Democrat Controlled 110th Congress Has Passed Fewest Bill in 20 Years … Wonder Why Approval Rating is so Low

Who is the real “Do Nothing” Congress?

When Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Majority Senate Leader Harry Reid assumed power they promised America a change from the ways of Republicans. The 110th Congress has become the do nothing Congress as Americans sit back and scratch their heads why they go on vacation and refuse to pass any energy legislation to deal with soaring oil prices. Nearly 75% of Americans believe the US should drill offshore and become less dependent on foreign oil. Instead, the Democratic controlled Congress takes a vacation while everyday Americans cannot afford to.

Barring a burst of legislative activity after Labor Day, this group of 535 men and women will have accomplished a rare feat. In two decades of record keeping, no sitting Congress has passed fewer public laws at this point in the session — 294 so far — than this one. That’s not to say they’ve been idle. On the flip side, no Congress in the same 20 years has been so prolific when it comes to proposing resolutions — more than 1,900, according to a tally by the nonpartisan Taxpayers for Common Sense.

What change did Democratic leadership bring to the House and Senate? Is it any wonder why Congressional approval is at an all time low.

When Democrats won control of Congress in 2006, Republicans were eager to tar them as “do nothing,” an echo of Democrat Harry Truman’s successful 1948 presidential campaign during which he railed against the “Do Nothing Congress” led by Republicans.

Read more

Obama/McCain at Saddleback with Rick Warren’s … Did Obama Actually Almost Say Clarence Thomas “Was not Experienced Enough”?

Why is Barack Obama above being called an inexperienced political neophyte not ready for prime time, yet he is allowed to think and basically almost say in a public forum that others did not deserve appointments or nominations due to their lack of experience?

One thing that was brought front and center at Rick Warren’s Presidential debate from Saddleback Church is the fact that John McCain and Barack Obama’s view on the world and issues are as different as night and day. The debate style of the forum showed just how different the two candidates actually are. In the end McCain smoked Obama. The Leftwing blogosphere had to be extremely disappointed as Obama got crushed.

However, if you missed it last night because you might have been watching the Beijing Olympics and Michael Phelps making all Americans proud … Barack Obama almost made the political gaffe of the century. Obama was asked which existing Supreme Court Justice would he not have nominated. Barack Obama almost said that he could not have nominated Clarence Thomas because he was not experienced enough.

As Hot Air points out, Watch him catch himself mid-sentence, the first fateful syllable of the word “experience” already out of his mouth, before he stops short and switches gears by basically calling Thomas a moron instead (at least, “at the time”)

As Mark My Words stated, there is no doubt that Obama’s true intent and what he meant to say was that “Barack Obama clearly meant he would not have nominated Clarence Thomas because Thomas was not experienced enough.”

WATCH THE OBAMA GAFFE FOR YOURSELF

I would not have nominated ah Clarence Thomas. Ah I don’t think that he ah .. ah .. ah  I ..  I … I don’t think that he was an exp … ah, a strong enough jurist or legal thinker …

Beijing Olympics … Chinese Admit Fake Opening Ceremony Little Girl Singing Scandal (Lin Miaoke & Yang Peiyi) … Maybe they can Admit Female Gymnasts were not 16

China deceiving the world with imagery over substance. Why should anyone be surprised? As beautiful as the Opening Ceremony was of the Beijing Olympics, they were just a microcosm of the present one image to the world while something quite different goes on behind the scenes.

Lin Miaoke  & Yang Peiy, a tale of two little Chinese girls and how their government deal with perception over reality.

By all accounts the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics were considered a great success of amazing and beautiful lights, sound and imagery. However, we have learned since that some of it was not real. We learned that parts of the spectacular fire work display during the Opening Ceremony was fake.

The dupe was revealed by China’s Beijing Times. Speaking to the paper, the man responsible for the animation said he was pleased with the result.

“Seeing how it worked out, it was still a bit too bright compared to the actual fireworks,” Gao Xiaolong told the newspaper.

“But most of the audience thought it was filmed live - so that was mission accomplished.”

If anyone ever wanted to know what China wanted out of these Olympics all they have to do is see the “perfect” imagery scam to follow.

Lin Miaoke – the pretty face

Yang Peiyi – the voice who was considered unsuited to the lead role because of her buck teeth

Read more

Paris Hilton Does Political Ad … That’s Hot … McCain says she’s deeper than Obama … Scary, She Actually Is

Hey Paris … A comprehensive energy plan … That’s Hot!

Paris Hilton puts forth a political ad of her own in response to the one that John McCain did using Ms Hilton’s celebrity. That’s right, Paris on video and this time it is not a sex tape.

Hilton thanked the “wrinkly white-haired guy” for his endorsement and offered her own energy policy. Believe it or not, one that made sense. It has to be one of the signs of the Apocalypse. Paris Hilton offered “We the People” of hybrid energy plan that Democrats Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refuse to. Now is that hot or scary?

Kudos to Paris, this is funny and actually makes a point. The funny part about the Paris Hilton’s political ad in response to McCain’s ad is it actually does more damage to Barack Obama than McCain. Hilton discussed a common sense energy plan. It’s pretty sad when Paris Hilton sounds like she has a more organized and thought out approach to the energy crisis in America than the “chosen One”, Barack Obama. Then again, as Hot Air reminds us, “She’s got a sense of humor, a thoughtful energy policy, and nearly as much federal legislative experience as Barry O”.

What, you thought I could not come up with an energy plan?

In the unkindest cut of all, McCain’s spokesperson Tucker Bounds tells TMZ that on the subject of energy, Paris is deeper than Barack. He says, “Sounds like Paris is taking the ‘All of the Above’ energy approach that John McCain has advocated — both alternatives and drilling. Perhaps the reality is that Paris has a more substantive energy plan than Barack Obama.”

As Wizbang states, Paris Hilton has a much more thoughtful energy policy than Barack Obama does. They pose the scary question of the day:

If Paris and Barack were your two choices, which would you vote for? I honest-to-God don’t know who would be worse.

Hot Air poses question 2 of the day:

If grotesque overexposure and grandiose ego are now prerequisites for the presidency, then the choice is … actually, the choice still isn’t clear, is it?

• Red State: Vive le Paris
• Payback: Paris Hilton Slams John McCain (Video), [but does she really?]

The Ace of Spades: McCain: I Was Wrong to Compare Barack Obama to Paris Hilton; Paris Hilton is Actually More Sensible and Less Goofball Enviroleftist

Winner: McCain. Runner-up: Paris Hilton … Loser: Obama.

Every wonder why Congress now has an approval rating below 20%? Celebrities actually provide more thought out common sense policies.

Bruce E. Ivins, 2001 Anthrax Suspect Commits Suicide as FBI & Justice Department about to File Charges

The anthrax incident took place in 2001 when the anthrax mailing scare gripped the United States following the attacks of September 11. The hysteria and scare that the anthrax letters caused paralyzed an already frightened post 9–11 America. People were literally afraid to open mail and any white powder became a potential bio-terrorism incident.

The focus by the Feds  became Steven Hatfill until he was finally exonerated in the anthrax attacks of 2001 with a $5.82 million settlement. After nearly seven years, according to the LA Times, the Justice department was about to charge Bruce Ivans; however, they were too late. Ivans committed suicide from a drug overdose.

The scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who worked for the past 18 years at the government’s biodefense labs at Fort Detrick, Md., had been told about the impending prosecution, the Los Angeles Times reported for Friday editions. The laboratory has been at the center of the FBI’s investigation of the anthrax attacks, which killed five people.

Ivins died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Maryland. The Times, quoting an unidentified colleague, said the scientist had taken a massive dose of a prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine.

Tom Ivins, a brother of the scientist, told The Associated Press that another of his brothers, Charles, told him Bruce had committed suicide. (Yahoo)

LA Times: Apparent suicide in anthrax case

Ivins, whose name had not been disclosed publicly as a suspect in the case, played a central role in research to improve anthrax vaccines by preparing anthrax formulations used in experiments on animals.

Regarded as a skilled microbiologist, Ivins also helped the FBI analyze the powdery material recovered from one of the anthrax-tainted envelopes sent to a U.S. senator’s office in Washington.

Ivins died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital after ingesting a massive dose of prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine, said a friend and colleague, who declined to be identified out of concern that he would be harassed by the FBI.

• Jonathan Turley: Anthrax Suspect Commits Suicide as FBI Closes In
• BBC: Anthrax ’suspect’ is found dead
• CNN: Anthrax suspect kills self before filing of criminal charges 

UPDATE I: Feds promise to release details on anthrax murder suspect

UPDATE II: Social worker: Anthrax suspect was ‘homicidal’; Government researcher apparently killed himself as prosecutors closed

Ivins’ lawyer said the brilliant but troubled scientist was innocent but would never have a chance to prove it.

Friday’s sudden naming of Ivins as the top — and perhaps only — suspect in the anthrax attacks marked the latest bizarre twist in a case that has confounded the FBI for nearly seven years. Last month, the Justice Department cleared Ivins’ colleague, Steven Hatfill, who had been wrongly suspected in the case, and paid him $5.8 million.

Obama Gaffe-o-meter … Barack Obama Claimed He is a Member of the US Senate Banking Committee

Look up in the sky … it’s a bird … no it’s a plane … no it’s Superman. No it’s just Barack Obama once again claiming to be something that he is not. Barack Obama claimed to be a member of the US. Senate Banking Committee, which he is not. Barack Obama also claims to be a lot of other things as well, but he is not. When we look to see who is actually on the US Banking Committee, Obama’s name is no where to be found.

Responding to an Israeli reporter’s question Wednesday on his commitment to protect the Jewish state, Barack Obama pointed to a bill “we passed” in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee that tightens sanctions and authorizes divestment from Iran. “My committee,” he called it. Except that he isn’t a member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. “Just this past week, we passed out of the out of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee - which is my committee - a bill to call for divestment from Iran as way of ratcheting up the pressure to ensure that they don’t obtain a nuclear weapon,” Obama said at a press conference in Sderot, Israel. (CNN)

However, once again Barack Obama uses a lack of sleep for his error. If Obama cannot handle the rigors of campaigning to be President, how will he deal with the sleeplessness of the actual job? The Obama camp has made John McCain’s age an issue, maybe they should be more concerned with providing their candidate with an ample supply of No-Doz, Jolt and Red Bull.

In a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday, Obama told the former Israeli Prime Minister, “I could fall asleep now standing up,” after Netanyahu asked him how his whirlwind trip to the Middle East and Europe is going.

• No Quarter: Yet Another Worrisome “Obamaism”
• Patterico’s Pontifications: “Dodd, If You Want To Be VP, I Need A Favor - Fast.”
• Power Line: The Fine Line Between Pandering and Lying

Stop The ACLU: The Obamamessiah has another uh-oh! moment

Yet Mr. Smooth Operator over there effortlessly lied about his involvement with the committee. Why? To boost his credentials? To try and hide his lack of experience? To make himself look more serious on the threat from Iran? Who knows? The thing is, it doesn’t matter why he did it. Either he lied, or he was mistaken. And if he was mistaken, then he still doesn’t get a pass. Do we really want a President who has no clue whatsoever what committees he serves on and what his responsibilities are?

Nancy Pelosi Calls George Bush a Total Failure … Has Pelosi Seen her Poll Ratings Lately … Is Nancy Projecting?

Talk about irony, or is it just ridiculous rhetoric to provide cover for one’s own failings? Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls President George W. Bush a total failure. Speaker Pelosi, one who lives in a glass “House” with low approval ratings should not be throwing stones. One might actually say the same about the Democratically controlled House and Senate. However, Speaker Pelosi has decided this time to personally attack the President. Why not … Democrats are in pre-election war mode and will say and do anything to make Republicans look bad. As the Gateway Pundit states, “the AP said this was unusual for the Speaker, I call bull****”.

Pelosi shot back in unusually personal terms.

“You know, God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject,” Pelosi replied. She then tsk-tsked Bush for “challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Bush “a total failure” It takes one to know one Speaker Pelosi. (CNN)

Nancy … I think thou dost protest too much as well. How comical is it that Speaker Pelosi is railing on GWB for his 28% approval rating while Pelosi has a 14% approval rating. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. President Bush ha asked for there to be offshore drilling to relieve the high oil prices

Watch Nancy Pelosi stumble through the Democratic plan to reduce oil prices on CNN. What leadership … blaming others for her failings. This woman promised change when the Democrats took over. Pelosi says no to offshore drilling while a CNN poll shows Americans are in favor of offshore drilling 73% – 27%. So much for doing the work and will of the people. For three consecutive days after President Bush spoke on removing the ban on offshore drilling, oil prices per barrel have gone down. Think there is not a correlation? Democrats don’t think so. Wait until your poll numbers go even lower as the Democratic controlled Congress refuses to provide common sense relief to “We the People”.

• Red State.com: Speaking Of Total Failures, Nancy…

Poll Results: Obama and McCain Appear to be in an Even Heat … In a Democratic Year, Why Isn’t Obama Ahead … Flip-Flopping?

Flip-Flops … Hey Obama, if the shoe fits …

Obama’s flip-flopping may be cause for concern for many who voted for him during the Democratic primaries and even greater cause for concern for anyone who thinks that he can stick to a position.

What a difference a week makes with a poll. More to the point, what a difference flip-flopping makes to the results of a poll. Obama is doing everything he can to make it a close race. Imagine what poll numbers would look like if the media was not on his side? Both Republican, Democratic and non-partisan pundits are saying that the 2008 elections are going to be an overwhelming sweep for Democrats. Real Clear Politics shows that Democrats lead in the Generic Congressional Vote over Republicans by 12.2%. If this is the case, why isn’t Barack Obama leading John McCain by any substantial margin? Is he that bad a candidate?

Last week the Newsweek “mythical” poll had Obama leading McCain by 15 points, 51 to 36 percent. In the course of one week that same Newsweek poll has it a dead heat with Obama leading by 3 points, 44 percent to 41 percent. Why the massive free fall drop by the media darling, Obama? Could it be that Democrats are upset with their wanna be “Flip-flopper and Chief”? Obama’s reversal on FISA, faith based initiatives and the immediate pull out of troops from Iraq may be cause for concern for many Democrats. With all of Obama’s waffling and changing of positions … they voters might have well nominated Hillary Clinton for the Democratic candidate for this Falls Presidential election.

Obama’s rapid drop comes at a strategically challenging moment for the Democratic candidate. Having vanquished Hillary Clinton in early June, Obama quickly went about repositioning himself for a general-election audience–an unpleasant task for any nominee emerging from the pander-heavy primary contests and particularly for a candidate who’d slogged through a vigorous primary challenge in most every contest from January until June. Obama’s reversal on FISA legislation, his support of faith-based initiatives and his decision to opt out of the campaign public-financing system left him open to charges he was a flip-flopper. In the new poll, 53 percent of voters (and 50 percent of former Hillary Clinton supporters) believe that Obama has changed his position on key issues in order to gain political advantage.

Poll: National Race Tightens; Majority Says Obama Flip-Flopped On Key Issues

The CNN Poll has it a statistical dead heat, the Rasmussen Tracking Poll has a tie at 46%-46% and the Gallup Daily Tracking poll has it a statistical tie with Obama leading 46%–43%.

Read more

Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow Has Died at Age 53 … Rest in Peace

There is sad and heart breaking new this morning … Tony Snow has passed away. Our deepest condolences go out to his family.

Tony Snow, the former White House Press Secretary under GWB and Fox News anchor has died at the at of 53 from compilations of cancer. Snow died at 2am Saturday morning at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC. 

What a sad day as Tony Snow was one of the truly good guys. He conducted himself  always with a smile, an energy and a professionalism. When Tony Snow became the White House Press Secretary he brought a new found electricity to the role through his charisma and and as The Corner states, from his substance. His quick whit and humor was something that was long missing form the position.

 Tony Snow says goodbye from his White House Spokesman position

The one thing that I personally always admired about Tony Snow was his conviction to be and say exactly what he thought. He never pretended to be anything that he wasn’t and embraced his conservative ideals, principles and character. Tony Snow once said, “I’m a very lucky guy.” Actually Tony, we we are the lucky ones to have been able to learn by your fine example. God Bless … and may you now be in God’s eternal peace.

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary and conservative pundit who bedeviled the press corps and charmed millions as a FOX News television and radio host, died after a long bout with cancer. He was 53.

A syndicated columnist, editor, TV anchor, radio show host and musician, Snow worked in nearly every medium in a career that spanned more than 30 years.

Tony Snow joined Fox News in 1996.

Snow joined FOX in 1996 as the original anchor of “FOX News Sunday” and hosted “Weekend Live” and a radio program, “The Tony Snow Show,” before departing in 2006.

“It’s a tremendous loss for us who knew him, but it’s also a loss for the country,” Roger Ailes, chairman of FOX News, said Saturday morning about Snow, calling him a “renaissance man.”

President Bush’s statement:

Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend, Tony Snow.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Jill, and their children, Kendall, Robbie, and Kristi.  The Snow family has lost a beloved husband and father.  And America has lost a devoted public servant and a man of character.

Tony was one of our Nation’s finest writers and commentators.  He earned a loyal following with incisive radio and television broadcasts.  He was a gifted speechwriter who served in my father’s Administration.  And I was thrilled when he agreed to return to the White House to serve as my Press Secretary.  It was a joy to watch Tony at the podium each day.  He brought wit, grace, and a great love of country to his work.  His colleagues will cherish memories of his energetic personality and relentless good humor.

All of us here at the White House will miss Tony, as will the millions of Americans he inspired with his brave struggle against cancer.  One of the things that sustained Tony Snow was his faith – and Laura and I join people across our country in praying that this good man has now found comfort in the arms of his Creator.

Read what many other bloggers have to say as they pay their respects to the dearly departed Tony Snow:

• Hot Air: RIP, Tony Snow
• Michelle Malkin: Tony Snow, R.I.P.
• Wizbang: Breaking news: Tony Snow dead at 53
• The Gateway Pundit: Former White House Spokesman Tony Snow Dies at 53
• QandO: Tony Snow - dead at 53
• The Swamp: Tony Snow, father of three, dead at 53
• Right Wing News: Tony Snow, R.I.P. (”Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant”)
• Stop the ACLU: Tony Snow Passes Into History

UPDATE I: How pathetic … AP Feels the need to take a cheap shot at Tony Snow in their obit.

It just goes to show you just how rotten the liberal media and politics has become has become. Tony Snow was a good man, one certainly better than any of the cretins at the AP who allowed these subjective comments to be put forth as a man passes away. I don’t remember any such comments when Tim Russert passed away.

READ HERE

With a quick-from-the-lip repartee, broadcaster’s good looks and a relentlessly bright outlook — if not always a command of the facts — he became a popular figure around the country to the delight of his White House bosses.

There are some real black hearted people on the web, Protein Wisdom has managed to find some that would find glee in another’s death. There comes a point when we are all supposed to put down our weapons and bury the dead in a respectful manner. To the people that would make such hateful comments, one day you to will meet your Maker … upon that day of reckoning, you will have much explaining to do. As Patterico states, Tony Snow had class, honor and character that the AP could never know.

UPDATE II: Watch the VIDEO of Fox News Brit Hume’s tribute to Tony Snow

Who Knew Iranian were into “Faux”tography … Just a Few Too Many Missiles in the Pic

Notice something just a bit different about the two pictures below? According to the NYT’s … they are the same picture, the bottom one posted in newspapers was a fake. Wonder why we shouldn’t believe a word that comes out of Iran. It’s pretty sad when the Iranian government feels the need to digitally doctor pics as a show of force. Iran did not want to show the world that one rocket had failed … instead they embarrassed themselves to the world.

Agence France-Presse said that it obtained the image from the Web site of Sepah News, the media arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, on Wednesday. But there was no sign of it there later in the day. Today, The Associated Press distributed what appeared to be a nearly identical photo from the same source, but without the fourth missile.

In the four-missile version of the image released Wednesday by Sepah News, the media arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, two major sections (encircled in red) appear to closely replicate other sections (encircled in orange). (Illustration by The New York Times; photo via Agence France-Presse)

Read much more here. Great pics, both real and faux:

• The Gateway Pundit: More Bogus Iranian Test Missile Sightings
• Little Green Footballs: Iran’s Photoshopped Missile Launch
• Protein Wisdom: The Iranian threat, real and Photoshopped