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Monthly Archives: May 2013
Rand Paul begins top secret investigation into imaginary IRS memo
According to news reports, Republican Tea Party (GOTP) Senator Rand Paul (KY) has claimed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had a “written policy” saying agency officials were “targeting people who were opposed to the president.”
“And when that comes forward, we need to know who wrote the policy and who approved the policy,” the Senator told CNN.
When asked for details, the junior Kentucky senator revealed he actually had no evidence of this memo, and he’d only “heard” about it. Of course, I’m not sure the voices in your head actually count in Congressional hearings as evidence or even leads.
“Well, we keep hearing the reports and we have several specifically worded items saying who was being targeted. In fact, one of the bullet points says those who are critical of the president,” Paul said. “So I don’t know if that comes from a policy, but that’s what’s being reported in the press and reported orally. I haven’t seen a policy statement, but I think we need to see that.”
The Senator’s Brain Captain later confirmed Paul’s been conducting a very hush-hush “in depth” investigation with the White Rabbit and Godzilla, and that they’re going to get to the bottom of all this.
With all due respect the very junior Senator from Kentucky is an idiot who’s trying to make a name for himself with the uber-right to position himself for 2016; please run Senator Rand, please run.
When idiots have guns
Idiots in Asheboro, North Carolina left a handgun where their two-year-old son found it, placed it in his mouth, and shot himself.
According to news reports, Randolph County Sheriff’s Det. M. Reynolds said the father rushed his son to Randolph Hospital, where he was then transported to Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem. Reynolds said the latest information from the hospital was that the child was expected to survive.
Reynolds said the family — mom, dad and three older siblings — were at home at the time.
“This was a very tragic accident. It is so fortunate that the little boy is expected to survive,” Reynolds said.
This is a very tragic accident which was extremely preventable; first by the idiot parents not having bought the bloody gun in the first place, and secondly, once the idiot parents bought the bloody gun they should have locked it up. Once their son recovers, at the very least, these two morons should be charged with child endangerment; oh but wait, we can’t do that, the Founding Fathers wanted to ensure idiots could own whatever weapon they wanted. That being said, just because you can own a gun doesn’t mean you should.
Umbrellagate – one more nothing from the lips of white bread conservatives
This week another scandal reared its ugly head in right-wing world – the President of the United States demonstrated yet again his utter disdain for America’s fighting men when he had the unmitigated gall to ask U.S. Marines to hold umbrellas for himself and the Prime Minister of Turkey.
“No other President would ever so blatantly disrespect an American in uniform”, they cried; oh really?
How about two Presidents, both conservative, father and son, at the same time?
Fact is there’s nothing wrong, or disrespectful, with Marines or Soldiers holding an umbrella for their Commander-in-Chief, and only a moron, who doesn’t understand military protocol would ever think so.
Private Sector is Doing Fine – 15 May 13 Edition
During the 2012 Presidential campaign President Obama said, “The private sector is doing fine,” which was immediately jumped on by his erstwhile opponent Republican Tea Party (GOTP) 2012 presidential footnote, Willard Mitt Romney, who replied, “I think he’s really defining what it means to be out of touch with reality.”
Now of course we know what happened in November, Romney had his political head handed to him on a plate, and the GOTP lost seats in both the House and the Senate, and conservatives still continue to claim the economy is failing. Some people either don’t get it, or won’t get it.
Clearly the economy is in recovery and the following indicators show the private sector is indeed “doing fine”, and all the info – by-the-way – comes from FOX Business:
First Quarter reported earnings: 3M reported $7.6 billion, Amazon reported $16.07 billion, AT&T reported $31.4 billion, Bank of America reported $23.7 billion, Boeing reported $18.9 billion, Caterpillar reported $13.21 billion, ExxonMobile reported $108.81 billion, Facebook reported $1.458 billion, Goldman Sachs reported $10.09 billion, Google reported $13.97 billion, Intel reported $12.6 billion, IBM posted $23.4 billion, Johnson & Johnson reported $17.5 billion, Morgan Stanley reported $8.5 billion, Netflix reported $1.02 billion, Pfizer revealed $13.5 billion, United technologies reported $14.4 billion, UPS reported $13.43 billion, Verizon reported $29.4 billion with Yahoo reported $1.07 billion.
In the second quarter the following earnings were reported by the private sector: Apple reported $43.6 billion and Walt Disney Co. reported $10.55 billion
Following are third quarter: Cisco posted $12.2 billion and Procter & Gamble posted $20.6 billion
Budget Deficit:
The U.S. federal budget surplus came in at $112.9 billion in April, up from $59 billion in the same month in 2012. The government is running a $488 billion deficit for fiscal 2013, down from $720 billion in a comparable period in fiscal 2012.
Consumer Confidence:
The Conference Board’s gauge of U.S. consumer confidence jumped to 68.1 in April from 61.9 in March, easily topping economists’ estimates of 60.8.
Consumer Sentiment:
A final reading on consumer sentiment for this month rose to 76.4 from an earlier reading of 72.3, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan. Sentiment was expected to make a smaller gain to 73.2.
Consumer spending:
Consumer spending inched up 0.2% in March from February, beating expectations for spending to hold steady for the month. Personal income increased 0.2% on the same basis, falling short of estimates of a 0.4% rise.
Economy Expanding:
The U.S. economy expanded at an annualized pace of 2.5% in the first quarter, up from 0.4% in the fourth quarter, according to a preliminary estimate from the Commerce Department. Economists expected the world’s biggest economy to grow at a pace of 3.0% in the first three months of 2013.
Home Prices:
Home prices in 20 major U.S. metropolitan areas climbed 0.3% in February from January on a non-seasonally adjusted basis, beating expectations of a gain of 0.2%, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller report. Prices rose 9.3% from the same month in 2012, also topping forecasts of a 9% advance.
Home Sales (new single-family homes):
Sales of new, U.S. single-family homes ticked up 1.5% in March from February to a 417,000-unit annualized rate, falling short of the 420,000-unit rate analysts were expecting.
Home Sales (Pending):
U.S. pending home sales increased 1.5% in March from February, slightly topping forecasts of a 1.0% increase, according to The National Association of Realtors. Contracts to purchase previously-owned U.S. homes are up 7.0% from the same month in 2012.
Housing Starts:
U.S. housing starts jumped 7% in March from February to an annualized 1.03 million-unit rate, easily beating expectations of 930,000. Permits dropped 3.9% for the month to an annualized rate of 902,000 units, falling short of forecasts of 940,000 units.
Inflation:
Inflation at the consumer level fell 0.2% in March from February, compared to expectations of no change. Excluding the food and energy components, prices were up 0.1%, a slightly shallower rise than the 0.2% increase economists forecast. The headline reading climbed 1.5% from the year prior in the smallest year-to-year increase since July 2012.
Nonfarm Payrolls:
The Labor Department reports nonfarm payrolls rose by 165,000 in April from March, beating expectations of 145,000. The unemployment rate ticked down to 7.5% from 7.6% for the month, the lowest level since December 2008. Economists expected the rate to hold steady. March’s nonfarm payroll increase was also revised up to 138,000 from a previously reported 88,000.
PMI Gauge:
The Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing PMI came in at 50.7 in April. Readings above 50 point to expansion while those below indicate contraction.
Private Sector Jobs:
The ADP National Employment Report shows the private sector added 119,000 jobs in April.
Retail Sales:
U.S. retail sales rose 0.1% in April from March, beating expectations for sales to fall 0.3%. Excluding the auto segment, sales were down 0.1%, matching expectations.
Trade Gap:
The U.S. trade gap slimmed to $38.8 billion in March from $43.6 billion in February, coming in considerably narrower than estimates of $42 billion. The measure figures into first-quarter gross domestic product.
Unemployment:
New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 339,000 during the week ending 19 Apr 13 – from an upwardly revised 355,000 the week prior. Claims were expected to fall to 351,000 from an initially reported 352,000.
New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 324,000 for the week ending 26 Apr 13 from an upwardly revised 342,000 the week prior. Claims were expected to fall to 345,000 from an initially reported 339,000.
The Labor Department reports new claims for unemployment benefits fell to 323,000 last week ending 3 May 13 from an upwardly-revised 327,000 the week prior. Claims were expected to rise to 335,000 from an initially-reported 324,000.
Stock Market was 8077.56 on 19 Jan 09 and 15,275.69 on 15 May 13.
So, let’s see, even though the 2012 GOTP presidential footnote claimed President Obama was defining what it meant to be “out of touch with reality” it appears it was he – Willard Mitt Romney, and the entire corps of conservative talking heads – who have defined it.
Congress to cut SNAP?
According to the Associated Press (AP), the Republican Tea Party (GOTP) controlled House Agriculture Committee’s beginning to throw together a farm bill cutting $2.5 billion in food aid, because feeding the poor has become “too expensive”.
The proposed legislation would cut roughly 3 percent from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), achieving the cuts by eliminating “broad-based categorical eligibility,” or automatic food stamp benefits when people sign up for other programs, which more than 47 million people used last year, or about 1 in 7 Americans; because of the additional numbers needing help the cost has more than doubled since 2008 due in a large part to the economic downturn caused by the disastrous economic policies of the Bush/Cheney presidency.
God fearing Christian Conservative members of Congress have repeatedly attacked the President for daring to care for the poor by expanding SNAP, and many of those same white bread House members are refusing to consider a farm bill without cuts to food stamps. Clearly they don’t read the parts of the Bible where Christ said things like, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”
Funny how conservatives repeatedly thump their Bibles when opposing same-sex marriage, which by-the-way isn’t mentioned anywhere in all of scripture, but then conveniently forget about their Bibles when making cuts to programs helping the poor.
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