Record Tax Receipts: Balanced Budget by 2009

from Brian S. Wesbury and Robert Stein

The U.S. Treasury Department reported a gusher of tax revenue last week. Tuesday alone, the Treasury received $48.7 billion from individual taxpayers as their final tax payment for 2006, an all-time single-day record, and one-third higher than the same day last year.

Based on information available through Friday, we estimate federal receipts at about $390 billion in April. This would be the largest tax take for any month in American history, up 25% versus last April, and up 18% versus the previous record high in April 2001.

With incomes and profits growing rapidly, the U.S. budget deficit will fall to about $145 billion during the twelve months ending in April. To put this in perspective, the deficit was $455 billion as recently as three years ago (the twelve months through April 2004).

These trends increase our confidence in the lonely forecast we made back in early February that the budget deficit would drop to $115 billion for the 2007 fiscal year, and disappear in Fiscal 2009, possibly before. In contrast, the Congressional Budget Office estimates a deficit of $177 billion this year, with the White House at $244 billion. Expect major revisions to these numbers.

The economy isn’t cooperating with the democrat plans for a 2008 takeover. Since “tax cuts for the rich” have facilitated strong economic growth, generating the record gusher of tax receipts, every day pocketbook issues will favor the GOP. Add to this the fact that the Left has bet the ranch on defeat in Iraq, we should expect the democrat political rhetoric to get even more shrill –if that’s possible.

h/t FR

Gotcha! (from a famous ‘Sun’ headline in the UK).

[editor’s note,  FYI — here is a link to the background story. ]

Melting Arctic Sea Ice: Bad News for Iran

Science Daily — Arctic sea ice is melting at a significantly faster rate than projected by even the most advanced computer models, a new study concludes. The research, by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado’s National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), shows that the Arctic’s ice cover is retreating more rapidly than estimated by any of the 18 computer models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in preparing its 2007 assessment. …

“While the ice is disappearing faster than the computer models indicate, both observations and the models point in the same direction: the Arctic is losing ice at an increasingly rapid pace and the impact of greenhouse gases is growing,” says NCAR scientist Marika Holland, one of the study’s co-authors.

In order to stop the devastating effects of rampaging global warming, as leaders of the Free world, we have only one choice: we must nuke Iran. In a study published last year, a scientific consensus stated that the only sure way to stop global warming was a nuclear war.

“With the exchange of 100 15-kiloton weapons as posed in this scenario, the estimated quantities of smoke generated could lead to global climate anomalies exceeding any changes experienced in recorded history,” Robock said. “And that’s just 0.03 percent of the total explosive power of the current world nuclear arsenal.”

The climate effects of particulate matter are of increasing interest to climate scientists. Some researchers have postulated that a similar release of sulfate aerosols into the atmosphere could be used in a worst-case scenario to block global warming. However no one is advocating nuclear war as a practical solution to global warming. source

This report was issued, however, before the Arctic Sea Ice study was completed.

Dear Mr. President, for the good of the planet, and to stop the deadly menace of global warming in its tracks, Iran has gotta go. /s

Okefenokee Fire

An image of the smoke from the Sweat Farm Road Fire in southern Georgia is captured by NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra satellite on April 17, 2007. The fire exploded from 1,000 acres to more than 20,000 acres in less than 24 hours between April 16 and 17 and strong winds whipped the blaze into 100-foot flames. The fire is about 10 miles southwest of the city of Waycross, Georgia, and it has burned into the northeastern part of the Okefenokee Swamp. (UPI Photo/NASA)

Other good reads:

Amil Imani: (excerpt) “I am already against the next war,” read the bumper sticker on a car ahead of me. I long to tell the driver: the next war is already here; Islamists are waging it in every corner of the globe and the “moderate Muslims” are either actively supporting them, placing the blame on the West, or simply looking the other way. This war aims to wipe out everything that free people cherish, including the right of expressing their sentiments. Banishing war has been the perennial dream of mankind’s best, while its worst have been frustrating its realization.To renounce war unilaterally and unconditionally is surrender and death. source

Hang Right Politics: Kathy doubts whether Carl Bernstein’s new book will be very revealing.

And, nobody, and I mean nobody, does political satire better than The People’s Cube
excerpt: “Isn’t Bush a capitalist criminal that stole oil from the Middle East and unleashed global warming on Iraq, leaving the impoverished locals to blow themselves up from heat and exhaustion? Well, who would we rather believe – you or our professionally trained teachers?”

Edwards: unfit for CIC

I’ve been going back to John Edwards’ whimsical assertion that there is no war on terror.

This is a man who would position himself as a populist– but, with a $400 haircut and a multi million dollar home carved out of the NC forest; a man who distrusts and dislikes his neighbor because he owns guns; a man who as a trial lawyer channeled an unborn baby, but whose official position is that the baby is nothing more than an unviable lump of flesh. This is a man whose seemingly dominant feminine side caused Ann Coulter to question his sexual preference. I don’t know if he’s gay, but he could play the role on TV.

This is a man who is unfit to be Commander in Chief.

h/t photo: Woman Honor Thyself

 

Under Pressure

Saturday nite, with that little ole band from Texas……………………………………………………Enjoy

G’nite y’all

There is no War on Terror

I missed the democrat press conference debate Thursday night. And, to read the reviews, it was pretty much a non-event.

So, it came as a surprise to me to learn that there was some significant news that didn’t make the MSM after all. I would have missed it completely had it not been posted over at Free Republic. From Ben Smith’s blog at Politico.com…….

John Edwards doesn’t believe there’s a “global war on terror,” at least not in the simple-show-of-hands sense.

This is something a lot of Democrats say privately — and something mainstream pols everywhere else in the world say publicly — but it contests a Bush administration premise in a way very few American politicians have been comfortable in the last five and a half years.

His stance — though it doesn’t seem to have been all that deliberate — matches the recent comments of a prominent British politician. It’s the most direct challenge to the Bush administration’s whole worldview that I can recall from a leading Democrat.

Edwards aide David Ginsberg confirmed that the former North Carolina senator had not raised his hand in response to Brian Williams’ question,”Do you believe there is such a thing as a global war on terror?”

Now I know why Breck Girl™ needs 400 dollar hair cuts. It’s to get all the poopy out of his hair from having it shoved all the way up his azz.

Hasta Luego…Sandmonkey!

The blogosphere has lost a voice of hope and freedom, and possibly one of the finest ranters known.
Friend of the world, and valuable info source for all things Egyptian, Rantings of a Sandmonkey has called it quits.
In his last post, he explains why.

Today is going to be the day that I’ve been dreading for quite sometime now. Today is the day I walk away from this blog. Done. Finished.

Please, for the sake of a good friend in pixel form, drop by and say a word to a brave and irreproachable blogger.

7/7 mastermind tours Club Gitmo

7/7 ‘mastermind’ is seized in Iraq

The al-Qaeda leader who is thought to have devised the plan for the July 7 suicide bombings in London and an array of terrorist plots against Britain has been captured by the Americans.

Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, a former major in Saddam Hussein’s army, was apprehended as he tried to enter Iraq from Iran and was transferred this week to the “high-value detainee programme” at Guantanamo Bay.

Well hey ho Reid and Pelosi and the Liberal Democrats in the UK – Iraq is the front of the WOT. Why do you not understand?

Excellent News for all those who died, still suffer from 7/7 Islamic slaughter!

Macho Mo’.

Utah allows guns on campus

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Brent Tenney says he feels pretty safe when he goes to class at the University of Utah, but he takes no chances. He brings a loaded 9 mm semiautomatic with him every day.”It’s not that I run around scared all day long, but if something happens to me, I do want to be prepared,” said the 24-year-old business major, who has a concealed-weapons permit and takes the handgun everywhere but church.

After the massacre at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, some have suggested that the carnage might have been lower if a student or professor with a gun had stepped in.

This is the World Famous Friday Open Thread. (A carbon-credit free zone). Your comments are welcome here. Links, Thoughts, Shout-Outs, Rants, etc. Come one come all.

So, here’s what I’ve been reading this evening…

Angel talks about the dictatorship of relativism VelvetHammer does Foxworthy: “You just might be an islamophobe” Kamangir has an update on police brutality “enforcing” the veil program Pommy takes a look at his heroes Darrell has the roundup of illegal immigration news David Drake photoshops Curious George Tenet RT is serving 25 cent long-necks to go along with a helluva nice video collection coz look’s closely at Lincoln’s Lyceum address Dee has a great story about the EU and Poland The Black Dog Experience: the King & I WriterChick has a cool Friday rant Mick follows the SF money trail, straight to Bella Pelosi Chad takes a look at Iran’s man in Iraqi Kurdistan Thanos has an outstanding post called The Face of Evil Otto asks, if Black is beautiful…over on Webloggin and gives a thoughtful look at race.

Afghan district falls. Should dems surrender now or later?

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban conducted a raid in Afghanistan’s volatile south and took control of a provincial district, killing five people including the district chief and the head of the district police, the deputy governor said Friday.
The Taliban launched the attack Thursday evening on the Giro district of Ghazni province and during an hours-long clash killed the district chief and four policemen, including the district police chief, said provincial deputy governor Kazim Allayer.
Allayer said the Taliban set fire to several buildings in the district and cut communications lines. Deputy police chief Mohammad Zaman said police reinforcements have been sent to the area

Before these developments cause Harry Reid to poop his panties and have to clean up with just one square of TP, he can be comforted by this analysis from UPI:

Analysis:  Muslims Reject Violence 

WASHINGTON, April 25 (UPI) — A new poll of citizens in four Muslim countries reveals a fundamental weakness in the so-called war of ideas, a subset of the U.S. “global war on terrorism” that is aimed at draining support among Muslims for violent extremism.

Muslims already overwhelmingly reject violence against civilians as contrary to Islam. At the same time, they support the stated political goals of the al-Qaida terrorist network and are deeply suspicious of the United States’ intentions in the war on terror.

.

Major terrorist cell busted in Saudi

Breaking news: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fox News is reporting that a major operation by Saudi authorities has uncovered a plot to destroy Saudi oil fields. Large caches of weaponry and money were discovered, some buried in the desert sand. Fox reports the arrest of 172 terrorists in the operation.

~Developing…updates to follow

Update from BBC: Those detained are said to be both Saudi and foreign nationals, Interior Ministry spokesman Gen Mansur al-Turki told local media. Large amounts of weapons and $5.33m (£2.67m) in cash were also seized.
Some of the suspects were training as pilots and planning attacks on oil installations and military bases, according to the interior ministry.

A rendezvous with destiny

As the democrat party wrings their hands in a desperate attempt to decide upon an official date of surrender in Iraq, I am reminded by a speech by Ronald Reagan, some 43 years ago…

Let’s set the record straight. There is no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there is only one guaranteed way you can have peace–and you can have it in the next second–surrender.

Admittedly there is a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson in history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face–that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight and surrender.

Much has changed over the past four decades since Reagan gave told us that we have a “rendezvous with destiny. “

Unfortunately, the political left has not changed their first and basic instinct of appeasement. Their policies are dangerous, and a clear and present threat to the security of the Republic. President Bush will veto their surrender bill. That rendezvous that Reagan spoke of is drawing near.

A Time for Choosing, 10/27/64

Well, all the democrats but one. Lieberman: One Choice in Iraq, GP has the video (h/t n2l)

Iraqi Gov’t: Dems send wrong signal to insurgents

Doug Ross: Harry Reid through history

SCOTUS poised to strike down McCain-Feingold

In a NY Sun report from Jeff Goldstein, if the indications gleaned from yesterday’s oral arguments are correct, the Court is leaning toward striking down key First Amendment provisions in the McCain-Feingold bill related to campaign spending by grassroots organizations. Ironically, this could work in Senator McCain’s favor in the Presidential primaries, effectively removing one of the key issues which cause many conservatives to be less than enthusiastic about his candidacy.

Since deciding to go “all-in”, and stake his Presidential bid on the Iraq War, McCain’s fortunes have improved considerably among the conservative base. The Court’s apparent willingness to do what many thought should have been done four years ago will give McCain an opportunity to re-frame his position in a way that will be more acceptable to the base.

After a concerted effort to reach out religious conservatives who were offended by his statements in the 2000 SC primaries, McCain now will need to address the 800 pound gorilla in the room: illegal immigration, an issue that will be, in this writer’s opinion the prevailing issue among conservatives as the situation in Iraq improves.

Two out of three bloggers prefer Nuke™ brand carbon credits

Fiona Harvey and Stephen Fidler in London In the (UK) Financial Times report on the growing scam emanating from the do-gooders:

Companies and individuals rushing to go green have been spending millions on “carbon credit” projects that yield few if any environmental benefits.

The FT investigation found widespread failings:

■ Widespread instances of people and organisations buying worthless credits that do not yield any reductions in carbon emissions.

■ Industrial companies profiting from doing very little – or from gaining carbon credits on the basis of efficiency gains from which they have already benefited substantially.

■ Brokers providing services of questionable or no value.

■ A shortage of verification, making it difficult for buyers to assess the true value of carbon credits.

Nuke™ brand Carbon Credits are 97% caffeine-free, and are proven to reduce vulgarity by the threat of massive lawsuits from unauthorized cussing. At $1 per cussword, they’re still quite a bargain! Plus, be sure to catch our “carbon-credit FREE Fridays” on the World Famous Friday Open Thread.

Just click on the “carbon-credit” pixel in the right hand side-bar and you too can feel good about saving the planet.

(*Full-flavor caffeinated credits also available)

(h/t got milk?)

The Lonely Walk

Spook 86 follows up on his earlier piece, The most dangerous job in Iraq, pointing to Melissa Nelson’s excellent report from Eglin AFB. Here is a brief excerpt:

The abandoned truck-mounted rocket launcher didn’t belong on a road approaching sprawling Camp Liberty in Iraq.

Sgt. Timothy Weiner, Airman Elizabeth Loncki and Airman Daniel Miller Jr. – a three-member bomb disposal unit known as “Team Lima” – responded.

The trio first sent a robot to inspect the truck. Then Weiner, the team leader and a career bomb technician, donned protective gear and took what technicians call “the lonely walk,” the first approach to a suspected explosive. He returned.

The three then walked toward the truck without protective gear – and it exploded.

In an instant last Jan. 7, Team Lima was gone.

Weiner, a 35-year-old father who wrote of his concern for Iraqi children.

Loncki, 23 and engaged, but always a daddy’s girl.

Miller, 24, a handsome daredevil who got in trouble for playing with fireworks as child. source

I couldn’t help but think about our friend reaganite, and the many others who have served with distinction. Men and women to whom “duty” and “honor” are more than just words.

Men like our own n2l. Faithful to the country, and sworn to defend the constitution which holds the truths of the Republic.

The incredible sacrifices by our men and women who serve, and by the families they leave behind leave me with a feeling of awe and wonder.

People like Master Sgt Michael Riley, “The job we are doing over there, it is a very important job. The job that Tim, Dan and Liz did, they saved hundred of lives by what they were doing.”

Harry Reid can kma.

Please read all of Melissa’s report

(h/t In from the cold)

Reid a Defeatist?

What’s going on at Walmart?

I like Walmart.  On my birthday last November, they were running a $399 special on Compaq laptops.  Some of y’all asked me how long I thought a $399 laptop would last.  I got the answer today when it fizzled out.  But, it’s not what you might think.  You see, I had this 7:00 am conference call, and I was still a little groggy when I accidentally poured my 2nd cup of coffee on the keyboard.  But it got me to thinking, a lot has been happening at Wally World lately.   For example:

1) A year ago, Walmart announced that they would stop selling guns in a third of its stores

2) Last Fall, Walmart got out ahead of the pack by announcing sales goals of 100 million compact fluorescent light bulbs. The twisted curly replacements for incandescent bulbs promise energy savings, yada yada yada, and are loved by the environmental left.

3) Last Winter, Walmart announced $4 prescriptions.  Over 300 generic drugs for $4 a month.  Quite a deal for low income and seniors, yada, yada, yada.

4) A couple of months ago, Walmart joined with the Service Employees Int’l Union to call for universal health care by 2012, achieving quality, affordable, yada, yada, yada, for all Americans.

5) Today, Walmart announced that it will partner with hospitals and other organizations to open clinics in 400 of its stores. “The clinics are going to provide something our customers and communities desperately need — affordable access at the local level to quality health care, yada, yada, yada,” said Walmart CEO Lee Scott.

You would think that with these developments that the political left might cut Walmart a break.  You would be wrong.

Trying to satisfy the pampered political left is a lot like trying to make my ex-wife happy.  It’s hopeless, a total lost cause.  Give it up, Wally.  Tell ’em to fvck off before you invest a lot of time and money and finally realize that you could have saved both.  But, keep the $4 prescriptions.  And, how’s about running another $399 Compaq special?

Who would let a kid…..? Beggers belief.

Laurie and Sheryl’s Excellent Adventure

Kevin Kernen of CNBC had the opportunity to interview two of the leading global warming cheerleaders a couple of days ago. And, although it appears that Kernen attempted to have a straight interview, any deviation from the faith-based mantra of the global warmists was like a major league pitcher throwing curveballs to 12-year olds.

Kernen’s query about opposing evidence presented in The Great Global Warming Swindle, Laurie David responded,

Well, I haven’t seen it, but I do believe in fact and science. I mean, this is, again, isn’t my opinion. And the world has complete consensus on this. And I would just question who funded the documentary, and what their agenda is. I mean, I would ask that question, really. Because we, the debate, the debate is over.

And, after a completely inane response regarding historical CO₂ levels came this example of Deep Thoughts.

You know what? I urge you to see “An Inconvenient Truth” ’cause Al Gore answers all these questions beautifully in the movie. It’s the reason why this movie has had such a big impact. And I urge you and all of your viewers to watch it.

Jack Handey would be proud.

Newsbusters‘ report would be great comedy, except for the fact that these two women were completely serious, lending a surreal quality to the interview that is difficult to describe. Fortunately, NB also has a link to the video.

On to the next excellent adventure: The WHCA Dinner and a chance to try and embarrass the host, and double team Karl Rove.

“Rove said David came over to insult him and succeeded. Crow tried to calm things down but was instead drawn into the debate with Rove, telling him, “You work for me.” Rove responded, “No. I work for the American people.”

But, the mental image I really didn’t need came in response to Sheryl’s solution to global warming–that we should all just use one square of TP when we go to the toilet. Rosie increduously asks Sheryl: “Have you seen my ass?”

The craziness and anal retentiveness has only just begun, I’m afraid.

The green movement is now promoting diaperless babies as a “retro, cutting-edge, environmentally friendly scheme” to mothers throughout the industrialized world.

The green movement already has declared war on the modern flush toilet, declaring it an “environmental disaster,” and has instead pushed waterless “dry” toilets as an earth-friendly solution.

Former Vice President Al Gore joined the board of a waterless urinal company late last year to further the dry toilet cause and to help avert what many environmentalists believe is a looming international water crisis.

“There is a way to have a baby and NOT use diapers,” says one website advocating diaperless babies. Parents are urged to get in tune with their infant’s body signals and hold babies over toilets, buckets and shrubbery or any other convenient receptacle when nature calls. source

As RT might say: “Kum-ba-yah, baby, Kum-ba-yah.”

alQaeda nuke boast: “we will ‘shake the Roman throne’.”

AL-QAEDA leaders in Iraq are planning the first “large-scale” terrorist attacks on Britain and other western targets with the help of supporters in Iran, according to a leaked intelligence report.Spy chiefs warn that one operative had said he was planning an attack on “a par with Hiroshima and Nagasaki” in an attempt to “shake the Roman throne”, a reference to the West, according to The Times newspaper in the UK.Another plot could be timed to coincide with Tony Blair stepping down as prime minister, an event described by Al-Qaeda planners as a “change in the head of the company”.The report, produced earlier this month and seen by The Sunday Times, appears to provide evidence that Al-Qaeda is active in Iran and has ambitions far beyond the improvised attacks it has been waging against British and American soldiers in Iraq.There is no evidence of a formal relationship between Al-Qaeda, a Sunni group, and the Shi’ite regime of President Mah-moud Ahmadinejad, but experts suggest that Iran’s leaders may be turning a blind eye to the terrorist organisation’s activities,” reports The Times. sources:(UK) The Daily Telegraph, TimesOnline(UK)

I heard Steve Emerson talking about this on TV this morning. He believes the threat is credible, but that the weapon would more likely be a “dirty bomb” than a nuke. Either way, this is not good news.

Also of interest is the portion of the report that I highlighted —
“There is no evidence of a formal relationship between Al-Qaeda, a Sunni group, and the Shi’ite regime of President Mah-moud Ahmadinejad.” —
Well, there is evidence, and there is evidence. The weaponry, training, shelter and support from Iran to both Shia and Sunni insurgents has been fairly well documented. Whether or not this would be admissible evidence in an American or British Criminal Court is one thing. But, whether it constitutes substantiated and actionable intelligence is quite another. I think it is a bit disingenious of The Telegraph to hang their hat on the “no evidence” mantra.

Emboldened by their successful embarrassment of the British Navy last month, the Iranian mullahcracy’s willingness to play nuclear poker raises the stakes considerably. I think it’s time for the Brits to go all-in, no-bluffing. A list of governmental, military, commercial, and religious targets should be identified and communicated to the mullahs as being marked for complete and utter physical destruction in the event of any type of nuclear detonation on British interests; making it clear that the weaponry of choice would be nuclear.

also blogging this topic: JammieWearingFool 

The corridor of killing

What if they gave a war and the MSM ignored it?

Well, it’s here. Michael Marizco in Tuscon Weekly has provided one of the most compelling stories of the Arizona border war that I’ve seen. Although I consider myself fairly well informed, much of the report comes as a surprise to me. But, I’m sure it’s no great surprise to US and Mexican citizens who live in the border counties.

Hired assassins, narco traffickers, human smugglers, and bandits who prey on each other and citizens alike, the situation has only become more critical with a DEA hiring freeze.

“They don’t track the number of actual crossers. There’s really no will to do that, because it would just alarm the American public,” says T.J. Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the agency’s union.

But, as Marizco writes, the Feds don’t seem to have a clue as to how to get control of the situation.

At no time has Arizona had so many federal agents working here. But these agents’ focus is on operations, with few resources thrown to intelligence. The federal agencies don’t understand what is happening. The tendency is to react only to events they know about, not seeing the storm moving in, experts say.

I’m not sure who these “experts” are, and the author doesn’t identify them. But, this is an outstanding piece of reporting, from both sides of the border, and I encourage you to read it all

Sunday Open Thread

“Well, my plans of a day of some leisurely housecleaning interspersed with blogging and ironing followed by building an armature for a concrete sculpture were interrupted by a joyous cry of “Grammaw!” from the little 5-year-old blond-haired cherub. She watched me de-mold the planter I made last night and pronounced it very beautiful, while son was raising an eyebrow and laughing at me because of my high tech tools (a rock, a plastic knife, and a plastic bowl).He brought me some rooted cuttings, too. “Thank you! Er, what are they?” “Damnit, mama, those are hydrangeas!” “Oh, right! Would you like me to plant them first, or just go ahead and kill them now?” Some people have a gift with plants. I am not one of those people, although I try, and I never remember the names of the things I planted. He asked me if he could have some cuttings off the ligustrum. “Um, sure. Which one is that?” “MAMA!” Well, I’ve always been more interested in animal propogation than plant propogation.” — SW

This is the Sunday Open Thread. Please post your comments, greetings, thoughts, whimsies, links, sausages, or whatever you find to be worth posting. [note: this is a carbon-credit free zone]

Gun-free zones: recipe for disaster

Thirty-two people dead on a U.S. college campus pursuing their American Dream, mowed-down over an extended period of time by a lone, non-American gunman in possession of a firearm on campus in defiance of a zero-tolerance gun ban. Feel better yet? Didn’t think so.

Who doesn’t get this? Who has the audacity to demand unarmed helplessness? Who likes dead good guys?

I’ll tell you who. People who tramp on the Second Amendment, that’s who. People who … [pretend] dialing 911 will somehow save your life, and that their greedy clamoring to “feel good” is more important than admitting that armed citizens are much better equipped to stop evil than unarmed, helpless ones.

Well said, Nuge.   Read the whole commentary.