Saturday, May 21, 2011

Weekend Newsbites: Sat. & Sun., May 21 & 22, 2011


Inspiration for a man with Cadillac tastes and a Hyundai budget!

(And, yes... that man is moi!)
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2 comments:

William R. Barker said...

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/05/white-house-on-war-powers-deadline-limited-us-role-in-libya-means-no-need-to-get-congressional-autho.html

In an effort to satisfy those arguing he needs to seek congressional authorization to continue US military activity in accordance with the War Powers Resolution, President Obama wrote a letter to congressional leaders this afternoon suggesting that the role is now so “limited” he does not need to seek congressional approval.

* IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, FOLKS, THE MAN SHOULD BE IMPEACHED. HE WON'T BE OF COURSE, BUT HE SHOULD BE. BASICALLY WHETHER ONE REVERES - AND ABIDES BY - THE CONSTITUTION, OR, WHETHER ONE (PARTICULARLY THOSE ON THE LEFT - AT LEAST IN THEORY... AT LEAST WHEN A REPUBLICAN IS PRESIDENT) TAKES THE POSITION THAT ABIDING BY THE WAR POWERS ACT IS THE "FUNCTIONAL EQUIVILANT" OF ABIDING BY THE CONSTITUTION WHEN IT COMES TO ISSUES OF WAR AND PEACE... (*SIGH*) (*PAUSE*)... THIS PRESIDENT IS EITHER IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE CONSTITUTION OR IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE WAR POWERS ACT. THERE'S SIMPLY NO WAY AROUND THIS!

From the beginning of the U.S. military intervention in Libya, the Obama administration has cited the 1973 War Powers Act as the legal basis of its ability to conduct military activities for 60 days without first seeking a declaration of war from Congress. The military intervention started on March 19; Congress was notified on March 21. Those 60 days [expired yesterday].

* FOLKS... THE REPUBLIC IS DEAD. THE CONSTITUTION IS DEAD. THE RULE OF LAW IS DEAD. THE FACT THAT CONGRESS AND THE JUDICIARY ALLOW THE PRESIDENT TO TRAMPLE ON THE RULE OF LAW DOES NOT IN ANY WAY MITIGATE THIS REALITY.

The president thanked the congressional leaders - House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky - for the support that they have “demonstrated for this mission and for our brave service members, as well as your strong condemnation of the Qaddafi regime.”

* FOLKS... FOR GOD'S SAKE... LEGAL AUTHORIZATION REQUIRES A FORMAL VOTE! THERE'S BEEN NONE! NOR HAS THEIR EVEN BEEN THE FIG LEAF OF SPECIFIC FINANCING! (THE PRESIDENT HAS SIMPLY SHIFTED PREVIOUSLY APPROVED GENERAL FUNDS TO THIS LIBYAN OPERATION.)

The president voiced support for a bipartisan resolution drafted by Senators John Kerry, D-Mass., John McCain, R-Ariz., Carl Levin, D-Mich., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., stating that Congress “supports the U.S. mission in Libya and that both branches are united in their commitment to supporting the aspirations of the Libyan people for political reform and self-government…Congressional action in support of the mission would underline the U.S. commitment to this remarkable international effort.”

* FOLKS... (*SIGH*)... THIS SO-CALLED "RESOLUTION" HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR... HASN'T BEEN ACTED UPON... DOES NOT HAVE THE FORCE OF LAW!

Earlier this month, Kerry - who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - described his resolution as “in limbo.”

(*SNORT*) FOLKS... AS I WAS SAYING... (*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)

May 21, 2011 at 8:29 AM
William R. Barker said...

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/05/19/6677463-irs-snafu-leaves-taxpayers-refunds-in-limbo-for-months

Four years ago, Congress decided that the IRS should get into the banking business, authorizing it to give out no-interest loans to first-time homebuyers.

* HMM... FOUR YEARS AGO... THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 2007...

* HMM... WHO CONTROLLED BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS IN 2007...?

(*SMIRK*)

That put the agency in the position of both collecting loan payments and issuing tax refunds to the roughly 1 million taxpayers who took advantage of the program.

* MY MONEY - AND YOURS - BEING USED TO SUBSIDIZE NO-INTEREST LOANS... NICE... REAL NICE...

This year, the odd arrangement overwhelmed IRS systems...

(*SMIRK*)

[T]axpayers caught up in the vortex say they've been promised delivery dates for their refunds repeatedly, only to be disappointed or to discover their returns have been placed back into "error" status. One of those taxpayers who's been tantalized by repeated promises of a refund check is Tia Littlejohn, who lives in Maryland just outside Washington, D.C. She and her husband are planning to use their expected $6,800 refund to pay for in vitro fertilization. She's had to postpone the procedure twice because promised tax refund dates have come and gone without payment. "Our return was processed February 19 with a refund date of March 4. Well, March 4 came and went. Since then we have been waiting, every other week we have a different error code and the date of a possible direct deposit," she said. "On April 27 they told me they told me my return was done and 'out of error.' Last week they told me I should receive it May 20. Then (Wednesday) I looked and it's gone back into error again."

(*SARCASTIC CLAP-CLAP-CLAP*)

A Facebook group devoted to taxpayers caught up in the mess now has more than 3,000 members; they write daily about their mind-numbing frustrations. Many are now being told their returns won't arrive until mid-June. "I had a date, and a second date ... and now I'm back at 1201 (error). My advocate said that it's just sitting there. WTF IRS?" Jannae Leonard Powell wrote Thursday.

(*RUEFUL CHUCKLE*)

May 21, 2011 at 9:24 AM

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