It’s been a rough week for the Congressional Black Caucus as another member becomes the target of an ethics violation.  Last week, Charles Rangel was hit with 13 charges of ethics violations.  The Democrat hoped to negotiate a deal with his contemporaries, but such a deal fell through when Republicans refused to acquiesce.   Now, Democrat Maxine Waters is facing trouble.

Waters has been under investigation for a possible conflict of interest involving a bank that was seeking federal aid. Her husband owned stock in the bank and had served on its board.

Waters came under scrutiny after former Treasury Department officials said she helped arrange a meeting between regulators and executives at Boston-based OneUnited Bank without mentioning her husband’s financial ties to the institution.

Her husband, Sidney Williams, held at least $250,000 in the bank’s stock and previously had served on its board. Waters’ spokesman has said Williams was no longer on the board when the meeting was arranged.

Waters has said the National Bankers Association, a trade group, requested the meeting. She defended her role in assisting minority-owned banks in the midst of the nation’s financial meltdown and dismissed suggestions she used her influence to steer government aid to the bank.

“I am confident that as the investigation moves forward the panel will discover that there are no facts to support allegations that I have acted improperly,” Waters said in a prior statement.

As for the American public, we’re relieved that House Speaker Pelosi has assured us that she will operate the most ethical Congress ever. 

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Well, it looks like Democrats were trying to work out a scheme, excuse me, plea deal that would save Charles Rangel, however, Republicans balked at the idea and have insisted that Charlie’s 13 counts of ethics violations go to trial.  Let’s recall that House Speaker Pelosi has insisted that she would operate the most transparent and ethical Congress ever.  No word on whether CSPAN was allowed in on the back room negotiations.

The AP reported today that there is a “bleaker outlook for the 2011 economy”.  Economist tell the AP that consumers continue to spend less and corporations are not hiring as anticipated.  Hmmm…. I wonder why.  Could it be that consumers are not confident in Obama’s ability to bring us out of recession.  Could it be that corporation would rather pay overtime to workers rather than hiring additional employees because of the new tax burden that the new health-care bill imposes on them?  Could it be that the Bush tax cuts on capital gains, and dividends are set to expire which will reduce profits?  Could it be that corporations don’t trust an anti-capitalist, anti-business administration?

So, do you remember the woman that Obama used on July 19th as an example of someone who would benefit from the extension of unemployment benefits?  Let me give you Obama’s quote from the Rose Garden; “We need to extend unemployment compensation benefits for women like Leslie Macko, who lost her job at a fitness center last year, and has been looking for work ever since. Because she’s eligible for only a few more weeks of unemployment, she’s doing what she never thought she’d have to do. Not at this point, anyway. She’s turning to her father for financial support,”.  Well, Macko was once employed at ACAC Fitness and Wellness Center in the Albemarle Square Shopping Center. However, in April 2009, a month after being found guilty of prescription drug fraud, she lost her job as an aesthetician in the spa at ACAC.  It was further learned Thursday that Macko has had more than one run-in with the law. In June of 2007, Macko was charged with grand larceny. The charge was reduced in court to petit larceny, and she was sentenced to two years probation.  No surprise that Obama would choose to use a drug addict and thief as an example of someone who would benefit from more government hand-outs.

Time Magazine, the New York Times, the AP, and Vanity Fair are all asking today, “where is all the oil that spilled into the Gulf”?  Some experts are claiming that a majority of the oil may have been, dare we say, cleaned up by nature.  What?  Really?  Yes, ocean-dwelling microbes feed on oil.  Time Magazine writes:

Rush Limbaugh has been a rare voice arguing that the spill — he calls it “the leak” — is anything less than an ecological calamity, scoffing at the avalanche of end-is-nigh eco-hype.

Well, Limbaugh has a point. The Deepwater Horizon explosion was an awful tragedy for the 11 workers who died on the rig, and it’s no leak; it’s the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. It’s also inflicting serious economic and psychological damage on coastal communities that depend on tourism, fishing and drilling. But so far — while it’s important to acknowledge that the long-term potential danger is simply unknowable for an underwater event that took place just three months ago — it does not seem to be inflicting severe environmental damage. “The impacts have been much, much less than everyone feared,” says geochemist Jacqueline Michel.

Have you read that 1 in 5 Californians say they need mental health-care?  Does this shock anyone?  I mean, California is one of the most liberal states in the country and that’s evidence enough that it’s populated with a bunch of crazies.  Actually, I’m shocked that it’s not more like 2 in 5 or 3 in 5.  Listen, I’m sure the 1 in 5 aren’t all liberals.  I’m certain that there are a few conservative included in that figure.  Come on, if you were a conservative, wouldn’t all those liberals make you a bit nuts too?

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1. To meet the Obama administration’s targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, some researchers say, Americans may have to experience a sobering reality: gas at $7 a gallon.

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transportation sector 14 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, the cost of driving must simply increase, according to a forthcoming report by researchers at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

The 14 percent target was set in the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget for fiscal 2010.

2. Supermodel Naomi Campbell may be in trouble with the law in New York City again. CBS 2 has learned that the British catwalker is wanted for questioning by the NYPD after allegedly slapping and punching her driver on Manhattan’s east side on Tuesday.

3. Charlie Rangel emerged from a closed-door meeting in Nancy Pelosi’s office Tuesday night to declare that he’s still the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee and hasn’t agreed to give up his gavel – even as some media outlets were reporting that he’d done just that.

But asked whether he’d still be the chairman tomorrow and in the coming days, Rangel said: “I can’t make all those promises at my age.”

And when Pelosi was asked whether Rangel was resigning, she said “no comment.” Still running that most ethical Congress ever, Nancy?

4. Ford Motor Co. outsold General Motors Co. in February for the first time in more than a decade.
Ford sold 334 more cars than GM in the U.S. It was the first time since August 1998 that Ford outsold GM.  Ford’s said Tuesday its sales jumped 43 percent thanks to strong demand for its cars. The automaker grabbed some sales from Toyota, which is struggling with a massive safety recall.

5. A Russian billionaire has lost a £36 million deposit he paid to buy the most expensive house in the world on the French riviera, plus another £1million interest. Mikhail Prokhorov – the world’s 24th richest man – offered £360 million for the sprawling Villa Leopolda in 2008.  After making a ten per cent down-payment, he then backed out of the sale after the global credit crunch hit.

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Buildings in Detroit are left abandoned.

So what’s in the news round-up for tonight:

1. Rep. Charles Rangel, the most powerful tax-writing lawmaker in Congress and a 34-year veteran of Capitol Hill, knowingly accepted Caribbean trips from a corporation in violation of House rules, the House Ethics Committee ruled Thursday. Shocker!  Now will Nancy Pelosi and the rest of  those liberal hacks demand that Charlie resign?

2. The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance surged to just below the 500,000 level last week, and have climbed more than 12% over the past two weeks, the government said Thursday…. but, but, but Obama said the worst of the economic crisis was over and his recovery package was saving and/OR creating jobs.

3.  Just moments before the afternoon session got underway, C-SPAN’s cameras picked up audio of Biden chatting casually with participants. “It’s easy being vice president — you don’t have to do anything.” Whomever Biden was chatting with said, “It’s like being the grandpa and not the parent.” “Yeah, that’s it!” replied Biden.  Of course he doesn’t do anything, he’s a bumbling idiot and can’t be trusted.

4.  Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said Wednesday he “absolutely” intends to relocate residents from desolate neighborhoods and is bracing for inevitable legal challenges when he unveils his downsizing plan. In his strongest statements about shrinking the city since taking office, Bing told WJR-760 AM the city is using internal and external data to decide “winners and losers.” The city plans to save some neighborhoods and encourage residents to move from others, he said.  ”If we don’t do it, you know this whole city is going to go down. I’m hopeful people will understand that,” Bing said. “If we can incentivize some of those folks that are in those desolate areas, they can get a better situation.”  Detroit can thank the unions and liberal leadership for its demise.

5.  You may be upset or relieved to hear my news that Howard Stern definitely won’t be joining American Idol as the judge replacing Simon Cowell.  Good, because as much as I respect Howard’s craft, he’d be completely wrong for a family show.

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In today’s news round:

1.  More trouble for Democrat Charles Rangel.  CBS News is reporting that the embattled Congressman tried to pay off three Democrats who sit on the Ethics Committee with campaign contributions.  Mr. Rangel, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the agency that writes the tax laws, has been plagued with tax questions.  Last year, Mr Rangel failed to report $90K in income from rental property in the Dominican Republic.  Earlier this year, he failed to report income on property in Florida.  Most recently, he failed to report property in New Jersey and New York, as well as, cash, check, and stock accounts totaling nearly $2 million.  While some believe that the Congressman was looking to avoid paying taxes, others believe the Congressman hid these holdings as to avoid raising questions on how he amassed so much wealth as a career politician.

2.  Heeding the advice of Obama, “get in their face”, an Obama supporter did just that to William Rice, 65.  Rice, in turn, popped the man in the nose.  The two men threw a few punches which ended when the Obama supporter bit off Rice’s finger.  Doctors were unable to attach the finger.  No word on whether Mr. Rice will sue the Obama administration for torture hazing.

3.  It’s not unusual for Presidents to speak to students in school, but this White House went one step further in, what some are calling- indocrination.  The Department of Education has sent a list of suggestions that the agency wanted the teachers to provide the students.  The White House has since amended its questions soon after these lastest attempts to brainwash the students were learned.

4.  More is being learned tonight about Van Jones, Obama’s Green Czar.  Jones, an admitted Communist, criminal, black activist, who recently claimed that white people were intentionally polluting the inner city, believes that – 9-11 was an inside government job orchestrated by the United States.

5.  The Obama snitch police are at it again.  This time, however, they are contracting a private firm to troll all media network sites that mention the President and/or his policies and compile the data in an easy to read spreadsheet and report it directly to the Office of the President.  Sites such as Facebook, Youtube, and MySpace are subjects of this latest Big Brother approach.

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