File Under "Progressive Intelligence." Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat, suggests that the Isle of Guam might tip over if military expansion is allowed on the island.

And,  to think that you Democrats would ever suggest an intellectual advantage over and against folks in the conservative movement;  such is truly funny.  Don’t you know that the Admiral is choking it back when tells the Representative,  “we don’t expect that to happen”  or words to that effect as he contemplates the island tipping over into the Pacific ??  Yesterday,  this same Moron, suggested the government have control over the free speech rights of corporations.



Long term/short term strategies in light of the recent election.



Editor’s notes:  I found this article especially interesting.  While it accurately predicted the presidential election outcome,  it offers a great deal of hope for the GOP and its driving force,  the conservative tea-party grassroots movement,  but not without some thoughtful changes. 

The Political/generational impact of the Great Recession.
There is the strong evidence that a minority-white/majority non-white America favors the Dems long term, but history also says that an extended "tough time" favors the GOP, especially when you remember that the average voters behaves - over the course of his or her life - much like a car-buyer, meaning your first "purchase" typically creates a brand loyalty that is highly consistent over your life (meaning, it has an imprinting function that is profound).  Simple example:  If the first car you buy is a Ford, you will  - on average - buy more Fords over the rest of your life than any other car - hands down.  Same is true in voting for president.

Point being, while the demographic shift will still favor Dems (as currently defined) against Republicans (as currently configured), this long recession will have its own profound imprinting impact as well.  I see it in kids through the prism of my 20-year-old daughter (now in college).  They face a hostile labor market not unlike the one my generation faced in the early 1980s.  Between that point and 2008, college-age cohorts faced a fantastically (in historical terms) consistent positive labor environment. But my impression is that those days are gone - probably for good given the competitive landscape now created by a maturing globalization.

So, again, you have your demographic trends and you have your economic realities trend.  Both are profound influencers. I'm just saying nothing is carved in stone in terms of long-run trends, especially as I expect both parties to be significantly reshaped by these dueling trends over the next decade or so.


Still, I see little in any of these reports that convinces me Obama will fall in the Fall.



If you enjoy reading geopolitical analysis, read more at Wikistrat.

You've been scammed by Obama: he forgot to tell college aged voters that he cut Pell Grants by 33%.

One of Obama's claims to success,   during this last campaign,  was lower costs for college students.   I knew it was a lie,  at the time,  because one of my grandsons just found out  the money he received for college,  last year,  is no longer available,  this year. 



From The Examiner ,  we have this post-election update: 

Sorry, college students. President Obama has cut your access to Pell Grants by 33%; he just forgot to mention it before Election Day. 


During the recent campaign, President Obama claimed credit for increasing funding to the Pell Grant program, which provides college funds, free from repayment, to millions of students. However, an email sent out Tuesday to some Dallas college students is revealing a detail the President forgot to mention: the time a student can receive a Pell Grant has been cut, by as much as three years. With Pell Grants for the fall semester now dispersed, colleges are informing students of their options, bringing the cuts to light.

The email, sent out by the Dallas County Community College District, informed students of the changes to the Pell Grant program. It revealed that the number of semesters a student could receive a Pell Grant had been cut from 18 semesters down to 12. It is a detail likely unknown to most students; in fact, the cut in grants has gone largely unreported by the media.

Obama's Budget Proposal, here. Note to John Boehner: Encourage Obama to submit this bill to the House of Representives. His last House budget failed 414 to Zero. Let's see what happens this time.

You should know that this budget does not solve the fiscal cliff problem.  There is no entitlement reform, here.  There is no reduction in spending.  In fact,  all of the anticipated revenues embedded in this budget statement are spent in this budget statement.  We gain NOTHING.  

The Obama/Geithner Budget for 2013


 1. An immediate $1 trillion tax hike through higher top marginal income tax rates as well as higher taxes on both capital gains and dividends affecting 90% of the working/investing middle class, not to be confused with the “rich.”  
2. An additional $600 billion more in taxes later this year by limiting tax deductions for top earners,  since the GOP has already agreed to this condition is accompanied with entitlement reform.
3.
An extension of either the payroll tax cut or the reinstatement of Obama’s stimulus Making Work Pay tax credit.  The working “poor” already have enough in federal tax breaks.  
4. Another extension of unemployment benefits; I believe this the current provision is down from 99 weeks to something in the 50 week range. 
5. 
$50 billion in new infrastructure stimulus spending,  with all of the monies going to private unions;  nothing here for the private non-union contractor. 
6.
Obama wants billions more  in new spending to prevent cuts to Medicare reimbursement payments for doctors.  Of course,  this is necessary because Obama took $716 billion out of Medicare to make his healthcare bill appear as “saving the nation money.”  Now,  after the election,  he has to recover that bit of financial genius.
7.  
A mortgage refinancing program.  This would end the mortgage tax deduction for the rich,  but,  of course,  in time,  it would extend to anyone who owned a home.  Mark my words,  in time anyone who owns a home will be regarded as “rich,” in the country. 
8. Finally,  Obama was an infinite debt limit hike and he wants that hike to be solely under his control.