White House Transparency...what a joke!

White House: Transparency? Are you kidding?

By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
03/24/10 5:47 PM EDT

The Obama White House did not allow the press to cover the president's signing of the executive order created to win Rep. Bart Stupak's vote for Obamacare.  At the daily briefing, reporters wanted to know why no press photographer or reporter was allowed in. Press secretary Robert Gibbs told them they should be happy with a picture from the White House photographer, Pete Souza -- a photo produced and selected by the White House. It will be a "nice picture," Gibbs assured reporters.
Reporters tried to appeal to the White House's professed commitment to openness and transparency. Gibbs was having none of it. The White House wanted to limit coverage of the executive order, so in the spirit of openness and transparency it simply shut the press out. This is how Gibbs' back-and-forth with reporters went:
"The president is signing an executive order on abortion that is a pretty big national issue," a reporter asked. "Why would that be closed press, no pictures?"
"We’ll put out a picture from Pete [Souza]," Gibbs said.
"But what about a picture from the actual national media, not from -- " the reporter started to follow up.
"On, the picture from Pete will be for the actual event," Gibbs answered.
"Right, but what about allowing us in, for openness and transparency?"
"We'll have a nice picture from Pete that will demonstrate that type of transparency."
"Not the same, Robert," the reporter said. "Never has been."
"I know you all disagree with that," Gibbs answered. "I think Pete takes wonderful photos."
Gibbs' suggestion that the press corps thinks Souza is a bad photographer set off the reporters. That's not what they were saying; the point was that the press was not allowed in.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the reporter said. "Don't twist this -- it's not an attack on Pete."
"Well, I don’t know why you’d want to attack Pete, Chuck," Gibbs said, "but I’m going to stand up here and defend Pete’s -- "
"It's not transparent and it’s a vital issue."
"And you will have a lovely picture from Pete."
"You really think that’s all it’s worth, is a photograph, on an issue this important?"
"No, I think you’ll be able to see the President sign the executive order."

"Not hear anything anybody has to say?"

"You'll have a nice picture."
And here it is: a nice picture, exactly what the White House wanted you to see, and nothing more.

____________________________

And this from Pundit & Pundette     [Note from Norm:  Why can't the guy answer a simple question?  Gibbs has got to be the biggest nincompoop ever to occupy the office of the Press Secretary.]

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Gibbs provokes press corps

Spokestool Robert Gibbs puts in a full day of obfuscation and distortion in the service of his master. First up, patent nonsense as he attempts to justify the executive order:

Flight 253 - The Inside Story

The Detroit News

Northwest Airlines Flight 253 sits on a Metro Airport runway after the attempted attack on Dec. 25. (J.P. Karas Associated Press)

"I had a very uncomfortable feeling about this flight," Scotti Keepman recalled later. "It was too chaotic, with people from all over the world and sloppy airline security."

Inside story of terror on Flight 253Passengers on Detroit-bound jet recount failed attack that changed their lives
RON FRENCH
The Detroit News

After the screams died down and the smoke dissipated, the passenger cabin of Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day was eerily quiet. An Indian woman stared out the window at the fast-approaching subdivisions and freeways surrounding Detroit Metro Airport. A businessman frantically texted on his BlackBerry. A scared mother clutched her children.
The Keepman family held hands and sang "Jesus Loves Me." Roey Rosenblith hummed the Sh'ma and braced himself for what he feared was an upcoming crash.
In Row 1, Melinda Dennis focused on the bare foot of a silent young man across the aisle, the foot flexing up and down slowly as the jet dove toward a runway. Underwear bunched up around the man's ankles, rising and falling with the methodical movement of his foot. A gray blanket covered most of the man's naked legs and groin, but left exposed white and black patches of burned flesh on the side facing Dennis.
Flight attendant Dionne Ransom-Monroe leaned over the half-naked man.
"What did you have in your pants?" she asked.  Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab whispered something. The flight attendant leaned closer and asked again.  "What did you have in your pants?"  "Explosive device," he said louder, his right foot flexing up and down, up and down.
In a series of interviews with The Detroit News, passengers from four continents described details of the attempted terrorist attack never before released to the public. Many never saw what happened, and most didn't realize until hours later that they had shared their Christmas Day flight with a terrorist bent on bringing down the airplane. 

"CHAOS SWIRLS" continued here ...

What a difference a year makes? ...it makes no difference at all in Japan

Don't laugh yet but we're following in their footsteps...

What's that saying about insanity?  "You keep on doing the same things over and over again expecting different results."  Does this mean Japan is insane?  Ah so deska... Soo desu nee...

February 2009
Japan’s Big-Works Stimulus Is Lesson (Source: New York Times)

HAMADA, Japan — The Hamada Marine Bridge soars majestically over this small fishing harbor... continued

Japan’s rural areas have been paved over and filled in with roads, dams and other big infrastructure projects, the legacy of trillions of dollars spent to lift the economy from a severe downturn caused by the bursting of a real estate bubble in the late 1980s. During those nearly two decades, Japan accumulated the largest public debt in the developed world — totaling 180 percent of its $5.5 trillion economy — while failing to generate a convincing recovery.

Read full story here

Imagine that!  The largest public debt in the developed world!  Well lets see if we can fix that by doing the same thing over and over again.

One year later...March 2010
Source: New York Times

Japan Passes $1 Trillion Budget to Boost Economy
By Hiroko Tabuchi
Published: March 24, 2010

TOKYO — The Japanese government pushed a record ¥92.3 trillion budget through Parliament Wednesday aimed at stimulating growth in the long-stagnant economy — another round of spending that will add to Tokyo’s already burgeoning public debt.
... continued

"The record budget, worth $1 trillion, for the fiscal year starting in April will pay for Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s ambitious stimulus agenda, including cash handouts to households with young children, free tuition at public high schools and income support for farmers."

Read the full story here

Sound familar?  Somehow this seems to be echoing in the halls of the United States Congress.  And whats going to happen with all this talk about public debt...both here in the United States and Japan...and all the rest of the free falling countries like Greece and Spain... and lets not forget Zimbabwe...

You read that right!  Thats one-hundred-trillion dollars and its about to happen to your money if you continue your wicked ways... electing wicked people like Pelosi, Reid, and Obama.  Further, your wicked ways are just what the United Nations desires of you for all wicked people end up in the United Nations... Don't believe me?  Well just keep on doing  the same thing over and over again.  You will get the same results! ~ Norman E. Hooben

Landing Terror...ya gotta hand it to them Navy pilots!

----- Original Message -----

From: Joe

To: Norman

Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 5:34 PM

Subject: Fw: Landing Terror

You'll like this one Norman.

This has been around once, but in case you missed it...

This is very unnerving, landing with deck pitching 30 feet, at night, low on
fuel.  Incredible.  You will never forget viewing this.  I have seen a lot
of aviation emails but the two videos below are undoubtedly the best.  Turn
on your sound and go full screen.  I guarantee this will definitely hold
your attention.

These videos show the difference between Naval Aviation and any other kind.
The links below are two outstanding videos about F-18 carrier operations
aboard the USS Nimitz during weather that causes a severely pitching deck,
which you can see in the videos.  It's more dangerous than most combat
missions and the tension in the pilots and crew is very apparent. Watch Part
1 first.  Great videos

LANDING TERROR!

How Do I Love Thee... be careful with this one, its not what you think...but its true!