Politics

Courtney health insurance reform meeting in Woodstock tonight

By Steve McGough | August 6, 2009 |

If you can muster the courage, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) is having a Town Hall-type meeting tonight in Woodstock. Look, yelling at these meetings and showing your anger will get the movement nowhere. If you expect the media to “like” conservatives it’s not going to happen. Come with facts and good questions. Your roll should…

Symptom of the Disease: Federal government paying for local cops

By Steve McGough | July 29, 2009 |

Fiscal responsibility is dead. Well, it probably died years ago but can we bring it back? The city of Akron, Ohio – along with other cities in the state – will be able to hire and pay 23 police officers for three years thanks to federal stimulus dollars. Of course, the string is the city…

Symptom of the Disease: Obama not familiar with pending health care legislation – Update: Video Added

By Steve McGough | July 21, 2009 |

Continuing with our Symptom of the Disease series, we’ve got President Obama admitting that he is not familiar with what is included in the current version of the House health care legislation. He has not read it, Congressional leaders don’t read it, party leaders don’t read it. But you know what? Bloggers like our own…

Social Security Administration spends $700,000 on empowerment conference Update: Video added

By Steve McGough | July 16, 2009 |

Yup, just another symptom of the disease. It was imperative that all 675 managers meet in person at the Arizona Biltmore – part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection.

Symptom of the Disease: Federal funding of abortion (5)

By Steve McGough | July 13, 2009 |

Back in April during budget votes, Senate Democrats and a few Republicans got together to block an amendment to the main budget bill to ensure health care providers would not be forced to abort babies and violate their moral and religious convictions. What do you think about taxpayer funded abortion in upcoming health care legislation?

Symptom of the Disease: Stimulus funds directed to Obama counties (4)

By Steve McGough | July 9, 2009 | Comments Off on Symptom of the Disease: Stimulus funds directed to Obama counties (4)

There are plenty of ways writers can spin recent details on how stimulus dollars – at a more than two to one ratio – are being directed to counties who voted for Obama/Biden as compared to McCain/Palin. It’s another sexy story, but just another symptom of the disease.

July 4 Tea Party information

By Steve McGough | July 2, 2009 |

For those looking for Tea Party events in Connecticut this weekend, there are three scheduled on July 4 in Hartford, Norwich and Stratford.

Symptom of the Disease: Senator calls regulators for “updates” (3)

By Steve McGough | July 1, 2009 |

Central Pacific Bank received a $135 million injection of capital from the Treasury Department two weeks after Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) had one of his aides contact the FDIC and ask about an application for TARP funds. Nothing illegal here, but doesn’t it smell rotten? Just another symptom of the disease example.

Symptom of the Disease: Politicians and their investments (Example 2)

By Steve McGough | June 29, 2009 |

For my next Symptom of the Disease example we review politicians and their personal finances. When politicians are involved with the regulation of business, they automatically are privy to a defacto version of insider trading. Cleveland.com reports members of the House Financial Services Committee were buying and selling banking and financial service stocks last fall.

Symptom of the disease: AmeriCorps (Example 1)

By Steve McGough | June 15, 2009 |

I’m starting a new themed series for future posts called Symptom of the disease, in which I will always refer back to this post. The current AmeriCorps story is example one, where it seems Gerald Walpin, the inspector general of AmeriCorps got fired for doing his job a bit too well and stepping on the…