“He went to Massachusetts to campaign against Scott Brown; Brown is now a senator. He went to New Jersey to campaign against Chris Christie, who’s now governor. He went to Virginia to campaign against Bob McDonnell, who’s now governor. He campaigned for the health-care plan extensively, it became less popular. He campaigned in 2010 for the Democrats, they were shellacked. He began, in a sense, his presidency flying to Copenhagen to get Chicago the Olympics; Chicago was the first city eliminated. There is no evidence that the man has the rhetorical powers that he is relying on.” — Columnist George F. Will, speaking on ABC’s This Week.

Via Labor Union Report:

Unions that fail to pass Department of Labor audits: 92%

Major Unions with White Presidents: 94%
Major Unions with Male Presidents: 89%

 

How 'bout a look bat at some recent violence from the left:

1.  GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Police say union supporters have directed racial slurs and racist symbols at replacement workers and security personnel outside an American Crystal Sugar plant in North Dakota.

The Grand Forks Herald reported Tuesday that many of the replacement workers are from Southern states, and some are minorities.

2.  I guess the “new civility” crap hasn’t taken hold, judging by the very first comment to this piece at The Hill. I’m posting a screenshot in case it gets removed.

3.  Liberal Radio Talks of Killing Rumsfeld, 'Prehistoric Reptiles' of Tea Party

4.  There is a labor dispute going on in the Midwest that has taken an ugly turn as the union involved has allegedly resorted to racial attacks against security personnel and replacement workers.

American Crystal’s last offer was a 17 percent pay increase over five years, but workers rejected it over job security provisions, health care costs and language in the contract they say will hurt workers in future years.

While lockouts are a company’s legal alternative to a union strike, they do not occur all that often. According to the National Labor Relations Board [PDF]:

An employer who is engaged in good-faith bargaining with a union may lock out the represented employees, sometimes even before impasse is reached in the negotiations, if it does so to further its position in bargaining….On the other hand, lockouts are lawful that are intended to prevent any unusual losses or safety hazards that would be caused by an anticipated “quickie” strike. And a whipsaw strike against one employer engaged in multiemployer bargaining justifies a lockout by any of the other employers who are party to the bargaining.

Many unions and their members take pride in their right to strike, often believing that their employers cannot find anyone who can replace them; however, they also take great insult when employers lock out the union workers and bring in replacement workers*.

Well, apparently, the union workers at American Sugar have taken great insult at being replaced as the some union protesters’ conduct in the lockout has gotten ugly.

Allegations of racial slurs and racist symbols directed at replacement workers and security personnel contracted by American Crystal have been leveled against union supporters picketing outside the company’s plants. A union representative disavowed reports of racist activity.

Traill County Sheriff Mike Crocker confirmed that “there have been racial statements made to security people” outside the company’s Hillsboro, N.D., plant.

Crocker also said he recently saw a monkey-like figure hanging from a noose attached to a large inflatable rat outside the plant. He said that by the next day the monkey and the noose had been removed.

In addition to the monkey hanging by a noose incident, there are unconfirmed reports of some picketers outside the Hillsboro, ND plant were dressed in white sheets.

Is 5 enough?  Think things in Wisconsin were cooling off? Think again.

[Madison, Wisconsin] The incidents of verbal harassment against Republican lawmakers in and around the State Capitol escalated on Wednesday when a well-known protester confronted three GOP representatives and drenched them with beer.

Madison Police responded to a disturbance at the Inn on the Park, 22 S. Carroll St., Wednesday night after a man dumped a beer over the head of a state lawmaker. According to the police report, “the bartender said the man yelled out something like, “Money” and “Damn Republicans.”

According to an incident report filed by the Madison Police Department:

“The beer was poured atop a 43-year old Burlington, WI man. It also splashed onto two other state lawmakers. All indicated the suspect swore at them, and called them criminals. He was accompanied by a man with a video camera. The bartender asked the videographer to turn it off. She says following the request, the suspect then took the glass of beer and emptied it onto the lawmaker’s head. The suspect then fled. The lawmaker, who took the direct hit, indicated the suspect has been harassing him since February, but up until this point, it had only been verbal. He did not know the suspect’s [sic] name, but a female State Capitol employee, who was with the group, was able to provide police with a name, and said Capitol Police would have his contact information. The MPD called Capitol Police and obtained a couple of possible addresses for the suspect, as well as a couple of possible phone numbers. Officers attempted to find the suspect, but could not locate him. He will likely face a tentative charge of disorderly conduct.”

The police report identifies the lawmakers by their hometowns. MacIver News Service has learned that the lawmakers who had beer dumped on them include Republican State Representative Robin Vos (R-Burlington), the chairman of the Joint Finance Committee who helped usher through Governor Scott Walker’s labor reforms earlier this year, as well as State Representatives John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Scott Suder (R-Abbotsford).

Read more>>

Here are a few surprising facts about Americans defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau, all taken from various government reports and included in my new paper from The Heritage Foundation called “Understanding Poverty in the United States”:

● Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

● Fully 92 percent of poor households have a microwave; two-thirds have at least one DVD player and 70 percent have a VCR.

● Nearly 75 percent have a car or truck; 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.  We don't

● Four out of five poor adults assert they were never hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.

● Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite television.  We don't

● Half have a personal computer; one in seven have two or more computers.

● More than half of poor families have a video game system such as Xbox or PlayStation.  We don't

● Just under half — 43 percent — have Internet access.

● A third have a widescreen plasma or LCD TV.  We didn't until last week.

● One in every four has a digital video recorder such as TiVo.

I had a brief discussion a few months back regarding the failure of LBJ's War on Poverty.  Here's a graph that makes my point, which show that the poverty rate no longer is falling and instead bumps around between 12 percent and 15 percent.

This is bad news for poor people, of course, but it’s also bad news for taxpayers. The federal government, which shouldn’t have any role in the field of income redistribution, has squandered trillions of dollars on dozens of means-tested programs. And they’ve arguably made matters worse.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Wisconsin’s largest teachers union has a problem.

A union problem.

This week, National Support Organization, which bills itself as the world’s largest union of union staffers, posted an online notice discouraging its members from seeking work with the Wisconsin Education Association Council.

“Don’t apply for WEAC vacancies!” screams the headline.

The reason for the boycott?

Chuck Agerstrand, president of the National Support Organization, is accusing WEAC officials of “breaching staff contracts and destroying any working relationship with its employees.”

I expcted some good ones after the debacle that was NY 9.  Instead we got a blah "Wham Bam" from the NY Post.

How about these:

OY-BAMA!

YENTAS SENTA MESSAGE!

WEINER’S STAND HURT BRAND!

YIDS WITH LIDS NIX DEMS BID!

MATZOH MUSCLE!

DEZE DEMS DOZE!

HADASSAH HEAVE-HO!

QUEENS REAMS DEM SCHEMES!

Mickey Kaus had a great one last night: JEWS CHOOSE BLUES LOSE!

And another fun game — or at least I enjoyed it — what will be different at the White House, after NY-09, and the reality that Obama cannot simply count on the Jewish vote? #Afterny09:

Next Obama Speech: “Let’s be perfectly clear, I look at these job numbers and I could just plotz! What schmendrick wrote this healthcare bill?”

WH Breakfast Menu: Blintzes and a nice seltzer

WH Press Sec’y Jay Carny: to WH Press Corps, tomorrow? “So, how’s by you?”

New White House Christmas Tradition: Ordering Chinese!

Defending Israel: “Nobody puts Bibi in the corner!”

Michelle’s New Dress Designer: Rami!

Obama’s new golf partner: Shecky Greene!

Obama refers: to Adam Sandler as “an artist of staggering genius.” (well…he sort of is)

above from the Anchoress.

So POTUS goes on national TV in a joint session of Congress and practicall DEMANDS that they "pass this bill".  This bill being the bill he called the American Jobs Act of 2011.  Trouble is, it didn't exist. Are there NO grownups in the WH who, I dunno, CHECK on that sort of thing. 

So the next day he's flashing a sheaf of papers in the Rose Garden claiming it's "the bill" we "must pass."  The American Jobs Act of 2011.  He's made half a dozen appearences since then, including C-bus OH and SC ... DEMANDING that we pass the American Jobs Act of 2011.

Here's the problem.  THERE WAS NO BILL!

Until laste last week.  When Rep. Louie Gohmert (R., Texas) WROTE one.  Three pages.  Does away with the Corporate Income Tax!  

And POTUS can't find anyone to introduce HIS bill because the Dems hate it too!

So he's stopped talking about it, right?

Nope.

Still begging us to pass the American Jobs Act of 2011.

Waitng for the headling "Obama Supports Nixing Corp Tax"

first there was this, at the Elph debate

thne there was this

From WLS in Chicago:

Schakowsky said that Americans don’t deserve to keep all of their money because we need taxes to support our society.

“I’ll put it this way. You don’t deserve to keep all of it and it’s not a question of deserving because what government is, is those things that we decide to do together. And there are many things that we decide to do together like have our national security. Like have police and fire. What about the people that work at the National Institute of Health who are looking for a cure for cancer,” Schakowsky said.

Since when did the Feds hire our police and fire?!!

took a few more days off this week before hitting the road again.  Turned in a 29, then a 28.5.  Here were the changes I implemented.

1.  First mile - ease up.  Was probably feeling my oats and starting out too fast.  Completing the run is more important  than completing the run fast.

2.  Middle mile - get serious and concentrate.  Focus on breathing and stride.

3.  Last mile - stride out a little.  Relax. And pick it up the last 800 just for kix.

4.  The BIGGEST change?  My 53 year old body wants to get back into racing shape (from my 30's) and my runner's brain is surfacing again and needs fed.  I need a goal.  I need a target.  So here's the deal.  Succesfully complete three conscutive distance runs and reward myself with a SPEED workout.  Now I have a REASON to push through when I get tired. 

Took toady off (but did a good bit of work around the house.)  Tomorrow will be my third  run so there's a goal in site.  Hopefully Sunday will see me on the track.  Something like 5-7x400 in 2:12-2:34 range, 2' rest intervall.  The first three will be "easy."  The last four will be glorious. 

I hope.

THE OBAMA ECONOMY AND SELF-IMPOSED HEADWINDS.