Soros hedge fund grew over $2 billion in only 3 months

2.17.10, wsj.com "Billionaire investor George Soros's hedge fund increased the value of its holdings by 42% to $8.8 billion over the last three months of 2009, adding to his position shares of financial and telecommunications companies."...10.12.08: Soros: "The powershift toward Asia is a consequence of the sins of the last 25 years on the part of the United States."

BBC shows Soros-like panic that contents of US schoolbooks might be decided by Americans who are not braindead

BBC in a Soros-like tizzy that all signs of American culture are not yet dead:

• The BBC is concerned that Texas children might learn a fraction of truth about the United Nations, the global crime syndicate operating on US soil (which must be removed).
  
• They are also worried about how Texas schoolchildren will perceive 'taxation', revealing a Soros-like feeling of entitlement to the output of our labor.
  
• And that if teaching isn't far left, it is therefore 'politicised.'
  

5/22, BBC: "Education officials in the US state of Texas have adopted new guidelines to the school curriculum

• which critics say will politicise teaching.

The changes include teaching that the United Nations could be a threat to American freedom, and that the Founding Fathers may not have intended a complete separation of church and state."...

• (If the US had any leadership the UN would have been removed from this country long ago. Their corruption is available for anyone to see and read about. On church and state, the amendment says nothing about separation, "complete" or otherwise: Text:
  
• First Amendment to US Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." ) ed.
  

(BBC, continuing): "Critics say the changes are ideological and distort history, but proponents argue they are redressing a long-standing liberal bias in education.

• Analysts say Texas, with five million schoolchildren, wields substantial influence on school curriculums across the US.

The BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles says publishers of textbooks used nationally often print what Texas wants to teach.

Jefferson out

Students in Texas will now be taught the benefits of US free-market economics (HORRORS!) and how

• government taxation can harm economic progress.

They will study how American ideals benefit the world but organisations like the

• UN could be a threat to personal freedom.

And Thomas Jefferson has been dropped from a list of enlightenment thinkers in the world-history curriculum, despite being one of the Founding Fathers who is credited with developing the idea that church and state should be separate." (see above definition of relation between church and state)

(BBC continuing): "The doctrine has become a cornerstone of US government, but some religious groups and some members of the Texas Education Board disagree, our correspondent says.

• The board, which is dominated by Christian conservatives, voted nine-to-five in favour of adopting the new curriculum for both primary and secondary schools.

But during the discussions some of the most controversial ideas were dropped - including a proposal to refer to the slave trade as the "Atlantic triangular trade".

• Opponents of the changes worry that textbooks sold in other states will be written to comply with the new Texas standards, meaning that the alterations could have an impact on curriculums nationwide."

"Texas schools to get controversial syllabus," 5/22, BBC

• The BBC can relax, the far left controls all branches of government in this country. That they noticed something like a US state's school syllabus and called it 'controversial' is quite funny. Just reading the headline I thought, this must mean the syllabus is somewhat reasonable. ed.
  

We are all Media Matters now

• AP ramps up 'fact-checking' efforts:

5/18: "When I asked (AP's) Fournier if he was willing to say which side tends to dissemble more, he demurred. "Misleading the public is a bipartisan habit," he insisted. Maybe, but there's no question

• their most aggressive stuff has been directed at the right."...PlumLine, Sargent
  

Governor Chris Christie's Monmouth commencement speech a success, inept leftist protest a failure

5/21: "Governor Christie was the commencement speaker, so naturally a few liberal Monmouth (University) students (and their families) attempted to use this occasion to make a political statement against the Governor's proposed state budget and associated education cuts. I suppose expecting these liberals to respect everyone else's graduation day is too much to ask? Apparently so.

• Luckily for the parents and students who went into debt for a quality education, the would-be protesters' big moment didn't go so well.

An eyewitness account, courtesy of the YAF:

The local media has picked up on the story, pointing out students that turned their backs to Christie as he spoke.

“Drive-by” media outlets remained silent when liberal ideologues like Bill Clinton, Alec Baldwin, and Eric Holder spoke at commencement ceremonies – but when a conservative like Governor Christie comes to school, newspapers go haywire. Further, the newspapers fail to mention the fact that even though there were over 1,000 supporters on one Facebook group, the protest failed to gain any traction.

The protest fizzled, garnering only a few standing students and a few scattered boos. The governor’s policies on fiscal responsibility earned him loud cheers and applause.

You know the Dems are really falling on hard times when one of their core protester constituencies -- obnoxious college kids -- can't even stage a simple demonstration!"...from the SaveJerseyBlog

Timeline of SEIU donations concurrent with absence of news about assault of black, wheelchair bound town hall attendee

• 

African American Kenneth Gladney was beaten by SEIU stooges last year while attending a town hall event. He was in a wheelchair. The news about it has been kept quiet. Big Journalism has done an interesting timeline of SEIU donations concurrent with the assault, injuries, and expenses incurred by Mr. Gladney. photo Big Government, Gateway Pundit

Special loophole allowed Soros to contribute more to launch Obama into the Senate

11/23/08: "Mr. Soros has been a friend to Barack Obama since Mr. Obama first ran for Senate in Illinois in 2004.

• Because of a special provision of the campaign finance law ("The Millionaires Amendment") that

• allows greater contributions to candidates who are running against millionaires,

Mr. Soros was able to donate $60,000 to Mr. Obama's campaign against primary opponent Blair Hull

• and then against Republican Jack Ryan.

Four members of the Soros family also donated to Mr. Obama's Senate campaign,

• making Mr. Obama one of only a handful of candidates -- including Hillary Clinton, Tom Daschle and Barbara Boxer -- to receive the richest Soros nod.

Mr. Soros's influence on Democratic policy has been years in the making, through groups like the

• Center for American Progress,
  

• which he helped underwrite back in 2003 (along with film producer Stephen Bing) to the tune of several million dollars.
  

CAP is currently headed by former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta, now Mr. Obama's transition team leader. With 180 staffers and a $27 million budget, the group is expected to play a role in the Obama administration similar to that played by the American Enterprise Institute during the Bush years, as a feeder for staff and a pusher of liberal ideas.

The problem for Mr. Obama, of course, is that not all Mr. Soros's ideas fly as well with voters as with the New York and D.C. cognoscenti. The Soros connection already created trouble for Mr. Obama last year over the billionaire's comment

• that Democrats should "liberate" themselves from the influence of the pro-Israeli lobby.
  

Mr. Soros also is a prominent advocate of drug legalization. So while the hedge-fund legend may pour money and staffers into the Obama administration, Warren Buffett is likely to remain the billionaire Mr. Obama still prefers to share photo-ops with." "from Wall St. Journal, "The Apotheosis of Soros," by Collin Levy, 11/23/08

The Australian, "Soros interview part one," by Peter Wilson, 3/20/09

Two points from Soros interview, 3/20/09. First, he influenced the spending of $100 million US dollars in a particular area of 'science' (doesn't state what aspect of science). Second, advised democrat congress under Treas. Sec. Hank Paulson NOT to use TARP money to help troubled assets but to use it for equity instead. Soros says he really influenced policy in the TARP situation (under Paulson).

• 1. "I actually implemented a scheme with $US100 million for scientists.
  
• My scheme actually was implemented and
  
• had a big effect on science" ****

• 2. TARP: "I wrote an oped piece pointing out that that is the wrong way to go and the Democratic majority in Congress inserted language which
• allowed the Treasury to use it for equity and actually
  
• Paulson then changed his mind and used it for equity"...***

3/20/09, "Peter Wilson: I am interested in how you keep track of so many issues and areas. Is your information structure different from other major investors? Do you place more emphasis on geopolitics than most?

• George Soros: No. If anything I probably get less information than most people because I tend to focus on what I consider to be the salient features and neglect the less important so it is more by process of triage that I work."...

(I skip the next 3 questions and responses were not revelatory and

• go to Wilson's talking about current issues. This is the only edit from the article). ed.)

(The Australian, continuing): "So do you have a sense that things are coming together for you now?

• It is in a way a culminating point of my life’s work, so to speak.

Everything is coming together.

• Yeah, the American election, the financial crisis, the theory of reflexivity. So it is actually a very stimulating period.

Just as well you didn't retire ten years ago.

• Right, right.

Will you be having any input with the Obama administration?

• Well, at least I will get a hearing.

I have read conflicting accounts of whether you got a hearing with the Clinton administration. You complained that you were not listened to but (Treasury secretary)

• Larry Summers says he treated you like a head of state.
  

• I did get a hearing; it is just that I didn’t prevail. I was advocating policy issues and I did get a hearing but my recommendations did not ever lead to implementation by the government.

That was mainly in relation to eastern Europe?

• Mainly to eastern Europe and Russia. I was advocating, for instance, using the IMF’s
  
• $US15 billion to distribute to guarantee the pensions and the unemployment I actually implemented a scheme with $US100 million for scientists. (LINK)
  
• My scheme actually was implemented and
  
• had a big effect on science but the larger scheme was not implemented.

You have described your investments in Russia around that time as one of your biggest mistakes.

• Right.

It is interesting that Rupert Murdoch has a similar view. He said he sold his only business in Russia before they could steal from him.

• Right, right.

And that was your experience?

• Well it was um… I lost money on the investment. But interestingly for the first time


• I actually had an effect on policy in connection with TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) because when Secretary Paulson proposed using it for the buying of toxic assets
  
• I wrote an oped piece pointing out that that is the wrong way to go and the Democratic majority in Congress inserted language which
  
• allowed the Treasury to use it for equity and actually (LINK)
  
• Paulson then changed his mind and used it for equity although he didn’t do it the right way. But I would say that was
  
• the first experience in my life, maybe there were some others but that was the first when I really felt that I did actually succeed in influencing policy.
  

Hopefully there will be a few more?

• I am working on it.""

In summary, Soros does not disagree that the Clinton administration treated him "like a head of state." But he doesn't feel he got much accomplished as a result. As of this year-old interview, he says he did influence how original TARP funds were spent under Paulson (ie the hard earned US taxpayer dollars supposedly administered by congress). ed.

• 
  
• 
  

Double Cap and Trade penalty to be forced in Maryland county short of cash

Everyone knows cap and trade is an organized crime bonanza for non-existent global warming. Apparently citizens want more organized crime in their lives:

• "This is the least painful, fastest way to raise millions of dollars for the county," Berliner said, "...

"Montgomery County (Md.) Council members are poised to pass a carbon tax...that would apply only to the county's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

• ...it comes at the expense of businesses already facing new taxes -- in the name of political correctness.

The bill, sponsored by Councilman Roger Berliner, D-Bethesda, would place a $5 tax on each ton of carbon dioxide for power stations that produce more than 1 million tons in a given year....

• "This is the least painful, fastest way to raise millions of dollars for the county," Berliner said,
  

• pointing to the roughly $15 million county officials expect the measure to raise next year.
  

Montgomery County is facing a nearly $1 billion budget gap....

• Mirant (Corp) already pays a steeper price for carbon dioxide emissions under the
  

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate

• carbon-trading auction
  

• in which companies pay for higher levels of pollutants."...

from Examiner.com, via Tom Nelson

• "George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund operator, says money managers would find ways to manipulate cap-and-trade markets. “The system
• can be gamed,” Soros, 79, remarked....
  
• 
  
• “That’s why financial types like me like it -- because there are

• financial opportunities.”