Podcast 293

Wash Cycle. Updates for the new work week start with laundry in the Broadcast Bunker. You’ve probably been feeling pretty good lately, what with all the stories about how great Christmas Shopping was going and how cheap gas was like a tax cut, and how we’ve finally turned the corner on the economy, with the multitudes heading back to work, right? The toward the end of last week, someone punched the mute button on the celebration. Now, this won’t stop the President from taking credit for ‘booming’ economic growth in the United States in his State of The Union message, but new numbers temper the enthusiasm a little bit and may even explain why more than half of Americans aren’t so sure we’ve got the party started yet. As with almost every development related to President Obama and the economy, the compliant media continues to paper over mistakes, and grasp at green shoots in the economy. Unemployment is 5.6 percent! We’ve created over 250,000 jobs! What they don’t tell you is today’s 5.6 percent isn’t the same as when Bill Clinton was president, since there are 65 million some people who apparently are out of the work force permanently. Moreover wages, which have been rising slightly, are not rising fast enough, or high enough to sustain economic growth, say some analysts. At the end of last week, the compliant media was again surprised – stunned in fact – to see that retail sales actually contracted in December, a whopping .9 percent. Economists (astrologists) had predicted only a .1 percent drop. Remember when cheap gas was supposed to act like a tax cut? Gas stations got hit the hardest. Auto sales got hit. And, even though we ‘created’ two hundred fifty thousand plus jobs last month, there were 314,000 applications for unemployment, up 19,000 and the highest number in four months. Note to self; A tax cut is a permanent reduction in a tax rate, allowing people to plan for the long term future by investing, or purchasing big ticket items, or starting businesses. A reduction in a price is not a tax cut. Meanwhile the energy price and commodity price rout continues, and now banks in the oil patch, manufacturers like CAT, rail roads and energy states are taking the hit. Oh we’ll take the cheaper oil, but the media needs to stop crowing about how great a commodity price collapse is. It should be viewed as a danger sign, because the rest of the world economies apparently got the wrong flu shot. What’s wrong? No one is asking whether or not we should be stimulating supply, rather than demand. Are conservatives proposing dynamic, proven solutions? Finally, the IRS wants more money. They don’t have enough employees. Has anyone bothered to report how many employees the IRS actually has? You’d be surprised. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing. 

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Podcast 288 – Sunny Lohmann

Sunny Lohmann. Political Humorist Sunny Lohmann from Sunny TV is back in the saddle after welcoming her daughter into the world and moving to … California. Yes. California where the American flag flies and it is warm all the time. Or so Sunny says. Sunny talks about how Cali is different from Minnesota, and not just when it comes to the weather. While Minnesotans operate on shame, California has something called ‘humble bragging’. Californians brag about how much time and money they donate to causes, while Minnesotans are reluctant to show their wealth (if they have any). Should you give homeless people money? (Editor’s Note: And yes, a new story about Burlap Man … a homeless man in Chicago.) What has Sunny been doing since last winter? How does raising a child effect video production? This was a week in which terrible news broke concerning the massacre terror attack at the French Satire Magazine, Charlie Hebdo, which comes up in this podcast, especially Hollywood’s reaction. Sunny is very interested in Hollywood’s Golden Globes Awards show, and Bob and Sunny have favorite TV shows and movies up for awards. Sunny and Bob Davis also get serious talking about terror, Sunny’s discussion of Islam on Sunny TV and the reaction to it, and her plans for Sunny TV going forward. Sunny talks about her baby’s colic and co-sleeping. What are Sunny’s top stories of 2014, moving into the New Year. What about The President’s planned ‘security conference’ in reaction to the Paris attacks? Sunny has a solution to Obama Care, discusses gas prices (and new gas taxes) in Minnesota and California. Will low gas prices last? Should the President take credit for them? And what about shows nominated for Golden Globes, as Hollywood breathes a sigh of relief on the heels of the Sony Hack and Charlie Hebdo. Does Hollywood have any guts? What would happen if Putin invaded the United States? Finally, who are the best candidates for President in 2016, and Sunny’s reaction to the effort to unseat Speaker of The House John Boehner. What movies has Sunny seen (She’s a new mom, so not many), some of the new stars and new shows, why Bob is glad Sons of Anarchy is off the air (Is a bad TV show a crime against society?) and is Game of Thrones real? Catch up with Sunny and Bob to start your week. Sponsored by X Government Cars and Depot Star. 

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Podcast 286

Speaker Boehner. US Speaker of The House Boehner has survived a challenge from so called ‘insurgent conservatives’ to replace him. According to some reports this was the strongest effort to replace a sitting speaker since the 1860’s. As many as 24 Republican members voted against the Speaker. ‘Insurgents’ are unhappy with the Speaker because they do not feel he fights for principles. Freedom Works had urged its followers to write, call and email their Congressmen to vote against Boehner. Once again so called Conservative Insurgents across the country are learning an important lesson about politics. That would be money talks, you know what walks. Whatever you want to call them; Tea Party, Liberty, Insurgent … until this group commands a political machine that actually holds real political power, these kinds of demonstrations (or stunts as some call them) will continue to be just that. When you have the power, you win the vote. Nice try though. There is a lot of snark on this story, which ignores the fact that the insurgent movement — people who actually think our legislators should govern from principle rather than expedience — is growing in strength, contrary to reports of its demise. Meanwhile, what is the agenda for so called ‘moderate’ Republicans in Congress? Make changes on the margins? ‘Restore’ faith in the IRS? Vote tax breaks to teenagers? Really? There are rumors the Keystone Pipeline will come up for a vote soon. As usual all the ‘journalism’ concentrates on the GOP majority in the Senate as being ‘filibuster proof’. This isn’t the question. The question is whether the House and Senate can muster the two-thirds majority needed to override an almost certain Presidential Veto, unless moderates cram all sorts of goodies into the bill. If you want to use email, your phone or write a letter to someone in the government, you might try send a letter to the FCC to demand it does NOT reclassify the Internet as a Utility. The last thing the world needs is regulation and taxation on the Internet. How expensive will Obama Care be in 2015? Aside from some who are now earning more than they did when they qualified for ACA subsidies in 2014, having to pay those subsidies back (yes, it’s true), copays and insurance fees are increasing so much and so quickly the Harvard Professors who supported and demanded the ACA pass, are now protesting those same copay and insurance increases! For Thee, not me, these perfumed princes and princesses are saying. That’s why we trust their positions on other political issues so much. Meanwhile, as the US makes nice with Communists in Cuba, they’re cracking down on dissidents sending thousands to jail. Same thing is happening in China and North Korea. One thing about Maoists, they don’t like dissent. And what happens when a Chicagoan rides his bike to the Police Station to report a theft? Sponsored by Baklund R & D. 

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