Obama plays hardball with pet project of Boehner's http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/13/obama-plays-hardball-with-pet-project-boehners/?intcmp=trending
AP Report: Obama Considering Slashing U.S. Nuclear Force By Up To 80%… WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is weighing options for sharp new cuts to the U.S. nuclear force, including a reduction of up to 80 percent in the number of deployed weapons, The Associated Press has learned. Even the most modest option now under consideration would be an historic and politically bold disarmament step in a presidential election year, although the plan is in line with President Barack Obama’s 2009 pledge to pursue the elimination of nuclear weapons. No final decision has been made, but the administration is considering at least three options for lower total numbers of deployed strategic nuclear weapons cutting to around 1,000 to 1,100, 700 to 800, or 300 to 400, according to a former government official and a congressional staffer. Both spoke on condition of anonymity in order to reveal internal administration deliberations. The potential cuts would be from a current treaty limit of 1,550 deployed strategic warheads. Obama has often cited his desire to seek lower levels of nuclear weapons, but specific options for a further round of cuts had been kept under wraps until the AP learned of the three options now on the table.
Paging Darrell Issa: $3.9 Billion In Federal Funds Went To 21 “Clean-Energy” Companies With Ties To Obama Officials… With $2.4 billion going to companies that Energy Department official Sanjay Wagle’s venture capital firm invested in prior to government funding. (WaPo) — Sanjay Wagle was a venture capitalist and Barack Obama fundraiser in 2008, rallying support through a group he headed known as Clean Tech for Obama. Shortly after Obama’s election, he left his California firm to join the Energy Department, just as the administration embarked on a massive program to stimulate the economy with federal investments in clean-technology firms. Following an enduring Washington tradition, Wagle shifted from the private sector, where his firm hoped to profit from federal investments, to an insider’s seat in the administration’s $80 billion clean-energy investment program. He was one of several players in venture capital, which was providing financial backing to start-up clean-tech companies, who moved into the Energy Department at a time when the agency was seeking outside expertise in the field. At the same time, their industry had a huge stake in decisions about which companies would receive government loans, grants and support. During the next three years, the department provided $2.4 billion in public funding to clean-energy companies in which Wagle’s former firm, Vantage Point Venture Partners, had invested, a Washington Post analysis found. Overall, the Post found that $3.9 billion in federal grants and financing flowed to 21 companies backed by firms with connections to five Obama administration staffers and advisers.
Don’t You Know Who I Am??? Home - by BigFurHat - February 17, 2012 - 14:15 America/New_York - 30 Comments When officers ask Sharpton for his insurance card and his registration he pulls the RACE CARD out of his wallet. It’s all he has. NY POST: The Rev. Al Sharpton tried to move heaven and earth yesterday to keep his SUV from being towed at La Guardia Airport — but no amount of preaching could stop Port Authority cops from impounding the vehicle. An officer rolled up on the 2008 Lincoln Navigator at around 2 p.m. outside the Delta and US Airways terminal as the MSNBC host’s driver waited to pick him up in a clearly marked “no standing” zone, said PA Police spokesman Al Della Fave. PAPD cop Oscar Ruiz asked the driver for his paperwork and quickly discovered that the SUV had a suspended registration “due to lack of insurance,” the spokesman said. Robert Miller A DRIVEN MAN: The Rev. Al Sharpton, here hopping into the vehicle that shuttles him around the city, allegedly raised a fuss when a Port Authority cop moved to impound it at La Guardia Airport yesterday. At that point, Sharpton emerged from the terminal after a flight from Washington, DC, and raised holy hell over the situation. “He begins yelling, saying the cop was just doing this because of who he was,” a source said. “Sharpton was adamant there was insurance,” the source said. “He said he was on the phone with his lawyer, and he told the driver not to give the officer his keys.” But the driver ignored his boss and turned over the keys to the cop — who issued the vehicle three summonses for illegal parking, lack of insurance and suspended registration.
Report: Obama Energy Secretary Steven Chu Personally Intervened In $1.4 Billion Loan To Prop Up Solyndra… It’s almost like the Obama regime knew Solyndra going under would come back to haunt them. Via WHB: Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu may have personally intervened in a $1.4 billion partial loan guarantee in an effort to help floundering solar company Solyndra, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee alleged in a letter Friday. Committee Republicans opened a new front in their ongoing investigation of the Solyndra scandal in a letter to Chu on Friday, requesting documents and emails regarding a $1.4 billion loan to a solar project that was to be supplied equipment by Solyndra. Prologis, an industrial real-estate company, received a partial loan guarantee in June 2011 to install solar panels on its commercial facility rooftops. The committee said the sole supplier of those panels would have been Solyndra, which had also received a $535 million loan guarantee from the Energy Department.
Chutzpah: Obama Touts S.C. Boeing Plant That His NLRB Tried To Shut Down On Behalf of The Unions… Un-friggen-believable. Via Washington Examiner: President Obama rallied with union workers at a Boeing plant in Washington, but he praised the manufacturing conducted by Boeing in South Carolina, even though his National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) tried to close the South Carolina plant at the behest of the Washington union workers. “This company is a great example of what American manufacturing can do in a way that nobody else in the world can do it,” Obama told the assembled workers this afternoon at the Everett, Wash., Boeing plant. ”And the impact of your success, as I said, goes far beyond the walls of this plant. Every Dreamliner that rolls off the assembly line here in Everett supports thousands of jobs in different industries all across the country. Parts of the fuselage are manufactured in South Carolina and Kansas,” Obama noted before mentioning factories in other states.
Voter Fraud, Democrat Style 2 million dead ready to vote for Obama By: DrJohn – Flopping Aces Along with 24 million others who aren’t valid any longer. The United States’ voter registration system is in chaos — about 24 million registrations are no longer valid and nearly 2 million dead people are still on voter rolls, according to a new report Tuesday. [snip] But hey, voter ID’s are oppressive. The Obama Administration’s re-election mobilization continues: Witness Eric Holder’s attempt to play the race card and perhaps twist the law in a campaign against voter identification laws. In the Attorney General’s telling, the movement in the states to require voters to show some ID is a revival of minority disenfranchisement a la Jim Crow. A growing number of minorities, he said in a speech last week, are now worried about “the same disparities, divisions and problems” that beset the country in 1965 and “many Americans, for the first time in their lives . . . now have reason to believe that we are failing to live up” to the promise of democracy for all. If you haven’t heard about this national crisis, perhaps that’s because you don’t travel in Mr. Holder’s political circles. He is merely repeating the howls of groups like the NAACP and the George Soros-funded Brennan Center, which claim without evidence that voter ID laws hurt minorities. The NAACP even petitioned the United Nations this month for a human-rights ruling on what President Benjamin Jealous called a “tidal wave of assaults on the right to vote.” He meant in America, not Cuba or North Korea. The American Civil Liberties Union has sued to challenge a voter ID law in Wisconsin.
Guess who wants a raise? Chicago teachers asking for 30% raises over next 2 years ChicagoTribune The Chicago Teachers Union is asking for raises amounting to 30 percent over the next two years, the opening salvo in heated contract negotiations with school officials who are implementing a longer school day across Chicago Public Schools next school year. Documents obtained by the Tribune show that in the face of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s expansion of the school day, the union has led with an offer seeking a 24 percent raise in the 2012-13 school year and a 5 percent increase the following year, the net effect being 30 percent. Barbara Radner, director of DePaul University’s Center for Urban Education, described the proposal as “unprecedented” and “really bold” but predicted it wouldn’t go over well among the general public. “Union members will say: ‘Yeah. Stand up for us,’” she said. “But in terms of public relations, everyone else will say, ‘Is that a typo?”
Employees Of Obama-Backed Solyndra Given Bonuses, 70% Pay Raises… Hey, it’s only money, our money. WILMINGTON, Del. — Several of the nearly two dozen employees at bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra LLC who were approved for bonuses Wednesday had months earlier received pay raises as high as 70 percent, a fact the company never disclosed in its request for bonus cash. The company’s bankruptcy attorneys sought permission for the bonuses in a court hearing, arguing that the extra cash is needed to keep key employees from fleeing only to be replaced by more expensive outside consultants. With little chance of stable employment and officials moving to liquidate assets, the workers needed to wind down the company have little incentive to stay, the Solyndra attorneys argued. But an attorney for fired Solyndra workers railed against the plan, saying several of the proposed bonus recipients had received significant salary increases even after the company went bankrupt. The disclosure drew sharp criticism from U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Mary Walrath, who called it “shocking” that the company had not disclosed the pay raises in its bonus request.
Green Energy Company Given Federal Stimulus Funds By Obama Admin Lays Off 125 Workers, Gives Pay Raise To Executives… It’s not easy being green. (Fox News) — An electric car battery company reportedly has laid off 125 employees since receiving $390 million in government subsidies, but is still handing out big pay raises to company executives. A123 systems, which was touted as a stimulus “success story” by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., had a net loss of $172 million through the first three quarters of 2011, according to the Washington Examiner’s “Beltway Confidential” blog, citing a report from the Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy. A123’s primary customer, Fisker Automotive, is also struggling financially. “Yet, this month A123’s Compensation Committee approved a $30,000 raise for [Chief Financial Officer David] Prystash just days after Fisker Automotive announced the U.S. Energy Department had cut off what was left of its $528.7 million loan it had previously received.” This month has seen significant pay boosts for other A123 executives, as well, including vice presidents Robert Johnson and Jason Forcier. The raises were reported by the company in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, according to the Mackinac report.
California Chevy Volt Owners Will Be Allowed To Drive Solo In Carpool Lanes, Given $1,500 State Rebate… Total rebates would be $11,500 ($10K from federal government) and I bet the POS still won’t sell. DETROIT — A low emission model of the 2012 Chevrolet Volt electric car are on their way to California, where customers will qualify for a $1,500 state rebate and be allowed to drive solo in the state’s carpool lanes. Volts with the Low Emissions Package, which is standard for California, began shipping from the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck plant this week and should begin arriving at the more than 140 participating Chevrolet dealerships in California before the end of the month. “The Volts with the Low Emissions Package are certain to be a strong draw for California commuters looking to travel the state’s notoriously congested freeways in the carpool lane,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. Commuters who use carpool lanes in Southern California save an estimated average 36 minutes a day, or about a third of their total driving time.
Law Firm That Donated Heavily To Obama Given $1.8 Million In Stimulus Funds To Advise On Failed “Green” Energy Loans… More cronyism. Via NLPC: An international law firm, which gave substantial political donations to President Obama and fellow Democrats over the last three campaign cycles, received its own significant stimulus award to advise on a controversial Department of Energy loan transaction with a struggling electric vehicle manufacturer. The firm, Debevoise & Plimpton LLC, received $1,842,180 in Recovery Act funds to provide legal advice, conduct due diligence, and review documents for two loans from DOE’s Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. One $529 million loan award was to Fisker Automotive to develop and produce two lines of electric vehicles, with plans to create 2,000 new jobs at a renovatedGeneral Motors plant in Delaware. After receiving $193 million under that loan, DOE halted payments to Fisker in May 2011 after it failed to reach milestones set out in the agreement. Work on renovations to the Delaware plant was suspended, and the company let go about 65 employees – “green jobs” – earlier this month. Debevoise provided the same services to DOE for its $5.9 billion loan to Ford Motor Company, to convert five of its factories in the Midwest so they can produce more fuel-efficient vehicles. DOE’s Web site boasts that thanks to the Ford loan, nearly 33,000 employees at the plants will be “converted” to “green” jobs.
Obama bundler works as Virgin Islands tax adviser Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/29/obama-bundler-works-as-virgin-islands-tax-adviser/#ixzz1npWe90Uk A little over a month ago, the Democratic National Committee lambasted Mitt Romney for not initially reporting funds in "notorious tax havens" scattered around the world. It turns out a campaign "bundler" for President Obama is in the business of helping people, like Romney, who are looking to take advantage of offshore tax law. Marjorie Rawls Roberts, who according to the Obama campaign volunteered to raise between $100,000 and $200,000 for the president's re-election effort, is an attorney in the U.S. Virgin Islands who offers clients guidance on the islands' perk-filled tax system. According to her bio, she "specializes in the areas of tax, investment, and offshore funds." This includes helping clients on tax planning and "qualification for one of the economic incentives available in the U.S. Virgin Islands." The Obama campaign has not responded to a request for comment for this story. The Obama White House, though, has decried the use of "offshore tax havens" to avoid paying higher tax rates. The U.S. Virgin Islands does not have the same international notoriety as a tax haven as, say, the Cayman Islands -- where Romney was parking some of his investment money, though the Romney campaign has said the money was taxed just as it would be in the U.S. But the Virgin Islands offer substantial benefits to those who qualify. Businesses, for instance, that meet certain conditions are legally eligible for a 90 percent tax cut. It's also the only place under the U.S. flag where a non-American can set up a tax-free company. The federal government has cracked down on the tax system in the U.S. Virgin Islands over the past decade, requiring residents filing there to provide extensive information to the IRS. Roberts, as part of her work, provides helpful pointers to clients on how to meet these requirements -- namely, hyper-specific residency standards. In one 2007 column, Roberts noted that filers are supposed to spend 183 days a year in the Virgin Islands, or average that over a three-year period. But she said tax filers can also meet that standard by making sure they limit their time in the United States. "A person who spends considerable periods at sea -- the eight-month trip sailing from island to island in the Caribbean comes to mind -- would not lose bona fide residency in the (Virgin Islands)," she wrote. Or, she wrote, somebody could just make sure they spend more time in the Virgin Islands than the United States, provided they don't make more than $3,000 -- investment income like interest would not count toward that threshold. According to a 2004 report in an Arkansas business publication, her practice helps "affluent clients access the tax benefits" available on the islands. Roberts hasn't always been on the Virgin Islands. She used to work as an attorney in London and Washington, D.C., and later worked in the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy in the '80s. After that, she served as chief counsel with the U.S. Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue. Now, she's one of many bundlers for the 2012 Obama campaign. Her $100,000 to $200,000 pledge level doesn't necessarily make her a big fish, though -- several dozen bundlers have committed to raising more than $500,000 for the campaign. Roberts did not return a request for comment from FoxNews.com. Roberts' role was first reported by The Washington Free Beacon. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/29/obama-bundler-works-as-virgin-islands-tax-adviser/#ixzz1npX4uzAE
Solar Firm That Got $400 Million Taxpayer Loan From Obama Lays Off 180 Of Its 400 Workers… At what point did Obama start believing he was a venture capitalist? (ABC News) — Another recipient of Energy Department loan funds has run into financial trouble. Colorado-based Abound Solar announced this week it has been forced to lay off 180 of its 400 workers as it tries to retool to produce a more efficient type of solar panel in order to keep a technological edge on Chinese manufacturers who are flooding the market with less expensive models. Abound received approval in 2010 for a $400 million government loan. “As you know the solar market has been extremely difficult for all manufacturers,” said Craig Witsoe, the CEO of Abound Solar, in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday. “To continue to make the panel we make today, to have to sell it below cost, it’s a tough environment to operate in.” It is one of four companies that have been issued a combined $1.3 billion in loans by the Obama administration to operate in the highly competitive field of solar manufacturing. Solyndra, the best-known of those recipients, filed for bankruptcy last year, touching off a wave of controversy about the role of government money in backing high-risk start-up firms in the alternative energy field, and an investigation by Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
EPA Chief Lisa Jackson Defends $25K Interpretive Dance Grant, “They’re Very Well Respected”… Really? – You’re going to try and justify this? (PJM) — EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing this week that she isn’t familiar with the “kinesthetic learning” for which a dance company got a $25,000 grant, but understands that they’re “quite well-respected.” Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) questioned Jackson about the 2011 allotment made through the Environmental Justice Small Grants Program, particularly in light of EPA complaints about funding shortages. [...] “The project intends to produce innovative lectures, demonstrations and movement classes in 10 elementary schools,” the document describes. “Kinesthetic learning will be used to examine air quality issues and encourage youth and their families to adopt healthy living practices.” “I’ve read about it and we are reviewing,” Jackson said. “It’s with a very well-respected group. . . that uses dance to educate. . . . Apparently they have a long history of doing this and are quite well-respected.”
Number of Americans On Food Stamps Jumps To More Than 1 In 7… But whatever you do don’t call Obama the food stamp president because that’s crazy racist or something. (WSJ) — Food-stamp use jumped in the U.S. in December with more than 1 in 7 people receiving benefits, even as a program for disaster assistance related to Hurricane Irene came to an end. Food stamp rolls increased 5.5% in 2011, the Department of Agriculture reported, though the pace of growth has slowed from the depths of the recession. The number of recipients in the food stamp program, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), rose to 46.5 million, or 15% of the population in December. The numbers receiving benefits were boosted by disaster assistance in the late summer and autumn due to Hurricane Irene, but the those programs were largely ended by December in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania the last states still in need. Minnesota, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, New Jersey, Delaware and Iowa all saw year-over-year jumps in use by over 10%. Just Wyoming, Michigan, North Dakota, Utah and West Virginia posted annual drops in the number of people receiving food stamps. Mississippi reported the largest share of its population relying on food stamps, more than 21%. One in five residents in New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington DC also were food-stamp recipients.