Two conservative groups, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the Coalition for Urban Renewal and Education, filed a lawsuit today over the flag@whitehouse snitchline set up by the Obama Administration. White House staff set up with email address to collect information on opposition to Obamacare.

The specific effort, which was launched on August 4 as part of the White House's "rapid response" Health Insurance Reform Reality Check, was quickly abandoned after members of Congress raised questions about it. Nevertheless, say the two groups filing suit, the information collection effort continues under another name and is part of an "unlawful pattern and practice to collect and maintain information" on the exercise of free speech, which "continues in violation of the Privacy Act and First Amendment even if the Defendants terminate a particular information-collection component due to negative publicity."

I haven't seen the complaint, but I don't expect fireworks from this. It's pretty hard to sue the government and very hard to sue the White House (just ask anyone who tried to sue President Bush, VP Cheney, and Karl Rove). I expect this is about publicity, rather than legal vindication, especially since the snitch program was taken down.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 08:18 AM | Comments (1)
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I missed this part, because I was still reeling from the horror of terrorists having cigar smoke in their faces. (And also being threatened with physical harm -- never did I imagine that when our guys were interrogating terrorists, threats might be part of the program. What, did I wake up in 1939? And in Berlin? And in Hitler's rumpus room?)

Now that I have all begun the recovery process from this psychical disruption, I can begin processing other information again.

The IG report belies House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s claims that she wasn’t told about all this. “In the fall of 2002, the Agency briefed the leadership of the Congressional Intelligence Oversight Committees on the use of both standard techniques and EITs. . . . Representatives . . . continued to brief the leadership of the Intelligence Oversight Committees on the use of EITs and detentions in February and March 2003. The [CIA] General Counsel says that none of the participants expressed any concern about the techniques or the Program . . . .” Ditto in September 2003.

In related news, we have confirmation that rogue interrogators killed as many people as did Ted Kennedy's car. (And that guy is being prosecuted; prosecutors concluded that his last name was not "Kennedy" and therefore he was legally responsible for homicide.)

Posted by: Ace at 07:51 AM | Comments (1)
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Who would have believed that if the government created an industry out of whole cloth, it wouldn't have any consumers?

Two-thirds of U.S. biodiesel production capacity now sits unused, reports the National Biodiesel Board. Biodiesel, a crucial part of government efforts to develop alternative fuels for trucks and factories, has been hit hard by the recession and falling oil prices.

[...]

"If your investors are losing money in first-generation biofuels, I guarantee you they'll be more reluctant to put money into more biofuels, including next-generation fuels," says Tom Murray, global head of energy for German bank WestLB, one of the leading lenders to ethanol and biodiesel makers.

Domestically produced biofuels were supposed to be an answer to reducing America's reliance on foreign oil. In 2007, Congress set targets for the U.S. to blend 36 billion gallons of biofuels a year into the U.S. fuel supply in 2022, from 11.1 billion gallons in 2009. That would increase biofuels' share of the liquid-fuel mix to roughly 16% from 5%, based on U.S. Energy Information Administration fuel-demand projections.

[...]

The business models for most biofuel companies were predicated on a much higher price of crude oil, making biofuels more attractive. A government-guaranteed market was also central to business plans.

Now I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm starting to suspect there's an obvious reason for biodiesel's problems.

Click over to read the very comprehensive article, including senators begging Obama to save the industry from "looming bankruptcies." IOW, another bailout.

Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 07:34 AM | Add Comment
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"Killed in Washington" is the key phrase here I believe.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former high-ranking members of his administration won't be criminally charged in a yearlong federal investigation into pay-to-play allegations involving one of the Democratic governor's large political donors, someone familiar with the case said.

The decision not to pursue indictments was made by top Justice Department officials, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who asked not to be identified because federal officials had not disclosed results of the probe.

"It's over. There's nothing. It was killed in Washington," the person told The Associated Press.

A federal grand jury began an investigation in 2008 into a possible pay-to-play scheme in which lucrative work on state bond deals went to a Richardson donor. The federal probe derailed Richardson's appointment as commerce secretary in President Barack Obama's administration.

Bill Richardson and the Black Panthers get a pass. CIA agents trying to protect America? Time to investigate! Priorities you know.

Posted by: DrewM at 07:33 AM | Add Comment
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I meant this for the sidebar, but I guess it should be a main post.

As Memorial day passed this year, I began to think of this year’s upcoming Veteran’s day and my plan to continue the “Take a Vet to Lunch” tradition started last year. It was at this point that I thought I should spread the word. My plan is to start with a web site, some simple promotion, and hopefully, by Veterans’ Day 2009, every living US Military Veteran will be taken to lunch. My plan is to assemble some features of the web site that will help local organizers and send email reminders as the day approaches, while fostering a community and forum for other ideas to honor our vets.

ItÂ’s a very simple thing. ItÂ’s appreciative without being overly ceremonial, and simple enough that most Vets will accept it without too much fuss. I have found most Vets to be humble in their acceptance of any fanfare for what they consider to be a dutiful task, while themselves being almost aggressively thankful to others who have made similar sacrifices.

Posted by: Ace at 07:28 AM | Add Comment
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Posted by: Gabriel Malor at 05:04 AM | Comments (1)
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In a noteworthy demonstration of gratitude, the Obama administration continues to press for the overthrow of their government and constitution.

As shadowy moneymen in the terror underworld go, not many are as unsavory as Jamal Yousef, an ex-Syrian military man turned terrorist arms supplier. Three years ago in Honduras, undercover U.S. agents caught him trying to sell 100 AR-15 assault rifles, 100 M-16 assault rifles, 10 M-60 machine guns, C-4 explosives, 2,500 hand grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and as many as 18 surface-to-air missiles to Colombia's FARC Marxist narcoterrorists.

His price? A ton of cocaine, something he knew how to "move."

Honduran cops put him away for petty charges, but he did only three years in prison that ended this week.

Instead of letting him walk, the Honduran government put him on a plane bound for New York to stand trial on narcoterror conspiracy charges, arriving there Wednesday. If convicted, Yousef faces at least 20 years in one of our slammers.

It's awesome to watch 30 years of cooperation disintegrate in a couple of months because President Jesus can't be bothered to comprehend a few messy details like sovereignty, constitutional law, or a small friendly nation struggling against a tide of Marxism to self-determine.

Posted by: Dave in Texas at 07:44 PM | Add Comment
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Good evening all. Genghis asked me to fill in since he's a little spent after valiantly chaperoning the overnight Kennedy thread. So no kettehs tonight unless there is provocation.

So onto the topics which will of course be ignored:

Item #1: A Sober Look at Ted Kennedy
I know the ONT is normally a happy-fun politics free zone, but I'm going to make an exception tonight. This is an article written by the late Michael Kelly back in 1990 showing Ted Kennedy, warts and all and there were a lot of warts. It's a pretty brutal look at full blown alcoholism mixed with unrestrained personal appetites along with extra dollops of sexual assault. And remember that this was in 1990 so there were almost 20 more years of rakery ahead. We talk about the AoS lifestyle, but the truth is most of us are just posers compared to Teddy. He lived the TedK lifestyle to the fullest. If you or I had even tried to live it, we would have long ago ended up dead or in prison.

Item #2: Top 10 Nazi Killing Movies
I have to admit that one of my greatest pleasures in life is watching Nazis get killed. Well that and zombies getting killed which is why Return to Castle Wolfenstein is one of my all time favorite video games what with the undead Nazis and all. But just plain old Nazis is always good too. For some reason it just makes me happy. more...

Posted by: Open Blog at 05:54 PM | Add Comment
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Thank the media. Obama didn't run for president; he ran for messiah, and the media encouraged the delusion.

more...

Posted by: Ace at 04:59 PM | Comments (2)
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Every time a good unemployment rate was reported for Bush (which was for all but about a year of his term), the media relentlessly claimed the numbers were far higher when one considered "discouraged workers."

That's ass-backwards, though. When employment is high, the unemployment rate overstates unemployment, as previously unemployed non- or semi-workers are lured into the labor pool. When employment is low -- as it is now -- the unemployment rate understates unemployment. Not only are no situational-type workers joining the workforce -- they stay well clear of it -- but many workers either give up looking after a while or are "employed," but only part-time.

Well, we finally have a bit of data on the real unemployment rate under President Jesus H. Executive, and it's a doozy.

But don't expect to hear this repeated by anyone in the media again.

he real US unemployment rate is 16 percent if persons who have dropped out of the labor pool and those working less than they would like are counted, a Federal Reserve official said Wednesday.

"If one considers the people who would like a job but have stopped looking -- so-called discouraged workers -- and those who are working fewer hours than they want, the unemployment rate would move from the official 9.4 percent to 16 percent, said Atlanta Fed chief Dennis Lockhart.

He underscored that he was expressing his own views, which did "do not necessarily reflect those of my colleagues on the Federal Open Market Committee," the policy-setting body of the central bank.

...

Lockhart, who heads the Atlanta, Georgia, division of the Fed, is the first central bank official to acknowledge the depth of unemployment amid the worst US recession since the Great Depression.

Thanks to AHFF Geoff.

2.3 Million More Distractions: Sweet.

And in related news, Chris Matthews wants to know why Obama's not getting credit for this miraculous economic turnaround we're all enjoying.

Posted by: Ace at 04:16 PM | Comments (28)
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