connie Conway of Tulare.

Amid California sales tax kerfuffle, Shopobot relocates to Seattle

◼ As a new Amazon affiliate, Shopobot co-founder Dave Matthews found himself in the middle of a big tax fight in California recently. It was a battle they couldn’t win. So, he and his co-founder, Julius Schorzman, packed their bags and moved to Seattle. - GeekWire

Ford TV Ad Slams Obama Auto Bailouts

◼ His name is Chris. After he sits down the "reporters" bark "Chris, Chris." One asks him to explain why "was buying American important to you." Sitting and looking sincere and serious, Chris says: "I wasn't going to buy another car that was bailed out by our government. I was going to buy from a manufacturer that's standing on their own: win, lose, or draw. That's what America is about is taking the chance to succeed and understanding when you fail that you gotta' pick yourself up and go back to work. Ford is that company for me."

A Ford spokeswoman confirmed that Chris is an actual Ford owner and that those are his real words (the ad series is all unscripted). - U.S. News & World Report

Democrat Strategist to Clients: Don’t Run in 2012

◼ Democrats are being dragged down so far by President Barack Obama’s unpopularity that promising young candidates are planning to skip the 2012 elections completely, according to party insiders. - Newsmax

One strategist admitted his advice is wait until at least 2014 before entering the fray, because he doesn’t want them to be put off politics for life by being heavily defeated next year, according to The Hill.

“I’m warning my clients – ‘Don’t run in 2012.’ I don’t want to see good candidates lose by 12 to 15 points because of the president,” said the unidentified strategist.

Eric Golub's trip to Eureka - from LA

◼ Burn in Hell Jet Blue - Tygrrrrr Express

Solyndra Employee: You Wonder Where All the Money Went

◼ New Emails Show Obama Officials Knew Solyndra Was In Financial Trouble, Worried It Could Hurt His Reelection Campaign…

WASHINGTON (AP) — ◼ White House officials discussed the political ramifications of a possible default by a troubled solar energy company that received more than $500 million in federal loans.

That’s according to newly released emails.

The emails show the Obama administration privately worried about the effect of a default by Solyndra Inc. on the president’s re-election campaign.

One of the emails from an administration official said the timing will likely coincide with the 2012 campaign season heating up.

The email, released by the House Energy and Commerce Committee as part of its investigation into the Solyndra loan, showed Obama administration officials were concerned about Solyndra’s financial health even as they publicly declared the solar panel maker in good shape.

Michigan House Moves to Ban Union Dues Deducted from Teachers’ Paychecks

◼ http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2011/09/15/mich-house-moves-to-ban-union-dues-deducted-from-teachers-paychecks/ - Warner Todd Huston at Stop The ACLU

A new measure has been introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives that would ban school districts from automatically deducting union dues from teachers’ paychecks and handing that money over to unions.

Denmark elects its first female Prime Minister

◼ Denmark has elected its first female prime minister, ousting the right-wing government from power after 10 years of pro-market reforms and ever-stricter controls on immigration. - independent.ie via Drudge (image source)

◼ Denmark elects new government, first woman premier - bellinghamherald.com

Meet our speaker, national blogger Eric Golub, author of three books; ◼ Ideological Bigotry, ◼ Ideological Violence and ◼ Ideological Idiocy, and Tygrrrr Express, the blog.
Thursday September 15th; 11:30 AM Lunch 12 - 1 PM
445 Herrick, Eureka
Lunch and Speaker ~ $14.50; Beverage & Speaker ~ $4.00
THIS MONTH - Please RSVP to Margaret Stafford 822-3255
tom-marg @ suddenlink.net

House Speaker Boehner to outline GOP jobs plan

◼ After giving President Obama's economic stimulus plan something less than an enthusiastic endorsement, House Republicans will offer their own ideas Thursday for getting the economy back on track. - CNN Money

Boehner's policy prescriptions are expected to mirror the Republican Party's long-running position that the key to jump starting growth is to get government out of the way and allow the private sector to do its thing.... That means less regulation, lower taxes and big reductions in government spending.... According to his office, the Speaker will "discuss the need to liberate America's economy by removing government barriers to private-sector job growth." Watch It Here: 9:00 AM OUR TIME

Bloomberg poll puts Obama re-elect number at … 29%

◼ Maybe America is becoming “a very difficult district” for Democrats, especially Barack Obama. Bloomberg’s new poll puts his job approval rating at a mundane 45/49, although Bloomberg reports that it’s the lowest approval level he has had in the series. But a peek inside the actual numbers shows a startling data point that should have the Obama 2012 team keeping their resumés updated. - HotAir

◼ Obama Approval Plummets to New Low Among Americans Skeptical of Jobs Plan - Bloomberg

The poll hands Obama new lows in each of the categories that measures his performance on the economy: only 36 percent of respondents approve of his efforts to create jobs, 30 percent approve of how he’s tackled the budget deficit and 39 percent approve of his handling of health care...

On the economy, 29 percent of independents approve of the job Obama is doing while 66 percent disapprove...

Forty-six percent of independents say they definitely won’t vote to re-elect the president, compared to 21 percent who definitely will support him.

The DaVinci Bus – Clues to Governor Palin’s Future

◼ Looking to crack the code of Governor Palin’s future plans? Everything you need to know may just be written on her bus. - Nicole Coulter/Conservatives4Palin

Obama’s Down. Can GOP Put Him Out?

◼ A winning strategy from The Other McCain: (T)alk is just talk and what we need now is action to maximize the strategic momentum gained by Tuesday’s triumph. Congressional Republicans should seize the initiative on two fronts:

Relentlessly expose the Solyndra scandal
Beat Obama with his own trick

Fresh off their historic victory of September 13th, Republicans need to move aggressively and rapidly against the liberal agenda, heeding the wisest maxims of strategy:

“Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible.” read the whole thing...

BREAKING: Major Mistake In ObamaCare Ruling Will Keep Virginia’s Challenge Alive

◼ In ruling last week the Commonwealth of Virginia lacks standing to challenge the individual mandate provision of Obamacare, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit made a “rookie” factual error serious enough to call for invalidation of its entire decision. - Breitbart's Big Government

◼ Full story here, including audio. Fourth Circuit's Factual Error Throws Obamacare Decision in Doubt - The Heartlander

Redistricting Update: The Democrat Party Expands Its Statewide Control

Karen Brooks

I, for one, was hopeful that a citizen commission would fairly dole out districts and make significant improvements to break up this one-party controlled state. Now that the commission’s work is done and they have submitted the maps to the Secretary of State, I fear we’re going to miss the “good ole days” of gerrymandered districts drawn by our Legislature.

“Be careful what you wish for,” echoes in my head. In 2008, voters thought we were taking away the Legislature’s responsibility of redistricting and placing it in the hands of fourteen non-partisan, neutral voters. Unfortunately, we’re on the politically correct left coast, so the selection process can’t help but be flawed. Last year, a special panel was convened to narrow an applicant pool to about 60, with our Legislature eliminating about a third of those applicants before the State Auditor “randomly” picked the final eight, and then those eight picked the final six.

This experiment, in hindsight, has some fatal flaws. The process focused too heavily on minority, non-engaged (in politics) applicants at the expense of the most qualified people. The second fatal flaw is that the commission wanted specific citizen input, namely the “communities of interest.” They were looking for minority ethnic communities, not necessarily economic or social or even geographic communities. They were not looking at voter registration or voter turn-out either. And finally, the party in control controls everything in this state.

Are we FRIENDS yet?

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“In less than 24 hours, Attack Watch has become the biggest campaign joke in modern history”

◼ Attack Watch, new Obama campaign site to ‘fight smears,’ becomes laughing stock - Elizabeth Flock/Washington Post

On Twitter, where the (The President's Campaign) Web site has an account to help Obama supporters submit evidence of “attacks” on the president using the hashtag #attackwatch, nearly every tweet about the site — mostly from conservatives — has ridiculed it.

“There's a new Twitter account making President Obama look like a creepy, authoritarian nutjob @attackwatch,” an Arizonan tweeted.

It’s safe to say that in its 24 hours of existence, Attack Watch has already backfired, becoming a tool for conservatives to use against Obama 2012. A tweet by conservative author Brad Thor summed up the critics’s argument: “Wow, not only are Obama & Co. incredibly thin-skinned, they're paranoid.”

◼ Dead pool: How long before Obama’s campaign flushes Attack Watch down the toilet? - HotAir

Griffith Questions Officials About Solyndra and the DOE Loan Guarantee Program

◼ Griffith, a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on oversight and investigations, grills the Department of Energy’s Jonathan Silver about the decision to subordinate taxpayer investment in Solyndra to a new investor, Argonaut, as the green-tech firm was failing. - HotAir

Griffith points out that Congress made clear that taxpayer funds for green-energy loans were not to be subordinated to other investors in case of bankruptcy and demands to know why Silver and the Obama administration disregarded it. Silver responds that the DoE needed to use all tools it could to attempt to salvage the company to protect taxpayer funds

BOEHNER BULLETIN: Watch Live: Speaker Boehner's Address, "Liberating America's Economy"

Tune in TOMORROW to watch and discuss Speaker Boehner’s address on jobs – “Liberating America’s Economy” – at 1:00 PM ET by clicking here:

Speaker Boehner will discuss the need to liberate America’s economy by removing government barriers to private-sector job growth – the focus of the Republican Plan for America’s Job Creators. The House has already passed more than a dozen jobs bills focused on eliminating obstacles like excessive regulations, the threat of tax hikes, and Washington’s job-crushing spending binge, but most are stalled in the Democratic-led Senate. To see them, visit Jobs.GOP.Gov and click “Track Legislation.”

Here are the details of tomorrow’s live stream of Boehner’s remarks:

WHAT: WATCH LIVE Speech by Speaker John Boehner, “Liberating America’s Economy”
WHEN: Thursday, September 15, at 1:00 PM ET
WHERE: Click here to watch online (note: you do NOT need a Facebook account to watch)
We hope you’ll log on, tune in, and engage with others watching Boehner’s address. See you tomorrow!

Insulin may slow Alzheimer's, study finds

◼ Inhaling it through the nose twice daily seems to slow symptoms of memory loss. More study is needed, but researchers are encouraged. - LA Times

NY-09: Stunning Repudiation of Chuck Schumer

◼ This result is a rebuke to Barack Obama, but it is a rebuke as well—a stinging one, perhaps more stinging—to Senator Charles Schumer. - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

...As one of the three Democratic leaders of the Democratic majority in the Senate—and by common consent the one who outshines in intellect the other two put together—Schumer has played an important role in fashioning Democratic policies, including but not limited to the 2009 stimulus package and Obamacare.

This vote is a startling repudiation of those policies by just the voters Schumer was hoping to win over....

◼ Obama costs Dems a Congressional seat -- in NYC! - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner
◼ Twin defeats spark Democratic fears - Politico
◼ With Jewish Support, GOP Retakes Seat Held by Democrats for Nearly a Century - Trevor Loudon
◼ G.O.P. Gains House Seat Vacated by Weiner - New York Times
◼ NO DEMOCRAT IS SAFE - Dick Morris

Obama's disapproval rating hits new high of 55%

◼ President Barack Obama's disapproval rating has reached a new high of 55% while the number of Americans who think he is a strong leader has dropped to a new low, 48%, according to a CNN/ORC poll released Tuesday. - CNN
◼ CNN poll shows Obama disapproval peaking after jobs-bill push - HotAir
◼ Obama below 50% approval in … California? - HotAir
◼ Obama Approval Plummets on Jobs Plan - Bloomberg

Foreclosures soar 200% in August...

◼ Huge Surge in Bank of America Foreclosures - CNBC via Drudge

New boundaries don't change supervisorial race; County's 2012 election gears up

◼ At least one supervisorial candidate plans on moving to a new residence in order to keep his bid for the 1st District supervisor seat. - Times-Standard

With the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors' approval of the new district lines on Tuesday, 1st District candidate Rex Bohn's current residence would no longer be within the district. The candidate said he plans to move within the new district by the time the boundaries go into effect in January.

”I've made a commitment to quite a few members of the community that I was going to run in the 1st District,” Bohn said in a phone interview before the board's decision was made. “I spent the last 30-plus years in the 1st District. When the lines are activated in January, I will still be in the 1st District.”

◼ Supervisors approve new boundaries; Public officials see changes to districts
- Times-Standard

The supervisors opted to move forward with Plan 2A, which moves Blue Lake into the 3rd District and leaves both Fieldbrook and Glendale in the 5th District. The plan straightens the border of the 1st and 4th districts and moves the Tompkins Hill area to the 1st District. The only change made was to move a precinct called ES-3 in Cutten from the 3rd District back into the 1st District.

...First District Supervisor Jimmy Smith said the approved map has him taking on some new territory and new constituents. For example, he'll be representing the town of Scotia instead of 2nd District Supervisor Clif Clendenen.

...Rio Dell Councilman Frank Wilson said Scotia wanted to be part of the same district as Fortuna because Scotia residents' children attend Fortuna high schools.

Obama’s new Snitch Central: AttackWatch

◼ The “flag” program is back, but this time it’s being run out of the Obama re-election campaign - HotAir

In 2009, the White House launched an effort to get people to snitch on those who expressed opposition to President Obama through a new official e-mail, flag@whitehouse.gov, and a web page on the official White House site. It didn’t quite last a fortnight, thanks to an outcry of anger over the idea that a President would be so petty and so paranoid as to need an official informant bureau in the White House.

...It’s just as silly, though, and every bit as petty. The categories for passing along an “attack” include significant events like a TV interview or broadcast ad, but also include such trivial categories as “forwarded e-mail” and “rumor.” Presumably, the campaign would then debunk the “rumor,” which would then give it a lot more attention and oxygen than it otherwise might receive. In fact, it’s not inconceivable that people who really wanted to spread “rumors” would do so by reporting them through AttackWatch and waiting for the campaign to publicize rumors through their response.

Why can’t Republicans cut spending?

◼ Why didn’t Republicans put a balanced budget on the table? - Net Right Daily

Republican wins Democratic New York House seat

Photo: New York Daily News via Breitbart's Big Govt.

◼ With his outcome of his own reelection effort 14 difficult months away, President Obama suffered a sharp rebuke at the polls Tuesday, when voters in New York elected a conservative Republican to represent a Democratic congressional district that has not been in Republican hands since the 1920s. - Paul Kane/Washington Post

The defeat came as Republicans trounced Democrats in another special House election Tuesday, in northern Nevada, where — with almost 10 percent of the districts reporting — Republican Mark Amodei led Democrat Kate Marshall, 56 percent to 39 percent.

In both contests, the GOP pulled ahead by linking the Democratic candidate to Obama and his handling of the economy. Both Republican contenders urged voters to “send a message” to the president.

◼ After Turner Earthquake in Weiner District, Democrats’ Civil War Against Obama Begins - Breitbart's Big Government

...I predict a tectonic shift among American Jews and within the Democratic Party if Obama doesn’t quietly retire. All the spinning in the world can’t spin away the trend of Scott Brown, the Tea Party victory of November 2010, and now the Turner earthquake.


Many Democrats are awakening to the reality that their party has been hijacked by a radicalism completely unfamiliar to their parents’ and grandparents’ Democratic Party.

An internal, partisan civil war is now brewing in that party....

◼ NY-09 Goes Republican For the First Time Since 1922 - RedState
◼ New York 9th District Special Election: Republican Bob Turner Takes Seat Formerly Held By Anthony Weiner - Wake Up America
◼ Spin of the Day - Ed Driscoll at Pajamas
◼ GOP Wins in NY House Race, Seen as Obama Rebuke - ABC, AP
◼ DNC SPIN: NY9 'very difficult district for Democrats'... - HotAir via Drudge
◼ In spite of the fact that Dems have held seat since 1923... - FOX
◼ Top party officials 'disappointed, furious, disgusted, hopeless'... - Politico via Drudge

Even before the polls closed, the recriminations — something short of panic, and considerably more than mere grumbling — had begun. On a high-level campaign conference call Tuesday afternoon, Democratic donors and strategists commiserated over their disappointment in Obama. A source on the call described the mood as “awful.”

“People feel betrayed, disappointed, furious, disgusted, hopeless,” said the source.

◼ WH says vote has nothing to do with Obama - NBC New York

Update: Fair Tax efforts in California

We just got our 4th California Fair Tax Co-sponsor - Congressman Jerry Lewis CA-41! This makes a total of 64 co-sponsors on the bill. While we still have a lot of work to do, we are making progress!

We're getting more organized in California. We've added several new Fair Tax Community Coordinators and District Directors and are reaching out to the Tea Party Patriots, Political Groups, Tax Payers' Associations and everyone else who will have us. I find that most people still don't know about the Fair Tax and often confuse it with a "Flat Tax". We're still very much in an education mode and building the Fair Tax base.

We also have a weekly "Fair Tax Time" radio show hosted by former CA State Director John Nobles. You can listen to the show on Blog Talk Radio from the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fairtax4ca
Call in number to listen and / or participate is: (619) 393-6478

Jim Donnell
New Volunteer Fair Tax State Director for California
noirs@fairtax4ca.org
◼ Fair Tax

Rather like teenagers who hate that they actually need their stupid, out-of-touch parents, and must constantly howl about it to their friends, who join in because they realize they’re supposed to hate their parents, too.

◼ Krugman, 9/11 and Absolutes: “What if I am wrong?” - The Anchoress
◼ ‘No One Ever Told Me That Grief Felt So Like Fear’ - Ed Driscoll at Pajamas

Federal Judge in PA Rules Obamacare Individual Mandate Unconstitutional

◼ A federal judge in Pennsylvania has ruled that the requirement in President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul that individuals buy health insurance is unconstitutional. - Michelle Malkin

Judge Christopher Conner in Harrisburg issued the ruling Tuesday in one of more than 30 lawsuits nationwide that have been filed over the law. He says the individual mandate is an unconstitutional extension of authority granted to the federal government under the Constitution’s commerce clause. More at CBS

Last week an appeals court in Virginia overturned a lower court judge and found the law constitutional, and about a month ago the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Georgia ruled that the individual mandate is unconstitutional.

What will the Supreme Court’s decision be? It’s best to try and make that a moot point next year by voting in a wave of people who will repeal the law in its entirety.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is backing Rick Perry for president

◼ Jindal to endorse Perry - CNN

Jindal released a statement Monday saying, “Rick Perry is the candidate who can lead our party to victory in 2012."
“His record on job creation simply cannot be beat, and the one million jobs he’s helped create as governor is a stark contrast to the 2.4 million jobs lost on President Obama’s watch."

◼ That's a strong endorsement from an popular active governor that will carry weight with conservative voters. - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner
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Rick Perry

Dianne Feinstein, Other Dems, ‘Wiped Out’ by Theft of Campaign Cash

◼ Feinstein’s campaign, which had a cash balance of $5 million on June 30, believes it suffered losses but does not know how extensive they were, according to campaign adviser Bill Carrick. - Michelle Malkin

◼ Feinstein: 'Wiped out' by scandal - Politico

(Kinde) Durkee was one of the most widely sought after treasurers in California Democratic politics with dozens of state, local and federal clients. An FBI special agent told a federal judge in California that Durkee had access to “more than 400 bank accounts” at the time of her arrest, and the scale of alleged diversions of funds is only now starting to become clear.

Speaker Boehner: Permanent Tax Hikes to Pay for Temporary Spending Not a Solution for Job

Leno: Government statistics show the U.S. economy created zero jobs in August. President Obama now says he’s confident this month he can double that.

Sarah Palin talks to Greta about the Debate

"...So you saw a group tonight up there on stage talking about pro-private sector, entrepreneurial pioneering spirit of America being allowed to thrive and prosper to create jobs. So it was a good debate, especially in those terms...."

(S)tarting in the 1980s, attitudes of the baby boomers began changing. Polls found them becoming more family oriented and, over time, more conservative. If this transformation continues, leading more of them to embrace the GOP, it could affect the 2012 election.

◼ As the boomers turn - Karlyn Bowman and Andrew Rugg/LA Times

...The passions of youth had been tempered by the practical reality of marriages, children and mortgages. Nearly 7 in 10 in the Rolling Stone poll said they were more family oriented than they thought they would be. When asked about changes from their parents' generation, 59% said more-permissive attitudes about sex were a change for the worse (31% thought it was for the better), 67% said more single parenthood was a change for the worse, and 72% said they thought less religious training for children was a change for the worse.

Ideological beliefs moved too. In the 1986 Time poll, 64% of the baby boomers polled said they had become more conservative since the 1960s. When asked about their ideological identification, 31% said they had been liberal in the 1960s and '70s, but only 21% described themselves that way in 1986. The number identifying as conservative rose from 28% to 41%.

The ideological reorientation of early boomers that began in the 1980s has continued. Two of the country's best long-running surveys show how those born between 1943 and 1958, the so-called near-olds at the front of the baby boom, have changed. In the 1972 American National Election Study survey, 30% of today's near-olds called themselves liberals. In 2008, 12% did. The proportion calling themselves conservative rose from 21% to 46%. In 1972, 51% of eligible voters in the early baby boom cohort called themselves Democrats and 29% Republicans. In 2008, 45% said they were Democrats and 48% said they were Republicans....

◼ A surprising Boomers' poll. Rolling Stone no more - Backyard Conservative

Some observations on the Tea Party/CNN debate

◼ Perry Is Target as Republican Candidates Take Aim New York Times (image source)

The debate went a long way in clarifying the contours of the Republican contest, both in terms of the strength of the candidates — for the second time in a row, Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry were the main players — but also on the issues driving the race. It is rare in a presidential primary to have such a vivid difference of opinion on a critical issue, as is the case with Mr. Romney and Mr. Perry on Social Security.

◼ The toughest attack on Rick Perry came not from Mitt Romney on Social Security, but from Michele Bachmann. - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner
◼ Perry's the Man in the Middle - Fellow Republican Presidential Candidates Take Aim at Front-Runner in Debate - Wall St. Journal
◼ Flash mob: GOP candidates gang up on Perry - Byron York/Washington Examiner
◼ The Debate in Tampa: How Perry's Rivals Are Perfecting Their Attacks on the Frontrunner - The New Republic
◼ GOP debate winner: 'None of the above' - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner
◼ 2012 debate escalation! - Politico
◼ Ron Paul booed for Bin Laden comment - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner
◼ Tea Party Debate: GOP Candidates Attack Perry But Newt Kept His Eye On The Ball - WakeUpAmerica

◼ Full Transcript of CNN-Tea Party Republican Debate from CNN

U.S. poverty rises to 15.1%, highest since 1983

◼ Census bureau: U.S. poverty rises to 15.1%, highest since 1983 - USA Today via Drudge

“A lot of this sounds like things we’ve already tried. You know, more government spending.”

◼ Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said his biggest concern about President Obama’s jobs proposal is that most of it “won’t work.” - The Hill

◼ The American people can handle the truth about Obama’s phony jobs bill - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

What Obama misleadingly calls a jobs bill literally takes $400 billion from the demonized “top 2%” over 10 years to give to almost everyone else now, a pure redistributionist plan....

The jobs bill is an election year payoff, a bribe by another name, or if you will, walking around money.

There is almost nothing stimulative about the bill from a job growth perspective. No regulations which stifle business are revoked, the cloud of Obamacare lingers, and class warfare on the job producers moves ahead.

Of course Obama wants it passed “immediately,” because it cannot withstand the light of day. Sunlight will make it stink even more than it already does.

◼ White House refusing to negotiate on jobs plan - Ed Morrissey at HotAir
◼ GOP blasts taxes in Obama jobs plan - USA Today

"Much of what he's proposing has already been rejected on a bipartisan basis," McConnell said. "The half-trillion-dollar tax hike the White House proposed yesterday will not only face a tough road among Republicans, but from Democrats as well."

Republican National Committee: Today is day 967 of Barack Obama not sending job-creating trade agreements that are on his desk to Congress to be passed.

Planning director up for evaluation today; public angst over planning issues may come up

◼ While the meeting is a part of a string of regularly scheduled appointed de-partment head evaluations in the last few weeks, Girard's position is mired in controversy due to his role as a planning director. Times-Standard

...Past issues -- including the recent multifamily rezoning process and other general plan-related matters -- have sparked ire against Girard, with some speculations surfacing that Girard would no longer oversee planning but would retain his role as director of the other community development service divisions....
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Board of Supervisors Meetings are Live Streamed (click here) as well as archived, and Broadcast LIVE and rebroadcast by AccessHumboldt on Channel 10 Go to AccessHumboldt.net for schedule information and archived video

Referendum challenges congressional lines; If measure passes, Thompson could land back in North Coast

◼ A statewide referendum is currently circulating that would put recently re-drawn California congressional district lines up for approval before the state's voters. - Times-Standard

There's also a chance that the referendum could land North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson -- who was drawn out of the coastal district by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission -- back representing Humboldt County, at least for a little while longer.

...(T)he referendum put into circulation Friday by Julie Vandermost -- president of a southern California based environmental and regulatory consulting firm -- would put the new maps up to a vote of the people

Proponents of the initiative need to gather 504,760 signatures of registered voters by November in order to qualify for the next statewide ballot, according to the California Secretary of State's office. If the referendum qualifies and voters reject the new boundaries, court-appointed officials would set interim boundaries to be used in the next statewide election.

President Barack Obama faces deep skepticism from swing voters who see the Republican party as more in tune with their concerns about government spending, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

◼ Obama faces skepticism from swing voters: poll - Reuters

These undecided voters, who could determine whether Obama wins re-election next year, believe Republicans are more serious about reducing budget deficits and more aligned with them ideologically, according to the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way.

Tea Party Debate Fallout: Newt Gingrich

2012 hopeful and former House Speaker takes on his showing at the Tea Party-sponsored debate, Obama's jobs plan and more

Watch the DEBATE

GOP Debate: Early Fireworks Over Social Security

◼ at CNN

Bachmann Delights Tea Party Faithful with Call for Personal Responsibility


Huntsmann: Stop Our Heroin Like Addiction to Foreign Oil


Gingrich: American People Create Jobs, Not Government


Perry: People Tired of Spending Money We Don't Have on Programs We Don't Want


Question You'll Never Hear at Democratic Debate: How Much of My Money Should I Be Allowed to Keep?


Newt Hammers GE, Obama


Bachmann Charges Perry Pushed Vaccination on Girls as Favor for Drug Company Donor
embedding disabled

romneycare


Paul, Bachmann Smash ObamaCare


Candidates Spar Over Immigration


paulboo


◼ Live-blogging the Republican Debate. at Althouse
◼ Liveblogging Patriots - at Ace of Spades
◼ CNN/Tea Party Debate CoverItLive/Open Thread! at RedState
◼ Open thread: They “hey, let’s talk about Social Security for two hours” debate at HotAir
◼ Republican / Tea Party Florida Debate - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

Until a half a minute ago, liberals called Social Security a Ponzi scheme, too.

◼ Perry and the Ponzis - Stanley Kurtz/National Review Online

Preparations underway for 'CNN/Tea Party Republican Debate' TONIGHT 5:00

WHEN: Monday September 12, 8 p.m. Eastern time (5:00 our time)
WHERE: Florida State Fair Grounds, Tampa
PARTICIPANTS: Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon M. Huntsman Jr., Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum
SPONSORS: CNN and the Tea Party Express

Humboldt Republican Women Welcome Eric Golub

"Combating Ideological Bigotry: Beating the left at their own game."

Eric Golub's message couldn't be more timely! National Labor Leader Jimmy Hoffa calls for WAR on Republicans, warming up the Labor Day crowd for Barack Obama, saying "Let's take these sons of bitches out."

Eric tackles this head kind of thing head-on in his book: "Ideological bigotry is the hatred of people simply due to their political or ideological beliefs. Ideological bigotry is every bit as destructive as racial or ethnic bigotry, but receives far less attention.”

“Conservatives disagree with liberals. Liberals despise conservatives. They hate them.... Liberals hate conservatives for emerely existing and breathing air.”

“Ideological bigotry must be handled in the same way as all other bigotry: With swift, loud condemnation and full throttled self-defense"

We can read his full-throttled defense at the Washington Times Communities Online, World Net Daily, and Donne Tempo Magazine. He's written for Andrew Breitbart's "Big Hollywood," Tucker Carlson’s “Daily Caller,” and has been published by the Jewish Journal and the Jewish Policy Center. Commentary Magazine and Pajamas Media have him on their blogroll. (As do we: He's on our blogroll at hrwf-ca.org)
His message is more important now than ever before. Please JOIN US for lunch! Bring friends.

Thursday September 15th
11:30 AM Lunch 12 - 1 PM
445 Herrick, Eureka
Lunch and Speaker ~ $14.50
Beverage & Speaker ~ $4.00
THIS MONTH - Please RSVP to Margaret Stafford 822-3255 tom-marg @ suddenlink.net

Meet Eric Golub, author of ◼ Ideological Bigotry, ◼ Ideological Violence and ◼ Ideological Idiocy.

His blog is the “Tygrrrr Express” www.tygrrrrexpress.com/ (He’s linked in our Blogroll, on the right)

Pawlenty endorses Romney

◼ Tim Pawlenty endorsed his former opponent Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday morning. - Daily Caller

“I know all the candidates in the race for president in 2012 … I respect them. But the next president is going to have to lead on the economy and jobs in a historic way, and there’s one candidate in this race who is unmatched in his skills and experience and talent when it comes to turning around this economy and growing jobs. That’s Mitt Romney,” said Pawlenty on Fox and Friends. “I’m proud and excited to endorse him for president of the United States.”

Pawlenty will serve as the national co-chair for Romney’s campaign.

Demo in deep trouble in Schumer/Weiner NY9 seat

◼ Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm whose track record in recent special elections has been pretty good, has some very alarmed things to say in his Twitter account on Democrat David Weprin’s prospects in next Tuesday’s special election in the New York 9th congressional district. - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

“My pretty straight forward take on the first night of our NY-9 poll: Dems in BIG trouble. Deserves the caps.”

Obama's Pathetic, Pedestrian Speech

◼ What is there to say about Barack Obama's speech to Congress Thursday night and the so-called American Jobs Act he said Congress must pass? Several thoughts occur, all starting with P. - Michael Barone at Real Clear Politics
◼ Obama buys the drinks other guys pay for - Michael Barone/Washington Examiner

Projection. That's psychologist-speak term for projecting your own faults on others. "This isn't political grandstanding," Obama told members of Congress, as Republicans snickered (but thankfully resisted the temptation to shout, "You lie!"). "This isn't class warfare."

These sentences came four paragraphs after Obama insisted that "the most affluent citizens and corporations" should pay more taxes (which spurs job creation how?) and not long before he promised to "take that message to every corner of the country."

◼ Obama TV ratings drop for jobs speech - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner

White House: Obama to send Congress jobs bill Monday

◼ President Barack Obama says he is sending his jobs bill to Congress on Monday and lawmakers should pass it immediately with no games, politics or delays. - Daily Caller

September 11th

On Sunday, September, 11, 2011, we will pause to remember the 10th anniversary of the horrific and tragic events of September 11, 2001, that resulted in the loss of over 3,000 American lives. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who continue to grieve the loss of loved ones. We will always remember the brave heroes of September 11, 2001, who laid down their lives in the ultimate sacrifice to save countless others. - ◼ National Federation of Republican Women

For all of us across the nation, our thoughts are turned to the lives that were lost due to the tragic events that took place on September 11, 2001. Our prayers go out today to the families who lost loved ones during the unprovoked terrorist attacks. ◼ Hawaii Republican Party

◼ Mark Steyn/National Review: Let's Roll Over. We retreat to equivocation, cultural self-loathing, and utterly fraudulent misrepresentation of 9/11.

As Mayor Bloomberg’s office has patiently explained, there’s “not enough room” at the official Ground Zero commemoration to accommodate any firemen. “Which is kind of weird,” wrote the Canadian blogger Kathy Shaidle, “since 343 of them managed to fit into the exact same space ten years ago.”

◼ Ed Driscoll at Pajamas Media: What is the Tone of the Day?
◼ George Will/Washington Post: Sept. 11’s self-inflicted wounds.
◼ George Savage: The Real Tragedy of 9-11

Ten years ago

◼ On September 10th - Robert Stacy McCain

The 16 children who shared modern America's darkest moment with President George W. Bush are high school seniors now - football players, ROTC members, track athletes, wrestlers and singers.

◼ link - MITCH STACY - Associated Press via Fresno Bee

They remember going over an eight-paragraph story so it would be perfect when they read it to the president on Sept. 11, 2001.

They remember how Bush's face suddenly clouded as his chief of staff, Andrew Card, bent down and whispered to him that the U.S. had been attacked. They remember how Bush pressed on with the reading as best he could before sharing the devastating news with the nation.

"It was like a blank stare. Like he knew something was going on but he didn't want to make it too bad for us to notice by looking different," said Lenard Rivers, now a 17-year-old football player at Sarasota High.

Rep. Allen West - 9/11 Memorial Press Conference