A Modest Proposal to Reform the Congress

You know how it is when you’re watching a slow-motion train wreck – Britney, say – and just when you are absolutely convinced it can’t get any worse… it does? 

Congress has an approval rating of 21%. And when I heard that Harry Reid is actually discussing plans to sneak single-payer, National Health Care legislation not only past the will of the people, but sneak it past the lower house of Congress by attaching it as a rider to a completely unrelated bill… 

…Well, that is an act of such unremitting and bastardly sinfulness that it simply has to be addressed. 

Click Image to Play

I take a look at the four Senators and twenty-something Representatives currently under ethics investigations of one kind or another, and present to you, the American people, my Modest Proposal to get government back in the hands of the governed. 

I’ll save the details for the video, but suffice it to say that the Whittle Plan, at $935,000,000 is not exactly cheap, but it is definitely a bargain at .0003 of the Federal Budget for 2008.  (more…)

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Tags: Chris Dodd, Congress, KKK, Robert Byrd, Senate
Posted Oct 19th 2009 at 5:03 am in Featured Story, Politics, Video | 24842686 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bwhittle/2009/10/19/a-modest-proposal-to-reform-the-congress/A+Modest+Proposal+to+Reform+the+Congress2009-10-19+12%3A03%3A03Bill+Whittle

NRO: Statement From NEA Chairman a ‘Schoolboy’ Defense

Lynne Munson, former Deputy Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, writes at the Corner:

NEA chairman Rocco Landesman, who was confirmed by the Senate on August 7 and began serving the day after his agency organized its now-infamous conference call, may be an excellent Broadway producer. But he’s still struggling to find his voice as a public servant.

Rocco Landesman

As evidence, let me cite his statement on the conference-call matter, issued yesterday. For readers who might be jumping into this discussion for the first time: This call, organized and participated in by the NEA using agency (in other words “taxpayer”) resources, asked some 75 artists to use their talents to promote a huge portion of President Obama’s domestic agenda. Two days later, 21 arts organizations endorsed Obama’s health-care plan. According to the Washington Times, those groups received $2 million in NEA grants during the four months leading up to the call.

(more…)

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Tags: Lynne Munson, nea, rocco landesman, Senate, Washington Times
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 8:26 pm in Art, Politics | 23438627 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/09/23/nro-statement-from-nea-chairman-a-schoolboy-defense/NRO%3A+Statement+From+NEA+Chairman+a+%27Schoolboy%27+Defense2009-09-24+03%3A26%3A29Big+Hollywood

BREAKING: GOP Senators Request Explanation From NEA Chairman Regarding Possible Violations of Federal Law

Press release from U.S. Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee:

Enzi Leads GOP HELP Committee Inquiry
Into Alleged NEA Political Activity

 WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today led his fellow Republican HELP Committee members in requesting an explanation regarding possible violations of federal law at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  Enzi and his colleagues sent the request to NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. 

In the letter delivered today the Senators questioned the possibility of “taxpayer dollars to engage in lobbying activities to promote the President’s health care legislative agenda and other legislative priorities” during several August conference calls with NEA grant recipients and community stakeholders.

The letter also raises serious questions regarding how the NEA’s participation in these calls may have violated federal criminal restrictions on lobbying Congress, the Hatch Act, appropriations restrictions on spending funds for such purposes and possible contradictions with the entity’s mission under its authorizing statute.

“…The promotion to NEA grant recipients of topics that are at the top of the President’s legislative agenda and urging a call to action creates a serious conflict of interest,” wrote the Senators.

The full text of the letter to Landesman is below: (more…)

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Tags: education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, nea, rocco landesman, Senate
Posted Sep 23rd 2009 at 3:02 pm in Art, Featured Story, Political Humor | 23389454 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/09/23/breaking-gop-senators-request-explanation-from-nea-chairman-regarding-possible-violations-of-federal-law/BREAKING%3A+GOP+Senators+Request+Explanation+From+NEA+Chairman+Regarding+Possible+Violations+of+Federal+Law2009-09-23+22%3A02%3A56Big+Hollywood

Jenny Sanford for Senate

The schadenfreude of the new left over the public unraveling of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford suggests that when it comes to the issue of public officials and private morality, they are possessing of a particularly twisted logic, to say nothing of a rather short memory. It was not long ago that liberals were passionately arguing that it was only sex and that of course any self-respecting man lies about sex. In full voice they sang the immortal words of Tina Turner, “What’s love got to do with it?”

It was even more recently that San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom (D) confessed to having an affair with the wife of his campaign manager and good friend. Senator Diane Feinstein’s (D-CA) response? “Look, we all make mistakes.” Sanford’s indiscretion is greeted by the left with derision (and with censure by South Carolina Republicans); Newsom is now running for Governor.

How can this be? Is it an aversion to the idea of any objective moral standard? A different philosophy in the requirements of leadership? One can certainly assign a portion of it to the new liberal maxim- embraced by the mainstream media-that conservatives are evil while liberals are good. Blame the rest on the left’s tendency to confuse principles with men. (more…)

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Tags: Jenny Sanford, Mark Sanford, schadenfreude, Senate, South Carolina
Posted Jul 13th 2009 at 10:51 am in Politics | 18216241 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jphillips/2009/07/13/jenny-sanford-for-senate/Jenny+Sanford+for+Senate2009-07-13+17%3A51%3A34Joseph+C.+Phillips

The Republican Bipartisan Myth

Shangri-la and Brigadoon and Bipartisan.  Three mythical places.  One of which few Republicans have seemingly ever heard.  Because if there is one thing we can take from the first weeks of the “New” Washington, it’s that the (liberal) Democrats are incompetent (old news, really) and the Republicans are disingenuous when it comes to bipartisanship.  Oh, sure, they talk up the swellness of President Obama every chance they get.  And will continue to do so as long as his approval numbers are above fifty percent.  But most GOPers tend to become like children who dance hysterically in a sandbox when it comes time to play with others.

Despite all the sit-downs Obama had with the Republicans – apparently too many for Speaker Pelosi’s tastes – and despite the fact that the House version of the Stimulus Bill contained specific tax breaks for which the Republicans had asked – though not to the degree they wished – not a single GOPer would break ranks, step up and vote for the bill.  A surprisingly “my way or the highway” attitude for the minority party whose eight years of good cogitating was a major factor in whipping America into the stellar fiscal shape we find ourselves. (more…)

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Tags: Barack Obama, Democrats, Economy, Gov. John Lynch, house
Posted Feb 14th 2009 at 6:45 am in News, Politics | 50394229 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jridley/2009/02/14/the-republican-bipartisan-myth/The+Republican+Bipartisan+Myth2009-02-14+14%3A45%3A20John+Ridley

Re: What’s Not to Like: Gillibrand

I had the privilege of interviewing Rep. Gillibrand for a documentary currently in the works. Barely knew who she was at the time, but by the end of the interview, I knew she was going places. Smart, sharp, personable — and even better-looking in person. One of the more impressive congressional members I’ve ever met. The fact that she is a fiscal conservative who voted against the bailout should hearten us all.

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Tags: gillbrand, Senate
Posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 1:06 pm in Politics | 2908556 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/aleigh/2009/01/23/re-whats-not-to-like-gillibrand/Re%3A++What%27s+Not+to+Like%3A++Gillibrand2009-01-23+21%3A06%3A36Andrew+Leigh

What’s Not To Like: Gillibrand

Not to focus too much on aesthetics in politics (and as someone who’s written about the illusion that beauty is goodness, I’m neither applauding this nor making judgment on her qualifications, which I haven’t even read up on), but if you’ll forgive the pun, even Gov. Paterson has an eye for what works. Lovely and apparently NRA endorsed….ladies and gentlemen, meet: The Palin Hunter.

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Tags: gillibrand, new york, Senate
Posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 12:09 pm in Politics | 2886150 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jude/2009/01/23/whats-not-to-like-gillibrand/What%27s+Not+To+Like%3A+Gillibrand2009-01-23+20%3A09%3A23Jude

Al Franken: Failing Forward

Here in the frigid, overtaxed state of Minnesota, we know one thing about Al Franken… he’s persistent. I’d even venture to say he won’t be waiting for The One to finish out his term and run for a second as President. Franken will go for the gold in 2012. Even if Obama manages to get the Democratic votes for the nomination the next go ‘round, Al’s going to take it anyway. And if you don’t believe me, just look at his history.

Al Franken persisted as a comedian for decades. Hell, they still refer to him as a “comedian” in the papers. He spent years writing, performing and radio-show hosting as a comedian. The guy managed to do this despite the handicap of a complete and total lack of comedic ability (and, for the record, ideology doesn’t trump comedy for me… I’m a huge Carlin fan and cite Kevin Smith as my reason for giving this business a go). Franken’s career has led me to imagine a skinny, 90lb kid with asthma who wants to be a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has no skill, no size, no talent. But he makes it  – and though he’s never made a tackle, he is widely credited as one of the NFL’s all-time greats. A hero!  But Franken is a hack. (more…)

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Tags: Al Franken, Elections, Minnesota, Norm Coleman, Senate
Posted Jan 23rd 2009 at 5:15 am in Celebrity News, News, Politics | 2660182 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/mwilson/2009/01/23/al-franken-the-next-president-of-the-united-states/Al+Franken%3A+Failing+Forward2009-01-23+13%3A15%3A57Michael+Wilson