Obama & Biden: The Replacement Refs

Obama Gave 1% to Charity, Romney Gave 15%

After reading this news, I have less respect for President Obama.

Obama gives $10,000 over 4 years based on $1.2M? Seriously?? Well, it's better than what I believe Biden gave, which was about $5,000. I hate to say it, but a liberal heart sure isn't a giving heart, which has been statistically true anyway. Maybe before all this talk about income distribution and earning caps on other people, Obama should learn to give more than 1% to the hungry and needy.

His rhetoric is simply assine when you can't live by your words. What's all this talk about fairness and bridging the gap between rich and poor when he can even live out his life through his personal finances. For all his talk, I would have expected 20%-50% of this income donated to charities and nonprofits. The point that is left out of this discussion is that many people don't want to give more to inefficient government programs (i.e. D.C. public schools had the highest per capita spend but the bottom 10% in the quality of education and the countless national pork projects), but would opt into giving to the charities and nonprofits of their choice. Instead of increasing the tax rates on the "rich" why not require that increase to be donated to nonprofits targeting specific societal needs?

Sec. Reich, Letting Old People Die is Not a Good Way to Fund Health Care

Recently, prominent liberal health care mouthpiece and former Colorado Governor, Richard Lamm openly discussed rationing as a financial solution to help fund universal health care ("Better Health Care Through Rationing," The Huffington Post), or as he puts it, "“Old people have a duty to die and get out of the way.”

(Wesley Smith has a good post on Richard Lamm, "Obamacare: Richard “Old People Have a Duty to Die and Get Out of the Way” Lamm Wants Rationing")

Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor and economic adviser to President Obama, also holds this viewpoint. Here he is speaking at UC-Berkeley:


"We're going to have to, if you're very old, we're not going to give you all that technology and all those drugs for the last couple of years of your life to keep you maybe going for another couple of months. It's too expensive...so we're going to let you die...

I'm going to use the bargaining leverage of the federal government in terms of Medicare, Medicaid---we already have a lot of bargaining leverage---to force drug companies and insurance companies and medical suppliers to reduce their costs. What that means, less innovation and that means less new products and less new drugs on the market which means you are probably not going to live much longer than your parents. Thank you."

This is a foundational policy for liberals to keep their proposed health care system afloat. This is plain stupid to me because how can you determine when it's the end of life for someone? How do you define "old age" when life expectancy continues to climb higher and the differences between each ethnic profile, socio-economic background, and lifestyle habits create such a moving target for each individual? Let's say there is a second generation Okinawan American (Japan) who maintained the same dietary habits as her parents and will live to 100 years or greater. Will she be treated the same at 80 years as a fourth generation Irish American who is 80 but with a life expectancy of 78 years?

Another example is from a recent situation from the UK (HatTip to WSJ's James Taranto):

A grandfather who beat cancer was wrongly told the disease had returned and left to die at a hospice which pioneered a controversial "death pathway."

Doctors said there was nothing more they could do for 76-year-old Jack Jones, and his family claim he was denied food, water and medication except painkillers.

He died within two weeks. But tests after his death found that his cancer had not come back and he was in fact suffering from pneumonia brought on by a chest infection.

To his family's horror, they were told he could have recovered if he'd been given the correct treatment.

Nice to see the effectiveness of similar policies in action. Seriously, this is just a stupid idea.

ACORN News and The Brilliant 75 Who Voted in Support of ACORN Funding

"Secret Agent Editors
The Obama scandals bring a new era of opacity at the New York Times." WSJ's The Best of the Web Today
Insightful and amusing post about the NYTimes failing to be even a semi-objective news source.

"Obama and Acorn
Is there a case for a special prosecutor?" WSJ's James Taranto

"Independent prosecutor for ACORN" Chicago Tribune

"Inside the Glorious Nation of ACORN" by Debra Saunders

"Nuts to Acorn
Acorn's chief organizer Bertha Lewis: "we comply with all laws everywhere." WSJ's John Fund

"House votes to cut off funding, but 75 stand by ACORN" Washington Examiner
Obviously, these public officials vote from where their bread is buttered...

"Notable for not voting: Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., a staunch defender of ACORN.

ACORN's defenders: Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., Robert Brady D-Pa., Corrine Brown, D-Fla., G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., Mike Capuano, D-Mass., Andre Carson, D-Ind., Kathy Castor, D-Fla., Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., James Clyburn, D-S.C., Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Danny Davis, D-Ill., Diane DeGette, D-Colo., Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., Mike Doyle, D-Pa., Donna Edwards, D-Md., Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., Bob Filner, D-Calif., Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, Al Green, D-Tex., Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Rush Holt, D-N.J., Mike Honda, D-Calif., Jesse Jackson, Jr. D-Ill., Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Tex., Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Tex., Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, Rick Larsen, D-Wash., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., John Lewis, D-Ga., Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., Markey, D-Mass., Betty McCollum, D-Minn., McDermott, D-Wash., McGovern, D-Mass., Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., Gwen Moore, D-Wisc., Jim Moran, D-Va., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., Richard Neal, D-Mass., John Olver, D-Mass., Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., Donald Payne, D-N.J., Jared Polis, D-Colo., David Price, D-N.C., Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., Bobby Rush, D-Ill., Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., David Scott D-Ga., Bobby Scott, D-Va., Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Albio Sires, D-N.J., Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., Pete Stark, D-Calif., Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y., Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y., Maxine Waters, D-Calif., Diane Watson, D-Calif., Henry Waxman, D-Calif., Robert Wexler, D-Fla., Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif."

"The Audacity of Hos" from The Daily Show

Love Jon Stewart. Though he's from the left, he calls it as most people see it. No spin. ACORN does not have one-off offices of corruption. It's a culture that spans many of its offices with illegal voter registrations and now this scandal. Of course, most of mainstream media ignored this during and after the election. Stewart rails on them for this. Very funny segment.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Audacity of Hos
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

Sam Yoon for Mayor of Boston

Sam Yoon speaks from the Greenway in Chinatown about the need to tap into new and locally developed technology to bring city government into the 21st Century.

PJ Kim for New York City Council, District 1

Our friend, PJ, is running for NYC City Council. If you live in District #1, vote for him!

PJ has a new video up, "PJ Kim: New Energy, New Leadership"

"Top Conservative Pundits on Twitter"

Red County has kindly included me in their "Top Conservative Pundits on Twitter." I'm sitting at #88 out of 100, but rapidly declining since last week I was at #73.

Sort of feel like Danny Ainge, who played professional basketball and baseball but primarily known for his NBA days, since this blog is primarily about technology & entrepreneurship but getting a little recognition in the political realm. And I definitely wouldn't use a Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders comparison since there is no superstar action going here :)

PJ Kim for NYC District #1

Our friend, PJ Kim, is running in the Democratic Primary for New York City Council on September 15, 2009. PJ's seeking to represent City Council District 1, which covers all of Lower Manhattan, including: Chinatown, Tribeca, Soho, Little Italy, Battery Park City, the Financial District and parts of the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village.

We've known PJ since he was in high school. He's brilliant, thoughtful and a person of character. For the people living in District #1, he would be great representative. More on PJ here.

Obama @Notre Dame on Abortion... John Piper @Obama on Abortion

President Obama gave his commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, which stirred up some protests, and called for a common ground on the abortion issue. From CNN:

He urged supporters and opponents of abortion rights to "work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term."

One response from John Piper...

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time

Gallup's latest study...

"A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995."


"Americans' recent shift toward the pro-life position is confirmed in two other surveys. The same three abortion questions asked on the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey were included in Gallup Poll Daily tracking from May 12-13, with nearly identical results, including a 50% to 43% pro-life versus pro-choice split on the self-identification question."


It's interesting to read some of the buzz from the Left on this. Over at The Washington Monthly, Stephen Benen wrote:

Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights. What kind of restrictions? We'd need a more detailed poll to say with any confidence.

So I responded in their comments:

Your biases are amusing...

"Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights."

I read this as the majority of Americans accept the notion that life begins at conception, but they're not comfortable with situations of rape or incest.

And if you looked at the poll results, 15% stated "Legal under most circumstances" while 37% stated "Legal only in a few circumstances" in addition to 23% stating it should be "Illegal in all circumstances".

I believe the science behind when life begins supports the pro-life viewpoint. Of course, I assume you're more about politics than science.

Boston Councilor Sam Yoon on Betty Brown’s Remarks

More on state Rep. Betty Brown's remarks from Boston City Councilor-at-Large and first Asian American to hold elected office in Boston, Sam Yoon:

“It is insulting and simply wrong to suggest that Asians should deny their heritage in order to participate in the electoral process. Asian Americans have a proud and diverse ethnic heritage that prominently includes our language and our names. I join John Liu’s call for a full apology for the insensitive remarks of Representative Betty Brown.

As this incident in Texas shows, there are many obstacles in the way of racial tolerance. I’ve been fighting a battle in Massachusetts to ensure voting rights for Chinese Americans who are denied a fully transliterated ballot. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before Asian American citizens in this country are treated equally.”

Clueless Tim Geithner Says Venture Capital Is A Systemic Risk

The Wall Street Street came out with this op-ed that had me scratching my head:

Is Silicon Valley a Systemic Risk?
Treasury decides to treat venture capitalists like hedge funds.

... The confusion began when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently told Congress that large venture capital (VC) firms should be forced to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and submit regular reports on their investors and portfolios. Data collected by the SEC would then be shared with a new risk regulator to ensure that VCs aren't "a threat to financial stability."

Since then, venture investors have been trying to solve the mystery of how they could possibly threaten the financial system. Their work involves very little banking. Venture firms raise equity from wealthy investors to buy ownership stakes in small companies. The VCs and the companies in which they invest use little or no debt.

"I cannot imagine any venture fund being of a size to pose 'systemic risk,' so they either don't understand the nature of the business, or by including this provision they are sharing that their agenda is not the overt one disclosed," says Jack Biddle of Novak Biddle Venture Partners. What Washington needs to understand is that bank-style regulation could destroy the culture that created the microprocessor... (full article)

I'm sure Geithner is a smart man, but I agree with Jack Biddle above that he probably doesn't understand the nature of the business. Many smart people I met don't know the difference between venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and other types of investment funds. It can get confusing, but Geithner is our Treasury Secretary! Either he doesn't get it and needs a "Venture Capital 101" class along with "Our Nation's Greatest Wealth and Job Creation Engine 101", or his staff must be really stupid or overworked and provided very poor research to him.

Joe Biden, The Enforcer of the Stimulus Package... Are You Serious?

This might be old news for some of you, but do people realize how idiotic the language of the stimulus package must be? And how poorly the execution and checks on the allocation of funding must have been established to have Vice President Joe Biden warning local officials not to spend on stupid ideas?

"So guys, no swimming pools, no tennis courts, no golf courses, no Frisbee parks," Biden said, even if officials can document that the project will create jobs quickly, generate revenue and keep people working over the longer term.

“The answer is: No. No. No,” he said. “It’s got to pass the smell test folks.”

Then he gave the warning some teeth.

“Because of the rules, the president and I can’t stop you from doing some things. But I’ll show up in your city and say, ‘This is a stupid idea,’” Biden warned, drawing laughs.

Yes, the idea of Biden ridiculing local government officials as a primary barrier to corruption, waste and "stupid" ideas gives me a lot of confidence in the leadership and execution abilities of Congress and the Obama Administration.

Sam Yoon Running for Mayor of Boston

Sam Yoon finally made an announcement to run for the Mayor of Boston. Go Sam!

"Sam Yoon looks ahead to run in historical mayor race" Boston Herald

"Yoon launches a pioneering bid for mayor" The Boston Globe

You can donate here to support this historic run.

Stimulus Bill... I Love Pork But Democrats Love it More!

As news come out of the Hill on what's in that stimulus package, reality sets in. This is Washington D.C. and this is politics. Not what is best for our nation, but many times what is best for you and your district. As "Tip" O'Neill once said, "All politics is local."

If there is one group of people that love pork more than me, it's the Democrats in Congress. I love bacon and baby back ribs, but those Dems love pork barrel spending.

While Rome is burning, they can't break their decades long tradition of frivolous spending for their home districts or pet causes. $1 billion for Amtrak? $2.4 billion for carbon-capture projects? $600 million to buy new cars for Congress?? Please. Habits are hard to break, but use a patch or something at least for this year.

Obama, Unions and Foolish Policies

Obama is showing how his political ties can influence his decisions more so than sound policies. Being a Chicago politician, it's very difficult not to succeed without your bread being buttered by unions. Additionally, the Democrats have such historic and deep ties it's probably difficult for Obama to make a clean policy decision on the Big Three automakers and the Republic Windows & Doors situations.

I still don't believe he's opposed to the Big Three going through bankruptcy. This really seems to be a political decision more so than an economic one. If the Big Three go bankrupt, then their companies are restructured with the hope that they can be rebuilt to truly compete. But if they are also restructured, the unions and their members will have a very small seat at the table or possibly none. Politics as usual. Change is coming? Please.


Also how naive is Obama's response to the Republic Windows & Doors situation in Chicago?

“They’re absolutely right,” Obama, who gave up his U.S. Senate seat from Illinois last month, said over the weekend. “These workers, if they have earned these benefits and their pay, then these companies need to follow through on those commitments.”

Bank of America's response is reasonable:

Bank of America isn’t empowered to tell a company how to manage its business, spokeswoman Julie Westermann said yesterday. Republic is unable to operate profitably in the current economy, she said.

So why would you force a bank to conduct poor lending practices? Poor business decisions? Isn't this what got us into this mess in the first place? I heard Obama as a community activist was working to "encourage" banks in Hyde Park (Chicago) to lower their lending standards so that low-income families could purchase homes that they couldn't afford. Sounds similar, huh? But on who's dollar does this eventually come from? Doesn't sound like change is going to happen.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich Arrested

Governor Rod Blagojevich has been arrested and charged with various acts of corruption. One of them trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Obama.

When I worked for Governor Edgar of Illinois, Blagojevich was a state representative and a complete idiot, which I've posted about before. Every time he would open his mouth, everyone in a committee meeting would roll their eyes. He's a typical Chicago politician from the old, corrupt machine.

Anh "Joseph" Cao... First Vietnamese-American Elected to Congress

Congratulations to Congressman Ahn "Joseph" Cao! The first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress. A great step forward for Asian Americans. He was the Republican candidate in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and defeated nine-term Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, whose terms were riddled with corruption and scandal.

More from CNN, "First Vietnamese-American elected to House 'speechless'" and Associated Press, "1st Vietnamese-American elected to US Congress"

Media Perspective... Obama Wins! Unity!

Amusing cartoon and so true. Great check on the biases of most media outlets. Minor correction since I believe the latest number was 53% for Obama.