Grand Theft Drone

The next five weeks should be very interesting. I have no idea what the Chinese will do once Trump is President and you know they will test him severely. As far as Obama is concerned, the Chinese don't give a rat's ass what he will do. But for now, they will play games with the reset of the One China policy, oh, and here it comes. This is a continuation of clashes between the US and China since Trump took a congratulatory call from the President of Taiwan.

(CNN)A US oceanographic vessel Thursday had its underwater drone stolen by a Chinese warship literally right in front of the eyes of the American crew, a US defense official told CNN Friday.

In the latest encounter in international waters in the South China Sea region, the USNS Bowditch was sailing about 100 miles off the port at Subic Bay when the incident occurred, according to the official.

Bowditch had stopped in the water to pick up two underwater drones. At that point a Chinese naval ship that had been shadowing the Bowditch put a small boat into the water. That small boat came up alongside and the Chinese crew took one of the drones.

Subic Bay is about 60 miles west of Manila right on the coast. If you go 100 miles west of Subic Bay, you are still very, very close to the Philippines and no where near China. You have to admit it, the slanty eyed pricks haven't proved a thing going up against an unarmed research vessel.

USNS Bowditch

USNS Bowditch (T-AGS 62) is a Pathfinder class oceanographic survey ship. She is the third ship in the class. USNS Bowditch is a part of a 29 ship Special Mission Ship program and operates in the South China Sea. She is named after Nathaniel Bowditch. Bowditch was engaged in surveying at Tacloban shortly after typhoon Haiyan in advance of the Navy's Operation Damayan in an area known for its shifting hazards to navigation using its multi-beam contour mapping system.

We Are Governed By Idiots, Liars And Thieves

No mortgage, no college tuition, no more kids at home. In other words, I just wrote out the biggest federal income tax check in my life for the biggest tax bill of my life and then I read this:

The IRS is defending its decision to let illegal immigrants claim up to three years’ refunds on income even if they never paid income taxes, telling Congress in a new letter last week that agency lawyers have concluded getting a Social Security number triggers the ability to go back and ask for previous refunds.

President Obama’s new deportation amnesty could grant Social Security numbers to as many as 4 million illegal immigrants, making many of them eligible for tax refunds under the Earned Income Tax Credit even for years when they cheated on their taxes, by working off the books and not filing tax returns.

“Section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code requires an SSN on the return, but a taxpayer claiming the EITC is not required to have an SSN before the close of the year for which the EITC is claimed,” IRS Commissioner John Koskinen wrote in his letter to Sen. Charles E. Grassley on Wednesday.

Whack-A-Mole

The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End
By Sarah Palin

There is no shortage of threats to our economy. America's unemployment rate recently hit its highest mark in more than 25 years and is expected to continue climbing. Worries are widespread that even when the economy finally rebounds, the recovery won't bring jobs. Our nation's debt is unsustainable, and the federal government's reach into the private sector is unprecedented.

Unfortunately, many in the national media would rather focus on the personality-driven political gossip of the day than on the gravity of these challenges. So, at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be:

I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage. - (More...)

Obama heading West to plug healthcare reform
A poll reports that 49% of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of the issue and 43% approve.
By Christi Parsons and Mark Silva

Reporting from Washington - As debate over his healthcare overhaul heats up, President Obama is taking off for a family vacation this week that combines classic American sightseeing with the challenge of trying to sell his ideas to audiences out West.

He will be visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon with his wife and daughters starting Friday, but the president also plans to hold town halls in Montana and Colorado to address problems facing the healthcare system and pitch Democratic plans to fix them.

His congressional allies have seen eruptions of anger during healthcare meetings around the country in recent days. But Obama's interactions with voters have been civil as he tries to provide a counterpoint to critics' complaints.

With polls showing Americans are split on the question of how the president is handling the healthcare issue, the White House strategy is to put its chief salesman on the road throughout the August congressional recess. - (More...)