GOP Losing Ground In Battle Over Deficit

From ABC News: The Note: GOP Losing Ground In Battle Over Deficit. And from my own "I told you so" department: "Fiscal conservatives" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) are not trustworthy - especially when compromise is part of their basic character.

As Congress and the White House struggle to cobble together a budget deal, Americans don't feel particularly confident that either side has the right answers.

In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll out today, just 43 percent of Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling the economy, though more Americans say they trust Obama (46 percent) on the issue than Republicans in Congress (34 percent). http://abcn.ws/gpFL1H

What's more, by a 9-point margin Americans now see Obama as better able to handle the deficit than GOP lawmakers in Congress. That represents an 11-point drop for the GOP since December -- a period when Republicans have made cutting federal spending a centerpiece of their agenda.

And here’s another interesting fact, according to ABC polling analyst Gary Langer: “The drop in trust to handle the economy has occurred chiefly among independents, now drawing away from the GOP after rallying to its side. As recently as January, 42 percent of independents preferred the Republicans in Congress over Obama to handle the economy. Today just 29 percent say the same, and there's been a rise in the number who volunteer that they don't trust either side.”

Read the rest of the article at ABC News: The Note: GOP Losing Ground In Battle Over Deficit.

Not Even Jon Stewart is Buying the President’s NATO Argument

The Daily Show
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Young Girls BANNED From Selling Girl Scout Cookies On Their Own Front Lawn

From Hawaii News Daily: Young Girls BANNED From Selling Girl Scout Cookies On Their Own Front Lawn

Once upon a time in America, if you were a couple of little girls and you wanted to sell lemonade or girl scout cookies at a little stand in front of your home nobody would give you any problems. In fact, most of the people passing by would have smiled and would have seen it as a sign of hope that the next generation was being so industrious. Well, that is not the way that it works anymore. Today, all across America nightmarish control freaks are seeking to micromanage every single aspect of our lives. That includes banning young girls from selling girl scout cookies on their own front lawns. Yes, you read that correctly. In Missouri of all places, two young girls named Abigail and Caitlin Mills were recently taught a lesson on how to be good citizens in the emerging totalitarian control grid going up all over the United States. After a complaint from a neighbor, the city of Hazelwood cracked down on the two girls and told them that they must shut down the girl scout cookie stand that they had been operating in their front yard.

So were the girls doing anything wrong? No. There are very few things that are more “American” than selling girl scout cookies. In fact, they had been operating the stand during this time of the year for the past 6 years. It had become a community tradition. But according to the city of Hazelwood, the girls were violating a city ordinance that bans “the sale of commodities” from a home.

You see, the truth is that there is a “rule” for almost everything today. In fact, we have so many “laws” and “rules” and “regulations” in the United States that it is literally impossible to be in compliance with all of them.

Read the rest at Hawaii News Daily: Young Girls BANNED From Selling Girl Scout Cookies On Their Own Front Lawn

Gary Johnson to Announce Intent to Run for President in Late April

Besides Ron Paul there is another man that we at Conservative for Change feel could make a very descent President, and that man is former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson.

It has been confirmed by Fox News that Gary Johnson will announce in April his intention to run for President of the United States:

Fox News has learned the former Governor of New Mexico will announce his candidacy, for President of the United States in late April. Johnson insiders say he will bypass the exploratory stage, announce his candidacy and immediately travel to New Hampshire sometime after tax day, April 15. Johnson is a strong supporter of legalizing marijuana and gay marriage. Strategists say his libertarian approach to GOP politics may prove very popular in the Granite State, whose motto is "Live Free or Die."

Johnson has not himself, and will not when asked, state his intention to seek the White House. He currently runs a non-profit organization and under FEC regulations cannot run for office at the same time. "I do have the fact that I'm a 501c (4), the Our America Initiative," the former Governor explains. "It allows me to raise money and speak out on the issues of the day, and of course I don't want to get sideways with that legal status."

When asked in a wide ranging interview with Fox News what he thinks is the most important issue facing America today, the answer is immediate, "I think it's the fact that we're bankrupt, that we're borrowing 43 cents out of every dollar that we're spending."

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/03/25/gary-johnson-announce-intent-run-president-late-april#ixzz1HjDTcJcu

If Ron Paul decides not to run for President, Gary Johnson will be given a lot of consideration by this website.

Maybe there could be a combo ticket in the works as well??? Paul/Johnson 2012??

Do We Really Need the Federal Reserve?

Where's the Authority on Libya?

In his latest C4L update, Congressman Ron Paul comments on how President Obama's actions on Libya are violating the Constitution, ceding authority and sovereignty to the United Nations, and weakening the United States.

Action by the American people to return government to its constitutional limits is critical if we are to change our course.

I Thought Obama Was Suppose to Be the Anti-War President?

The United States today began operations along side other nations to strike at the heart of Libya's power to wage war against opposition rebels in that country. The United States launched 112 cruise missles at strategic locations in Libya in an effort to stop the leader of the country, Moammar Gadhafi, from taking out the rebels in his country.

But here is my question....I thought Obama was suppose to be the anti-war President? Why are we now engaging in our 3rd military operation around the world?

Obama ran on the promise of being the anti-war President, but since the moment he took office he has been anything less then that promise. 

For years Obama and the Democrats have given the Bush administration hell for being aggressive when it came to foreign policy, but they turn around and conduct the same type of action when they are the ones in charge.

MARCH 19, 2011
OBAMA: 'Today we are part of a broad coalition. We are answering the calls of a threatened people. And we are acting in the interests of the United States and the world'...

MARCH 19, 2003
BUSH: 'American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger'...

Our country and our military can not be stretched so thin in a time like this. When are we going to stop being the policemen of the world and fix the problems we have here at home? When are we going to stop angering the people in that part of the world with our actions?

Ron Paul in Iowa

During Congressman Paul's recent trip to Iowa, he stopped at Pella Christian High School in Pella, Iowa as part of The FAMiLY Leader's "Presidential Lecture Series." The full speech, including the Q&A, is posted below.



Ron Paul 2012!!!

More Questions Raised Over Climategate

The Inhofe EPW Press Blog

Posted by David Lungren David_Lungren@epw.senate.gov

In the News...

More Questions Raised Over Climategate

Watts Up With That?: To Serve Mann  - Sources confirm that a federal inspector has questioned Eugene Wahl and Wahl has confirmed that Mann asked him to delete emails. Wahl has also informed the inspector that he did delete emails as the result of this request. There are times during the course of Climategate when you feel like you are in a twilight zone episode, especially the kind where the ambiguous meaning of terms plays a critical role, like "To Serve Man". ...Two years later, someone does notice.  It's May 24th 2008, Steve McIntyre, climate science puzzle solver, is reading the reviewer comments to chapter 6 of AR4 written in 2006.  In the course of reviewing Briffa's replies to him, McIntyre notes something peculiar. Briffa's replies, written in 2006, seemed to plagiarize an unpublished paper by Casper Amman and Eugene Wahl published in 2007. That is, in 2006 Briffa was repeating the argument of a paper that was not published until 2007. How could Briffa plagiarize an article that hadn't been published? Why would he repeat the arguments almost word for word? Who was feeding Briffa his arguments? How was Briffa doing this if all communication with the authors had to be part of the official record?

Daily Caller: Penn State Whitewashed ClimateGate  - Regardless of how this evidence particularly indicts Penn State, it offers further troubling evidence about Michael Mann - still vacuuming federal taxpayer money - and his relationship with the truth. Combined with other evasive answers, it's clear he has lawyered up. Putting aside for the moment how well he did so, we at least now see why. This begs the same questions of PSU as it does of the UK's two supposed inquires into ClimateGate, which were also cited as "clearing" the participants. Obviously we know that's not possible because, if either had bothered to interview Wahl, they'd know what we now know. Wahl says Mann did indeed ask Wahl to destroy records, and Wahl did. One cannot be cleared if there is no inquiry, and we have proof that no inquiry worthy of the name was conducted. New talking points must be developed, sans the spurious claim that anyone has been exonerated or even that any actual inquiry has been undertaken. At best, the key questions still remain outstanding. Worse, the list of implicated parties has grown. Which is it, Penn State? Were you incompetent, willfully ignorant, or willfully in on covering for Michael Mann?

Climate Audit: Wahl Transcript Excerpt   - From Capitol Hill come excerpted notes from the interview transcript between the NOAA Inspector General and Eugene Wahl. I am advised that it's not a continuous chain, with some back and forth between the paragraphs excluded. I am advised that the excluded sections, often lengthy, do not place the excerpts in any different light than reading them as presented below. Neither the Muir Russell nor Oxburgh "inquiries" took transcripts despite requests from the UK Parliamentary Committee to do so. Q. Did you ever receive a request by either Michael Mann or any others to delete any emails?A. I did receive that email. That's the last one on your list here. I did receive that.Q. So, how did you actually come about receiving that? Did you actually just - he just forward the - Michael Mann - and it was Michael Mann I guess?A. Yes Q. - That you received the email from? A. Correct ...A. To my knowledge, I just received a forward from him. Q. And what were the actions that you took? A. Well, to the best of my recollection, I did delete the emails. Q. So, did you find the request unusual, that they were - that the request - that you were being requested to delete such emails? A. Well, I had never received one like it. In that sense, it was unusual.  Q. I guess if the exchange of comments and your review was appropriate, I guess what I'm just trying to understand why you'd be ask to delete the emails after the fact, at the time that they're - it appears that the CRU is receiving FOIA requests

The day Sarah Palin kneecapped feminism

From National Post

The feminist revolution began as a necessary reform movement, but unfortunately evolved into a marxism-imbued, revolutionary one. Second-wave feminism’s focus soon shifted from women’s equal rights (which are limited to those defined by law) to women’s interests (which are limitless), as perceived through a victim’s lens.

For decades, the people that instruct our children; mould our lawyers, social workers, psychologists and health professionals; train our judiciary; control (and misinform) the domestic-violence industry; shape the views of journalists; and counsel politicians: All have been marinating from early youth in feminist correctness.

The consequence has been a culture that, if not overtly man-hating, is always man-blaming — in which, to our collective detriment, the rights of boys and men (especially fathers) are scanted for the sins of a few, and their contributions to the family and society trivialized.

That changed on September 3, 2008, when Sarah Palin accepted her vice-presidential nomination at the Republican convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Her speech electrified the nation.

Before 39-million viewers, Palin was the first public figure to openly and successfully ridicule the hitherto untouchable Barack Obama. She also was the first American woman to campaign for high office by paying homage, but no ideological dues, to the Sisterhood. This Alaskan small-town huntin’, fishin’ God-fearin,’ abortion-hatin’ mom of five showed that a woman can break through any glass ceiling she wants without the imprimatur of the feminist politburo.

Read the rest of The day Sarah Palin kneecapped feminism

Editorial: Weak GOP Field For '12? Tell It To Carter

(Note from poster: I agree with the "liberal columnist." From what I've seen of the field so far, Obama could get 4 more years. The old RINOs are still the only names on the list. Just like last time - I won't vote for them. And as far as I'm concerned, every time they mention Ronald Reagan, they lose points. If they can't win on their own reputation, they can't win.)

Politics: The conventional wisdom — that the GOP 2012 field falls short of someone able to take back the White House — hearkens back to the days when Democrats begged the GOP to nominate a former actor.

What passes for conventional wisdom these days, says President Obama, despite a failed stimulus, an unpopular health overhaul and lackluster and apologetic leadership abroad, just may lead to his re-election if for no other reason that the GOP has fielded no candidate of sufficient stature or ability to challenge him.

Of course, this could be a combination of Democrats whistling past what could be their political graveyard in 2012 and squeamish Republicans still in awe of the man who glibly rode a populist wave into the White House.

Liberal columnist Eugene Robinson says: "Republicans are assembling what looks like a remarkably weak field of candidates for the 2012 election — an odd assortment of the uninspiring and the unelectable." Really.

We think the GOP field is quite strong and that even the least of the possible candidates has more experience than a former community organizer who became Illinois state senator, then a half-term U.S. senator who spent most of his time running for president.

The biggest thing the GOP contenders demonstrate is that, unlike the incumbent, they have a clue about what's going on in the country and world and what they intend to do about it. Many are or have been governors and have balanced budgets and signed paychecks rather than just make speeches.

Continue reading: Editorial: Weak GOP Field For '12? Tell It To Carter

Can a $100 Dollar Bill Get You Detained at a Florida Turnpike Tollbooth?

Here at Conservative for Change we are always on the look out for actions by government to illegally detain you and gather your information for purposes that have nothing to do with your legal actions.

Apparently in the State of Florida you must provide the Department of Transportation your personal information if you pay a toll booth currency higher than $20.

Watch the shocking video:

Government Waste By the Numbers: Report Identifies Dozens of Overlapping Programs

With a $14 Trillion debt in this country any type of waste will probably go unnoticed. However, the GAO has come out and exposed many ways the federal government is wasting its money and leading to higher deficits and a higher national debt.

From Fox News:

The study found 33 areas with "overlap and fragmentation" in the federal government. Among them, it found:

-- Fifty-six programs across 20 agencies dealing with financial literacy.

-- More than 2,100 data centers -- up from 432 a little more than a decade ago -- across 24 federal agencies. GAO estimated the government could save up to $200 billion over the next decade by consolidating them.

-- Twenty programs across seven agencies dealing with homelessness. The report found $2.9 billion spent on the programs in 2009. "Congress is often to blame" for fragmentation, GAO wrote in this section, explaining that the duplicative programs in multiple agencies cause access problems for potential participants.

-- Eighty-two "distinct" teacher-quality programs across 10 agencies. Many of them have "duplicate sub-goals," GAO said. Nine of them address teacher quality in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.

-- Fifteen agencies administering 30 food-related laws. "Some of the oversight doesn't make any sense," the report stated bluntly.

-- Eighty economic development programs.

In some cases, the programs in question struggled to account for what they did. Take, for instance, domestic food assistance initiatives. According to GAO, 18 such programs are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services -- with GAO estimating $62.5 billion spent on them.

But "little is known about the effectiveness" of 11 of those programs, the report states.

Similarly, of the 47 job-training programs run out of the federal government, only five could provide an "impact study" since 2004 looking at "outcomes." About half of them provided no performance review at all since 2004.

The lengthy GAO report was mandated by Congress the last time it raised the debt limit in January 2010. Coburn said the report makes lawmakers look like "jackasses."

"We don't know what we're doing," Coburn said.

The Defense Department takes a number of hits in the report. The GAO found many instances of duplication in the sprawling agency. The use of "urgent need" funds have been expanded, GAO found, with "multiple places for a warfighter to submit" such requests.

GAO found that the Pentagon has "no tracking mechanism" for these funds, resulting in an estimated $77 billion spent since 2005 on communication and computer technologies, counter-measures for improvised explosive devices and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tools.

Congress asked GAO to look specifically at "federal programs, agencies, offices and initiatives with duplicative goals and activities, to estimate the cost of such duplication and to make recommendations to Congress for consolidation and elimination of such duplication."