Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano disrespected Federal Flight Deck Officers (armed pilots) during a hearing yesterday in testimony presented to the House Homeland Security Committee.  Sec. Napolitano showed a lack of knowledge about the program in addition to an intent to kill it over the next few years.  The testimony yesterday provides further evidence of “President Obama’s Plan to Kill Armed Pilots Program.”

Representative Chip Cravaack (R-MN) a former commercial airline pilot and Federal Flight Deck Officer, asked Napolitano some tough questions at the hearing.  If you look at the evidence of the Obama Aministration’s proposed 50% cut in funding for the program and the comments of Secretary Napolitano yesterday, one can only conclude that this administration has marked the armed pilots program for elimination over the next few years.  Expect no armed pilots if President Obama is allowed a second term.

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Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano disrespected Federal Flight Deck Officers (armed pilots) during a hearing yesterday in testimony presented to the House Homeland Security Committee.  Sec. Napolitano showed a lack of knowledge about the program in addition to an intent to kill it over the next few years.  The testimony yesterday provides further evidence of “President Obama’s Plan to Kill Armed Pilots Program.”

Representative Chip Cravaack (R-MN) a former commercial airline pilot and Federal Flight Deck Officer, asked Napolitano some tough questions at the hearing.  If you look at the evidence of the Obama Aministration’s proposed 50% cut in funding for the program and the comments of Secretary Napolitano yesterday, one can only conclude that this administration has marked the armed pilots program for elimination over the next few years.  Expect no armed pilots if President Obama is allowed a second term.

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Our voices are finally being heard – sort of.  When we started voicing opposition to the highway bill there were few conservatives speaking out against it, and even fewer members of the House who were willing to oppose it.  Now, there is so much opposition to the bill that John Boehner was forced to delay the vote on the highway bill, which was previously scheduled for today:

Boehner (R-Ohio) told his conference Wednesday morning that it was “more important that we do it right than that we do it fast” in explaining his decision, a clear signal GOP leaders lack the votes to win approval of the package.

“Given the volume of amendments and the need for a full, fair, open and transparent process, we may not finish energy/infrastructure this week,” Boehner told his conference, according to a source in the room. “If we need more time to debate and consider amendments, that’s perfectly fine with me. It’s more important that we do it right than that we do it fast.”

The bottom line is that Boehner and McCarthy are lacking the votes.  They plan to suspend consideration of the bill until after next week’s President’s Day recess.

But there is another issue regarding the offsets of the bill.  CQ is reporting that “lawmakers needed time to examine their options for offsetting the bill’s cost, because a proposal involving federal employee pensions is also being used in a package (HR 3630) that would extend a Social Security payroll tax cut and other expiring provisions.”  According to media reports of the tentative ‘extenders’ deal, $15 billion in savings from pension reform will go towards the $50 billion deficit created by a 10-month extension of unemployment benefits and Medicare doc fix.  It’s sad that there is such a dearth of items they are willing to cut that they need to recycle the same offsets for multiple bills.

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Our voices are finally being heard – sort of.  When we started voicing opposition to the highway bill there were few conservatives speaking out against it, and even fewer members of the House who were willing to oppose it.  Now, there is so much opposition to the bill that John Boehner was forced to delay the vote on the highway bill, which was previously scheduled for today:

Boehner (R-Ohio) told his conference Wednesday morning that it was “more important that we do it right than that we do it fast” in explaining his decision, a clear signal GOP leaders lack the votes to win approval of the package.

“Given the volume of amendments and the need for a full, fair, open and transparent process, we may not finish energy/infrastructure this week,” Boehner told his conference, according to a source in the room. “If we need more time to debate and consider amendments, that’s perfectly fine with me. It’s more important that we do it right than that we do it fast.”

The bottom line is that Boehner and McCarthy are lacking the votes.  They plan to suspend consideration of the bill until after next week’s President’s Day recess.

But there is another issue regarding the offsets of the bill.  CQ is reporting that “lawmakers needed time to examine their options for offsetting the bill’s cost, because a proposal involving federal employee pensions is also being used in a package (HR 3630) that would extend a Social Security payroll tax cut and other expiring provisions.”  According to media reports of the tentative ‘extenders’ deal, $15 billion in savings from pension reform will go towards the $50 billion deficit created by a 10-month extension of unemployment benefits and Medicare doc fix.  It’s sad that there is such a dearth of items they are willing to cut that they need to recycle the same offsets for multiple bills.

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[UPDATE]: Update to this story here. It’s a bit long to just paste onto here, so let me summarize: Sen. Paul is indicating that he was kept in a cubicle for at least an hour and a half and that the TSA turned out not to need him to do a mandatory pat-down after all. To me it sounds like a detention, and I will continue to have a problem with that when it comes to a US Senator.

The Daily Caller reports: the short version is, the TSA in Nashville detained Senator Rand Paul (R, KY) after their body scanner went on the fritz and the Senator refused to submit to a full-body pat-down. Senator Paul was scheduled to speak to March for Life this morning as part of their anniversary rally against Roe v. Wade: it’s now an open question whether he’s going to be able to, now.  As somebody noted to me privately: if this was any other Senator you could reasonably expect grandstanding, but Senator Paul is precisely the sort of person who will stubbornly force the TSA to embarrass itself by detaining a Senator on a matter of personal liberty.  Particularly since Senator Paul’s ongoing opposition to full-body pat-downs is quite well known.

In other words: this is what civil disobedience looks like.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: By the way?  As ABC News is actually pointing out, Senators have the following Constitutionally enumerated right: “They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same;”(Article I, Section 6).  Senate’s in session today; so let’s see, once and for all, whether Harry Reid’s a true Senator, or just this administration’s lap dog…

[UPDATE]: Update to this story here. It’s a bit long to just paste onto here, so let me summarize: Sen. Paul is indicating that he was kept in a cubicle for at least an hour and a half and that the TSA turned out not to need him to do a mandatory pat-down after all. To me it sounds like a detention, and I will continue to have a problem with that when it comes to a US Senator.

The Daily Caller reports: the short version is, the TSA in Nashville detained Senator Rand Paul (R, KY) after their body scanner went on the fritz and the Senator refused to submit to a full-body pat-down. Senator Paul was scheduled to speak to March for Life this morning as part of their anniversary rally against Roe v. Wade: it’s now an open question whether he’s going to be able to, now.  As somebody noted to me privately: if this was any other Senator you could reasonably expect grandstanding, but Senator Paul is precisely the sort of person who will stubbornly force the TSA to embarrass itself by detaining a Senator on a matter of personal liberty.  Particularly since Senator Paul’s ongoing opposition to full-body pat-downs is quite well known.

In other words: this is what civil disobedience looks like.

Moe Lane (crosspost)

PS: By the way?  As ABC News is actually pointing out, Senators have the following Constitutionally enumerated right: “They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same;”(Article I, Section 6).  Senate’s in session today; so let’s see, once and for all, whether Harry Reid’s a true Senator, or just this administration’s lap dog…

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As you may be aware, Senator John McCain, reading from a Wall Street Journal editorial on the Senate floor Wednesday, invoked Tolkien, quoting the passage here:

The idea seems to be if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling, a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue and the public will turn en masse against Barack Obama. The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all the blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the Tea Party hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor.

Well not to go all nerd on you, Senator, but they were already IN Middle Earth. They had to return to The Shire. -3 internets to you. And we’ll leave aside that he and the author of the editorial might have found a more timely reference, what with the end of Harry Potter, and therefore life as we know it, so close at hand. The fact is that this Hobbit sees an opportunity for some photoshop fun.

PHOTOSHOP CONTEST!!!

So here are the rules: produce Tolkien themed tea party photoshops and post them in the comments. Or don’t. I’m a blog post, not a cop. Keep it clean. Winners will be announced in their own minds, and the best will probably be destined for Twitter glory. Or not. This is a hypothesis, not the all seeing eye of Sauron. Keep it clean. People who don’t will be cast into the fiery pit of Mt. Doom. By Moe.

So nerd it up, Hobbitses. Let’s see what you got. I’ll start below the fold.

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As you may be aware, Senator John McCain, reading from a Wall Street Journal editorial on the Senate floor Wednesday, invoked Tolkien, quoting the passage here:

The idea seems to be if the House GOP refuses to raise the debt ceiling, a default crisis or gradual government shutdown will ensue and the public will turn en masse against Barack Obama. The Republican House that failed to raise the debt ceiling would somehow escape all the blame. Then Democrats would have no choice but to pass a balanced budget amendment and reform entitlements, and the Tea Party hobbits could return to Middle Earth having defeated Mordor.

Well not to go all nerd on you, Senator, but they were already IN Middle Earth. They had to return to The Shire. -3 internets to you. And we’ll leave aside that he and the author of the editorial might have found a more timely reference, what with the end of Harry Potter, and therefore life as we know it, so close at hand. The fact is that this Hobbit sees an opportunity for some photoshop fun.

PHOTOSHOP CONTEST!!!

So here are the rules: produce Tolkien themed tea party photoshops and post them in the comments. Or don’t. I’m a blog post, not a cop. Keep it clean. Winners will be announced in their own minds, and the best will probably be destined for Twitter glory. Or not. This is a hypothesis, not the all seeing eye of Sauron. Keep it clean. People who don’t will be cast into the fiery pit of Mt. Doom. By Moe.

So nerd it up, Hobbitses. Let’s see what you got. I’ll start below the fold.

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Once in a while, when I want a good laugh, I’ll tune into CNN and watch them bend themselves into pretzels in order to defend the Dear Leader and The Party.  I happened to have switched onto a portion of “Is Larry King Alive” where he was talking midterm politics with Ben Stein, Ari Fleischer, Alicia Menendez, and one of my favorite bomb-throwers, Debbie Wasserman Socialist Schultz, Democratic Representative from Florida.  It was a spirited exchange with Alicia and Debbie making their usual contemptible faces, when an interesting event occurred.  Debbie, obviously channeling Keith Olbermann and her neighbor, Alan Grayson, was trying to make a point of how wonderfully sane, reasonable and moderate the Democratic Party is.  However, she seemed to forget herself and the new and improved Democrat-lingo and almost spoke the truth.  Always dangerous for a Democrat but especially in this election cycle.

Ari Fleischer had just finished responding to the idea the Tea Parties were going to be the death knell of the Republican Party.  He cited Rand Paul’s lead in Kentucky and Debbie tried to change reality with this;

SCHULTZ: Larry, what Ari is saying is just absolutely not born out by the facts. Just look at the very fact that Harry Reid, until Sharron Angle was nominated by the Republican party, a hard right-wing Tea Party supporter, Tea Party essentially representative — until then, Harry Reid was struggling in the polls. Now he’s up in the polls in every major poll.

You have candidates across the country, Democratic candidates, Democratic incumbents who are up in the polls overwhelmingly, and about eight or nine of the NRCC, hand-picked moderate, young guns have gotten beat in Republican primaries and now those nominees, the Tea Party nominees, are down in the polls and will ultimately lose to our moderate, mainstream middle — Democrats, who are pro-business and who have their finger on the pulse of their own constituencies, instead of their finger on the pulse of the people on the hard right. That’s just the reality.

KING: Why do you laugh at that?

STEIN: Because the Democratic party doesn’t have its pulse on the mainstream of America. The Democratic party has its foot on the neck of American business –

SCHULTZ: We sure do.

STEIN: Just like the foot on the neck of the American business, making it very, very expensive for businessmen to hire people, putting through a health care bill that 60 percent of Americans oppose, putting through a health care bill that people in business are terrified because it increases their cost for employees by so much, putting through apologies for America all around the world.

The Republicans would not be in such a strong position in the polls if people thought that Democrats were a mainstream party. They’re not anymore. - Larry King Live Transcript from August 24, 2010.

*****************************

Now, the exchange itself is telling since Ben Stein was hooting with laughter at the idea the Democratic Party is responsive or in tune to anything except the radical Marxist wing of the party.  However, the part I underlined and set in bold, was not the first thing she said.  This transcript is a rough draft of last night’s show.  While watching it I almost fell over.  Debbie actually started to say ‘Prog–er, pro-business.’  She, of course, was about to say that “the Democrats, who are progressive have a finger on their own constituencies,” but of course that word is not sitting too well with voters and normal, thinking human beings.  I clearly heard the being of the word and it intrigued me that a far left whackadoodle like Schultz would bother to mince her words.  After all, progressive, socialist policies are the hallmark of this government.

So, to make sure I heard it right I went to YouTube to listen to the exchange again.  It’s not there.  The other three segments of the interview, as captured by the far left NDN.org website, were present.  This one little segment was not.  So, being a person who is not especially deft at technology, I looked all over.  No one else had that segment.  Hmmm.  Interesting.  It was especially telling as I read the transcript from “Is Larry King Alive”.  That little gargle was ignored.

This certainly does not mean there is a giant conspiracy attempting to keep Schultz’s little faux pas out of the public scrutiny.  I think it probably is a little attempt to deep-six her garbled message.  What is interesting is why they would have excluded that section.  Perhaps its because Alicia Menendez didn’t speak in that segment.  Perhaps it was just a simple oversight.  It doesn’t matter.  What does matter is Debbie Wasserman Schultz is afraid to use the word, ‘progressive’ on a low-rated national program.  Is the nation fed up with their little game of MadLibs?  Are their focus groups grimacing every time a Democrat uses the ‘P’ word?

One thing is for certain, the Democratic Party leaders, of which Schultz is one, (vice chairperson of the DNC), are scared witless.  They have all this money.  They have all this power.  They have the bulk of the media on their side.  And yet, they are seemingly afraid of a word.

It gives one pause that we are still able to fill the Depends of the movers and shakers in the Capitol.  It is beginning to look like a real groundswell.  The primary numbers have been staggering for the Republicans, especially where the Tea Party has worked its magic.  The Democratic numbers have been low and anemic.  They may have money and the union shock troops on their side.  They may be able to payoff local politicians and interest groups.  But our ground game of real Americans talking with their neighbors and families and friends is far more effective.  We’ll see, but to see an arrogant, wise-cracking, bona fide Ruling Class widget choke on her words like they’re dry bread is heartening sight.  Not to mention, hilarious.