Townhall.com, Where Your Opinion Counts
Talk Radio:   Bill Bennett   Mike Gallagher   Dennis Prager   Michael Medved   Hugh Hewitt   
BREAKING NEWS  LeftArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican   RightArrow - Townhall.com : Conservative, Political, Republican  
Columns, funnies & more in your inbox!
  • Check the boxes and send us your email address to receveive your free newsletter
  • Your daily must-read of conservative columns, cartoons and news. Coulter, Sowell, Krauthammer and more.
  • Townhall.com’s weekly inside scoop on what’s happening behind the scenes in the world of politics. When news breaks, we report.
  • Signup to receive the latest daily Townhall cartoons

Townhall.com The Blogspot for Political, Conservative and Republican Blogs and Bloggers


Thursday, December 17, 2009
Another Creative Way To Pretend A Public Mandate Is Constitutional
Posted by: Jillian Bandes at 4:01 PM
This one's from Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). The Constitution “charges Congress with the health and well-being of the people," according to Lincoln.

Unfortunately, as CNS News points out, "the words 'health' and 'well-being' do not appear anywhere in the Constitution."

Congress' own Budget Office has determined that the U.S. has never required Americans to buy any good or service. But the Supreme Court still might rule the mandate to purchase insurance as constitutional. National Journal's Stuart Taylor Jr. explains why:
It's true that the proposed mandate, like much else that congress has done since the New Deal, would extend federal powers far beyond anything envisioned by the Framers. The commerce clause, in particular, was not intended to allow Congress to regulate activities that were neither interstate nor commercial.

But the need to govern an ever-more interconnected nation, in which once-local activities such as health care have become critical components of the national economy, has spawned a long line of precedents expanding the commerce power, especially since the justices began upholding New Deal programs in 1937.
As Taylor points out, whether those precedents are justified is an entirely separate matter.





Thursday, December 17, 2009
Climategate Scandal Grows: Russians Confirm Climate Data Manipulated
Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 3:30 PM
As world leaders arrive in Copenhagen for the climate conference, the Russians have dropped a bombshellRussian media report:

Climategate has already affected Russia. On Tuesday, the Moscow-based Institute of Economic Analysis (IEA) issued a report claiming that the Hadley Center for Climate Change based at the headquarters of the British Meteorological Office in Exeter (Devon, England) had probably tampered with Russian-climate data.

The IEA believes that Russian meteorological-station data did not substantiate the anthropogenic global-warming theory. Analysts say Russian meteorological stations cover most of the country’s territory, and that the Hadley Center had used data submitted by only 25% of such stations in its reports. Over 40% of Russian territory was not included in global-temperature calculations for some other reasons, rather than the lack of meteorological stations and observations. ...

The article goes on to describe how the climate scientists have relied on incomplete and inaccurate data in assessing the dangers of "global warming." 

The reliance on incomplete data, though not a worry for congressional Democrats and President Obama, seems to have at least put hesitation in Russia's steps toward embracing the goals of the Copenhagen conference. 






Thursday, December 17, 2009
GAO Plans Investigation of ACORN Funds
Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 2:48 PM
According to The Hill, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has informed House Republicans Reps. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, and Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee that it intends to investigate ACORN’s use of federal funds.

Read More...




Thursday, December 17, 2009
Billions to Help the Timber Industry Where It Never Existed
Posted by: Michael Medved at 2:46 PM
Even at a time of deeply menacing deficits, the federal government continues to waste your money at an unprecedented pace. For example, since 2000 Washington has distributed more than $3 billion to 700 counties across the country where the logging industry has suffered due to new conservation rules. In 2008, Congress passed a four year extension for the law with $1.6 billion more for the program—but this time much of the money will flow to counties with no history of logging, before or after conservation programs. One sparsely-settled New Mexico County will get $1,883 per person. Harry Reid’s Nevada will get an increase in payments of 1,132 percent.

What may have been a well-intentioned measure to help those who are suffering from the decline of lumbering has morphed into a monstrous theft of taxpayer money through the exercise of raw, reckless political power. 




Thursday, December 17, 2009
Pelosi Bars GOP From Participating in Copenhagen Press Conference
Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 2:40 PM
A congressional delegation has descended on Copenhagen in advance of President Obama's trip.  The group includes only 6 GOP delegates, all of whom were barred from participating in the "official congressional press conference" today.  Human Events reports:
Around 3:45 pm local time today, Republican members of Congress and their staffs were rounded up for transport back to their hotels on busses just as the press conference began.  They were not allowed to hold their own press conference.
In true Climategate fashion, is Pelosi purposefully silencing dissenting points of view?




Thursday, December 17, 2009
COP15 Global Warming Propaganda
Posted by: Townhall.com Staff at 2:27 PM
In fairness, the stuffed polar bear is a nice touch...







Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Debt Limit: Made Simple
Posted by: Townhall.com Staff at 1:20 PM
Brought to you by the Heritage Foundation.







Thursday, December 17, 2009
This Day in American History...
Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 12:50 PM
On this day in 1903, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first successful flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft they built themselves.  The Wright Flyer -- a centerpiece of American ingenuity -- took off 106 years ago today at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.




Thursday, December 17, 2009
The "Public Option" Explained in a 41-second Cartoon
Posted by: Townhall.com Staff at 12:20 PM





Thursday, December 17, 2009
Howard Dean: I'm Gonna Support Obama's Re-Election -- Not Vigorously
Posted by: Greg Hengler at 12:13 PM
Classic remark from The Howler and I'm not talking about his "Sometimes the country is more important than either party" statement:







Thursday, December 17, 2009
Greenpeace Negotiating "Hostage" Situation at the Chamber of Commerce
Posted by: Meredith Jessup at 11:55 AM
A friend of mine who works over at the US Chamber of Commerce has emailed to tell me members of Greenpeace's "Climate Crime Unit" have climbed up and onto the window ledges of the Chamber's headquarters:





Greenpeace has released the following "press release":
Washington, D.C., United States — Greenpeace activists and emergency vehicles descended on the Chamber of Commerce in response to a climate emergency.

This global warming crime scene was quickly taped off by Greenpeace activists as a hostage negotiator attempted to make contact with the group. Tension mounted as the negotiator and activists attempted to convince the Chamber to “put down the coal, step away from the climate talks, and set the world free.”

The Greenpeace climate crime unit intervened at the scene of the crime, confronting the lobbyists who work for the very industries who create and profit from criminal climate destruction.
Cherry on top of the crazy sundae: Kids from a local charter school were at the Chamber for an annual holiday event and the families in attendance were reportedly scared by the Greenpeace activists, thinking an actual emergency was taking place.  Nice.





Thursday, December 17, 2009
Snow Covers Warming Talks
Posted by: Jillian Bandes at 11:52 AM
Remember those record low temperatures that were expected at Copenhagen? Well -- just in time for the arrival of the 115 heads of state today -- a blizzard has dumped 10 inches of snow on the site, with a "good chance of a white Christmas." They haven't had one of those in 14 years.





Thursday, December 17, 2009
Foreclosures Are More Costly Than Restructuring Loans At 2%
Posted by: Jillian Bandes at 11:04 AM
That's down from a cool 12 or 14% in some cases. Banks are even forgiving the entirety of what a homeowner owes, and giving delinquent homeowners their homes for free. From CNN Money:
In the case of the Servis, their house had lost perhaps 40% of its value since they purchased it five years ago. Repossessing the home would have cost Wells Fargo more than $100,000 in lost value alone, plus the legal expenses, commissions, taxes and other expenses the bank would have incurred.
Rush Limbaugh's reaction:
Now, what you have to conclude from this is that there's only one word for the poor slobs who are still paying their mortgages at their full rate, and that is "suckers."  So not only are you paying health care for people who do not work, there are people getting mortgage relief and it's being paid for by you as well.  Learn it, love it, live it. 





Thursday, December 17, 2009
A Vote On Christmas Eve?
Posted by: Jillian Bandes at 10:49 AM
That's one option discussed by Democrats yesterday when trying to outline the long-ball voting plan for the health care bill. A deadline of Christmas is key so Obama has something to talk about during his State of the Union address in late January or early February (wouldn't want to stop the continual campaign schedule!)

With the CBO's analysis of the revised bill slated to come out as early as today, Reid would be on track for a vote right before a holiday that 94% of Americans celebrate in some form.





Thursday, December 17, 2009
Copenhagen Show "Not Really" Picking Up Steam
Posted by: Jillian Bandes at 10:29 AM
Copenhagen talks have resumed again after procedural delays threatened to stall the entire event. (Too bad they didn't!) Protesters are still violently clashing with conference police outside, but negotiators are back at the bargaining table, promoting themselves and making empty promises.... I mean, pushing forward with talks.

Inside sources say that the negotiations are about 18 hours behind, and that low-level climate pawns are "not really ready" for the heads of state to whiz in and make a big show of how much "progress" has been made. 115 heads, including Obama, are scheduled to make an appearance.

Hopes are not high for Obama and other first world nations to agree to smaller countries' demands that they adhere to stringent pollution regulations outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.




Your Blog Postings:
Last updated 2 Minutes 14 Seconds Ago
Last updated 3 Minutes 5 Seconds Ago
Last updated 34 Minutes 56 Seconds Ago
Last updated 57 Minutes 56 Seconds Ago
Last updated 59 Minutes 9 Seconds Ago
 

Archives of our Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs

Blog Search



Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs Townhall Blogs
Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Columns Columns
Your Townhall Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs Your Blogs
By Month
 December 2009
 November 2009
 October 2009
 September 2009
 August 2009
 July 2009
 June 2009
 May 2009
 April 2009
 March 2009
 February 2009
 January 2009
 December 2008
 November 2008
 October 2008
 September 2008
 August 2008
 July 2008
By Issue
 A Culture of Life
 Budget & Government
 Campaigns & Elections
 Education
 Energy & Environment
 Faith & Family
 Foreign Affairs
 Health Care
 Immigration
 Jobs & Economy
 Judges & Courts
 Media & Culture
 Property Rights
 Safety & Security
 Science & Technology
 Second Amendment
 Social Security
 Tax Relief
Advertisement

Comments Comments

septic, liberals are so predictable...
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Ray
Ray
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Lonny
"a man with a gun"...
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Talula
septic the FDR court lover says
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Cicero
munck
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Mike
The truth re: the general welfare clause
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Cicero
Ray
 Re: Obama's Latest Executive Order Grants Interpol Immunity From American Laws
  By sceptyczny
Hey septic, I just got your...
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Ray
Kaboom the Lying Liar from LA says. . .
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Cicero
Shoot septic, I am a minority...
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Ray
cardozo said
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By sceptyczny
Helvering v. Davis, 301 U.S. 619 (1937),
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By sceptyczny
Plumber, K.G.
 Re: Byron York: Get Going For The 2010 Elections
  By Col Bat Guano
septic, yes he did bow...
 Re: Obama's Latest Executive Order Grants Interpol Immunity From American Laws
  By Ray
Ray, my security guards
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By sceptyczny
Tea Party
 Re: "The U.S. president - the practical saviour of our times."
  By Publius4254
Plumber
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Cicero
Bobby, I knew I could count on
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Ray
skeptiboom is so stupid
 Re: Capitol Goes Into Lockdown
  By Cicero
No, Ray, he didn't bow to anyone
 Re: Obama's Latest Executive Order Grants Interpol Immunity From American Laws
  By sceptyczny

The Latest on Town HallThe Latest on Town Hall


Blog Roll Blog Roll