First The Spending Then The Plan

President Present is about to unveil his new spending plan. His old plan was spend first and plan later. Could it mean the old way has passed its expiration date?

President Barack Obama said Saturday his administration will outline a new strategy in the coming days for spending billions of federal dollars to pull the nation out of an economic crisis he described as "devastating."

Obama and his top advisers are weighing how to structure the remaining $350 billion that Congress approved last year to save financial institutions and lenders from collapse. The new president also warned there is no single action that would allow his administration to fix the struggling U.S. economy, a stark statement at the end of a week that saw hundreds of thousands of Americans lose their jobs.

"No one bill, no matter how comprehensive, can cure what ails our economy," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. "So just as we jump-start job creation, we must also ensure that markets are stable, credit is flowing and families can stay in their homes."

Of course there is something he could do to give a boost to companies that were making money: lower taxes on them.

"And we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight and clear accountability so taxpayers know how their money is being spent and whether it is achieving results."

Obama's message — largely repackaged from a week of White House statements — was as much for the country as it was for lawmakers: Pass the separate American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan or things are going to get worse.

Two things here are worth remarking on. The first: When a Chicago politician promises a new era of transparency what that means is, "We have found a new way to siphon off the vigorish that we hope no one will notice." Second off this economy will get worse for a while no matter what. Passing a new theft, bail out, and raise taxes bill is guaranteed to make them worse longer.

But don't worry. Just to sweeten the stimulus deal Our Congress Critters have promised to start a trade war.

Less than two weeks into office, President Barack Obama faces a dilemma over protectionist provisions in a massive economic stimulus bill: Backing the measures could set off a trade war, while opposing them could trigger a backlash from his supporters.

The choice involves "buy American" provisions attached to White House-backed stimulus legislation moving through Congress. They would require major public works projects to favor U.S. steel, iron and manufacturing over imports.

Some Democratic lawmakers and interest groups allied to the president support the measures, but international allies and trading partners are warning that favoring U.S. companies would breach U.S. trade commitments and could set off tit-for-tat countermeasures around the world.

The two largest U.S. trading partners already have spoken out against the measures. On Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed concern and the European Union warned that it would not "stand idly by" if such measures were passed. On Friday, Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also criticized the measures.

Shades of Smoot-Hawley. So let me see. In less than two weeks Obama has annoyed Hamas and pissed off Canada, The European Union, and Brazil. All to gouge the American taxpayer and support his union and Arab friends. I think he is off to an excellent start. Only Three Years 11 months 2 weeks and 5 days to go. Well I hear that "Hot Rod" Blagojevich is currently unemployed. Perhaps Mr. Obama could hire him for some executive advice and at least do something about one man's unemployment problem.

==

IEC Fusion Technology (Polywell Fusion) Explained
Why hasn't Polywell Fusion been funded by the Obama administration?

Cross Posted at Classical Values

Hillary Scores

I think Hillary is going to do well in Iowa. According to The Hill she is this year's all time pork champion.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has won tens of millions of dollars more in federal earmarks this year than her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, even though two of them have significantly more Senate seniority.

A review of the first three appropriations conference reports finished by Senate and House negotiators shows that Clinton has successfully requested at least $530 million worth of projects.

Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), Clinton’s chief rival for the nomination, has so far won $40.6 million in earmarked funds for his constituents, despite the fact that his home-state colleague and booster, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), sits on the Appropriations Committee.

The Hill talks about this theft like it was a good thing. Twain was right: “America is a nation without a distinct criminal class...with the possible exception of Congress."

Where is Nixon when you need him? Say what you will about Nixon. He was not a crook. He left that sort of thing to his friends. Hillary's style is more direct. No intermediaries for her. She is in there grabbing with both fists as fast as she can grab. With Hil it is not going to be just a snatch and grab job, it is going to be organized. Pallets of cash carried out to waiting trucks.

We Support The Troops - Democrat Congress Style

Let me start with the good news Congress can pass pork laden water bills over the President's veto.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 — The Senate dealt President Bush the first veto override of his presidency on Thursday, with a resounding bipartisan vote to adopt a $23.2 billion water resources bill that authorizes popular projects across the country.

Let us take a look at some of the most popular projects.

Supporters said the projects authorized under the Water Resources Development Act are necessary to rebuild the Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, restore the Everglades and Great Lakes fisheries and build flood-control projects nationwide.

However, they seem unable to get a Veterans Affairs bill passed by Veteran's Day.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after Democrats once again turned aside a Republican effort to complete work on a veterans' housing, health care and benefits bill before Veterans Day. The vote represented the
10th time Democrats have rejected such a proposal:

"When the House first took up and overwhelmingly passed the veterans' appropriations bill 146 days ago, none of us could've anticipated we'd be standing here today - the last legislative day before Veterans Day - without a final bill. But maybe we should have. After all, Democrats have used seemingly every measure concerning our Armed Forces as an opportunity to induce surrender in Iraq and pass billions of dollars in unrelated pork-barrel spending. This is just the latest example of it.

"But even with all that, many of us thought they'd treat the veterans' funding bill differently. This is, after all, a piece of legislation that honors and serves the men and women who have done so much to protect the country in which we have the privilege to live today. These are the men and women we will honor on Monday - Veterans Day - with parades and accolades. But thanks to Democrats in Congress, we won't be honoring them with the spending bill they deserve.

You have to wonder about their priorities. Theft seems to be #1. Probably it would seem unseemly stealing from veterans so they will steal from New Orleans instead. After all. Who will notice?

Thank the Maker we have the most ethical Congress ever. I'd hate to see the other kind.