Obama ‘s Latest Stroke of Brilliance… Let Corrupt Regimes Decide How to Spend US Aid Money

He's so smart.
With unemployment at record levels, with the deficit skyrocketing, with the national debt piling up, Barack Obama announced a historic new development plan this week… for foreign countries. Under Barack Obama's brilliant new development plan, corrupt regimes will decide how to spend US taxpayer-funded aid money instead of being dicatated to.
President Obama announced the plan Wednesday at the United Nations. And, of course, he calls this another historic initiative.
CNN reported:

President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced the creation of a comprehensive administration initiative devoted to spurring development efforts around the globe.

Obama calls it new U.S. Global Development Policy and says it's the "first of its kind by an American administration."

"Put simply, the United States is changing the way we do business," Obama said at the summit of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals, an ambitious agenda world leaders set 10 years ago to tackle global poverty, which has grown amid the world economic recession.

The program has four approaches. One is changing the definition of development.

"For too long, we've measured our efforts by the dollars we spent and the food and medicines that we delivered. But aid alone is not development. Development is helping nations to actually develop, moving from poverty to prosperity. And we need more than just aid to unleash that change. We need to harness all the tools at our disposal, from our diplomacy to our trade to our investment policies," he said.

Second, the administration is changing how "the ultimate goal of development" is viewed.

"Our focus on assistance has saved lives in the short term, but it hasn't always improved those societies over the long term. Consider the millions of people who have relied on food assistance for decades. That's not development, that's dependence, and it's a cycle we need to break. Instead of just managing poverty, we have to offer nations and peoples a path out of poverty."

Obama said that the United States will "partner with countries that are willing to take the lead" and that the time when "development was dictated by foreign capitals has come to an end."

This guy sure likes to blow your money.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/09/obama-s-latest-mark-of-brilliance-let-corrupt-regimes-decide-how-to-spend-us-aid-money/

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Halleluiah! Obama Wants Faith Groups to Push Obamacare

Well, he did attend Rev. Jeremiah "G-D America" Wright's church for 20 years so this makes sense.
Obama wants faith-based groups to push his pro-abortion Obamacare monstrosity.
The Politico reported:

PULLING BACK THE CURTAIN: POTUS, SEBELIUS ASK FAITH LEADERS TO OUTREACH – With health reform's popularity steadily slipping, top administration officials turned to faith-based groups that supported the law to do their part explaining it. On an hour-long conference call Tuesday, they outlined the Patients' Bill of Rights and asked faith-based and community groups to get the word out on the new provisions. "I wanted to have this call because we have a big day coming up, the six-month anniversary of health reform's passage," President Obama told leaders on the conference call, hosted through Health and Human Services' Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Obama later added that, "The debate in Washington is over, the Affordable Care Act is now law. …I think all of you can be really important validators and trusted resources for friends and neighbors, to help explain what's now available to them." Joshua DuBois, head of the White House's Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, got even more specific: "Get the word out there, get information out there. Make use of the resources described on this call: the website, door hangers, one pagers and so forth. We've got work to do."

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/09/halleluiah-obama-wants-faith-groups-to-push-obamacare/

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House GOP Members Call For Sebelius to Testify on Obamacare & Explain “Reeducation” Comments

The Obama-Pelosi Regime took control of one-sixth of the nation's economy when they passed their nationalized health care bill and signed it into law in late March. The bill was never popular but democrats persisted and rammed the bill through Congress. Now, there are even reports that the Obama Administration sat on damning information and hid it from the public until after their bill was passed into law.
* * * * *

Results from a report released a month after the health care vote were troubling. The report released by Medicare and Medicaid actuaries showed that medical costs will skyrocket rising $389 billion 10 years. 14 million will lose their employer-based coverage. Millions of Americans will be left without insurance. And, millions more may be dumped into the already overwhelmed Medicaid system. 4 million American families will be hit with tax penalties under this new law.

Of course, these were ALL things that President Obama and Democratic leaders assured us would not happen.

Via Special Report:

Now six months after the democrats voted to take over the nation's health care industry and force Americans to purchase their government plan the administration has already missed several deadlines. Here are a few stats on this awful bill:

–4,103 – Pages of regulations issued on the health care law through Sept. 17, 2010
–12 – Number of final regulations not subjected to public scrutiny before taking effect
–5 – Missed implementation deadlines to date.

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX), the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Regulations called for Secretary Sebelius to come before the committee and explain some of her troubling comments and the flawed bill.

Burgess, Barton Call For Secretary Sebelius To Update Committee On Health Care Implementation
Lewisville, TX

"It has now been six months since the passage of the PPACA, and this Committee has yet to hear from Secretary Sebelius on her efforts to administer the law. Secretary Sebelius is the head of the department now responsible for overseeing a dramatic change to one-fifth of the American economy, and Members of Congress should have the opportunity to discuss the PPACA with her," the lawmakers wrote.

The letter emphasized the committee and subcommittee's important oversight responsibilities, noting that, "In the months leading up to the passage of the PPACA, the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a number of hearings in order to build support for the passage of a new health care law. Since its passage, however, these committees have not held one hearing specifically on the PPACA. As the Ranking Members of the Full Committee and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, we believe this is unacceptable."

The lawmakers first made the request to Waxman for Secretary Sebelius to testify before the committee in a letter dated July 30, 2010, but have received no response.

"Since we sent that letter, Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during an interview with ABC News Radio on August 30, 2010, '[T]here is still a great deal of confusion about what is in [the health care law] and what isn't.' The Secretary concluded that the administration had 'a lot of reeducation to do.'"

"Inviting Secretary Sebelius to testify before this Committee, so that we may understand her 'reeducation' of the American public, would be a good start to a public conversation about the new health care law," Burgess and Barton continued.

To view the letter, click here.

—Congressman Michael Burgess, R-Texas, ranking member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, and Congressman Joe Barton, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today wrote to Committee Chairman Henry Waxman requesting that the Secretary of Health and Human Services testify before the committee on implementation of the health care law.

Let's hope we see much more of this when the GOP takes back the House from these radicals in 2011.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/09/house-gop-members-call-for-sebelius-to-testify-on-obamacare-explain-reeducation-comments/

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Video: Obama's Rationing Czar Donald Berwick Flees ‘Rationing’ Questions

As usual with the ruling class, questions and accountability are killer bunny equivalents:

Donald Berwick could not possibly be confirmed even by a Democrat Senate. What to do? Easy: Obama to bypass Senate, will use recess appointment for Donald Berwick who said it's "Not Whether or Not We Will Ration Care--The Decision is Whether We Will Ration Care With Our Eyes Open". This is the Donal Berwick in question here:

Since his recess appointment, Berwick has refused to answer any questions at all. Or give interviews. Or take up the Senate's request to come and testify. Well Jason Mattera tried to ask Berwick questions since We the People pay his salary, but was met by the hand. From Human Events via memeorandum:

After Donald Berwick's controversial recess appointment to head the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), his allies claimed that he was preparing a "point-by-point" rebuttal to his critics. Berwick does have a lot of explaining to do, after all.

He's publically romanticized Britain's government-run healthcare and is on the record arguing that most cities should ration the "number of centers engaging" in "cardiac surgery," "neonatal intensive care" and "cancer care."

It's been three months now since his recess appointment, and still no word from the new CMS director. In fact, Berwick hasn't granted any interviews, refuses to testify before Congress, and doesn't take any questions at public events.

To put this in perspective, Donald Berwick oversees the healthcare spending for one-in-three Americans and, as the New York Times put it, "has a budget bigger than the Pentagon's."

Here's the video:

Exit question: if the czar positions (which by the way are unconstitutional) required Senate confirmation, how many of Obama's current flock of radicals would even be considered for the posts they now hold? More from Hot Air and Michelle Malkin

http://theblogprof.blogspot.com/2010/09/video-obamas-rationing-czar-donald.html

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Weekly jobless claims take a dip

Fresh from the Dept of Labor website:

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In the week ending Sept. 18, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 465,000, an increase of 12,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 453,000. The 4-week moving average was 463,250, a decrease of 3,250 from the previous week's revised average of 466,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 3.5 percent for the week ending Sept. 11, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's revised rate of 3.6 percent.

The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending Sept. 11 was 4,489,000, a decrease of 48,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 4,537,000. The 4-week moving average was 4,519,500, an increase of 2,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 4,517,000.

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It's worth noting that for the second week in a row, the previous week's revisions all but wiped out the gains announced with the initial release.  Last week's revisions produced a net gain of 1,000.  This week's revision produced a zero gain, and this week's initial release shows a loss of 12,000 for a three week trend of a weakening job market.

Markets probably won't like this news.

Existing housing sales data are out later this morning.  Expectations are for another contraction.  And this is "absolutely moving in the right direction?"

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ibleedcrimsonred/OvJu/~3/OJnI5GTYCCk/weekly-jobless-claims-take-dip.html

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Sham UN Human Rights Council Accuses Israel of War Crimes For Raid on Gaza Flotilla Terrorist Ship

The sham UN Human Rights Council accused Israel of war crimes for its raid on the Gaza Flotilla terror ship.
The "peace activists" on the Gaza Flotilla threw stun grenades and beat Israeli Soldiers with chains.

Video taken by IDF naval boat shows the passengers of the Mavi Marmara, one of the ships in the 'Free Gaza' Flotilla, violently attacking IDF soldiers who were trying to board the ship after having sent repeated requests for the boat to change course.

Large groups of passengers surrounded soldiers and beat them with metal poles and chairs, and threw one soldier over the side of the ship. Some passengers grabbed pistols from the IDF soldiers and opened fire. As a result of the attacks, seven IDF soldiers were injured, and nine of the passengers were killed.

The 'Free Gaza' Flotilla had publicly insisted on their non-violent intentions, however their violent attack on the IDF soldiers was clearly premeditated. They had knives, metal rods, firebombs and other items ready to use.

But the anti-Semites at the UN predictably blame Israel.
RFE-RL reported:

Israel has rejected as "one-sided" and "biased" an investigation commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council, which concluded that Israel's military broke international laws during a raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.

Eight Turkish pro-Palestinian activists and one Turkish-American were killed and others injured after Israeli commandos boarded the six-ship convoy on May 31, as it tried to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.

Israel says its troops opened fire after coming under attack by activists wielding clubs, metal rods, and axes. The activists said they were defending their ship after it was attacked by Israeli soldiers in international waters.

The convoy's passengers were detained and later deported by Israel.

There was widespread international criticism of the raid, which severely strained relations with Israel's long-time Muslim ally Turkey and forced Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza.

'Willful Killing, Torture'

In a 56-page report, the Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission said the action by Israeli commandos was "disproportionate" and "betrayed an unacceptable level of brutality."

The panel of three international lawyers said there was "clear evidence" to support prosecutions of a series of alleged crimes, including "willful killing" and "torture."

It also said the Israeli blockade of Gaza was "unlawful" because of a humanitarian crisis in the Hamas-ruled territory.

The panel interviewed more than 100 witnesses in Britain, Jordan, Switzerland, and Turkey — but not in Israel.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/09/sham-un-human-rights-council-accuses-israel-of-war-crimes-for-raid-on-gaza-flotilla-terrorist-ship/

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Socialist Member on Obama’s Debt Commission: If We Reduce Spending We Will End Up as a Third World N

How did a radical socialist end up on Obama's Debt Commission.
Notorious socialist Rep. Jan" Schakowsky told a radio audience this week that if we reduce the record democratic spending under the Obama-Pelosi regime, "We will end up as a third world nation."

Yeah. She's certainly serious about reducing the deficit.

Schakowsky also said that the public option would reduce the deficit, too. We all know that was a lie. In fact the only honest thing she's said in recent memory is that Obama's nationalized health care plan would destroy the insurance industry.

http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/09/socialist-member-on-obamas-debt-commission-if-we-reduce-spending-we-will-end-up-as-a-third-world-nation-video/

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Obama Heckled at Manhattan Fundraiser

During a fundraising appearance Wednesday evening in New York, President Barack Obama was interrupted multiple times by gay rights activists protesting Don't Ask, Don't Tell and AIDS funding.

"What's coming up, I want us to talk about what's at stake in this election. Because the people that potentially will take over if we don't focus on this election, I promise you, will cut AIDS funding. So this is not the time or the place to do what you're talking about."

The audience of 550 paid $100 per person to see the president.  Obama later spoke to a VIP reception where tickets cost $2,500 each, and spoke at a 125-person dinner, which featured Barbara Streisand and cost $15,200 a plate.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/obama-heckled-at-manhattan-fundraiser/

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Another Democrat's Shameful Racism

Democrats are generally high-minded--can't we all just get along?--until they are in danger of losing. Then the truth comes out. Loretta Sanchez is a liberal California Democrat who poses as a moderate. This year, she faces a strong challenge from Republican Van Tran. Sanchez's polling must be turning negative, because she has launched--in Spanish--a racist attack against Van Tran and his supporters.

Prepare to be disgusted as you see this liberal Democrat fire up her Spanish-speaking base by telling them that "the Vietnamese and the Republicans are trying to take away this seat."

It will be interesting to see whether a single prominent Democrat will denounce, or even distance himself from, Sanchez's racism. My guess is that the number of Democrats who do so will be zero. If that is the case, what can we conclude about the Democratic Party, historically the party of slavery and Jim Crow?

You can follow the link above to contribute to Van Tran's campaign.

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2010/09/027289.php

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Rep Sanchez: Blackball Insurance Companies that Don’t Implement ObamaCare

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/rep-sanchez-blackball-insurance-cos-that-dont-implement-obamacare/

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