The Water Cooler is written by Washington Times staffers.
By James S. Robbins — Published January 7, 2010 Comments
Watching President Obama's Thursday afternoon talk on terrorism I was struck by his uniformly dark hair. This comes a day after the Drudge Report headlined "The Year Barack Went Gray." See for example this picture posted January 1, or this one of him returning from his trip to Hawaii. Now there is no trace of gray whatsoever. AFP is running a photo in which the top of his head is cropped out (see here), maybe as a courtesy. I suppose the White House wants the president to convey an image of youth and vigor when discussing such a serious topic, but the sudden change was a little bit distracting. At least we know they pay attention to Drudge.
by Kerry Picket — Published January 7, 2010 Comments
The House Democratic Caucus convened this afternoon in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) office (via mainly teleconference) with members discussing the fine details of pending health care legislations passed in both the House and the Senate. The meeting covered issues, raised by different members, from how Cadillac plans could hike the premiums on regular plans in their districts to the Senate's language regarding abortion not meeting a status quo. While the meeting remained closed to press, the Democratic Leadership and Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor struck back at charges that the health care debates and negotiations have not been open and transparent. House Democrats released the following statistics, including: PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ON HEALTH REFORM: Spent nearly 100 hours in hearings on health reform Heard from 181 witnesses (both Democratic and Republican) Spent 83 hours in Committee markups Considered a total of ...
by Anath Hartmann — Published January 7, 2010 Comments
Good riddance to bad governance. By bowing out of the 2010 Colorado gubernatorial race, one-term Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter, who had been steadily slipping in polls against Republican challenger Scott McInnis, made a humbling political move--a stark contrast to his witch hunt against former Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Cory Voorhis in 2006. As Denver district attorney for 12 years, Ritter routinely allowed illegal immigrants charged with crimes to plead to lesser charges and so avoid deportation. But that's not what he told The Denver Post in 2006, when he lamented that federal officials did not make enough of an effort to arrest illegal immigrant criminals. When Voorhis--who knew of at least one criminal Ritter's exchange-a-crime policy had allowed to stay in the country and commit further crimes--read the piece, he contacted Ritter's opponent for governor, then-Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez, in an effort to expose Ritter. When Beauprez used the information in campaign ads against Ritter, Ritter launched another campaign--against Voorhis. He demanded a ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 7, 2010 Comments
UPDATE-Added transcript C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb spoke with radio host Bill Press yesterday (Jan. 6, 2010) about requesting that C-SPAN cameras be allowed into the final health care negotiations. (h/t Freedom's Lighthouse) LAMB: "The American pay for all of this that goes on in this town. It’s always been my contention and its not a sophisticated intelligent position. Its just a gut reaction, that if we pay for something, it’s the public’s business, and we ought to see how its done. It’s just that simple."
by Kerry Picket — Published January 7, 2010 Comments
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are: Fla. cops: Man threatening Jews taken off flight,Hume’s gentle witness, and a gay group demands Letterman apologize for mocking a transgender presidential appointee AP: Fla. cops: Man threatening Jews taken off flight Police say an airline passenger in Miami proclaimed "I want to kill all the Jews" before officers forced him off a Detroit-bound plane. Miami-Dade police said in a statement Thursday that 43-year-old Mansor Mohammad Asad of Toledo, Ohio, was arrested. He faces several charges including disorderly conduct. National Review: Hume’s gentle witness Shales’s criticisms in particular are manifestations of a mind that is enraged and slightly unhinged; they are ad hominem and, in some respects, unserious. ABC News: Gay group demands Letterman apologize for mocking transgender appointee As a photograph of Simpson was shown, announcer Alan Kalter shouted, "What? Amanda? Amanda used to be a dude?"
by Kerry Picket — Published January 6, 2010 Comments
Radio Equalizer's Brian Maloney has posted the most incredible clip and transcript of liberal talk radio host Mike Malloy, where the radio host is accusing the GOP for being behind the attempted Christmas day bombing of Northwest flight 253. Mr. Malloy went on this outrageous conspiracy rant on his Monday show. This is the same guy, by the way, who accused "birthers", an NRA board member, and somebody who works for Senator James Inhofe (R - OK) of committing arson in a Los Angles fire back in September of 2009. MALLOY (05:05): Now, the inquiry, the questions are being raised as to whether or not this is not a deliberate attempt to embarrass... ah, that's not quite a strong enough word, but let's start there, embarrass the Obama Administration - that there are forces at work in this country, and I believe this as surely as I put on my ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 6, 2010 Comments
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are: What the Dems know: Universal voter registration, the terrorist who won't die, and first transgender presidential appointee fears being labeled 'token'. American Thinker What the Dems know: Universal voter registration Leftist groups are already arguing that universal voter registration will solve all the problems with our voting system. But the left created most of these problems. The radical leftist Nation Magazine, for example, absolutely loves the idea of universal voter registration. The Daily Beast: The terrorist who won't die Fifty-seven-year-old terrorist Abdelbeset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi—handed a life sentence after being found guilty in the Dec. 21, 1988 murders of 259 passengers and crew on Pan Am Flight 103, plus another 11 people on the ground—was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer by unnamed Scottish doctors who erroneously predicted he’d be dead by now. ABC News: First transgender presidential appointee fears being ...
by Anath Hartmann — Published January 6, 2010 Comments
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar must desperately want to drive up oil prices and further sink the American economy. What other outcome could he possibly expect from instituting stricter regulations for drilling on federal land? On Wednesday Salazar announced policy changes that will make oil and gas permitting on public property even tougher for energy companies. "In the prior administration the oil and gas industry was the king of the world," Salazar is quoted as saying in an AP article. "Whatever they wanted happened." Under Obama, it's whatever the environmentalists want that seems to happen. Salazar's announcement comes conspicuously soon after complaints from the Government Accountability Office and green groups that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management was abusing a 2005 law. The legislation allowed federal land managers to skip long and involved environmental reviews before allowing gas and oil drilling. With oil on Wednesday topping $83 dollars a barrel, its highest price in ...
by Anath Hartmann — Published January 5, 2010 Comments
For the past two years Dallas has been offering prostitutes publicly funded rehabilitation programs as an alternative to jail--and despite limited success, other cities may soon follow suit in the costly venture. The city's Prostitution Diversion Initiative entails a once-a-month camp-out of four command trucks, a mobile courtroom and health care clinic, multiple police officers and social workers and a judge, according to an Associated Press article. This coterie sets up shop in a vacant lot near truck stops that provide the bulk of the prostitutes' business and for eight hours every four weeks, officers question prostitutes and confiscate their property. If the prostitutes have no felony warrants the judge gives them the option of doing a 45-day, in-patient rehabilitation program, followed by "help" with education, child care and housing. A nice idea, and one that several hundred cities have reportedly expressed interest in replicating, but has it made a difference? In ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 5, 2010 Comments
C-Span wants their cameras into the final health care talks. On December 30, C-Span CEO, Brian Lamb wrote to leaders in both the House and Senate asking them to let the C-SPAN cameras into "all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings." : "President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation’s health care system. Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American." A day before the Senate passed their version of the health care bill at a Democratic news conference, I asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)if he would open up conference committee hearings to television cameras as opposed ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 5, 2010 Comments
Today's Water Cooler lineup of off the beaten path online stories are: Ben Nelson’s bogus infomercial, GOP’s Brown within nine points in Mass. Senate race, and Did Obama politicize the terror database? NetRight Nation: Ben Nelson’s bogus infomercial Move over Psychic Friends Network. Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson just became the latest contender for the infomercial throne. He’s pitching his own brand of healthcare snake oil. And, he’s sealing the sale in truest infomercial pitchman form, with the bogus guarantee: “Remember, folks, it’s not run by government.” Investor's Business Daily: GOP’s Brown within nine points in Mass. Senate race Coakley leads 50% to 41%, according to a new Rasmussen poll. Her lead falls to just two points among respondents who say they are sure to vote. American Thinker: Did Obama politicize the terror database? In his usual heroic fashion, Obama tossed that hot Christmas Bomber potato to Janet Napolitano, and when she dropped the potato, it ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 4, 2010 Comments
MSNBC's Keth Olbermann went after Fox News Channel's Brit Hume for comments Mr. Hume made about Christianity this weekend. Olbermann's comparison was so outrageous even his guest, Dan Savage, who was critical of Mr. Hume had to moderate Mr. Olbermann's remarks. (VIDEO BELOW) OLBERMANN: (2:15 in) Isn't this the classic thing that your mother probably also pointed out to you about never discussing religion in public? You can discuss religion in public. Its like this that you're not supposed to do it. This crosses that principle. Keep religious advocacy out of public life since the worst examples of that are Jihadists---not to mention guys who don't know their own religions or someone else's religion like Brit Hume. TRANSCRIPT BELOW (h/t Brad Wilmouth at Newsbusters for transcription) KEITH OLBERMANN, IN OPENING TEASER: And Fox News drops the pretense: Tiger Woods can be forgiven, but only if he renounces his religion. BRIT HUME: ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 4, 2010 Comments
Fox News senior analyst Brit Hume appeared on The O'Reilly Factor tonight and stood by the statements he made this weekend regarding his advice for Tiger Woods to turn to Christianity. In fact, Mr. Hume went even further this evening with his thoughts on redemption and Jesus Christ. (videos below) HUME: “Jesus Christ offers Tiger Woods something Tiger Woods desperately needs.” HUME: "Tiger Woods will recover as a golfer. Whether he can recover as a person I think is a very open question, and it's a tragic situation for him. I think he's lost his family, it's not clear to me if he'll be able to have a relationship with his children, but the Tiger Woods that emerges once the news value dies out of this scandal -- the extent to which he can recover -- seems to me to depend on his faith. He's said to be a Buddhist; ...
by Anath Hartmann — Published January 4, 2010 Comments
Matt Lauer must have been absent from J-school the day the rest of his class learned how to conduct an objective interview. On Monday's Today Show, the NBC anchor grilled Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) about DeMint's "hold-out" status (h/t Newsbusters)in regard to Senate confirmation of Transportation Security Administration nominee Erroll Southers. "You say we're all on the same page," Lauer said to DeMint on the show. "You are the single hold-out, Senator, in--in approving the President's choice for the director of the TSA, Errol Southers and I'm--I'm just curious, in--in light of Flight 253 are you still gonna hold out on that nomination or are you maybe gonna come around?" Lauer failed to mention that in this nomination, it has been the White House that has taken its sweet time. More than 240 days of Obama administration passed before the Southers nomination made it to the Senate. And Lauer's very journalistic use ...
by Kerry Picket — Published January 4, 2010 Comments
Leaders on the hill have decided that the health care reform bill should go into the business of personal relationship advice. According to the health care bill passed by the Senate before Christmas Eve, taxpayers will foot the bill for "personal responsibility education" programs. Personal responsibility programs are detailed in the Senate health care bill (p.602) to incorporate both contraception methods and abstinence teaching, as well as "adulthood preparation" programs. The adulthood preparation program topics described in the health care bill range from "positive self-esteem" to dating, friendships, romantic involvement, marriage, and family interactions. In fact, in a twist of irony coming from federal lawmakers, instructions in handling finances is included in this kind of tax payer funded program.: 9 ‘‘(C) ADULTHOOD PREPARATION SUB 10 JECTS.—The adulthood preparation subjects de 11 scribed in this subparagraph are the following: 12 ‘‘(i) Healthy relationships, such as 13 positive self-esteem and relationship dynam ...
