Buried “treasure”

Somebody at Investors Business Daily has been reading the highway bill:

IRS Might Have Stalinist Powers Under New Law

The Republican House of Representatives may soon follow the Democratic Senate and give the IRS the power to confiscate your passport on mere suspicion of owing taxes.  There's no place like home, comrade.

"America, Love It Or Leave It” might be an obsolete slogan if the "bipartisan transportation bill” that just passed the Senate is approved by the House and becomes law.  Contained within the suspiciously titled "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act,” or "MAP 21,” is a provision that gives the Internal Revenue Service the power to keep U.S. citizens from leaving the country if it finds that they owe $50,000 or more in unpaid taxes — no court ruling necessary.

It is hard to imagine any law more reminiscent of the Soviet Union that America toppled, or its Eastern Bloc slave satellites...

"MAP21” is this session’s "highway bill,” yet another of those multi-thousand page^[1] pay-off-the-rubes- while-stealing-their-liberty^[2] Christmas trees that Congress so dearly loves.


This time, 22 Senate Republicans chose pork over liberty and voted "aye”:
Another 22 Republicans voted against, and 3 (including run-for-the-hills Sen. Orrin Hatch) didn’t bother to vote.

Your Congress, in action.

Elsewhere:

(Via:  IP)
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Republicans, 2014?

A Tory voter writes:

"We voted for change.  We voted to rid our country of socialism, of compromise, of personal power and individuals’ self interest in the benefits of power.  We voted to protect our hard won standards, our culture and traditions and our pride in our unique nationhood...

"We tied what remained of our severely damaged hopes wishes and aspirations to the colours of a ‘new revitalised’ Party led by a professed Conservative, a man purporting to have presence on the world stage, a man supposedly of unwavering principle and courage, a protector of our country, our culture and our establishment.  Perhaps, we foolishly thought, with this man we will get our country back.

"Wrong on every count!.”

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Clipfile - April 13, 2012

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Clipfile - April 11, 2012

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Clipfile - March 12, 2012

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Clipfile - March 10, 2012

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Clipfile - March 7, 2012

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Finally: Mitch says what the Republicans *should* have been saying all along

The Hill:

Gov. Daniels:  Obama administration ‘wanted higher gas prices’
By Meghashyam Mali - 02/26/12 12:11 PM ET

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) blamed President Obama for the spike in oil prices, saying the administration had pushed for consumers to pay higher prices at the pump.

"Let’s give the president credit for one domestic policy that works.  He wanted higher gas prices and he got them,” said Daniels on Fox News Sunday.

"Secretary Chu said $8 are about what they pay in Europe.  It would be great. Secretary Salazar said $10 and it still wouldn’t be for drilling in the places where we know there’s an awful lot of domestic production.  And so, they have gotten the doubling of gas prices and perhaps worse, it’s a conscious policy of this administration.  Maybe the one thing they set out to do and actually accomplished.” he said.

Wow!  Go Mitch!  "Speak Truth To Power,” I guess...

But the question isn’t whether he’s right (he is) or whether he was being "fair” (he was), but why it’s been left to lame-Duck non-candidate Daniels to drive hope a point that everyone in the Republican party should have been making ever since gasoline hit three dollars a gallon.

Why the Republican silence?  Were they afraid of being dis-invited to those famous D.C. cocktail parties?

Or of being attacked by the environmentalists, the Democrats, and the media.*

Or perhaps it’s because that, deep in their hearts, the gentry Republicans agree that $10-a-gallon gasoline actually isn’t that bad an idea.

Which would certainly explain why their endless fulmination over "energy independence” has never led to anything concrete that might achieve it.


Related:

(Mitch via: Insty, Big Government via: Rush.)
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* But I repeat myself.

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“If federal prosecutors receive public credit for their good works... they should not be able to hide behind the shield of anonymity when they make serious mistakes.”

So says Ninth Circuit Judge Carlos Bea.

Hey, we could use a lot more "recognition” like this!

UPDATE (120222 16:15):  Instapundit links added.
(Via:  Techdirt)

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Clipfile - January 29, 2012

"...You ... can’t stop a real artist from practicing their craft; it’s in them and just has to come out.  But if you can’t ‘art’ without government hand-outs I suggest that you aren’t an ‘artist’ at all.  You’re a mooch.” - "razorbacker,” posting at Daily Pundit

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