Great Information…..

While I can not claim credit for the compilation of facts below, after confirming the facts I felt that it was important to share…..

$34,000:
The amount of federal taxes that Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (D) failed to pay during his employment at the International Monetary Fund despite receiving extra compensation and explanatory brochures that described his tax liabilities.

True:  http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2009/01/timothy_geithner_obamas_nomine.html
$75,000:

The amount of money that the  head of the  powerful tax-writing committee, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), was forced to report  on his taxes after the discovery that he had not reported income from a  Dominican Republic rental property. His excuses for the failure started with blaming his wife, then his accountant and finally the fact that  he didn’t speak Spanish.

True http://www.nypost.com/seven/09102008/news/regionalnews/rangels_spanish_excuse_128444.htm

$93,000:

The  INCREASE in the amount of petty cash each of our Congressional representatives voted to give themselves in January 2009 during the height of an economic meltdown. That’s a $40 + million INCREASE!

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/01/its-recession-congress-gives-lawmakers.html See video here from Fox

$133,900:

The amount Fannie Mae “invested” in Chris Dodd (D-CT), head of the powerful Senate Banking Committee, presumably to repel oversight of the GSE prior to its meltdown. Said meltdown helped touch off the  current economic crisis. In only a few years time, Fannie also “invested” over $105,000 in then-Senator Barack Obama.

True:  http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/07/top-senate-recipients-of-fanni.html

$140,000:

The amount of back taxes and interest that Cabinet nominee Tom Daschle (D) was forced to cough up after the vetting process revealed significant, unexplained tax liabilities.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335984751235247.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall Street Journal

$356,000:

The approximate amount of income and deductions that Daschle (D) was forced to report on his amended 2005 and 2007 tax returns after being caught cheating on his taxes.  This includes $255,256 for the use of a car service, $83,333 in unreported income, and $14,963 in charitable contributions.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335984751235247.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Wall Street Journal

$800,000:

The amount of “sweetheart” mortgages Senate Banking Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) received from Countrywide Financial, the details for which he has refused to release details despite months of promises  to do so. Countrywide was once the nation’s largest mortgage lender and linked to  Government-Sponsored Entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Their meltdown precipitated the current financial crisis. Just days ago in Pennsylvania , Countrywide was forced to pay $150,000,000 in mortgage assistance following “a state investigation that concluded that Countrywide relaxed its underwriting standards to sell risky loans to consumers who did not understand them and could not afford them.”

True:  http://rightvoices.com/2008/08/21/more-sweetheart-loan-details-on-senator-chris-dodd-d-ct-chairman-of-the-senate-committee-on-banking-housing-and-urban-affairs/

$1,000,000:

The  estimated amount of donations by Denise Rich, wife of fugitive Marc Rich, to Democrat interests and the William J. Clinton Foundation in an apparent quid pro quo deal that resulted in a pardon for Mr. Rich. The pardon was reviewed and blessed by Obama Attorney General and then Deputy AG Eric Holder, despite numerous requests by government officials to turn it down.

True:  http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/20/nation/na-holder20

$12,000,000:

The amount of TARP money provided to community bank One United despite the fact that it did not qualify for funds, and was “under attack from its regulators for
allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay abuses.”  It turns out that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a key contributor to the Fannie Mae meltdown, just happens to be married to one of the bank’s former directors.

True:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123258284337504295.html Wall Street Journal

$23,500,000:

The upper range of net worth Rep. Allan  Mollohan (D-WV) accumulated in four years time according to The Washington Post through earmarks of “tens of millions of dollars to groups associated with his own business partners.”

True:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/14/AR2006051401032.html Washington Post

$2,000,000,000:

($2 billion) the approximate amount of  money that House Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI) is earmarking related to his son’s lobbying  efforts. The son, Craig Obey, is “a top lobbyist for the nonprofit group” that would receive a roughly $2 billion component of the “Stimulus”package.

True:  http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/a_plan_for_stimulus_money_national_parks/C530/L37/

…and this as a list of these related stories:  http://search.yahoo.com/404handler?src=news&+++%0A+fr%3D404_news%26ref%3Dhttp://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-democrats-by-numbers.html&url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090129/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_national_parks_2

$3,700,000,000:

($3.7 billion) not to be outdone, this is the estimated value of various defense contracts awarded to a company controlled by the husband of Rep. Diane Feinstein (D-CA).  Despite an obvious conflict-of-interest as “a  member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee, Sen. Feinstein voted for appropriations worth billions to her husband’s firms.”

True:  http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/04/22/MN310531.DTL

$4,190,000,000:

($4.19 billion) the amount of money in the so-called “Stimulus” package devoted to fraudulent voter registration ACORN group under the auspices of “Community Stabilization Activities”. ACORN is currently the subject
of a RICO suit in Ohio .

True:  http://www.ocregister.com/articles/stimulus-economy-percent-2295331-bill-pelosi

$1,646,000,000,000  ($1.646  trillion):

The approximate amount of annual United States exports endangered by the “Stimulus” package, which provides a “Buy American” stricture. According to international trade experts, a “US-EU trade war looms” which could result in a worldwide economic depression reminiscent of that touched off by the protectionist Smoot-Hawley Act.

True:  http://www.asiaing.com/2008-national-export-strategy-the-new-global-main-street.html

and http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/01/022685.php

Background:  Smmot-Hawley Act:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot-Hawley_Tariff_Act

After reading this, it makes no sense why we as a society, a people who are struggling during these tough financial times would continue to keep these “thieves” in office.  Do your part, and I’ll do mine at the voting booths and we can get these corrupt incumbents out of Washington!!!

A Change in Tune

The President addressed an international grouping of reporters in Stratasbourg, France following the NATO conference that concluded this morning.  He was openly optimistic of the work that was done to reach an agreement regarding Afghani stabilization.  While fielding questions he was careful to call on a multi-national selection of reporters, and threw aside the vetted list that was prepared ahead of time following a question posed from Ed Luce, Financial Times (UK):

                “Mr. President, in the context of all the multi-national actions this week at the G20, and then NATO and your enthusiasm of multi-national frameworks whether you subscribe, as many of your predecessors did to American exceptionalism that sees America as uniquely qualified to lead the world or do you have a slightly different philosophy?”

For a moment, President Obama seemed amused and responded “I believe in American exceptionalism… as the Brits believe in British exceptionalism…”; he continued that he is “enormously proud” of America’s role in the history Europe and that Americans should “not be embarrassed” to see the sacrifices of our troops and resources that have been provided to Europe since the conclusion of WWII. 

Judging from this defense of America to a European audience most certainly announces that the staff surrounding Obama received the message of American outrage with the President’s remarks of apology for the United States and his predecessor during the G20 Summit this week.

Going on, Pres. Obama expressed his understanding that despite the strength and leadership in America, “we are not always right” and that we have to recognize that “others have good ideas.”  He sees no contradiction between accepting American exceptionalism while providing leadership that depends on partnerships because “we cannot solve these problems alone” and because “all parties must compromise.” 

How can Obama be so arrogant to walk on to a European stage and tout his skills of “compromise” on issues when he has been incapable of displaying that message domestically?  His policies are passing through congress like steamrollers with virtually no bi-partisan support, and he has been unwilling to scale back any point of his agenda. What makes foreign leaders think he will have more regard for their views when he ignores the voices of the citizen’s he represents?