So, the average clunker transaction will reduce US gasoline consumption by 320 gallons per year.

They claim 700,000 vehicles – so that’s 224 million gallons / year.

That equates to a bit over 5 million barrels of oil.

5 million barrels of oil is about ¼ of one day’s US consumption.

And, 5 million barrels of oil costs about $350 million dollars at $75/bbl.

So, we all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million.

How good a deal was that ???

Amen, Brother Keyes!

Throughout President-Elect Obama’s campaign for the White House, he paid a good deal of lip service to being a unifying person who would “reach across the aisle” to bring people together in order to compromise and best resolve the seemingly insurmountable issues that confront our nation without the interference of “partisan politics.”

Wow - how refreshing that sounded… and the message caught fire - igniting one of the most impressive campaigns in American history.

But with Obama’s selection of Rahm Emanuel as Chief-of-Staff, the reality of the Obama Administration is coming into focus; it’s Barack’s way or no way.

For the uninitiated, Rahm Emanuel once stood up and pounded a steak knife into a table screaming “DEAD! DEAD! DEAD!” while rattling off names of Clinton foes following the 1996 campaign (source).  He sent a dead fish to a former colleague who had pissed him off.  I mean, there are crazy people in Congress (you could easily drop about any Ted Stevens reference here to prove that point), but Rahm takes it to a whole new Godfather-esque level.  This guy is just off.

Couple that powder-keg demeanor with the fact that Rahm ran Freddie Mac from 2000-2001 during a period of constant scandal regarding campaign contributions (source).  Oh, and he’s a product of the Chicago political establishment - which should raise a red flag or at least an eyebrow.

Beady-eyed, five-headed Liberal pundit Paul Begala described Emanuel as having “a big old pair of brass balls,” and that he is “just what the Democrats need to fight back.” (source).

Fight?  Wow - that seems like **gasp** more of the same!

That’s right - while disparaging the current Administration’s strong-arm politics, (and for good reason), the reality is that the next one will be just as bad… only the Obama Administration will be so far to the left that we’ll think LBJ  is back in the White House.

And to add insult to injury, now President-Elect Obama has decided to deride former First Lady Nancy Reagan by making an offhanded remark about her rumored consultation with “spiritual advisers.”  (source)  Nice work there Hussein - take a shot at arguably one of the greatest Presidents in history via a rumor involving his wife.

I guess the high ground is a bit much to expect from you, Mr. President-Elect… after all, you spent more money on negative ads than any candidate in history, (source) so why should we expect that you’d have a change of heart now that you are mere weeks away from moving in to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Pass the Hopium - I need a fix…

I sure hope I’m wrong, but that happens so rarely…

In a higher phase of communist society, after the enslaving subordination of the individual to the division of labor, and therewith also the antithesis between mental and physical labor, has vanished; after labor has become not only a means of life but life’s prime want; after the productive forces have also increased with the all-around development of the individual, and all the springs of co-operative wealth flow more abundantly—only then can the narrow horizon of bourgeois right be crossed in its entirety and society inscribe on its banners: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs!

                                                                                                                                    - Karl Marx

The only good thing I see in this is something I just saw on one of the morning shows.  A reporter was commenting that an image of all the presidents was being displayed and Obama’s was added.  The reporter commented to a woman, “You know, 12 of those men owned slaves,”  to which the woman replied, “That stain is washed.”

Yes - we are on the precipice of electing this man to the Presidency.

I weep for America.

I like Joe Biden.  I was pulling for him in the Primaries - but now I see why he was shot down by his party and ultimately had to settle for being the #2 on the ticket.  The funny thing is that people the media focused like a laser on Sarah Palin, mining her interviews for gold nugget gaffes to sabotage the Republicans’ chances this year.  Perhaps if we’d have seen more of this on the air, maybe people would be more concerned with Barack Obama’s VP selection, and the polls would not be favoring the Democrats…

Apparently the Obama campaign issued a juvenile “we’re taking orur toys and going home”-type of response to this interview:

“There’s nothing wrong with tough questions, but reporters have the very important job of sharing the truth with the public — not misleading the American people with false information. Senator Biden handled the interview well; however, the anchor was completely unprofessional. Senator Biden’s wife is not running for elected office, and there are many other stations in the Orlando television market that would gladly conduct a respectful and factual interview with her.”

“This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election.”

That came from Campaign spokesperson Laura K. McGinnis.

Gee Joe… if you can’t stand the heat… don’t try to take over the kitchen!