PoolPresident Barack Obama isn't impressed by the GOP's "Pledge to America" plan which was unveile by House Republican Leader John Boehner (below) on Thursday.

 

SAUL LOEB

to America" Saturday as nothing but a plan to continue "disastrous" policies of the George W. Bush administration.

The pledge, which Republicans unveiled Thursday, aims to slash government spending and cut taxes, as well as repeal Obama's health care overhaul and economic stimulus program.

The pledge is "an echo of a disastrous decade we can't afford to relive," Obama said in his weekly Internet address.

"It is grounded in same worn-out philosophy: cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires; cut the rules for Wall Street and the special interests; and cut the middle class loose to fend for itself. That's not a prescription for a better future," Obama said.

Late Thursday, Senate Democrats delayed a vote on whether to extend Bush-era tax cuts or let them expire at the end of the year until after November's midterm elections.

Both Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for the political gridlock ahead of the pivotal election in which the GOP is expected to make major gains in both the House and Senate.

The plan's timing is reminiscent of the "Contract with America," which the GOP rolled out just weeks before 1994 midterm elections where the party took control of the House and held power until 2006.

In response to Obama's comments, Republicans shot back, calling their plan a "new agenda."

"It offers a new way forward that hasn't been tried in Washington - an approach focused on cutting spending - which is sadly a new idea for a Congress accustomed to always accelerating it," Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/09/25/2010-09-25_president_obama_blasts_the_gops_pledge_to_america_as_a_wornout_philosophy.html#ixzz10Z3X6YI1

HOApril Newcomb, 39, was arrested in Florida after she was caught on video egging on her daughter to fight another student in Palmetto.

Mama said, knock you out.

The mother of a Florida teen was arrested and charged with child abuse after she egged on her daughter to fight another student in front of a cheering audience.

April Newcomb, 39, was arrested by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday after someone in the crowd posted a video of the catfight on YouTube, said Dave Bristow, a spokesman from the sheriff's office, to the Daily News.

During the fight, which seemed to be planned, Newcomb is seen in a crowd of spectators last Friday. She is heard yelling at her daughter, "Don't f------ stop!"

"It's very disturbing," Bristow said. "You just shake your head and say, ‘Really, this happened?'"

"We've all seen videos of kids fighting, but to have a parent there, that's what pushed us over the edge. She egged on her daughter, did nothing to stop it."

Bristow said the dispute was over an old boyfriend.

In a police report, Newcomb said, "We were both wrong and I understand that," referring to herself and her daughter. "And I understand where y'all are coming from. I think, unfortunately, it was going to happen no matter what."

Newcomb will face up to five years behind bars.

 

CHECK OUT THE SHOCKING VIDEO:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid35214809001?bctid=615575432001

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/lindsay_lohan_faces_judge_after_uwqdYKm3UvHRsX0D7IaF7M

Suspected shoplifter dies after Ikea parking lot accident

22-year-old dies after car rammed into pole in White Marsh

Jessica Anderson and Yeganeh June Torbati

The Baltimore Sun

3:58 PM EDT, September 24, 2010

 

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/chrysler-auto-workers-busted_20100923_dk

http://bigpeace.com/stzu/2010/09/23/the-american-left-continues-to-suffer-from-low-self-america-esteem/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599202115400;_ylt=AhIcG3NA.ka6wUZqt9MVsY1H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTJ1ZDYyYjA5BGFzc2V0Ay9zL3RpbWUvMDg1OTkyMDIxMTU0MDAEY2NvZGUDbXBfZWNfOF8xMARjcG9zAzUEcG9zAzUEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNob3dwYWxpbmlzY2g-

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Queen-Slammed-For-Applying-For-Anti-Poverty-Grant-To-Heat-Buckingham-Palace-And-Windsor-Castle/Article/201009415742369?lpos=UK_News_Right_Promo_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15742369_Queen_Slammed_For_Applying_For_Anti-Poverty_Grant_To_Heat_Buckingham_Palace_And_Windsor_Castle

     Those born on September 24^th are wanderers by nature and therefore either love to travel, or are somehow driven to do so. This theme of wandering or travel in their lives usually takes a real form, but can also be a metaphor for mental and emotional adventures as well. Reading, thinking, dreaming, traveling both physically and psychical wandering these are the kinds of activities which interest those born on this day.   

     Some September 24^thpeople travel when young and later commit appears to be a settled existence. Others get bitten by the bug in their middle years and are capable of doing everything for the call of the road. Most September 24^thpeoplenever completely settle down, even though it may be what they think they want most. Often they move on to the next place, person or project each time thinking that this is finally where they want to be for a long time. The more aware individuals born on this day usually come to realize that there is no real permanence for them and that their wanderings are due to continue for yet a while.

     In relationships and family matters, September 24^thpeople may be difficult to please. They are not at all easygoing people to live with and demand lots of time to themselves. Their mates must understand their need for change and variety, and their often flirtations.

   Those born on the 24^th day of the month are ruled by the number 6 (2+4=6, they are magnetic in attracting love and admiration. Often love becomes the dominant theme in the lives of those ruled by the number 6.

Advice: Get your act together. Your unsettled life may be charming for a while but grow tiresome. Perhaps there are those who would like to depend on you more. Don’t be afraid to use your talents. Stick to one thing and take it all the way.

Strengths: Imaginative, free spirited and giving

Weaknesses:  Nervous, unsettled and neurotic

Born on This Day:  F. Scott Fitzgerald, Patrick Kelley, Mean Joe Greene and Joseph Kennedy

Famous Inventions:  1877 Fire destroyed many models in the Patent Office, but the important records were saved.
1852 A new invention, the dirigible or airship was first demonstrated.

This Day in History: Sep 24, 1789 The First Supreme Court

The Judiciary Act of 1789 is passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. That day, President Washington nominated John Jay to preside as chief justice, and John Rutledge, William Cushing, John Blair, Robert Harrison, and James Wilson to be associate justices. On September 26, all six appointments were confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Axelrod to exit White House in 2011 to work on Obama reelection

 

David Axelrod, a top advisor to the president, will remain in his current post 'well into 2011.' He's long made it clear he misses his hometown of Chicago.

 

Peter Nicholas, Tribune Washington Bureau

September 23, 2010|3:54 p.m.

Reporting from Washington —

 

David Axelrod, a top advisor to President Obama and the main architect of his election victory in 2008, will be leaving the White House next year and returning to Chicago to work on the president's reelection campaign, a White House aide said Thursday.

Axelrod has not specified a departure date, but he plans to remain in his current position "well into 2011,'' the aide said.

Axelrod, who calls himself a "Chicagoan on assignment,'' has long made clear he missed his hometown and would return before the end of the four-year term. His wife still lives in the city.

One of Obama's most trusted aides, Axelrod occupies a small office just steps from the Oval Office. On a wall in Axelrod's office hangs a picture of the White House drawn by his daughter. The Chicago skyline is shown in the reflecting pool.

His portfolio is a broad one. He shapes the president's message, oversees the speechwriting team, plots political strategy and advises on policy. A longtime campaign strategist, he is aware of his limitations when it comes to complex policy matters. He once made a self-deprecating reference to himself as "a duffer'' when it comes to policy.

Other White House aides said part of Axelrod's role was reminding the staff of the president's campaign commitments and making sure that the White House agenda stayed true to Obama's promises.

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, a pragmatist when it comes to policy matters, once described the difference between himself and Axelrod as "prose" versus "poetry."

Obama's political viability, though, is one of Axelrod's preoccupations. Steven Rattner, the former "car czar" and author of a new book about the auto-industry bailout, described Axelrod as sitting in meetings discussing poll results showing the public's disdain for bailouts.

Mustached, rumpled and paunchy, Axelrod is a popular figure in the White House. He plays basketball, and after a game, he occasionally shows up, sweaty and winded, at a local bar frequented by reporters. Axelrod is a former political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

The seven-member White House speechwriting team has described their daily conferences with Axelrod as a loose, creative exercise that is a high point in the day. But others administration figures are not so taken with Axelrod, often called "Axe'' for short.

In the new book "Obama Wars,'' author Bob Woodward wrote that Gen. David Petraeus, who is leading the war in Afghanistan, once called Axelrod "a complete spin doctor.''

Though some White House aides tend to become part of the Washington culture, Axelrod is a holdout. He rented an apartment rather than buy a house, so as not to put down roots.

On a snowy morning in Washington last year, he appeared on a TV talk show and was asked about the weather.

"We call this a dusting in Chicago," he said, "I just want you to know."

Baltimore Sun

Wealth 101: How the rich get richer

Company executive explains why he's way ahead of the game

 

Dan Rodricks

3:40 PM EDT, September 22, 2010

 

Did you know that the rich have more money because the rich have more money? It's a fact of life. It's how the world works.

I have been so enlightened by the vice president of a project management company with a global profile, a headquarters in Virginia, an office in Maryland, lots of government contracts and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The signature on his e-mail indicated a PhD, too, so he must know what he's talking about. I'll call him Doc for the purpose of this column.

The other day, Doc was mulling my Sunday column about the rise in the nation's poverty rate, contrasted with all the whining we've been hearing about the possible expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

The column examined the growth in the disparity in U.S. income levels since about 1980. It cited Congressional Budget Office numbers that showed, in one example, average after-tax incomes for the top 1 percent rising by 281 percent compared with 25 percent for the middle fifth of households and 16 percent for the bottom fifth. The recession certainly has pushed more Americans into poverty, but the trends have been there for three decades.

Several readers, including a couple who run companies, wanted to set me straight about all this. They blamed the "global economy," too many college students getting worthless liberal arts degrees and the influx of immigrants for poverty's rise to levels not seen since the mid-1960s.

Doc, however, climbed a different branch of the money tree — to the subject of wealth and its accumulation.

"Having been pretty conscientious about saving and spending, my wife and I have amassed a pretty good retirement account," Doc wrote. "And what is so obvious to me, in tracking our progress, is that the more money you have, the more you make."

Key word there: "Amassed."

Whenever someone uses the word "amassed," you know they're talkin' serious paper. Doc didn't provide details, but I assume he and the missus are in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, and I'm guessing he's still pulling down enough per year to be in the Obama administration's target group for more taxes.

But his e-mail wasn't about that. Rather, it was an explanation for why the wealthy are wealthy: They have more money. And the more money you have, the more money you'll get.

Are you following this at home?

"Gaining 5 percent on $500K in a year increases your wealth by $25K while earning the same 5 percent on $5K gives another individual only $250 in that same year," Doc wrote. "That individual will never catch up. So seems to me the [disparity] is not a nefarious plot by the wealthy against the poor. It's simply a matter of how finances work in the world today."

Oy vey, there's more:

"My wife and I have been sufficiently frugal to have created a nice nest egg from which we hope to be able to have a very comfortable retirement in our later years. So the thought that we should be penalized through higher tax rates because of our financial accomplishments is a bit distressing."

Distressing?

Bush-era tax cuts already put more money at Doc's disposal and presumably helped him build his nest egg. Since 2004, an individual making between $200,000 and $499,999 would have saved an extra $54,707, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, while someone making between $20,000 and $29,999, would have saved $4,302 over those six years.

So Doc is certainly right — when you're ahead of the game, you're ahead of the game and, barring calamity, you're probably going to stay there, even if your Bush-era tax cuts expire as you sip the Dom Perignon on New Year's Eve.

"It would take a lot of social engineering to change our entire financial system in a way that would prevent the further accumulation of wealth by the wealthy," Doc says. I couldn't agree more. When do we start?

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/23/v-fullstory/1838326/bank-of-america-forecloses-home.html

 

Court upholds $12K bank overdraft fee

ND's Supreme Court said bank acted reasonably

 

Updated: Thursday, 23 Sep 2010, 8:06 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 23 Sep 2010, 8:06 AM EDT

 

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - North Dakota's Supreme Court said a bank acted reasonably when it charged a customer almost $12,000 in overdraft fees.

Lynette Cavett of Enderlin said the fees were "unconscionable." But a judge ruled the Quality Bank of Fingal disclosed the fees and Cavett paid them for four years without complaining. The Supreme Court upheld the ruling Tuesday.

Court records said Cavett challenged the fees when the bank sued her in November 2008 to foreclose on her hog farming operation and collect a $76,000 debt.

Court records said from January 2004 until June 2008, Cavett was charged 842 overdraft fees. They varied according to the overdraft amount. The bank charged $100 a day for carrying an overdraft greater than $10,000.

Biden: Tea Party could motivate Dem base

 

Biden, speaking at a fundraiser in Chevy Chase, Md., for Sen. Barbara Mikulski, said the energy of the Tea Party might inspire a lethargic Democratic base to turn out and vote in November.

“Maybe the best thing to happen to us lately is the Tea Party wins," Biden said. "Maybe it’ll shake some of our constituency out of their lethargy.”

The vice president also offered a "guarantee" that Democrats will defy predictions and maintain control of the House.

   A recurring theme in the lives of September 23^rd people is that of breaking through restrictions. The expansive individuals born on his day are not free to develop and unfold their personalities until they have struggled with and overcome either physical or formal difficulties. This struggle is usually extremely intense, and in fact goes on even after successive breakthroughs. Indeed life for those born on this day is a series of ongoing challenges which must be met and conquered. In this respect September 23rd people may well be described as spiritual warriors.

   The most highly evolved of September 23^rd people use the fruits of their struggle to benefit all those around them. If only as a living symbol of determination to overcome adversity. Less highly evolved individuals born on this day may get bogged down in personal conflicts often a result of their substantial egos in which they succeed in stirring up a lot of trouble not necessarily yielding positive results. It would be advantageous for them to retire for a while from life’s fray, get their heads screwed on straight and use their considerable energy at the service of a worthwhile cause.

   Those born on this day can be extremely seductive and charming though many appear forbidding or aloof on first meeting them. Others should not, however, make the mistake of thinking that September 23^rd charm is an invitation to get personally involved, particularly on an intimate level. For the most part September 23^rd people put their work first and leisure second. Despite any image they might project, their real friends are very few and they do not value small talk. Often it is better to admire them from a distance than to force an approach. On the other hand, September 23^rd people themselves should beware of isolating themselves at a deep emotional level and concentration on universal or worldly concerns to the exclusion of personal matters. In this, they may be neglecting the trees for the forest.

     Those born on the 23^rd of the month are ruled by the number 5 (2+3=5), and are quick thinkers.   Like many ruled by the number 5 they may find, however, that they are likely to both overreact mentally and to change their minds and physical surroundings with great regularly. Fortunately, whatever hard knocks number 5 people receive from life generally have little lasting effect on them they recover quickly.

Advice: It will be most important for you to make use of your downtime. During such periods you can get in touch with what is working and what holds you back. Ready yourself for life’s battles beforehand, being reared is the key.

Strengths: Creative, adventuresome and exciting.

Weaknesses:  Troubled, depressive and addictive

Born on This Day:  John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Walter Pigeon and Julio Iglesias

Famous Inventions: 1930 Johannes Ostermeier was issued a patent for the flash bulb used in photography.

This Day in History: Sep 23, 1875: Billy the Kid arrested for first time

On this day in 1875, Billy the Kid is arrested for the first time after stealing a basket of laundry. He later broke out of jail and roamed the American West, eventually earning a reputation as an outlaw and murderer and a rap sheet that allegedly included 21 murders.