Archive for October 21st, 2008

The two charts will say it all (from Carpe Diem)

Senator Obama pays his own female staff quite a bit less than his male staff. No spin, just the facts.

Oh, by the way, and I’ll let you go to the original post, John McCain pays almost the same to his staff … actually just a little bit more to his female staffers.

Thanks to Doctor Perry for this very visual example of Senator Obama’s hypocrisy

Senator Obama underpaying female staff

Obama hypocritical on pay for women

Seems after a certain smarta** blogger infiltrated the Baron’s town hall meeting in Seymour with a “media credential” and a tape recorder and posted it for all to hear, the Baron’s campaign has been in a tizzy over who gets to record the Congressman’s comments. At first it was “credentialed media” and now it’s “pre-registered media” - in other words - the left-wing MSM such as the Ryerson Rag and the Louisville C-J that isn’t afraid to line up and kiss the Baron’s ring.

Hoosier Access has brought you the saga of Indiana 9th District State GOP Chairman Larry Shickles and his request to have lie detectors at the Jasper debate. The latest is allowing the use of voice analysis. Now the Baron, using his court jester Dean Alan Johnson of Vincennes University, has pulled the plug and decided that, once again, his loyal MSM subjects shall be the only ones permitted to record the Baron’s likeness and voice.

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Lately, I have been putting up with all the negative campaiging from Nels Ackerson, talking about how bad Steve Buyer is and how he’s turned his back on Indiana.

Bits from press releases that have come in this week:

Prosper Group Think has some interesting musings about the presence of Becky Skillman (and the absence of Mitch Daniels) at the Sarah Palin rally last Friday in Noblesville. Whatever the reason for Mitch’s absence (and I don’t buy the conspiracy theories voiced by certain folks on Indiana Week in Review; sometimes a scheduling conflict is just a scheduling conflict), Becky Skillman stood tall at the event. If Mitch Daniels wins reelection, she will have already carved out a significant position for herself and a big advantage toward a campaign in 2012.

Imagine a Becky Skillman primary campaign in 2012 with Sarah Palin (regardless of the 2008 national outcome) showing up to do fundraisers or lending her endorsement. Whatever the outcome on November 4, Sarah Palin is likely to be a significant force in the conservative movement and Republican politics for a good long time to come. And the rally in Noblesville showed that Becky Skillman is likely to be a significant force in Indiana politics for a good long time to come, too.

I have a lot of photos (very good photos; the benefits of being among the first people to arrive at the venue) from the rally that I’m going to try to post in the coming days. I have a lot of video (very bad video; the cost of not bringing a tripod) from the rally that I’m probably not going to post at all.

I’m a little confused, like many Americans I was starting to believe Barack Obama’s claims that he would lower the taxes on 95% of Americans, he said it enough times. But now the truth comes out - many of the people would get checks who didn’t pay any taxes in the first place. That’s ridiculous

Obama has claimed that he would lower taxes on 95% of workers – even though more than 50% of workers don’t even pay taxes. What he says is true, but what it really means is that he is reintroducing a massive increase in the welfare state, costing about $30 billion per year. According to the Center for Data Analysis’ microsimulation modeling, Obama would increase the number of tax filers who receive a check from government without paying any taxes including payroll taxes – people filing just to receive a welfare check – by about 10 million. Where will the $30 billion per year come from? From those who are paying taxes, of course. And indirectly from all of us, when the economy is dragged down by higher tax rates on businesses.

From The Foundry - Obama’s Poverty Trap

This is no long term solution, to hand out checks to people that didn’t pay any taxes in the first place. They can’t create jobs, they need the jobs that small businesses would create. Call it old fashioned trickle down economics (that should enrage the liberals) but those who create economic opportunity need less government so they can take the risks it takes to create and innovate.

After Bailout Part II (the new $300 Billion stimulus package) gets passed, Barney Frank wants to see an increase in spending (nothing like spending your way out of a deficit…or better described digging your way out of a hole) while deficit fear needs to take a back seat.  While we’re at it we should have taxes increased…which the rich can pay for later.

The more Barney Frank is on tv talking about the economy the more I think he either failed economics 101 or just didn’t take the class at all.

The Indy Star gives the AG race some ink and finds that Linda Pence is, well, not exactly of the sort of even-handed temperament you’d want to have in an attorney general:

Zoeller praised [Pence] as “a very passionate advocate.”

When asked to name one of Zoeller’s strengths during a separate interview in her office looking out from a high floor of the Indiana Square tower in Downtown Indianapolis, however, Pence paused — then said she couldn’t think of one.

Linda Pence’s answer does not surprise me, and Greg Zoeller is too kind.

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Really!?! Star Editorial Board.  In your tradition of giving out political endorsements you actually backed the Democrat who is running against Dan Burton in a district that last went Democrat before the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Really!?! You didn’t endorse Congressman Burton because he was the lone vote against an ethics reform bill that he didn’t think went far enough (and also contained bad legislation, but heaven forbid you actually report that), but you endorsed his opponent who hasn’t paid her rent all year and is scheduled to appear before a Grant County judge for said refusal of paying rent the day after election day.  The Marion Chronicle-Tribune reported that, but for you, that would have required doing work now wouldn’t it.

And Really!?! You endorsed a candidate who claims that she will begin running ads on Comcast soon, but has yet to fill out a single FEC report (individuals) (committees) explaining how she would have the money (in kind, self loan{wait, what about rent?} or normal donation) that would explain how she could afford such an ad let alone pay for two campaign offices, yard signs and her fancy website?

(Btw, since you threw out investigative reporting a long time ago, here is the FEC rule of which the Congressman’s opponent appears to be in violation of….saves you the time from having to do real actual work…you can thank me later)

House and Senate Candidates. All campaigns that have a reporting obligation must file quarterly reports in 2008. Generally, an individual becomes a candidate for federal office, thus triggering registration and reporting obligations, when his or her campaign exceeds $5,000 in either contributions received or expenditures made.

If the campaign has not exceeded the $5,000 threshold, it is not required to file reports. See 11 CFR 100.3(a)(1). See also 11 CFR 100.3(a)(2) and (3). The authorized committees of House and Senate candidates must also file pre-primary election and pre-general election reports before any election in which the candidate runs in 2008. These committees also must file a post-general election report if the candidate runs in the general election. 11 CFR 104.5(a)(2).

Honestly, your poor attempt to see the congressman defeated has moved to the level of “just sad”.  Even though I’m a proud supporter of Congressman Burton’s I’ll admit that the best chance to beat the him was in this years primary.  But to endorse a candidate who has a good a shot of defeating Congressman Burton as Mark Leyva has of beating Pete Visclosky shows just how petty your paper has become even after the Congressman has attempted to reach out to you and offer an olive branch on more than one occasion this year despite your constant attacks.

Childish.  Just childish.

Turns our Governor Sarah Palin is now “pallin’ around” with the press.  And apparently it’s a lot more time than Joe Biden or Barack Obama spend with the press nowadays.

It was less than two weeks ago when Sarah Palin astonished her traveling press corps by lifting the curtain (literally) and journeying to the back of her campaign plane to answer reporters’ questions for the first time after 40 days on the campaign trail. But the candidate who has been criticized for having a bunker mentality when it came to the national media can now lay legitimate claim to being more accessible than either Joe Biden or Barack Obama.

By comparison…

…Biden hasn’t held a press conference in more than a month, and Obama hasn’t taken questions from his full traveling press corps since the end of September.

It also turns out she’s also spending more time with the press than John McCain is as well.  But it’s good to see Governor Palin finally opening up and becoming more comfortable with the media.  This was clearly shown during Palin’s guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. The question becomes, in these last two weeks of the campaign, will her time spent with the media pay off?  Can’t say I’m betting on that one.

Hey, ummm….where is Jill Long Thompson’s next ad?