Video: SNL Parodies Obama State of the Union Speech

Saturday Night Live makes fun of Obama's State of the Union speech. He can't be too happy with it. SNL takes no prisoners.

in reference to: SNL Parodies Obama State of the Union Speech - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Report: No sanctions for Lawyers who OK'd Torture

The fix is in

in reference to:

"Bush administration lawyers who drafted legal theories that led to waterboarding and other harsh treatment of terrorism suspects showed poor judgment but won't face sanctions for professional misconduct, according to a published report. A forthcoming government ethics report initially concluded the two key authors of the so-called torture memos, Jay Bybee and John Yoo, who were officials in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel during the Bush administration, had violated their professional obligations as lawyers when they crafted the memos that allowed the use of harsh interrogation tactics. But a senior Justice Department official, David Margolis, later softened the department's finding to say the authors simply showed poor judgment, Newsweek reported."
- Report: No sanctions for Lawyers who OK'd Torture - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Police: ATM Scam may be Nationwide

This is very frightening.

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"Police announced two more arrests in connection with a scheme to steal thousands from unsuspecting ATM users. State police boarded a plane at Logan International Airport bound for Germany in order to arrest 36-year-old Viadiclav Vladevo, who was attempting to flee the country. He was arraigned in Quincy District Court on Friday afternoon on larceny charges. Vladevo used a Bulgarian translator throughout the proceedings. A judge set bail for Vladevo at $1 million, citing the fact that the suspects are citizens of other countries and have no local ties to the area. On Thursday, federal authorities arrested Anton Venkov in Quincy in connection with the ATM scheme. The suspect reportedly had $100,000 on him at the time he was apprehended. Venkov appeared Thursday in federal court. Izaylo Hristov, 28, of Ontario, Canada was arrested Wednesday night. Police said he stole money from a Citizens Bank ATM on Hancock Street in Quincy. Hristov was arraigned Thursday afternoon on a number of felony charges, including identity theft."
- Police: ATM Scam may be Nationwide - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Senator Susan Collins: Obama Blind to Terrorism

This is very strong language. Especially given the soft spoken nature of this Senator. I agree that the Obama administration is too preoccupied with domestic matters to deal effectively with the terror threat. They also don't see to have much of a plan to deal effectively the threat from without. I wrote early on during the Obama's presidency that he was "clueless" when it came to foreign policy. Now, after Collins shocking remarks, I'm more convinced more than ever that President Obama lacks the understanding to deal with the terror and military threat from abroad. That will have disastrous consequences for America.

in reference to:

"Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) on Saturday hammered the Justice Department for treating Flight 253 terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab as a "common criminal" -- a move she described in her party's weekly address as a "failure" of the entire justice system. The decision to read Miranda rights to Abdulmutallab -- better known as the Christmas Day bomber -- is symptomatic of the White House's general "blindness" in its handling of the larger War on Terrorism, Collins stressed. ...“President Obama recently used the phrase that ‘we are at war’ with terrorists. But unfortunately his rhetoric does not match the actions of his administration," said Collins, the ranking member on the Senate's Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. “The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the War on Terrorism," she added. “And, because of that blindness, this administration cannot see a foreign terrorist even when he stands right in front of them, fresh from an attempt to blow a plane out of the sky on Christmas Day.""
- Senator Susan Collins: Obama Blind to Terrorism - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Video, Transcript: Obama and Republicans Spar in Q&A (1-29-10)

Judge for yourself whether there was any partisanship hope coming from this get-togehter.

in reference to:

"CONGRESSMAN RYAN: I would simply say that automatic stabilizer spending is mandatory spending. The discretionary spending, the bills that Congress signs that you sign into law, that has increased 84 percent. THE PRESIDENT: We'll have a longer debate on the budget numbers, all right? CONGRESSMAN PENCE: Shelley Moore Capito, West Virginia. CONGRESSWOMAN CAPITO: Thank you, Mr. President, for joining us here today. As you said in the State of the Union address on Wednesday, jobs and the economy are number one. And I think everyone in this room, certainly I, agree with you on that. I represent the state of West Virginia. We're resource-rich. We have a lot of coal and a lot of natural gas. But our -- my miners and the folks who are working and those who are unemployed are very concerned about some of your policies in these areas: cap and trade, an aggressive EPA, and the looming prospect of higher taxes. In our minds, these are job-killing policies. So I'm asking you if you would be willing to re-look at some of these policies, with a high unemployment and the unsure economy that we have now, to assure West Virginians that you're listening. THE PRESIDENT: Look, I listen all the time, including to your governor, who's somebody who I enjoyed working with a lot before the campaign and now that I'm President. And I know that West Virginia struggles with unemployment, and I know how important coal is to West Virginia and a lot of the natural resources there. That's part of the reason why I've said that we need a comprehensive energy policy that sets us up for a long-term future. For example, nobody has been a bigger promoter of clean coal technology than I am. Testament to that, I ended up being in a whole bunch of advertisements that you guys saw all the time about investing in ways for us to burn coal more cleanly. I've said that I'm a promoter of nuclear energy, something that I think over the last three decades has been subject to a lot of partisan wrangling and ideological wrangling. I don't think it makes sense. I think that that has to be part of our energy mix. I've said that I am supportive -- and I said this two nights ago at the State of the Union -- that I am in favor of increased production. So if you look at the ideas that this caucus has, again with respect to energy, I'm for a lot of what you said you are for."
- Video, Transcript: Obama and Republicans Spar in Q&A (1-29-10) - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Video: Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Tomb in Mexico

Archaeologists in Mexico say they have unearthed an ancient tomb thought to date back to the Maya empire. Video found here.

Retiring Democratic Senator Says Obama Erred By Tackling Health Care First

FOXNews:

Sen. Byron Dorgan, who announced he would not seek re-election in November, said Friday that President Obama should have focused his first year in office on improving the economy instead of pursuing health care reform.

In an interview that will air Sunday on C-SPAN, the North Dakota Democrat said Obama made a mistake, not because health care isn't important but because the timing wasn't good.

"Standing in a very deep hole, it's hard to reach as high as you need to reach in order to put together a proposal that can get through the Congress," he said. "I personally would have said, let's work exclusively on restarting the economic engine once again and putting people back to work."

Dorgan's rebuke echoed comments made by fellow Democrat Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who also said this month that Obama should have focused on jobs first.

Video: Andrew Breitbart and David Shuster clash over James O'Keefe

Video: Andrew Breitbart and David Shuster clash over James O'Keefe

Two key Tea Party Convention speakers cancel

Seems to be some friction between the Tea Party movement and the Republican establishment. The GOP only wants only to use a movement that members take seriously.

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"Two major speakers at next week's first Tea Party Convention are dropping out of the lineup. Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann announced Thursday that they will not be attending the convention, which is scheduled to start late next week in Nashville, Tennessee. Blackburn was scheduled to serve as a featured speaker and also introduce the keynote speaker, former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Bachman was scheduled to serve as one of the convention's kickoff speakers. Both congresswomen are strong supporters of the tea party movement. Blackburn's congressional office says the House Committee on Standards advised her not to participate in the convention, which is being put together by the Tea Party Nation as a for-profit entity. Tea Party Nation is run by Judson Phillips, a lawyer in Tennessee. "I spoke to Judson Phillips this morning and let him know that I could not participate in the convention. I told him frankly that Tea Party Nation's for-profit status has put many of his speakers in an awkward position," Blackburn said in a statement."
- Two key Tea Party Convention speakers cancel - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

Supermarket bans shopping in pyjamas

Supermarket bans shopping in pyjamas

Report: Hackers Attack House Web Sites

This is not very reassuring. If any punk can infiltrate secure government websites, imagine what the Chinese are doing.

in reference to:

"Hackers apparently attacked the Web sites of more than 20 House members overnight, posting derogatory comments about President Barack Obama in place of the representatives' normal pages. The cyber-attack, originally reported by Hotline's Erin McPike, left the following message on the site of Republicans on the House Oversight committee:"
- Report: Hackers Attack House Web Sites - Power To The People! (view on Google Sidewiki)

'I would eat anything I found' - Buried Haiti girl's miracle survival

'I would eat anything I found' - Buried Haiti girl's miracle survival

Transcript: Obama's State of the Union Address (1-27-10)

Complete transcript of President Obama's State of the Union address (1-27-10):

It's tempting to look back on these moments and assume that our progress was inevitable - that America was always destined to succeed. But when the Union was turned back at Bull Run and the Allies first landed at Omaha Beach, victory was very much in doubt. When the market crashed on Black Tuesday and civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday, the future was anything but certain. These were times that tested the courage of our convictions, and the strength of our union. And despite all our divisions and disagreements; our hesitations and our fears; America prevailed because we chose to move forward as one nation, and one people.

Again, we are tested. And again, we must answer history's call.

One year ago, I took office amid two wars, an economy rocked by severe recession, a financial system on the verge of collapse, and a government deeply in debt. Experts from across the political spectrum warned that if we did not act, we might face a second depression. So we acted - immediately and aggressively. And one year later, the worst of the storm has passed.

But the devastation remains. One in ten Americans still cannot find work. Many businesses have shuttered. Home values have declined. Small towns and rural communities have been hit especially hard. For those who had already known poverty, life has become that much harder.

This recession has also compounded the burdens that America's families have been dealing with for decades - the burden of working harder and longer for less; of being unable to save enough to retire or help kids with college.

So I know the anxieties that are out there right now. They're not new. These struggles are the reason I ran for President. These struggles are what I've witnessed for years in places like Elkhart, Indiana and Galesburg, Illinois. I hear about them in the letters that I read each night. The toughest to read are those written by children - asking why they have to move from their home, or when their mom or dad will be able to go back to work.

For these Americans and so many others, change has not come fast enough. Some are frustrated; some are angry. They don't understand why it seems like bad behavior on Wall Street is rewarded but hard work on Main Street isn't; or why Washington has been unable or unwilling to solve any of our problems. They are tired of the partisanship and the shouting and the pettiness. They know we can't afford it. Not now.

Poll: Most say stimulus has not helped middle class

Poll: Most say stimulus has not helped middle class:

Only one-quarter of Americans think the federal stimulus plan has helped the middle class, while a majority say it has helped bankers and investors, according to a new national poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Wednesday morning indicates that 25 percent of the public thinks the stimulus has benefited the middle class.

One-third of the people questioned think the stimulus has helped low-income Americans, with just over four in 10 saying the plan has benefited business executives. A majority, 54 percent, think the stimulus has helped bankers and investors.

"Opinions on the economic stimulus bill are colored by the perception that it has helped fat cats, but not ordinary Americans," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "It's possible that the belief that the stimulus bill helped bankers and CEOs is due to the public confusing the stimulus bill with the various bailout bills that were passed at roughly the same time last year."

- Join the discussion

4 men Accused of Scheme with La. Senator's Phones

4 men accused of scheme with La. senator's phones

Obama’s Credibility Gap

NY Times Columnist, Bob Herbert: "Obama's Credibility Gap"

Mr. Obama may be personally very appealing, but he has positioned himself all over the political map: the anti-Iraq war candidate who escalated the war in Afghanistan; the opponent of health insurance mandates who made a mandate to buy insurance the centerpiece of his plan; the president who stocked his administration with Wall Street insiders and went to the mat for the banks and big corporations, but who is now trying to present himself as a born-again populist. Mr. Obama is in danger of being perceived as someone whose rhetoric, however skillful, cannot always be trusted. He is creating a credibility gap for himself, and if it widens much more he won’t be able to close it.

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After Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises

After Long Decline, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Rises

Travolta flies jetload of relief Supplies to Haiti

Travolta flies jetload of relief Supplies to Haiti

Dog meat could come off Chinese Menu

Dog meat could come off Chinese Menu

Panel: US not ready for bioterrorist attack

What do you think? Are we really safe from terrorism? And if not what should we do about? I think we need a new agency solely set up to fight terrorism.