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The kiss of death for job training’s future

For decades the federal government has been involved in job training and, like nearly every other government-run activity, there’s waste and inefficiency at a time when our economy cries for results.

Coburn(foxnews)

Sen. Tom Coburn (foxnews photo)

For some time now, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) has been shining the spotlight on this bureaucratic mess, talking about the web of 47 separate programs across nine different agencies, each of which overlapped with another program in providing similar services to similar populations.

In his January 2014 State-of-the-Union address, some five years into his presidency, President Obama announced that he was tasking Vice President Joe Biden to do a complete review of federal job training programs.  It’s the kiss of death.  Don’t expect any results even though the president has said he will use his executive prerogative to reduce duplication and demand effectiveness.

I’ve got to hand it to Coburn.  He immediately sent a letter to Biden, offering his support.  He reminded the vice president of the $18 billion annually spent on the 47 programs.  America Forward calculates the cost of all workforce development programs is closer to $60 billion. Continue reading →

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Democrats are insulting women

“All issues are women’s issues.  We are half of this great nation,” said Carly Fiorina to enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference.

Fiorina(wired.com)

Carly Fiorina (wired.com. photo)

“I accept and respect that not all women agree with me, “ she said, “what I’m not prepared to accept is that we are waging war on women, just because we know that abortion at five months is inhumane to both mother and child.”

For Democrats to say Republicans are waging a war on women just because they want to restrict access to abortion and birth control is an insult to women, Fiorina added.

This piece isn’t about Fiorina, but it’s interesting to make note of her impressive career, especially the fact that she became the first female officer of AT&T’s male-dominated Network Systems Division at 35 years of age.

While I imagine she is no longer concerned about gender disadvantages in her own future, she is surely aware that those disadvantages still persist for other women, and often speaks of the role of women from the conservative viewpoint.  In her view, “it is liberals who believe they know what is good for you.”

Democrats focus on abortion and birth control to distract from the real issues facing women where they have utterly failed – jobs, pay, the economy and, yes, health insurance. Continue reading →

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Understanding the IRS Scandal, Part 3

KRAMER’S NOTE:  In Part 1, I explained how President Obama’s public chastising of the Supreme Court justices over their decision on Citizens United during his 2010 State-of-the-Union address triggered the IRS scandal.  In Part 2, I took you through the IG’s report on the IRS and the testimony that followed.  If you missed those parts you can scroll down or see “Recent Posts” in the right column.… read more

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You can’t make this stuff up folks

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Rep. Dave Jolly (FoxNews.com photo)

NEWS THEY THOUGHT YOU DIDN’T NEED – The three so-called main stream television networks – ABC, CBS and NBC – did not carry the results of the election in Florida’s 13th District, where Republican Dave Jolly defeated Democrat Alex Sink. The special election was held to fill the seat long held by Republican Bill Young.  The election is said to be a sign of voter discontent over ObamaCare and portends a change in the public’s political mood as the mid-term elections approach.

THERE SHE GOES AGAIN  – Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, the Democrat representative of Texas’ 18th District gave us another history lesson.  “Maybe I should offer a good thanks to the distinguished members of the majority, the Republicans, my chairman and others, for giving us an opportunity to have a deliberative constitutional discussion that reinforces the sanctity of this nation and how well it is that we have lasted some 400 years, operating under a constitution that clearly defines what is constitutional and what is not, “she said in a floor speech.  She was only 173 years off.  Our constitution was adopted on Sept. 17, 1787.

Lee(dailycaller.com)

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (DailyCaller.com photo)

DURING A BRIEFING on the Mars Pathfinder at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory not only ago, Representative Lee asked if the vehicle would be able to send back photos of where Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted the American flag. I’m not sure how they politely told her that took place on the Moon.

IN JULY 2003 Representative Lee criticized the meteorologist community for the exclusion of African-American names for storms and hurricanes.  You just can’t make this stuff up. Continue reading →

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Understanding the IRS Scandal, Part 2

KRAMER’S NOTE:  This is Part 2 of my effort to provide you with the background leading to the scandal in the IRS.  If you missed Part 1, you can read it by scrolling down or by checking “Recent Posts” in the right hand column.

                                                       Democrats Intimidate the IRS

President Obama scolded the Supreme Court justices for their decision on Citizens United and asked Congress to “right this wrong,” but to Republicans the Court already righted a wrong.  It didn’t take long, however, for the Democrats to begin pressing the IRS to clamp down on Tea Party organizations and other conservative groups.

Democrat Senators Baucus, Schumer and Franken and others wrote to the IRS, threatening legislative action if they failed to “prevent abuse of the tax code by political groups.”

The groups began to complain to their Congressmen that their requests for tax exempt status were being delayed and they were being put through hoops with unwarranted paperwork.

Unexpectedly, on March 7, 2012, the liberal New York Times published an editorial, “The I.R.S. Does it Job,” reporting that “Tea Party supporters claim they are being politically harassed with extensive I.R.S. questionnaires.”  Does anyone believe the president didn’t see this editorial?

But it wasn’t until May 10, 2013, as the result of an IRS IG report, that the IRS’ Lois Lerner planted a question during her telephone conference to provide cover for her organization blaming a few over-zealous rogue employees in the Cincinnati office for the approval delays.

Carney(nationalreview.com photo)

Jay Carney (nat. review.com photo)

Three days later, presidential spokeskid Jay Carney disavowed any prior knowledge of the IG report even though the White House counsel was informed on April 22, 2013  We are to believe no one told the president about the report.

This is the same president who, on May 5, 2013, during a speech at the Ohio State University, had the audacity to tell students to reject the voice that “warn that tyranny (is) always lurking just around the corner.”

Shulman (wash. times.com photo)

Douglas Shulman (wash.times.com photo)

During testimony before the House on May 21, 2013 IRS Director Douglas Shulman revealed that he had visited the White House more than 150 times; meetings we are led to believe only concerned planning for the agency’s work on ObamaCare enforcement.  I’d like to know why the president’s deputy campaign manager Stephanie Cutter attended some of those meetings. Continue reading →

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Understanding the IRS Scandal, Part 1

KRAMER’S NOTE: Many of you may not be familiar with the actions that led to what I believe to be corrupt actions by the IRS.  On one hand, the fair and balanced media are geared for brief news clips and worry about “getting into the weeds” with detail.  And the predominantly liberal news publications simply don’t want you to know the detail.  In fact, most reporters don’t even know the detail.  So, this is Part 1 of a capsulized timeline to help you understand the importance of investigating this scandal.

The Beginning: President Obama Slams Supreme Court Decision

“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.  Well, I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests, and worse, by foreign entities.  They should be decided by the American people, and that’s why I’m urging Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps to right this wrong.”

Alito 1

The Supreme Court justices are rudely scolded by President Obama during the 2010 State-of-the-Union Address (AP photo)

Those were the words of President Obama as he rudely chastised the robed members of the Supreme Court sitting directly in front of him at his 2010 State-of-the-Union address.  And to make matters worse, Democrat members of Congress rose to cheer and applaud directly behind them, including Senators Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer, who intentionally clapped close to their heads.  And Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner stood to their immediate right smiling as he clapped.

In the decision, known as Citizens United, the justices overturned previous decisions that prohibited, “corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech defined as an ‘electioneering communication’ or for speech expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate.”

It should be understood that corporations are still not permitted to contribute directly to federal candidates.  The ruling merely allows them to spend money on electioneering from its own accounts without forming political action committees. Continue reading →

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Texans Perry, Cruz cheered at CPAC

The thousands of attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Friday heard two excellent speeches from two Texans, Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Rick Perry.

“Get out of the health care business.  Get out of the education business.  Create prosperity again. My fellow conservatives, the future of this nation is upon you; it belongs to you. … read more

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Obama’s approval rating hits new low

It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans see the president and his administration failing to improve the economy. ObamaCare and mounting regulations on business continue to paint a dismal picture for the country.

In a just released Fox News poll among 1002 registered voters conducted by a bipartisan research organization between March 2-4, fewer than four voters in ten – 38 percent – approve of President Obama’s performance. … read more

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ObamaCare lie tied to Clinton era

By now most have heard the “2013 Lie of the Year” as selected by PolitiFacts:  “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”  President Obama said it some 20 times beginning in 2008, knowing it was a lie.

Now it has been revealed in the release of the first batch of the “Clinton Papers” that advisors to President Clinton were concerned about including a similar line about HillaryCare in the 1994 State-of-the-Union address.

Clinton&ToddStern (politico.com)

President Clinton and Todd Stern (politico.com photo)

Todd Stern, a former top aide to President Clinton, warned of making such a statement asking, “can we get away with it?” and adding, “I am very worried about getting skewered for over-promising here on something we know we won’t deliver.”

Here’s the excerpt by Stern from the “Clinton Papers”:

“We have a line on p. 10 that says ‘You’ll pick the health plan and the doctor of your choice.’  This sounds great and I know that it’s just what people want to hear.  But can we get away with it?  Isn’t the whole thrust of our health plan to steer people toward cheaper, HMO-style providers?  It’s one thing to say we’ll preserve your option to pick the doctor of your choice (recognizing that this will cost more), it’s quite another to appear to promise the nation that everyone will get to pick the doctor of his or her choice.  And that’s exactly what this line does.  I am worried about getting skewered for over-promising here on something we know full well we won’t deliver.

President Clinton went on to say, “You’ll pick the health plan and the doctor of your choice” in his address. Continue reading →

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Another empty threat from Obama?

“Well it’s Friday.  It’s after 5:00.  So this is officially ‘happy hour’ with the Democratic Party.  (Applause) I can do that.  It is an executive action.  I have the authority.”  (Laughter)

Obama (nydailynews.com photo)

Obama “happy hour” (nydailynews.com photo)

That was a jovial President Obama speaking to Democrats at the Washington Hilton Hotel just minutes after his brief, no questions press conference on the serious situation in Ukraine on Feb. 28.  It reminded me of how he flew to Las Vegas for a fundraiser just hours after the Benghazi attack on our compound.  Does he even realize he is the president of the United States?

“We are deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine,” he said in his less than forceful press conference statement.

Charles Krauthammer found the president’s statement that, “The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine,”  weak and rather staggering.

“What he’s saying,” according to Krauthammer, “is we’re not going to do anything and we’re telling the world.”

Following the rhetorical practice of Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State John Kerry abruptly interrupted his global warming warning tour to issue the obiligatory letter of condemnation. Continue reading →