Fwd: Morning Bell: White House in Disarray

05/28/2010 White House in Disarray A fudgelike goo coating Louisiana's marshes. A thick oil slick stretching across the Gulf of Mexico. A plume of oil miles below the ocean surface. A tragic loss of life. Reverberating economic consequences. Throw in a poll that shows that 53 percent of Americans rate President Barack Obama "poor" or "very poor" in his handling of the Gulf oil spill, and it's no wonder the President yesterday broke his 308-day self-imposed press conference moratorium in hopes of conveying some semblance of leadership amid an environmental, economic and human catastrophe that has spiraled out of his control. But if Americans were looking for signs of leadership from their President yesterday, they were disappointed. What they got from President Obama was a glimpse of a White House in total disarray, where one hand doesn't know what the other hand is doing and where there are more questions than answers. At 12:45 PM EDT yesterday, President Obama stood before the country and did his best to convey one clear message regarding the oil spill - the federal government is in control and that he will hold BP to account. Obama said: The American people should know that from the moment this disaster began, the federal government has been in charge of the response effort ... BP is operating at our direction. Every key decision and action they take must be approved by us in advance. Unfortunately for the President, he couldn't maintain that message for the duration of his 63-minute press conference. When it came time to questions, he admitted that the federal government just doesn't have what it takes to keep the oil spill under control.

Fwd: Obamacare’s Cooked Books and the “Doc Fix”

Obamacare's Cooked Books and the "Doc Fix"   The Obama administration continues to insist (see this post from White House budget director Peter Orszag) that the recently enacted health-care law will reduce the federal budget deficit by $100 billion over ten years and by ten times that amount in the second decade of implementation. They cite the Congressional Budget Office's cost estimate for the final legislation to back their claims. And it is undeniably true that CBO says the legislation, as written, would reduce the federal budget deficit by $124 billion over ten years from the health-related provisions of the new law. The Scoop Obamacare: Impact on Seniors    Congressional Research Service Report of Medicare Provisions in Obamacare   Video: Health Care Reform Timeline   Department of Health and Human Services Report: Medicaid Children Not Receiving Health Care   Entitlement Spending & Interest Payments Are Squeezing Out Other Programs But that's not whole story about Obamacare's budgetary implications — not by a long shot. For starters, CBO is not the only game in town. In the executive branch, the chief actuary of the Medicare program is supposed to provide the official health-care cost projections for the administration — at least he always has in the past. His cost estimate for the new health law differs in important ways from the one provided by CBO and calls into question every major contention the administration has advanced about the bill. The president says the legislation will slow the pace of rising costs; the actuary says it won't. The president says people will get to keep their job-based plans if they want to; the actuary says 14 million people will lose their employer coverage, many of whom would certainly rather keep it than switch into an untested program. The president says the new law will improve the budget outlook; in so many words, the chief actuary says, don't bet on it. All of this helps explain why the president of the United States would be so sensitive about the release of the actuary's official report that he would dispatch political subordinates to undermine it with the media. It's not the chief actuary's assignment to provide estimates of non-Medicare-related tax provisions, so his cost projections for Obamacare do not capture all of the needed budget data to estimate the full impact on the budget deficit. But it's possible to back into such a figure by using the Joint Tax Committee's estimates for the tax provisions missing from the chief actuary's report. When that is done, $50 billion of deficit reduction found in the CBO report is wiped out. And that's before the other gimmicks, double counting, and hidden costs are exposed and removed from the accounting, too. For instance, this week House and Senate Democratic leaders are rushing to approve a massive, budget-busting, tax-and-spending bill. Among its many provisions is a three-year Medicare "doc fix," which will effectively undo the scheduled 21 percent cut in Medicare physician fees set to go into effect in June. CBO says this version of the "doc fix" would add $65 billion to the budget deficit over 10 years. The entire bill would pile another $134 billion onto the national debt over the next decade. If the Obama administration gets its way, this three-year physician-fee fix will eventually get extended again, and also without offsets. Over a full 10-year period, an unfinanced "doc fix" would add $250 to $400 billion to the budget deficit, depending on design and who is doing the cost projection (CBO or the actuary). Administration officials and their outside enthusiasts (see here) say the Democratic Congress shouldn't have to find offsets for the "doc fix" because everybody knows a fix needs to be enacted and therefore should go into the baseline. (By the way, the history of the sustainable growth rate [SGR] that Ezra Klein provides at the link above is a misleading one. The SGR was a replacement for a predecessor program that too had run off the rails — the so-called "Volume Performance Standard" enacted by a Democratic Congress in 1989.) But supporting a "doc fix" is not the same as supporting an unfinanced one on a long-term or permanent basis. Not everybody in Congress is for running up more debt to pay for a permanent repeal of the scheduled fee cuts, which is why such a repeal has never been passed before. In the main, the previous administration and Congresses worked to find ways to prevent Medicare fee cuts while finding offsets to pay for it. But that's not the policy of the Obama administration. The truth is the president and his allies in Congress worked overtime to pull together every Medicare cut they could find — nearly $500 billion in all over ten years — and put them into the health law to pay for the massive entitlement expansion they so coveted. They could have used those cuts to pay for the "doc fix" if they had wanted to, as well as for a slightly less expansive health program. But that's not what they did. That wasn't their priority. They chose instead to break their agenda into multiple bills, and "pay for" the massive health entitlement (on paper) while claiming they shouldn't have to find offsets for the "doc fix." But it doesn't matter to taxpayers if they enact their agenda in one, two, or ten pieces of legislation. The total cost is still the same. All of the supposed deficit reduction now claimed from the health-care law is more than wiped out by the Democrats' insistent march to borrow and spend for Medicare physician fees. And the games don't end there. CBO's cost estimate assumes $70 billion in deficit reduction from the so-called "CLASS Act." This is the new voluntary long-term-care insurance program that hitched a ride on Obamacare because it too created the illusion of deficit reduction. People who sign up for the insurance must pay premiums for at least five years before they are eligible to draw benefits. By definition, then, at start-up and for several years thereafter, there will be a surplus in the program as new entrants pay premiums and very few people draw benefits. That's the source of the $70 billion "savings." But the premiums collected in the program's early years will be needed very soon to pay actual claims. Not only that, but the new insurance program is so poorly designed it too will need a federal bailout. So this is far worse than a benign sleight of hand. The Democrats have created a budgetary monster even as they used misleading estimates to tout their budgetary virtue. There is much more, of course. CBO's cost projections don't reflect the administrative costs required to micromanage the health system from the Department of Health and Human Services. The number of employers looking to dump their workers into subsidized insurance is almost certainly going to be much higher than either CBO or the chief actuary now projects. And the price inflation from the added demand of the newly entitled isn't factored into any of the official cost projections. We've seen this movie before. When the government creates a new entitlement, politicians lowball the costs to get the law passed, and then blame someone else when program costs soar. Witness Massachusetts. Most Americans are sensible enough to know already that's what can be expected next with Obamacare. forward message   or visit our website   The White House has launched a taxpayer-funded Web site to "reality check" credible criticisms and arguments. Problem is the Obama administration's videos "debunking" each "myth" are low on facts. Click here to see our response.   Facebook Twitter YouTube The Heritage Foundation - 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC Call us at 202 546 4400

Fwd: Majority of Americans Believe Future of Don?t Ask, Don?t Tell Should be Left Up to Military Commanders, Zogby Poll Finds

Today's Headlines Thursday, May 27, 2010

Majority of Americans Believe Future of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Should be Left Up to Military Commanders, Zogby Poll Finds (CNSNews.com) – Fifty-nine (59) percent of Americans think military leaders, rather than Congress, should be making the decision about the military policy on homosexuality, according to a poll released Tuesday by the Family Research Center... Senate Leader Reid: Some Republicans Call Unemployed Americans 'Bums' and 'Hobos' (CNSNews.com) - As the unemployment rate in the United States approaches 10 percent, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that some "on the Republican side" have called out-of-work Americans "bums" and "hobos." He also said the unemployed are people who legitimately "cannot find work for long periods of time," and he disagreed with those who suggest that unemployment is a "never-ending issue."... 'Synthetic' Cell Research Isn't Frankenstein Science, but Raises Troubling Questions, Analysts Say (CNSNews.com) - The recent report that scientists have created a "synthetic cell" for the first time has raised several questions about the societal and ethical implications of such technology... Biden: $787 Billion Stimulus Bill Created 'New Ideas on How to Spend Government Money Wisely' (CNSNews.com) – Heading up a Middle Class Task Force roundtable discussion on Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden said that one of the benefits of the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law in February is that it has generated new ideas for dealing with economic problems, including unemployment... Obama's July 2011 Draw-Down Date for Afghanistan Sends Mixed Messages, Former Afghan Presidential Candidate Says Washington (CNSNews.com) - Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, a candidate in the 2009 Afghan presidential election, said the July 2011 date set by President Barack Obama for U.S. troops to draw-down from Afghanistan is problematic because it creates a perception of mixed messages about U.S. commitment to the country... Brennan Names Al Qaeda and Affiliates as the Enemy, Silent on Hezbollah, Others (CNSNews.com) – President Obama's counter terrorism advisor framed America's enemy Wednesday as "al-Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates," but said nothing about anti-U.S. Islamists not affiliated to the network led by Osama bin Laden... CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Dave Matthews: 'Too Bad If We Have To Pay a Little Extra Money for Gasoline' Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews said it's "too bad if we have to pay a little extra money for gasoline" and coal because that's what "we have to do" to protect the environment. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Suspected Terror Mastermind Free to Rail Against India and 'Blasphemy' Oklahoma Governor Vetoes Abortion Bill on Insurance Mortgage Rates Sink to Lowest This Year Tight Pants Ban Takes Effect in Indonesia's Aceh Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  COMMENTARY Minimum Wage Cruelty: An Update By Walter E. Williams It's breathtakingly stupid to think of minimum wages as an anti-poverty tool. If it were, poverty in places such as Haiti, Ethiopia and Bangladesh could be instantly eliminated simply by proposing that these country's legislators mandate a higher minimum wage. I'm wondering whether the Obama administration has proposed a $7.25 minimum wage as part of the cure to Haiti's poverty...

Fwd: Eric Cantor (R-VA) On Missile Defense

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) On Missile Defense Representative Eric Cantor presented a lecture at The Heritage Foundation on the importance of a strong national defense for America. An excerpt of his remarks on missile defense: "Most troubling is that this is happening as America's military defenses are being downgraded. Nowhere is the erosion of peace through strength more evident than in nuclear and missile defense policy."  Missile Defense News Missile Defense Agency and Skeptics Clash Over SM-3   Sen. Jim DeMint Criticizes START   Russia Agrees to Iran Sanctions   Get the FAQs on Missile Defense   "Missile defense is modern technology's most game-changing deterrent to a potentially devastating attack. By abandoning the Third Site in Europe to placate Russia, all we have done is push back the date when we can credibly deter Iran. Meanwhile, our nuclear weapons arsenal is aging and desperately needs to be replenished, but the Administration and congressional Democrats have cut off funds to do it. " "The Administration hails the renewal of the START treaty as a major accomplishment, but what does it really accomplish? As we rein in our nukes, Iran and others will try to increase theirs. Then the White House promises that the U.S. won't respond to any biological or conventional attack with nuclear weapons." "How does taking the threat of massive retaliation off the table make us safer? It's akin to responding to a crime wave by announcing that you are pulling police officers off the street." Read Congressman Cantor's full remarks here forward message visit 33minutes.com   The safety and security of our country has and will always be a top priority for all Americans. The Heritage Foundation's NationalSecurity.org provides accurate and timely information. Sign up for email updates.   Facebook Twitter YouTube The Heritage Foundation - 214 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC Call us at 202-546-4400

Fwd: Morning Bell: This Congress Has No Shame

05/27/2010 This Congress Has No Shame On February 4, 2010, pushing for passage of her pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on the House floor: "When I became Speaker of the House, the very first day we passed legislation that made PAYGO the rule of the House. Today we will make it the law of the land. ... So the time is long overdue for this to be taken for granted. The federal government will pay as it goes." That was the promise. But here is the reality: in the three years that Speaker Pelosi has enforced her PAYGO rule, the House has violated it by nearly $1 trillion. And now with the U.S. Debt Clock officially passing the $13 trillion milestone Wednesday, the House is set to violate their own PAYGO law yet again, this time to the tune of around $150 billion. The legislation clocks-in at almost one-fifth the size of President Barack Obama's original $862 billion failed economic stimulus, and the leftist majority in Congress has titled it "The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act." And it is a tax-hiking, spending-exploding, job-killing, deficit-hiking wonder.

Fwd: Morning Bell: A Crisis of Competence in the Gulf

05/26/2010 A Crisis of Competence in the Gulf "Let's be clear: Every day that this oil sits is one more day that more of our marsh dies," Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA) said Monday. "We've been frustrated with the disjointed effort to date that has too often meant too little, too late for the oil hitting our coast," he continued. Specifically, Jindal is frustrated by the failure of the federal government to produce the 8 million feet of oil-blocking booms it asked for back on May 2nd and 3rd. So far Louisiana has only received 815,000 feet of boom, and even then the federal government has failed to place it in the correct locations. Worse, Obama administration regulators continue to deny Louisiana officials permission to build up barrier islands between the coast's marshes and the gulf. Federal regulators have so far refused to permit the state to act, fearing the unintended long-term damage to local wildlife. So instead of action, the oil continues to float on shore threatening the livelihoods of millions of Louisianans. Meanwhile the Environmental Protection Agency again demonstrated its uselessness when it informed BP it had 24 hours to find a less toxic alternative to the chemical it had been using to break up the oil. BP informed the EPA that no alternatives were available in sufficient quantity to deal with the spill, and when the EPA's deadline came and went with no change in BP's practices, the EPA meekly said they would study the issue, which was an acknowledgment that it has no answer either.

Fwd: Rep. Hoyer: Obama Medicare Nominee Qualified, Rationing Already Happening

Today's Headlines Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Rep. Hoyer: Obama Medicare Nominee Qualified, Rationing Already Happening (CNSNews.com) - House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said the man nominated to run Medicare and Medicaid, Donald Berwick, is qualified to oversee the two massive government health care programs despite Berwick's claim that the government must ration health care. Hoyer added that health care rationing is already happening in America -- because not all Americans can afford it. Boehner: Republicans 'Committed to Repealing the Health Care Law' If They Take Back House (CNSNews.com) - House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Tuesday that the House Republican leadership is "committed to repealing the health care law" if Republicans win a majority in the House in the November elections. Boehner  also announced the launch of the House Republicans' new Web site, AmericaSpeakingOut.com, where citizens can submit ideas for congressional Republicans to consider making part of their agenda. Obama Should Visit U.S.-Mexico Border to See the Threat to Americans Firsthand, Republican Senators Say (CNSNews.com) – On the same day President Barack Obama announced he was ordering 1,200 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, two Republican senators from Arizona said it's about time – and it's too few troops. International Community Has 'Responsibility and Duty to Respond' to Ship Sinking by North Korea, Clinton Says (CNSNews.com) – On Wednesday, one day after North Korea threatened to sever all remaining ties with South Korea, North Korea did not prevent South Korean employees from entering a joint industrial project that employs thousands of North Koreans. The Stalinist regime warned, however, that it would bar entry to South Koreans if Seoul resumes anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts along their shared border, which South Korean President Lee Myun-bak has said he would do. Suspected Terror Mastermind Free to Rail Against India and 'Blasphemy' (CNSNews.com) – Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the Islamist leader released from house arrest by Pakistan's highest court, remains one of that country's most outspoken advocates of jihad against India, and he is now free to press his case that the U.N. should declare 'blasphemy of prophets' a capital offense. Bill Requires Rhode Island to Pay Taxpayers Interest on Delayed Tax Refunds (CNSNews.com) – Several Rhode Island state congressmen have introduced a bill requiring the state to pay the same rate of interest after 60 days on tax refunds owed to taxpayers that the state assesses for overdue taxes. CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Dave Matthews: 'Too Bad If We Have To Pay a Little Extra Money for Gasoline' (CNSNews.com) – Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews told CNSNews.com that higher energy prices are what "we have to do" to protect the environment. Rocker Dave Matthews: 'I Would Pack the Bags' and Leave Afghanistan and Iraq (CNSNews.com) - Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews told CNSNews.com that if he could, he "would pack the bags" and remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, adding that the ongoing wars there are a "big disappointment." He also said there is enough evidence that "fighting for peace is a broken model." OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Obama's New National Security Goals Include Diplomacy and Support From Abroad Obama's Border Plan Looks Similar to Bush's, AP Says USDA Offers $1.3-Billion Settlement to Female, Latino Farmers Who Claim Discrimination Obama Applauded, But Also Chastised, At Private Meeting With Republicans Mexico Arrests Cancun Mayor on Drug Charges Oil Spill Brings Mini-Job-Boom to Gulf Region As Oil Spills, Obama Touts Alternative Energy Iran's Ahmadinejad Urges Obama to Accept Nuclear-Swap Deal Car Bomb Explodes Outside NATO Base in Kandahar City U.S. Prison in Afghanistan to Hold First Trial International Red Cross Defends Giving First Aid Courses to Taliban Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP: Biden tells E.U., Brussels could be 'capital of the free world' Minnesota will pick up tab to counsel divorcing couples Justice Dept. lawyers draft challenge to Arizona immigration law Activists blast Mexico's immigration law Congressman: White House job offer to Sestak may be an 'impeachable' offense Sen. Brown, a Massachusetts Republican, says no to repeal of 'don't ask' U.S. military Reconsiders Army's use of M4 rifles in Afghanistan Mass. lawmakers consider charging inmates various fees stemming from incarceration After meeting with GOP, Obama says day for 'partnership' with GOP has passed State's cash flow problems mean longer wait for R.I. tax refunds California Democrats: Let's borrow cash to save welfare Building oversize federal courts wastes millions; Maintenance adds to costs Backyard cottages seen as way to address Seattle's need for affordable housing House Democrats would add $50 billion in domestic spending to war legislation Senate showdown over EPA climate rules scheduled for June 10 Dems say 9/11 first responders have earned guaranteed healthcare Florida gets $25 million from BP to tell the world its beaches are still clean Lawyers flock to seminar on Gulf of Mexico oil spill issues COMMENTARY Obama Names Rationing Czar to Run Medicare By Terence P. Jeffrey President Obama's choice to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services does not like free enterprise, but he does like rationing. To Dr. Donald Berwick of the Harvard Medical School, America's health care system is not the model for the world. Great Britain's is. Look Who's Behind the White House/Sestak Stonewall By Michelle Malkin After three months of zipped lips and feigned ignorance, the Obama White House is finally taking real heat over Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak's consistent claims that the administration offered him a job to drop his Senate bid. Now it's time to redirect the spotlight where it belongs: on the top counsel behind the Washington stonewall, Bob "The Silencer" Bauer. Preposterous Bill Press By L. Brent Bozell Radio talk-show host Bill Press is the tiniest of fish in the radio ocean, but this minnow's all over the place complaining about the whales in his new book about how the 'radical right' has 'poisoned' the airwaves. He discusses 'hate on the right," while ignoring hate on the left. The Gulf of Ocean By Rich Galen President Obama has been roundly criticized for planning to attend fundraisers and other political events in California while forcing Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to be the public faces of the increasingly inept government handling of the increasingly destructive oil spill in the Gulf of Ocean. I hope someone is keeping track of the stuff that keeps spewing out of Napolitano's mouth because there is going to be a best-selling book involved.

Fwd: Seniors Will Lose Big Under Obamacare

May 25, 2010 Seniors Will Lose Big Under Obamacare Passage of Obamacare will have negative consequences for practically all Americans. However, it is the nation's senior citizens who will get the short end of the stick after enactment of the President's health care agenda. In a recent paper, Heritage health policy expert Robert Moffit, Ph.D., lays out the specific provisions of Obamacare that will hurt seniors: – Less Choice. Obamacare will reduce payments to Medicare Advantage, likely decreasing benefits and causing approximately half of current participants to drop out. These seniors will have little choice but to go back to traditional Medicare, and buy a supplemental policy to cover Medicare's big gaps in coverage. – Reduced Access to Care. Writes Moffit, "With the retirement of 77 million baby boomers beginning in 2011, the Medicare program will have to absorb an unprecedented demand for medical services. For the next generation of senior citizens, finding a doctor will be more difficult and waiting times for doctor appointments are likely to be longer. The American Association of Medical Colleges projects a shortage of 124,000 doctors by 2025." Obamacare does nothing to reverse this worrisome trend, instead making it worse. – Medicare Payment Cuts. Moffit explains that "creating a real problem for seniors, the CMS Actuary estimates that roughly 15 percent of Medicare Part A providers—the part of the Medicare program that pays hospital costs—would become unprofitable within 10 years" due to reductions in hospital payment updates under the new law. – Higher Taxes. "The higher taxes on drugs (effective in 2011) and medical devices (effective in 2013) will affect seniors especially, as they are more heavily dependent on those very products." Moreover, federal premium taxes will apply to Medicare Advantage, as well as federal retirees' health plans. Moffit's research outlines how Obamacare fails to address the pressing need for systemic reform of the Medicare program while also hindering the entitlement's ability to adequately meet the needs of those it serves. To read more, click here. RECENT ENTRIES ER Overload Will Only Get Worse Small Businesses Still Left Empty-Handed Fewer Flippin' Hamburgers at White Castle Share Today's Side Effects Facebook Myspace Digg Linkdin Twitter   Facebook Twitter YouTube Kindle Flickr Support our work by becoming a member with your gift of $25 or more. The Heritage Foundation 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20002-4999 Call us at (202) 546-4400 Add newsletters@heritage.org to your address book to ensure that you receive emails from us.

Fwd: Obama?s Nominee to Run Medicare: ?Please Don?t Put Your Faith in Market Forces?

Today's Headlines Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Obama's Nominee to Run Medicare: 'Please Don't Put Your Faith in Market Forces' (CNSNews.com) – Dr. Donald Berwick, nominated by President Barack Obama to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, published an article in the British Medical Journal, advising leaders of Britain's socialized health care system: "Please don't put your faith in market forces." The article, published in the July 26, 2008 issue of the BMJ, compared the U.S. health care system unfavorably to the British system, which Berwick said he was "romantic about." White House, Congressional Dems Reach Agreement to Force Vote on Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (CNSNews.com) – The White House and congressional Democratic leaders reached an agreement Monday night on a "compromise" that could force a vote within days on a bill to end the military's Don't Ask Don't Tell policy on homosexuality -- after the congressional elections. "Tonight, President Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a back room deal that disregards the views of our troops and uses the military to advance the political agenda of a radical special interest group," Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said in a statement. New York Times' Front Page Announces U.S. Expansion of 'Secret Military Acts' in Middle East (CNSNews.com) – The New York Times, giving America's friends and foes a heads-up, reports that Gen. David Petraeus signed a "secret directive" in September authorizing "a broad expansion of secret military activity" in the Middle East. Poll Finds 65 Percent of Texas Voters Still Support Off-Shore Drilling (CNSNews.com) – Nearly two-thirds of all Texans believe off-shore drilling should continue, despite the Gulf oil spill, according to a new poll. The poll places Texas voters in line with the national average of 64 percent of Americans who support offshore drilling, according to the Rasmussen Report. Dave Matthews: 'Too Bad If We Have To Pay a Little Extra Money for Gasoline' (CNSNews.com) – Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews told CNSNews.com that higher energy prices are what "we have to do" to protect the environment. He also said although he admires the military, he would like to see it downsized. Rocker Dave Matthews: 'I Would Pack the Bags' and Leave Afghanistan and Iraq (CNSNews.com) - Grammy award-winning musician Dave Matthews told CNSNews.com that if he could, he "would pack the bags" and remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, adding that the ongoing wars there are a "big disappointment." He also said there is enough evidence that "fighting for peace is a broken model." Despite U.S. Prodding, China Does Little More Than Call for Restraint on the Korean Peninsula (CNSNews.com) – As South Korea and the United States turn up the pressure on North Korea over the sinking of a South Korean warship, Kim Jong-il's closest ally looks unwilling to do or say anything about the incident beyond its customary calls for calm. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Beijing for bilateral strategic and economic talks, urged China Monday to "work together" with the U.S. to address the "serious challenge provoked by the sinking of the South Korean ship." CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Sen. Rockefeller Tells Neil Armstrong: America's Drive to Explore is Not All 'Glorious' (CNSNews.com) - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller (D-W.V.) says he is "a substantial skeptic of human spaceflight" and that not all outlets for American exploration are "glorious." Rocker Dave Matthews on Energy Policy: 'Algae is the Future' (CNSNews.com) - Grammy Award-winning rock musician Dave Matthews said Thursday that he is confident his carbon footprint is "bigger than most people's" and suggested that people who do not need to travel as much as he does with his band "can take a bike" to help save the planet. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Obama Administration Says Virginia Lacks the Standing to Challenge New Health Care Law Obama Administration Warns Health Insurance Industry on Mergers Obama White House Is First to Mark Jewish Heritage Month Deadly, Ultra-Pure Heroin Arrives in U.S. From Mexico Wyoming Judge Blocks Newspapers From Publishing Stories About College President's Trip Hillary Clinton Gets Personal in China, Discussing Daughter's Wedding in TV Interview Fired U.N. Diplomat Galbraith Running for Seat in Vermont Senate Arizona Sheriff Urges no Travel to Mexico After Ad House May Vote This Week on Proposal to Repeal Military's Ban on Homosexuals Salazar Calls Inspector-General's Findings on Federal Drilling Agency 'Deeply Disturbing' Offshore Drilling Here to Stay, but Changes Coming Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP: Government keeping records of people who show temper, mouth off at TSA employees FBI details surge in death threats against lawmakers When passengers spit at them, bus drivers take months off Warning labels urged for food that can choke Police classify vandalism at Catholic Church as hate crime Attempt to recall U.S. senator moves to N.J. high court Congress gets ready to quadruple tax on oil L.A. council panel backs 37 percent hike in ambulance fees Income from private sector shrinks State Department to increase 'nonimmigrant' visa fees Ariz. immigration law said to be making Census count tougher Number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan exceeds total in Iraq for the first time Gov. Ritter signs bills to lessen punishment, promote rehabilitation of criminals New York City police furious at 'don't-shoot-to-kill' bill Funding for Ground Zero mosque would come from Muslims in U.S and overseas Animal hoarding called a gathering crisis Oil spill linked to Congress' policy of tax breaks and financial benefits, some say COMMENTARY The War Over America's Past By Patrick J. Buchanan Liberals are enraged that a Republican-dominated Texas Board of Education is rewriting textbooks. But is the rewrite being done to falsify history, or to undo a liberal bias embedded for decades? Pass A Budget, Or Take A Pass? By Ed Feulner Every year we spend more. Every year we owe more. And there's no end in sight. In fact this year, Congress won't even bother passing a budget resolution: "It's difficult to pass budgets in election years, because they reflect what the [nation's fiscal] status is," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told FOX News last month. But isn't that exactly the point? Americans elect lawmakers to make the spending decisions for the government. We deserve to know what those decisions are before we go to the polls.