Jon Stewart has always impressed me with his ability to destroy bad ideas. I don’t agree with his politics in the slightest, so I don’t like the things he calls good ideas–but I love to watch him utterly destroy bad ideas. And recently, he had a doozy.

CIA analyst and former head of the Bin Laden Unit was on Glenn Beck’s tv show discussing terrorism and security. It is there that he suggested something, disturbing.

SCHEUER: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States….only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them.

Jon Stewart won’t let this kind of idiocy stand. On his show, the Daily Show, he addresses these statements.

STEWART: What the fuck is that? And by the way, here’s the fascinating thing about our culture. My guess is that you didn’t hear me say “fuck.” Because the Federal government is protecting you and your children’s ears from that type of profanity. While, Santa’s evil twin gets to, uhh…gets to nonchalantly proposes the needless slaughter of Americans to further his national security plan. But, obviously, in this country, everyone’s entitled to their dope-pinion.

Those are certainly fighting words, but in my estimation–they’re fairly true.

In light of the recent recession, which most experts agree was caused by the Fed’s loose money policy, is Obama’s latest move really the smartest one? He is extending even more power to the Federal Reserve–that was they won’t….do this…again? I’m confused. The Federal Reserve screwed up and dumped us into a recession (again), so we’re giving them MORE regulatory power, so that they will not repeat themselves. Can anyone follow that leap of logic?

The administration’s proposed financial-regulatory overhaul calls for the Fed to serve as an über-regulator of all large, interconnected firms that could jeopardize the financial system. The plan also would use the Fed to provide emergency payment and settlement services in an effort to make sure the plumbing of the financial system can operate in a crisis….

It also seeks to amend the Fed’s lending authority to require the central bank to win approval from the Treasury secretary before extending credit to institutions in “unusual and exigent” circumstances….

Ron Paul, that gadfly presidential candidate from 2008, has been making headway in Congress with his new bill, HR 1207.  The bill, entitled the Federal Reserve Transparancy Act, was crafted by Rep. Paul in order to allow the Government Accountability Office the ability to Audit the Federal Reserve. This movement was picked up and spoken about kindly by such notable economists as Lew Rockwell, Mish Shedlock, and Peter Schiff. The bill has been spearheaded by the Campaign for Liberty, a 150,000 member group of libertarians and anti-war conservatives. The co-sponsors of the bill now number 179 in Congress–and the support comes from both sides of the aisle. This is just 39 co-sponsors short of a clear majority in the House. Dean Baker, of the UK’s Gaurdian newspaper, wrote an article today entitled “Waterboard the Fed”.   

The proposal for a GAO audit of the Fed is a first step towards reasserting democratic control over this institution. In many respects, the Fed has more direct control over the direction of the economy than the president or congress, yet it carries through its actions largely outside of the public’s view.

It will be interesting to see the debate on this bill–who would oppose an audit for the sake of transparency? What will the Government Accountability Office find? How will the victory (presumably) effect Ron Paul’s reputation?

The FDA has apparently taken issue with the newest Cheerios commercials, which claim to be able to lower your Cholesterol drastically and thereby increase your health. The Federal Drug Administration takes issue with this, claiming that they need to be approved by the FDA before they can advertise health benefits.

The Food and Drug Administration says in a warning letter to General Mills that language on the Cheerios box suggests the cereal is designed to prevent or treat heart disease. Regulators say that only FDA-approved drugs are allowed to make such claims.

This is patently absurd. The cereal is most certainly not “designed to prevent or treat heart disease”, it is designed to EAT. Only a bureaucrat could make this up.

Representative Alan Grayson is hosting a “Weekend at Disney World” fundraiser this weekend. Apparently he is of the mind that a fundraiser is always more fun if it is held in Disney World! And now, when the cameraman asks “You just attended an extremely boring fundraiser, what are you going to do now?”, the interviewee can answer the question with “I’m staying in Disney World!”

But, Rep. Grayson does not seem to understand how cheap Disney World can be. A whole family can attend for under $1000. But Rep. Grayson’s fundraiser is selling at $2500 per PAC or Individual. $2500!?!?! For Disney World!?

Is Representative Grayson trying to get kids to his fundraiser? Or lobbyists? I’m confused, and I think he is too.

Vermont State Senator Richard McCormack, D-Washington, has spent twenty years trying to legalize ourdoor clothesline drying. Let me write that again, he has spent twenty years trying to legalize clotheslines. His excuse is that it saves energy and is good for the environment, and that arguement is fine–but TWENTY YEARS!? Sen. McCormack calls this the “right to dry”.

Now. Let me get this straight. This public servant has spent twenty years, and countless amounts of taxpayer money, trying to legalize clotheslines? And he believes it is a God-given, or natural, right to dry your clothes outside on a line? Now, if you think that is absurd, then you have never heard of Project Laundry List, the New Hampshire-based non-profit dedicated to expanding the use of clotheslines.

On April 1st, 2009, Louisiana state Representative John Schroder cited figures on the floor of the state legislature to support his belief that employees of the Louisiana state government do not perform at a level to merit an increase in pay, an increase that is largely procedural–4%, meant to keep up with inflation and rises in costs of living. Honestly, I haven’t got much of a problem with Rep. Schroder’s contention–but his name was bothering me, I kept thinking something was off.

And then it hit me. June of 2008, the Louisiana political system was in an uproar. In the middle of a deepening recession, lawmakers were about to vote themselves a 120% payraise, up to $37,500 per year. In this article, Rep. John Schroder is quoted defending his vote for the massive payraise for…well, himself.

It’s simply a coincidence that this news came out of April 1st, it is NOT an April Fools jokes–as much as Louisiana voters wish it was.

Rep. John Schroder

-Arnie the Negative

‘Washington state officials wanted to do their part to clean up the 1.)_________, but they’ve instead turned many Spokane residents into smugglers. They banned the sale of 2.)__________, containing more than 0.5 percent 3.)______ in the city. The ban goes statewide next year. But many people complain that the 4.)_________ still allowed by law just don’t 5.)______ their 6.)_______. So residents are driving across the state line to Idaho to get some of the good stuff.”

Go ahead, try and guess what goes in the first through six blanks. I’ll wait.

So–have you guessed it? Probably lots of buzzwords associated with drugs, huh? Wrong. Alchohol? Wrong. Cigarettes? Wrong. Weapons? Wrong.

1.) Environment
2.) dishwashing detergents
3.) phosphates
4.) eco-friendly detergents
5.) clean
6.) dishes

Go here to see the blanks filled in and read the full article.

Ban Electrasol: Because you wouldn't want your dishes CLEAN would you?

-Arnie the Negative

First, there was a rumor that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter would probably run for re-election in 2010 as a Republican. However, conservative activist and former Constitution Party candidate Peg Luksik jumped into the Republican Primary and Club for Growth President Pat Toomey is rumored to be entering the race too. Then, news shifted to rumors that he might switch parties and run as a Democrat. However, Specter claims “the role of the Republican Party in Washington is too vital” for him to switch to the Democratic side. Then news shifted again, as he ruled that possibility out, to his possibly running as an Independent in 2010, and caucusing with the Republicans.

At the same time, Specter said he is open to the possibility of running as an Independent with the understanding that he would caucus with Republicans, just as Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) did with Democrats in 2006.
Though he left that option on the table, he suggested it would be a last resort.

“It’s pretty hard to run without a party,” Specter said. “It’s always something that could be a possibility. But then I wouldn’t be in the Republican caucus — wouldn’t have quite the standing as a Republican.”

We’ll have to wait until he makes the decision, but it promises to be an interesting race, no matter what happens.

Democrat, Independent, or Republican? I DUNNO!

-Arnie the Negative

Bill Maze is a termed out ex-legislator in California, and he has radicals thoughts in mind. Former Rep. Maze has a plan, which he is campaigning for all over the state, to split inland California from the more liberal coastal area like Los Angeles and San Fracisco. In the face of a swelling budget problem, the increasing power of urban centers in California politics, and rising taxes, Maze is tapping into a marginalized voting populace that is actually interested in such ideas. The 13 coastal counties would remain California, while the remaining 45 counties would break away. Of course, if this happened the State of Jefferson would likely break away from the new breakaway state.

Not that this would be a bad thing! California is a massive land area that is facing massive deficits and other significant problems because it is far larger than the majority of the world’s countries. There have been many high-profile attempts to split California in two, mostly by splitting it between North and South, rather than Inland and Coastal. Some of these efforts have even been led by State Senators, respected businessmen, or ex-Assemblymen. Then again, no state has been split in two since 1862, when West Virginia split from Confederate Virginia. Since California became a state in 1850, there have been at least 27 serious attempts to split the state up into multiple states. There were instances in the 19th century when the legislature passed bills concerning “splitification”, the Governor signed it, but the US Congress would not approve it–that is about as close as you can get without succeeding.

In 1992, State Senator Stan Statham passed a proposal in the state Senate that would have allowed 58 counties to put the question of state secession on their ballots. The bill as passed promoted splitting the state into three new states: North, Central, and South California. Statham’s proposal died in the state Senate.

This is not an outrageous, or completely outlandish idea. California voters have considered and approved it before, and they ought to bring the same open mind to this bill. At the same time, they should be conscious of the consequences. Bill Maze is probably not doing this out of pure enjoyment, the new state would be granted two new Senators, which I am sure Maze is interested in. Even should the proposal fail, it will make him more respectable in the eyes of conservatives in Inland California, keep his name in the news, and allow him to travel the state getting interviewed.

An ad for Maze's secessionist group

-Arnie the Negative