"Barbara Boxer thinks U.S. mission in Libya is working"

She might want to consult with the Libyans buried under that pile of rubble...

A photo of yesterday's NATO bomb damage to civilian areas in Tripoli (taken on a Qaddafi government-sponsored tour)...

The 90-day mandate calling for Congressional support of U.S. hostilities (aka: The War Powers Act) came and went this past weekend...and as if to signal the ongoing futility, waste and inefficiency that is our war in Libya, a NATO strike on Tripoli resulted in the deaths of almost a dozen civilians.

Now, as America and Congress -- on both sides of the aisle -- begins to tire of this third war, the voices against the conflict are growing louder.

Except for left-wing, anti-war and uber-Obama supporter U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)...

In a video report filed by San Francisco Chronicle political reporter (and John Batchelor Show radio colleague) Joe Garofoli, Boxer extols the virtues of this third of four wars we're now embroiled in (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Yemen).

The story (with video below):

The NATO airstrike that killed 15 people -- including three children -- early Monday is sure to add fuel to a burning question in Washington: What is the U.S. doing in Libya and why isn't President Obama seeking Congressional approval?

Sen. Barbara Boxer told us the other day that she is OK with the U.S. mission in Libya. But last week, seven Republicans and three Democrats filed suit against President Obama for violating the War Powers Act in the Libyan War.

Boxer was not one of them. She just does not want to see U.S. soldiers "boots on the ground."

"I think what they're doing is working," Boxer told The Chronicle/SFGate.com's Shaky Hand Productions. "I think that we have to make sure taht we stay close to these rebels, so that they understand what democracy is."

Here's what Boxer told The Shaky Hand shortly after she urged President Obama to withdraw 30,000 troops from Afghanistan.

So much for remaining true to the values she ran on as recently as her last election in November of 2010.

Way to stay consistent, Senator Boxer. Way to stay consistent...

Babs Boxer's bad math...

(Less than zero...)

According to U.S. Sen. Barbara “Call Me Senator” Boxer, the GOP has “a vendetta, against Elmo.”

As in, Elmo from the children’s television show, “Sesame Street.”

She claims the GOP is out to de-fund the last hope for educating the nation's kids.

The truth is, Elmo and his friends aren’t the target. The questionable allocation of funds to public broadcasting, which is supposed to be non-partisan but is often driven by the Left’s agenda, is under scrutiny by Congressional cost-cutters -- especially during these tough economic times.

Perhaps Babs can explain why she thinks a huge business needs taxpayer funds.

According to an article in Entertainment Weekly, “Some PBS shows have been Jurassic-size hits: Barney & Friends, The Frugal Gourmet, Sesame Street, and The Civil War reportedly rake in heaps of dollars from toys, books, CDs, T-shirts, and video tie-ins, but GOP leaders say little of the loot ever comes back to PBS. ‘If you look at the revenues that Big Bird is generating, Sesame Street makes as much money as the National Hockey League,’ claims Brent Bozell. But the numbers themselves are hotly disputed — and have become weapons. Sen. Larry Pressler of South Dakota, who is spearheading the trim-PBS crusade, has claimed that Sesame Street grosses $800 million a year; last week, David V.B. Britt, president and CEO of the Children's Television Workshop, called such talk a "consistent campaign of misinformation."

The EW story continues: “In a sense, both sides are right. Karen Raugust, executive editor of The Licensing Letter, an industry trade paper in Brooklyn, explains that toys and tie-ins from Sesame Street did generate about $800 million in retail sales last year. However, toy stores kept approximately half of that money — and toy manufacturers kept most of the rest. She says the Children's Television Workshop, which receives a small percentage of wholesale revenues, took in only about $20 million. ‘People have been saying that Big Bird is worth a billion, but it's really much less when you're talking about royalties,’ Raugust says.

“Conservatives may accuse Big Bird of keeping the dough, but PBS profits are often recycled into PBS programming. Out of Sesame Street's $20 million, says show spokesperson Ellen Morgenstern, $13.5 million was poured straight back into Sesame Street, and the rest went toward producing shows like Ghostwriter,” states the article. “And although the Workshop gets about $6 million from PBS, it no longer receives any funding directly from CPB. In effect, this means Sesame Street receives no government money.”

Maybe Babs Boxer didn’t pay close enough attention when Count Count was presenting elementary math lessons.

Her math is so bad, it's scary...

Big green lies...

So much for all those "green" jobs that were going to save California...

Last month, my colleagues on the John Batchelor Show and I discussed how China - through subsidies and economic espionage - has destroyed the solar panel market for much of the rest of the world...especially here in California.

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) meets workers at Solyndra's Fremont-based facilities. Boxer touted her support of green jobs, like the ones being lost at Solyndra, as key to fixing what ails California...

Like most fantasies, this one is coming to a conclusion. It can now be said that we are seeing the beginning of the industry's end here in the Golden State. The worst part is that the federal government, including Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA-D) - who ran on this very issue as a key pillar in her recent campaign - did know/should have known this was happening.

China's now-burgeoning solar panel manufacturing industry benefits from years of economic espionage, illegal subsidies and no environmental regulations to speak of...

"Despite a $535 million loan guarantee from the federal government, Solyndra, a maker of solar panels in the southeast San Francisco Bay Area city of Fremont, will close one of its manufacturing plants, lay off 40 permanent and 150 contract workers, delay expansion plans of a new plant largely financed with the government-guaranteed loan and scale back production capacity more than 50 percent. Despite the hype and tax money, Solyndra seems unable to compete with Chinese manufacturers, whose prices are lower. This is the latest bad news for the company touted by Mr. Schwarzenegger and President Barack Obama as one of the green industry’s supposed shining lights." – Editorial, The Orange County Register, November 11, 2010.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (center) helps break ground for the now endangered Solyndra solar panel manufacturing facility... (photo: Solyndra)

Not only is this news a hit on the industry and the over-hyped notion that green jobs would pull California out of the economic tailspin that it's now it, but it also was a hit on the president's much-touted Stimulus program.

President Barack Obama at Solyndra's Bay Area facility...

"...The US Government's $535 million deal is is the first loan of its type using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and also the first of its type from the US Department of Energy (DOE) since 1980," according to a report at Treehugger.com.

Just great! Not one but two taxpayer-financed fantasies gone bust...

The ad that should have run...

...incessantly.

Ask most people in California - on either side of the political aisle - and they will tell you that Sen. Barbara Boxer's finest hour was not her infamous "Call Me Senator" rant.

While her GOP opponent in the Nov. 2 election, Carly Fiorina, did have one ad on the subject, it ran for just a short time and has since been forgotten.

The ad below, produced by a conservative group, is funny -- and to the point. (David Zucker, he of the "Airplane" and Naked Gun" movies...to name but a few, oversaw this ad.)

This is the ad her team should have run from the start. My guess, if they had, Fiorina vs. Boxer wouldn't be a dead heat right now...

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

Late add/bonus: Zucker explains why he made the video - "I thought an apology would have been appropriate, but to my knowledge, none has ever been made by Senator Boxer. This I find distressing, since apologies from public figures nowadays are the norm. I mean, it’s not as if she texted her junk to Brett Favre. This was just arrogantly insulting an army officer. But I guess that’s okay with her. In the debate with Carly Fiorina, the subject was brought up, but Boxer was quite adept at deflecting it — and still without an apology. Let this video be my apology. Every time I see the public record listing my campaign contribution to Boxer — I wince. I mean, we all have things we’ve done in the past that we’re embarrassed about, but I’d rather have my being restricted to 100 yards away from elementary schools be public knowledge than that $5,000 Boxer campaign contribution." (h/t: Hot Air)

The ad they've been waiting for...

You could hear the bells going off as soon as she said it...

On June 16, 2009, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) replied to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh's courtesy reply of "yes, ma'am," with an outburst that raised more than a few eyebrows. Since then, in e-mails and via call-ins on numerous media appearances, I've heard from pro-Carly Fiorina (U.S. senate candidate, R-CA) supporters who have wondered when Fiorina would make hay with the unflattering clip.

The wait is over...

From the Los Angeles Times:

"A week after her rival, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, aired spots attacking her tenure as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, Fiorina’s first general election ad uses campaign footage from a well-known exchange between Boxer and Army Corps of Engineers Brig. Gen. Michael Walsh at a hearing more than a year ago of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which Boxer chairs."

Boxer's exchange with the general:

"In the brief clip used by Fiorina’s team, Boxer has interrupted Walsh after he’s addressed her as ‘Ma’am’: “You know, do me a favor. Could you say ‘Senator’ instead of ‘Ma’am’? It’s just a thing. I worked so hard to get that title, so I’d appreciate it,” Boxer says to Walsh.

“Twenty eight years in Washington, and Barbara Boxer works hard for a title?” Fiorina says into the camera with a quick raise of her eyebrows. “I’ll really go to work — to end the arrogance in Washington.”

The Fiorina ad:

Was it worth the wait? Will it "move the dial" for Fiorina? We'll know in just a few weeks...

The "Not-So-Golden State"

The news from California isn't getting better...

The Financially Challenged State: California's governor, the Honorable Arnold Terminator, tried pressuring the legislature - now far behind the statutory deadline - into finally passing the annual budget. He did so by attempting to place more than 200,000 state employees on minimum wage (at a little over $7 per hour). According to the Associated Press, "A judge on Friday declined to force the state controller to comply with an order by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to pay state workers minimum wage while the state remains without a budget." The guv has promised to keep the heat on by appealing to a higher court. No word if he ended his statement with, "I'll be back."

The Overcrowded State: California has long felt the pressures of illegal immigration, and during this time of economic downturn the friction is even greater. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday will order 224 California National Guard troops to the border with Mexico, fulfilling an earlier commitment to President Barack Obama. In May, Obama launched a plan to deploy 1,200 National Guard troops to the southwest border, alarmed by a tide of smuggled drugs and immigrants and pummeled politically over illegal immigration. Schwarzenegger earlier pledged California’s full cooperation with federal initiatives to secure the border and attack the narcotics trade. 'This is just the beginning,' Schwarzenegger said last month. 'We must find a more permanent solution to our broken immigration system.'" Is there an Arizona anti-illegal immigration bill for California in the wings?

Backing away...

Add illegal immigration: The Sacramento Bee reports that GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman looks to be doing a 180 on previous statements. "Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is backing away from a key immigration proposal she advanced in this spring's competitive GOP primary after farmers and other business interests expressed displeasure with her idea. As she campaigned this spring, Whitman said she would send state and local officials into California businesses to look for illegal immigrants – her own version of federal immigration workplace inspections. But her campaign now says she would wait to act until the federal government institutes a 'fail-safe' way for employers to verify workers' status – an effort that has been more than a decade in the making." Looks like we might be getting a sequel to that last Hollywood flop, "The Governator."

In a Disagreeable State: What's the outlook for California's economy? Depends who you ask. On one hand, you've got three-term U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) - who is angling for a fourth - telling everyone that "clean and green" (jobs) are going to save the state. On the other hand, you've got U.S. Senate-hopeful Carly Fiorina (R), her challenger and the highest ranking female CEO (ever), bringing reality to the mix. According to a piece in the LA Times,"For Sen. Barbara Boxer and her opponent Carly Fiorina, the battle in the next four months may be over two Californias: whether the state is a gloomy place where businesses are still struggling to survive or one that is about to turn the corner and become the bustling hub of the clean-energy economy." Perhaps Sen. Boxer should ask her how her thinking on green-and-clean has worked out for Spain and Germany.

Is the thought half-full or all the way empty?

Add California jobs: "California job climate stagnant in June"...

Serpentine (or is it a case of "rocks for brains?")

Finally (for now), "this state's got rocks in its head": In a state with a current budget deficit topping $20 billion and with unfunded liabilities in the range of $650 billion-plus, you'd think state lawmakers would focus on important, pressing matters. State Sen. Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) is taking on this charge by trying to eliminate one of California's greatest threats - the state rock...aka: serpentine. A San Francisco Chronicle story explains that, "Serpentine is a metamorphic rock that...can be found in the Sierra Nevada foothills and in 42 of California's 58 counties. It was often found by miners near gold deposits. Fire-resistant chrysotile asbestos is one of 20 minerals that can often be found within the rock. Considered a wonder substance in the 1960s, asbestos was mined extensively for use in building construction, household appliances and for insulation. In 1965, lobbyists for the makers of asbestos products were among those who urged state legislators to recognize serpentine as the state rock. Romero sponsored the [new] bill - which would eliminate not only serpentine, but the entire state rock category - because, she said, California has the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths in the nation and it is inappropriate to celebrate the source of that disease. 'This isn't against serpentine. It's about asbestos,' Romero said. 'Why in a health-conscious state like California do we have a state rock that is related to asbestos? This is a teachable moment. It's time to be sensitive to the fact that people suffer and die from this substance. It's time to drop the rock as a symbol.'" Geologists, scientists, medical professionals and others all say serpentine poses absolutely no threat to anyone's health, whatsoever. But as they say in Sacramento, "never let facts stand in the way of politics."

Surprised/not surprised...

Just a few quick notes regarding recent developments here at home and around the world…all worth paying attention to…

A report in the Wall Street Journal details the further deterioration of the situation in Afghanistan. In a story that seems more farcical than real, officials have revealed that “U.S. Support for Power Plant in Afghanistan Benefits the Taliban.” It goes on to say that, “Since U.S.-funded repairs of a turbine at an Afghanistan power plant doubled its capacity in October, nearly half of the total electrical output has flowed to districts where the Taliban administer the grid, Afghan officials say.” Apparently, the Taliban doesn’t have to win this fight – we just have to keep shooting ourselves in the foot.

And you thought your utility company was tough...

From close behind to edging ahead: According to Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, “A new SurveyUSA poll in California finds Carly Fiorina (R) edging Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 47% to 45%, a lead which is within the poll's four point margin of error. Key finding: The poll found twice as many Democrats cross-over to vote Republican as Republicans who cross-over to vote Democrat in the race.” Likewise, Goddard adds, “A new SurveyUSA poll in California finds Meg Whitman (R) leading Jerry Brown (D) by seven points among likely voters in the race for governor, 46% to 39%. Key finding: Whitman gets 77% of Republican voters, while Brown gets the support of 64% of Democrats. Independents break by a 5-4 margin for Whitman.” Suddenly, a whole bunch of folks are sitting up and paying attention…

Leading ladies...

Out of touch? Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) had an, um, “interesting” reply when asked about illegal immigrants working in his home state by a reporter from the Las Vegas CBS affiliate. "When you go to the unemployment office there's many U.S. citizens who are unemployed construction workers and they don't have jobs because right now, some of those construction companies find it easier to hire undocumented workers," said Reporter Nathan Baca. "I think that any information you have in that regard is absolutely without foundation," responded Reid. "That may be someplace, but it is not here in Nevada." You can see the report here.

Losing touch...

RIP: George Steinbrenner, the bête noire of every Red Sox fan (and decent human being) passed away today. He was 80. We won’t bother with an obit – that’s what print guys get paid to do. Instead, here’s the one great thing he did:

The weekend wrap...

It's the end of another week chock full o' news. Here's a collection of items sure to be making news in the days and weeks to come:

First...radio reminder: I'll be on tonight at 6:15 p.m. (PacTime) with guest host Simon Constable on the John Batchelor Show. (Check local listings for details.)

It’s about time: President arrives at Gulf, rolls up his sleeves. (Yahoo!News/AP via Drudge Report) / Btw, he “knew from the beginning that oil leak would likely last months” (Hot Air)


Drawing a line in the sand?

[Nancy] Pelosi defends plan for creating jobs - House speaker touts the economic stimulus and derides its Republican critics at an appearance in San Francisco. (SF Chronicle) Hey, if this is how you "cure" unemployment, why not just give everyone a federally funded job and declare full employment?! In a related story, Hiring Recovery Sputters - The economy added 431,000 jobs in May, nearly all from census hiring. The private sector added only 41,000 jobs. The unemployment rate fell to 9.7%. (Wall Street Journal) / Government Jobs Account for 95% of Job Increases (Bloomberg)


Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explaining economics to the masses...

That whole “global warming will cause the seas to rise and cover islands” thing…yeah, not so much. (The Australian) / Shape-shifting islands defy sea-level rise (New Scientist)

Look out, Babs, here she comes: Fiorina surges ahead in GOP senate race - The Hewlett-Packard CEO has a 15-point lead over South Bay Rep. Tom Campbell, according to a Field Poll. (SF Chronicle) / Three days before primary, Fiorina dialing in on Boxer (LA Times)


Carly Fiorina (left) vs. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer - here comes the fight...

Speaking of California/business as usual in Sacramento: State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass skips Capitol meetings but collects per diem payments. (LA Times) And people (don't) wonder why the Golden State is in the fix it's in...

Clap on, clap off…the Clapper: Obama to Name Retired General to Top Spy Post - The prospect of Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper Jr.’s nomination had drawn mixed reactions in Congress, where some argue the position should be for someone from outside the military world. (NY Times) / Lawmakers uneasy with DNI pick (Politico)


Lt. Gen. James R. (The) Clapper Jr...

Finally, putting all other news, snarkiness and such aside, we take time to recognize that today the world is diminished. Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden died at 99 last night. "Basketball coach won 10 national championships - His accomplishments during his 27-year tenure with the Bruins made him one of the greatest coaches in sports history. He also created the 'Pyramid of Success' motivational program." (LA Times)


Coach John Wooden - and what mattered...

LA Dodgers' announcer Vin Scully broke into last night's broadcast to report on Coach Wooden’s passing (quoting Shakespeare): “His life was gentle; and the elements so mixed in him, that Nature might stand up, and say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN!”

More (spirited) radio...

This afternoon, I’ll be on Dave Congalton’s “Big Broadcast” beginning at 4:30 p.m. (PacTime). We’ll discuss the recent poll numbers in the California GOP governor’s race – currently, they show Meg Whitman holding a seemingly unbeatable lead over her opponent, Steve Poizner. We might also get into the local race to fill recently appointed Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado’s seat in the state senate. If you’re on the Central Coast, you can listen to Dave’s show on KVEC-AM 920 (or anywhere else via KVEC’s website).

The formidable Dave Congalton...

And tomorrow night (Saturday), just after 6 p.m. PacTime, I’ll be joining guest host Simon Constable on the John Batchelor Show. The topic de jour will be the political races in California, with a special focus on the probable Carly Fiorina (R) vs. Barbara Boxer (D) race for the Boxer’s seat in the U.S. senate.

The GOP probables: Meg Whitman (left) and Carly Fiorina...

You can listen to the show at WTTK-FM 96.9 Boston, WABC-AM 77 NY, WMAL-AM 630 Washington, D.C., XM/Sirius Satellite Radio and on more than two dozen other stations (check local listings for details). If you’re not in one of the broadcast areas, you can tune-in via any of those outlets’ websites.

The redoubtable (Simon) Constable...

And as always…thanks for listening...

LATE ADDITION: I just found out that I’ll be on The John Batchelor Show this Sunday evening at approximately 9 p.m. (PacTime) to discuss Tuesday's primary elections, polls and whatnot here in California. In addition to the stations listed above for Saturday night's appearance, you can also hear the show - Sunday thru Friday - in Northern California at KSFO-AM 560 San Francisco.

California, here it comes...

What could California look like in a couple years? Maybe even the U.S.? Have you seen what’s been going on in Greece, lately? (And just around the bend – Portugal, Spain, Italy, etc.) For now, the “European Aid Plan Propels U.S. and Global Markets,” but it’s just kicking the can down the road…


Coming to a California street near you?

Add Greece: "What we're seeing in Greece is the death spiral of the welfare state, and virtually every advanced nation, including the United States, faces the same prospect."

As Tim Cavanaugh writes: “California: The American Greece -What do Europe’s most bankrupt nation-state and America’s most bankrupt united state have in common, aside from being bankrupt? In what is undoubtedly a coincidence noticed only by free-market fundamentalists, it turns out that Greece, that sun-drenched paradise on the Aegean, and California, that sun-warmed El Dorado on the Pacific, are the worst places to do business in their respective economic zones. . . . The insidious thing about an unfriendly business climate is that it takes a long time for the effects to show up in the government’s inability to pay its bills. So long, in fact, that when the sovereign bankruptcy comes, it’s easy to draw the conclusion that tax rates are too low. Both California and Greece are going through a variety of this type of denial right now. But with the governor of California and the prime minister of Greece both promising to turn over a new leaf, this is a good time to remember that you can’t take people’s money if you prevent them from making money in the first place.”

Speaking of things going badly in California: To no one’s surprise at all, “expect a bad-news budget Friday – [Gov. Arnold] Schwarzenegger's revised plan likely to include ‘harsh spending reductions’ after revenues come in far below projections.”


He's a funny, funny man...

Add Schwarzenegger: "I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend. But with my accent, I was afraid they would try to deport me” (quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, at a graduation speech at Emory University.)

Elsewhere in California: while the state continues to drown in debt, the boondoggle known as the “California High-Speed Rail Project” clips right along – despite the fact it will never roll. The latest news – the director of the effort will in all likelihood be pulling down in excess of $400,000 per year. Meanwhile, state unemployment figures rose last month and the budget deficit is now approaching an estimated $40 billion…


California's High-Speed Rail: look carefully - this is as real as it will ever get...

Meanwhile over on Spring Street (address of the L.A. Times): The newspaper “explains why it will not endorse Jerry Brown, Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner or Barbara Boxer in the primary, saying of the latter ‘she displays less intellectual firepower or leadership than she could.’ Of Poizner, who the paper endorsed for insurance commissioner in 2006, the editorial board writes: ‘Poizner has become an adept baiter of illegal immigrants, state employees, human service recipients and all the rest of the right's imagined evildoers. If he truly believes his new talking points, we're unable to support him now. If he has latched onto them as part of a cynical bid for political advancement, we can't support him now.’”


Meg vs. Steve - clash of the (corporate) titans...

Finally, you've got to wonder where California’s very own Babs has been: “[U.S. Sen. Barbara] Boxer Promotes Wall Street Reform”… (Nothing like a day late and a few billion dollars short, eh?)...


She wants you to call her "senator"....


Hat tip/sources: NY Times, San Francisco Chronicle/SFgate, LAObserved.com, KCBS, Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, the Atlanta Constitution-Journal, Reason, Instapundit, CBC, Moonbattery.

Are the stars aligned?

California's elections are not far off, but the stars may already be lining up that could spell big changes...

Yesterday, a ballot measure designed to toss California's recently approved Proposition 8 (prohibiting same-sex marriages) died on the vine. For lack of the needed number of petition signatures, the repeal failed to qualify for the November ballot. While the movement isn't dead, it is on ice for at least a couple years. More immediately, this could spell big troubles for U.S. Barbara Boxer (D) and probably Democratic gubernatorial candidate/current state attorney general/former Gov. Jerry Brown (D). While California is a deeply blue state, neither candidate is beloved by party faithful (nor independents). A "progressive" proposition would surely bring more liberal-minded voters to the polls. This turn of events is not good news for Dems...


The battle continues - in 2012? (Photo: LA Times blogs)

While the Dow closed above 11,000, this week, will it last? For the party in power, it had better. But Wall Street ain't Main Street...and Main Street is still hurting. When it comes down to it, voters will always check their wallets - first -before pulling a lever. For the Dems, former Clinton Labor secretary Robert Reich doesn't seem to paint a pretty picture: "The jobs picture still looks Bleak." Which, in a state that still is at or near the top when it comes to joblessness, home foreclosures, commercial real estate problems - and more - voters want to see their personal numbers mirror (if not better) the Dow's.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...er, White House: the president's push for health insurance reform doesn't seem to be helping anyone on either side of the aisle. Support for ObamaCare repeal is at 58% (which, together with a faltering economy, is translating into bad numbers for him - his lowest yet). If the mood persists or worsens, Dem candidates in California - and elsewhere - will need to think about updating their resumes.

Of course, it isn't helping the president's numbers as the personal income of Americans is falling...

Nor is it helping that even the experts are thinking what everyone knows - the recession may not be over...

A bit of advice for California Dems and GOPers, alike: heed the signs.

"The Hindenboxer"

It's become known as "The Hindenboxer."

The YouTube clip (above) is the latest entry from U.S. Sen.-hopeful Carly Fiorina (R) who hopes to not just beat her opponents in the GOP primary come June, but also to unseat three-termer Barbara Boxer come November.

Last month, her campaign launched another YouTube video - "Demon Sheep" (below) - which didn't move her poll numbers but did get her millions of view with one of the best examples of viral web video.

Both spots were created by noted ad man Fred Davis (he created an infamous spot during the McCain-Obama contest) and were done on-the-cheap...relatively speaking.

Word is attendees at the California GOP convention were thrilled with a preview of the clip. Democrats' reactions - less pleased.

How it moves the needle for Fiorina is yet to be seen...

Everything is not hunky dory...

That rise in the Gross Domestic Product might be a “mirage.” How so? “If a scientist or engineer is laid off, does it affect gross domestic product? The third-quarter GDP figures, released on Oct. 29, showed the economy growing at a 3.5% annual pace, breaking a string of four consecutive negative quarters. The growth was driven mostly by a surge in the production of motor vehicles and other manufactured goods. This number was greeted by many economists and journalists as confirmations that the recession is over. What's more, the rise in real GDP, combined with a sharp fall in employment in the third quarter, implies that productivity also soared during the period. Good news, right?” Not so fast.


Cut back on your future at your own risk...

Add GDP Mirage: As friend, blogger and political pundit Russ Snyder put it so well, “Add It's a truism in business that when times are tough, you cut back on coffee and toilet paper, but not on R&D. That's your seed corn. When Apple Computer was on the ropes in the early 1990s (and their stock was around $25), the cut everything BUT R&D, which they INCREASED. Now we have the iPod, iPhone and who-knows-what-else in the pipeline. Companies that were probably going to fail anyway may be cutting R&D, but not the smart ones.”


Yeah, they must be building bridges...

“Last week alone, more Californians filed for jobless benefits for the first time than the number of jobs created by the “stimulus” since it passed nearly nine months ago. The Golden State had largest increase in claims for benefits (of any state) with 5,774 citizens asking for government help after being laid off (H/t Instapundit).

“According to recovery.gov, the “so-called stimulus” created (or saved) 2,260 jobs in the Golden State since the President signed the bill in February. At that time, the Golden State’s junior Senator, Barbara Boxer, heralded Senate passage of the legislation, promising it would ‘put Californians to work. This bill will put Californians to work now building the highways, bridges, transit and rail systems, and renewable energy sources of the 21st century.”

The data show layoffs “in the construction, services and agricultural industries.” So, maybe 2,260 Californians are building bridges for the state. 5,774 fewer are building other things (or otherwise engaging in productive and remunerative activities -H/t for this entire section Gay Patriot.)


Overstating the obvious...

An early progress report on President Barack Obama's economic recovery plan overstates by thousands the number of jobs created or saved through the stimulus program, a mistake that White House officials promise will be corrected in future reports


Maybe they know something...

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, “public option premiums will be higher than private plans.” The story goes on to say, “The public insurance option would typically charge higher premiums than private plans available in the exchange, according to the CBO analysis of the House bill. That surprising conclusion raises doubts about Democratic promises that a government-run insurance plan would provide a lower-cost alternative to consumers. At the same time, it calls into question Republican charges that the plan amounts to government takeover of health insurance -- because only 6 million people would enroll in the plan, according to the CBO.”