The RoanokeSlant

Roanoke Times, 1/31/09, Pg 6A, Obama’s choice for Pentagon is a defense lobbyist.
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How can that be? Didn’t Obama sign an executive order to preclude lobbyists from serving in his administration after making that one of his campaign promises?
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And Obama’s appointment to Health and Human Cabinet post, Tom Daschle, the former South Dakota senator and leader of the US Senate, apparently received $220,000 from health care groups. And that’s in addition to his lapse in $130,000 in unpaid income taxes.
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Of course Obama just appointed Tim Geitner, the guy who hasn’t paid his income taxes to be Secretary of the Treasury (parent organization of the IRS).
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Apparently not paying taxes, getting a quarter million from advocacy groups and being a lobbyist is not a problem if Obama wants you on his team! So much for campaign promises and executive orders!
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Yet More Change we can believe in?
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Prior Items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2009/01/bill-habla-esponaol-richardson.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-declares-end-of-war-on-terror.html
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2015 Volvo Layouts and Strikes Again
McAuliffe: 2016 Will Be 'Banner Economic Year'; For Volvo-Dublin Not So Much
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2015/12/mcauliffe-2016-will-be-banner-economic.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/28/2009, Pg 1: Volvo to lay off at lest 650 workers
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A large multipage article about the layoffs at the Volvo Dublin Va truck plant.
Not mentioned was the UAW 2008 strike supported with vigor by Jim Webb who eagerly walked the picket lines as part of his campaign game.
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/02/happy-uaw-strikers.html
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Also not mentioned was the 2006 national “clean-air” regulations driving up the cost of engines by 10 thousand dollars.
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/10/hoping-for-payback.html
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Perhaps the UAW union leaders and members who work at Volvo, GM, Ford and Chrysler may someday get the message that we are in a new world-wide economic system that will not support the UAW’s insatiable appetite for never-ending major increases in wages, benefits and work-rules.
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The drop in Volvo Dublin employment from 3170 in Nov 2006 to a projected 1000 by May 2008 should be a wake-up call for all who don’t give a hoot about productivity and business competition and the constraints of worldwide markets.
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/11/deunionize-gm-ford.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/26/09, Editorial: Obama doing good closing GITMO.

Since Obama and staff do not have any plan for what to do with the terrorists at GITMO it appears their best approach politically and legally is to move them to San Quentin.

San Quentin is a good choice because:
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1. It’s within the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit Court – the most liberal Court in the US
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2. It’s in California, the most liberal state in the US.
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3. It’s in San Francisco, the most liberal city in the US
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4. It’s in a state that hasn’t been hit by terrorists and has been far too busy with their own self-indulgence to have noticed what has happened elsewhere. No ill will there!
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5. It’s in Nancy Pelosi’s congressional district which makes it convenient for her to stop by and commiserate with these poor abused children of Allah.
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6. It’s near SFO which makes it convenient to fly these folks to better places. Suggest half go to Oslo Norway and the other half to Stockholm Sweden. Those folks can then ensure they have a pleasant environment in which to do business.
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-declares-end-of-war-on-terror.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-war-expands.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/11/democrats-indicted-judgement-tbd.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/25/09, Pg A3: Study: Antarctica joins rest of globe in warming.
It has ramifications for sea level rise, as scientists had counted on the continent cooling, not warming.
Western Antarctica has warmed at a rapid rate over the past 50 years; eastern Antarctica also has warmed, but more slowly.
Picture of mother penguin feeding young with caption: “region’s climate has warmed by 1 degree since 1957.
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After all this scary lead-in headline hype, if one reads the detail, it was refreshing to see the RT actually printed some reasonable material that puts the above information in perspective:
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1. The research found that since 1957, for the entire continent of Antarctica has risen about 1 degree Fahrenheit, albeit that the temperature is 50 degrees below zero.
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2. The study does NOT point to man-made climate change, acknowledging that some of the effects could be natural variability.
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3. It is hard to make data where none exits. (An included comment on the lack of measuring points and data and veracity of the “study”).
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As a novice skeptic I would add the following:
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1. Most folks acknowledge that we are in a global warming cycle that began in 1750 at the end of the “little ice age”. The three key issues are: 1. What are the causes and 2. What are the effects and 3. Is this a crisis and can man influence it?
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2. The NASA global temperature data base indicates that there has been 1 degree warming in the last 100 years.
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2. The NASA global temperature data base indicates that there was a major 35 years cooling period from 1940 through 1975.
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3. The NASA global temperature data base indicates that there has been no net warming in the last 10 years.
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4. 16,000 years ago the Atlantic Ocean was 400 feet lower than it is today. The Outer Banks were 50 miles east (out to sea) from where it is today. The Atlantic has been rising about 1+ foot per hundred years for hundreds of years (long before man-made anything).
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Having given the supporters of the Gore-hypothesis lots of “good press coverage” perhaps the Roanoke Times will now give some equal coverage to the 2009 International Conference on Climate Change to be held March 8 through 10 in NYC, perhaps not.
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http://www.heartland.org/events/NewYork09/newyork09.html
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Click for global warming insight:
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http://www.roanokeslant.org/GlobalWarmingThoughts/
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/08/250-years-of-natural-global-warming.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/07/g8-current-natural-global-warming.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/24/09, Not a word! The silence of the lambs!
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Can you imagine the Roanoke Times Editorial Staff reaction if George Bush had directly and specifically attacked one of the liberal news figures --- telling key Congressional Democrats that if they wanted to participate in government that they must stop listening to the myriad of left-wing journalists and commentators.
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Is this what the CHANGE is all about?
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This is the new bipartisan approach to government?
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No -- this is clearly the Audacity of Arrogance!
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click for the details:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/23/obama-quit-listening-rush-limbaugh-want-things/
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WASHINGTON -- President Obama warned Republicans on Capitol Hill today (thurs 1/22/09) that they need to quit listening to radio king Rush Limbaugh if they want to get along with Democrats and the new administration.
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Prior Items:
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-declares-end-of-war-on-terror.html
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Today, 1/20/09 was a wonderful day!
There was yet again a peaceful and pleasant transfer of power within the most wonderful and powerful country the world has ever known.
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The GOD and Government wonder of the day is that the crazy and nasty people of the world were not able to do something bad in Washington today! A major thank you to the many security people who devote their lives to our well being, and to the Almighty entity that looks over them.
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I'm sure that the ACLU and their friends and associates and supporters would not give credit to a Divine entity for today's peaceful exchange of administrations, however, those of us who are not as sophisticated and intellectual as those folks, are saying a prayer of thanksgiving for today's peaceful outcome.
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It's clear that God loves ordinary people, because he made so many of us!
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/12/whats-3-12-inches-high-x-9-wide.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/10/take-god-out.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/18/09, Pg Va 1: Farewell column by Shanna Flowers
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Shanna Flowers has indeed been a Rose among the thorns and briar patch of the editorial board of the Roanoke Times.
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Her articles have been fair, balanced and delivered in a professional manner. This is the hallmark of a real journalist who understands that journalism has both great power and great responsibility and strives to achieve an honorable balance.
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I will miss both her message and her smiling image with each article.
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I wish her the best in her new career. I’m sure she will continue to be a Rose wherever she travels and whatever she does.
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Godspeed Shanna!
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With his appointment of Leon Edward Panetta, a purely political operative with absolutely no background in intelligence or homeland security, to be head of the CIA, Obama has declared that the War on Terror is over.

Obama and his Clinton team will apparently revert to the way attacks on our people were handled by Clinton during his term. In fact they may well bring back Jamie (the wall) Gorelick who so proudly generated the Clinton directive that the FBI and the CIA could not collaborate on investigations, thereby allowing the 911 terrorists to enroll in pilot training in Florida.
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/05/cia-director.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/09/waving-that-finger-again.html
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During his introduction, Obama’s challenge to Panetta is to lead the CIA back to being politically correct and in a favorable light with the caring and sensitive people of the human rights groups who have done so much to stop bad things from happening in the world.
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One might have thought the number one priority of the President of the US should be: “Never Again”! No more terrorist strikes against Americans wherever they may be!
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Obama’s next declaration was to close Guantanamo. What a stroke of leadership! No plan on what to do with the folks there who were killing our people, apparently they will just disappear and become nice people.
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Obama’s next declaration was to end military tribunals for terrorists. Apparently the major work done by Congress and the Federal Courts to arrive at a reasonable and just process is not OK. No word on what a replacement might be. Perhaps Judge Ito and the OJ legal system might be available again.
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Obama’s next declaration was to end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military homosexual rule that was put in place by Clinton. Apparently that will substantially enhance our military combat readiness and morale and make the battlefield a more friendly work environment.
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Just the beginning of the change we can believe in! Many of my friends who voted for Obama are already having second thoughts, and he hasn’t even taken office yet!
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Prior Items:
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/06/obama-commander-of-unilateral.html
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Roanoke Times, 1/5/09, Pg 1: Richardson withdraws bid for cabinet. Aides said a grand jury investigation would have delayed his confirmation as commerce secretary.
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No – that’s not it! He was chosen, selected and announced by Obama to be Obama’s Commerce Secretary. He was not at Sotheby’s bidding on anything. And what’s with the “delay”? The guy just might be going to jail – some delay! Who writes these RT headlines and why is it so hard to type “Democrat” for bad news bears and so easy to type “Republican”?
http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/12/can-you-say-democrat.html
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It was noteworthy that he chose to accept the Obama appointment-elect in Spanish several weeks ago. Apparently he didn’t withdraw in Spanish! Wonder why not?
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Click back through these links for a more complete picture of Bill Richardson who was a key Clinton operative and who had a major responsibility for enabling North Korea to become a nuclear-rogue nation at our expense and who totally dropped the ball on American energy independence 15 years ago!
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And he represents Change we can believe in?
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2008/07/oil-problem-cant-be-fixed.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/07/presidential-candidate-pot-man.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/02/should-have-didnt-too-late-now.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2007/01/richardsons-experience.html
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http://roanokeslant.blogspot.com/2006/10/north-korean-nukes.html
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