More federal workers' pay tops $150,000

The number of federal workers earning $150,000 or more a year has soared tenfold in the past five years and doubled since President Obama took office, a USA TODAY analysis finds

Earning double their private counterparts








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"It appears that the FDA thinks that all smokers are ignorant fools,"

Did the Health Police Go Too Far?








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President Obama arrived at the G-20 economic summit confident that his free trade agreement with South Korea was in the bag. But as Chip Reid reports, the president walked away empty-handed after South Korea refused to open its market to U.S. automobiles.

CBS News: Obama’s G-20 Performance an ‘Embarrassing Disappointment’








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Obama's War



Troops chafe at restrictive rules of engagement, talks with Taliban

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- To the U.S. Army soldiers and Marines serving here, some things seem so obviously true that they are beyond debate. Among those perceived truths: Tthe restrictive rules of engagement that they have to fight under have made serving in combat far more dangerous for them, while allowing the Taliban to return to a position of strength.

"If they use rockets to hit the [forward operating base] we can't shoot back because they were within 500 meters of the village. If they shoot at us and drop their weapon in the process we can't shoot back," said Spc. Charles Brooks, 26, a U.S. Army medic with 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, in Zabul province.

Word had come down the morning Brooks spoke to this reporter that watch towers surrounding the base were going to be dismantled because Afghan village elders, some sympathetic to the Taliban, complained they were invading their village privacy. "We have to take down our towers because it offends them and now the Taliban can set up mortars and we can't see them," Brooks added, with disgust.

In June, Gen. David Petraeus, who took command here after the self-inflicted demise of Gen. Stanley McChrystal, told Congress that he was weighing a major change with rules for engaging enemy fighters in Afghanistan. That has not yet happened, troops say. Soldiers and Marines continue to be held back by what they believe to be strict rules imposed by the government of President Hamid Karzai designed with one objective: limit Afghan civilian casualties.

"I don't think the military leaders, president or anybody really cares about what we're going through," said Spc. Matthew "Silver" Fuhrken, 25, from Watertown, N.Y. "I'm sick of people trying to cover up what's really going on over here. They won't let us do our job. I don't care if they try to kick me out for what I'm saying -- war is war and this is no war. I don't know what this is."

To the soldiers and Marines risking their lives in Afghanistan, restrictions on their ability to aggressively attack the Taliban have led to another enormous frustration stalking morale: the fear that the Karzai government, with the prodding of the administration of President Obama, will negotiate a peace with the Taliban that wastes all the sacrifices by the U.S. here. Those fears intensified when news reached the enlisted ranks that the Karzai government, with the backing of senior Obama officials, was entering a new round of negotiations with the Taliban.

"If we walk away, cut a deal with the Taliban, desert the people who needed us most, then this war was pointless," said Pvt. Jeffrey Ward, with 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, who is stationed at Forward Operating Base Bullard in southern Afghanistan.

"Everyone dies for their own reasons but it's sad to think that our friends, the troops, have given their lives for something we're not going to see through."

Other soldiers agreed. They said they feared few officials in the Pentagon understand the reality on the ground.

From the front lines, the U.S. backing of the Karzai government, widely seen as riddled with corruption by the Afghans living in local villages, has given the Taliban a position of power in villages while undercutting U.S. moral authority.

Corrupt government officials have made "it impossible for us to trust anyone," said elder Sha Barar, from the village of Sha Joy. The people of that village and many others profess fear of the Taliban, and recount tales of brutality and wanton killings by the Taliban and their sympathizers. But they don't see the Karzai government as a positive force in their lives.

Karzai said that talks need to continue with the Taliban "at a fixed address and with a more open agenda to tell us how to bring peace to Afghanistan and Pakistan."

But U.S. troops and Marines interviewed during the past month in Afghanistan question what negotiations would really mean, to both them and the Afghan people. And they almost universally believe that negotiating would be a mistake before achieving decisive gains they believe are attainable once oppressive rules of engagement are relaxed.

"What does it mean if we give in to the Taliban? They are the enemy," Brooks said. "This place is going to be a safe haven for terrorists again. The government doesn't care about the sacrifices already made. As far as the mission goes, I want to see these kids go to school and have a future but not at the expense of my friends -- not anymore."

Gates: US open to request from Iraq to stay

The United States is open to the idea of keeping troops in Iraq past a deadline to leave next year if Iraq asks for it, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday.
"We'll stand by," Gates said. "We're ready to have that discussion if and when they want to raise it with us."

U.S. Commander: U.S. Will Be Fighting in Afghanistan in 2014

U.S. Lt. Gen. William Caldwell, the commander of the NATO training mission in Afghanistan, indicated Tuesday that U.S. forces will still be fighting in Afghanistan in 2014. He said current plans aim to have "Afghan security forces in the lead" and U.S. forces in supporting roles by Dec. 31, 2014--more than four years from now.

President Obama has said that U.S. forces will begin withdrawing from Afghanistan in July 2011. But Lt. Gen. Caldwell's statement today indicates that the drawdown will still be in progress three-and-a-half years after it begins.








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Just one more BIG LIE from "imam 0-bomb"!!!!!!!!!!!!
As "imam 0-bomb" is bringing another proven loser to DC to join the regime! canuck jenny, who dug Michigan into a hole they'll never recover from, will move to DC to serve on some agriculture committee, she knows nuttin' about anything agriculture but bull shyt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The long term results of having "imam 0-bomb", a spineless gonadless bumbler in the Whitehouse, are beginning to rear their ugly head!
North Korea is testing the gonadless, james carville said so, twerp with their moves on the South NOW! If "imam" doesn't muster a strong clear response to this war mongering every tin pot in the world will soon be acting up!

"imam 0-bomb" is OUTRAGED, do you hear, OUTRAGED at the actions of the north koreans!
Just heard, the ruthless military leaders in north korea pissed all over themselves when they heard "imam 0-bomb" was OUTRAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like the half honkey all jacka ss has set a new record for travel in Air Force 1. It now costs almost $182G for one hour the operate the plane. His last trip cost $8.7 million just for the plane. He has traveled more than any other president in the same about of time. I wonder if this includes the expense of the wookies travels?

I see Oman got busted in the "chops" with an errant elbow at a basketball game and took 12 stitches. Maybe they should have stitched his lips together and maybe save us frome further embarasment!

WIKILEAKS TURNS ON OBAMA!

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and American ambassadors around the world have been contacting foreign officials in recent days to alert them to the expected disclosures.

The New York Times








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"imam 0-bomb's" ballyhooed freeze on federal raises has a tiny hole in it!
In the next two (2) years federal trough sloppers are going to get a measley $2,500,000,000.00 in raises!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a corrupt regime we reside under!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"imam 0-bomb" whining and shedding crocodile tears because "the Republicans are holding him hostage" but he continues lying like a dog! The over-the-cliff left-wing zealots are even calling "imam" a liar now, are the duped boob RETARDS here the only ones that still believe "imam?"
The Republicans are still vastly out numbered in the congress until January 03,2011, how big will "imam's" tears be when the Republicans actually take over?

Apparently "imam 0-bomb" has never heard the saying, "no man is an island!"
He is stranded by himself now, his regime was forced to send out a missive with the names of five (5) socialist dumbkies that support his stand caving in to the Republicans! The hilarious part is only one (1) is a voting member of Congress!

Most Americans Say They're Worse Off Since Obama Took Office, Poll Shows

More than 50 percent of Americans say they are worse off now than they were two years ago when President Barack Obama took office, and two-thirds believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, a Bloomberg National Poll shows.

Worse Off







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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Grandma / Gpa,

Gene Simmons Military Tribute

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Of all the things I've lost,
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We can now deduce how many spineless left-wingers are afraid to disapprove of "imam 0-bomb" because they might feel like racists.
A whopping 23% of the United States population feels the nation is headed in the right direction! YET "imam 0-bomb's" approval rating is hovering around 40% SO somewhere a little over 17% of the weinies are afraid to say they disapprove of the "messiah"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congress Sends Tax Cut Bill to Obama's Desk

The bill's cost, $858 billion








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Wish you were here!








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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Grandma / Gpa,