Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., April 30 & May 1, 2011

When my slippers are next to the ones that belong...

(Hey... it can't be gloom and doom 24/7)

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, April 29, 2011

Yes... as a matter of fact... Western culture is superior!

Or at least it once was...

Folks, the West is in decline, but remember who we are... remember where we come from.

Will China dominate the globe before I am dead? Yes... there's a good chance of that.

Will America collapse more from inner rot than outside pressure? Yes... I worry so.

Are we still the same nation, the same People, who within living memory whipped Hitler and Tojo and then went on to face down and ultimately defeat the Soviet Union?

No... sadly we're not.

Is our culture what it once was...? No. For me and many of you it's not really even our culture anymore... is it?

Right is wrong; wrong is right. The inmates are running the asylum.

No, my friends, this is not a white supremacist screed. There is much we can learn from other cultures, other societies. Surely since Friday, March 11, 2011 - the day the tsunami hit Japan - I've noted on numerous occasions here and in myriad other publications my view that had a similar disaster struck the Washington D.C. corridor of our Eastern Seaboard the social consequences would have dwarfed the physical damage.

No, my friends, Western culture does not hold all the answers. Our present twisted societal norms indeed often make me ashamed of present "Western society."

Still... when all is said and done... when all the stains upon our history are accounted for... it seems to me that "traditional" Western Anglo-Saxon culture still represents the height of human ideals - the quest for individual freedom... liberty of the spirit.

My friends, these ideals - Western culture itself - seem destined to crumble around us; at least that is my fear.

My friends... remember who we are... remember from whom we came from... fight back.

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, April 28, 2011

My beloved chef... and a kind, sweet girl!

The NYT Never Ceases To Amaze

Today, folks... (*SIGH*)... the Editorial Board of the New York Times basically cheerleads for... um... voter fraud.

I won't even bother excerpting and commenting. If you're interested I've supplied the link. If the link doesn't work for you, google "The Republican Threat to Voting" + NYT.

More revealing - and disturbing - than the editorial itself are the comments you'll find submitted by Times readers and published by Times staff.

Folks... (*SIGH*)... we're in deep, deep, deep sh*t.

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

So... Tell... Me... WHY...?!?!

Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A very, very bright and talented guy singing one of my favorite songs...

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, April 25, 2011

So... as the end of April rolls around I'm finally finishing up Rick Springfield's autobiography "Late, Late At Night."

Pretty interesting book! Seriously! For those who didn't know, Dr. Noah Drake's real name is actually Springthorpe and he's an Aussie by birth and upbringing; except for the time he spent in England as a child.

Anyway... the guy is still going strong... hard to believe he's 61.

(Yeah... the guy was born in 1949!)

You wanna know something interesting? The guy actually took part in a band tour to entertain the troop... in Vietnam... in 1968!

He also dated then-15 year old Linda Blair (with her mom's approval!), who was at the time a young "star" courtesy of "The Exorcist."

Anyway... here's something from 2008. Not half bad!

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., April 23 & 24, 2011

Da Bunny...!!!

Da Bunny...!!!

Da Bunny...!!!

He's a'comin'...!!!

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, April 22, 2011

Getting psyched for the annual "Memorial Day Week" holiday trip to Charleston to see Pat, Vicki, and the boys!

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, April 21, 2011

The thing about Newsbites theme songs... ya never know what you're gonna find!

Gang, I'm Not A Happy Camper

I put up today's newsbites post well over an hour ago and so far I haven't placed one newsbite within the comments section.

Another oil price spike... I'm not a happy camper.

Inflation has been coming on for awhile now. It seems as if my "old" predictions concerning the coming stagflation - predictions made back in 2008 - were off by a year... but stagflation certainly seems destined to hit hard this year.

(Folks... as you've hopefully read either in newsbites or independently... if the U.S. government still measured inflation using the same rubric it did in the Carter years... we'd already be officially acknowledging 10% inflation.)

Think of how much more you'll be spending on gasoline this year... how much more you've already spent. Mary and I will no doubt spend thousands more on fuel costs this year as opposed to last year or the year before.

With "regular" gas approaching $4 in frigg'n New Jersey... things aren't looking good.

Food inflation? We're seeing "straight" food inflation as well as the package shrinkage inflation we've been seeing for several years now.

(And folks... remember... the food inflation we as middle class Americans see as annoying - even a cause of distress as we're forced to cut other, less important budget "priorities" from our spending habits - has been enough to push poor parts of the world into revolution. Food inflation kills in the less affluent areas of the globe!)

I could go on and on about cotton prices and how they're impacting clothing costs - something we'll all see before too long - but really, food and fuel are my main concerns. While we're certainly experiencing general price inflation, it's the exploding inflation on the fuel and food shopping we must do week in and week out that really has me worried.

Folks... the economy isn't improving. You know this. Those of you who follow newsbites have the facts and figures thrown in your faces every day. As to those of you who don't follow newsbites regularly... closing your eyes to reality won't change the facts.

One of my best friends - the most competent guy I know - may soon be relying upon unemployment to help support his family - including one son in college. His wife works, but she doesn't bring in the sort of money needed to maintain a household and a lifestyle in the affluent suburbs of New York.

I have another buddy... a highly educated, trained, and skilled professional... who after spending the last few years working more and earning less came to the point where it simply didn't make sense for her to continue as a partner in a law firm.

Then there's Todd. We had a falling out last year, but back then he had been unemployed for many months... and for all I know he's still looking for a position. We're talking a guy who was an up and comer... a Fortune 50 executive prior to taking over top management posts at a series of start-up firms and niche companies. Then the recession hit.

What I'm saying here... the point I'm trying to make... is that whether you judge things by following the news, crunching the numbers, analyzing the trends, or, whether you simply look around you... things here in America are going to hell in a hand basket.

Anyway... sorry if I've bummed anyone out...

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Everybody...

Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, April 19, 2011

There's a thin line between happiness and contentment vs. frustration and violence.

Sarah Palin Sure Sounds Smart To Me!

Ya know, folks, I have my differences with Sarah Palin - just as I have my differences with anyone who isn't... er... me.

Bottom line, no two human beings are ever gonna be 100% on the same page 100% of the time.

Right...?

But just read the following excerpts from Gov. Palin's recent speech given in Madison, Wisconsin, and tell me that she's not making a heck of a lot more sense - and being far more direct in doing so - than the average... um... "non-hick" politician of either party.

[C]ourage.

[I]ntegrity.

[T]hat’s something that’s sorely missing in the Beltway today.

[L]et me tell you what isn’t courageous: It’s politicians promising the American voters that, as we drown in $14.5 trillion debt, that they’re going to cut $100 billion out of this year’s budget.

But then they cave on that and they reduce it down to $61 billion after they get elected.

Then they get in there and they strike a deal and decide, nah, they will reduce that down to $38 billion.

And then after some politics-as-usual and accounting gimmicks, we find out it’s not $38 billion in cuts...it’s less than $1 billion in real cuts.

Folks, that $352 million in real cuts - that’s no more than the federal government is going to spend in the time it takes us to hold this rally today!

That is not courage; that’s capitulation!

Folks... if that's a "hick" speaking, then I say we make Washington D.C. a "hick only" zone!

I know one thing, Sarah Palin just laid out the truth!

Call me old fashioned... but I like hearing the truth.

[T]o the GOP establishment: We didn’t elect you just to re-arrange the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic. We didn’t elect you to just stand back and watch Obama re-distribute those deck chairs. What we need is for you to stand up, GOP, and fight.

Again... Sarah Palin is speaking for me here. Is there anyone who claims to be a Republican, a conservative, who disagrees with what Gov. Palin says up above?

[W]hen Wisconsin’s own Paul Ryan presented a plan for fiscal reform, what was Obama’s response? He demonized the voices of responsibility with class warfare and with fearmongering.

He did, right? I mean she's not making this up; that's exactly what Obama did!

And I say personally to our president: Hey, parent to parent, Barack Obama, for shame for you to suggest that the heart of the commonsense conservative movement would do anything to harm our esteemed elders, to harm our children with Down syndrome, to harm those most in need. No, see, in our book, you prioritize appropriately and those who need the help will get the help. The only way we do that is to be wise and prudent and to budget according to the right priorities.

Let me tell you something, folks... once again... Sarah Palin is speaking for me - and I'm sure as heck no "hick."

[O]ur president isn’t leading, he’s punting on this debt crisis. The only future Barack Obama is trying to win is his own re-election! He’s willing to mortgage your children’s future to ensure his own. And that is not the audacity of hope. That’s cynicism!

Right again, Governor!

Piling more debt onto our children and grandchildren is not courage. No, that’s cowardice!

True, again, Gov. Palin, and what should make all of you reading this stand up and cheer is that fact that her context is speaking to both parties...!!!

I like Sarah Palin. We need more people like Sarah Palin and less people like Barak Obama.

And that's my bottom line...

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, April 18, 2011

Yeah, yeah... Easter is fine.

God bless the Bunny!

That said... this is the song that was bouncing around my head this morning!

(*SHRUG*)

Weekend Newsbites: Sat, & Sun., April 16 & 17, 2011

They don't write 'em - or sing 'em - like this anymore!

Does Anyone Still Watch C.S.I. - The Original... Las Vegas?

As I often note, our Constitutional Rights are under constant assault.

I'm not talking just legal... I'm talking societal challenges our our Constitutional Values.

It's not just the "news" that skews Left in terms of Mainstream Media, it's entertainment media as well.

This morning I watched an episode of C.S.I. which I had DVR'd last Thursday.

(Season 11, Episode 19 to be precise.)

Part of the episode dealt with the "case" of a young, pregnant teenaged girl who had been "cyber-bullied" to the breaking point.

The "message" of the episode? Cyber-bullying must not be "tolerated." Freedom of Speech is "one thing," but when the exercise of that CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED Freedom of Speech "leads to" a young woman taking her own life... well... screw the Constitution.

At least... (*SIGH*)... that's what "the good guys" on C.S.I. had the audience take away from episode 19... season 11.

Of course there were no mentions of civil remedies. The producers went right to criminal liability; as the episode ended, the bullies were being taken away in handcuffs to face charges... possibly murder charges, perhaps "only" manslaughter, but at the very least, depraved indifference. (In other words... jail time.)

The idea that liable... slander... a civil suit... any of these might be the only proper and Constitutionally permissible response to "cyber-bullying" which doesn't directly harm a person in a financial - let alone physical - sense doesn't even come up in discussion during the episode.

To me... this is scary stuff, people.

No. An episode of C.S.I. isn't exactly the equivalent of Adams' Alien and Sedition Acts - or Wilson's Sedition Act of 1918 - but I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that more Americans are familiar with Season 11, Episode 11 of the CBS Crime Drama "C.S.I." then are familiar with either of the aforementioned historical aberrations concerning basic Constitutional Liberties.

Think about it, folks... think how often you hear a politician, a celebrity, or even a "regular" fellow citizen throw out a sentiment that is antithetical to the Values our Constitutional embodies?

Folks... (*SIGH*)... America is in trouble.

Senate Vote Tally re: HR 1426 - The Budget "Compromise"

Well... here are the 32 Republicans who voted with the Democrats and Boehner forces yesterday:

Alexander (R-TN); Ayotte (R-NH); Barrasso (R-WY); Blunt (R-MO); Boozman (R-AR); Brown (R-MA); Burr (R-NC); Chambliss (R-GA); Coats (R-IN); Cochran (R-MS); Collins (R-ME); Corker (R-TN); Cornyn (R-TX); Enzi (R-WY); Grassley (R-IA); Hoeven (R-ND); Hutchison (R-TX); Isakson (R-GA); Johanns (R-NE); Kirk (R-IL); Kyl (R-AZ); Lugar (R-IN); McCain (R-AZ); McConnell (R-KY); Moran (R-KS); Murkowski (R-AK); Portman (R-OH); Roberts (R-KS); Sessions (R-AL); Snowe (R-ME); Thune (R-SD); Wicker (R-MS)

Notice, folks, the two boldfaced names.

(*SHRUG*)

As to "the good guys," the Republican Senators who stood by the principles they publicly espouse:

Coburn (R-OK); Crapo (R-ID); DeMint (R-SC); Ensign (R-NV); Graham (R-SC); Hatch (R-UT); Inhofe (R-OK); Johnson (R-WI); Lee (R-UT); Levin (D-MI); Paul (R-KY); Risch (R-ID); Rubio (R-FL); Shelby (R-AL); Toomey (R-PA); Vitter (R-LA)

Notice Lindsey Graham's name on this list. Note David Vitter's name as well.

Let me just say, folks, though of course we'll never know, my guess is that had either man been the deciding vote to pass or defeat this abortion of a bill... (*SHRUG*)... I have absolutely no doubt that both Graham and Vitter would have voted with McCain, McConnell, and the Dems.

Folks... you need to understand... the House had already passed the bill and in the Senate the Dems were guaranteed a win absent a a united GOP Senate caucus front of opposition.

(*SIGH*)

For the likes of a Lindsey Graham... aligning with "the good guys" on this one was nothing more than a cynical exercise in bait and switch, in "business as usual" smoke and mirrors politics; a vote that was meaningless in terms of advancing conservative constitutionist but one which contributes to Graham's "conservative" voting record as tallied by groups which compile and publicize such ratings.

Folks... yesterday demonstrated beyond any shred of doubt that contrary to common perception, the United States actually is a "four-party" state and not a two-party state.

We have the Democrats.

We have the "TEA Party" Republicans.

We have the Republicrats.

We have the Dempublicans.

Folks... when push came to shove... we had 59 House "TEA Party" Republicans and 16 "TEA Party" Republican Senators stand up for what was right.

On the flip side... 179 Republicrats in the House and 32 Republicrat Senators voted to spend more in 2011 than was spent in 2010.

I truly believe that history will point to yesterday - April 14, 2011 - as the turning point where the decline and fall of the United States of America was set in stone.

OH...! ONE MORE THING...

Up above I deliberately referred to the budget "compromise" as an "abortion of a bill."

A little play on words, my friend... allow me to explain:

You folks remember the whole Planned Parenthood funding issue as it applied to the "riders" originally in HR 1426, right?

Do you remember that as part of the initial "deal" to get the main budget passed Boehner, Reid, and Obama agreed that in return for Republicrats giving away the store, Democrats would "allow" the defunding of Planned Parenthood to be voted upon separately in the Senate... in the Reid Senate... in the Senate Democrats control...?

(*SMIRK*) (*SNORT*)

Now of course the fate of the measure was never in doubt in the Senate. This being the case, more Republicrats felt comfortable joining their "TEA Party" Republican peers in their quixotic quest to ensure that the Hyde Amendment is actually upheld as the Law of the Land and that Planned Parenthood no longer has the opportunity to basic "fund" abortions via the expedient of claiming that federal funding only goes to their "non-abortion" activities.

(Folks... com'on... for those of you who don't know what the word "fungible" means...)

(*SIGH*)

Anyway... along with voting to continue bankrupting our country, the United States Senate also voted on House/Senate Concurrent Resolution 36 - aka: Legislation to defund Planned Parenthood.

Not one single Democrat voted "yea" to defunding Planned Parenthood.

Aside from the abortion issue, just based upon federal governmental funding priorities, 50 Democrats, 2 "Independents" (Lieberman and Sanders), and....

(*DRUM ROLL*)

...five Republicrats voted "nay," signaling that even though our acknowledged national debt (absent unfunded future liabilities) is well over $14 trillion and climbing... even though this year's deficit may run $1.65 trillion (which is of course added to the aforementioned national debt)... they consider continued federal funding the the privately run Planned Parenthood organization to be right up their with national defense and funding the other Constitutionally mandated functions of the federal government.

Just so you know... these five Republicrats were:

Brown (R-MA); Collins (R-ME); Kirk (R-IL); Murkowski (R-AK); and Snowe (R-ME).

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, April 15, 2011

Well, gang, you'll be proud of me... I didn't forget my wife's birthday!

Oh... and on that happy note... this girl Becky does seem like a nice young lady, doesn't she?

(*GRIN*)

Ah... com'on... doesn't that video remind you guys of all the fun we used to have when we were... um... not quite as mature as we are today?!

(*WINK*)

Let's see... what else...?

Oh! Duncan D. Hunter pissed me off last nigh!

Now no doubt young Congressman Hunter is a good guy. (Seriously... take a moment to read the guy's biography.)

How did Hunter piss me off? Well... last night Laura Ingraham was guest-hosting The Factor for O'Reilly and Hunter was one of her guests. His role was to defend the indefensible budget "compromise" bill.

Basically the guy hid behind the troops.

(*SHAKING MY HEAD IN DISGUST*)

Hunter claimed that he had no choice but to vote for the budget deal - which he defended on the "merits" by the way - because had the government shut down... "the troops" would not be paid.

That's bull!

First of all, even if checks were in fact delayed, the troops wouldn't miss one dime in pay. Military paychecks could theoretically get delayed in terms of being cut, going out, but pay itself wouldn't have been cut; "the troops" would have gotten every red cent owed to them.

Second of all, I have no doubt whatsoever that had it come to that, both Democrats and Republicans would have created "emergency" legislation authorizing stand-alone continuing financing of military pay regardless of any other temporary funding stops.

I mean... give us a frigg'n break, Congressman.

(I mean... perhaps Hunter would like "explain" to his congressional colleague marine Col. Allen West (Ret.) why West's principled "nay" vote was "an attack upon the troops.")

(*SNORT*)

Like I say, gang... no doubt Hunter believes he's being "loyal" to "the troops" - and to John Boehner - but as I've explained ad nauseum... not only did Hunter and his colleagues pass a bad bill, but worse, they've been telling more lies to justify their actions than Satan at a Baptist revival meeting!

(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

HR 1473 - The Budget "Compromise"

Well, folks... they did it; 179 GOP House members along with 81 of their "honorable democratic colleagues" passed the Boehner-Obama-Reid "compromise" budget.

The "Nays"... 59 Republicans and 108 Democrats.

My own congresswoman - Dr. Nan Hayworth (R-NY-19) - voted with John Boehner.

Obviously I'm not pleased.

Allow me to post the vote tally:

Voting "Nay"
(The "Good" Republicans)

Sandra Adams
Justin Amash
Michele Bachmann
Roscoe G. Bartlett
Joe L. Barton
Marsha Blackburn
Paul Broun
Steven J. Chabot
Jason Chaffetz
Chip Cravaack
Jeffrey Duncan
John J. Duncan Jr.
Jeff Flake
John Fleming
J. Randy Forbes
Trent Franks
Cory Gardner
Scott Garrett
Phil Gingrey
Trey Gowdy
Tom Graves
Morgan Griffith
Andy Harris
Dean Heller
Tim Huelskamp
Bill Huizenga
Robert Hurt
Timothy V. Johnson
Jim Jordan
Steve King
Jack Kingston
Raul Labrador
Doug Lamborn
Billy Long
Connie Mack
Tom McClintock
Thaddeus McCotter
Patrick T. McHenry
Candice S. Miller
Mick Mulvaney
Randy Neugebauer
Ron Paul
Steve Pearce
Mike Pence
Ted Poe
Ben Quayle
Denny Rehberg
Scott Rigell
Dennis Ross
Jean Schmidt
David Schweikert
Tim Scott
Steve Southerland
Marlin Stutzman
Scott Tipton
Joe Walsh
Allen West
Joe Wilson
Kevin Yoder

If your member is listed above I advise you to call him or her to thank them for standing up in opposition to a bad deal - a bad deal for the Republican Party... a bad deal for the American People.

Voting "Yea"
(The Boehner Republicans)

Robert B. Aderholt
Todd Akin
Rodney Alexander
Steve Austria
Spencer Bachus
Lou Barletta
Charles F. Bass
Dan Benishek
Rick Berg
Judy Biggert
Brian P. Bilbray
Gus Bilirakis
Rob Bishop
Diane Black
John A. Boehner
Jo Bonner
Mary Bono Mack
Charles Boustany Jr.
Kevin Brady
Mo Brooks
Vern Buchanan
Larry Bucshon
Ann Marie Buerkle
Michael C. Burgess
Dan Burton
Ken Calvert
Dave Camp
John Campbell
Francisco Canseco
Eric Cantor
Shelley Moore Capito
John Carter
Bill Cassidy
Howard Coble
Mike Coffman
Tom Cole
K. Michael Conaway
Rick Crawford
Ander Crenshaw
John Culberson
Geoff Davis
Jeffrey Denham
Charlie Dent
Scott DesJarlais
Mario Diaz-Balart
Robert Dold
David Dreier
Sean Duffy
Renee Ellmers
Jo Ann Emerson
Blake Farenthold
Stephen Fincher
Michael G. Fitzpatrick
Chuck Fleischmann
Bill Flores
Jeff Fortenberry
Virginia Foxx
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Elton Gallegly
Jim Gerlach
Bob Gibbs
Chris Gibson
Robert W. Goodlatte
Paul Gosar
Kay Granger
Sam Graves
Tim Griffin
Mike Grimm
Frank Guinta
Brett Guthrie
Ralph M. Hall
Richard Hanna
Gregg Harper
Vicky Hartzler
Doc Hastings
Nan Hayworth
Joe Heck
Jeb Hensarling
Wally Herger
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Randy Hultgren
Duncan D. Hunter
Darrell Issa
Lynn Jenkins
Bill Johnson
Sam Johnson
Walter B. Jones
Mike Kelly
Peter T. King
Adam Kinzinger
John Kline
Steven C. LaTourette
Leonard Lance
Jeff Landry
James Lankford
Tom Latham
Robert E. Latta
Jerry Lewis
Frank A. LoBiondo
Frank D. Lucas
Blaine Luetkemeyer
Cynthia M. Lummis
Dan Lungren
Donald Manzullo
Kenny Marchant
Tom Marino
Kevin McCarthy
Howard P. McKeon
David McKinley
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Pat Meehan
John L. Mica
Gary G. Miller
Jeff Miller
Tim Murphy
Sue Myrick
Kristi Noem
Richard Nugent
Devin Nunes
Alan Nunnelee
Pete Olson
Steven Palazzo
Erik Paulsen
Tom Petri
Joe Pitts
Todd R. Platts
Mike Pompeo
Bill Posey
Tom Price
Tom Reed
Jim Renacci
Reid Ribble
David Rivera
Martha Roby
Phil Roe
Harold Rogers
Mike D. Rogers
Mike Rogers
Dana Rohrabacher
Todd Rokita
Tom Rooney
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Peter Roskam
Ed Royce
Jon Runyan
Paul D. Ryan
Steve Scalise
Bobby Schilling
Aaron Schock
Austin Scott
F. James Sensenbrenner
Pete Sessions
John Shimkus
Bill Shuster
Mike Simpson
Adrian Smith
Christopher H. Smith
Lamar Smith
Cliff Stearns
Steve Stivers
John Sullivan
Lee Terry
Glenn Thompson
William M. Thornberry
Pat Tiberi
Michael R. Turner
Fred Upton
Tim Walberg
Greg Walden
Daniel Webster
Lynn Westmoreland
Edward Whitfield
Robert J. Wittman
Frank R. Wolf
Steve Womack
Rob Woodall
C. W. Bill Young
Don Young
Todd Young

If your member is listed above... same advice... call him or her.

I'll of course leave what to say up to you, but I respectfully suggest that you re-read my various "front page" postings and newsbites back through this past Friday.

Folks, I've given you the info, I've given you my analysis; to put it as kindly and gently as possible... Boehner and his those who voted with him have been and are continuing to be less than honest with you and the American People as a whole.

By the way... three GOP House members did not vote: Louie Gohmert, Michael McCaul, and Dave Reichert.

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, April 14, 2011

A few "housekeeping" notes...

(Note To Self: Tomorrow is Mary's birthday! Don't forget...!!!)

O.K., now where was I...? Oh... yeah... right...

I hate Bill O'Reilly.

Now of course you guys know this, but to to clarify why I'm noting it here and now, last night "O'Reilly the Doofus" came out in favor of a VAT.

Yep. (Wouldn't lie to you, folks!)

A frigg'n VAT...!

Or as the doofus himself put it, "a small national sales tax on items other than food and clothing," blah, blah, blah.

(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

What a moron!

Oh... number two...

I hate Lindsey Graham.

Again... not exactly breaking news...

(*SIGH*)

Yesterday on Beck's TV show, "Graham the Idiot" was praising the Ryan Plan by noting... (I shit you not!)... that "in 75 years the Ryan Plan will put Social Security back on a firm footing."

Now I'm working off memory - paraphrasing - but the point is that this fool... this United States Senator... was actually buttressing his approval of the Ryan Plan by pointing to what may (or may not be... probably not be) a "payoff" 75 years down the road!

My friends... as I often say... ya can't make this shit up...!!!

Anyway... on to today's newsbites...

(As always, found on this posting's comments page...)

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The song and the voice... forever intertwined.

Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, April 12, 2011

It's as simple as A, B, C, congresswoman; we want you back!

***UPDATE***

Frankly, folks, it appears the lies, deceptions, manipulations, and general dishonesty of the Boehner Republicans is worse than even I'd feared.

Please... read today's newsbites.

Please... click on the comments tab below.

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, April 11, 2011

Well, folks, I'm not really in the mood for newsbites today, but what the heck...

(*SHRUG*)

Calling Rush Limbaugh - Rush Hudson Limbaugh III

Folks...

I'm listening to Rush as I type.

He's been echoing much of what I've been telling you concerning the Republicans and these phony budget "cuts."

The thing is... (*SIGH*)... even the great El Rushbo doesn't get it - not totally.

Rush is apparently - as are most folks - falling for the false premise that $39 billion has been "cut" from the fiscal year 2011 budget in the sense that regular folks understand the basic concept of the word "cut."

Here's the thumbnail sketch of my previous post outlining the true situation:

$100 billion wasn't cut.

$61 billion wasn't cut.

$39 billion was NOT cut either!

Thumbnail sketch:

During fiscal year 2010 - last year, when Democrats controlled both Houses of Congress - total federal spending amounted to $3,465,213,000,000.

(Call it $3.466 trillion.)

$3,465,213,000,000 (for 2010) minus $39 billion (out of the 2011 budget) would mean total federal spending for this fiscal year would come in at $3,426,213,000,000.

(Call it $3.427 trillion.)

According to OMB's latest estimates, federal spending for fiscal year 2011 is actually set to RISE to $3,818,819,000,000.

(Call it $3.819 trillion.)

Folks... that would be a federal spending INCREASE of almost three-hundred and sixty-two billion dollars!

I'm assuming that Rush's staff googles Rush's name each day - perhaps several times a day. So... on the off chance this particular blog posting gets his attention....

(*SIGH*)

I Feel Betrayed By John Boehner and Nan Hayworth

Notice that this past weekend's newsbites consisted of one single newsbite.

(*SHRUG*)

My heart just wasn't in it this weekend. I'm so depressed about the Republican betrayal.

As for the media...

(*SIGH*)

If anything, they're even more worthy of our contempt than the politicians because either reporters, editors and publishers are too stupid to ask the right questions... or else they're deliberately providing cover for the politicians.

Folks...

(*SIGH*)

How do you measure a "cut?" You know... a budget cut?

Here's how I measure it:

According to OMB, the federal government spent $3,465,213,000,000 over the course of 2010.

In English... 2010 federal spending was three trillion, four-hundred and sixty-five billion, two-hundred and thirteen million dollars.

So... recall... Republicans campaigned last year partly on a promise to cut $100 billion from the federal budget.

Right...? Are you all with me...? We're all on the same page...?

So... $3,465,213,000,000 minus $100 billion equals... $3,365,213,000,000 - correct?

O.K., now that I've outlined my basic conception of what a "cut" means, allow me to point out that many of the same Republicans who campaigned partly on a promise of cutting $100 billion out of the federal once they took power "clarified" what they "meant" by $100 billion upon winning election and being sworn in.

All of a sudden $100 billion in promised cuts became... er... $61 billion in cuts.

Right...? Still with me, folks...?

So now let's re-do the math:

$3,456,213,000,000 minus $61 billion equals... $3,395,213,000,000

We still on the same page, folks...?

Next...

(*SIGH*)

Remember that original promise to cut $100 billion? Scratch that. Remember that "clarified" promise to instead cut $61 billion? Scratch that too. So what are Republicans and the media now telling us...?

In response to a question I had posed to her on Saturday, my congresswoman, Dr. Nan Hayworth (R-NY-19), has told me that she expects the final agreed upon "cuts" to amount to approximately $39 billion...

To quote Dr. Hayworth directly:

The final agreement has not yet been released, but an approximately $39B reduction in spending in the months of fiscal year 2011 that occur in calendar year 2011, versus the baseline of the President's 2011 budget proposal, is what has been agreed upon, as I understand it. The $39B would therefore include the total of $10B in cuts that were passed in the two previous short-term CRs as well as the $2B in cuts passed in the "bridge" CR just after midnight on Saturday, April 9. I caution again that this is as I understand what I have heard from the Speaker in our Conference meeting on the night of April 8 - it's not all in writing yet.

Uh-huh...

(*PURSED LIPS*)

Folks... notice one particular string of words: "...versus the baseline of the president's 2011 budget proposal..."

(*GRITTING MY TEETH*)

Folks... President Obama's 2011 budget proposal was... er... a proposal. It was words on paper - not reality.

Folks... the actual 2010 budget - the actual 2010 federal spending total of $3,465,213,000,000 represents reality.

Everyone's following... right...?

O.K., so returning to reality, the "cut" number that Congresswoman Hayworth and her colleagues (and the media!) are going with is now $39 billion.

To recap: $100 billion became $61 billion which became $39 billion. Does that about cover it?

Oh... folks... if only we were talking about real "cuts" I wouldn't be nearly so furious as I am right now at the lies and misrepresentations fed us by the politicians and the media...!!!

Folks... here's the reality as best I can figure it:

THERE WILL BE NO CUTS...! FEDERAL SPENDING IS SET TO INCREASE, NOT DECREASE!

O.K., last math exercise: $3,465,213,000,000 minus $39 billion equals $3,426,213,000,000.

Therefore...

If we were indeed talking a real $39 billion cut in federal spending being made this year now that Republicans control the House of Representatives we'd be talking fiscal year 2011 total spending amounting to $3,426,213,000,000.

Right...?

(*SHRUG*)

Folks... scroll back up to the link provided for the official U.S. government Office of Management and Budget figures - the sentence that begins, "According to OMB..."

What's their official estimate for fiscal year 2011 spending amount to?

(*PAUSE*)

Yep... $3,818,819,000,000.

That's the number! Not $3,426,213,000,000 as the politicians and media would have us assume it's going to be based upon supposed "cuts" of $39 billion.

Folks... rather than go down... according to the best official estimates - the federal government's own official projections - federal spending with Republicans controlling the House are expected to rise by $362,606,000,000.

In English... OBM expects total federal spending for 2011 to be almost three-hundred and sixty-two billion more than 2010 spending.

Folks... does that sound like a "cut" to you...???

My friends and readers, I'm not a "math guy." I wasn't a finance major in college. I'm not a CPA. I lack an MBA.

One thing I am... I'm an honest guy.

Perhaps I've gone into more detail than absolutely necessary here in order to make my point, but ask yourself... based upon what's I've just outlined... have your elected representatives been telling you the truth? Has the media been accurately reporting on what's really going on?

Forget your position on spending... lay aside for the moment your position on government shutdowns and who would have "won" had their been a government shutdown....

(*PAUSE*)

What I'm asking you is simply this: When will you demand basic truth-telling from your elected representatives and the media?

Is it acceptable to you that nowhere (nowhere I could find at least) in mainstream media reporting will you get the sort of info you've just got here... at my blog... from me?

Folks... do me a favor: Pass this post on.

You know what... here's what I suggest: Print out this post. Mail it to both the editor and publisher of your local newspaper(s). Demand that the media start giving you the truth.

As for your elected officials... (*SIGH*)... you can try reaching out to them. If you do, I certainly wish you more luck than I've been having.

Folks... America needs our citizens to stand up for - at a bare minimum - TRUTH.

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., April 9 & 10, 2011

The news "reporting" on the budget "deal" is so piss poor that at the moment I have more questions and suspicions than answers.

We'll know more as the weekend progresses.

In the meantime...

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, April 8, 2011

Just a little... er... nudge... directed at my congresswoman, Dr. Nan Hayworth.

Don't let us down, Nan!

Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, April 7, 2011

Nothing like a good sing-a-long to get the blood flowing!

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Say what you will about ol' Babs, but the lady can sing!

Barker's Newsbites: Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I feel a sermon comin' on me...!

Barker's Newsbites: Monday, April 4, 2011

I miss my America...

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., April 2 & 3, 2011

Is it just me... or does the Age of Obama remind anyone else of the Age of LBJ with the worst parts of the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations thrown in?

And, folks... we were so much stronger as a nation back in the Ages of LBJ, Nixon, Ford, and yes... in terms of underlying strengths... even Carter.

Look how the mighty have fallen...

Barker's Newsbites: Friday, April 1, 2011

Just short of midnight...

Just now posting today's newsbites!

(*WINK*)