I intimated this in an earlier post, but here’s a bit more to chew on. From F. Vincent Vernuccio, writing in The Daily Caller: While Obama’s plan would stop the annual across-the-board cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all federal workers, it will not stop workers from getting raises altogether. The freeze will not affect pay raises for job classification upgrades. As an official at the Office of Management and

Bloomberg: Employers added fewer jobs than forecast in November and the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose, underscoring the Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more money into the economy to spur growth. Payrolls increased 39,000, less than the most pessimistic projection of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, after a revised 172,000 increase the prior month, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The jobless rate rose to 9.8 percent, the highest since

You have my promise: no ant-covered Jesuses that aren’t funded entirely by your generous private donations will appear here. Unless the government pays me big bucks to put one up. In which case, all bets are off. Pragmatism. update: About half way there this month. Thanks to those of you who’ve contributed thus far! Wednesday update: I’ll let this go another couple days. Thanks to all who’ve given. Don’t know

George Will: The administration contends that even delaying ratification will reduce Russia’s helpfulness regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program. This suggests, strangely, that Russia has been significantly helpful. And it assumes, implausibly, that Russia’s interest in preventing neighboring Iran from having nuclear weapons is less than its interest in modifying the strategic arms balance with an America that is no longer a strategic adversary. […] The administration says ratification is urgent

For the second time, a federal judge (Dem appointed) has ruled that the prospect of potential future commerce is actively engaging in a type of commerce presently, such that this activity of inactivity falls under the purview of the Commerce Clause, and makes a mandate requiring you to purchase insurance perfectly in keeping with the intent of the founders and framers. It says so, in fact, right there in the

Today at 8:30 AM MT. Live stream available here.

AP: In a reversal, the Obama administration said Wednesday it will not pursue offshore drilling off the East Coast of the U.S. and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A senior administration official told The Associated Press that because of the BP oil spill, the Interior Department will not propose any new oil drilling in waters off the East Coast for at least the next seven years. President Barack Obama’s earlier

Jeff has dealt with the “economic sabotage” attacks of Democrat mouthpieces like Steve Benen or Paul Krugman earlier. Today we find a novel codification (pdf) of that particular Democrat ‘strategic’ sally, with an hyperbolic advance in its argument, declaimed in the headline “Beyond ‘Sabotage’ — The central issue about the growing political extremism of the Republican Party is that it’s undermining fundamental American standards of ethical political conduct and behavior.

Or, you know — not. But why let a little truth ruin such a catchy little bumpersticker refrain? After all, if progressives can’t get together at rallies and shout dubious rhyming slogans with impunity, the terrorists will have already won… (thanks to JHo)

Okay. But I’ll believe it when I see it. Go on. Surprise us. (h/t sdferr)