...for the other shoe to drop

Crony capitalism is a pejorative term describing an allegedly capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between businesspeople and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.

'Extortion',

outwresting, or exaction is a criminal offense which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection.

Well, that didn’t take long…

Rep Barney Frank (D-Mass.) won a stay of execution on Thursday for a General Motors plant in his district that the automaker had announced it would close.

No other lawmaker has managed to halt the GM ax. As chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Frank oversees the government's bailout program, known as TARP. Frank's staff said the lawmaker spokes with GM CEO Fritz Henderson on Wednesday and convinced him to keep the Norton, Mass. plant open for at least 14 months.

"I greatly appreciate General Motors' willingness to take into consideration the wider needs of the company and especially the community," Frank said in a statement. "Keeping the facility open for this extra time gives workers a chance to look at other opportunities, while at the same time continuing to provide for their families."

Numbers and concepts even this guy would have difficulty grasping

On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.

Mrs. Feinstein's intervention on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was unusual: the California Democrat isn't a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with jurisdiction over FDIC; and the agency is supposed to operate from money it raises from bank-paid insurance payments - not direct federal dollars.

Hand in hand with the frustration expressed by the tea partiers over a lack of fiscal responsibility is a frustration over a complete lack of ethical responsibility.

One of the things that strikes us about modern-day statism/liberalism is that it is bound by a notion that posits that…. since you are not smart or moral enough to handle your own affairs because you are susceptible to the sins of greed, dishonesty and avarice, we or people we designate who are afflicted by the very same human failings will handle your affairs for you.

Since this makes no sense whatsoever, the only thing that squares this circle…the only thing that prevents this from spiraling down a logic wormhole is: Power.

They got it – you don’t – game over.

After taking stock of what has been happening over the last several months with respect to Bailout Nation, the corruption that has been part and parcel to the same and, of course, the most ethical Congress in history, please explain how our contention regarding statism is off-base.

And when one of the political elite suggests that the tea party protests are perhaps, “unhealthy’ ask yourself: why would he say that?

Exit question: Remember the good ol’ days when political scandals involved creepy text messages and “signing” in airport men’s rooms instead of billions and billons of your tax dollars?

All a matter of tense

Hey, remember all those “on-going” ethics violations investigations regarding Charles Rangel, Chris Dodd and John Murtha? Well, they can now be truthfully reported as “on-going”.

The U.S. House of Representatives have finally gone into action after months of ducking investigating Rep. Charles Rangel (D.-N.Y) for questionable financial dealings, Sen. Chris Dodd (D.-Conn) for alleged sweetheart mortgage deal, and Rep. John P. Murtha for taking illegal contributions.

The case that is taking their esteemed attention is for a speeding ticket that was given to Rep. Zach Space (D-Conn). The serious offense was that he drove 65 in a 50 mph traffic zone, and was given a warning for driving with an expired license.

Yep, we're in good hands.