By FAIRFIELD “PINPOINT” EDWARDS

Editor’s Note: Unconventional Wisdom is a new series designed to unravel the misleading “conventional wisdom” of our times.  In this edition, the Clinton Surplus Myth is examined by the numbers.

Everyone is aware of the perception that the Clinton years were a golden age of fiscal management and economic genius.  First, let it be said that there was indeed an impressive period of surplus revenues during the Clinton years, especially in light of recent American history since the Great Depression and the New Deal.  However, the entire set of numbers show a more complete picture and put the surpluses in their proper perspective.

Without further ado, here are the statistics (in millions because the numbers are so outrageously large):

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By LARRY WILKE

On February 9^th, yet another liberal IED exploded in Washington. Surprisingly, I will wager that you haven’t heard a single word about it until now. The “revenue recidivist” himself said that he is “agnostic about raising taxes on households making less than $250,000 as part of a broad effort to rein in the budget deficit.” For those who are fond of brevity, this is known as a “Kerry” or a “flip flop.” For those more historically inclined, this is an “HW.”

When an Obama claims to be “agnostic” about something, it is a good idea to be absolutely firm on the definition of what it is that he is talking about because we know that he himself isn’t. “Agnostic: a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.” This comes from the “Dictionary” in my telephone. (My how technology has changed our lives.) Let’s delve into this liberal looking glass of a word.

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By Dr. ROBERT OWENS

As the economy constricted from the latest bubble, what have we done?  On an individual basis, unless we have an economic death, wish we cut back spending, increase saving and pray we don’t get downsized, rightsized or thrown under the bus to free up capital for someone else’s bonus.   As a business owner we follow the same pattern.  People wonder why banks aren’t loaning money to small businesses.  Don’t mistake a symptom for the disease.  Banks aren’t loaning because businesses aren’t borrowing.

Businesses aren’t expanding; they’re trying to survive.  With the re-making of America still an enigma wrapped in a riddle on the horizon, no one knows how to make an educated guess as to what the future holds.  Without a clear vision of what will be required tomorrow, it’s impossible to plan today.  From Main Street to Wall Street people are keeping their heads down hoping if we click our heels enough times we’ll end up back in the America we know and love hoping we won’t have to admit this transparent collectivist shell game is the New Normal.

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By Dr. ROBERT OWENS

In the recent Massachusetts election Republican Scott Brown confounded the purveyors of conventional wisdom and caused a magnitude 10 earthquake in the political world by liberating the Kennedy Senate Fiefdom from the grip of the Democrat machine.  To the 24 hour talking-heads this changes everything since the Democrats can no longer cut-off debate in the Senate though they can still stifle debate in the House and hold the Executive Department in their iron fist.  But did the Party of Power really experience anything besides a bump in the road?

In President Obama’s estimation, “we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people.”  In reality Mr. Obama has made 52 addresses or statements specifically on his health care proposals, holding 42 news conferences, participating in 158 interviews, hosting 23 town hall meetings, making 46 out-of-town trips to 58 cities and towns in 30 states.  If he hasn’t been speaking directly to the American people what has he been doing?  He’s on TV more than Vinny from Sham Wow.  Considering that after the seismic electoral event in Massachusetts Mr. Obama’s political Svengali David Axelrod said, “We’ll have to think through this next year from the standpoint of tactics but in substance the mission can’t change.”  It isn’t that the President hasn’t talked enough the problem is he isn’t listening.  Communication is a two-way exchange and what we have here is a failure to communicate.

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By JOHN DAVID EDEN

Ready or not here comes Baby New Year, and with  a “change” like this, there’s usually a diaper involved somehow…

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By NANCY MORGAN

Uncle Obama has gotten a hold of your credit card. And he’s amassing charges on it that – you – not he – are liable for. You can call the fraud line, you can call the police, you can call any politician or government agency, and they will all tell you the same thing. Shut up and pay up.

Since misery loves company, you might feel better knowing that you’re not the only one being extorted. Uncle Obama and his buddies have the credit and debit cards of every man woman and child in America. And they’re charging up a bundle. So far, each of us has a $38,000 tab that we are personally liable for. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, which by the way, isn’t melting.

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By JEFF CROW

California is easy to save, but no one has the guts, including the terminator Governor we have and the Democrooks who run the state legislature. If they had the guts, here’s how it could be done:

1. Illegal Immigration and its Costs – Utilize Article 14, Section 5 of our State Constitution to put all of those under Court Jurisdiction into the fields, which will drive many if not most illegals into other states and/or home, simply because they’ve been replaced. We could offer early release to the non-violent drug offenders, actually prosecute FIRST TIME offenders (especially juveniles) by forcing them into plea deals, putting them in the fields as well. This number could be as high as 200,000 to 400,000 individuals, and we don’t need CHAIN GANGS for it.

Also, allow those who can’t pay fines to work them off. I came from a minority Democratic area and TRUST me, when charges are dropped against juvenile offenders, they ONLY GET EMBOLDENED into further crime because they figure the system doesn’t give a care about what they do. We could reform these kids on offense number one in large percentages and thus save us from future 3-strike cases (and the $40,000 per year it takes to lock up an inmate).

If we have them work 8 hours per day, 6 days per week, and charge the going rate of around $10 per hour that even ILLEGALS make, we will generate nearly $3.5 Billion per year in NEW revenues and SAVE lots of money on illegal alien benefits and prison costs (into the billions as well). Plus we could literally have the new space in prison for those who don’t cooperate with their plea deals without the cost of expensive new jails, so the criminal element will REALIZE that we can hold them. (It would also get us out of overcrowding).

We are allowed to Lease these guys to private industry, which the state gets OR counties, under this CA Constitution Section. We can also have the cleanest freeways around. This one proposal rids us of three major things, the clout of the prison guards UNION and the cost of prison building and staffing, the costs of illegals (because other states will be paying it), and it will lower our recidivism rate and ensure NO ONE gets a dropped case because of age or overcrowding.
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By HOLLY MAYNOR BOREI at On The wRite Side.Org

Americans are constantly hearing and reading reports about how their country is “heading” towards socialism. In fact, “socialism” is the buzz word of the day in America. It has become a topic of discussion that even traditional media can no longer avoid.

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By LARRY WILKE

Yesterday’s “concerns” involving the earmarks firmly ensconced within the next financial flailing of the fledgling Obama caliphate have mysteriously dematerialized. Not only because Obama signed off on the nearly 8,000 earmarks today but also because the “promises” made during his capricious campaign against John McCain have suddenly flipped or flopped, depending upon your perspective. Obama has “Kerry’d the day,” if you will.

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By ROB LEWIS

The Wall Street Journal did a great job putting numbers to what we rational people already understood. Obama’s budget numbers just don’t add up. To possibly over-simplify the point of the story, if the government took all of our money it still wouldn’t pay for all the programs in the budget.

Last week a friend and I were having a conversation about whether or not Obama is an “idiot” after this particular friend had seen a Republican on television implying that he is. My friend thought that was disrespectful and it may be. However, as I thought about it for a moment I realized that we have two choices here. Either he is truly ignorant (in the way that only an elitist educated with a bunch of theories that don’t work in real-world practice can be) or he is employing a dastardly plan that will fundamentally change our country. I believe it is a little of both.

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