Criminalizing Debate

Investors.com "Those fighting unprecedented federal expansion appeal to constitutional principles. With Bill Clinton deployed to demonize the Tea Party movement, is it really the Constitution those in power fear? There is something terrifying to Democratic leaders about the flavor and the force of the Tea Party, so on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, they portrayed the group as a bunch of Timothy McVeighs."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/IBDEditorials.aspx

A decade of historic spending increases

Washington Times "The federal budget picture has collapsed over the past decade. In 2000, Washington collected $2.6 trillion, spent $2.3 trillion and ran a $300 billion surplus. One decade later, in 2010, Washington is set to collect $2.1 trillion, spend $3.6 trillion and run a $1.5 trillion deficit (all numbers adjusted for inflation). What happened? "  H/t to Heritage

A 'perfect storm' for socialism

American Thinker " This first storm hit America's shores full-force with the Presidential election of Barack Obama. Today in America, the winds of "hope and change" have grown to form a perfect storm to socialism.".... "Unfortunately, many defenders of liberty and democracy, who clearly identified early storm warning signs, are now being overruled by Obama's administration, while being maligned, ignored and discounted by the liberal media as a bunch of racist Obama haters and conspiracy kooks."  Neil Braithwaite

FDA plans to limit amount of salt allowed in processed foods for health reasons

Washington Post  "The initiative, to be launched this year, would eventually lead to the first legal limits on the amount of salt allowed in food products."  Via Drudge. Then what comes after salt?

The Beholden State; How public-sector unions broke California

City-journal.org     "The camera focuses on an official of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), California’s largest public-employee union, sitting in a legislative chamber and speaking into a microphone. “We helped to get you into office, and we got a good memory,” she says matter-of-factly to the elected officials outside the shot. “Come November, if you don’t back our program, we’ll get you out of office.’ "

Remember Victoria Jackson from Saturday Night Live?

Nealz Nuze "Victoria Jackson interviewed at a Tea Party rally." Video. Do I like this interview? Or not?

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH GOLDMAN SACHS?

Neal Boortz "So .. what's the deal here? Well, you come to the right place for a simple explanation: A simple-minded talk show host." Neal's my go-to guy for making the complex understandable. Three bad actors in this mess: Goldman Sachs, John Paulson and the Obama Administration. Related, by golly: WILL OBAMA RETURN $994,795 IN GOLDMAN SACHS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS?

Cultural Marxism in Education: The Gathering Revolt

American Thinker "Unless sensible parents and teachers put a stop to the indoctrination, today's free speech-crippling political correctness, tolerance of immorality, and lack of knowledge of our country's birth will continue to grow until America is no more. To stop the indoctrination, parents and teachers must understand how cultural Marxism came to permeate school curricula."

The Making of the ‘Ballad of the Tea Party’

Big Hollywood  "It struck me that day, standing on the lawn of the Capitol, that the Tea Party might be more effective if it had a song–not an official anthem, but a singable ballad that could convey the spirit of the Tea Party and what it stood for in a fun, humorous way."  Joel B. Pollak

Greatest. Cartoon. Ever.

Powerline "Is the US turning into a nation of freeloaders? One certainly hates to think so, but there are powerful forces pushing us--lots of us--in that direction. Michael Ramirez captures the phenomenon of the 21st-century freeloader brilliantly. If you're not outraged, you haven't been paying attention."

Obama Must Persuade Israel He's A Friend

Investors.com  "Obama has the right policy — the only policy that makes sense — and Netanyahu is a weak prime minister who heads a shaky coalition. What's missing on Obama's part is not necessarily good intentions but the perception of them. He ought to do what Egyptian President Anwar Sadat did in 1977 to assure Israelis of his sincerity. Go to Jerusalem."   RICHARD COHEN in the "On The Left" column of IBD.