July's federal deficit falls to $52.8 billion... revenues up 13.7% so far in 2005; outlays up 6.1%
Mood:  party time!
Topic: News

July's federal deficit falls to $52.8B

U.S. revenues up 13.7% so far in 2005; outlays up 6.1%

By Rex Nutting, Market Watch

WASHINGTON - The U.S. budget deficit shrank to $52.8 billion in July from $69 billion a year ago, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.

The federal deficit was about $5 billion less than the $58 billion estimated by the Congressional Budget Office a week ago. Receipts came in $1 billion more than expected, while outlays were $4 billion less than CBO projected.

Through the first 10 months of the government's fiscal year, the federal deficit totals $302.6 billion, $93.7 billion less than at this time in 2004. Read the full report.

For all of 2005, the CBO expects a deficit of less than $350 billion, with the agency scheduled to make public an updated forecast Monday. The White House forecast a deficit of $333 billion. The deficit totaled a record $412.8 billion in 2004.

"The bottom line is that we can be fairly confident that the deficit will be in a $325 billion to $350 billion range in FY05 and FY06 in the absence of unforeseen fiscal initiatives or changes in the economy," said Ward McCarthy, a principal with Stone & McCarthy, a research firm with U.S. offices in Princeton, N.J.

The July deficit was the lowest for the month since 2002. Receipts were $142.1 billion, a record for the month, up about 6% from last July.

Receipts are up 13.7% in the year to date at $1.75 trillion. Individual income taxes are up 15.1% to $756.1 billion, while corporate income taxes are up 41.7% to $205.9 billion.

Outlays are up about 6.1% at $2.05 trillion so far this fiscal year.

"Make no mistake, there is no fiscal discipline in Washington these days, nor is there any indication that a revival of fiscal restraint is imminent," said McCarthy.

Market Watch ~ Rex Nutting ** July's federal deficit falls to $52.8B

You May Be a Liberal If...
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Funny Stuff

You are against the War on Terror, but are only too happy to make millions of dollars by making movies about it.

You preach about the evils of Capitalism from the comfort of your Beverly Hills estate.

You scream and shout when innocent civilians are accidentally caught in the cross-fire, but remain silent when terrorists kill them on purpose.

You think OJ Simpson is really looking for the "real killers."

You think trees are precious and are worth saving, but innocent un-born children are not.

You think America deserved 9/11.

You think you can give a dollar to somebody, without first having to take it from somebody else.

You want to ban and outlaw legal gun ownership, yet the same time, you want to be allowed to have armed guards at your beck-and-call.

You think Ted Kennedy knows how to manage your money, better than you do.

You think Saddam, Kim Jong Il, and Castro were fairly elected, but President Bush was not.

You fail to see the connection between Lenin and Lennon.

You think "tolerance" is reserved for those who share your opinions, views, and ideals.

You think the name of God/Jesus should be banned and censored, except when spoken in profanity.

You think it was wrong for Bush to use images of 9/11 in political ads, but saw nothing wrong with Kerry using flag-draped caskets in his ads.

You refuse to allow a child to carry a Bible to school, but demand that schools make special provisions to accommodate a non-Christian's religious beliefs.

You whine about religious leaders involvment in politics, but only when the Reverend's name is Robertson...not Jackson or Sharpton.

You support radical Judges who interpret what they "think" the Constitution means, instead of what it actually says.

You think the meaning and definition of the Constitution should change, based on your own feelings or opinions.

You constantly cry about defense spending, but scream when bases in your areas are closed.

You think Greenpeace and the Earth Liberation Front burning down SUV dealerships or torching chemical plants "help" the enviroment.

You support low-income housing, until they start to build in your neighborhood.

You think the term "illegal alien" is a bad word.

You think Michael Moore's films are "historically accurate."

You believe the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.

You believe that there was no art before Federal funding.

You think the only thing wrong with the forged Rather Memo, was people refused to believe it.

You think girls should be allowed to go to an all-boy school, but not the other way around.

You support welfare for illegal immigrants who don't pay taxes, anyway.

You think Fox News distorts the truth, but Dan Rather reports "honest journalism".

You complain that we never give peace a chance.

When asked about your favorite Marx Brother, the first one to come to mind is Karl.

You think NPR is the only really fair and balanced news source.

You think race riots are acceptable.

You think racial hatred is wrong, but "class hatred" is acceptable.

You think that every misbehaving child has ADD and needs to be doped-up on Ritalin.

You think lawsuits that deny any personal responsibility on the part of the plantiff is justified.

You think the best way to deal with terrorist regimes is to please and appease them.

You are opposed to a military presence in Europe, unless it's to bail out France.

You would rather defend Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Saddam and Castro before you defend the US.

You think violent gun-crime would automatically disappear if honest citizens could not bear arms.

You constantly equate Conservatives to the likes of Hilter as your only defense.

You believe 1 + 1 = 2, or 3, or 4...or whatever it takes to protect the child's self-esteem.

You think that porn should be federally protected per Freedom of Speech, but public profession of Faith should be outlawed.

You applaud Jimmy Carter for talking about Human Rights, but screamed and shouted when President Bush actually did something about it.

You think we should have given Saddam 12 more years, and then 12 more on top of that, if he didn't comply by then.

You think the UN should be the final authority, even in the U.S.

You think if a person makes more than $50,000/year, then he/she is cheating people and ripping them off.

You think being able to play the President on a popular TV drama automatically equates to "political wisdom" in real life.

You scream and shout about Christians ramming their beliefs upon you, but you say nothing when Athiests do the same.

You think it was "un-ethical" for Bush to accept campaign donations from the NRA, but not when Clinton accepted campaign donations on behaf of the Communist Chinese government.

You think if somebody disagrees w/what is being said, they are challenging or denying your rights to Free Speech.

You think that poverty is caused by the wealthy.

You think the ACLU really gives a damn about individual rights.

You think the Dixie Chicks and Tim Robbins should say what they want, but O'reilly, Hannity, and Limbaugh should be censored.

You protested American intervention in the Middle-East, because we did not have UN approval, but supported American intervention in Haiti, Somalia, and Bosnia, even though we did not have UN approval.

You screamed and shouted when Ah-Nold allegedly groped women, but cheered when Bill Clinton did the same.

You are against sexual harrasment except when committed by a Kennedy or a Clinton.

You object to little old ladies wearing fur, but not bikers wearing leather.

You believe President Bush is too dumb to be President and Arnold Schwarzenegger is too dumb to be Governor of California, but the Dixie Chicks, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Barbra Streisand, Eddie Vedder and Jeanine Garofalo are qualified to discourse at length on foreign policy.

You think Saddam had WMDs when Clinton was in office, but all of the sudden, didn't have them when Bush was in office.

You think the Middle East crisis can only be solved once Israel is wiped off the map.

You believe the Bible is racist, sexist, and homophobic, but think the Koran should be required reading.

You consider the Catholic bishops noble and idealistic when they oppose capital punishment and welfare cuts but dangerous fanatics when trying to promote pro-life.

You think a lawyer taking 33% from a settlement for his services is fair, but the Government taking 33% of your paycheck for taxes is "too low".

You find Christianity and anything relating to it potentially harmful to you and your children, but you're completely open-minded to Witchcraft, occult-ism, mysticism, ect.

You think having an open-mind means being "pro-Gay", "pro-Abortion", "anti-Christian", "anti-Business", and "anti-Conservative".

You think only white people can be racist.

You think that tax cuts hurt poor people and are uncompassionate but taking 30% from their paychecks is compassionate.

You believe that posting the "Ten Commandments" in schools will hurt the children, but promoting homosexuality and paganism "helps" the children.

You think the answer to ANY crime no matter how henious or serious, is counseling.

You only watch "All in The Family", because Meathead made so much sense.

You think Rush Limbaugh and Michael Reagan are mean spirited racists and promote hate crime but Maxine Waters, John Conyers and Louis Farakahn aren't and don't.

You think that Doctors should be made into government bureaucrats, but that lawyers should not.

You think O.J. is actually innocent, but that Bernard Goetz is not.

You would have supported the war in Iraq, if Clinton or Gore was President.

You are against censorship unless it's censoring race, Christianity, Conservatism, Western culture, Rush Limbaugh, or Ann Coulter.

You make snide remarks about guys who look at women, but champion Clinton's right to do whatever he wants with his interns.

You think that the four cops who beat Rodney King should have been thrown in jail forever, but the four thugs who beat Reginald Denny should get just a slap on the wrist.

You get mad when rape victims' sexual history is plastered all over the news media, but demand Paula Jones' sexual history "must be made public".

You hear a news report of a man beat nearly to death because he is a minority or gay and you rally about punishing the bigot who committed the terrible act BUT, if you hear a news report of a man beat nearly to death for his money, and you start talking about the poor disadvantaged person who is forced to commit such acts to survive.

You think that pouring blood on a $1,500 fur coat is a sure-fire way to get your message across, but if anyone protests outside an abortion clinic, they're the extremists!

You think that the only way the tragedy at Columbine could have been avoided was to outlaw legal, private gun ownership.

You think hunters don't care about the enviroment, but wacky Seattle folks who have never stepped foot outside of their local Starbucks, do.

You think it takes a village, instead of parents, to raise a child.

You think tolerance of your opinions and acceptance of your opinions go hand-in-hand.

You believe that doctors are over-paid, but ambulance-chasing lawyers are not.

You think that Celebrities and other media icons have the right to Free Speech and those who agree with them have the right to Freedom of Speech, but those who dare to disagree with them do not.

You slam Ah-Nold for his father having alleged ties to the Nazi when you have a known and un-apologetic Klansman and public anti-Semite in your own company (Sen. Byrd)

You think Ah-Nold should not be in politics because he's "just a celebrity", but you would have endorsed Martin Sheen, Sean Penn and company based on that sole criteria.

You scream and shout over alleged "violence" in Mel Gibson's "The Passion", yet you ran to see "Kill Bill", "Freddy VS. Jason" , "The Texas Chainsaw Massacure" and play "Unreal" and "Duke Nuke'em", "Grand Theft Auto", ect. and said nothing about the violence portrayed in those.

You think Hollywood can say or do no wrong and should be treated as such.

You think a child who is quietly and privately saying Grace before a meal at school, constitue the said child ramming his/her beliefs upon others.

You turn a blind eye to the suicide bombings at the hands of radical fanatics, but condemn Israel and the Western World for wanting to keep their people safe from Terrorism.

You think if Sean Penn or Martin Sheen said so, it should be revered as holy scripture.

You cheered and applauded when Clinton stated he "smoked pot but never inhaled" and at the same time, screamed and shouted when Rush Limbaugh admitted to being addicted to LEGALLY OBTAINED MEDICATION.

You think Freedom of Speech is reserved for those who think as you do, but not for anybody else.

You ban the Bible in schools because of Church/State, then welcome Islamic and New-Age, and other religion teachings in the same school.

You think every problem can be solved by simply throwing money at it.

You think more taxes are an ecomomic cure-all.

When a violent crime is comitted with a gun, you think it's the gun itself, and not the offender, who is responsible.

You blame the NRA, and not the criminals, for violent crime with guns.

You think Freedom of Speech and agreeing with what is being said go hand-in-hand.

You think everything wrong in the world is automatically Bush's fault and everything right in the world is automatically because of Clinton.

You feel people should "share the wealth" (as long as your money is not the one being "shared")

You think that being a Hollywood icon automatically means you are more "in tune" to world events than the leaders of the country.

You complain about the SUVs and other less-econmical cars, yet you parade around in a 5-mile-per-gallon limo.

You think that you can understand politics from Hollywood and activist celebrities without doing any research yourself.

You ban Tom Sawyer from schools for being "racist" but you approve of My Two Moms as wholesome and acceptable.

You think every solution to every problem can be solved with bigger Government.

You think people should be rewarded for laziness, but hard-working people should be taxed dry.

You frown upon self-thought and independent thought.

You think convicted criminals and democratic politicians who screw up are worth understanding and forgiving but conservative politicians and religious people who speak their opinion should be banned from public service.

You think that tolerance equals acceptance and anyone who doesn't accept a liberal cause is a racist or bigot.

You throw down the "race card" as your only argument.

You think terrorists and arsonists who burn down private property and harass businesses are noble but the troops who liberated Iraqis are war criminals.

You think that violent protests and domestic terrorism are how you affect change in our country instead of voting.

You believe people are owed restitution for injuries inflicted on their long-dead ancestors.

You find charisma to be an appropriate replacement for honesty.

You find flashy rhetoric to be a suitable substitute for sincerity.

You don't believe willful omissions of facts should be considered lying.

You have a problem with the mention of God in the Pledge of Allegiance, but have no qualms about it being printed on your wonderful money.

You simultaneously piss on our country and its system while reaping its rewards.

You refuse to acknowledge any contributions to society that were not made by minorities.

You continue to trash America, claiming how horrible and evil it is, yet you refuse to leave.

You think Yassar Arrafat was deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.

You think guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens are more of a threat than nuclear weapons in the hands of a hate filled dictator.

You believe that people should not have to be expected to take responsibility for their actions.

Mothers who are drug addicts should be allowed to have children and to raise them while they're addicted.

Capitalism oppresses people and Socialism liberates people.

You think the Governnment should provide "entitlement" programs, rather than expect us to earn what we have.

You refuse to lift a finger to save an unborn baby but at the same time, rush to the aid and defense of violent serial-felons on death row.

You think teachers should not use the class-room to promote politics, unless the teacher is promoting anti-Conservative agendas, then it becomes a matter of "Free Speech".

You try to make excuses on behalf of terrorism.

You believe in choice except when it comes to retirement, schools, health care, and religious speech.

You think Clinton was an "honest and virtuous man".

You believe that unwed teenage mothers should get a paycheck from the Government.

You ignore more than 50 years of medical warnings about tobacco use, but when you get cancer, the tobacco company is to blame.

You think society "owes you a living".

You somehow believe that George Bush is more dangerous than Bin Laden, Saddam, Hitler, ect.

You believe conservatives telling the truth belong in jail, but a liar and sex offender belongs in the White House.

You believe that the same teacher who can't teach 4th graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.

You believe that hetrosexuality is a learned behavior, but homosexuality is normal and natural.

You somehow think that a President who lied under oath, compromised with fanatical dicators, and gave military technology to hostile regimes is somehow better for America than the present Administration.

You believe that 9/11 was an "Israeli conspiracy" and could never have been carried out by Bin Laden or his croonies.

You want to legalize drugs but outlaw tobacco.

You want what you feel "you deserve", instead of what you earn.

You think it's OK to be dis-honest, if personal gain is at stake.

You can exaggerate the facts and make up fiction to prove your point.

You spew out your rhetoric, but have nothing to back it up.

You think that "truth" is irrelevant.

You think the Corporations are evil, but Communism and dictatorships are "noble".

You think the UN is an efficient governmental body.

You like to say that you fight discrimination, then you turn around and give "perks" simply based on race.

You think the Kennedy Family was a "respectable family" but call George Bush a "Hitler".

You think traits like honesty and character are "out-dated".

You think that the minority should have the right to force their will upon the majority.

You think 1 white and 20 blacks is "diversity".

You somehow think taking guns away from honest citizens will reduce crime by violent offenders.

You somehow think Saddam and Bin Laden are better for the world than President Bush.

You believe people should do what you say, but not what you do.

You preach "peace" and "love" and "non-violence" and "anti-gun laws" but appear in movies that glorify guns, explosives and twisting people's heads of with martial arts to win over the bad guys.

You deride Bush for landing on a plane to boost moral and show his gratitude to the troops but you praise Clinton for using the military as a social program to force gays into the ranks and lowering moral.

You think the "all Men are created equal" comments in the Declaration Of Independance means that they are actually equal in ability (as opposed to being given equal opportunity) and no one should make a choice about them based on their actual abilities to perform.

You think a person's sexual preference, or race, and not their ability to perform, should be the deciding factor in who-gets-what job.

You think demanding respect is more important that actually doing something to earn it.

You think the "right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" means breaking into military installations during wartime, stopping commerce, and breaking nudity laws are what the founding fathers meant.

You think Conservatives should be held to a different, and higher standard than you are willing to meet, yourself.

You claim you are "offended" by Christianity, yet you still partake in the Christmas festivities and demand a paid holiday.

You think SUVs are supportive of terrorists, but houses with 10 car garages are A-OK.

You think "choice" applies only to abortion.

You scream about our dependance on foreign oil, but refuse to allow us to tap into our own reserves.

You think the word "unilateral" is defined as "without France, Germany, and Russia"...

You call Conservative millionaires "greedy", while calling Liberal millionaires "hard working", "creative", or "clever".

One day you label President Bush as just a "stupid hick from the sticks" and the next day call him an "evil genius".

You believe that condoms and clean needles should be handed out at school, but Bibles must not be allowed.

You believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides aren't.

You believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.

You refuse to wave or salute the American flag, because America has so many things wrong with it.

You think since Clinton only "smoked and didn't inhale" pot, it's OK.

You preach against racial/sexual bias, but turn around and endorse Affirmative Action.

When you boycott a Conservative person and/or company you call it "Freedom of Choice"....but when Conservatives boycott, you call it "McCarthyism".

You think Church/State means that religion should be banned from all aspects of public and private life.

You begin every sentannce with "I (or we) demand"...

You have ever used the expressions "that poor guy," or "he couldn?t help it" to describe a convicted murderer.

You have an "I'm the victim" mentality and every day, milk it dry.

You think Barbara Steisand really cares about the Iraqi children.

You think Iraq was just a "War for Oil".

You think Bin Laden is not really all that bad, and is just "mis-understood".

You think evangelical is a dirty word.

You think the New York Times is a "beacon of truth", but Fox News is just a book of lies.

You think Maureen Dowd should get the Nobel Prize for Journalism.

You complain that Fox News has a "slight Conservative edge", but say nothing about the far-to-the-Left Liberal bias of CNN, New York Times, BBC, etc.

You think Sen. Joseph McCarthy was "evil" but the American Commies he tried to expose within the State Dept were "heroic".

You think Jimmy Carter handled Iran just fine and dandy.

You refer to President Bush a "Hitler" as your defense to any critisism on your stance/position.

You think if a Conservative is under investigation, it should not matter whether or not the allegations are true/false, but should be totally based around the seriousness of the said allegations.

You think Jayson Blair is an honest and legitimate journalist.

You think that rights of gays, lesbians, drag queens (or kings) should be forcibly recognized, but rights of Christians/Jews should be denied.

You believe that we can "spend our way" out of the deficit.

No trees should be cut down, even if they're dead.

The government should tax every last bit of your paycheck.

You think that Saddam, Stalin, and Hitler were "noble" and in the same breath, you call President Bush "evil".

You think morals and integrity are not relevant and should not stand in the way of personal gain.

You keep calling it "Clinton's Army" and "Bush's economy".

You poke fun at the "cookie cutter houses" in the suburbs, yet live in the city, in a giant brick building called an "apartment", no different from any other in the city.

You would rather have a President who spend his Administration caving in to terrorist demands in a frenzy to please and appease them, rather than a President who is fighting them to make the world a safer place for all.

And Finally.....

You think Ralph Nader cares about consumers, Unions care about their members, the ACLU cares about civil liberties, the National Education Association cares about education, People for the American Way care about the American way, and Bill Clinton cares about anything other than Bill Clinton.

Coward Deanpeace is so hard up for fundraising... he's gonna sell naming rights for the Dem party !
Mood:  silly
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Item: Dean Says DNC to Sell Naming Rights

Dean: DNC Will Sell Naming Rights

Washington, DC - As part of his ongoing attempt to turn around his faltering fundraising efforts, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told a group of reporters on Tuesday that the Democratic Party had approved his plan to sell the Party's naming rights to the highest bidder. Dean said Party leaders were taken aback when he first proposed the plan at a retreat in late May. But he added they have come around in recent weeks as the Party's fundraising efforts have fallen increasingly behind the collections by the Republican Party.

"Look, is it an ideal solution? No. But it's a heck of a way to catch back up in one fell swoop," Dean commented, "We figure naming rights to the Democratic Party have to be worth upwards of $200 million, possibly more."

Dean said the one condition the Party would insist upon is that the word "Democratic" remain a part of the Party's revised name. "For example, let's say a certain very wealthy European investor wanted to belly up to the bar and purchase the naming rights. This certain investor - and I'm being careful not to name any names here - might want to name it something like - and this is just an example, mind you - 'The George Soros Democratic Party', or, say, 'Soros Democrats'. Again, just as a hypothetical there. Or if, say, a certain very wealthy maker of documentary films decided he wanted to place the high bid, you might name it something like 'Democrats 9/11'. We just see an endless array of possibilities."

When informed of Dean's plan, ultra-conservative right-wing radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh told his audience they should rename the Party "The Soros Losers". But others were not so negative.

2004 Democratic presidential nominee Senator John F. Kerry (D-Mass) said he was "enthusiastic" about the idea and told reporters he would see if his wife, Theresa Heinz Kerry, would be interested in bidding on the rights. "'Democrats for Kerry' sounds like a pretty good name to me," he said with a smile.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Cal) said she was committed to lobbying Pacific Bell to submit a bid. "Why not?" she said, "Their name's already on our baseball park - why shouldn't our Party benefit as well?"

When told of Pelosi's comments, an executive with Pacific Bell, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his company "has no interest in being associated in any way, shape or form with certifiable nuts like Howard Dean or Nancy Pelosi."

Dean said the Party planned to sell the naming rights for a ten-year term, but would consider agreeing to a longer or shorter term, depending on the amount of money involved. "We're not necessarily wedded to anything," he stated, "you know, around here, money talks."

When told that spokesmen for Chevron and ConocoPhillips, two of the world's giant oil conglomerates, had announced they would submit bids for the naming rights on the condition that, should they be the high bidders, the Democrats would drop their long-time opposition to allowing exploration for oil reserves in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), Dean said he would remain flexible. "Look, money’s money - as long as it's legal tender, we'll take it. And, you know, pretty much everything we've been saying about the dangers of drilling in ANWR is a bunch of BS anyway. Politics is a tough game - sometimes you have to compromise in order to get ahead. Besides, the Chevron Democratic Party has a nice ring to it."

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee (RNC) told reporters GOP officials were "astonished" at the Democrats' plan to sell their naming rights to the highest bidder, calling the move "an act of desperation." The spokesman said the RNC has no plans to conduct a similar sale.

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Weekly Diatribe ~ Associated Press ** Dean Says DNC to Sell Naming Rights

Al Franken: Air America Founder a 'Crook'
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Al Franken: Air America Founder a 'Crook'

Liberal yakker Al Franken blasted the man who founded his Air America radio network as "a crook" on Monday - even as he laughed off the financial scandal that continues to dog his broadcast.

After weeks of on-air silence about an $875,000 loan that Air America finagled from a Bronx community group that serves poor kids and Alzheimer's patients, Franken was finally forced to discuss the scandal when a caller asked him to explain.

"Here's the deal," the Air America host said. "The first guy who was chairman of the board of Air America - Evan Cohen - was a crook, it turns out. I mean, I guess that's the only way to put it." Explaining Cohen's role in ripping off the kids' club, Franken suddenly turned giddy.

"He borrowed $875,000," he said, erupting in laughter. "I don't know why they did it and I don't know where the money went."

Franken said he "imagines" that the funds earmarked for childrens' programs were instead "used for operations" at Air America, which was strapped for cash at the time.

"[Cohen] was robbing Peter to pay Paul," he explained.

News Max.com ~ Carl Limbacher ** Al Franken: Air America Founder a 'Crook'

Coward Deanpeace's 50 state strategy will hurt the Dems
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Buy all the Union Leader newspapers and burn them. The author spells out why chairman Dean and his 50 state strategy are counter productive for the Dems. Do whatever it takes to keep this article away from Dems and you will help elect Republicans.

Howard Dean's questionable strategy

Love him or hate him, Howard Dean is attempting something that hasn't been accomplished in quite some time: make the Democrat Party competitive in every state in America. Dean calls it his "50-State Strategy" and if he succeeds, he will join the likes of Martin Van Buren, Mark Hanna, and Karl Rove as one of history's preeminent political strategists.

Dean contends Democrats have become so obsessed with winning the Presidency — which, because of the Electoral College system, is really 50 statewide elections — that they have abandoned their efforts in a great many states where they can't win the big enchilada but could possibly win down-ticket races if only anyone in Washington had a little faith. Dean has nothing if he hasn't got faith. And Dean bets if he succeeds he'll create an unprecedented farm team of young, ambitious Democrats who will, over time, turn those red states blue.

I'm betting against Dean's strategy. Here's why.

There is a reason Democrats haven't spent a great deal of time, energy and resources in states like Mississippi and Utah in recent elections, just as Republicans have largely ignored, say, Vermont. Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman would love to make next year's Vermont open seat Senate race competitive by dumping hundreds of operatives and millions of dollars up there. But not only would such an effort be for naught, it would also rob genuinely competitive races of those resources.

Same for Dean's Democratic National Committee. Imagine all the DNC's resources for 2006 are a pie. Dean could cut that pie into 20 pieces and give healthy portions to the truly competitive states. Or he could cut the pie into 50 smaller portions and give every state a little piece. By choosing to distribute small pieces to more states, Dean might starve the candidates that can make the best use of resources.

And the DNC's pie is rather small to start with. While the Republicans have raised over $62 million through July of this year, Dean's DNC has raised just over $31 million. And whereas the Republicans have over $34 million in cash on hand, Dean's DNC has only $9.6 million. The RNC has more money on hand than Dean has raised all year. Now more than ever the DNC needs to target its resources to achieve maximum impact, not spread them thin.

There is another practical problem with Dean's "50-State Strategy." There aren't competitive federal races in 50 states next year. Only five states will have competitive U.S. Senate races. And as few as 10 additional states, perhaps as many as 20, will have competitive House races. Will Dean really exhaust a small pot of resources on states without races?

Dean's strategy also misses a bigger problem. There is a lot of talk about the nation being divided down the middle politically. This is true. But it's true because the Democrat Party is bleeding members. In 1987, 51 percent of all voters were registered Democrats, while only 33 percent were registered Republicans. Today, the parties are dead even at 37 percent to 37 percent (with 26 percent unaffiliated).

So what does Chairman Dean do? We all know the lines: "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for," "a lot of them have never made an honest living in their lives," "they're basically a white, Christian party."

Dean doesn't consider these gaffes. In a recent interview with the liberal magazine The American Prospect, Dean said, "You know, I speak probably a little more, with some hyperbole, which most people in politics do. But I'm not going to back down because what I'm saying is true. So, sure, I can choose my words more carefully, but believe me, I'm going to be as blunt and in-your-face as I need to be."

Now consider those Democrat officeholders and office-seekers in Republican states. They can't win on a message of unrestrained belligerence. After first thinning their resources, Dean has yoked them with rhetorical baggage that damages their electability even further.

To many red-state elected Democrats, Dean is about as welcome as a Wal-Mart Superstore. On a recent trip to Georgia, not one of the six Democrat state officeholders appeared with Dean. Democrat governors in predominantly Republican states such as Tennessee, Kansas and South Carolina all pleaded "scheduling conflicts" when Dean headlined events in their backyards.

What does it say about Chairman Dean's vision and strategy if this is how successful Democrats in Republican states receive him?

New Hampshire Union Leader ~ Patrick Hynes ** Howard Dean's questionable strategy

Clintax Administration Knew of 9/11 Hijackers
Mood:  chatty
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

More than a year before the 9/11 attacks, Clinton administration intelligence officials had identified four of the 19 9/11 hijackers as a terrorist threat - including al-Qaida team leader Mohamed Atta and his partner Marwan al-Shehhi, whose planes destroyed the World Trade Center and killed over 2,700 people.

Clinton Admin. Knew of 9/11 Hijackers

More than a year before the 9/11 attacks, Clinton administration intelligence officials had identified four of the 19 9/11 hijackers as a terrorist threat - including al-Qaida team leader Mohamed Atta and his partner Marwan al-Shehhi, whose planes destroyed the World Trade Center and killed over 2,700 people.

But the critical information was not acted on, at least in part, because of prohibitions against intelligence sharing implemented by former Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, who was reportedly installed in her post at the insistence of then-first lady Hillary Clinton.

In the summer of 2000, a military team, known as Able Danger, had prepared a chart that included visa photographs of Atta and al Shehhi and recommended to the military's Special Operations Command that the information be shared with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rep. Curt Weldon and a former intelligence official told the New York Times. "We knew these were bad guys, and we wanted to do something about them," the former intelligence official said.

However, the recommendation was rejected and the information was not shared, in part, said the Times, because the four suspects had entered the United States on valid entry visas.

But Rep. Weldon and the unnamed intelligence official also cited what the paper described as "a sense of discomfort common before Sept. 11 about sharing intelligence information with a law enforcement agency."

In fact, such intelligence sharing was strictly prohibited under Ms. Gorelick's policy, known at the Justice Department as "The Wall," which, in the spring of 2000, had also prevented the CIA from tipping off the FBI that two additional 9/11 hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, had entered the country.

Al-Midhar and al-Hamzi were identified by the Able Danger team as well, the Times said.

In its final report, however, the 9/11 Commission made no mention of the fact that the Clinton administration had identified key members of the hijack team, even though, the Times noted, that information had been shared with 9/11 Commission members.

The account by Weldon and the Times intelligence source is the first assertion that Atta and al Shehhi - who caused the most destruction in the worst attack ever suffered on U.S. soil - had been identified by the Clinton administration.

In testimony before the 9/11 Commission last year, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft blasted Gorelick's "Wall," saying, "The single greatest structural cause for September 11 was the wall that segregated criminal investigators and intelligence agents"

"[Ms. Gorelick] built that wall," said Ashcroft, "through a March 1995 memo."

The Gorelick memo stipulated, in part:

"We believe that it is prudent to establish a set of instructions that will more clearly separate the counterintelligence investigation from the more limited, but continued, criminal investigations. These procedures, which go beyond what is legally required, will prevent any risk of creating an unwarranted appearance that [the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] is being used to avoid procedural safeguards which would apply in a criminal investigation."

Ms. Gorelick is expected to be a leading candidate for attorney general should Mrs. Clinton win the 2008 presidential election.

News Max.com ~ Carl Limbacher ** Clinton Admin. Knew of 9/11 Hijackers

Libtard CNN agreed to run a bloody abortion ad by fucktards at NARAL ...to lie their asses off about Judge Roberts
Mood:  smelly
Now Playing: NARAL bares its teeth to slander Roberts
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

The hapless Dems could not pull it together to put up a decent opposition to Roberts. Unable to come up with something more creative they have fallen back on a classic tactic, they are trying to paint the nominee as someone who supports violence in anti-abortion protests.

CABLE CONTROVERSY: CNN AGREES TO AIR BLOODY ABORTION AD ON JUDGE ROBERTS

CNN has reviewed and agreed to run a controversial ad produced by a pro-abortion group that falsely accuses Supreme Court nominee John Roberts of filing legal papers supporting a convicted clinic bomber!

The news network has agreed to a $125,000 ad buy from NARAL, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, for a commercial which depicts a bombed out 1998 Birmingham, AL abortion clinic.

The Birmingham clinic was bombed seven years after Roberts signed the legal briefing.

The linking of Roberts to "violent fringe groups" is the sharpest attack against the nominee thus far.

However, the non-partisan University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Factcheck.org reviewed the NARAL ad and found it to be "false."

Factcheck.org found "in words and images, the ad conveys the idea that Roberts took a legal position excusing bombing of abortion clinics, which is false."

The Republican National Committee is preparing to send a letter to television stations asking them to pull the spot, according to sources.

The RNC’s letter claims: "NARAL's ad is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts that has no purpose but to mislead the American people."

Drudge Report Exclusive ** Cable Controversy: CNN Agrees to Air Bloody Abortion Ad on Judge Roberts

Coward Deanpeace: 'We Need A Message'
Mood:  suave
Now Playing: Deanpeace: People afraid to say they are Democrats
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

DNC chief Howard Dean blames right-wing propaganda for making people "afraid to say they are Democrats." The Dems, he says, are on the defensive and he planson changing that.

Dean Says Democrats Must Take Offensive

BURLINGTON, Vt. - Howard Dean gives Republicans credit for one thing: They have put the Democrats on the defensive and forced them to fight on their turf. That, he said, is about to change.

"What the propagandists on the right have done is make people afraid to say they are Democrats," Dean told a gathering of Vermont Democrats. "We have to be out there. We have to be vocal. We have to be pushing our version of the facts because their version of the facts is very unfactual."

After visiting 30 states in the first six months as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Dean said Monday he has found "There are Democrats everywhere."

The key to success is making those Democrats proud of their party, Dean said, by taking the offensive and fighting on Democratic turf.

"We need a message. It has to be clear," he said. "The framing of the debate determines who wins the debate.

"Running away from issues is how you lose elections," said Dean, a former Vermont governor.

"We need to position ourselves as the party of change," he said. "I think we have learned that when big changes happen in the House and Senate, they happen because one party nationalizes the race and becomes the change agent."

Dean detailed his 50-state strategy to hire and finance from national coffers organizers in every state, saying that the party is on track to have organizers in every state by the end of the year.

"Vote by vote, precinct by precinct, door by door, year by year and election by election, we will take this country back for the people who built it," he said.

In his speech Dean talked about the growing diversity in America and how well that diversity meshes with the message and membership of the Democratic Party.

"The face of the Democratic Party is such that it looks like all of America will look in 2050," said Dean.

Dean's speech Monday night came at a fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee.

Among those attending were U.S. Sens. Patrick Leahy and Jim Jeffords, as well as U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, who is seeking Jeffords' seat in the Senate. Both Jeffords and Sanders are independents but both caucus in Washington with the Democrats.

State Sen. Peter Welch, a candidate for Sanders' House seat, spoke at the reception, as did Scudder Parker, who is challenging the re-election next year of Gov. Jim Douglas.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ~ Associated Press - Christopher Graff ** Dean Says Democrats Must Take Offensive

Staffers worried about Err Amerika's future ~ staffers payrolls delayed (again)
Mood:  d'oh
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

Staffers Worried About AAR's Future

A Close Call

Most Recent Air America Payroll Days Late

Just how bad are workplace conditions for Air America staffers?

Perhaps far worse than we'd previously thought.

It's bad enough the company is generating fresh bad publicity almost daily, over the diverted $875,000 in taxpayer funds intended for a Bronx-based community service organization.

Now, to make matters worse, an internal memo obtained by the Radio Equalizer indicates Air America Radio employees faced late paychecks just over a week ago.

They were apparently stunned to receive a last-minute notice sent at 5:09pm Thursday, July 28th, indicating direct deposits would not be made Friday, as expected.

Written by company Vice President/Finance Sinohe Terrero (this article confims Terrero's corporate role), it implied the payroll processing company was to blame:

We have been advised by ADP that Direct Deposit will probably not post until Monday. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cost (sic). If you have any questions please feel free to call me.

Sinohe Terrero
VP Finance

Was it really a foul-up at ADP, the nation's largest payroll processing company?

Have you ever known ADP to delay direct deposits, due to its own negligence?

I thought not.

Worried insiders think the real problem may be something far more alarming: a lack of ready cash to make payroll on Friday, July 29th.

According to sources, it was a race against the clock to pay staffers that day, one that failed. An expected cash infusion arrived late, causing the mad scramble.

What a miserable weekend that must have been for the network's shafted workers, wondering about the fate of their next paychecks.

Since Air America employees face non-disclosure policy agreements, they've been speaking on condition of anonymity.

The sense of real trouble ahead compels them to divulge information. And maybe they're just tired of the hassles.

It doesn't appear many AAR staffers were fooled by the suggestion ADP might be responsible. Perhaps they've heard it all before, while the company assumes they're gullible?

Here's the kicker: could this mean the reported $13 million Air America received in March is already used up?

How could that be?

(new update) Since the new loan is said to be for a mere $2.5 million, it would not seem to be enough to cover AAR's huge overhead for long.

If $13 million didn't last six months, could $2.5 million cover more than say, six weeks?

That means more nail-biting for staffers this summer, with no stated concessions by Franken regarding his enormous salary. It seems that paying him is more important than kids, seniors, Air America staffers and whether the network even remains on the air.

And how's the revenue picture shaping up?

If there were a significant number of national advertisers paying top dollar before (unlikely given the low ratings), it's hard to believe that agencies would be buying Air America at all now, in light of this growing scandal.

If you're GM, a mobile phone company, or a food industry giant, do you want your good corporate name tarnished by an association with Air America?

No wonder the company wants a lengthy, interest-free installment plan to repay Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club. Everything it does have is going to fund bloated salaries for Franken and other hosts, who appear to make far more than industry norms.

Why doesn't Franken volunteer for a substantial pay cut, so the network might be saved and inner-city children can have their Boys and Girls Club fully operational, once again?

Update: welcome to LaShawn Barber, Michelle Malkin, Powerline, Hugh Hewitt, Orbusmax, STL Media and other readers today!

Barber and Malkin each have excellent updates, where they put the Air America issue into larger contexts, don't miss either. Ed at Captain's Quarters provides additional analysis.

Also, Cam Edwards weighs in. He can be found on his NRA News program, heard on the SIRIUS Patriot Channel.

Welcome Little Green Footballs and UNCoRRELATED readers! Thanks to Charles at lgf and the guys at UNCoRRELATED for their support.

Update: Lance at Red State Rant asks:

"One question Brian: I wonder if Air America is late in making its witholdings to state and Federal government agencies?"

Lance takes the debate into a different direction, with a tie-in to liberal demands for a return to the Fairness Doctrine era. Not to be missed.

♣ Macho Nachos has another update here.

♣ lgf poster 3wood makes this point:

I have overseen payroll as part of my job for 16 years and used automatic deposit systems for many years.

Because of the timing of things, you have to have payroll pretty much wrapped up by Wednesday of pay week (which is why you pay 2 weeks in arrears), so I can see no way this was a payroll processing issue.

You have to wire out the money the day before payroll is due, and the wire window usually closes by about 11:00 am. That means they knew by noon on Thursday they were going to miss payroll and spent the rest of the day making up the payroll processing issue as an excuse.

Plus they sent the email notice out too late for any staffers to call the payroll company and double check the story.

I don't buy it.

Franken/Scandal by Darleen Click, others by Pete at IHillary.

The Radio Equalizer ~ Brian Maloney ** Staffers Worried About AAR's Future

'D' Is for Bigotry ~ libtard blog calling Robert's 4 year old son ''gay''
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Lib Loser Stories

'D' Is for Bigotry

Last week we noted that posters on the Angry Left Daily Kos Web site were specuating that John Roberts's 4-year-old son was gay. It turns out other Kos posters are speculating that Roberts himself is gay. Here's the "argument" someone called "ceolaf" makes:

1. He didn't get married until he was 40. That's really late. Now, he's a devout Catholic, so you know he didn't have sex before he got married (at least not heterosexual sex).

2. He married a (female) partner at a major law firm. My wife is on the cusp of partnerhood and I never see her. I don't think that my parents had sex after my dad made partner (don't try to tell me otherwise). You think that they have sex?

3. He has kids, therefore he must have had sex with a woman? Nope. They're adopted.

4. Possibly most damning: He played Peppermint Patty in his school play. That's totally gay. And cross-dressing.

This may be meant in a jocose spirit, and in any case Roberts obviously isn't gay. But it got us to thinking: Liberals and Democrats certainly aren't above gay-baiting. Last year Kedwards crudely attempted to appeal to antigay sentiment by proclaiming that Vice President Cheney has a gay daughter. And as The Weekly Standard's David Skinner notes, innuendoes about David Souter's sexuality flew in 1990, when then-President Bush appointed him to the Supreme Court:

"This is a man who has never been married, never had children," noted one widely quoted observer, a prominent lawyer who, reported R.W. Apple Jr. in the New York Times, "asked not to be identified because he practices from time to time before the Court." . . . This statement was quoted and alluded to so often that Souter soon became pegged as the Curious Bachelor from New England.

NPR's Nina Totenberg, Skinner notes, called Souter "at best, very weird."

The liberal-left engages in other forms of bigotry as well. A Senate Democratic memo revealed that Judiciary Committee Democrats targeted Miguel Estrada's judicial nomination for defeat because "he is Latino." And although Clarence Thomas's opponents avoided directly making an issue of his race during his confirmation hearings, these days he is the frequent target of liberal racism, ranging from relatively subtle (Sen. Harry Reid stereotyping him as unintelligent) to shockingly crude (Emerge magazine caricaturing him as a lawn jockey). And of course as we noted last week, Anita Hill faulted Roberts for being a white man.

Then there's religion. We tuned in to NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, and there was Mario Cuomo sounding for all the world like a 19th-century Know Nothing:

The question for Judge Roberts is, "Are you going to impose a religious test on the Constitution? Are you going to say that because the pope says this or the church says that, you will do it no matter what? You will overturn Roe against Wade."

Manuel Miranda lists other Bush-appointed judges, Catholic and Protestant, who've been subject to Democratic inquisitions for allegedly excessive piety. But being impious affords no protection. As we noted in March, Sen. Howell Heflin of Alabama explained in 1987 that he voted against Robert Bork's confirmation in part because he was "disturbed by his [Bork's] refusal to discuss his belief in God--or the lack thereof."

Gays, blacks, Latinos, whites, Catholics, Protestants, (suspected) atheists--come to think of it, liberals have a defense against the charge that they're prejudiced: They hate everyone equally.

Opinion Journal ~ Best of the Web Today - James Taranto ** 'D' Is for Bigotry

The Origional Daily KOS Libtard Babbling Bullshit