Tom Tancredo has quit the GOP. Here is my responce to that bit of silliness:

Addressed to Breitbart's comment line  (they hate me over there): 

Easy to hate the only serious political vehicle (the GOP) we have to advance conservatism for the national good. All this talk about "establishment" and the fantasy (often) of "amnesty" and, now, Tancredo bemoaning the downward spiral of the Grand Old Party . . . . all of it nothing but worthless chatter in view of fact that the GOP has no viable alternative. Does it need revival? Hell yes. But let's stop pretending we have a choice. And WE ARE CHANGING the party. Tancredo is entirely too late in his desertion. Not much difference between his decision and sheer stupidity.

I remind you all that we had record midterm victories when the Left was busy attending our Party's funeral. Even in the 2012 win for Obama, he took in 3.5 million fewer votes than in 2008 and Romney got a million more votes than McCain. Going back, GW,  in spite of the hatred leveled against him, won re-election with a whopping 12 million more votes than in his first election !!

We have been moving to the Right, as a nation, for some time, now. So, instead of pretending a Mormon would be worse than a hater of the American way, I say stop with the rhetorical crap, stop whining about someone being a Mormon or an "establishment," and vote to win the damn election. Fight now. Great. But many of you will not stop with the fight after the primary season . . . . . . traitors all to the cause for the greater good.

Tancredo's article can be found here).  

You are aware that the Democrats running for president refuse to debate with Fox or any conservative host. Know what that is called?

You are aware that the Democrats running for president refuse to debate with Fox or any conservative host.  Know what that is called?  To give you a short but painfully accurate answer,  we call this cowardice. 

Their campaign is all about Hillary and she does not benefit if she cannot control the questions asked of her.  CNN,  NBC, CBS,  PBS, and Univision   . . . .   these are the debate platforms for the hero's of the Left.  Five or six debates, total,  and if the remaining are as mundane as the first,  no one will be listening.  I mean,  13 million viewed the first Progressive/Socialist debate compared to 25 million for the
first debate with Fox,  23 for the second CNN debate and more than 20 million for the CNBC debate.

The GOP will have 12 debates,  hosted by Fox and Fox Business (4 each), plus those sponsored by C-SPAN,  CBS,  two more with CNN,  ABC  (NBC has been  cancelled at this time). 

The Republican pundits are willing to face their opposition,  the Dems run and hide. 

The next scheduled GOP debate is November 10, and will be hosted by the business experts at Fox Business.  That is what we thought was the case with CNBC,  a financial/business outlet  for NBC.  Instead,  we had the Three Stooges,  no-namers given the assignment to continue to foster in-fighting within the GOP,  cast the debate in circus terms (it was their debate,  btw) and,  even turn the GOP into a debate with and against the self serving moderators!! 

Voters see this.  I have to believe that this strategy is not working.  When you have 13 million versus 23 million attendees or viewers,  it is safe to say that the larger voting population is looking to the GOP for future leadership. 

If the debate attendances are a sign of voter interest and a forecast of turnout enthusiasm,  the Dems are in serious trouble. 

He said. "No more troops on the ground in Iraq or Syria, period." Well they are there and the Pentegon knows what to call them.



Why is Jeb! going after Rubio rather than Trump? Maybe internal polling sees Rubio as the front runner (to be) . . . no article.

RNC back in control of its own debate . . . . or maybe not

<<<  Debate moderators or paid assassins?  We all know the answer.  Update:  RNC leadership not invited.  



Rance Pribus,  head of the RNC,  has pulled the NBC debate set for February of 2015.  Or is this just another political move to quell party discontent?  

Whatever the case,  the uproar is real,  and many,  if not all,  of those running for the high office,  plan to meet this weekend to talk about and plot their demands from the coming debates.  It is being billed as a "revolt" of sorts.  Monday could be a very news worthy day in party politics. 

We all thought this campaign season would be interesting,  but it is fast proving to be one of the more memorable.  

It is simply amazing how out of touch Governor Kasich is. (see the 46 sec video).

No doubt we can see why he is no longer a serious contender for the GOP nomination.

Turns out Jeb just as slimy as any of the Establisment Democrats he pretends to hate.

Jeb Bush looks on during in the CNBC Republican Presidential Debate, October 28, 2015 at the Coors Event Center at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.

Jeb Bush's Campaign Blueprint

A 112-page internal document provided to U.S. News includes more dirt on Marco Rubio, Iowa vote goals and a January advertising plan. (taken from US News and World Report).  

 Editor's notes:  Why not go after Trump since it is that realtor who is kicking Jeb's butt?  Apparently GW is the smarter brother, no?

Question no one will ask Hillary:? Does she subscribe to the same denial of reality as that of B Obama

The White House stressed Thursday that it does not view increasing military conflicts with Russia as a new Cold War, despite a new provocation involving Russian aircraft buzzing a U.S. ship.  (see the full story, here). 
 ,
Editor's notes:  Add in Crimea, Putin's alliances with Iran and Syria,  the increasing military challenge he is to NATO,  his efforts to work with China in moving away from the Dollar as THE international currency,  and you have a denial of reality, on the part of B. Obama,  that rivals definitions for mental illness.  

And,  still,  no one in the mainstream Marxist media has asked Obama why he promised "more flexibility" with Putin after the 2012 elections.  And some still believe that Obama is a friend of the United States of America.  Good grief.  

Question(s):  Does Hillary support Obama's promised flexibility; will her Administration,  should she be elected after indictment by the FBI,  reflect that flexibility;  will she continue to deny that Putin is no friend of the United States;  will she continue the anti-Semitic policies of Hussein Obama?  

Clown in a suit and nothing more: Just to be clear, this is my first and last mention of Stephen Cobert. I do not take clowns seriously, unless, of course, they happen to be "el presidente."

He and the clown he replaced,  are champions of the Wing Nut Left.  At least Jon Stewart was cogent.


Eric Cantor's defeat, a couple of years ago, represented the very beginning of a generational change within the GOP.

Update: Whether you see Ryan as "establishment" or not,  I believe his rise to Speaker is a move to a more consistently conservative leadership.  He will compromise,  and we will bitch like hell,  but my hope is that he will be more inclusive of the teaparty Right, than was Boehner    . . . . .    who was not inclusive at all.  I never understood Boehner's exclusion of teaparty leadership,  but I detested the hypocrisy of continuing with a position of leadership given to him,  and sustained (in a second election) by teaparty leadership.  His denial of Michele Bachmann was insulting to her and all those who have worked to put he and his pathetic cashe of leaders into power.  First Eric Cantor and then,  the Speaker himself.  I am very frustrated with teaparty types,  myself,  and their insane enthusiasm  (they may be right,  I admit) of Donald Trump,  but I have to admit to their role in the 2010 and 2014 elections and . . . .  like it or not   . . . .  demand a "place at the table" for that constituency.  Boehner,  stupidly,  did not and in his refusal to admit to the power of the hard hard Right,  the House has evolved contrary to the wishful thinking of the Stubborn/Establishment Right.
________

When I use the term "establishment,"  I am talking about those within a political party that reflect current standards and beliefs.  The teaparty of today,  per my definition, could be the "establishment" of the future.  

Speaking for myself,  I like Paul Ryan.  And,  I mean to imply that I like what he stands for and what he believes.  I am not a part of the hard hard Right,  although I am "right wing."  The past few weeks have given me pause,  almost forcing me to reconsider my alliances as a conservative pundit.  I have never been comfortable with the likes of Michael Bloomberg and Arnold the Weight Lifter,  yet the "conservative" party welcomed these two impostors into its fold.  

Both men failed as conservatives.  And,  now,   we have Donald Trump.  Understand that Trump was a very liberal Democrat until 15 minutes ago.  And that is precisely why he cannot speak in specific terms with regard to his new found political positioning   . . . . . . he can't because he does not know the lingo,  the thought process as a conservative, nor the true meaning of faith and conservative values. Trump is a compromised human being when it comes to conservative leadership,  and how Palin, Levin and Hannity do not see this,  is beyond me.  

Paul Ryan does understand and is as qualified a conservative as any on the scene.  He knows the import of tactics and compromise.  None of us like compromise and in matters of faith,  "compromise" is evil.  But not (necessarily) in politics.  While both sides must compromise, after decades of conflict,  the Democrat Party has finally surrendered to its Marxist fringe,  and,   in that reality,  is not a legitimate part of the American political process.   That is why you see members of the New Democrat Party supporting the criminalization of free speech,  the weaponizing of certain federal agencies, the political destruction of  "states rights,"  the abolishment of the 2nd Amendment,  the abandonment of the budget process as presented in the U.S. Constitution (we have not had a budget since Obama became whatever he thinks he is),  the abandonment the congressional process, choosing to rule by dictate and political fiat.  These are the very people that the drunk,  Joe McCarthy, went after,  back in the 1950's.  Turns out,  Hollywood was full of Communitist back then.  Now we know.  

At any rate,  I support Ryan.  Call him "establishment" all you want;  the fact of the matter is this:  we conservatives and right-wingers must have a political party, and,  third party antics are the path to irrelevancy.  Few if any,  within the GOP,  are enemies of this once great nation.  Unfortunately,  there are many on the Left who are   . . . .    and that is true without debate.  


Want to argue that last point?  Consider the following and know that such rhetoric, as quoted below in red,  means,  in practical terms,  that the Obama's are folks who do not believe in the foundational principles of our nation,  has nothing but contempt for its traditions and history,  and fully intended on changing the direction of this nation from a nation of citizen agents of their own governance to one of of One World leanings and repressive Big Governance.  Know this:  you cannot grow Central Planning without trashing individual liberties.  And I am saying this:  individual liberties and Big Government are mutually exclusive. Case closed and hail the New and Evolving GOP. 


MICHELLE OBAMA, speaking Puerto Rico: "Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation; we're going to have to change our traditions, our history; we're going to have to move into a different place as a nation."

Michelle takes another vacation. She has averaged 5 multi-week vacations per year.

My biggest regret as to Michelle's vacations  --  most for a First Lady in modern times  -- is that she did not take more.  I would rather have her out of the country,  than sitting around the White House,  trying to think of something she could do to be relevant.  Lucky for us,  she really never arrived.


Lindsey Graham is right about Je!!.

MSNBC:
Graham: Jeb has come off as a bit whiny

Editor's notes:  Can anyone say "Jeb is toast"  ???  Ditto for Hilary,  except we have to wait for the 2016 election to prove that point.  Don't pay attention to popularity polls.  Rather,  keep track of the projected turnout surveys   . . . .   that is what will defeat Hillary.  

Nothing says "I am the champion of the middle class" more than one of Hillary's parties, right?

Paola Chavez / ABC News:

You should know how the Far Left feels about Hillary.

William Saletan / Slate:
Hillary Clinton Is Smearing Bernie Sanders as a Sexist  —  It's ridiculous.  Bernie's record as a feminist is as good as Hillary's.  —  Hillary Clinton has found a new wedge issue against Sen. Bernie Sanders.  The topic is gun control, but the angle is gender.
 
Editor's notes:  Hillary's ONLY  strategy is to win by getting out the women's vote.  Only 26% of men see her as viable,  but maybe she has the transgender "male" vote.   Know this:  a failed turnout is going to defeat Hillary in 2016.  

GW defends his loser brother (and he is losing, right?).

David Jackson / OnPolitics:
Jeb Bush and George W. Bush chide Donald Trump 

Editor's notes:  So George would not take a stand and speak up for the values this nation owns as foundationsl realities,  but he will run his mouth when it comes to his brother.  I use to respect the man,  but he failed the nation when we needed him most  . . .  during the Obama years

I quit. The country has made a Left turn into hell and will never be the same.

Update and reversal:  Understand that I am a civilian,  a professional building contractor,  not a professional politician.  my decision to quit was the result of a deeply felt discouragement with those I have held in high esteem as conservative leaders.  Turns out they human and fallible.  At any rate,  my decision was not well thought out as is the case with most emotional decisions.  The response since my decision has convinced me of the error of my ways.  I am still discouraged,  but not to the point of quitting.  For what it is worth to some,  I will continue.     (still on the road.  Should be home this evening - Thursday). 

We have the most prolific liar as president in my 70 year life-time   . . . .    a man with no financial background,  no formal training in education, no background as a corporate manager,   a man who probably ran from every fight that presented itself to him except those that he could demagogue.  And,  this coupled with a Conservative leadership that refuses to stand up and fight for the principles that made this country great.

The John McCain's of this world have helped create a presidency that is no longer bound by the law,  a presidency that can be controlled by a dictator,  as is the case seen over the past several years. Understand this,  the presidency is no longer an equal branch of government and Obama's two terms have proven this to be the case.  He refuses legal subpoenas, cannot tell the truth even when the truth actually helps his cause  . . .   whatever the hell that "cause" is.  He is above the law as is Hillary (she will not be prosecuted)

The GOP is laughably compromised and the Left is as Marxist as possible.

I think the turning point for me was the Trump candidacy and the support he has garnered from hero's such as  Sarah Palin,  Mark Levin,  Sean Hannity,  and many in the teaparty movement.  Obviously,  principles and a true conservative three point agenda mean absolutely nothing.  I have seen Breitbard.com,  a stanch conservative publication,  surrender to the Democrat blowhard that is Trump,  a man who has not opened his bible or ever asked for forgiveness  (per his own words)  but dares to asked about Dr. Carson's religious credentials.  I have watched the Evangelical Right give Hussein a second term because it would not vote for a Mormon.

Too many bigoted, know nothing,  morons for me.

Wish you all luck as the world you live in is turned over to One World governance and the dictates of despots who control the United Nations.

Update:  I will "blog" headlines that make briefly stated points.  My targets will be the "political class."  But no more full-on commentary.  

See ya. 

I wonder if Obama still thinks the United States has no real enemies?

WASHINGTON — Russian submarines and spy ships are aggressively operating near the vital undersea cables that carry almost all global Internet communications, raising concerns among some American military and intelligence officials that the Russians might be planning to attack those lines in times of tension or conflict.

The issue goes beyond old worries during the Cold War that the Russians would tap into the cables — a task American intelligence agencies also mastered decades ago. The alarm today is deeper: The ultimate Russian hack on the United States could involve severing the fiber-optic cables at some of their hardest-to-access locations to halt the instant communications on which the West’s governments, economies and citizens have grown dependent   . . . . . . . .  (NY Times). 

Editor's notes:  Expect to see Russia, China and Iran make major military moves during this last year of the resident Flower Child in our White House.  I believe that things will get so bad,  in this regard,  that Hillary will be forced to campaign against Obama's foreign policy   . . . . .    and let's not forget that Hillary's involvement in Libya and parts of the Middle East were more a reflection of Obama than Hillary.  

Understand that I am no fan of Hillary  . . .   would never vote for the woman.  But my friends on the Right will spend the next 12 months hanging the Middle East debacle on her malfeasance and not on Obama,  where it belongs.  Its called "politics,"  but the fact of the matter is this:  Obama is much more the enemy of our nation than Hillary will ever be.  She could prove me wrong,  but,  as things stand today,  that is my conclusion.   

Dems = Anti-Cop Party . . . . . have you taken notice?

Just how far Left has Obama's Democrat Party gone?  To the point that it now aligns itself with virtually every dissident, cop hating,  group on the American scene not including the Skin Heads and White Supremacists.  I include CAIR,  Muslim Brotherhood,  Al Sharpton's hate group,  Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam,  KAOS,  ACORN,  the New Black Panthers, Occupy,  and now,  Black Lives Matters.  The morons in this video are totally accepted by Obama and his Democrat Party.  The only good news is this:  Obama along with his permissive angry black rhetoric, and, radical cabal will pass into history and the Democrat Party will return to its Establishment roots as the party of "big government."  Understand that this different from being the Marxist Party of Big Government of the Obama Error Era.  

Obama's cop-hating buds, Black Lives Matters, causing trouble again.

About 3/4 through the video footage,  this bunch of losers find themselves standing in front of a locked door,  demanding to enter the building.  What is humorous is their reasoning:  "Open the door,  we paid for this building,"  like this bunch works or actually pays taxes.  Laughable. 

Problems with being transgendered . . . . even the Left is waking up to the need for this discussion.

Out of a BBC digital press release,  we have this from Australian academia:   

Greer, a feminist,  in her younger days. 
Australian-born academic and writer Germaine Greer has said that in her opinion, transgender women are "not women".
She also claims that "a great many women" who are not transgender think transgender women - who she refers to as "male to female transgender people" - do not "look like, sound like or behave like women".
Greer did say that she would be prepared to use female pronouns when referring to someone, if that was their preference, "as a courtesy".

<<<<  My first published nude, btw.  

Editor's notes:  Understanding that being a "woman" is not a matter of looks to the exclusion of your particular biology.  A transgender MTF  (male to female) is only playing a role in life that they see as preferable.  When I was a kid back in the 50's and 60's,  if someone said,  "I am tired of being a man.  I think I will be a woman, now,"  well,  that was a sure sign that someone needed therapy.  But today,  the Left has decided to criminalize any opposition speech that dares to critique this phenom.  

Still,  the MTF of today,  will never fit into the larger heterosexual community to the same degree as a biological woman.  I mean,  we think of "them" as a third gender,  correct?   

That is not to say they should not be accepted on a societal level   I might accept their preferences,  but,  on a personal level,  I would not want to marry a person who is not a real woman   . . . . .    and I am not alone.  Think about it,  the transgender person  marginalizes "their" position as a person.  Plenty of room for the marginalized,  but facts are facts.  Big feet  (Jenner wears a size 12 shoe,  I am told),  the existence of the "Adam's apple" (women have no such feature),  continuing battles with prostate cancer,  a deep voice (for most),  phony boobs,  a non-functioning virgina,  a walk that iks more "man" than "woman,"  and male pattern baldness,  are a few of the issues of a transgender woman. 

Do these folks deserve their personal space?  Of course.  Yes.  Absolutely.    I am one who believes that if you want to sew a donkey's butt on your backside,  fine with me.  But don't take away my freedom to criticize. 

Jeb: Toast is his future. Here is why.

Major Media (Fox and others) is telling us that Jeb is cutting back . . . . . drastically . . . .  on his staff and expenses.  The reason given:  "So that he can be viable next spring when the primary campaign begins in earnest."  

Problem:  I don't know about you,  but I cannot remember when "cutting back" ever moved a candidate into a position for success.  Why?  Well,  for starters,  "cutting back" gives the impression   . . . .   emphasis on "impression" . . . . .   that his candidacy is failing as opposed to simply running out of cash.  

Bush has lots of problems, not the least of which,  is his "dear in the headlights" look.  I am sorry,  but it makes him appear to be without answers and perception seems to be the most important issue of the season.  

Never mind that Bernie Sanders wants to increase deficit spending by 1.8 trillion dollars a year and wants the US to be like several of the smallest nations on Earth  (Finland may not be as populated as the LA Basin, as an example).  The perception is a caring Bernie Sanders.   Hillary wants the US to abandon fossil fuels and make that move now  . . . .  never mind that Europe is making this effort at three times the cost of American energy.  The impression is that Hillary understands the future and wants to do what is best for us,  whether we can afford it or not.    Oh,  and never mind the effect this idiot's policy has on the working poor and the (real) middle class.  

More to the point,  never mind that Jeb was a great governor and has some of the better formed answers of any of the candidates  (btw,  my first choice is Rubio,  not Bush). But,  that look is not doing his messaging any favors.    

Just click on the picture and stare at it for a few minutes.  I think you will see what I see.  

Still on the rode. Nothing went as planned .


Update:  OMG.  While it is true that I rode the road,  still,  my headline should have read:  "Still on the road."   . . . . .   and I am "still on the road,"  in Seattle this Saturday,  the 24th. 



Did 600 miles today.  Stayed out of trouble.  

When riding cross country,  always reserve a room in advance.  I did.  Bad news   . . .    they got confused somehow and when I pulled into the motel,  no room.  Took me two hours to find a place to stay.

Best Western.  $101 including a full breakfast prepared by a real chef (value:  $23 including tip) which brings the cost down to $78 for the room and $23 for breakfast.

Good news:  I over inflated my tires (motorcycle tires are different from automobile tires).  The bike weighs 1100 pounds with me and my gear on board.  Inflated from 32 /36 front and rear to 38/40.  Mileage improved by 3 miles per gallon !!!

Also,  if you are a biker and have problems with "cupping,"  it is because you are breaking too hard,  coming to a stop.  Trust me on this.  I had the problem.  Some old Harley biker told me the truth.  I changed how I came to a stop and the cupping disappeared.

Anyway,  enough of my free advice.  Love the ride,  but it is hard on this old man.

I will probably publish in earnest early Friday (early means around 3 or 4 am west cost time.  Pictures are coming

Packing for my trip to Seattle and back. Leaving Wednesday morning. Will be taking my office with me.

FYI:   Spending Wednesday night in Roseburg.  990 mile trip (Fresno Ca to Seattle Wa).  A little rain in Washington going up.  Will eat at Salty's in Seattle  (pictures to follow - you won't believe this place); rain expect from Seattle to home on the return trip.  I will be publishing Tuesday,  Wednesday and Thursday evenings, 


My bike back in July of 2010





The Jews are just as violent as the Palestinians because they, the Jews, defend themselves. Such is the opinion of Flower Child, John Kerry.

“We continue to urge everybody to exercise restraint and restrain from any kind of self-help in terms of the violence, and Israel has every right in the world to protect its citizens, as it has been, from random acts of violence. But in my conversations with the prime minister, as well as with King Abdullah and the foreign minister of Jordan, they have expressed the desire to try to see this process be able to find a way of making certain that everybody is clear about what is happening with respect to the Temple Mount.”  ~ John Kerry

Editor's notes:  "self help" is Kerry code for  "self defense."    A vote for Hillary is a vote for gun confiscation and the criminalization of capital self-defense.  

Tonight there is lots of talk about Biden preparing to announce his candidacy. Will Obama abandon Hillary? That is the only thing intriguing about a Biden run. (no article)

Maybe it really is time for a coaching change with Colts. Disagree? Then, explain this bit of novelty:



Hillary will testify on Benghazi this Thursday. Here are a few issues still unresolved:

Before continuing with this brief,  know this:  Hillary claims to have answered all pertinent questions on Benghazi but has to take Monday - Wednesday "off"  to prepare for her testimony.   

The Red Cross Headquarters were closed,  days JUST before the assault on our embassy.

The British Embassy was, also, closed in the days JUST before the aatacks on our embassy

Prior to the 9/11 assault,  there were two physical attacks on the embassy,  the second of which blew a hole through an embassy wall big enough to allow 20 men to pass through.

Desperate requests for more security made by Ambassador Stevens including a third request for 13 more armed agents.

While all this was going on,  Obama was chanting the idiot's refrain,  "Al Qaeda is dead and GM is alive."

No one has ever answered the question,  "Where was Obama during the final 7 hours of the assault?" We know he was not in the "war room,"  nor,  in the Oval Office. because of testimony already in the books.    Of course,  most of us do know were he was   . . . . .   in bed and asleep,  resting up for his campaign appearance the following morning  (Sept 12, 2012).


A bizarre Hillary response. Of course there is absolutely nothing funny about this scandal.

She laughs bordering on hysterical,  hoping her response will sway minds on the issue   . . . .   and the issue is   . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  an FBI investigation.  There is no "right wing conspiracy,"  here.  Hopefully the investigation will take the smile off her condescending face.


she deserves to have a vioce because her son was murdered as a result of the malfeasance of the Obama/Hillary administration.


Just to be clear: Palestinian terror groups started this latest round of violence.

 Editor's notes:  The following lede comes from the Jerusalem Post as it documents the violence initiated by Palestinian youth beginning this past week.  While Obama pretends to believe that both sides of the problem are equally complicit,  the facts of the matter prove otherwise.  I personally doubt that any increase in violence is the fault of Israeli aggression against the Palestinians living within it's borders.  Of course,  I am aware that "settlements built in the West Bank" are a contributing factor,  but these circumstances are not cause for stabbings,  beheadings,  and the never-ending pursuit that calls for the extermination of the Jews from the Middle East. 


from the Jerusalem Post:     "If the terrorist attacks continue, we will begin deporting the families of terrorists to the Gaza Strip," Channel 10 TV quoted a senior Israeli defense official as saying on Friday.

The remarks came against the backdrop of a noted decrease in the number of acts of violence in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel proper on Friday.

While security officials are pleased at the initial signs of a waning uprising, intelligence experts cannot say for certain when this latest wave of Palestinian violence will end.

Israel's political establishment, however, is mulling additional punitive measures against the families of Palestinian assailants in the event that more acts of violence are perpetrated against Jewish civilians and security personnel.

Obama catches hell for his comments absolving Hillary of wrong doing (and violating his owns demands, btw).

Editor's notes:  Understand that Obama had rules,  in place,  that prohibited the use of private servers,  rules that were immediately violated when Hillary took over as Secretary of State.  She claims that such use was "permitted,"  a claim she can make only because Obama chose to ignore her insolence.  But,  more than this,  her decisions to set up a storage system that violated federal precedent and all of Obama's cautionary rules also opened her up to an investigation by the FBI  as they pursue charges of  "gross negligence," and violations of the Espionage Act,  charges she did not envision when she and her lawyers crafted their "I didn't know" legal defense.  

NY Times —  “I don’t think it posed a national security problem,” Mr. Obama said Sunday on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” He said it was a mistake for Mrs. Clinton to use a private email account when she was secretary of state, but his conclusion was unmistakable: “This is not a situation in which America’s national security was endangered.” 

Note: This last statement is a conclusion for which Barack Obama  (note the Muslim name) has no evidence.  He is simply running cover for Hillary and those in the Bureau know this.  ~  editor
 
Those statements angered F.B.I. agents who have been working for months to determine whether Ms. Clinton’s email setup had in fact put any of the nation’s secrets at risk, according to current and former law enforcement officials.

Investigators have not reached any conclusions about whether the information on the server had been compromised or whether to recommend charges, according to the law enforcement officials. But to investigators, it sounded as if Mr. Obama had already decided the answers to their questions and cleared anyone involved of wrongdoing. 

Note from editor:  FBI criticism was was immediate and challenging that the Times,  also,  recorded this development: 

The White House quickly backed off the president’s remarks and said he had not been trying to influence the investigation. But his comments spread quickly, raising the ire of officials who saw an instance of the president trying to influence the outcome of a continuing investigation — and not for the first time.

Understand that Obama interfered in much the same manner,  in 2012,  when charges were being investigated as to the guilt or innocence of General David H. Petraeus, at the time the acting head of the CIA.  Know this,  even if the DOJ does not prosecute Hillary,  if the FBI finds her to be "criminally negligent," that will be the death knell for her candidacy.  ~  editor,  

Fox News versus all others:

Prime time audiences for news coverage is 12 million for Fox,  3.5 million for MSNBC    . . . .   this is what Obama's war on Fox has produced.   

CABLE NEWS RACE
THURS., OCT 15, 2015

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,820,000
FOXNEWS KELLY 2,101,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,006,000
FOXNEWS FIVE 1,934,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,670,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 1,488,000


MSNBC MADDOW 1,031,000
MSNBC HAYES 808,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 870,000
MSNBC ODONNELL 696,000


CNN COOPER 572,000 


CMDY DAILY SHOW 829,000

Obama celebrates his lowest defict of his presidency ($439 billion) as he collected more taxes from the people than any president in history.

(CNSNews.com) - The federal government took in a record of approximately $3,248,723,000,000 in taxes in fiscal 2015 (which ended on Sept. 30), according to the Monthly Treasury Statement released today.

That equaled approximately $21,833 for every person in the country who had either a full-time or part-time job in September.

It is also up about $207,713,560,000 in constant 2015 dollars from the $3,041,009,440,000 in revenue (in 2015 dollars) that the Treasury raked in during fiscal 2014.

A record kill.

Largest elephant killed in Zimbabwe in 30 years .  The hunter,  a German national,  paid $60,000 for the permits and the kill was as legal as legal can be.  His name remains "off the record,"  due to violent threats coming from the Left and certain animal rights advocates. 

Hillary is being challenged by the FBI, the GOP and, suprisingly, friends of Barack Obama.

 Editor's notes:  Before you start thinking I am a fan of the Huffington Post,  I assure you I am not.  But the following is quoted for a purpose.  As you read,  know that the author is a rabid supporter of Barack Obama,  and has no intention of allowing Hillary to get off scott-free with some of her claims.  
_________

From the Huffington Post:  Frankly, I'm tired of listening to Senator Clinton portray herself as being in the solutions business -- as boasting a nice, fat resume of accomplishments -- while mocking Barack Obama for being a rhetorical empty suit.

Is she truly a beacon of experience? Because I couldn't think of a single piece of legislation that has her name stuck proudly on the front of it, no equivalent of McCain-Feingold, for example, I headed straight for her campaign website to see what glorious aspects of her vaunted experience I was missing.

Actually, I was missing nothing. There is not one single example of any legislation with her name appended to it. In fact, the page devoted to her Senate biography is a mush-mash, a laundry list of good intentions. When she talks about "sponsoring" and "introducing" and "fighting for" legislation that obviously hasn't passed, that's a smokescreen for failure. By introducing all that legislation that never makes it out of committee, she's guilty of what she accuses Senator Obama of: confusing "hoping" with doing.

Hillary pretends that the rich can pay for all her campaign nonsense, but . . . .

“I know we can afford it, because we’re going to make the wealthy pay for it. That is the way to get it done.”  ~ Hillary in the Dems' first group discussion. 

John Stossel recently wrote an op-ed for Forbes.  In preparing for the article,  Stossel ran some numbers and found that if we allowed the rich to keep their first $1 million,  each year,  and the government took the rest,  the "take" would be far less than 3/4 of a trillion dollars  (actually,  his total was $616 billion). 

Understand that if Hillary's plans became legislation,  they would cost the taxpayer close to $700 billion dollars per year  . . .  a net total taken from the rich,  and the "take" would be a permanent reality.  So,  that's not going to happen. 

Now what?  How will Hillary pay for her excesses?  Hint: she hasn't a clue.  

And Sanders' dream world will cost twice as much as Hillary's nonsense, or,  somewhere in the vicinity of  $1.8 trillion per year.  That is more than the total income our One Percent Class.   Under Sanders plan,  the rich would keep nothing.  Good grief.  

NCIS had a larger audience than did the Democrats on "debate night."

CREDIT: Dylan Petrohilos/ThinkProgres
Neilson released this charted information,  Wednesday,  and conveniently left off the GOP's first debate totals.  

24 million was the total viewership for the GOP's first debate.  Keep in mind that the early GOP debate on that first night,  took in close to 7 million without Trump in the line-up.  

Point of post:  There is simply no way to avoid the conclusion that the Dems are in a world of hurt when it comes to comparative turnout analysis. 

The Democrat debate did NOT beat the expectations of this editor.

The press is trying its best to make the totals for Tuesday night's debate appear to be a monster success,  when,  compared to the GOP's 24 million total,  it was an astonishing failure.  Keep in mind that if Bernie had not brought his constituency to the fight,  the debate would have garnered far less attention than it did  . . . .   I mean when NCIS draws a larger audience than your debate (and that is exactly what happened),  you are in deep do-do. 

Who won the Democrat debate?

Drudge ran a survey, Wednesday following the debate,   with Hillary taking in 7% of the vote and Sanders a whopping 53% There's your young-adult voting block.  The pundits/media gave the debate to Hillary.  

In view of the fact that this was not a debate,  but a demonstration of power politics within the Democrat Party,  my opinion gives Hillary the night.  No one went after her for Benghazi,  the failed Libya coup,  the gun running from Libya into Syria,  the growth of ISIS under her watch, specifics as to job creation, the fact that she will continue to be president over half the population,  kicking the other half to the curb,  how she will govern with a divided congress,  her pledge to continue to abuse "executive orders,"  where her campaign funding comes from  (hint:  it comes from the same people she demonizes in public speeches,  a sure sign she is in bed with the One Percent Class),  how she intends to fix Social Security,  the specifics as to her dealings with ISIS,  Iran,  and Israel   . . . . . .   and on and on.  

In the end,  we know next to nothing about her intended presidency.  

I must admit,  however,  that her presidency will not be as radical as Obama's   . . . . .   at least that is my hope.  She is Left of her husband,  but not Left of Obama  She has to appease the Democrat base,  and her problem is this:  the younger part of the base knows what she is doing and does not trust her.  

We will never know the true Hillary unless and until she wins the presidency   . . . . .  an opportunity that may be slipping away. 

Finally,  I do not expect a Biden candidacy.  He has taken too long to be considered seriously,  for anything other than retirement and would have been a gawd-awful candidate, anyway.

And,  if Sanders does not win the nomination, a prolonged bid,  on his part,  will only create a "disappointment" backlash that will affect Democrat voter turnout in the 2016 election.  You may not realize this fact,  but the Dems have been dealing with the issue of failed Democrat  enthusiasm since and including the 2010 midterms.  

They lost both midterm elections (2012 and 2014) because of turnout issues  . . .   this,  according to their own rhetoric,  and, even in winning the 2012 national election,  they took in 3.5 million fewer votes than in 2008 while Romney garnered one million more votes than McCain.  So,  "enthusiasm" for the Progressive agenda has been an unnamed problem that just might spell "defeat" in 2016   . . . . . .   and Hillary is no Obama;  she cannot "fix" this problem.  

Finally,  understand that comparative audience attendance gives us a first guess as to the level of enthusiasm within the Democrat Party:  24 million watched the first GOP debate compared to 15 million for the Dems   . . .    and I expect the second debate's attendance to be lower than the first.  

More people watched NCIS than the Democrat debate. And, it was a good show. (no article).

Ratings for Tuesday's Democrat debate: 15 million; ratings for the first GOP debate was 24 million. What does this mean?

In view of the fact that there are more registered Democrats than Republicans,  the only conclusion one can draw goes to the enthusiasm levels of both political parties.  Not looking good for the Dems.  

Understand that if one viewer shares his/her opinion to 10 other non-viewers.  the initial advantage,  such as it is,  goes to the GOP. 

Democrat / CNN debate: four men against one woman and the men lost the night.

If the debate was about making moves on Hillary's candidacy,  Tuesday nights debate was a total loss for the four men on the stage.  

Biggest loser  (other than CNN's credibility) was Bernie Sanders,  who capitulated to Hillary as he took time to fiercely defend Hillary with his demand to "stop talking about those damned emails"  (or words to that effect).  Obviously openness and honesty mean nothing to a flaming socialist.  His time in the sun is just about over   . . . .   mark my words.   

Update:  Oh,  btw,  average age on the stage was 65 years of age and everyone is white.  Guess the only qualified black guy within the Democrat Progressive Party is done with no "honorable mentions."  

Prediction:  Only three Democrat debates to go.  And, the ratings for the next debate will be worse than this first debate.  Understand that the Marxist Dems are not united,  they are required to walk the party line or pay the price in the near future.  

As far as I am concerned,  there is no need for any of the next three debates.  The men on the stage just gave Hillary the nomination and there can be no reversal of that reality when "back bone" within the party does not exist.  

Laughable. 

News Flash: The Benghazi investigation SHOULD be about Hillary.

Editor's notes:  Understand that Obama went to bed 5 hours before Sean Smith and his surviving friend were  murdered  . . . .   killed without ever being told that no one was coming to rescue them; killed without ever being told their Commander In Chief had gone to bed.   And Hillary was 100% complicit in these murders.  


Daily Caller:
Former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton has criticized Republicans leading the House Select Committee on Benghazi for conducting a politically-motivated witch-hunt that exploits the deaths of the four Americans murdered during the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Bengahzi. But the mother of one of those killed in the terrorist attack told CNN on Sunday that Clinton should indeed be the focus of the committee’s investigation and that she should have turned over her emails a long time ago.
 Patricia Smith, the mother of U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith, told CNN’s Martin Savidge: 
“First of all, it is about Hillary.    This is her department. It was her area, her bailiwick, and she did all the instruction on what should be done there. Why shouldn’t they talk to Hillary about it?”
Smith was responding to questions from Savidge about recent reports that a former staffer on the Republican side of the Benghazi Committee plans to file a lawsuit alleging that he was fired after complaining that the investigation focused too much on Clinton and her use of a private email system.

Even Democrat leadership (newly appointed - not Establishment types) admit the Party is silencing opposition speech.

The Hill:
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), a vice chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), says she was disinvited from the first Democratic presidential debate after calling for more debates, according to a new report.

“When I first came to Washington, one of the things that I was disappointed about was there’s a lot of immaturity and petty gamesmanship that goes on, and it kind of reminds me of how high school teenagers act,” Gabbard told The New York Times.

“It’s very dangerous when we have people in positions of leadership who use their power to try to quiet those who disagree with them.   When I signed up to be vice chair of the D.N.C., no one told me I would be relinquishing my freedom of speech and checking it at the door.”

Slow news week. Here is why:

Congress is on a week's break.

The FBI is not talking about its criminal investigation of Hillary. 

The GOP is talking about leadership issues behind closed doors. 

Obama is in total denial about what has happened in the Middle East this past week  (he thinks he is kicking Putin's putu).  

And the Dems have their debate Tuesday night  --  and that event will not produce any anticipated news.  (can anyone say "bor  . . .  ing?")  

 

Tired of the "love" commercials from Coke, Subaru, McConalds and Facebook? Go out an buy a Kai. Beautiful car and a great commercial.

When you stop to think about it,  the Nobel Peace Prize is a "participant" award.  I mean,  what other reason was their for Obama's prize?  BTW, most Americans do NOT believe in "particpant" awards when and if such means recognition for accomplishment is ignored.  Might as well be a farmer in one of Russia's ancient seven year plans. 

CNN debate on Tuesday. Me? I will be out doing my early Xmas shopping.

A ratings success for CNN will look nothing like the 23 million viewers the network saw at the second GOP debate, or the 24 million viewers from the first GOP debate hosted by Fox News. 

This is the conclusion drawn by CNN,  as it makes excuses,  before the fact,  for its anticipated failure as to the Democrat debate this coming Tuesday.  

"We only have 5 candidates."  

"Times are different than in 2008." 

"We have to complete with the baseball playoffs."  

CNN and the Dems know,  full well, that the GOP is going to make a point as to the difference between the enthusiasm of the GOP versus the Democrat Party   . . . . .   and they will be correct.  

This election will turn on the participation levels of the Left versus the Right.  Despite what is going on within the GOP during this primary cycle  (its the same for the GOP in EVERY national primary cycle,  btw),  the nation is so sick of Obama and his Secretary of State's disregard of law,  that we just might be looking at an election result similar to that of the Carter/Reagan election.  

Thanks Hillary


Obama - protector of the middle class, strikes again and, yet, the AARP thinks he is doing a good job.


So,  how come that was not the case in 2008 when oil prices when down,  under GW Bush?  Medicare annual adjustments were prohibited in 2009 and 2010 fiscal years for the same reason   . . .  low inflation rate. 


I am thinking that all this pressure on Gowdy's committee means he is getting close to finding the smoking gun.

CNN:
Ex-staffer: Benghazi committee pursuing ‘partisan investigation’ targeting Hillary Clinton  —  Major Bradley Podliska's exclusive TV interview with CNN will air Sunday at 9 a.m. on CNN's “State of the Union.”  —  Washington (CNN)A former investigator with the House Select Committee on Benghazi … 
 
Editor's notes:  As you read this article,  one realizes just how difficult it is to make a decision as to which side of this debate is right.  What I do know,  however,  is this:  partisan or not  (everything in Washington is partisan,  folks),  facts are facts,  Hillary was absent during the final 5 hours in terms of viable decisions that could have saved the two surviving fighters,  and she may have been the author of the lie that denied a organized assault by Al Qaeda.  In short,  I do not care if she was the target of the investigation,  as long as Gowdy and Company are not making up stuff to talk about   . . . .   and no one is making that charge.  
 
Understand that it was this investigative body that stumbled onto the scandal that is Hillary's abuse of email content.  As much as the Dems want to deflect the importance of this scandal,  the fact remains that the FBI and the courts are, now,  involved.  If she is not fully exonerated,  the federal investigation is the issue that may defeat her in the coming election cycle.    

Lib versus libs on Hillary: Andrew Sullivan is a flaming liberal/Progressive who does not like Hillary. Watch him hold his ground against those who support her.

Lib versus Libs   . . . .   and he hold his ground.  You should know that more than 6 0% of Americans agree with Sullivan.

I don't know if this plane ever got off the ground. Seriously, it looks like a huge paper weight, no?


The Kalinin K-7 was a heavy experimental aircraft designed and tested in the Soviet Union in the early 1930s. It was of unusual configuration with twin booms and large underwing pods housing fixed landing gear and machine gun turrets

Click on image twice for its largest presentation.

 

If you are a Conservative, my advice is this: Don't listen to the Progressive talking points. They were wrong in 1998, 2008, and 2013.

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post: The GOP sinks deeper into chaos. Can it still function as a party?

Editor's notes:  Question  -  when was the last time the GOP was declared dead and gone,  gone,  gone?  Seriously.  Do you remember?  I do.  

Going back to 1998,  following a failed attempt to impeach Clinton,  we have the press telling us what a disaster the 1998 midterms were,  forgetting that the GOP only lost 3 seats in that election and maintained control of both the House and the Senate.  

Again,  after the election of November,  2008,  the GOP was pronounced dead and gone, gone, gone.  

The first election cycle following,  was the replacement election for the deceased,  Ted Kennedy, December of 2009.  A Republican won that election,  a Senate seat held by the Democrats for decades.  

The second election was the 2010 midterms and a landslide election for the GOP   . . . . .    you know,  that same GOP that was declared gone,  gone,  gone.  

In 2012,  Obama won the election,  but dropped 3.5 million votes compared to his 2008 election,  with Romney bringing in one million more votes than McCain   . . . .   a differential of 4.5 million votes in favor of the GOP.  

Then we have 2013 and the so-called "government shutdown."  All the polls showed the nation blaming the GOP for the shutdown   . . . .   and come 2014,  the GOP won in a historic landslide,  much worse than the 2010 Democrat debacle.  2014 took the Dems back to its weakest since 1928,  nearly 100 years ago.  

And now,  the Dems and their media are asking once again:  Is this the end for the GOP?  

Me?  I am betting that it is not.  More than this,  I am betting that the November,  2016 elections will be as bad an election result,  as was the Carter election against Ronald Reagan.   

It was just announced that Obama has decided to freeze support for the Free Syrian Army, just a week after Putin began his bombing campaign. Anyone in the WH know how to spell "coward?" (no article)

Update:  This story broke around 6 pm, Friday.  I can't find confirmation.  Either Fox is the only network reporting this story,  or it is based on false information.   

Update #2:  I find the story at The Blaze,  posted at 1:31 pm Friday.  

Biden still undecided . . . . . and no one really cares.

Ryan Lizza / New Yorker:
A New Clue Suggests Biden May Run  —  Joe Biden has taken another step toward entering the Presidential race.  —  Representatives of the Vice-President held a meeting this week with Democratic National Committee staffers.  They briefed Biden's aides on arcane but crucial rules … 
Editor's notes:  Biden has been one of the most irrelevant VP's in our history.  How could he be anything else.  I mean,  his President is a control freak,  and, a man who wants all the acclaim due his office.  Biden has no choice but to be a "yes" man.  Why do you think Obama chose him as a running mate.  
Nothing has changed.   And now you know why you do not see commentary regarding Biden.    Democrats can only win with Hillary,  and that dream is fading fast.  

Update:  I know I have made this point before but,  during the time Obama and Hillary were splitting 36 million primary votes right down the middle (18 million for each of the two) ,  Joe was taking in 68,000 votes.  Now,  you will argue that much has changed over the years.  Here is the point:  Obama chose Biden THEN,  at a time when Joe was a irrelevant a politician as one can be.  He did not pick Biden because he liked the white man.  Nope.  Rather,  Obama picked Biden precisely because he was Joe Biden.  

What to do about the confusion within the GOP . . . some sound advice.

Understand that this editor (that would be me) began writing in 2008,  just after my retirement as a general building contractor in the state of California.  

The blog is a free blog and I do not take any money for what I am doing.

I am conservative as defined by Elizabeth Foley in her recent book.  These three principles for teaparty unity,  are well documented:  Limited Government, U.S. Sovereignty, and Constitutional Originalism.  

Traditional family values versus queer nation excesses,  a balanced budget versus the the mythological nonsense that is structural and growing debt, a strong military presence in the world versus the cowardly insistence for "peace at ANY price,"  teacher accountability versus teacher over student benefit,  the evils of our socialist unions versus the right of any man or woman to work where and when they chose and on and on,  are all features of a conservative approach to domestic policy.  But,  the more involved the doctrine,  the more division within the alliance.  

In the end,  the three general principles outlined by Foley,  are a bare-minimum to what it means to be a conservative,  and it in these these principles that conservatives must remain unified.   

With all this in mind,  my point is this:  if conservatives loose sight of what unities us,  they will loose the ability   . . . .   the very ability  . . . .   to continue as a major political force.  We all need to take a breath,  and trust in the process - mostly because we have very little to do with the selection of the new speaker.  If,  in the end,  the new Speaker is a person who will not allow representation for all conservative opinions represented within the House,  then the GOP has given up on the most important governing principle of all:  representation of the people.  

When Boehner refused to give Michele Bachmann a place in leadership,  he sent a clear message to her constituency   . . .   that they do not deserve representation and that is my problem with Boehner's leadership.  

Frankly,  I am giving the GOP one more year.  If,  after 2016,  conservatives have no representation within the GOP,  I am taking my ball and going home.   

The state of our economy per FactCheck.org: A comprehensive report.

Editor's notes:  I have not taken the time to confirm any of the stats,  below.  But,  certainly,  these numbers,  coming from Fact Check,  are worth a review.  ~ jds

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/04/obamas-numbers-april-2015-update/

Summary

Highlights from our latest update of the statistical record of President Obama’s time in office:
  • Under Obama, the economy has added 7.2 million jobs, and the unemployment rate is now lower than the historical median.
  • The number of job openings is up to its highest point in 14 years, and the number of long-term jobless has now dropped below where it was when Obama took office.
  • Real weekly earnings are up 3 percent. But the number of persons receiving food stamps remains stubbornly high.
  • The administration says 16 million have gained health insurance as a result of the Affordable Care Act. But the National Center for Health Statistics estimates that 37 million others still lacked coverage last year.
  • The US increased its domestic crude oil production last year by more than it has in over 100 years. The U.S. now relies less on imported oil than it has since the Nixon administration.
  • The clock has run out on Obama’s promise to double U.S. exports in 5 years. They went up only 39 percent.
ObamasNumbersApril2

Analysis

As we do every three months, we offer here a fresh update of selected statistical indicators of what has happened since Barack Obama first took the oath of office in January 2009. Some are positive and some are not, but all are from sources we consider solid and reliable. And as usual, we caution that no single number or collection of numbers can tell the entire story.
Jobs & Unemployment
Number of Jobs — The jobs figure for March stands 835,000 higher than we reported three months ago. The economy has now added 7,206,000 jobs since Obama first took office.
Unemployment Rate — Meanwhile the unemployment rate ticked down another tenth of a point, to 5.5 percent. That’s a decline of 2.3 percentage points since the recession-plagued month of January 2009, when the president first took the oath of office.
Historically, the jobless rate is now a bit better than it has been most of the time since 1948. The historical median is 5.6 percent.
Long-term Unemployment — February also saw the number of long-term unemployed — those who have  been looking for work for 27 weeks or longer — drop below the level Obama inherited. The number went down to less than 2.6 million in March, which is 136,000 fewer than when the president first took office and less than half the 6.8 million figure chalked up in April 2010.
Job Openings — The number of job openings rose in January (the latest month on record) to just under 5 million, the highest level since January, 2001. The number of openings has gone up 81 percent since the month when the president entered office.
Business Startups — New businesses are opening at a rapid pace. The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 220,000 “births” of new establishments in the three months ending last June, the most recent period on record. That’s an increase of just under 18 percent compared to the quarter just prior to Obama’s first inauguration.
On the other hand, the number of business establishments shutting down permanently — business “deaths” — has gone down by just over 18 percent. The most recent figure is for the third quarter of 2013, because the BLS must wait a year before counting any shutdown as a permanent closing. Establishment birth and death figures are adjusted to compensate for seasonal variations.
 Prices & Wages
Consumer Prices – Overall inflation in consumer prices has remained moderate over Obama’s first six years, rising by only 11 percent between January 2009 and February, the most recent month for which the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released the Consumer Price Index.  The average yearly rise under Obama of 1.9 percent is well below the post-World War II average of 3.7 percent. And thanks mainly to falling fuel prices, the CPI has actually dropped 0.8 percent since our last report.
Real Weekly Earnings – As a result, the purchasing power of weekly paychecks took another big jump since our last report.  The BLS measure of average weekly earnings for all workers, adjusted for inflation and seasonal factors, was 3 percent higher in February than it was when Obama first took office.
Most of that gain is recent. Real weekly earnings have gone up 2.5 percent since fuel prices started dropping last June.
Gasoline –  The national average price of regular gasoline has rebounded somewhat since the plunge that took it down to just over $2 a gallon in January. As of the week ended March 30, it stood at $2.45, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
That’s 33 percent higher than the unusually low point at which it stood on Inauguration Day 2009, but also 32 percent lower than it had been at the end of March 2014.
 Food Stamps
The number of persons receiving food stamps edged down only slightly since our last report despite the rapidly improving economy. As of December, the most recent month on record, nearly 46.3 million Americans were receiving the food aid, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance.
That’s only 3 percent below the record level set three years earlier, in December 2012, and nearly 45 percent higher than it was when Obama took office in 2009.
Nevertheless, Obama does not quite qualify for the label that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came up with during his 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination. Gingrich called Obama the “food stamp president” and claimed he had added more recipients to the rolls than any previous chief executive. But that was not true at the time , and only later did the gain under Obama exceed the number added under his predecessor. Now, however, the title has gone back to George W. Bush; 14.7 million were added to the rolls during his time in office, and 14.3 million were added during Obama’s.
Home Ownership
The rate of home ownership has slipped again since our last report, to its lowest point in more than 20 years.
As of the final quarter of 2014, the percentage of U.S. households who owned their own homes was 64.0 percent, according to the most recent release from the U.S. Census Bureau. That is lower than at any time since the third quarter of 1994.
Home ownership peaked at 69.2 percent in 2004, but it has declined 5.2 percentage points since then. Most of the decline — 3.5 percentage points — has taken place since Obama first took office.
 Profits & Markets
Corporate Profits — Corporate ProfitsCorporate profits have soared under Obama, smashing all previous records.
After-tax corporate profits have slipped a bit since the record level reflected in our last report. However, they were still running at a yearly rate of over $1.8 trillion in the final three months of 2014,  according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
That was an increase of 174 percent over the recession-plagued quarter six years earlier, just before Obama entered office. And it was also 30 percent higher than the best quarter prior to his taking office, which was the third quarter of 2006.
The highest profits ever recorded were in the third quarter of 2014, when they were running at a yearly rate of just under $1.9 trillion.
Stock Markets Stockholders continue to do quite well under Obama. The Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was 157 percent higher at the close last week than it was the day Obama took office. Other stock indexes show similarly robust gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also has more than doubled, rising 123 percent during Obama’s tenure, and the NASDAQ Composite index has tripled, rising 239 percent.
Obamacare
Information about the effects of the Affordable Care Act continues to accumulate. The verdict so far: Millions have gained health insurance, but the percentage of the uninsured has declined by only about a third.
The administration, based on extensive polling by the Gallup organization, states that 16 million persons have gained coverage as a result of the law, the main provisions of which took effect last year. The claimed total includes an estimated 14.1 million adults who gained coverage since the start of the first open enrollment period in October, 2013, plus an estimated 2.3 million young adults age 19 through 25 who previously gained coverage after the law began requiring that insurance plans allow children to remain on their parents’ plans until age 26.
Those figures are roughly consistent with recent findings by the National Center for Health Statistics, which estimates that only 11.9 percent of all Americans lacked health insurance at the time they were interviewed last year, down from 14.4 percent in 2013. However, that still left an estimated 37.2 million without insurance coverage, more than twice the number the administration figures have gained insurance.
The NCHS findings are preliminary, based on interviews conducted during the first nine months of 2014.
Federal Debt
The federal debt has continued to swell since our last report. The debt owed to the public now exceeds $13 trillion, an increase of 108 percent since Obama first took office.  The debt has also gained dramatically even when measured as a percentage of the nation’s economic output, or gross domestic product (GDP).
Debt Held by PublicThe nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the debt at the end of this fiscal year will amount to 74.2 percent of GDP, up from 52.3 percent at the end of fiscal 2009, which was the last budget year in which spending and revenue levels were mostly determined by Obama’s predecessor.
 CBO projects that the FY 2015 deficit will come in at $486 billion, about the same as last year’s $485 billion deficit and about one-third of the $1.4 trillion deficit racked up in FY 2009.
But while CBO projects that deficits would decline slightly for the next few years under current taxing and spending policies, the annual shortfalls will resume their upward path fairly soon. In 2019, unless something is done, the debt will begin growing again as a percentage of the economy. By 2025 CBO estimates that the debt would amount to 77 percent of GDP, and interest payments would consume 13 percent of all federal spending (up from 6 percent this year).
Total debt, counting money the government owes to itself, currently stands at nearly $18.2 trillion, up 71 percent under Obama.
 Energy
U.S. Crude Oil Production – The historic boom in U.S. crude oil production has continued to accelerate under Obama. In fact, 2014 saw the largest increase in domestic petroleum production in more than a century.
In the fourth quarter of last year, the U.S. produced nearly 83 percent more crude oil than it did in the three months before Obama began his presidency.
Oil Imports & Dependency — With domestic production surging, U.S. reliance on imported oil has been cut by more than half. Under Obama, as of the October-December quarter of 2014, net imports were down 59 percent.
And as a result, the U.S. imported only 26.5 percent of the petroleum and refined products that it consumed in 2014, the lowest level of dependency on imports since 1971. That was in the Nixon administration, before the first Arab oil embargo of 1973/4.
To be sure, the U.S. oil boom is due mainly to advances in drilling technology rather than to any change in government policy. The decline in dependency on imports actually began in 2006, after peaking at 60.3 percent the year before. But the trend has continued and accelerated under Obama.
Wind & Solar – Electricity generated by wind and solar power in the most recent 12 months on record (ending in January) was 252 percent higher than the total for 2008.
The increase in solar power in particular has been spectacular. The US generated nearly 22 times more electricity from solar power in the most recent 12 months than it did in the year before Obama took office.
These trends are partly due to large federal tax subsidies for wind and solar generation, all supported by Obama.  But several states, independent of federal policy, have also imposed renewable energy standards that require electric utilities to generate a certain portion of their power from wind or solar. Market forces have also been at work; the price of an installed photovoltaic panel has dropped by 63 percent since the end of 2010, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.
The U.S. produced 4.9 percent of all its electricity from wind and solar last year, up from 1.4 percent in 2008. But coal still accounted for the biggest share — 39 percent — followed by natural gas at 28 percent and nuclear power at 19 percent.
 Unfulfilled Promises
Exports – In January 2010, the president said in his State of the Union address, “We will double our exports over the next five years.” But Obama didn’t even get halfway to that goal before the clock ran out.
As of the final quarter of 2014, according to the most recent report of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. exports of goods and services have gone up by only 38.6 percent since Obama took office — and by only 34.7 percent since he uttered the promise.
Obama (and most economists) did not foresee the economic sluggishness of the world economy over the past five years. That has held down the ability of U.S. trading partners to buy its goods and services.
Japan was in a recession last year, for example, and Italy is still in the longest recession in its history. While the U.S. economy grew by 2.4 percent last year, the total growth of all 34 member countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development was 1.8 percent, according to OECD data.
Car Mileage — In his 2013 State of the Union Address Obama said “We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas,” which was not true. What he meant was that the administration was doubling the efficiency that it would call for in the future, putting in place requirements that cars and light trucks average 54.5 mpg by model year 2025.
We said at the time, “it remains to be seen whether automakers can produce — and consumers will buy — vehicles that achieve such a doubling of average mileage a dozen years from now.” And now low gasoline prices have led car buyers to temper their enthusiasm for smaller, more efficient cars and trucks, stalling progress towards Obama’s goal.
As of March,  according to the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, the average EPA city/highway sticker mileage of light duty vehicles sold was 25.4 miles per gallon, exactly the same as those sold in the previous March. In fact, the average for the first six months of this model year (October 2014 through March 2015) is also exactly equal to the mileage recorded during the preceding 12 months — 25.3 mpg.
The March average is 21 percent higher than it was when Obama first took office — still a long way short of “doubled.”
Guantanamo – Since our last report, 5 more prisoners have been released from the U.S. detention facility for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba. But 122 prisoners remained, a figure that is still not quite 50 percent lower than it was at Obama’s first inauguration. Obama ordered the facility closed two days after he first took office, but he is not quite halfway to fulfilling that promise.
Military War Deaths
Despite the fighting raging in the Middle East, no U.S. military men or women have been killed there since our last report. The total who have died in the Iraq conflict since Obama took office still stands at 267, and the number of U.S. military fatalities in the Afghanistan conflict remains at 1,726. The U.S. formally ended its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, but thousands of U.S. troops remain there.
– by Brooks Jackson