Debbie Bosanek – the famously overtaxed and underpaid secretary of billionaire Warren Buffett will make her national debut Tuesday night as she joins First Lady Michelle Obama in her box to watch the President deliver the State of the Union Address.  Her appearance all but guarantees the president will spend a substantial portion of the speech (campaigning) discussing the inequities of the current tax system.

I know I’ve said this before, but I really don’t get the whole Warren Buffett’s secretary is taxed at a higher rate than Warren Buffett business on any level.  If the guy thinks her pay/tax burden is so offensive, why the hell doesn’t he just pay her in the same manner in which he is paid?  And if it’s really about Buffett not paying enough in taxes, why the hell doesn’t he simply cut a check to make up the difference?

Senate Majority Leader popped by to see his old pal David Gregory Sunday on Meet the Press and decided to use the opportunity to clear up a few things.  First, the Tea Party is fading and losing influence as the “economy improves.”  That was two – just in case you missed one.  The Tea Party is losing its significance and the economy is getting better.

But wait, it gets better.  Harry Reid also says that Republicans have engaged in what he refers to as “Obstructionism on steroids.”  You see, it’s their fault that this Congress is destined to go down as one of the most incompetent in history.  It has absolutely nothing to do with his leadership of the Senate, of course.

So, yes… those muscle-bound Republicans have obstructed his party’s initiatives and have made their primary objective – making President Obama a one-term president.  Remember that line?  Like anyone could ever forget it.  It’s been and will continue to be the go-to line of Re-Elect Obama aka Blame Republicans for My Suckiness 2012.

Here’s the video with the rest of it.  Watch at your own risk.  I assume no responsibility for the sadness that will no doubt overcome you when you realize this is the man that successfully managed to help outwit Republican leadership to bring us ObamaCare.

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White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley will step down from his post as the President’s top adviser and will be replaced by Office of Management and Budget Director Jacob Lew; but will reportedly stay on until after the January 24 State of the Union Address.  Daley took over the post from Rahm Emanuel who left the White House to run for Mayor of Chicago.  It appears Daley, too, will leave leave the Obama White House for a return to the Windy City.  Any chance they need a third for their golf threesome?

The replacement…

From Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin:

“Rumor going around the Hill is that other White House officials asked Daley to play the part of the Mad Hatter at this year’s Alice in Wonderland party because Johnny Depp was unavailable, and he got offended.”

From HUFFPO:

It’s one heck of a slow “news” day, and since I refuse to write about that unanimous consent payroll garbage that is going on in Congress, it’s even slower.  What I’m saying is, this is what we’re left with – President Obama doing some Christmas shopping for the girls and the dog.  He’s a “real person”, remember?

I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but I watched the whole clip – three plus minutes – and it was rather entertaining.  I may be weird, but I love watching the looks on the faces of the Secret Service detail when this or any president embarks on this kind of outing.  I’m fairly certain that there’s nothing they hate (or fear) more than the president rubbing elbows with common folk – unscreened potential threats that is.  Another thing I thought was absolutely hilarious was the fact that two of the three employees the president is seen interacting with are minorities.  I’ve worked many a Christmas in the retail world, so I can just picture some moron from “home office” saying “make sure Johnny or Janie so and so is the one that meets the president.”  Highlighting diversity is a must in that world – even when it comes off looking shameless.

And one more thing.  Screw the press pool for spoiling the surprise on the Christmas gifts.  I know the First Children probably don’t waste that much time following the news of the day, but any kid itching to know what’s going under the tree is resourceful enough to know where to look and when.  Dad’s going shopping… “Hey Sasha, be sure to watch the news later to see what he bought us.”

I can’t say I was all that surprised to hear about this, but the fact that the White House let me hear about this is somewhat intriguing.  The President of the United States has a sit-down with the liberal media establishment… and he /they don’t mind that we know about it…?  Should we be worried; or just happy they’re finally admitting openly that they’re in bed together?

Ezra Klein, Greg Sargent, Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Katrina vanden Heuvel, Frank Bruni, Arianna Huffington, Josh Marshall, Faiz Shakir, and Joy Reid??? At least we know where he keeps getting all of these wonderful ideas.  If that’s an “all-star” panel, I sign me up for the scrub team.

What?  Were the girls from The View busy?

From Jake Tapper at ABC…

It might surprise some of you, but I really don’t have much to say about the “earth-shattering” news that Time Magazine has once again made a ridiculous choice with its “Person of the Year” selection.  I ranted a bit last year when the Facebook tool took the prize; but I think that exercise cost me the ability to care.  You can read the magazine’s explanation of its selection here…  Or if you want a proper reaction to the decision, go here…

All I really have to add is this.  I’ve been doing this whole “blogging” thing for right around two years.  In that time, I’ve learned a few things about politics and a truckload about the “media” and the “business” of covering the “news.”  Part of what I’ve learned is that the “business” side of things drives everything; and the “news” is a creation of the “media.”  Essentially, those in the business of making money by reporting on the news get to decide what is or isn’t in fact – news.

Because of that, it doesn’t at all surprise me that last year – and the year before – that shameless rag overlooked the Tea Party.  Conservatives don’t read that nonsense and hippie liberals don’t want to read about a bunch of right-wingers peacefully “protesting” with permits.

And yes, I know the Time selection also focused on the Arab Spring and the spirit of protest globally.  Truthfully, that’s the angle of this story that makes my head hurt.  First off, Time appears to make the assumption or draw the dubious conclusion that “protest” somehow organically began anew in the United States in or around the 60′s.  I don’t know about you, but to me that assertion is more than a little convenient.  Here you have a magazine blatantly and obviously pandering to the hippie crowd of yesteryear that fancifully dreams and reminisces about its days of getting arrested for purposes unknown or unspoken; are you really all that shocked that they’d also try to  overstate their own historic importance?

But to the Arab Spring and that development somehow managing to find itself tied to the Occupy movement… Even if one buys the narrative that protest is protest – can even the most bleeding heart liberal begin to make a case for how the two protests even remotely share similar objectives?  On one hand you have people protesting to throw off their respective governments; and on the other hand you have a group of misfits defalcating in parks while blogging on their iPads about the perils of big business.  If protest is protest, I want to be included in the supplement for the tantrum I threw at my nephew’s soccer game last month.  I really let that 13-year-old referee have it.

Time Magazine.  Click here if you need a bio and a picture for the follow-up.

When I hear the expression “workplace violence”, I picture a 40-something fat man slashing the tires of a 20-something college grad’s BMW because he took away his stapler and value sized his cubicle.  What I don’t picture is an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist screaming Allahu Akbar as he massacres innocent men and women on a military base.

I guess that’s why I don’t work in the Obama Administration.  I suppose I’m also lucky – if that is, this is what they consider “workplace violence.”

You probably heard rumblings today that former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was bragging about sitting on a cache of “dirt” on her fellow former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.

Newt quickly fired back at Pelosi reminding her that releasing or revealing anything she thinks she has on him would “abuse the ethics process” and violate rules of the House of Representatives.

And then Pelosi walks it back…

What’s the takeaway here?  Pelosi may very well have been taken out of context – or she was simply once again talking out of her arse.  Either way, she’s a moron.  And for those of you that frequent this site, I don’t throw around words like “moron” loosely.  But Pelosi’s a moron; and this story only illustrates what a miserable and vindictive lady she can be.

First off.  If she is sitting on a trove of “dirt” on Newt – as in “dirt” not already in the public record – releasing it would be unethical on about 50 different levels.  Old rules, new rules, House rules, her rules… still unethical even if by some brilliant miracle of Congressional malfeasance, it wouldn’t be an actionable offense.

Second.  Newt Dirt Theory is absolutely lost on me.  His moving to the top of this field is at least some evidence that primary voters are willing to overlook just about anything to avoid having to vote for Mitt Romney.  I mean, come on.  What else could they really have that’s worse than we already know about the guy?  Did he and Mike Vick run a dog clinic no one knows about?  Was he kicking it with Casey Anthony?

Lastly.  Does Pelosi not realize that every piece of “dirt” on Newt that manages to surface between now and November 2012 will now be attributed to her or her office?  Newt said “thanks for the Christmas gift.”  Call me crazy, but I think this Pelosi moment will ultimately turn out to be the gift that keeps on giving.

I can’t say I’m all that surprised, but this story almost managed to slip my radar.  When I read the headline, I immediately assumed that the remarks must have been taken out of context.  Then after a quick trip over to the good old White House website, I unfortunately saw they were not.

Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event

Our kids are going to be fine.  And I always tell Malia and Sasha, look, you guys, I don’t worry about you — I mean, I worry the way parents worry — but they’re on a path that is going to be successful, even if the country as a whole is not successful. But that’s not our vision of America.  I don’t want an America where my kids are living behind walls and gates, and can’t feel a part of a country that is giving everybody a shot.

And that’s what we’re fighting for.  That’s what 2012 is going to be all about.  And I’m going to need your help to do it.

I suppose one could make the argument that the president was simply being a proud and optimistic (good) father here.  In that light, I commend him.  Say what you want out Barack Obama, but he does seem to be a good dad – in spite of his job.

I guess there’s also the practical side of it.  He’s right.  The rest of us may very well be on the fast track to Suckville and Sasha and Malia will probably come out okay. I’m fairly certain “finding a job” will not be on the list of concerns or either of them once they come of age.

That said, is this really what we want from our President?  Do we really want him even flirting with the notion that America’s best days are behind us?  Do we really want him – of all people – going to bed at night worried that the country he will leave to his kids is going to suck worse than the one he presided over?  Is that even possible?

Adam Carolla’s Occupy Wall Street Rant = seven kinds of awesome.  More from me after.  Listen first.  I’m telling you… awesome.

“You took guys who built something, and you said ‘there’s a guy who accomplished something.‘ You didn’t say, ‘that guy didn’t pay his fair share.’ That guy paid millions of dollars last year, and you paid shi*t and you’re pissed at him?”

Just a head’s up. If you’re at work or somewhere F-bombs will be frowned upon, watch this one.  That’s the clean version.  This one is not. (Via The Blaze)

I’m a little late catching up to this one, so my apologies.  I received an email with a link to this thing earlier, but by BlackBerry’s just about as video friendly as were the 40′s.  Maybe it’s time to finally make that switch.

So anyways, loved the rant, right?

Dude nailed it.

I’d break the thing down and analyze it line by line for you; but if you listened to the clip, I think you get the picture.  A guy that’s famous for The Man Show and Loveline, just summed up the frustration millions of Americans feel about the “self-entitled” Occupy A-holes – and he did it in a manner that will lead to it being steamed and shared with millions more as the thing continues going viral.  I don’t know whether this reaffirms my faith in humanity or scares the hell out of me that it took a guy who made “girls jumping on trampolines” an art form to finally speak the truth in a way that will resonate with average everyday Americans.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a civil discussion and an open dialogue about politics and things of importance; but sometimes situations turn on a guy simply saying – enough – and losing it.

“A Bunch of F$$cking Self-Entitled Monsters”

—

Tina Korbe over at HotAir juxtaposes Carolla’s rant and Leon Cooperman’s open letter to President Obama.  As is usually the case with her stuff, it’s slightly more refined than that which is typically offered around here by yours truly.  I was just gonna go with “Hey Wall Street – Wants Some?  Work Some.  Get Some!”