"I promise you...Obama has a big stick." Joe Biden's campaign speech on foreign policy this week.
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- Most of my readers know, I like to start off my post with some type of late night joke or a headline from The Onion. However, I couldn't pass up Slo Joe Biden's statement regarding Pres. Obama's "big stick." Biden has so many gaffs; it's getting to the point that he should really consider his own reality TV show. I also have a title for the show in mind: "Joe Biden: The Nation's Leading Knucklehead." Yeh, that works for me.
- On more tidbit on Slo Joe. He actually said of Sen. Al Franken, formerally of SNL, that Franken is "one of the leading legal scholars." Just one slight problem. Fifty-five U.S. senators are attorneys (and that's bad enough), but Al---he's not one of them.
- Biden reminds me of a quote attributed to Plato: "Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber."
- Pew is also reporting that only 33% like the federal government---the lowest favorability polling in 15 years. And only 27% of independents view the feds favorably. Not good news for Obama and company. Personally, I'd like to see a poll on how Americans view the government's competence or lack of. It appears Plato had a point.
- GDP (Gross Domestic Product*) numbers are in and they are not that good. The economy grew at 2.2%. Expectations were the economy would have grown by at least 2.5% (still a sluggish number). The good news is that consumer spending did increase at the fastest pace since the fourth quarter of 2010. This was largely due to better automobile sales. Inventories also increased. But it was business spending that tanked. It was the first time business spending decreased since 2009. Growth was also held back by less government spending on defense.* For those who need a lesson on what the GDP is---here's a cliff note version. It's EVERYTHING produced by people and businesses, including salaries of workers. CNBC
- Oh, regarding the poor jobs report yesterday, one other minor caveat: While we added a some jobs over the last two years, nearly 75% of those jobs have been added overseas. Coincidentally, that happens to be in line with last week's report that GM is opening about 600 more dealerships---in China. WSJ
- Gallup also reported that home ownership is the lowest in a decade at 62%. Highest home ownership during this same period was from 2005-2008 when 70 to 73% of Americans owned homes.
- While the immigration debate continues to rage across the country, one fact is clear. Immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship do better on civics test than most native-born Americans. In fact, immigrants clean their clocks. On a typical 10 question test, immigrants pass with about 93% while native-born Americans get about a 65% or basically flunk.
- Speaking of immigration, I have a question for the administration and Eric Holder: Instead of suing states---why not just fix the damn problems associated with illegal immigration? Considering illegal immigration cost taxpayers almost $115 billion a year and about 8 million illegal immigrants take jobs from native-born Americans, it's not much to ask for. In addition, the cost to the illegals who try to cross our borders is also expensive. Not only in dollars and pesos, but in their lives as well as the thousands of women who get raped by scavenger gangs who prey on these poor souls trying to cross into our country. Fix the damn problem!
- Qanta Ahmed is a physician practicing in New York. She's also a Muslim. She had a great piece in the NY Post today regarding the media's attack upon the NYPD's monitoring of Muslim communities for counter terrorism purposes. In short, she points out correctly that Muslims are not victims in America. Most Muslims in America do well economically. Most are prosperous. And they have much more religious freedom in America than in most Muslim countries. For example, she points out correctly again that in Pakistan religious minorities continue to be persecuted. Saudi Arabia still has many restrictions on the freedom of speech, movement and worship. And she didn't report on this, but I will. In many Muslim countries they also have a fondness for murdering non-believers, gays and women. Dr. Qanta is also the author of "In The Land of Invisible Women." By the way, I'm sure she knows---that by writing this piece---her life is probably in danger.
- This week marks Israel's 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday Israel!!!
- The only reason Pres. Obama is visiting all of these colleges and universities is to recruit students for his campaign. It has nothing to do with lowering interest rates on student loans---nothing. Students, as usual, are being scammed. And it's bad enough they are being scammed by the schools with the absurd tuition rates they are paying.
