Tag: Barack Obama

Tom Daschle has serious issues with taxes.

Seems Senator Tom Daschle has got issues. Big Issues. 😮

ABC News has learned that the nomination of former Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to be President Obama’s secretary of health and human services has hit a traffic snarl on its way through the Senate Finance Committee.

The controversy deals with a car and driver lent to Daschle by a wealthy Democratic friend — a chauffeur service the former senator used for years without declaring it on his taxes.

It remains an open question as to whether this is a “speed bump,” as a Democratic Senate ally of Daschle put it, or something more damaging.

via Political Punch: Bumps in the Road: Obama’s HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver.

I saw this last night and I thought, “Okay, no big deal.” But then I read about this:

Via Jack Tapper:

ABC News has obtained the Senate Finance Committee Report on Tom Daschle’s nomination to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, which indicates that Daschle’s tax problems were even more substantial than earlier reported.

The report indicates that Daschle’s failure to pay more than $101,000 taxes on the car and driver a wealthy friend let him use from 2005 through 2007 is not the only tax issue the former Senate Majority Leader has been dealing with since his December nomination prompted a more thorough examination of his income tax returns.

Mr. Daschle also didn’t report $83,333 in consulting income in 2007.

The Senate Finance Committee Report also notes that during the vetting process, President Obama’s Transition Team “identified certain donations that did not qualify as charitable deductions because they were not paid to qualifying organizations.  Daschle adjusted his contribution deductions on his amended returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007 to remove these amounts and add additional contributions.” This adjustment meant a reduction in the amount he contributed to charitable foundations of $14,963 from 2005 through 2007. With the unreported income from the use of a car service in the amounts of $73,031 in 2005, $89,129 in 2006 and $93,096 in 2007; the unreported consulting income of $83,333 in 2007; and the adjusted reductions in charitable contributions, Daschle adds a total of $353,552 in additional income and reduced donations, meaning an additional tax payment of $128,203, in addition to $11,964 in interest.

On January 2 of this year, Daschle filed amended tax returns to pay the $140,167 in unpaid taxes.

Oy Vey… Good luck in getting confirmed dude. I mean, not to sound crass, but; how the fuck can you forget to pay your damn taxes? It must be nice to have so much money that you cannot remember how much you have, so you can pay your taxes! I mean, I’ve got 43 bucks and some change (Not hope and change!) in my account, luckily for me, I’ve been out of work so damned long that I do not have to pay income taxes this yet. I even called to make damned sure too; anyhow, I’m just saying man, how can someone forget? Just does not make any damned sense.

Of course, if this blog takes off; I might have to start paying taxes on the income and register a business name and all. But I’m nowhere near that level, yet. I’m getting decent hits, but zero income. I mean, 10 bucks here, 3 bucks there. But nothing huge, yet.  It takes time, I suppose.

Others on the subject: The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room, Fox News, Washington Monthly, The Politico, Outside The Beltway, USA Today, Fausta’s Blog, Warner_Todd_Huston’s blog, QandO, RedState, TigerHawk, Hot Air, NewsBusters.org, Neptunus Lex, Betsy’s Page, TIME.com, Don Surber, The Moderate Voice, Glenn Thrush’s Blogs, PoliticalBase.com Blog, D-Day and AmSpecBlog and More via Memeorandum

Why does America always do stupid things like this?

I will never, ever understand why America does stupid things like this right here, ever!

The Obama administration on Friday made an emergency contribution of more than $20 million for urgent relief efforts in the Gaza Strip, a day after the United Nations launched a flash appeal for $613 million to help Palestinians recover from Israel’s three-week military operation there.

The State Department said President Barack Obama had authorized the use of $20.3 million from the U.S. Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for humanitarian assistance to the 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza.

The money will go to U.N. agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which are distributing emergency food assistance, providing medical care and temporary shelter, creating temporary employment and restoring access to electricity and potable water, the department said in a statement.

The Israeli offensive killed nearly 1,300 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and caused an estimated $2 billion in damage, Palestinian officials say. The assault was launched to halt years of Hamas rocket fire on southern Israel.

via US puts up $20 million for Gaza relief – AP.

You want to know where this money is going to end up? In the hands of Hamas, the very terrorist organization that was attacking Israel, in the first place.  This money is supposed to be reserved for American Citizens, not for foreign countries!  You know, I find it absolutely amazing that the United States of America, would support a military attack on Gaza by Israel to defeat terrorists; only to have them send aid to the very people that Israel attacked. Not only this, our government is using money that is specifically earmarked for the people of the United States of America. This is an outrage! Someone should be complaining to the high Heavens about it!

The reason this outrages me so much is this; yeah, that money might go to American agencies approved by our Government, but ultimately, it will end up right back into the hands of the Hamas terrorists.

I will never understand why America continues to prop up those they claim are terrorists.

Former Obama Aid, Samantha Power to be appointed to Foreign Policy Job; at the White House

Yes, you read that correctly…:

Samantha Power, the Harvard University professor who earned notoriety for calling Hillary Rodham Clinton a “monster” while working to elect Barack Obama president, will take a senior foreign policy job at the White House, The Associated Press has learned.

Officials familiar with the decision say Obama has tapped Power to be senior director for multilateral affairs at the National Security Council, a job that will require close contact and potential travel with Clinton, who is now secretary of state. NSC staffers often accompany the secretary of state on foreign trips.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because Power’s position, as well as that of other senior NSC positions, have not yet been announced. One official said the announcements would be made in the near future.

White House officials would not provide details of Power’s new role.

via The Associated Press: Professor who slammed Clinton will be Obama aide.

It should be noted that this woman is very highly Anti-Israel, and pro-Palestinian. Not to mention, she is a immigrant from Ireland. Could not Obama find a natural-Born American citizen to do the job?  Oh, Wait, my bad; The Democratic Party is the party of immigrants, especially the illegal kind. Not to mention the fact that the Democratic Party is the party of terrorist appeasers. So, this just goes with the territory.

Others: Power Line, Hot Air, The Atlanticist, Pajamas Media, Little Green Footballs, Outside The Beltway,  Patterico’s Pontifications and normblog

Well, He is new to the Job

I will give him that. Here’s some funny bits from a NYT piece about the New President. Seems he has changed things a bit, perhaps it is a good thing.

Quotes:

The capital flew into a bit of a tizzy when, on his first full day in the White House, President Obama was photographed in the Oval Office without his suit jacket. There was, however, a logical explanation: Mr. Obama, who hates the cold, had cranked up the thermostat.

“He’s from Hawaii, O.K.?” said Mr. Obama’s senior adviser, David Axelrod, who occupies the small but strategically located office next door to his boss. “He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there.”

Not touching this, not with a ten foot pole. Surprise

He reads several papers, eats breakfast with his family and helps pack his daughters, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, off to school before making the 30-second commute downstairs — a definite perk for a man trying to balance work and family life. He eats dinner with his family, then often returns to work; aides have seen him in the Oval Office as late as 10 p.m., reading briefing papers for the next day.

“Even as he is sober about these challenges, I have never seen him happier,” Mr. Axelrod said. “The chance to be under the same roof with his kids, essentially to live over the store, to be able to see them whenever he wants, to wake up with them, have breakfast and dinner with them — that has made him a very happy man.”

Hey, at least he is engaged, which is a bit more than I can say about the previous President, who seemed to outsource everything that either he did not understand or care to understand. (Which is just an opinion of mine.) I also like to see the President happy, for all of my criticisms of this President regarding his politics; I will not criticize him for being a family man. That says much about him; yes, I know about the far-right crazies who say it is all a front and he is a terrorist and all. Those people are stupid and lame, and should be treated as such.

In the West Wing, Mr. Obama is a bit of a wanderer. When Mr. Bush wanted to see a member of his staff, the aide was summoned to the Oval Office. But Mr. Obama tends to roam the halls; one day last week, he turned up in the office of his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, who was in the unfortunate position of having his feet up on the desk when the boss walked in.

“Wow, Gibbs,” the press secretary recalls the president saying. “Just got here and you already have your feet up.” Mr. Gibbs scrambled to stand up, surprising Mr. Obama, who is not yet accustomed to having people rise when he enters a room.

This sort of stuff cracks me up. LaughingRolling on the floor I feel sorry for poor Gibbs. I mean, President Obama goes from being a friend and a Senator to the President of the United States; it is a bit of a adjustment.

I know, some of you Conservatives will think that I am slobbering over the guy. Rolling Eyes Which is a bunch of crap, if you’ve cared to read this Blog at all. I criticize his politics, but I do know that Obama is normal human being, like the rest of us. For the record, I thought Bush was as well. I was not one of those Bush derangement types, I had zero against the man, I just did not agree with his polices.

Now, there are those who would criticize President Obama for his change in protocol for the White House, in regards to dress code. I am not one of those people. I think that formality amongst the Republicans and most Conservatives is overplayed a bit. The way I feel about it is this; I would much rather have a President that ditches the formality, and proceeds to lead the Country with a sobering intelligence and a calm guiding hand. Than for him to be hung up on formalities and be a total disconnected, out of touch, buffoon. You know, like the last couple Presidents?

Yeah, I know, there is some Conservatives lambasting him for having the thermostat cranked up. Well, when you have no life and live in your own little world, what exactly do you expect?

Others: JustOneMinute, Michelle Malkin, The Swamp, Hot Air, marbury, Wonkette, Argghhh!, The Huffington Post, TIME.com, Gawker, Mudville Gazette, Rising Hegemon, Green Inc., Lost in Transition, The BLT and Althouse

I was afraid of this

Last night I blogged about this and warned the far right not to do it, but naturally, because I am such a small blog, no one listens.

Anyhow, Huffington Post has the complete transcript of President Obama’s interview with Al-Arabiya Arab TV Network. Head on over and read it, because it is a bit much to quote here. Of course, the reaction amongst the far-right blogs was quite predictable.

However, Michael Goldfarb over at the Neo-Conservative Weakly Standard (:P) makes a valid point:

Reacting to this quote here:

Q Will the United States ever live with a nuclear Iran? And if not, how far are you going in the direction of preventing it?

THE PRESIDENT: You know, I said during the campaign that it is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran.

Now, the Iranian people are a great people, and Persian civilization is a great civilization. Iran has acted in ways that’s not conducive to peace and prosperity in the region: their threats against Israel; their pursuit of a nuclear weapon which could potentially set off an arms race in the region that would make everybody less safe; their support of terrorist organizations in the past — none of these things have been helpful.

But I do think that it is important for us to be willing to talk to Iran, to express very clearly where our differences are, but where there are potential avenues for progress. And we will over the next several months be laying out our general framework and approach. And as I said during my inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.

Mr. Goldfarb comments:

Wouldn’t a simple ‘no, a nuclear Iran is unacceptable to the United States and our allies’ have sufficed? Instead Obama says that Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon is “unhelpful,” that it’s “not conducive to peace.” When Obama was in Israel, he said that “a nuclear Iran would pose a grave threat and the world must prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” He added that he would “take no options off the table in dealing with this potential Iranian threat.” In the first debate of the general election, Obama reiterated that the United States “cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran.” But when Obama has the chance to speak directly to the Muslim world, he can only muster retread rhetoric from his inaugural address about clenched fists and open hands.

President Bush was incapable of engaging the Muslim world with his own words, but neither was it possible for the Muslim world to confuse his view of American interests in that region. President Obama has the potential to secure real progress through his skill as a communicator, but there’s always been a fear that some portion of his success in negotiating difficult issues was the result of a willingness, or perhaps a compulsion, to tell his audience whatever it is he thinks they want to hear.

I must say, he does have a valid point. One cannot use flowers and anvils at the same time. It tends to confuse people. Hats off to Goldfarb for bringing up this point.