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Washington Prowler
Serving Notice
Administration and Democrats prepare for immediate worst.
JUST WONDERING
Which outgoing Democratic U.S. Senator is flouting Senate ethics
rules by negotiating his upcoming million-dollar-salary private
sector job heading a Washington business coalition while still
serving on a committee that deals with issues that directly impact
the industry he may soon be working for?
IMMEDIATE
CONTINGENCIES
The Obama White House may be trying to put a brave face on the
upcoming mid-term election results, but Barack
Obama’s political team and the White House Legislative
Affairs offices, led — for now — by Phil
Schiliro, has for several weeks now been mapping out a
legislative strategy for a Republican-led House, and a 50-50 split
in the Senate.
“We have been at least looking at what a 50-50 split in the Senate would look like, particularly from the perspective of Vice President [Joe] Biden’s role,” says a White House source. “It’s also important for us to look at because if we have a lame-duck session, those days become far more important knowing we may have a very different situation in January.”
But Senate Republican aides said the White House was wasting its time strategizing over a lame-duck session, “because to get anything major done you need to have 60 votes, and no one’s going to have 60 votes in the current environment,” said a Senate staffer.
A 50-50 split in the Senate would be a flashback to the 2001 Senate, when after the 2000 election cycle, Republicans and Democrats faced a 50-50 split and negotiated a “power sharing” agreement. Democrats would almost assuredly turn to Republican moderates, Sens. Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins, to see if there was interest in switching parties. Both might be receptive should they be uneasy with growing influence of conservatives within their GOP caucus. But both had an opportunity in previous times to switch parties and declined to do so.
JUSTICE IS DONE
Look for a spate of political appointees at the Department of
Justice to jump ship after the mid-term elections, some may site a
desire to spend time with their families or to recoup lost income
after two years of public service, but most will be looking to
avoid being tainted by what many inside the department believe will
be a scandal-plagued two years leading up to the 2012 election
cycle.
While no DOJ sources are willing to go on the record, conversations with several prospective returnees to the private sector indicated that they believe the ongoing scandal related to the Black Panther voter-intimidation case will grow larger and reach beyond the department and into the White House, particularly with Republicans controlling government oversight in the House.
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Booger | 11.1.10 @ 6:10AM
December 6, 2010
From the desk of President B. Hussein Obama:
To the ungrateful citizens of Amerikka,
I must say, I am thoroughly disappointed in this childish outburst of yours. Only two short years ago my beautiful wife, Michelle, was finally, for the first time in her life, able to be proud to be a citizen of this country. Now, in this petulant outburst of an election, you have taken that away from her. Do you honestly feel good about yourselves today? As a result of your outburst she will have to spend even more time on the French Riviera, naturally at taxpayer expense. Yes, I know it's a lot of money, but you brought this on yourselves. After all, if she cannot be proud of this country, can you really expect her to hang around here and listen to all your constant badgering of Me, her loving Husband?
We really had something good going in this country, and you ruined it. You had to go and give seventy seats in the House and ten seats in the Senate to those racist, reactionary Republicans. What on Earth were you thinking? Do you know what those people are up to right now? Well neither do I. I suppose they'll want to shut down health care and kill all the old people first thing. After that they'll want to cut out all the wonderful stimulus spending that has been the saving force in our economy the last two years. And on top of all that they are probably going to be holding hearings to investigate the fine work Eric Holder has been doing over at the Department of Justice. It would be enough to give Me indigestion if I were susceptible to the same ailments as you puny mortals. This indignity is insufferable.
Already poor Harry Reid looks like the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. He's shriveled up to practically nothing, and just wanders around muttering something about "gone with the wind", whatever that means. I was hoping to at least get some good work out of him in the lame duck session, but he's just gone and quit on me. At least he's better off than poor Nancy Pelosi. What I can't believe is that it was our own fellow Democrats that did that to her. When those seventy Congresspeople found out they had lost their jobs they turned on her like a pack of rabid dingos. It was like they blamed her for some reason, which is absurd. Everybody knows this is really the fault of the redneck rubes out there in flyover country who insist on voting Republican. I've got to get that message across to these people. Some of them are starting to look at me the same way they did poor Nancy right before they went to town on her like Idi Amin on a missionary.
On top of everything else my staff is deserting me. At least Gates is still around over at Defense, although I'm never quite sure what he's up to. I guess I've more or less let him have the run of the place over there while I concentrated on fixing this messed up excuse for a country. And of course there's still Biden. Good old Joe, My perfect insurance policy. Want to get rid of me? Want to try and take down The Man? Think you can impeach Me? Go ahead and try. What if you get lucky and somehow do get enough votes in the Senate to remove Me? Then you get President Joe Biden. Oh yeah, you really, want that, don't you? Well, I didn't think so. And people think I'm a rookie.
I see I do have a message here from Bill Clinton. Something about triangulation, listening to Dick Morris, and letting the government shut down to force Congress to come into line. Yeah, right, he's definitely angling to try to give Hilary a leg up on Me in 2012. If there's one thing I know, it's stay with what got you here. Healthcare, stimulus, bailouts and downsizing the military worked fine for me in 2008. There's no way I'm giving them up now. I know how to stick with a winning hand when I have one.
So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to stay the course. Right now you people are just scared and confused, mostly because you can't understand My brilliance. That's all right, it's not really your fault. You've been clinging to those Bibles too long and taking them seriously. That blinds you to accepting My Infinite Wisdom. Well, we'll just have to wean you off those ridiculous, antique books. I'll have Holder look into what we can do about that right away. In the meantime, don't worry. I'm not going anywhere, and I have a plan.
Giving you a second chance,
President for Life B. Hussein Obama
Zephyrus| 11.1.10 @ 7:48AM
Bravo, Booger, Bravo!
FastJohnny| 11.1.10 @ 9:40AM
Hey Booger,
Another entertaining letter. I want to suggest that you put together all the letters that you have written into a collection. Make sure you save them as you may be able to do something with them someday, maybe a comedy collection, political satire booklet of BO's probable letters or something like that.
c. j. acworth| 11.1.10 @ 3:41PM
Dear Mr. President,
You wrote "To the ungrateful citizens of Amerikka". Remember, it's always spelled AMERIKKKA, just like I taught you, GODDAMN it!
Your spiritual advisor,
Rev. J. W.
Leah| 11.1.10 @ 6:53PM
Terrrific adorable stuff!
Michael L. Hauschild| 11.1.10 @ 8:06PM
The reform needed.
The first bill for consideration of congress needs to be simply this:
1. All federal salaries will decrease at the rate of ten percent a year for the next five years or until private sector parity is attained.
2. All Federal Departments will cut personnel staffing ten percent every year for the next five years.
3. All legislators’ salaries will be cut ten percent a year for the next five years.
The second bill for consideration of congress should be:
1. All legislators will live in FEMA trailers set up on local military bases. They will be bused to and from the chambers four days a week working twelve hour days. Meals will be exactly the same as the local military fare.
2. The business of the legislature will be exclusive during this time, no contact with any people other than staff will be allowed during this period and all telephone communication will be recorded during the weekly session for the record.
3. Congressional weekly sessions will be continuous with quarterly two week vacations. An additional week will be allowed for campaigning.
Yosemeti Sam| 11.1.10 @ 7:16AM
" ... JUSTICE IS DONE ...."
Indeed - may the dragnet for accountability from BHO czars ETC proceed apace come 2011 GOP HR control.
Louis Jenkins| 11.1.10 @ 8:17AM
Act I is near a close. Do not get complacent. We have at least two more acts to go. Act 2 is to repeal or defund, and Act 3 is throw out the rest of the bumbs. It will be interesting, so don't let up.
loulou| 11.1.10 @ 2:33PM
Amen, Louis Jenkins.
The real heavy lifting is just beginning.
The country club Republicans who don't get the message might just have to join the Democrat party.
toad| 11.1.10 @ 9:05AM
Some will escape "taint" by leaving, others will get hauled back for hearings and the possibility of wearing the orange jump suit unless they leave for another country.
Dai Alanye | 11.1.10 @ 9:15AM
Spellcheck strikes again. "...some may site a desire..."
Should be 'cite,' no?
Get a Life| 11.1.10 @ 4:32PM
Really? You troll here to correct spelling.
Ewe our eh garate won.
Get a life, loser.
Willey| 11.2.10 @ 2:58PM
Dai Alanye is not a troll, moron. Ease up.
Rmm| 11.1.10 @ 9:34AM
The haughty crowd in Obama's ruling class are about to get their just desserts. After two years of talking down his nose at the people who did'nt understand his goodness, he is going to receive a 'gift' he will appreciate, Rebuke!
Anthony| 11.1.10 @ 9:46AM
Corrupt Bastards, indeed!!! Take back America tomorrow!!!!
H| 11.4.10 @ 2:08PM
Hi
Petronius| 11.1.10 @ 9:54AM
EYES ONLY
From the desk of Newt Gingrich
Dear Chairman Steele
My advisors who have infiltrated the Teaparty have just delivered the secret plan being drawn up to save the economy and stabilize our government's debt service. And I dare say it is brilliant to a T for Trillion. Most of those fly over types do not look forward as we do. They read and appreciate history. They like to look back.
They want to restructure the Democrat's Sustainable Energy Program by building a fleet of Roman galleys. They aren't designing real ships. These installations will be dimly lit corridors with oars protruding into them. Unemployed teachers, SEIU members, welfare recipients, and show business people who are broke will be chained to these oars connected to drive units which generate electric power for Our citizens. Each "generator" shall be compensated with 3 squares a day, 15 minutes rest every 2 hours, a shower before lights out in the dorms, and a clean jump suit at sun up. This program will be expanded as the new Congress cancels all Federal grants to non profit organizations and all of those people who never held a real job join the cohorts at the rowing benches. And here's the real beauty of it. Come 2013 with a Republican in the White House we can repeal the minimum wage so as to re-establish true market value for services rendered, whereby, each "generator" is to be credited @ $1.25 per hour for laboring at his or her oar until the national debt is paid in full. Congress will then pass a re-authorization bill for this program to deal with unfunded entitlement liabilities. Those "generators" who complete 10 years with perfect attendance and spotless discipline records will be promoted to suicide prevention in other generating units and be paid a real salary.
You know, I ask myself why the Dems didn't come up with this with their singular devotion to government coercion. (My God! We'd be doing the rowing!) But I digress. Look Bob. If we want to maintain the status quo and have the comity and relationship with the DNC and the beltway establishment we used to have in the days of O'Neil and Kennedy, this has to made public and quick. If these real conservatives get in and make their changes, the economy will improve and you know what happens next. Every traditional party politician is for the chop. Now have your IT guys hack some conservative web page and get this out in the blogosphere and the media so that we are not toast come Wednesday.
All My Best
Newt
canuckistani| 11.1.10 @ 4:10PM
What about a head tax, or permitting only land owners to vote?
How will conservatives improve job creation if the cost of healthcare and state demands continue to increase versus the rest of the world?
The structural defects are not due to bearded marxists, but to free-handers who fail to recognize the barbarians are not at the gates, but are among us already.
Just wondering, unless you propose ending trade agreements and permitting the wage floor to dump sending consumer spending even lower?
We have some of the lowest federal taxes and regulations relative to the developed world. This is not the problem, but providing corporate welfare and loopholes to outsourcers are.
If the TP caucus proposes closures to these loopholes as their first legislative bill, they have my vote. If they simply focus on Obamacare and aspects of a bill that are 3 years away, they have my scorn as false prophets and uninterested in getting serious about structural change.
The first 100 days of Boehnerland will be the test. Anything on the agenda that deviates from pure job creation tactics will sewer them the next cycle.
jstwndring| 11.2.10 @ 12:03AM
I'm sorry, you haven't heard of Reagan? He proved that lowering taxes and removing barriers to expanding and creating business leads to enormous economic expansion, and, increased pay scales, as more and more people go to work. As the market continues to expand, there are fewer unemployed, and, more demand by employers for workers. This also results in (wait for it!): More tax revenue collected by the government! Ta-da! I know, hard for some (like you) to grasp, but, it's true. We saw record tax revenue for the Feds under Reagan's tax policies because of the resultant expanding taxable base. You see, when you expand economic growth, there is more income to tax. Yes, even at lower tax rates, the government can collect more revenue because of the increase in activity. Shocking, I know!
As for what any of that has to do with the cost of health care (according to you) I haven't a clue. You obviously don't know what you are talking about. The cost of health care is easily lowered by a concept either completely foreign to you, or, purposely ignored, again, by you. It's called market competition. Gasp! My God, say it isn't so! Yes. Believe it or not, market competition can also help with lowering health care costs.
Now, as for the rest of your rant on tax "loopholes", again, you demonstrate completely, your ignorance on yet another topic, so, let me clue you in: there is no such thing. That's right. They are actually called tax incentives. Pull your head out of the Communist Manifesto long enough to learn something about market realities, as opposed to political radicalism. Just prepare yourself for an enormous paradigm shift. I don't know if you'll be able to bear it--the truth that is.
Bruce | 11.2.10 @ 1:34AM
No - your "land owners only" proposition won't work for the simple reason that no one in America in reality OWNS their property. If we did, we would not have to pay taxes on the property, or taxes based on property. If it is mortgaged, you in reality are little more than a squatter.
As to the 100 days statement. Absurd. Has not the Dem party been in power for 2 years - yet they still claim all the problems are "inherited" from the Bush administration? So by what standard do we now limit the GOP to 100 days to clean up the mess the Dems have made. These are not niggling little problems - they are major policy and financial programs that will take time to reverse.
Sean| 11.1.10 @ 12:32PM
Whoever wrote “Justice is Done”, would you cut the crap about “public service”. Public service is a Marine sitting in a hole in Afghanistan. These people took government jobs as a career move. Or as Hawaiians say about the missionaries, “they came to do well and they did well”.
Charles Martel| 11.1.10 @ 2:49PM
The Prophet Obama is always making this personal, as when he attributes to my fellows and me motivations of racism or greed.
Fine, let's make this personal: I want this election to hurt him so badly that he digs in his heels, and I want the next one to hurt him so much more that it makes his little girls cry on camera.
+++
Long Ben| 11.1.10 @ 2:59PM
Dang !
Chris | 11.1.10 @ 3:24PM
I hope there is enough criminal evidence uncovered by Issa {R- Cal} that will lead to multiple RICO convictions and imprisonment of 25 years or more per count.
All Hail The Stupid Party!| 11.1.10 @ 4:57PM
Never happen Chris. Issa is one of the ruling class GOP establishmentarians talking about compromise with Obama & the Democrats. He wants to work with them, not investigate them. Sorry to rain on your daydream. Take care & GOD bless!
jstwndring| 11.2.10 @ 12:18AM
Well, we'll find out Wednesday-ish, but, if all goes as planned, it'll be a new day in America starting tomorrow with the Tea Party dictating to the GOP what their next move is. If Issa is who you say he is (I have no idea), then he'll be another one on the receiving end of voter wrath in the future. This isn't the last election. No more business as usual. We're now taking seriously the notion of a government, Of the People, By the People, For the People. The Tea Party steers the ship now.
RCV| 11.2.10 @ 2:13PM
Oh, you folks are going to be soooo disappointed with the next two years.
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.2.10 @ 2:32PM
RCV,
Nope, we will be on the R butts from day one. We truly do have some fine men and women in Congress.
Now they might be listened to.
The old Mark Twain quote I think: "If the rascals understood how profitable it is to be virtuous...they would be virtuous out of their very rascality."
Shamus| 11.2.10 @ 2:40PM
My expectation is that things will get worse over the next two years, but will start to improve after we get a new president in 2012.