Samantha Pierce

Fuh real? President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees. In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10). To pa...

So here's what I've been reading online and mulling over so far this week. Texas unemployment is not quite what it seems on first glance. Remember when California said to Amazon, give us all your moneies and Amazon said, Uh no? Well that's not working out so well for California. Tea Party Activist Confronts the President Tea partier heckles Obama: Why are you talking about civility when Biden’s calling us terrorists? What Obama’s Brush with the Tea Party Reveals About Him How Feminism Became a Joke The Nefarious Kansas Preacher provides 'Some observations and thoughts on my experience at the Madison 'Sing-a-long.'" Neurodiversity, Quality Of Life, And Autistic Adults: Shifting Research And Professional Focuses Onto Real-Life Challenges

I saw this on Saturday and hoped it would end up on the internet somewhere so I could share it here. Seeing as how I'm working on becoming a small business woman myself I have to say that I agree with her. Check out the conversation going here about this clip. Via Instapundit .

Just some stuff to remember as we all discuss the downgrading to the US's credit rating by S&P. After beginning with a Clinton-era surplus in 2001, the Bush administration ran up deficits of $158 billion in 2002 ; $378 billion in 2003; and $413 billion in 2004. Then, with revenues pouring in, the deficits began to fall: $318 billion in 2005; $248 billion in 2006; and $161 billion in 2007. That 2007 deficit, with the tax cuts in effect, was one-tenth of today’s $1.6 trillion deficit. Deficits went up in 2008 with the beginning of the economic downturn — and, not coincidentally, with the first full year of a Democratic House and Senate. Read the whole thing . Via Instapundit who notes , "People complained about Bush’s spending, but if we could get back to the Bush-era spending and deficits now it would look like a triumph of fiscal responsibility — and Democrats would complain of 'austerity.'"

Now: White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president would accept a short-term measure to raise the debt limit as part of a broader deficit reduction plan, conceding that extra time may be necessary for a sweeping bill to work its way through the legislative process. Then: Yesterday, Mr Carney said: "The President does not support a short-term extension of the debt limit, period. "The only exception to that is in the event that both sides reach a deal on a long-term extension of the debt limit plus significant deficit reduction, and we needed a very short-term extension to allow a bit of extra time for a bill to work its way through the legislative progress." With time running out, a temporary increase in the borrowing limit is looking more likely. Until now, Mr Obama has firmly opposed any short-term measure on the debt limit, saying he wants an extension that takes the US government past the presidential election in November next year and into 2013. Mr Ob...

Dear Mr. President, you might want to rethink this one. White House shuts out Herald scribe The White House Press Office has refused to give the Boston Herald full access to President Obama’s Boston fund-raiser today, in e-mails objecting to the newspaper’s front page placement of a Mitt Romney op-ed, saying pool reporters are chosen based on whether they cover the news “fairly.” “I tend to consider the degree to which papers have demonstrated to covering the White House regularly and fairly in determining local pool reporters,” White House spokesman Matt Lehrich wrote in response to a Herald request for full access to the presidential visit. “My point about the op-ed was not that you ran it but that it was the full front page, which excluded any coverage of the visit of a sitting US President to Boston. I think that raises a fair question about whether the paper is unbiased in its coverage of the President’s visits,” Lehrich wrote. More here, Boston Herald learns not to cross ...

Shock, followed by a sleeplessness night, followed by time in front of the television once the kids were on the school bus, followed by surprised tears upon viewing a brief collection of footage from the last ten years. That is a general overview of the sequence of my reaction to the news that Osama bin Laden is dead. It is remarkable to see so many young people in the streets celebrating Bin Laden's meeting with justice. Partly because I'm now old enough to think of them as young people but mostly because so many of them were just kids on September 11, 2001. The events of that day in New York City, Washington DC, and Shanksville left a mark the scope of which we still don't fully comprehend. The rest of the world should remember that. Bin Laden's buddies who will use this as an excuse to remain on the war path (as if they ever had any intention of leaving it) need to remember that. Some are beginning to talk about the unintended consequences of killing Osama bin Lade...

Apparently at some point while I was out frolicking in the sunshine President Obama decided it was finally time to let the world see his birth certificate. Well good for you sir. I haven't seen it myself and I'm not going to go looking for it never having been interested in the birther business. Nonetheless, why do I feel like I do when I have to talk my toddler into wearing her coat in the winter?

"Democrats Clinch Vote on Health Debate." In case you want to talk about it. I'll just be over here in a corner curled up in a little ball. This is made all the more amusing to me, in a grim gallows humor kind of way, by the fact that she voted for President Obama. Lets see how much tighter we can cinch up those belts folks!

When I first heard the murmurs and rumblings about the reporting errors at Recovery.gov claiming jobs created in districts that don't exist and what not I just rolled my eyes. Typical government ineptitude right? Reading our President's response to the criticism of the errors got me thinking a little more about my initial assumption that this was just more run of the mill government ineptitude. (Via Wizbang .) Obama Calls Stimulus Data Errors 'Side Issue,' Says Focus Is on Job Growth President Obama brushed off criticism over his administration's inaccurate reporting on job creation Wednesday, telling Fox News the accounting is an "inexact science" and that any errors are a "side issue" when compared with the goal of turning the economy around. He said job growth is his No.1 responsibility. Emphasis added. First thoughts, I wonder if the IRS will buy that accounting line come April 15? Well Mr. IRS Agent sir, you know the President did say that...

This picture sparked a lot of thoughts in my head. My first thoughts were, oh come one not again! Particularly after reading this post's title, Is There a Foregin Potentate Obama Will Not Bow Before? My second thoughts, before looking at the picture, were, it can't really be that bad can it? My third thoughts, after looking at the picture, were, when did we decide to become vassals of the Emperor of Japan? I don't think even the Emperor's own son bows that low to him. My fourth thoughts were, we'll survive this little snafu same as the others. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right? While we're all moaning and groaning and picking sides in the dust up over this display of ignorance about the significance of bows in Japanese culture has our leader made up his mind yet about how/if he is going to fight the war on terror?

Anne Althouse commenting about former President Carter's remarks about the supposedly racist nature of objections to current President Obama's plans: Lots of people who voted for Obama believed that his election would reflect the extent to which Americans had moved beyond racism. That was part of why some people voted for him. Little did we realize that it would turn every criticism of the President into an occasion to make an accusation of racism. Racism is revolting, but so is the notion that we aren't allowed to criticize a President! Emphasis added. Among the many reasons that I did not vote for Obama one was that I didn't think voting for a black man for president to prove how not racist America is was a stupid reason to cast a vote for someone. Stupid and naive. It was clear that the charge of racist was just too good a cudgel for some people to pass up. It should have been obvious that the potential existed for the situation in which we now find ourselves where...

This is one of my fave signs from the 9/12 protest. Find it and more here.

Interesting how the President chose to be elsewhere as so many Americans turned up on his door step to protest his plans (or lack there of) for health care reform. Attempts to sabotage and minimize the tea party protest seem to have fallen flat. Cool time lapse of aerial photos. This quote from the first article suggests that somebody is a) not doing their job or b) lying through their teeth, "The White House on Friday claimed it was unaware of the planned rally. 'I don't know who the group is,' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters with a shrug." ACORN has been caught, on tape, not once, not twice, but THRICE , trying to help people posing as a prostitute and her pimp set up a brothel (for underage girls no less) and evade the law. How many tapes have they got and when is ACORN going to be raided by the feds? This headline gets it a little bit wrong (from my perspective anyway), China: U.S. tire tariff sends "wrong signal" to world . Forg...

Thousands Pack Downtown D.C. To Protest Spending . While the story is pretty straight forward and doesn't go in for much editorializing the comments are predictably brainless and awash with stereotyping. Here's another story about the protests. The AARP adds that popped up with it were amusing. With thousands of American coming to his home to speak their minds the President nonetheless contrives to find himself half way across the country once again making claims that those who oppose his vision for health care insurance reform want the "status quo" . Mr. President you say you are not going to back down on health care insurance reform but you should be aware that the American people aren't going to back down either. Not after the stimulus. Not after the bailouts. Not after the government take over of private companies. Not after TARP. The "bickering" will continue in grand American fashion. Seriously, are the American people expected to just roll ove...

I'm a bit late to this party but my first response upon hearing that the powers that be in the White House finally got a clue and closed up shop on their fishing for "fishy" information my first thought was simply, good. My second thought was, didn't anyone on the President's staff see what a bad idea the whole thing was in the first place? As aggravated as the American people are why would anyone think it a good idea to ask them to inform on each other to the White House? The terms tin ear and tone deaf are coming to my mind as I contemplate the whole thing. For the moment the White House seems to have gotten off lightly. Commenting on the first post I wrote about President Obama's attempts to utilize the internet to interface with citizens I said, "As far as the Obama admin. utilizing web tech now I think they're setting themselves up to be mauled by the tiger they're trying to ride when they try stunts like this." Flag@whitehouse.gov wi...

Since the President wants us to keep an eye out for any "fishy" misinformation about health care reform I thought I'd point out this bit of misinformation floating around. Time and again it has been said that those who oppose the current push health care reform don't want to do anything to reform health care. Now there is nuanced distinction that needs to made here in order to counteract this articular piece of misinformation in the health care reform debate. We're not opposed to health care reform. We are opposed this . 111TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3200 To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 14, 2009 Mr. DINGELL (for himself, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. STARK, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. ANDREWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to t...

The White House wants to know what the American people think about health care reform so I told them. This is of course only my opinion. Feel free to share yours at flag@whitehouse.gov or go to www.whitehouse.gov/realitycheck/ . Dear Mr. President and White House Staffers, Please make the entirety of all the bills being considered for health care reform available with out restriction on the internet. Provide for the American people the names of those who wrote those bills. We want to know the reasoning behind the various clauses in those bills. Please provide us detailed analysis of how each clause would be implemented if made into law. Please explain in exquisite mind numbing detail how these proposed reforms will be paid for. As you may have noticed you have the full attention of the American people now. We are more than eager to know the intentions of our government. Assurances that all will be well are insufficient. Anecdotes and hypothetical scenarios are insufficient. Complaining...

Perhaps some on the side of the current administration are starting to get the message that claiming that those who disagree with them on health care insurance reform are political hacks and industry shills makes them look desperate. Perhaps some of them are even beginning to realize that their dismissive reactions thus far have just aggravated their opponents even more. I found the reports of Pelosi and Hoyer's opinion piece in USA Today absolutely hilarious. 'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care . And to think I was actually starting to believe those who said for eight years that dissent was the highest form of patriotism. Silly me! Now when I was in grade school a debate required at least two differing view points. Back then a debate involved trying to persuade your opponents to your way of thinking with well reasoned arguments. Arguments such as, try it you'll like it or just trust me or sit down and shut up didn't really fly then. Back in the day ...

From this I draw the conclusion that the Pres is okay with the debate when people side with him but not so much when they disagree. That's human and to be expected I suppose. But using the power and authority of the White House to try to intimidate your opposition, the very people you are supposed to serve, into submission to your will is a bit much don't you think? Thanks to the Wizbang gang for posting this so I didn't have to go digging for it myself.