Since 1965, the stock market has grown 52 times faster when Congress is out of session.  Since 2000, Congress has actually had a negative effect on the stock market.

Historical research indicates that, more often than not, when Congress is in session there is a negative effect on equities markets (the “Congressional Effect”) due possibly to investor fear and uncertainty surrounding government action — or possible action – as well as unintended adverse consequences on the stock market of Congressional legislative initiatives.

Maybe we could just pay them to stay home.

President Obama is ordering his Cabinet to identify $100 million in budget cuts over the next 90 days.  This is supposed to prove to America that President Obama is fiscally responsible (no doubt in response to the Tea Parties).  So, he’s proposing a $100 million cut to a $3.69 trillion budget. 

Harvard economics professor Greg Mankiw:

To put those numbers in perspective, imagine that the head of a household with annual spending of $100,000 called everyone in the family together to deal with a $34,000 budget shortfall.  How much would he or she announce that spending had to be cut?  By $3 over the course of the year–approximately the cost of one latte at Starbucks.  The other $33,997?  We can put that on the family credit card and worry about it next year.

Rush Limbaugh had this to say on his radio show today about President Obama’s reaction to the Somali pirate situation:

I’m still laughing over David “Rodham” Gergen.  The President of the United States is too busy, too busy to get a phone call at three o’clock in the morning that the Norks have launched a missile or that merchant marine organizers have seized a US cargo vessel.  Now, the Constitution claims–it doesn’t “claim;” it says–that the President of the United States is the commander-in-chief.  The Constitution of the United States doesn’t say a word about housing, health care, mortgage refinancing, or anything else of that nature.  But he’s too busy on all those other things, according to David “Rodham” Gergen, to be concerned about an incident involving an American cargo ship on the high seas that has now resulted in an $800 million US naval destroyer being on site.  He’s too busy to be occupied with that! 

Then again, we’re assuming that the Obama administration cares anything about the Constitution in the first place.  It’s just a hinderance to the Hope and Change he promised in his campaign.

George Carlin once said, “They keep talking about drafting a constitution for Iraq.  Why don’t we just give them ours?  It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it’s worked for over 200 years, and we’re not using it anymore.”

Note:  These are not actual quotes.   They are my summaries of what I felt was communicated last night.  You can read the Huntsville Times’ account here.

Chaffee Community Association:  “NIMBY, but you should have at least told us about it!”

Michael Lundy, CEO of HHA:  “I don’t like your questions, so I’m going to talk about something else.  We’re talking about Huntsville; you can’t compare the negatives associated with similar situations in other cities.  I’m not required to tell anybody anything.  Any of you making $53,000 a year or less should apply for government housing assistance.  Let’s compare the positives associated with similar situations in other cities.”

Mayor Tommy Battle:  “You people are selfish, and you need to suck it up.”

Huntsville Police Department:  “The Chaffee area is already more dangerous than the projects behind Huntsville Hospital.”

Huntsville City Councilwoman Sandra Moon:  “How can an unelected council of five people have this much power?  All five HHA board members should resign so that Mayor Battle can appoint folks that will work with the city.”

Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks:  “This is an example of what happens when government gets out of control!  We need to make governement work for us again!  Congress is to blame!”  (Note:  Although he didn’t explicitly state it, it really sounded like Mo may be gearing up to run against Congressman Griffith in 2010.)

Charley Burruss, HHA Chairman:  “Think of the children!”

One final note:  we even got to hear the race card played last night.  Mr. Lundy stated that “We don’t call them ‘projects’ anymore.”  Commissioner Brooks replied, “I still call a project a project,” to which one of the audience members shouted, “Yeah, well I still call racism racism.”  What the heck does government housing and being for or against it have to do with race?

Congressman Parker Griffith (D-AL05) joined with 19 other Democrat Congressmen and 176 Republican Congressmen in voting against President Obama’s $3.5 trillion budget for 2009.  I did not vote for Congressman Griffith, but I appreciate that he understands that increasing spending by 10% is a bad idea, especially when the economy is suffering as it is.

Stephen Gordon of The Next Right had a conversation with 2010 gubernatorial candidate Tim James:

When I had the opportunity, I asked James if I could ask him a quick question.  “Sure,” he replied.  The question I lobbed at him was whether or not he would absolutely commit to not increasing taxes if elected governor. 

 ”No problem,” he responded.  “Got a tougher one?”

I pitched the second question a bit harder, but his response came as quickly as the first one.  I asked if he’d commit to not increasing state spending.  “That’s easy,” he said. “You got a tough one for me, now?”

“Okay,” I responded, and threw him a bit of a curveball.  “Would you mind signing a pledge to this effect?”

“I’d love to…,” he stated.  Later on, we set up a telephone call to deal with speaking arrangements for an upcoming event and the pledge issue.

Read the rest of the article.  Among James, Ivey, and Moore, James is the only one I feel like I can get excited about.  Sounds like we have an actual, real conservative running for Governor!

I was filing our taxes tonight using TurboTax. In past years, I’ve sent our taxes off to an accountant, but I figured I’d give TurboTax a try and save a few bucks. My wife walked by, saw what I was doing, and said: “You’re just trying to prove you’re smarter than Tim Geithner.”