Happy 99th Birthday, Milton Friedman!

ObamaCare just keeps getting worse and worse. Read about the latest fiasco in this column by Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Pitts.

An unaccountable Medicare board - pottsmerc.com

It must have been tough for the folks at Human Events to narrow the list down to 10.

Top 10 Examples of Government Stupidity - HUMAN EVENTS

Sen. Jon Kyl: "We start from the understanding that the reason the debt ceiling is a problem is because of runaway Washington spending. So, Republicans have been united in the belief that raising the debt ceiling without making significant spending reductions would be irresponsible."

Excellent editorial in The Washington Times about Obama's failed presidency.

From the Times:

So much for hope and change. With the economy growing worse and worse, the grand promises of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign have faded as the reality of malaise takes hold.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

EDITORIAL: America abandons Obama - Washington Times

Bill O'Reilly wants to know why the New York Times and some other liberal media are playing the "Christian extremist" card in the wake of the Oslo, Norway, massacre by a deranged left-wing extremist.

From O'Reilly's latest column:

Anders Brevik did not kill in the name of Jesus. He was not a member of a Christian-based al Qaeda-like group. He was not funded by Iran or enabled by Pakistan. He is simply a murderer, a man devoid of any spiritual conscience. A direct descendent of Cain.

Yet, somehow, Brevik is now a member of a peace-loving, compassionate group, at least according to some media. He's a Christian.

Who knew?

Read the full column at the link below:

Bill O'Reilly: Demonizing Christianity

John Velleco: The UN is After Your Guns - HUMAN EVENTS

Gallup: Obama Approval Drops to New Low of 40%

Associated Press Uses Polling Firm That Favors Obama - HUMAN EVENTS

In Debt Crisis, Senior Citizens Groups Offering False Hope to Elderly

Governor Corbett Announces Nominations

Obama Plummets to 40% in Gallup Poll - HUMAN EVENTS

I hope you weren't dumb enough to believe that ObamaCare would bring down the cost of health care. A new study shows health care costs will go up substantially for most Americans under ObamaCare.

Health care law won't rein in costs, study says - Washington Times

There was a time when Associated Press reporters kept their opinions to themselves. Not anymore. The AP is in the tank for Barack Obama and the Democrats.

AP's Abrams, Quoting No One, Claims That 'Some Legal Scholars' Believe Obama Can Bust Debt Ceiling With 14th Amendment | NewsBusters.org

Anderson Cooper Cherry Picks Poll Info to Disgrace Republicans | NewsBusters.org

Number of Nonemployer Firms Shrinks Again in 2009, Census Bureau Reports

Governor Corbett Joins Crossing of America Tour in Butler, Highlights Effort to Support Wounded Warriors, Survivors of Fallen Heroes

ATI Fellows Expose 'The War on Natural Gas'

MRC Study: ABC, CBS and NBC Cast GOP as Debt Ceiling Villains

George W. Bush added $2.4 Trillion to the National Debt during his eight years in office. Current projections have Barack Obama adding $6.1 Trillion to the Nation Debt during his first four years in office. It's time to cut up Obama's credit cards.

Obama: More than Twice the Debt in Half the Time as Bush

Ann Coulter gives the far left a little taste of its own bias.

New York Times Reader Kills Dozens in Norway - HUMAN EVENTS

RNC: His Jello-Ness, The President

Tea Party Rips 'GOP RINOs' for Debt Limit Sell-Out

PA Office of Inspector General Announces June Welfare Fraud Adjudications

RNC Launches Fourth 'Change Direction' Television Ad, Hispanic Radio Spot In Florida

Penn State University pays its president, Graham Spanier, more than $1 million a year.

Facing tough economic times, Spanier has been whining about how the state (the Pennsylvania taxpayer) isn't sending enough money to Happy Valley.

Instead of dealing with the economic reality and finding ways to cut costs from the university's bloated $4 billion-a-year budget, Spanier keeps blaming Gov. Tom Corbett and the Legislature for reducing PSU's annual taxpayer allotment by about $70 million.

That meager reduction prompted Penn State to raise tuition by 5 percent.

For the amount of money Spanier is getting paid, he should be able to come up with ways to cut costs and reduce the burden on Pennsylvania families who want to send their children to Penn State.

From an editorial in The Harrisburg Patriot-News:

... tuition at Penn State is too high. It has gone up 104 percent in the last decade and its tuition rate is the highest for a four-year, public university in the nation — the University of Pittsburgh is No. 2 — according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Taking into account room and board plus books, the increase means it will cost more than $100,000 to get a four-year degree from Penn State. This from a school that has its humble beginnings as a land grant university. It has long been a place for a student who is the first in their family to go to college. That goal might be harder to achieve.

Read the full editorial, "Sharing the pain: Penn State must find ways to cut costs," at the newspaper's website.

ACLJ to Back World Trade Center Cross Calling Atheist Lawsuit 'Deeply Flawed'

Mack: 'Obama's Lack of Leadership Puts America in Danger'

Governor Corbett Announces Nominations, Appointments

Department of Health Announces Possible Measles Exposure in Berks, Bucks, Delaware and Lehigh Counties

Judge Obama not by what he says, but by his actions.

John Hayward: The Obama Tax Cut For Millionaires - HUMAN EVENTS

Human Events says it's time for Eric Holder, the worst U.S. Attorney General this side of Janet Reno, to go.

From a recent editorial:

It has been strange to watch the mainstream media ignore the most incredible scandal of the modern era — the "Gunwalker" program used by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to pump American guns into Mexico — while lavishing obsessive coverage on the News of the World phone-hacking debacle in England.

Of course, the motivations of the media are not difficult to understand. There has been absolutely no evidence that News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch had anything to do with the invasions of privacy carried out by certain employees at one of his many newspapers. But because he also owns influential conservative American media properties such as the Wall Street Journal, and especially, Fox News, media liberals find themselves looking at a very large domino and praying for it to fall.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Time to Fire Eric Holder - HUMAN EVENTS

Obama Lies About Mom, Networks Yawn - HUMAN EVENTS

Why is the economy in Texas under the leadership of Gov. Rick Perry booming while it continues to flounder in Pennsylvania? Columnist Chris Freind has some answers.

Texas grows on Pennsylvania's woes - pottsmerc.com

RNC: A Referendum On Me

Talk Radio Host Launches News Website

Pennsylvania is one of only two states where you have to purchase liquor from the government. Columnist Gil Spencer says it's time the Keystone State entered the 21st century.

Privatizing liquor sales is long overdue - pottsmerc.com

Republicans have a plan to turn the economy around: Cut, Cap and Balance Act. Barack Obama and the Democrats want to raise taxes and keep spending us into oblivion.

20 Senate Dems Said They Supported a Balanced Budget - They Lied - HUMAN EVENTS

The unhinged political left strikes again.

Inevitable. The Far Left Links Oslo Killer to Sarah Palin - HUMAN EVENTS

It's almost impossible to tell when Barack Obama isn't lying, but Human Events has compiled a list of his biggest lies.

Top 10 Obama Lies - HUMAN EVENTS

PJM and Members Set New Record for Peak Power Use

PA Lottery Reports Record Sales, Posts Increase in Profits to Programs Benefiting Older Pennsylvanians

Chester County, Pennsylvania Sheriff Receives State Crime Prevention Award

Marcellus Shale Commission Issues Final Report in Pennsylvania

Bernie Marcus: "Even brain-dead economists understand that when you raise taxes, you cost jobs"

Home Depot Co-Founder: Obama Is Choking Recovery - Investors.com

PA Department of State: Disciplinary Actions Taken Against 125 Licensed, Commissioned Professionals, Organizations

Rasmussen Reports: 53% Support Automatic Drug Testing For Welfare Applicants

Obama, Holder Busted in Gunwalker Cover-up - HUMAN EVENTS

State Police Leads Multi-Agency Motor Coach Enforcement Effort; 30 Motor Coaches Pulled From Service

AARP The Magazine Reveals its Annual List of the Top 10 Best Places To Live (and Retire) Affordably in the U.S.

Hey, Nancy Pelosi, this is what happens when you pass a law before you read it.

From an article by Julian Pecquet in The Hill:

A major provision of the healthcare reform law designed to prevent businesses from dropping coverage for their workers could inadvertently leave families without access to subsidized health insurance.

The problem is a huge headache for the Obama administration and congressional Democrats, because it could leave families unable to buy affordable health insurance when the healthcare law requires that everyone be insured starting in 2014.

Some of the administration's closest allies on healthcare reform warn this situation could dramatically undercut support for the law, which already is unpopular with many voters and contributed to Democrats losing the House in the 2010 midterm elections.

"It's going to be a massive problem if it comes out that families have to buy really expensive employer-based coverage," said Jocelyn Guyer, deputy executive director at Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families.

"If they don’t fix this — and by 'they' I mean either the administration or Congress — we’re going to have middle-class families extremely unhappy with [healthcare] reform in 2014, because they'll basically be facing financial penalties for not buying coverage when they don’t have access to any affordable options."

Healthcare law could leave families with high insurance costs - The Hill's Healthwatch

Most Drivers With Cell Phones Use Them While Driving Even Though They Know It Is Unsafe; More Than One In Five Text While Driving

A clever look at how Washington, D.C., really works.

The Obama Recession continues.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in June, up from 7.4 percent in May.

While the state's rate is lower than the national average of 9.2 percent, it still signals the fact that Barack Obama's economic polices are a total failure.

Pennsylvania's Employment Situation: June 2011

A new polls has Mitt Romney, the weakest Republican candidate this side of Bob Dole, beating Barack Obama in 2012. I predict a lot of sleepless nights ahead for the Obama campaign.

Election 2012: Romney 43% Obama 42%

Columnist Gil Spencer says Pennsylvania should get out of the liquor business.

Spencer: Privatizing liquor sales is long overdue - delcotimes.com

RNC - Democrats Are Starting to Sound the Alarm: The 2012 Map Isn't as Big as Obama May Be Hoping For

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Announces Recent Nomination, Appointments

DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz Claims Economy Is Turning Around Again

RNC: Debbie Dodges Reality

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Approves Fines Totaling $355,000

Pennsylvania State Board of Education Adopts Cut Scores for Keystone Exams

Today is the 37th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. More than 6,000 Greek-Cypriots were killed, thousands more wounded ... and 1,300 men, 116 women and 133 children taken captive by the Turks to be murdered or sent to concentration camps. Nearly 200,000 Greeks were forced from their homes by the Turkish army, which still occupies Cyprus today. We will never forget!

Cyprus occupation enters 37th year - pottsmerc.com

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Announces $99 Million Investment in Water Infrastructure Projects in 20 Counties

Pennsylvania State Police Report Number of Police Pursuits Fell in 2010

An 1895 law prohibits Pennsylvania teachers from wearing religious garb such as a yarmulke or religious symbols, like a cross or the Star of David, while in the classroom.

A bipartisan bill introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature would repeal the restrictions.

Only two states - Pennsylvania and Nebraska - have such prohibitions on what teachers can wear.

House Bill 1581, co-sponsored by state Reps. Eugene DePasquale, D-York County, and Will Tallman, R-Adams County, would end the discrimination imposed on educators.

"The time has come for Pennsylvania to repeal it," state Rep. Eugene DePasquale told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "We're not talking about people proselytizing. It's what they wear. There's a big difference between wearing a cross or yarmulke and saying, 'You should be Catholic.' "

Added state Rep. Will Tallman: "This is about restoring religious neutrality to our public school system and upgrading an old and discriminatory law. We want every teacher to be free to exercise his or her religion, regardless of that faith."

It's time for Pennsylvania to join the rest of the nation and allow teachers to display their faith without fear of disciplinary action.

Read more about the issue at the Tribune-Review website.

From Investor's Business Daily:

Las Vegas CEO Steve Wynn drew attention for a boardroom rant denouncing the intolerable business climate fostered by the White House. He's hardly the first. What's happening is emblematic of a bigger problem.

Wynn's Rant: One Among Many - Investors.com

RNC: They Said It! Obama White House Says Leadership Is Not Proposing Your Own Deficit Plan

PA Banking Department Warns Consumers of Suspected Online Scam

PA Health Department Offers Important Tips to Prevent Heat-Related Illness

After taking a beating from Democrats who want to tax it out of existence and environmentalists who apparently don't heat their homes, the natural gas industry is fighting back with a new PR campaign.

Natural Gas Community Spotlights Safe and Responsible Development in Pennsylvania

New Poll Demonstrates Broad Support for Financial Reform

Thanks A Bundle: Many Of Obama's 2008 Supporters Have Failed To Say They're 'In' This Time Around, Says Republican National Committee

Pottstown Municipal Airport will receive $146,250 for final design on the runway pavement rehabilitation and for final design of the runway safety area, according to the governor's office.

Governor Corbett: $3.8 Million will Improve Operations at Eight Airports

From a new column by Ken McIntyre at National Review Online:

Census officials continue to grossly exaggerate the numbers of the poor, creating a false picture in the public mind of widespread material deprivation, writes Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Robert Rector in a new paper.

"Most news stories on poverty feature homeless families, people living in crumbling shacks, or lines of the downtrodden eating in soup kitchens," Rector says. "The actual living conditions of America’s poor are far different from these images."

Read the full column at the link below:

Modern Poverty Includes A.C. and an Xbox - By Ken McIntyre - The Corner - National Review Online

Lights Out! Big Government's Insidious Creep Inside Your Home - HUMAN EVENTS

Five Falsehoods of the Debt Debate - HUMAN EVENTS

How low will Obama go? Turns out he fabricated a story of how his late mother struggled with the health care system while she was battling cancer in an attempt to bolster Obamacare. The man knows no shame.

From an editorial in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The president of the United States has been caught in a lie. It's no small matter. And it should lead reasonable people to raise serious questions about the veracity of every word Barack Obama utters.

During the 2008 campaign, then-Sen. Obama said on more than one occasion that his late mother, Ann Dunham, waged a death-bed fight with her insurance company over whether the uterine and ovarian cancers that would claim her life were pre-existing conditions that disqualified her from medical coverage.

Mr. Obama employed the anecdote to press his case for health care reform. ObamaCare does not allow for such disqualifications for children under 19. The provision extends to adults in three years.

But a new book about Obama's mother by New York Times reporter Janny Scott refutes the president's story and uses his mother's own correspondence to do so. Ms. Dunham's health insurance covered most of her medical expenses and without argument. Only disability coverage, designed to replace lost wages, was denied and that by another carrier, Ms. Scott writes.

Read more: Another Obama's tale exposed at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review website.

AP: Obama Wasn't Honest About Americans Wanting Tax Hikes - HUMAN EVENTS

The Republican National Committee has done a nice job of recapping Barack Obama's legacy on the economy so far. Hekavu, job.

HOW HAS OBAMA DONE?

$1.65 Trillion: Projected Federal Deficit For FY2011 – Will Be The Largest In U.S. History. (OMB, 2/14/11)
$1.42 Trillion: Federal Budget Deficit For FY2009 – Highest In U.S. History. (CBO, 10/7/10)
$1.29 Trillion: Federal Budget Deficit For FY2010 – Second Highest In U.S. History. (CBO, 10/7/10)
44.6 Million: Americans Receiving Food Stamps. (The Wall Street Journal, 5/31/11)
14.0 Million: Unemployed Americans. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/14/11)
6.8 Million: Foreclosure Filings Since Obama Took Office. (RealtyTrac, Accessed 7/14/11)
2.5 Million: Jobs Lost Since Obama Took Office. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/14/11)
2.0 Million: Private Sector Jobs Lost Since Obama Took Office. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/14/11)
1.8 Million: Jobs Lost Since Obama's Stimulus Was Passed. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/14/11)
1.59 Million: Personal Bankruptcies In 2010. (United States Courts, 2/15/11)
9.2%: Unemployment Rate. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Accessed 7/14/11)

RNC: 'Give It To Me'

Here are 10 examples of why so many businesses have been driven under by government regulations ... and why 14 million Americans are out of work.

Top 10 Most Egregious Government Regulations - HUMAN EVENTS

Is Barack Obama clueless?

From Investor's Business Daily:

Four of five Americans are "sold" on higher taxes to solve the deficit impasse, according to President Obama. Either he's deceiving himself or he completely misunderstands how the public really feels.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

No, U.S. Doesn't Want Tax Hikes - Investors.com

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) issued the following statement after President Obama made comments today on the debt ceiling negotiations:

"President Obama once again demonstrated a lack of seriousness today in dealing with the nation’s looming debt crisis. He chose to mischaracterize House and Senate efforts to reach a balanced budget despite the fact that he has failed to produce a plan of his own to rein in the spending problem that he and his administration have largely created over the past three years. He has also demonstrated how out of touch he is with the American people by denigrating a balanced budget amendment, which has the overwhelming support of the American people. It is a shame that the president doesn't understand that a constitutional amendment to balance the budget is consistent with Congress doing its job. The president's actions continue to point in the same direction: He wants a debt limit increase without real limits on spending. I cannot, and will not, support any plan that that does not institute meaningful spending cuts and does not put our country on the path to a balanced budget."

Department of Education Announces Website for Families to Locate Summer Meal Program Sites

PA Statewide Hearings Set to Update 12-Year Transportation Program

Pennsylvania spends $10.5 billion a year on Welfare programs from a General Fund budget that totals $27.2 billion. And you wonder why the state is facing a fiscal crisis?

Rep. Tom Quigley: Controlling spending starts with welfare reform - pottsmerc.com

Only 2% of Network Reports on Debt Ceiling Battle Mention Public Opposition to Increase | NewsBusters.org#.TiBlW7yg0uM.blogger

What did Obama know and when did he know it? Let the hearings begin.

Fast And Furious Scandal: A Watergate For Obama? - Investors.com

Regime Change May Be Needed To Cut Deficit - Investors.com

From Investor's Business Daily:

In trying to score political points against the GOP by warning that retirement checks were in jeopardy if the debt ceiling isn't raised, President Obama exposed the fraud at the heart of Social Security.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Giving Lie To The 'Lockbox' - Investors.com

State Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) will host a town hall meeting via telephone for residents of Pennsylvania's 146th House District at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19.

From a Quigley press release:

"I am hosting this town hall-style conference call to give everyone I represent the opportunity to find out what is going on in Harrisburg and our community and also ask questions without having to leave their home. In light of the recently passed state budget, I am interested to hear what people have to say."

At approximately 7 p.m. on July 19, automated calls will be placed to residents of the 146th District inviting them to participate in the hour-long call.

At any point during the phone call, people will be given the chance to ask questions by pressing *3, and he will try to get to everyone's inquires during the allotted hour.

Department of Health Announces Possible Measles Exposure in Berks County

Click on the link below for a recap of Obama's sorry record as president so far.

RNC: "Give It To Me"

In trying to scare Americans about their Social Security checks not arriving in August, Barack Obama told the truth for the first time in his life. Social Security is a giant government-run Ponzi scheme. Your money has already been spent by the politicians in Washington.

John Hayward, writing at Human Events:

President Obama has performed one very important service for his country during the debt ceiling negotiations: he has utterly and forever shattered the myth of the Social Security "lockbox."

Shattering the Social Security Myth - HUMAN EVENTS

Commonwealth Foundation Toasts Rep. Turzai Liquor Freedom Bill in Pennsylvania

From Investor's Business Daily:

Al Gore is going to "connect the dots" between climate change and severe weather. Given that the former vice president has been coloring outside the lines for years, there's no reason to believe what he'll say.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Gore (Re)Sells A Lie - Investors.com

In between rounds of golf, Barack Obama has found time to hold more than 30 campaign fundraising events in the first half of 2011.

It's not like he has any important issues to deal with as president. He fixed all our problems, right?

The Permanent Obama Campaign | The Weekly Standard

An excellent letter to the editor published in The Mercury about the many flaws of the Route 422 tolling plan. Making the busy highway a toll route would reduce little of the congestion, create a huge financial burden on commuters and create a government bureaucracy that will waste money. And all the talk about a commuter rail service is just a red herring. Tolling Route 422 would not make a passenger rail system any more likely. The plan is just another way to fleece taxpayers.

Route 422 toll plan is another tax - pottsmerc.com

While the average Pennsylvanian continues to struggle, Pennsylvania's political class enjoys rising salaries and perks.

Pa. taxpayers miffed at COLA for lawmakers - pottsmerc.com

From Investor's Business Daily:

How much does it take for the Obama administration to spin the press? Not much, if the latest round of stories about debt negotiations are any indication.

Barack Obama, Instant Centrist - Investors.com

An army of unelected bureaucrats will implement draconian measures under ObamaCare on an unsuspecting nation.

RNC: ObamaCare's Most Powerful Bureaucracy

PA Banking Department Announces Quarterly Report on Enforcement Actions

From an editorial in The Mercury:

Senate Bill 101 increases the fines that may be imposed on elected officials who participate in a meeting with the intent of violating the open meeting requirements.

The fine, which was previously a flat rate of $100, was raised to as much as $1,000 for a first offense and $500 to $2,000 for a second offense. The mandate is set to take effect in 60 days.

The increased penalties for violating state sunshine laws were long overdue.

Pennsylvania has been known to be among the most antiquated states in the nation in its laws on open meetings and open records — a standing that was improved somewhat with the passage of open records reform several years ago.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

New law puts teeth into state sunshine laws - pottsmerc.com

Even Democrats are beginning to question if Obama can do anything right.

Pat Caddell On Obama: 'Does This Guy Have Any Idea What He Is Doing?'

I noticed this comment left by a Pottstown Mercury reader on the newspaper's Sound Off line:

I want to thank The Mercury for putting in the paper all the phone numbers for all the local congressmen and senators from this area. But be known to all the people that when I called (Sen. Bob) Casey's office, I found very polite people to listen. When I called (Sen. Pat) Toomey's office, this man I voted for, I found people who argued with me and told me that I didn't know what I was talking about.

It's possible the caller was a flaming liberal calling Toomey's office to harass staffers, but the caller is still a constituent who pays Toomey's salary (and those of his staffers) so anyone answering phones for elected officials should always be curtious and patient and just pass on the information to their boss (not argue with callers).

Monday's Sound Off - pottsmerc.com

PennDOT: Motorists' Survey Feedback Will Help Prioritize Safety Efforts

Looking for more hope and change?

Obama said he will raise taxes and cut Medicare benefits if he gets another term in office.

RNC: Two Simple Truths From Obama

Pennsylvania DEP Announces $2.6 million in Conservation District Grants for Increased Outreach to Agricultural Community

Top 10 Obama Gaffes - HUMAN EVENTS

Columnist John Crudele on Barack Obama's dismal record of creating jobs despite repeated promises that massive federal spending will lead to jobs:

You aren't crazy, the job market is truly bad, and it's not simply in your head.

Washington, of course, isn't likely to take action until the situation looks hopeless. President Obama looked stunned at a press conference following the jobs report, so hopefully he's feeling hopeless.

That -- and the fact he could lose his job -- may force the president to look for new ideas. And I just happen to have a few for him.

Read more:

Jobs report is real ugly, and that's the good news - NYPOST.com

Investor's Business Daily is one of the few American newspapers asking questions about a massive scandal inside the Obama administration involving the use of tax dollars to supply guns to Mexican drug lords.

From a new editorial on the scandal and the liberal media's attempt to shield Obama from scrutiny:

The ATF's acting director spills the beans on a program involving multiple agencies that not only supplied guns to Mexican gangs and drug cartels but may also have used taxpayer dollars to buy them.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Fast-And-Furious-Gate (Cont'd) - Investors.com

Two-and-a-half years into his failed presidency, Barack Obama is still trying to blame George W. Bush for his very own incompetence, especially on the economy, where Obama has spent trillions of dollars to "stimulate" the economy without any results.

When will the corrupt liberal media stop giving Obama a free pass and hold him responsible?

Disgusting. Obama Again Blames His Record Deficit & Debt On Bush - HUMAN EVENTS

House Republican Conference Vice Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) delivers the Weekly Republican Address. She discusses the latest monthly jobs report, which shows increased unemployment and a stalled economic recovery. House Republicans have passed 9 bills to spur job growth and foster an environment of confidence for America's small businesses - but Senate Democrats have taken no action on these bills. The president has failed to understand that our nation spends too much, not taxes too little. Further taxing businesses across America will destroy any chances of economic recovery. It's time for real solutions. Visit http://jobs.gop.gov to see the House Republican Plan for America's Job Creators.

The official government number for the nation's unemployment rate is 9.2% but The Wall Street Journal reports today that the real U.S. unemployment rate is above 11% if you count the people who have given up looking for jobs that don't exist.

Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats have really dug us into a hole.

From The Wall Street Journal:

The share of the population in the jobs market, called the labor-force participation rate, fell to 64.1% last month — the lowest level since 1984 when women were still just beginning to enter in full force. The participation rate peaked in 2000 and has been steadily declining since as the effect of women taking full-time jobs plateaued and Baby Boomers began to retire, but the decline accelerated sharply during the recession. The participation rate was 66% at the start of the recession and 65.7% when the recovery started in June 2009. If the participation rate were still at that level, the unemployment rate would be more than 11% right now.

With nearly a third of the unemployed out of work for over a year, it makes their reintegration back into the labor market more and more difficult. People out of a job that long tend to lose skills and experience long-term effects on their lifetime earning power. It's even harder to reintegrate workers who have dropped out altogether.

There's also a problem of underemployment. A comprehensive gauge of labor underutilization, known as the "U-6" for its data classification by the Labor Department, accounts for people who have stopped looking for work or who can't find full-time jobs. That number shot up in June to 16.2% from 15.8% a month earlier.

Read more at the newspaper's website.

Gov. Tom Corbett issues his first veto today, rejecting HB 1696, which involves reassessments in Washington County. Corbett says the bill is unconstitutional.

Governor Corbett Vetoes House Bill 1696

Obama and His Failed Policies Own This Month's 'Weak' Jobs Report

Emerald Ash Borer Found in Two More Pennsylvania Counties; Public Urged Not to Transport Firewood

Poll Analysis: Concern About Unemployment Grows

RNC Chairman Priebus Statement on the June Unemployment Numbers

Blaming the previous administration only lasts so long. Investor's Business Daily recaps some of the damage Barack Obama has done to the economy in the past two years:

• There are 2 million fewer private-sector jobs now than when Obama was sworn in, and the unemployment rate is 1.5 percentage points higher.

• There are now more long-term unemployed than at any time since the government started keeping records.

• The U.S. dollar is more than 12% weaker.

• The number of Americans on food stamps has climbed 37%.

• The Misery Index (unemployment plus inflation) is up 62%.

• And the national debt is about 40% higher than it was in January 2009.

Read the full editorial at the link below:

Romney's Right: It Is Worse Now - Investors.com

Obama Officials Misled Congress Regarding Scope of Illegal Immigration Deportation Dismissals According to Documents Obtained by Judicial Watch

Ann Coulter has nothing good to say about Casey Anthony.

From her latest column:

As long as we're looking for new revenue streams, how about billing these white trash low-lifes for their massive consumption of police resources?

Read the full column at the link below:

Casey Anthony -- Single Mom of the Year! - HUMAN EVENTS

Democrats and their liberal media allies will no longer be able to use the lie about Republicans wanting to push grandma over a cliff. Barack Obama is now talking about cutting Social Security and Medicare benefits. In case you hadn't heard, he's a Democrat.

Senate Democrats fuming over Obama's apparent move on Social Security - TheHill.com

Governor Corbett Nominates Joseph Brion to Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

His writing hand must be really tired today.

Governor Corbett Signs 46 Measures Into Law

New Report: Adult Obesity Increases in 16 States in the Past Year

Corbett Administration Now Accepting Proposals for New Prison Project in Southeastern Pennsylvania

White House Uses Progressive Media Director to Bully Conservatives on Twitter | NewsBusters.org

The Republican National Committee has released a new television ad, "Change Direction," in a national cable buy that highlights President Obama's failed economic policies and the disastrous course he has set for America's economy.

RNC Launches New Television Ad 'Change Direction'

The last two times a Texas governor ran for president, George W. Bush defeated two of the most liberal candidates the Democratic Party could find in Al Gore and John Kerry.

Columnist Merrill Matthews says Barack Obama should be losing sleep over the prospect of Texas Gov. Rick Perry entering the 2012 presidential race.

Gov. Rick Perry: The Candidate Obama Would Fear the Most - HUMAN EVENTS

Unless Darth Obama is stopped in 2012, Americans will suffer dire consequences under his Evil Empire as Obamacare devastates the nation. So says Sen. Jim DeMint in an op-ed published by The Washington Examiner.

All kidding aside, from DeMint's column:

President Obama's healthcare takeover is poised to land a devastating blow to American families and the economy of a size and scope never seen before.

Obama's bureaucratic Death Star becomes fully operational in 2014. When that happens, it will lay waste to the private healthcare system by imposing unanticipated costs on companies and individuals that will cause millions of Americans to lose their health insurance and be forced into the new government program.

Read the full column at the link below:

Obamacare Death Star will strike soon | Sen. Jim DeMint | Op Eds | Washington Examiner

If the election were held today, President Obama would get only 56 percent of the Jewish vote against a generic Republican candidate, down from the 78 percent he won in 2008 and less than the 74 percent John Kerry received in 2004, according to the latest Dick Morris Poll.

Follow the link below for complete poll results:

The Dick Morris Poll: Obama Losing Jewish Voters

Pennsylvania casinos continue to generate more revenues, but Pennsylvania homeowners see less in property tax relief from casino revenues. Where is the money going?

Pennsylvania Slot Machine Revenue Increased 7.8% in 2010-2011

Former President George W. Bush is 65 today.

Thomas Sowell: Talking Points Vs. Reality - Investors.com

Gallup: In U.S., Very Religious Americans Still Align More With GOP

Commonwealth Foundation Blasts Big Brother Booze Brag

Seven Die in Crashes Investigated by Pennsylvania State Police During Holiday Weekend

After eight disastrous years under Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania ranks 43rd among the states in economic competitiveness. Is it any wonder so many people are leaving the state?

Report: Many fleeing Pa.'s burdensome taxes - pottsmerc.com

Pennsylvania ranks 31 out of 50 states in the most recent survey by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.

Is there anyone in the Democratic Party with a basic understanding of economics?

Weekly Standard: Obama's Economists: 'Stimulus' Has Cost $278,000 per Job

More than 100,000 Pennsylvania jobs lost since Barack Obama took office. Nearly 40,000 Pa. manufacturing jobs lost since 2009. More than 470,000 Pennsylvanians looking for work. Obama isn't working.

Aided by a more conservative state Legislature, Pennsylvania's new Republican governor has accomplished much in his first 6 months in office, including signing a state budget on time, something Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell did not do in 8 years.

With the budget out of the way, look for a busy fall when the Legislature comes back from its summer vacation.

The Associated Press' Peter Jackson reviews Gov. Tom Corbett's tenure so far.

Corbett achieves much of first-year agenda

Is the government watching out for you or the nuclear industry? Evacuation plans for nuclear plants in the U.S., including the one for Limerick, PA, are often outdated, according to a recent investigation.

License review should consider evacuation plan

Some terrific advice from Glenn Reynolds for all patriots as we approach Independence Day.

Sunday Reflection: Three things you can do for liberty | Glenn Harlan Reynolds | Columnists | Washington Examiner

Dr. Ron Ross offers some advice to prevent the Obama Administration from imposing government control of all news media: "... subscribe to and support your local newspaper. They are on the front lines in the battle for a free press."

Think the Press is Free? Think Again

Further evidence the Democratic Party is the party of the rich despite what the liberal media keeps telling us.

Gallup: Obama's Approval Hits All-Time Low Among Poor, Is Highest Among Rich | CNSnews.com

Until I read this column, this was the first I heard about a left-wing mob surrounding Glenn Back and his family at a public park in New York City.

Funny how the liberal media ignored the story. I guess they were busy with the latest Paris Hilton or Charlie Sheen news or maybe they're still trying to sort through Sarah Palin's emails.

From Coulter's column:

Beck and his family would have been fine at an outdoor rap concert. They would have been fine at a sporting event. They would have been fine at any paid event, mostly because people who work for the government and live in rent-controlled apartments would be too cheap to attend.

Only a sad leftist with a crappy job could be so brimming with self-righteousness to harangue a complete stranger in public.

A liberal's idea of being a bad-ass is to say vicious things to a conservative public figure who can't afford to strike back. Getting in a stranger's face and hurling insults at him, knowing full well he has too much at risk to deck you, is like baiting a bear chained to a wall.

Read the full column at the link below:

Glenn Beck Vs. The Mob - HUMAN EVENTS

Top 10 Obama Attacks on Capitalism - HUMAN EVENTS

Senate GOP mocks president with video of Obama on golf course - TheHill.com

Radio commentator David Madeira thinks he's figured out Barack Obama: "He's not a Democrat, he's a Luddite!"

Read his full commentary at the link below:

6-16-11 Under the Liberty Tree

Congressman Joe Pitts: Obama's wrong again on job growth

Auditor General Jack Wagner's Annual Sharing & Caring Golf Tournament July 11 at Edgewood Country Club

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Announces Federal Guidelines for 2011-12 School Lunch Program

Bald Eagle Nests Surpass 200 Mark

After years of deficits under Democratic Gov. Ed Rendel, Pennsylvania finds itself in the black, finishing the year with $785 million more in revenus than anticipated.

Pennsylvania collected $3.2 billion in General Fund revenue in June, which was $246.1 million, or 8.3 percent, more than anticipated, Secretary of Revenue Daniel Meuser reported Friday.

Fiscal year 2010-11 General Fund collections totaled $27.5 billion, which is $785.5 million, or 2.9 percent, above estimate.

Revenue Department Releases Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Collections
Revenue Department Releases Fiscal Year 2010-2011 Collections

The Commonwealth Foundation offers an excellent analysis of the $27.2 billion General Fund budget signed by Gov. Tom Cobett on June 30.

Pennsylvania Budget Deal: The Good, The Bad and The Undone

List of Budget-Related Bills Signed by Pennsylvania Governor Corbett on June 30

Pennsylvanians Urged to Follow State Laws When Using Fireworks

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Signs Budget-Related Legislation

For the first time in 9 years, Pennsylvania has a budget in place before the start of its fiscal year.

Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell missed the deadline in each of his eight years as governor.

Republican Gov. Tom Corbett signed the 2011-12 budget on June 30, just in time for the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.

Pennsylvania Governor Corbett Signs Budget, Cutting Spending, Without Tax Increases