Oh Great: another minority for treasury secretary

Aren’t there any white people that can do these jobs? Am I even allowed ask such questions?

Quote:

White House officials have approached American Express Co. (AXP) Chief Executive Officer Kenneth Chenault about joining President Barack Obama’s second-term administration, possibly as Treasury secretary, according to two people familiar with the matter.

White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew remains the leading contender for the Treasury job, the people said. Still, consideration of Chenault among Obama’s staff may indicate the president hasn’t made a final decision on a replacement for Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, who has said he plans to leave the post.

Other potential roles for Chenault, a longtime Obama supporter, may be as Commerce secretary or as a senior adviser to the president, according to the people, who asked for anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations. White House officials have also considered Xerox Corp. (XRX) CEO Ursula Burns as a potential nominee for the Commerce Department job, both of the people said.

via AmEx’s Chenault Said to Be Discussed for Treasury Post – Bloomberg.

I wonder if he will get a golden parachute like the guy did who ran Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and was found to be a thief?

It’s a Obama World and now, it sucks. So does diversity and multiculturalism by the way. I never played that silly game, never will.

NRA finally puts out a statement

It’s about time:

The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters – and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.

Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting.

The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.

The NRA is planning to hold a major news conference in the Washington, DC area on Friday, December 21.

Details will be released to the media at the appropriate time.

via NRA.

Took ’em long enough…

Blogger Round Up.

 

 

Perfect example as to why I have come to despise the Jewish Right in America

Is because of the steaming pile of bullshit below:

Prejudice—like cooking, wine-tasting and other consummations—has an olfactory element. When Chuck Hagel, the former GOP senator from Nebraska who is now a front-runner to be the next secretary of Defense, carries on about how “the Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here,” the odor is especially ripe.

Ripe because a “Jewish lobby,” as far as I’m aware, doesn’t exist. No lesser authorities on the subject than John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, authors of “The Israel Lobby,” have insisted the term Jewish lobby is “inaccurate and misleading, both because the [Israel] lobby includes non-Jews like Christian Zionists and because many Jewish Americans do not support the hard-line policies favored by its most powerful elements.”

Ripe because, whatever other political pressures Mr. Hagel might have had to endure during his years representing the Cornhusker state, winning over the state’s Jewish voters—there are an estimated 6,100 Jewish Nebraskans in a state of 1.8 million people—was probably not a major political concern for Mr. Hagel compared to, say, the ethanol lobby.

via Stephens: Chuck Hagel’s Jewish Problem – WSJ.com.

I don’t know who this Stephens guy is, what he can go suck a big one; the damned AIPAC shill.

Others: Commentary Magazine, Doug Ross, Right Turn, The New Republic,National Review, Power Line, The Daily Dish, Roger Ailes, msnbc.com, Washington Free Beaconand Israel Matzav (Via Memeorandum)

Overreactions R Us.

I thought this to be a bit extreme:

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — We were shocked and deeply saddened by the events that took place at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on December 14, 2012.  We cannot comprehend the losses suffered by the families and friends of those killed by the unthinkable crimes committed that day.  No words or actions can lessen the enormity of this event or make a dent in the pain that was inflicted on so many. 

In 2006 affiliates of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. made a financial investment in Freedom Group.  Freedom Group does not sell weapons or ammunition directly to consumers, through gun shows or otherwise.  Sales are made only to federally licensed firearms dealers and distributors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  We do not believe that Freedom Group or any single company or individual can prevent senseless violence or the illegal use or procurement of firearms and ammunition.  

It is apparent that the Sandy Hook tragedy was a watershed event that has raised the national debate on gun control to an unprecedented level.  The debate essentially focuses on the balance between public safety and the scope of the Constitutional rights under the Second Amendment.  As a Firm, we are investors, not statesmen or policy makers.  Our role is to make investments on behalf of our clients who are comprised of the pension plans of firemen, teachers, policemen and other municipal workers and unions, endowments, and other institutions and individuals.  It is not our role to take positions, or attempt to shape or influence the gun control policy debate.  That is the job of our federal and state legislators.

There are, however, actions that we as a firm can take.  Accordingly, we have determined to immediately engage in a formal process to sell our investment in Freedom Group.  We will retain a financial advisor to design and execute a process to sell our interests in Freedom Group, and we will then return that capital to our investors.  We believe that this decision allows us to meet our obligations to the investors whose interests we are entrusted to protect without being drawn into the national debate that is more properly pursued by those with the formal charter and public responsibility to do so. 

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities impacted by this tragic and devastating event. 

via Cerberus Capital Management Statement Regarding Freedom Group, Inc. — NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ —.

Again, it is an overreaction to a sad situation. We already know why the guy did what he did. This move does nothing and I believe it is wrong-headed. Like I said before, the person to blame for this horrible tragic event is the man’s mother. She is the one who had the guns where this disturbed man could get them — and not every gun owner in America.

Others:  Fortune, Reuters, Quartz, msnbc.com, DealBook, southernstudies.org, The Raw Story,Forbes, The Caucus, The Democratic Daily, Talking Points Memo, Slate, BuzzFeed, Gawker, New York Times and The Hinterland Gazette – Via Memeorandum

There is always a reason why they snap

Always:

NEWTOWN, CONN. –  The gunman who slaughtered 20 children and six adults at a Connecticut elementary school may have snapped because his mother was planning to commit him to a psychiatric facility, according to a lifelong resident of the area who was familiar with the killer’s family and several of the victims’ families.

Adam Lanza, 20, targeted Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown after killing his mother early Friday because he believed she loved the school “more than she loved him,” said Joshua Flashman, 25, who grew up not far from where the shooting took place. Flashman, a U.S. Marine, is the son of a pastor at an area church where many of the victims’ families worship.

“From what I’ve been told, Adam was aware of her petitioning the court for conservatorship and (her) plans to have him committed,” Flashman told FoxNews.com. “Adam was apparently very upset about this. He thought she just wanted to send him away. From what I understand, he was really, really angry. I think this could have been it, what set him off.”

A senior law enforcement official involved in the investigation confirmed that Lanza’s anger at his mother over plans for “his future mental health treatment” is being looked at as a possible motive for the deadly shooting

via EXCLUSIVE: Fear of being committed may have caused Connecticut gunman to snap | Fox News.

I have always said, when it comes to these sort of shootings; there is always a reason for them. Nobody does these sorts of things for no reason at all. There is always a reason for it. Good on Fox News for bringing this to light.

Others:  The Camp Of The Saints, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, MyFOX8.com, The Other McCain, Hit & Run, Vox Popoli, Fox News Insider and The Daily Caller (Via Memeorandum)

Smart Move: Governor Rick Snyder to veto concealed weapons legislation

Even though I despise that lying bastard, this was a good move:

(WXYZ) – A spokesperson for Republican State Senator Mike Green, the sponsor of the controversial gun legislation that passed last week, says they have been told to expect the governor to veto the bill.

An official statement from Senator Green, who represents the 31st district, is expected soon.

The governor’s office is not yet commenting on Senator Green’s release.

The bill drew widespread criticism in the wake of the school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut where 26 people were killed – including 20 children.. Under the proposed law concealed weapons would have been allowed in schools and churches. 

via Governor Rick Snyder expected to veto concealed weapons legislation.

We can fight that battle another day. Right now, it is too soon.

 

White House says “nope!” to Boehner’s plan B

Hope Ya’ll enjoy the ride over the cliff!

The White House rejected a House GOP proposal Tuesday to extend the Bush tax cuts for those making up to $1 million, saying it doesn’t go far enough and wouldn’t pass the Senate anyway.

The swift White House response came shortly after House Speaker John Boehner, along with other House GOP leaders, proposed the tax-cut extension as a fallback position, or “Plan B,” in case the “fiscal cliff” talks failed.

Boehner said he still hopes to reach a “balanced” agreement with the administration on the fiscal cliff. But he said he expects the “Plan B” proposal to come to the House floor later this week.

“I believe it’s important to protect as many American tax payers as we can,” Boehner told reporters.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said it wouldn’t pass the Democratic-run Senate. And the White House, which on Monday offered to extend the tax cuts for people making up to $400,000 from its earlier $200,000 for individuals, said Boehner’s plan doesn’t put enough tax burden on the wealthiest Americans.

via White House Rejects Boehner’s Backup Plan.

Ah yes, problem solving, Washington DC style. 🙄

As they say, roll scene:

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Good article on Gun Regulations

This is worth a look.

On December 15, Think Progress published a post titled The Five Gun Safety Regulations Even NRA Members Support. In this blog post, Igor Volsky cites a poll conducted by Frank Luntz for Mayors Against Illegal Guns that found a large majority of gun owners and NRA members support some gun regulations. Volsky describes these gun control policies as “sensible” and as “common sense measures.”

But as usual, statist policies with support from both liberals and conservatives serve to perpetuate privilege and injustice. At least two of these gun regulations would disproportionately disarm marginalized and oppressed groups, fulfilling the bigoted function gun control has often been designed to serve.

In 1967, conservatives led the charge in favor of gun control. California governor Ronald Reagan supported the Mulford Act, a gun control law designed to prevent the Black Panthers from carrying guns to defend themselves against racists, including racist police. While modern gun control laws are not so overtly racist in intent, some of the least controversial gun control laws disproportionately disarm people of color and other members of marginalized populations.

Take, for example, the first gun regulation discussed by Volsky. It turns out that a large majority of gun owners and NRA members polled favor “Requiring criminal background checks on gun owners and gun shop employees.” But who would be most impacted by these criminal background checks?  People of color are disproportionately targeted by this country’s criminal justice system.

via The Trouble With “Sensible” Gun Regulations.

This is whole problem with gun regulations; when you uncork the genie out of that bottle, there is no putting it back. Statism, much like progressive politics, never recedes. It always goes forward and when you start taking liberty away, you never get it back completely. Unless you fight very hard for it.

Hence, my problem with gun regulations. Whenever Government enacts a law or a regulation, it assumes the people are not smart enough to make their own decisions. This is my issue with big government and regulation. I just do not believe that the Government has any business tell me or anyone else that they are not smart enough to make decisions on the buying and selling of guns. It is not their business.