Free kibbles

ECONOMY:

Consumer debt surges in March.

"Consumer debt climbs $21.4 billion in March

Increase is largest in more than 10 years"

It's back to similar level as right before the last crash.

Blue states fare worse economically than red states because Democrats tax and spend a little more than Republicans. They also protect unions. No surprise here.

TAX AND SPEND:

Cato comments on the absurd claim that austerity is bad for the economy.

"When the current economic crisis began — largely caused by a government-created housing bubble — we were told that if the government spent an extra trillion dollars or so and ran up the deficit, all would be well. Did it work as advertised in the United States? No. In the United Kingdom? No. In France? No. In Italy? No. In Spain? No. And not even the left wants to talk about Greece. The accompanying chart shows that rather than the austerity the left is whining about, government spending has risen as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) in all of the major economies. Again, the left said unemployment rates should have come down by now, but the opposite is happening. The U.S. unemployment rate has come down slightly, but the percentage of the labor force at work continues to decline, so the real unemployment rate is approximately 15 percent."

Government is a burden on the economy.

HEALTH CARE:

The Tax Foundation analyzes the real costs of Obamacare. They're outrageously huge.

Obamacare will empower government to force medical procedures on people.

POLICE STATE:

The US Air Force is allowed to accidentally spy on Americans for 90 days.

WAR:

Isn't it convenient how the new underwear bomber was foiled right before some surveillance measures expire?

"The head of the FBI has said his agency was "exploiting" the seizure of an intact and advanced form of underwear bomb that Islamic militants in Yemen had apparently wanted to use in an attempt to target a US-based jet.

Robert Mueller told a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday that the supposed plot, revealed by the Associated Press on Monday, demonstrated the need to renew surveillance provisions that expire at the end of the year."

Exploited is right.

POLITICS:

I keep saying our rulers have escape plans prepared. Michelle Bachmann obtained dual citizenship with Switzerland.

New biography shows that Obama did not identify with Americans when a young man. I'd say he still doesn't.

Blagojavich barred from speaking.

MEDIA:

New York Times blogger comments on Wikipedia censoring the relationship between Obama's campaign slogan - Forward! - and the socialist movement. More on the Marxist connection.

LOCAL:

Dayton police and firefighters have higher rates of disabilities than their counterparts in other large Ohio cities.