President Obama's State of the Union

Our World Class Finger Pointer---Because it's Always Some One Else's Fault.

If President Obama truly reported on the actual State of the Union, the stock market would crash and gold prices would go through the roof.  Instead, the President will tell us the economy's “still improving“, (for the fifth time), but, there's still room for improvement, and pay no attention to the 90 million out of work.  What he won’t tell us, is the American work force participation rate is the lowest in 36 years.  He will brag about the stock market that's been receiving an 85 billion cash infusion every month, (courtesy of the Feds own printing presses), feeding the banks and the power-brokers who return their in-kind campaign donations to the Democratic Party.  Polling on the President’s economy---39.4% approve, 56.2% disapprove.  Grade: D-

On his legacy policy---the Federal Government take-over of the Health Care Industry---Obama will tell us the beleaguered web-site “is working”, but there’s still much work to do on the back-end, (for the third no-bid contractor to “clean up“).  He will tell us over two-three million now have insurance who never had it before, but he won’t tell us about the 6-7 million that now have cancelled policies, or that the new one’s being offered at the exchanges are far more expensive including massively high deductibles.  What he also won’t tell us is, if the numbers of sign-ups by the young and healthy don’t change dramatically by March, the Federal Government will be asking for trillion dollar installments to bail out the insurance companies.  (Any one remember when the Democrats supplied the CBO with phony numbers to keep the entire program under ONE TRILLION DOLLARS?.  Does anyone know what those “revisions” are now?)  The impending disaster still awaits us all when the employer mandate kicks in, and millions more are systematically forced onto the over-priced exchanges.  Polling on this policy---37.6% favor, 54.5% disapprove.  Grade: D-

How he will explain "progress in the middle east", and other foreign policies as anything positive is beyond our comprehension.  Perhaps he'll tell us the Al Qaeda flags flying over Fallujah is the result of another offensive video.  Thousands of Coptic Christians are being systematically exterminated throughout Egypt and the middle east---in a Holocaustic manner---and there’s not one word of outrage from the State Dept or the White House.  On Iran, no one knows how soon they will have a working nuclear weapon, or how soon it will be deployed to a satellite terrorist group, since Iran’s foreign minister just announced “that we did not promise to dismantle anything”.  But Mr. Kerry, under Obama’s direction has given the regime a six month reprieve on sanctions---that were working.  Oh, and Syria is still a hornet’s nest, since Mr. Obama can’t make up his mind whether Assad and his henchmen should remain in power while continuing to murder hundreds of thousands of their citizens.  And despite the recent Senate Intelligence Report, (chaired by a Democrat), that said the four murdered patriots in Benghazi could have been prevented, it’s still a phony scandal.  (Paging Susan Rice).  Polling on Obama’s foreign policies, 42.2 approve, 48.8 disapprove.  Grade: D 

The President will tell us how his policies of reducing our carbon footprints are progressing as solar and electric car companies continue to file for bankruptcy and the windmills chew up four million birds, (including eagles and other protected carrion).  Meanwhile, his personal war on the coal industry, and other fossil fuels, continues unabated.  In the U.S. there are over 30,000 miles of  small pipelines, 55,000 miles of crude oil pipelines. and 95,000 miles of pipeline with refined products, but President Obama and the Inviros are hell bent on preventing one more pipeline, Keystone, that would provide products and jobs.  What he won’t tell us is how 50 environmentalists were stranded for a month in the Antarctic because of expanding ice flows, or that the planet has actually been cooling for the past decade. What he also won’t tell us, is that out of all of the Federal tax-payer dollars, (subsidies), that go to environmental companies for R&D, explorations, CO2 prevention, millions of dollars are returned to the Democratic Party to continue the biggest hoax ever played on the American public---a world-wide multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme.  Polling on Mr. Obama’s job of protecting the environment vs. improving the nation’s energy resources, 56% say he’s doing a good job on the environment, while only 43% think his energy policies are working.  Grade: D-  (one full point deducted for the global warming scam)

Overall, the most recent polling on the direction/health of this Nation, a whopping 62.7% believe this country is on the wrong track, while only 28.2% think we’re on the right track.  So, after five years, (and at least six more trillion dollars added to the national debt), Mr. Obama will tell us everything is going on “swimmingly well”.  Pass out the life preservers.

Addendum:  President Obama said the other day, (again), that "I have a phone and a pen", and was specifically telling the American public that if he can't implement his agenda and policies Constitutionally, and legislatively, he will use his executive powers to extend his personal assault on this nation, despite two-thirds of the country telling him it's the wrong direction, (see poll just above).  Instead, Mr. Obama continues to blame everyone and anyone else for his failures, (including Fox News, and those mean old Conservative Republicans). Apparently, Mr. Obama hasn't yet read, (in the news), that National Polling shows a strong majority of the country are rejecting both his policies and agenda. For this arrogant and egotistical rejection of the people's wishes and expectations, Mr. Obama receives my personal grade of F-   

Double-Addendum:  Almost forgot.  Mr. Obama will tell us all, (in his speech), about the disparity of income inequality.  He will tell us of how the haves have more and the have not's have less---from the direct liberal playbook of "how to employ class warfare to advance your agenda".  He will call for a federal raise in the minimum wage, (and tell us a few stories about how devastated the middle class and the poor are doing today).  What he will not tell us is that under his 5-year administration and his policies, the income gap has expanded, not reduced.  What he also won't tell us, is when 15-25 million illegal immigrants are granted full amnesty, they will be taking more of America's poor and the disadvantaged JOBS away, while adding millions more to the government rolls of dependency and entitlements.  And yes, 99% of them will vote for Democrats, as long as the "benefits" flows into their pockets---always the cheapest way to buy votes, using the tax-payer's money---but no one will see this as just another "phony scandal".

Much of the President's State of the Union address will be a "rinse and repeat" of last year's address with the caveat of guilt he will pile on to the "greedy corporations".  He will call on the rich to cut a check to his liberal progressive cronies in Congress, so they can pass more legislation to protect the poor---because YOUR GOVERNMENT always knows best how to redistribute the wealth.  More American citizens are dependent of government assistance, (food stamps, WIC, and general welfare), under this President and his policies since the great depression.  Yet, President Obama will tell us it's some one else's fault.  Over the past five years, he's become a champion finger pointer, while filling the public's heads with empty promises or flat out lies, ("if you like it, you can keep it").  The fawning liberal media will tell us all what a great speech it was---AGAIN---filling the heads of low information voters with another dose of hope and change, and expecting a different result.  One thing is certain, 2016 can't come soon enough. 

~ Rov

  

Obama's Job Approval Points to 2014 Trouble for Democrats

From Sean Trende at Real Clear Politics      

"With the advent of this election year, the time to turn from generalities/playing field pieces to tracking specific races is fast approaching. But before picking up my series on competitive Senate races (I wrote on three with relatively well-formed dynamics last year: Kentucky, Montana, and Arkansas), I do have a few more things to say about the playing field.

As a general matter, the journalistic narrative hasn’t yet caught up with the deterioration of the Democrats’ political standing since the early summer. Polls showing tight Senate races in New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado and Michigan are met with surprise and disbelief. But they are exactly what we’d expect to see given the president’s national job approval rating. I think they’re accurate barometers of the state of the races."

Trende's post has a full set of graphs and qualifiers that support the notion that "if" Obama's approval ratings remain below 50% and Republicans play their cards right, control of the Senate is within their grasp.  President Obama's current RCP job approval stands at 42.9%, not an attractive number for his party or the incumbents who will try to hang on to their jobs in 2014. 

Please read the full post here.

The 2013 San Francisco Forty Niners---How Did They Get Here---“Again”

~by Rovin

In his first three consecutive years as an NFL coach, Jim Harbaugh has taken the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championships ---one for the National Football League record books.  In Harbaugh’s short tenure in the NFL, he’s boasting a 46-11-1 regular season record, a 5-1 playoffs record, and one appearance in a Superbowl.

In Harbaugh’s first game as a 49er coach, the Niners faced the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick on September 11, 2011.  Final score: Forty Niners 33, Seahawks 17.  In week 16 of that year, the Niners traveled to Seattle and defeated the Hawks again, 19-17 to go to 12-3 on the season.  In the second quarter of that game, David Akers kicked the first of his four field goals on the day---a 53 yarder---as the Niners only found the end zone one time, on a classic drive by Alex Smith in the third quarter, from the 49er’s 25 yd line, and finishing it off with a Frank Gore 4 yard run into the promised land.  The Niners finished the regular season defeating the St. Louis Rams 34-27 to end up with a 13-3 record, earning a first round bye before defeating the New Orleans Saints in a home field shootout 36-32.  The Forty Niners would fall to the 9-7 New York Giants in the Conference Championship game in over-time, 20-17, in a devastating end to Harbaugh’s first season.

The following year, (2012), the Niners would open up their first game of the season in Green Bay and defeat the Packers 30-22.  On week 16 the Niners went to Seattle and were defeated 42-13 before finishing with a win at home against the Arizona Cardinals, 27-13, to finish the regular season at 11-4-1, winning the division, (again), for a first round bye.  In the wild card weekend, the 11-5 upstart Seattle Seahawks would travel to the 10-6 Washington Redskins and defeat them 24-14, impressively shutting out the Redskins for final three quarters of the game, before falling to the Atlanta Falcons the following week 30-28.  In the divisional playoffs the Niners would defeat the Green Bay Packers in Candlestick 45-31, and go on to defeat the Falcons in the Conference Championship 28-24 in Atlanta.

First Superbowl Game in the Harbaugh Era

In Jim Harbaugh’s first Superbowl as a Forty Niner coach, he would face his own brother, John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.  It was a classic game for the ages, but, with the Niners down 34-29  the Niners failed to get the ball into the end zone, (on four consecutive plays), after Frank Gore had ripped off a 30 yard run to get the Niners to the 7 yard line.  Surprisingly, Gore never touched the ball again, as the Niners handed off to LaMichael James on first down, and then Colin Kaepernick threw three straight incompletions to the right side of the end zone, turning the ball over on downs.  Final score, Ravens 34, Forty Niners 31. (This would be the first time---in five tries---that the Niners would lose a Superbowl)

Year Number Three---Final Outcome Still to be Determined 

The Forty Niners would begin their 2013 campaign by defeating the Packers 34-28 with Colin Kaepernick’s arm, going 27/39 and putting 412 yards in the books.  Newly acquired Anquan Boldin, (who had just about single handedly defeated the Niners in the Superbowl), had 13 catches for 208 yards in the game.

The Game, (and Play), That Would Change the Forty Niners’ Season

On Week 11, the Niners, (after getting defeated the previous week by the Panthers 10-9 in a defensive slugfest at Candlestick), would travel to New Orleans, and leave with a 23-20 loss that would define the NFL’s “new” “protect the quarterback at all cost” policy.  With the Niners leading 20-17 and only 6:48 left in the fourth quarter, the Niners’ defense was rising to the occasion in one of their classic finishes, when an NFL referee, (from 10 yards behind the play), decided to change the outcome of the game: 

3rd and 2 at SF 35

(Shotgun) D. Brees sacked at SF 45 for -10 yards (A.Brooks). FUMBLES (A.Brooks), declared dead at SF 45. PENALTY on SF-A.Brooks, Personal Foul, 15 yards, enforced at SF 45. On the play, SF# 52 P. Willis recovered the ball, but on the penalty for a blow to the head and neck area of a quarterback, the 49ers were not allowed to retain possession. The penalty was marked from the point of the sack. (ESPN account of the play)

Watch the video of the play, and you be the judge/referee:

Instead of the Niners recovering the football on the Niners’ 45, (with 3:18 left on the clock), Drew Brees and the Saints had a fresh set of downs---first and ten on the SF 30---and would eventually get the ball to the 24 and 42 yard game tying field goal.  With the score now 20-20, Kaepernick and the Niners go three and out, but on the 48 yard Andy Lee punt, our special teams player runs into the fair catch of Saints’ Darrin Sproles, giving the Saints the ball on their 40 yard line with 1:41 left on the clock.

A.Lee punts 48 yards to NO 25, Center-K.McDermott, fair catch by D.Sproles. PENALTY on SF-K.Osgood, Fair Catch Interference, 15 yards, enforced at NO 25. 

Five plays, (and three first downs), later, the Saints’ Garret Hartley would hit his third field goal of the game from the 13 yard line with .03 seconds left to win the game, 23-20.

This was the last game the Forty Niners would lose in the regular season, finishing with six straight wins and a 12-4 record.  Had the Niners won the game in New Orleans, (a most likely scenario without the official’s terrible call), their record of 13-3 would have been good enough to win the division over the Seahawks, who would be playing in San Francisco this coming Sunday instead of the Niners having to visit the confines of CenturyLink Field.  Conjecture?  Of course.  And since the Ahmad Brooks SACK of Drew Brees was not reviewable, (under current NFL rules), the play stands, as called.  Brooks was later fined, and described his "penalty" this way:

Brooks was fuming after the game, incredulous that he was penalized for the hit. "I didn't hit him with my hand or my helmet," Brooks told reporters, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "I basically bear-hugged him. That's just how football is played. I think this s--- is bulls----. Football, the way they call stuff these days, it's watered down. It ain't real no more."
Brees told reporters Tuesday he doesn't think the hit was malicious, or even intentional, but that he believes it was a penalty.
 "I don't think what Ahmad Brooks did was intentional at all," Brees said. "I think he's a heck of a football player and a clean football player. A hard-nosed, clean football player.

And, in this writer's humble opinion, it was a "clean hit".

Moving On…………..

Not letting this one game affect a Niners’ team still on a mission, (the Quest for Six), the Forty Niners have proceeded to go on the road, defeating the Green Bay Packers, (in 9 degree temps), 23-20, and then the Carolina Panthers 23-10, shutting out the Panthers for three straight quarters.  All that’s left to complete a dream season, is to return to Seattle, defeat the Seahawks, and return to the Superbowl against either the New England Patriots or the Denver Broncos---much easier said than done.  The Las Vegas odds-makers have the Seahawks favored by 3-1/2, and the Broncos favored by 5-1/2 at this posting.

Game times: Broncos/Patriots---1pm Pacific Time on CBS ~ Niners/Hawks---3:30pm Pacific on FOX

Go Niners!

Update: NO JINX here......for reasons unknown or given, Sports Illustrated has decided to omit only one team from their front cover stories---the San Francisco Forty Niners.  I posted this at their site:

Ken145 minutes ago

As a die-hard Forty-Niner fan, I can only see this, (SI's omission of the Niners) as a badge of honor---especially after the Niners take down the Seahawks and the AFC Champion in the Superbowl. Thanks SI for your pettiness & senility.

Some one mentioned in the comments that these are "regional" covers and SI could only pick one, since SF and the Hawks are in the same region.  I guess we should thank them for not supplying the Sports Illustrated Cover Kiss of Death.

Update #2: Ahmad Brooks wins appeal of fine for Drew Brees hit

Thanks to my dear brother Tom, for bringing this to my attention---but this just really pisses me off, and only adds to the fire that these referees have got to get the calls right!

Obama and Christie: What they knew

BRZEZINSKI: "But we know Chris Christie and we know that he would have known."

Cards on the table first.  I'm no fan of Christie.  Yes, he stood up to the unions and resisted (some) tax increases.  But he's at best a moderate.  On a range of issues from global warming to illegal immigration and especially on terrorism.  He's never said he thinks we should end this health care monstrosity.  We won't even go into his backstabbing of Romney at the convention and on the NJ Boardwalk. Given that, perhaps these remarks aren't surprising.

How many believe the current occupant of the White House when he claims not to have known about the IRS harassing conservative groups, when he claims not to have known that millions would lose their insurance and their doctor?  Look at the number of conservative pundits that think he has lied about these.  More important is part of the rationale:  the Treasury Secretary knew, Sebelius knew, WH counsel knew.  But not him?  How unlikely is that, conservative pundits insist.

Rush says the connection is more recondite: the hirelings knew what the WH wanted; they didn't need orders.  But is this vindication?

And now we have Christie.  His Deputy Chief of Staff orders a massive traffic tie up for four days.  We are supposed to believe that Mr. Christie didn't know?  A woman that has been with him for years?  That presumably knows how he operates and what he believes?

Unlike this WH flak who cohosts on MSNBC, I don't know Christie.  My question, however, is this: why are conservatives willing to fill in the blanks in the WH case, but reluctant to do so in the NJ case?  Why give Christie a "truth pass," when we are so disinclined to give the WH a "truth pass"?