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Feb. 8, 2012
Administration begins oil embargo against Iran, freezes assets in the U.S., and sends third carrier group to Persian Gulf.
Video: Commercial Real Estate Heading For Another Bubble, Not What The Doctor Ordered! Global recession, lack of jobs, overregulation from the current administration, mortgages written during peak real estate years and new competition all add up to hard times for the commercial real estate market.
Sierra Club gets in bed with Chesapeake Energy for a mere $26 million Money funded campaign in favor of government regulations against competitors.
Spotting Conservatives: A Field Guide Conservatives do their cause no favor by inventing Mr. Smith Goes to Washington scenarios of Newt as a hapless outsider. Is Obama risking a world war?
Firing a broad shot at Iran, Barack Obama on Feb. 6 issued an executive order freezing Iranian assets in the United States, including those of its central bank, enforcing provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The move comes atop a third carrier group being sent to the Persian Gulf after Iran threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. imposed more sanctions over its nuclear program.
The NDAA also authorizes Obama to implement sanctions against financial transactions for oil purchases from Iran. The move to freeze financial assets indicates that Obama is preparing to implement an oil embargo on Iran, as the current action applies to state-owned oil companies. Adding to the escalation, the European Union has already voted to impose an oil embargo against Iran.
The moves are designed to deter Iran from pursuing its nuclear program. They do not appear to be working.
Shortly after the Europeans enacted their embargo, Iranian oil minister Rostam Qasemi told reporters "We will not abandon our just nuclear course, even if we cannot sell one drop of oil."
And in a move to dodge the sanctions, India has reportedly agreed to pay for Iranian oil with gold, with China expected to follow suit. Instead of isolating Iran, it appears the sanctions are pushing the state closer to her top trading partners.
The episode harkens back to the breakdown of U.S.-Japanese relations leading to America's entry into World War II. Then, in July 1941, the U.S. imposed an embargo on oil shipments to Japan, which was 90 percent dependent on imports. By December, Japan had attacked the nation at Pearl Harbor, and U.S. involvement in the war was assured.
Get full story here. Commercial Real Estate Heading For Another Bubble, Not What The Doctor Ordered!
Video by Frank McCaffrey
Get permalink here. Sierra Club gets in bed with Chesapeake Energy for a mere $26 million
As reported in the Daily Caller on Saturday, the Sierra Club received $26 million dollars in donations from Chesapeake Energy between 2007 and 2010 with a large majority of the cash coming directly from the CEO Aubrey McClendon.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be that big of a deal. Sure $26 million is a large sum of money, but surely it must be because the CEO really loves animals?
Wrong. It has been brought to light that the money was "donated" at a critical time when the Sierra Club had just launched their "Beyond Coal" campaign, which was an attack on coal-burning power plants. The Sierra Club was on a tight budget and was working hard to close as many power plants as possible.
And all of a sudden, up sneaks Chesapeake Energy, a very large natural gas company whose business would directly benefit from taking down their coal industry competitors. This timing was crucial to the success of the program, and the Sierra Club benefitted greatly from the supposed generosity of CEO McClendon.
By donating millions to a tree-hugger-filled Sierra Club, the energy giant had a way to all but ensure that their initiative would gain national attention.
According to Time magazine blogger Bryan Walsh, who first broke the story, this news "raises concerns about influence industry may have had on the Sierra Club's independence and its support of natural gas in the past."
The Sierra Club has a long history of loyal membership and an outwardly-sterling reputation for environmental policy making, so it's quite shocking to find out that they're so willing to sell out to an energy company to enhance their own agenda.
Get full story here. Spotting Conservatives: A Field Guide
The defining traits of conservative leadership are too varied and detailed for this limited space. But as the GOP's 2012 nominating process continues, a few pertinent points bear further examination, lest the voters be fooled by spin-meisters and charlatans.
Pertinent point #1 is that conservatism and ego don't really mix.
Now, one could well argue that without a moderate degree of ego, most ballots would be empty come election time. Still, voters must discern between candidates who want to do important things and those who want to be important people.
Speaker Newt Gingrich may well embody many traits of the former, but conservatism is wedded to a belief that traditional institutions (social mores, religion, family, the free market, etc.) are the best checks on the foibles and limitations of human nature. We, ourselves, don't really cures society's ills, our founding values do.
This talk about a "safety trampoline" (as opposed to Governor Romney's notion of a mere safety "net") bears further scrutiny. Sounds a bit grandiose for the conservative ideology most of us know. As do neighborhood boards to review amnesty applications from illegal immigrants. As does the Speaker's now infamous Post-it note to himself twenty years ago: "Gingrich -- primary mission. Advocate of civilization. Definer of civilization. Teacher of the rules of civilization."
Definer? Gingrich resembles one of his political idols, Teddy Roosevelt, who is inexplicably revered by many conservatives. Another colossal ego, his machismo and bluster are certainly a welcome contrast to the metro-sexualized, blow-dried male image of today. His admonition against hyphenated Americanism (we're either Americans or we're not, he basically said) still inspires today as much as ever, but can you say "progressive"?
This man was beyond moderate or RINO.
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