While the lemming of Congress tiptoed to the brink of the cliff' they sent taxpayers over, what wasn't extended was the reduction of Social Security withholdings, so middle America will see and feel less money in their paychecks.

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Online headline/story: "Fiscal Cliff: Obama Signs American Taxpayer Relief Act Into Law * Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, signed the bill using an autopen, a mechanical device that copies his signature."-- "signed thr bill using an autopen"? What's he doing... taking a page out of Xpot-US Clinton playbook? Guess when future analysts look back at 'crime', pot-US Obluster can say... "Who me? It depends on how you define "signed". On the other hand, if I have to sign a document away from the receiver's business (bank, real estate, stock etc transaction, they will fax it to me for my signature, I will fax it back. Why is an 'autopen' allowed to sign an official document.... I understand using one to sign fan mail/pictures or even books, but legal documents?

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Only in Washington-ese can both Chambers of Congress, with approval of the president, pass a deficit reduction bill that raise expenditures.

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Online story: "With no bipartisan agreement about the debt ceiling, spending cuts and tax increases in sight, Boehner reportedly pointed at Reid and said, "Go f**k yourself." * "What are you talking about?" Reid asked. * And Boehner again said, "Go f**k yourself." -- Is Reid feigning ignorance? Reid seems to understand 'it' quite well, when pot-US Obluster, Bleep Veep Biden, or Madonna drop the "F-bomb". Oh, maybe it's just a DUMBERat thing... sorta like the "N-word" being OK between blacks.

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al Qaida has posted bounties for killing the US Ambassador to Yemen, and any US soldier there. Wonder if the Saints' coaching staff will recruit al Qaida operatives to play for them?

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HuffPost Science story: ""That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." * It's one of the 20th century's most famous lines, but what if Neil Armstrong lied about when it was composed? * The Apollo 11 astronaut was quoted in a 2005 biography as saying he formulated the line while en route to the moon, NBC News reported. But Armstrong's brother Dean said in a new BBC documentary that it was written long before the astronaut's boots ever touched moon dust." -- Good grief! Who ya gonna believe, 'the man' or his brother? Besides, what does it matter when Neil Armstrong thought about what he would say at the moment? Does the HuffPost think, oops, 'feel' that Academy Award winners gush out their trite "thank yous" on the spot, or have they been thinking about what they'd say if they won?

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Republicans who voted against the Senate bill to avoid falling off the "cliff", and are out shouting they are going to draw a line in the sand about raising the debt ceiling should qualify that by setting a line in concrete, not sand.

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Online story: "Al Jazeera has acquired Current TV, the progressive cable news station co-founded by Al Gore. * Current co-founder Joel Hyatt told staffers that he and Gore were "thrilled" about the deal. * The purchase brings to an end the many attempts by Gore and his partners to make Current viable over its seven-year existence. * The network morphed repeatedly, from a center for short videos to a home for documentary reporting to its last iteration as a staunchly liberal cable news and opinion network. None of the moves proved successful enough. * Host Eliot Spitzer put his finger firmly on the problem earlier in December when he told Fishbowl NY, "Nobody's watching, but I'm having a great time." * Still, the deal could benefit Gore quite a bit. Forbes estimated that the former vice president could make at least $125 million from the sale." -- It used to be that no foreign entity could own a US TV/Radio company... what's happened? Aljazeera (staying in context with "Algore") providing Algore with $125 MILLION (Hope Tipper's lawyers are 'on this') reminds me of when the Saudis were buying up farm land at five time+ its value just so the Saudis could say they owned property.

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There's no comfort in having a Republican majority in the House when only 1-in-3 will stand their ground on major economic issues.

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* Representative Peter King, RINO-NY, was complaining about the House not bringing the Hurricane Sandy relief bill to a vote following the "fiscal cliff" vote. My question is why the Senate sent the House a revision of the bill the House sent over weeks ago instead of just voting for the House version as it was written.

* Online headline/story: "Christie Slams House Republicans On Sandy Aid * "There is only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims: the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," he said. "This is not a Republican or Democratic issue." -- "not a Republican or Democratic issue"? What political BS! Why didn't the DUMBERat Senate just vote on the bill that the Republican House sent rather than 'pork it up' and ping-pong it back? The bill went from $27 Million to $60 Million with the pork the DUMBERat Senate added for unrelated items.

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* Short version of above:

Why didn't the Senate just pass the House version of the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill instead of porking it up and sending it back?

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Online story: "Ann Curry has asked NBC News executives to release her from her contract so that she can accept a "high-profile anchor position" at CNN, RadarOnline reported exclusively on Monday." -- Huh? There's such a thing as a "high-profile anchor position" at CNN"? Larry King was the only "high profile" show on CNN, and when it was stopped for lack of viewers, no one would have known it if Fox didn't annouce what had happened.

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Online quote service: " “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.” ― George Bernard Shaw - Hmmm, obviously Mr Shaw never contemplated the emergence of pot-US Obluster.

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Hmmmm....Northwestern in the Croc Bowl, Northern Illinois in the Fruit Bowl, Louisville in the High Fructose Bowl, unrated Wisconsin in the Flower Bowl... the BCS, Bowl Championship Series, may be earning another name.... after the line-ups in what used to be major bowls, the BCS has become the BSC, B--- S--- Contests.

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From a heads up from a fellow BCer: What do North Korea's Kim Jung Un and pot-US Obluster have in common? How about arrogant community organizers who never met a payroll, never owned a business, never made a budget, and never wore a uniform are now Commander-in-Chief of their country's military. Oh! And they both live in public housing!

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The UN reports over 60,000 people have died in Syria. That's more deaths than America was inflicted with during the Vietnam war. Why are American dollars and weapons and other support being extended to either side?

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As of January 1st, it has become a crime for motorcyclists to " pop-a-wheelie" in Illinois. Hmmm, Illinois doesn't seem to stop thugs from "popping" each other, so I guess motorcyclists don't have much to worry about.

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Passed along from another BCer: The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free Meals and Food Stamps ever, to 46 million people. * Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." Their stated reason for the policy is because "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves." * This ends today's lesson in irony.

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Online story: "The FBI, CIA and other intelligence agencies _ but not the White House _ made major changes in talking points that led to the Obama administration's confusing explanations of the attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, a Senate report concluded Monday." -- Hmmm, the DUMBERat Senate has concluded that the White House has no clue of what's going on past the driveway... You know, this Senate would conclude that "the DON" of the mafia has no clue on who ordered what 'hit' and when. Oh, BTW, the committee was headed by retiring Independent/DUMBERat Joe LIE-berman of Connecticut, and RINO/DUMBERat Susan Collins od=f Maine.. two "concervative strongholds" (wink, wink).

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L-E headline: "Despite fiscal deal, taxes to rise for most * Policy center: 77 percent will face higher taxes in 2013" -- 77%... isn't that like 77 times the 1%?

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L-E story: "Gunfire at the 2102 Cusseta Road nightclub left 24-year-old Charles Foster dead and five others with non-life threatening injuries. Many of those wounded were young men 16- and 17-years-old. * Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, who also serves as the city’s public safety director, said an investigation is underway to make certain the owner of the nightclub was in compliance with requirements of the law to have a business license." -- "Many of those wounded were young men 16- and 17 years-old"? Mayor Obamalinson's powers of observation must be in doubt about now.

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From above story: "(The Rev. Willie) Phillips, 52, said the club has been a magnet for criminal activity even when it was called the Boom-Boom Room. As president of Winterfield on the Move Against Drugs, Phillips said the neighborhood group frequently protests against the club during weekend marches at Brown Avenue and Cusseta Road. " -- Excuse me, but why should another similar club be allowed to re-open at a site that has been shut down for illegal activities?

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Liberal's L-E "soundoff": "Some maniacal right-wing members of Congress would rather allow a=every American citizen's taxes to rise than to see a single millionaire pay a nickel more." -- Guess this liberal is not among the 77% of American citizens who are working and have just had their paychecks reduced by the removing the Social Security reduction...

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Another liberal's L-E "soundoff": "Charlie Harper says he's concerned about debt relative to GDP. The number he omitted was the miniscule 1.16 percent of GDP corporate America pays in taxes." -- First, since when are taxes considered part of the GDP? That said, what this lib, and liberals in general, do not understand that is when corporate America is struggling with growth, the GDP flounders and the job market stagnates then declines.

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L-E pic:

"A Waffle House is under construction behind the Grand Reserve Apartments just off of Highway 431 in Phenix City on Wednesday." -- Hmmm, this is what happens when you don't have common sense zoning laws. Reckon the renters with this "view" have a case for getting out of their leases? Reckon the Apartment owner has a case against Phenix City for depreciating its value?

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L-E story: "A Georgia sheriff has taken office with the start of the new year, desiye facing a felony indictment. * Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill took office on New Year's Day reclaiming the office he lost in 2008." -- Washington, D.C. has its Marfion Berry, and Atlanta has its Victor Hill. God help us all.

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L-E headline: "Writers rethink words for big screen" -- Considering how the education system has dumbed-down the S.A.T's, "english" grammar, incorporated remedial classes as college mainstays, and allows the president to sign legal documents with an autopen, I guess writers have to replace meaningful words with 3-letter ones so their audience won't be lost after the first sentence.

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L-E headline: "Snakes hope to see injured players start to return to ice" -- Pathetic! If I was the Columbus Cottonmouths' owner (or even coach or trainer), I wouldn't want my players to return to the ice 'injured'; I'd want them to be healthy.

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* Before anyone thinks I erred about the Hurricane Sandy bill facts, remember, all funding bills MUST originate in the House... a Senate funding bill is just Harry Reid playing with ignorant voters and media types.