Got’cher “Top 10 List of TSA Suspects”...

(Damn, I wish Kim Du Toit was still blogging regularly.)

Posted by: Old Grouch in Linkage at 23:14:35 GMT | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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When they come looking for contributions, better hang on to your wallet...

NRSC Press Release:

National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today announced that businesswoman and civic leader Carly Fiorina will join the organization as a Vice Chair for the 2012 election cycle.

Serving alongside Cornyn and NRSC Vice Chairman U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Fiorina will amplify Senate Republicans’ focus on healing America’s troubled economy, and assist with the NRSC’s crucial fundraising efforts in support of a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate.

Cornyn, Fiorina, and Hatch.  (Oh hell, here’s a link for both Cornyn and Hatch!)  Hey, what could go wrong?

Via R.S.McCain, who notes Fiorina’s astounding record of success:

In 2010, a year when Republicans were winning a nationwide landslide, Carly Fiorina pissed away $21.5 million — including more than $5 million of her own money — and lost to Barbara Boxer by a 10% margin.

Can you say, "sinecure for another failed Gentry RINO”?  I thought you could.

Now try "Republicans take Senate in 2012”?  With this crew (could we call ’em "The Three Stooges”?) in charge, that’s a bit harder, isn’t it?

UPDATE (110715 17:00):  Welcome Daily Pundit readers!

Related:

Posted by: Old Grouch in Rants at 22:54:31 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Clipfile - July 13, 2011

"‘Progress’ has been about destroying the individual, while claiming to save that person.” - "Smitty”

Posted by: Old Grouch in Clipfile at 21:48:11 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Groucho could have said it...

Tam:

The BATFE announced a plan to cut down on gun smuggling to Mexico. (Personally, I wish they'd stop gun smuggling to Mexico, but I understand that going cold turkey is tough, so maybe they can cut back as a first step.)

Rimshot!

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 17:28:11 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Told ya so...

The Hill:

The House rejected a bill Tuesday aimed at repealing a slew of light bulb efficiency standards that conservatives have targeted as an egregious example of federal overreach.

The Better Use of Light Bulbs (BULB) Act, sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), failed on a 233-193 vote, with a two-thirds majority needed for passage.

A suspend-the-rules vote guaranteed to fail...?

The vote fell mostly along party lines, but five Democrats voted in favor of the bill and 10 Republicans voted against the bill.  One Republican voted "present.”

The list:
DrewM.:

Seriously, if the GOP can't get this stuff right, the hopes of getting something as gigantic as the debt ceiling even remotely right is depressingly low.

That’s assuming the Republicans actually wanted to pass it, which IMO would be a pretty big assumption nowadays.

Elsewhere:

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 16:41:06 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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The Great Federal Budget Debacle

Roberta X, on how it will all come out.  Well, you know what they say about low expectations...

Posted by: Old Grouch in Linkage at 17:52:27 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Rounding Second, headed for Third (World, that is!)

New York Post:

[New York City] is so hard up for cash that it’s rationing toilet paper in women’s public restrooms -- to the point where bathroom attendants are doling out a few measly squares per patron -- along the world-famous Coney Island boardwalk.

The Post witnessed stone-faced Parks Department employees leave toilet-paper dispensers empty last week and instead force astonished female beachgoers to form "ration lines” in the bathrooms.

Chris Wysocki recalls P.J. O’Rourke’s famous line:

These were people who believed everything about the Soviet Union was perfect, but they were bringing their own toilet paper.

They’re called Progressives, and this is the world they want for all of us.

Related (links HT: Chris):

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 21:06:21 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Just pull the damn plug

You start with this:

If Treasury were to decide to delay payments, it would need to re-program government computers that generate automatic payments as they fall due -- a massive and difficult undertaking.

...sensationalize it (a bit):

...It’s far from clear that it’s even possible to stop making the 3 million payments that Treasury makes automatically every day.  Doing so involves a massive computer-reprogramming effort which I’m sure could not be implemented overnight...

...and you get:

if Felix Salmon is to be believed, Treasury will send out checks anyway because it can’t stop.

The sad thing is, while I’m sure Glenn has his tongue firmly in cheek, because it’s "computers,”^[1] somebody is sure to believe it.

Watch for its appearance on the weekend gabfests!


Elsewhere: Smitty reacts:

Nonsense: ... This is more of a junkie/needle problem than a technical one.

-----

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 18:55:08 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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Here comes the cave

The Hill:

House Republicans on Wednesday showed a new willingness to talk about closing tax loopholes

caving in to the Democrats ( FIFY)

in the context of negotiations to raise the nation’s $14.3 billion debt ceiling.

The signal was made by Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the man who left debt talks led by Vice President Biden two weeks ago...

...and is a proud member of The 92 (which is all you need to know, really).

The GOP’s move was seen as a positive sign...

by Democrats and the media (but I repeat myself)

that a deal will be reached

taxes will be increased, while the deficit remains untouched ( FTFY,T)

...
"If the president wants to talk loopholes, we’ll talk loopholes,” Cantor said, with one caveat: Any revenue gained from ending a tax break should be used to lower other taxes, the second-ranking House Republican said...

Yah, yah, yah... more RINO promises.  BTW, how’s that light bulb ban repeal goin’, Mister Majority Leader, hmmm?

That drew a sharp response from Democrats, who said the demand would prevent them from winning any deficit cuts through the elimination of tax loopholes.

To which, Bill Quick:

...Never, not once, not one single time have... tax increases ever resulted in those taxes being used to decrease the national debt.

But unlike elephants, RINOs never remember.

UPDATE: Bend over:
Related:

Posted by: Old Grouch in Rants at 17:12:53 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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The only way it could have been better is if this had been my Fourth of July post

LabRat:

Town meeting #1.  State of emergency, among those present are the state governor, fire chief and assorted senior regional wildfire officers.  Tensions and stakes are high.  First question from the floor, from a worried community:

"How can I donate to the Red Cross?”

Only in America, and goddam am I proud of it!

Posted by: Old Grouch in In Passing at 21:39:59 GMT | No Comments | Add Comment
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