Coralville Courier

Newsbusted talks about Obama giving Dalai Lama cufflinks

Rasmussen: Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 22% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for President Obama.

Review - Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

By Daniel Thayer

This movie tells the story of a trouble-prone boy named Percy Jackson, who finds out he’s actually the son of the Greek God Poseidon.  That he's Poseidon's son makes Percy a demigod, a half-god.  Jackson finds himself having to rescue his mother and find the person whole stole Zeus's lightning. 

This movie is better if you haven't read the book by Rick Riordan.  Like most book to movie transitions, the movie left out many interesting points, but all-in-all still made for a pretty good film.

I enjoyed the fight scenes, the acting was good, making for an entertaining couple of hours.  I give the movie 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Jeff Dunham and 'Identity Crisis'

By Filiz Thayer

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. -- Jeff Dunham's distinction in the world of stand-up comedy is that he's easily one of the funniest ventriloquists alive. His show at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids on Thursday night had the enthusiastic crowd cheering and laughing with every punch line. 

His hand-held puppets include 'Walter' the curmudgeon, the purple 'Peanut', 'Bubba Jay' the redeck, and the star of the show - 'Achmed' the dead terrorist.

Before Jeff Dunham hit the stage, the crowd was warmed up by Brian Haner, also known as 'Guitar Guy' in Dunham's act.  Haner is a comic talent in his own right and a superb guitar guy.  He got the crowd going with his musical talent and jokes.  

After the great warm-up by 'Guitar Guy', Durham came on leading off with 'Walter,' who is great with politically incorrect humor.  Then Dunham pulled out the star of the show, Achmed the Dead Terrorist - who is all bones with big bug eyes.  His favorite expression is "I kill you."   The show, filled with a range of topics and lots of laughs, went about 2-1/2 hours.  It was great entertainment and gets five out of five stars.

Culver's poor performance forces Democrat primary

Jonathan Narcisse, former co-chairman of the Polk County Democrat Party, has announced he will challenge Governor Chet Culver for the Democrat nomination for governor.

Saying Iowans "are hungry for solutions," Narcisse has stated he will run as a third-party candidate if he loses the June 8 primary. 

The 46-year-old former member of the Des Moines school board wants to fix the state budget mess, reform Iowa's tax code and restore Iowa’s public education system.  Culver, Narcisse said, “needs to go.”

The GOP frontrunners for governor are former governor Terry Branstad and Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats.  A Rasmussen Reports poll released Monday showed Culver trailing Branstad badly, 53 percent to 37 percent among likely Iowa voters. The poll has Bob Vander Plaats leading Culver 46 percent to 40 percent.

Three Businesses Fail Alcohol Compliance Checks

IOWA CITY, IA. -- Alcohol sales law compliance checks were conducted Thursday evening, February 25, at twenty-four businesses licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. Working with plainclothes officers, underage youths entered these businesses and attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages. Twenty-one businesses denied entry or refused to sell to our underage buyers. The efforts of these responsible business people are commended. The following establishments passed:
• 808 Restaurant & Nightclub (121 Iowa Avenue);
• Blue Moose (211 Iowa Avenue);
• Casey's General Store #2761 (204 N. Dubuque Street);
• Club Car (122 Wright Street);
• Deli Mart #1 (Highway 1 West);
• Dublin Underground (5 S. Dubuque Street);
• Field House (111 E. College Street);
• Firewater (347 S. Gilbert Street);
• Hawkeye Hideaway (310 E. Prentiss Street);
• I.C. Pit Stop (300 Kirkwood Avenue);
• It's Brothers Bar & Grill (125 S. Dubuque Street);
• Joe's Place (115 Iowa Avenue);
• North Dodge Express (2790 N. Dodge Street);
• Old Capitol Brew Works & Public House (525 S. Gilbert Street);
• Picador (330 E. Washington Street);
• Quinton's Bar & Deli (215 E. Washington Street);
• Short's Burger & Shine (18 S. Clinton Street);
• Sports Column (121 S. Dubuque Street);
• Summit (10 S. Clinton Street);
• Union Bar (121 E. College Street);
• Wal-Mart Store #1721 (1001 Highway 1 West).

Three businesses checked by police failed to comply with the law and sold to underage buyers. The offending employees were charged and released for selling/providing an alcoholic beverage (beer) to an underage person, per Iowa Code 123.49(2h) - the scheduled fine (plus costs) is $735. Additionally, each violation will be forwarded to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division for civil penalty against the liquor license. The following establishments failed:
• Hy-Vee #3 (1201 N. Dodge St);
• Kum & Go #52 (25 W. Burlington Street);
• Panchero's (32 S. Clinton Street).

Underage drinking is a health and safety concern that contributes to crime, car crashes, injuries, and deaths. Additionally, alcohol often contributes to many of the more frequent minor crimes and nuisances that affect the quality of life in our community.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Laws are made for the few not for the many

"Every new regulation concerning commerce or revenue; or in any manner affecting the value of the different species of property, presents a new harvest to those who watch the change and can trace its consequences; a harvest reared not by themselves but by the toils and cares of the great body of their fellow citizens. This is a state of things in which it may be said with some truth that laws are made for the few not for the many." -- Federalist No. 62

GDP up 5.9%

Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 5.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009 (that is, from the third quarter to the fourth quarter) according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.  In the third quarter, real GDP increased 2.2 percent.

Health Care Summit Backfires Big Time on Obama and the Democrats

"The Democrats hoped Republicans would look like stuffed-shirt, mean-spirited, hateful, uncompromising extremists who don't care if people are dying for lack of health coverage. Instead what's happened is that Obama has been shown to be petulant, whiny -- out-of-control, almost -- unprepared, ill-informed, and basically arrogant and cocky." - Rush Limbaugh

Healthcare summit nothing more than dog and pony show

By Mike Thayer

The liberal comprehensive takeover of health care vs. the GOP plan of a reasoned step-by-step addressing of concerns

If President Obama was really serious about health care, then why didn't he hold this summit from the start?

Because it's not about health care, it's about liberals wanting to control things.

Remember, while on the campaign trail, Obama made a promise to hold this summit kind of discussion on C-Span.  He failed to so..... Until now.  He got called out on the carpet by the GOP on not living up to his campaign promise, so only now are we getting what he promised on the campaign trail.....  ONE YEAR LATER.  He's doing this summit only now, not because he really wanted to do it, but because he was politically embarrassed into doing it.  He's only doing it now because he somehow thinks he can shake the embarassment and score some political points with this (see scolding of Republicans below).

Obama's pathetic dog and pony show demonstrates that this isn't about health care, it's about control.

Prior to this summit and for a whole year, all Obama *gave us* on health care was Reid/Pelosi led closed door meetings and partisan backroom deals.  He let it happen, he wanted it to happen.  As a result we got the Louisiana Purchase, the Cornhusker Kickback and other shady bribes in the passage of the Senate version of Obamacare.

That's more evidence that this is about liberals wanting to control things, it's not really about health care.

Today's show was nothing but a sad display of getting nothing done in Washington - a complete waste of taxpayer money.  It was talking points on TV, nothing more.  The Democrats didn't tell us anything new and the GOP maintained the same valid defense of their position.  Result?  No progress.  The Democrat party leadership is tone deaf.

You don't reach compromise on an issue supposedly important to you by forcing the minority party to appear at a dog and pony show that you're only putting on because of embarassing exposure or because you're hoping to score political points.

Obama & Co. hogged the camera time today, about 2/3 - 1/3.  Think that's not intentional?  Obama repeatedly cut GOP speakers off and either extended his own comments far too long or allowed Democrats to go past their time.  The 2/3rds vs. 1/3rd of the speaking time says it all.  Obama spent a lot of time whining about GOP criticisms of Obamacare - valid criticisms.  He whined about the GOP language used in responses and statements.  For example when the GOP side framed the following question:  "Who is the government to redesign the healthcare for small business?" followed up with, "As if Washington knows what's better for the business than the business owner does?"  Obama scolded the GOP for using such language.

That's more evidence that this is about liberals wanting to control things, it's not really about health care.

The liberal mantra today was we're closer than many people think on health care, trying to convince viewers that they're being bi-partisan when the truth is they're anything but.  They made false claim after false claim today about what Obamacare does, they even went so far to claim that the Republican ideas of tort reform and allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines is in their bill.  Those are false claims.  They claimed that according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Obamacare will prevent insurance premiums from going up, but the truth is the CBO analysis of Obamacare indicates that premiums will go up 10-13%.

From the CBO analysis:  "The nongroup market would consist of coverage purchased individually through the new insurance exchanges that would be established, and coverage purchased by individuals and families directly from insurers. The average, unsubsidized premium per person covered (including dependents) for new nongroup policies would be about 10 percent to 13 percent higher in 2016 than the average premium for nongroup coverage in that same year under current law."

In watching the dog and pony show today, it's clear that Obama & Co. want only one thing.....  It's the Dem way, or no way.

That's more evidence that this is about liberals wanting to control things, it's not really about healthcare.

They want their comprehensive plan and only they're comprehensive plan. 

TRANSLATION:  Comprehensive in Washington = a big fat pig with lipstick.

In contrast, the GOP wants to start over from scratch, to take a step-by-step approach to what's wrong with health care, an if it ain't broke, don't *fix* it approach.  The GOP strongly believes that Obamacare is something that this country simply cannot afford and will not reduce costs, nor will it provide a higher quality of care.  Oh by the way, a majority of Americans feel that way too.  

Obama's *moderation* today was arrogant and tone deaf.  He didn't LISTEN to a word the GOP said.  In his summation of the event, he scolded the GOP.  He highlighted what Democrats said on the one hand while chastising the GOP desire to address things point-by-point on the other.  He went so far as to use partisan-hack rhetoric, sarcastically using the term "baby steps" in describing the reasoned and incremental approach to healthcare by the GOP.  Obama said such an approach was unacceptable.  He said the GOP should "...embrace the mechanisms" in Obamacare.  We didn't hear from him that the GOP had some good ideas and items of merit, we only heard that Obamacare does everything that is needed. 

"I want the Republicans to do some soul searching," Obama said.

That's sheer arrogance and more evidence that this is about liberals wanting to control things, it's not really about health care.

All that was accomplished today was the two parties agreeing to disagree.  A continuation of the last year.  The Dems want it their way, GOP ideas be damned.

Reconciliation (dems using the nuclear option to pass their verion of health care), here we come.