America Hunkers down

Above, the limits didn't help much at the Gallup, New Mexico Safeway. This is their bathroom tissue section. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The national (well, worldwide) hysteria over coronavirus marches on.

Idiots are still hoarding up multiple packages of toilet paper. This is for a 14-day virus that is respiratory, not intestinal. Do you really think you're going to use 50 rolls of toilet paper in two weeks?! Jeez! 

People are being urged to "hunker down" until the virus passes (whenever that'll be) since many stores are changing their hours or just closing down. Many states (New Mexico, for instance) have closed state parks to overnight camping, but allowing day use.

Democrat-run cities are enacting "Emergency Powers" acts allegedly to cope with the virus. Funny thing, these acts are all almost identical. These are nothing less than martial law acts. How is banning gun, ammo and gasoline sales going to help? All this is for a virus that has killed about 50 people in the U.S.

They're going by Rahm Emanuel's motto, "Don't let a crisis go to waste!"

USA Today reported:

The race to get home was in full swing Sunday for Americans abroad amid a national state of emergency and U.S. travel bans that fueled long lines at entry points for some major airports. 

The weekend brought more vitally important news on the coronavirus front: President Trump tested negative for the virus and the U.S. expanded its European travel ban to include the United Kingdom and Ireland. Stores and supermarkets curbed hours or shut down all together. Cities and states tightened restrictions. 

Almost 3,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., with a death toll of more than 50. Globally, more than 150,000 cases and almost 6,000 deaths have been reported. In Hoboken, New Jersey, the mayor has enacted a curfew and ordered restaurants to shut their dining rooms. Walmarts and many grocery stores are limiting their hours. Nike and Urban Outfitters are closing their stores worldwide.

To read more, go here. 

Sen. Gregg Withdraws Due To Policy Conflicts

Republican U.S. Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination for Commerce Secretary today. This caught President Obama completely off-guard.

Gregg is the second Obama Commerce Secretary nominee to withdraw. Governor Bill Richardson, D-NM withdrew after some legal issues surfaced.

Sen. Gregg, in his statement, said:

“However, it has become apparent during this process that this will not work for me as I have found that on issues such as the stimulus package and the Census there are irresolvable conflicts for me. Prior to accepting this post, we had discussed these and other potential differences, but unfortunately we did not adequately focus on these concerns. We are functioning from a different set of views on many critical items of policy."

The stimulus issue is self-explanatory, as many Americans are aware of. But the Census issue is one that not too many people are familiar with.

The Obama Administration, under Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel, is planning to take the administration of the Census Bureau away from Commerce and transfer it to White House direction.

The Wall Street Journal wrote:

Anything that threatens the integrity of the Census has profound implications. Not only is it the basis for congressional redistricting, it provides the raw data by which government spending is allocated on everything from roads to schools. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also uses the Census to prepare the economic data that so much of business relies upon.

There's only one reason for this power grab by the Obama Administration: politics! This would enable them to monkey with Census data to their political advantage.

I am pleased to see Sen. Gregg withdraw for reasons of principle. He made the correct decision.

Rahm Emanuel In Freddie Mac During Scandal

Chief of Staff desigate Rahm Emanuel was on the Board of Directors of Freddie Mac when the firm was hit by a scandal, it has been revealed.

According to ABCNews.com:

President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot "red flags," according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com.

President-elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, served on the board of directors of the federal mortgage firm Freddie Mac at a time when scandal was brewing at the troubled agency and the board failed to spot "red flags," according to government reports reviewed by ABCNews.com. According to a complaint later filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Freddie Mac, known formally as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, misreported profits by billions of dollars in order to deceive investors between the years 2000 and 2002.

Emanuel was not named in the SEC complaint but the entire board was later accused by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) of having "failed in its duty to follow up on matters brought to its attention."

In a statement to ABCNews.com, a spokesperson said Emanuel served on the board for "13 months-a relatively short period of time."

Emanuel was appointed to the Board by Bill Clinton and served there until he resigned in May 2001 to run for Congress.

The Associated Press notes:

Clinton appointed Emanuel to mortgage giant Freddie Mac's board, a post that paid him at least $292,774 in director's fees, according to a financial disclosure report Emanuel filed in 2002 when he ran for Congress. Emanuel served on the board when Freddie Mac misstated its earnings by $5 billion for 2000-2002. When the problem was uncovered in 2003, three top Freddie Mac executives were forced out.

And the Wall Street Journal writes:

Mr. Obama's choice of Mr. Emanuel to lead his White House staff through the economic crisis symbolizes the awkward balancing act that Democrats will face as they reshape the financial industry that they have also cultivated for political support.

Mr. Emanuel earned $16.2 million in a two-year stint working in Chicago for investment-banking firm Wasserstein Perella & Co. He also served on the board of Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant that was nationalized this year in the financial crisis.

It is interesting that Barack Obama seems to surround himself with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae alumns. While Emanuel has not been charged with any wrongdoing, it certainly stinks that people associated (i.e., Jim Johnson, Jaime Gorelick, Frainklin Raines) with the failed two mortgage firms were a part of his campaign or now being selected to be a part of his administration.

It also underscores that the financial meltdown can be laid at the feet of the Democrats.

Obama Choses Thug Emanuel As Chief of Staff

President-elect Barack Obama selected Chicago Thug/Congressman Rahm Emanuel to be his White House Chief of Staff. The COS is in charge of the overall operation of the White House and sets the tone for the administration's legislative and political operations.

Obama said during his victory speech that he will listen to and work with opponents, but Emanuel has a reputation as a political gut fighter who takes no prisoners. When asked about dealing with the GOP, Emanuel said, "F*ck the Republicans!"

House GOP leader John Boehner of Ohio called Emanuel "an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center."

From CNN:

Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Congressman who will be President-elect Barack Obama's White House chief of staff, is "dangerous, absolutely relentless when he's got a political kill in sight," according to an admiring Republican colleague, Oklahoma Congressman Tom Cole. Emanuel is also, President Clinton once told Fortune, "one of the top political minds in Washington," a former ballet dancer who "favors the counterattack over the attack."

From his years at Clinton's side, Emanuel knows his way around the West Wing - and was a critical figure behind the passage of NAFTA. From his years in the U.S. House of Representatives, he knows his way around Capitol Hill - and was the chief architect of the Democrats' 2006 recapture of Congress.

Some "change." It does make sense to. Emanuel will be the "Darth Vader" enforcer to Obama's role as "Sith Lord."