Obama, Dems Quietly Look To Nail Those Evil Producers With Even Higher Marginal Rates

By William Teach December 4, 2012 – 8:16 am

Because success should be punished, comrades!

(Politico) Tax rate increases aren’t the only way in which Democrats are aiming to collect more tax dollars from the rich — they’re also looking to resurrect a dormant pair of oddly named laws that targeted the wealthy for decades.

Some call them gimmicks, some call them a step toward a more progressive tax system — and now Democrats want to use them to solve $12 billion worth of the looming fiscal cliff.

Known as PEP and Pease, they’re a little bit like the original “Buffett rule.”

The Personal Exemption Phase-out, or PEP, and the “Pease” deduction cap — named for the late Rep. Don Pease (D-Ohio) — were introduced in the 1990s to try to help balance the budget by getting the rich to chip in more. PEP reduced the value of exemptions for high-income earners by as much as 2 percent for every $2,500 earned over a set amount. Pease limited itemized deductions for the wealthy.

Seriously, Team Obama and The Donkeys can’t find a measly $12 billion in cuts somewhere? Is there anything that they are willing to cut? Well, the military, of course. Not programs that involve drone strikes: Obama really seems to like the ability to personally pick which Islamist will get a wake up call from one.

The two provisions were a persistent thorn in the side of doctors, lawyers and upper middle-class families of all stripes until they were gradually put out to pasture as part of the 2001 Bush-era tax cuts.

Wait, wait, “upper middle class”? So, all this talk of starting at $200k/$250k means that middle class people are going to get a tax hike? And this notion of reinstating PEP and Pease will hurt them more? And doctors will get nailed? Wow, great plan!

Democrats say the plan would allow taxpayers to ease into the new restrictions and increase revenue without the rate-raising that Republicans vehemently oppose. Viewed as a way to increase taxes on the wealthy that could achieve similar goals with less opposition, the two programs are becoming a more frequent part of the number-crunching going on behind the scenes on the Hill.

What we see is that the entire “fiscal cliff” plan from Obama and the Democrats is focused solely on “new revenue”, ie, taxes, and spending it. There seems to be virtually no debt/deficit reduction involved. The GOP made a $2.2 trillion debt reduction offer Monday, which Obama dismissed out of hand. Obama has no plan (take that with both meanings) to reduce the debt or the deficit. Any new revenue will be spent. The debt will continue to balloon. The brokeyest broke nation in history will continue to get broker. And the economy will continue to stagnate.

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Posted in Barry Obama, Democrats, Taxation | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Hamas Pushes To Get Themselves Removed As A Terrorist Organization

By William Teach December 4, 2012 – 7:37 am

This is a group that has launched numerous attacks specifically on civilians, including over 1,500 rockets launched towards Israel during the recent violence. A group whose stated goal is the destruction of Israel, and calls for jihad against all Jews. And their talking points sound remarkably just like the those of Progressives

(The Blaze) Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Sunday to a European delegation that Hamas is a “national liberation movement” seeking only to defend itself against Israeli “aggression,” the Jerusalem Post reports.

“It is no exaggeration to say that the occupation is committing war crimes, given the cruelty and hardship our people faced in these eight days of war,” he added, saying Hamas eventually aims for “a Palestinian state with complete sovereignty, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of the refugees to the lands they owned in 1948.”

They had been recently willing to go back to 1967 borders (wink wink). Now they want 1948 borders? And all of Jerusalem? This would essentially destroy the state if Israel, leaving a good chunk of the Israeli people to live under hardcore Islamist rule. And, again, the talking points sound eerily similar to what progresses and Israel haters say.

“We have no problem with Jews worldwide, and we don’t oppose Jews because of their Jewish identity,” Channel 10 reportedly quoted him saying.  “We have a problem with the occupation that controls our land.”

Except, their Charter “calls for the fulfillment of the Qur’anic scripture which reads: “The prophet [Mohammad] said: The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews (and kill them); until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!”

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

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Posted in Israel, RoP, War On Terrorism | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Weird: We’re Climate Building Around The World Instead Of Here At Home

By William Teach December 3, 2012 – 3:11 pm

One of Obama’s constant refrains (besides blamestorming) is that we should be nation building here at home. So why are we wasting money elsewhere?

(Washington Post) The mapping technology is part of a collaboration by the space agency and the U.S. Agency for International Development that helps cash-strapped nations deal with the challenges of a changing climate. Over the past three years, the United States has ratcheted up support for foreign countries to cope with global warming, spending nearly $1.4 billion. A small slice of the total, $18 million, has transformed the satellite-based mapping program, called SERVIR, from a modest effort targeting seven countries in Central America to one serving 32 countries worldwide.

Sure, it’s not a lot of money in terms of government outlays, but imagine how many Americans could be fed. How many roads and bridges could be fixed. Instead, we waste it on tracking the weather which has always changed and always will.

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Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 16 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 3, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is a world flooded because someone charged their iPhone, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Theodore’s World, with a post on Dems loving socialism.

BTW, someone asked me what the women bloggers I link to in these posts think. I have no idea. None have said anything negative. Yet. But, it just so happens that there are quite a few women bloggers on my blogroll. Who write very good things. So I end up linking them.

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Taiwanese Artist Takes Unnecessary Fossil Fueled Trip To Showcase “Animal Delegates”

By William Teach December 3, 2012 – 11:40 am

Another day, another climate hypocrite spreading awareness while living a big CO2 lifestyle

(Focus Taiwan) A Taiwanese artist is displaying his latest project “Animal Delegates,” which highlights global warming issues, at an exhibition being held alongside a U.N. climate summit in Qatar.

Invited to be a member of Tuvalu’s delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Vincent J.F. Huang is using the project, which features some of the creatures that could be the first victims of global warming, to highlight the environmental crisis in the South Pacific island country.

He’s also taken several fossil fueled flights to showcase his art in the island nation of Tuvalu, which some say is destined for DOOOOOOOOOM from hotcoldwetdry, but no one seems to mention that these types of islands were created when the seas were much much higher, being made of coral. Which lives under the sea.

The animals are likely to be among the first victims of global warming, said Huang, who has been involved in eco art for about 10 years, with a focus on global warming.

How about Warmists start living the carbon neutral lifestyle, instead of simply spreading awareness? Act like it’s a crisis, and I’ll believe it’s a crisis.

Read: Taiwanese Artist Takes Unnecessary Fossil Fueled Trip To Showcase “Animal Delegates” »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Global Warming | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Washington Post: “Know Who Benefits From Charitable Giving? Only The Rich”

By William Teach December 3, 2012 – 7:41 am

Fred Hiatt, the editorial page editor of the Washington Post, goes on a bit of a rant

Paying for charitable giving

…At first blush, it seems to make policy sense, too. The rich fabric of America’s civic life, from Boy Scouts to community orchestras to soup kitchens, is the envy of the world. Its diversity reflects in part how much it depends on private givers with diverse interests and motives, and not just on the government. Their giving is encouraged by the charitable deduction, enacted in 1917, just four years after the income tax itself. The deduction lets people feel they are beating the system even as they practice virtue.

But there’s a question of fairness that complicates the issue. Overwhelmingly, the deduction benefits the wealthy — and the rest of the country has to make up the gap.

In other words, private citizens and entities are “giving back” instead of giving the money to the Central Government and allowing the Central Planning Office distribute the money as it sees fit.

Say a grateful California billionaire gives $10 million to a Los Angeles hospital where his wife received good care. If he is paying income tax at the highest rate (not a sure thing, as we know from the presidential campaign), he can reduce his income tax bill by 35 percent of the worth of the donation. He pays $3.5 million less in federal taxes than he otherwise would have had to pay.

Um, let me get this straight: the billionaire just gave $10 million to charity, and paid $3.5 million less in tax, meaning said billionaire actually gave up $6.5 million more than he could have, and now the hospital’s balance sheet is looking pretty good, and the hospital can now help quite a few more people, can make renovations, purchase needed supplies, etc, and this is somehow a bad thing? Only in Liberal World.

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Posted in Liberal World, Taxation | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

Bob Costas Goes On Anti-Gun Rant During Sunday Night Football

By William Teach December 3, 2012 – 6:58 am

Liberals just can’t help themselves

(Daily Caller) During halftime of NBC’s coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles versus the Dallas Cowboys, NBC Sports analyst Bob Costas made a plea for gun control during his weekly commentary on “Sunday Night Football.”

Responding to the weekend murder-suicide by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, Costas relied on a column by writer Jason Whitlock, formerly of the Kansas City Star, to make a gun-control argument. (snip)

“‘Our current gun culture,’ Whitlock wrote, ‘ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy. And more convenience store confrontations over loud music coming from a car will leave more teenage boys bloodied and dead. Handguns do not enhance our safety. They exacerbate our flaws, tempt us to escalate arguments and bait us into embracing confrontation rather than avoiding it. In the coming days, Jovan Belcher’s actions and their possible connection to football will be analyzed. Who knows? But here,’ wrote Jason Whitlock, ‘is what I believe — if Jovan Belcher didn’t possess a gun, he and Cassandra Perkins would both be alive today.’”

Over at Instapundit:

Reader Rob Cooper emails: “Can someone remind me what caliber weapon OJ used on Nicole and Ron Goldman?” Maybe someone should ask Costas. Honestly, he should be taken off the air for such a rant. But he probably won’t be, given his employer.

Perhaps someone could ask Costas and Whitlock how Ted Bundy killed lots of women (hint: it was not with a gun). Or the Boston Strangler. Bryan Preston:

What Costas and Whitlock and NBC offered is not “perspective.” It is a lie. It is also a broadside attack on the rights of responsible citizens to equip ourselves to defends ourselves and our loved ones. Will Bob Costas, NBC, and Jason Whitlock assume personal responsibility for every American who would be alive today if they had possessed the means to defend themselves from violent criminals? Of course not. To them, such victims do not even exist.

As for the game, this lifelong Cowboys fan turned it off after Costas’ political assault on my rights. I will not watch another game on NBC as long as Bob Costas has a job on that network.

I’d like to say I intentionally turned the game off at that point, alas, I was snockered from getting over the flu, and was already falling asleep, so I gave in.

The vast majority of people who own guns are law abiding citizens who never engage in gun violence. So are the vast majority of car owners. Yet, people will use cars to injure and kill people. Should we ban them?

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

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Posted in 2nd Amendment, Rants, Sports, Unhinged Tools | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

Hardcore Islamists Kill The Music In Mali

By William Teach December 2, 2012 – 3:23 pm

Just remember, the Islamists are just a minority who don’t really have any power or something, as Liberals keep telling us (and throwing around the word “Islamophobe”)

(Washington Post) Northern Mali, one of the richest reservoirs of music on the continent, is now an artistic wasteland. Hundreds of musicians have fled south to Bamako, the capital, and to other towns and neighboring countries, driven out by hard-liners who have decreed any form of music — save for the tunes set to Koranic verses — as being against their religion.

The exiles describe a shattering of their culture, in which playing music brings lashes with whips, even prison time, and MP3 and cassette players are seized and destroyed.

It’s probably Islamophobia for even mentioning this.

Read: Hardcore Islamists Kill The Music In Mali »

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If All You See…

By William Teach December 2, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is snow which can only occur because of hot weather from someone driving a fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Eye Of Polyphemus, with a post on how his health is. Stop on by and wish Jamie the best, if you could.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach December 2, 2012 – 8:57 am

Happy Sunday! Another fantastic day to be an American, and a great day to be getting over the flu. Called out sick Saturday, first time in a long, long time. But, I figured that since I couldn’t stop sweating after showering, was kinda woozy, and had a 101 fever, yeah, work would be a Bad Idea. Anyway, this pinup is by Greg Hildebrandt, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Wake Up America features more Obamacare fallout
  2. The People’s Cube has Marxmas cards
  3. The Lonely Conservative provides a rationale for Obama’s tax and spend offer
  4. The Camp of The Saints discusses the Conservative dilemma
  5. Sister Toldjah features the latest on Fast and Furious
  6. Say Anything also has some Obamacare fallout
  7. Q&O says not to forget that government knows best
  8. Political Realities wonders if the GOP should take Obama seriously
  9. Maggie’s Notebook covers a school removing God from a poem
  10. Fire Andrea Mitchell says Hillary Clinton is a racist
  11. Director Blue features three must see charts
  12. Atlas Shrugs has the latest from the Religion of Peace (Excitable Alan Colmes blames Kim)
  13. American Power has some interesting thoughts on Grover Norquist
  14. American By Birth has a politically correct Christmas
  15. And last, but not least, Real Science provides more evidence of Warmist corruption

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page. While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your “Pinups for Vets” calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. (BTW, since someone asked, the reason I leave links for the previous week up (or you might see a *) is because they are place holders for later in the day or for next weeks. Easier than rewriting all the time. Also, the listing order has to do with how they are added over time, not how good a post is. I just copy and paste from the previous week, then edit. If you see one of the *’s, go ahead and check out the blog anyhow, see if there is an update. I cannot update with my Android during the day.

The posts do take a long time, so, if you want to send me your links for Rule 5 babeage or links, use ye olde email in the header bar (remove the NOSPAM part). Preferably, create the html link so I can copy and paste how you want it to read.

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