HANNITY---Tonight!

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Testy, Testy!

By now, any sentient human being knows that President Obama has a very thin skin. The impatience and fury is right there, bubbling under the surface. But it never explodes. He never loses it, at least not in public. He works hard to retain the image of the cool cucumber, the unflappable guy, the dispassionate thinker. He labors to project that he's an even keel in a town---and country---full of heated passions.

It's all an act. I don't think he's the kind of guy who would drive a knife into a table to make a point, like his former Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. But I do think he's got a lot more anger and volatility in him than meets the eye.

Yesterday he gave several interviews to local television stations around the country. It's his version of "outreach" as he gears up his re-election campaign. He chose to give one of those interviews to a Dallas reporter, because David Axelrod and David Plouffe and the rest of his campaign team think that with the heavy new influx of Hispanics into Texas, they can put that state in play.

So Obama sat down with WFAA reporter Brad Watson, and Watson asked some pointed questions, including why Obama thought he wasn't more popular in Texas. Watson let Obama answer each question fully, and without interruption. See it here: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/04/obama-to-reporter-let-me-finish-my-answers-next-time-/1

At the end of the interview, Obama was scowling. He dramatically removed the microphone from his lapel, and snapped at Watson: "Let me finish my answers next time." Poor Watson looked like he had been dragged into the principal's office when he'd done nothing wrong.

Why so bent out of shape, Mr. President? Could it be those falling job approval numbers? You're down in the low 40s. Not good. Personal approval---whether people like you or not---also down. Fewer people are digging you. Unemployment high. Deficits up. Debt way up. Pathetic speech by you last week that showed zero leadership on the spending and debt crisis. U.S. credit outlook downgraded yesterday to "negative." How humiliating for the greatest, strongest, most prosperous nation on earth. Zero leadership from you on the wars in Afghanistan and Libya: what, exactly, are our troops doing there? Status reports, please. Middle East in flames and in the process of being overrun by Islamists, and from you, sir, neither we nor the Arab people hear anything: no policy, no guidance, no leadership.

And yet, Obama doesn't seem to break a sweat over any of this. He doesn't think we've got a spending problem because he'd spend more. He doesn't think we've got a "size of government" problem because he'd grow it bigger. He doesn't think we've got a debt problem, because he's out to deliberately bankrupt us. He doesn't think we've got an unemployment problem because the more people dependent on the government, the faster he can implement all of the above.

The thin skin he showed with the Dallas reporter reveals that he thinks his master plan is unraveling. He can't spend us into oblivion much longer. (Oblivion is already here.) His plan to move us to European socialism is proving less popular than he thought. And the cornerstone of it, ObamaCare, is teetering politically and legally. Even his personal likeability isn't holding up. In fact, it was the reporter's question: "Why do you think you're so unpopular in Teas?" that broke the camel's back. How dare anyone question why he isn't universally loved?

So, he had a mini-fit and took it out on an unsuspecting reporter. Maybe Obama was just having a bad day. Maybe he just needed a cigarette.

Then again, maybe even he realizes that his presidency is failing, and so is he.

The O'Reilly Factor---TONIGHT!

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Some Taxing Questions for Obama on Tax Day

I hope you got your tax returns done and in today. And I hope you're getting a refund.

To mark the most loathed day of the year, let's take a look at the Obama's tax return, just filed:

As ABC News reports, "The first family's adjusted gross income for 2010 was $1.728 million. Their taxable income after deductions was $1.34 million." This means that they saved nearly $400,000 through deductions. Deductions, such as "On their federal return, the Obamas claimed itemized deductions of $78,269 for state and local taxes and $49,945 for home mortgage interest on their home in Chicago" and charitable donations.

The Obamas take advantage of EVERY deduction to which they are allowed.

They are also receiving a $12,334 tax refund from the federal government.

Think about this: Obama has been telling us that paying ever more in taxes is our patriotic duty. Last week, he scolded the so-called "rich" that they don't pay nearly enough and demanded that they must pay more in taxes. He went on to say that many of his wealthy friends agree that they should pay more.

Great!

Paying more in taxes begins at home, and the Obamas should lead by example.

If Obama really believes that "rich guys like him" should pay more in taxes, then WHY ISN'T HE PAYING MORE HIMSELF? Why is taking every available deduction? If he believes what he says, then he should not be taking ANY deductions and allow his beloved federal government to tax him at his top income level. Further, if he really believes that he should pay more, why is he accepting his refund? He should sign that 12 grand back to the U.S. Treasury.

And one more thing: nobody is stopping him and his "rich" friends from paying MORE to the government than what their accountants tell them they owe. If Obama truly believes that "rich guys like him" should be paying more, then the Treasury should expect a check from the Obamas above and beyond what is required of them. I'm thinking the Treasury would love that $400,000 they dodged through deductions.

While Obama is writing that fat check, he can call up his rich friends he tells us want to pay more and demand that they do exactly that. He should start with Warren Buffett, who's always telling US to pay more---and urge HIM to write a big check of his own, say about $1 billion. Buffett will never miss it.

And after all, it's the patriotic thing to do.

President Punk

Sometimes I forget that Barack Obama came out of Chicago gangland politics. Then he says something to remind me.

Last night, he spoke to a group of high-end campaign donors in Chicago. He thought it was a private gathering. That was his first mistake. Nothing in this day and age is ever truly private, particularly for the President of the United States running for re-election.

He blurted out how he really feels. You'll recall that he made a similar blunder during the 2008 campaign, when he thought he was speaking at a private gathering and said what he really thought of the rest of us: "...it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Ah yes: the classic "bitter clingers" quote. He blurted that out in San Francisco.

Last night's classic was spoken in Chicago. There's something about Far-Left cities that brings out true honesty from the Bama.

In complaining about Republican attempts to attach policy riders to the budget bill that would have effectively killed off parts of his much-loathed ObamaCare, Obama said this: "I said, 'You want to repeal health care? Go at it. We'll have that debate. You're not going to be able to do that by nickel-and-diming me in the budget. You think we're stupid?'"

You think we're stupid? You want a piece of me? You talkin' to me?! (He thinks he's DeNiro.)

Let's review: 1. Support for ObamaCare hit a record low this week---35%---while support for total repeal remains at about 60%. 2. The Constitutionality of it remains in question, and it will likely get invalidated by the Supreme Court. 3. A Democrat Attorney General---Missouri's Chris Koster---joined the states' lawsuit against it this week, bringing the total number of states challenging ObamaCare to 27. 4. Oklahoma's Governor, Mary Fallin, turned away the federal money earmarked for her state for implementation, saying she's not going forward with it.

In other words, ObamaCare is a hot mess: rejected by the American people, challenged in the courts, and blocked by most Governors.

And yet, it's Obama's "signature issue." He must be so psyched.

Actually, Mr. President, we don't think you're stupid. In fact, we think you're very clever. We also think you're incredibly wrong and inflicting enormous damage on the country, particularly through the crown jewel of your vaunted welfare state, ObamaCare.

Whenever the Bama feels put upon, attacked, unduly criticized, he lashes out like a punk. Remember that other Bama classic, uttered within the first few days of his presidency, when he was speaking to the GOP leadership: "I won."

The President has such a way with words, doesn't he? Always keepin' it classy!

You can take the punk out of Chicago, but you can't take Chicago out of the punk.

Phone Home

Will somebody in the federal government please phone home? "Home" would be the American people, who would like to hear somebody with some common sense address the very real crises facing this nation with real solutions.

Congressman Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee, seems to be among the very few dialing us these days.

Our annual deficit is hurtling toward $1.65 trillion. The deficit spiked 16% in the first half of this fiscal year: not a good sign for the rest of it. Our national debt careens toward $14.3 trillion. The debt ceiling is about to be smashed. First time jobless claims ROSE last week significantly. The jobs situation is clearly not improving in any meaningful way. The percent of Americans working is at its lowest since 1983. The housing market continues to slide. Inflation is now present in everything from food to oil to clothing. Americans are paying more not for luxury items but for basic necessities like milk, gasoline, and T-shirts. Some suggest that real inflation is running at about 10%. Devastating.

And yet, the President gave a shallow, hyper-political, intellectually dishonest speech yesterday about the budget and spending in which he appeared as "The Great and Powerful Oz" who, behind the curtain, really isn't. He gave a load of bunkum. He professed to be a deficit-cutter, when he has given us years of record deficits, increased spending to unprecedented levels, and blew up the debt to unimaginable levels. He added $4 trillion to it in just 2 years. He also called for massive tax increases, which is the worst idea at any time but particularly during a down economy. His speech did nothing to seriously address our fiscal crisis. It did, however, serve as a solid campaign speech.

Meanwhile, some Republican leaders think the deal they struck last week is just swell, and the best they could hope for, given their control solely over the House. They all claim that the deal "cuts" $38 billion. It does no such thing, as I've pointed out previously. Now the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) claims that the deal only shaves about $350 MILLION from spending. If this weren't so dangerous for the nation, it would be laugh out loud funny. A total joke.

Democrats in Congress are running around with their hair on fire, shreiking that any Republican who wants to cut spending wants to throw Grandma in a snowbank, and the Far-Left segment of their caucus put out their own budget plan yesterday that calls for trillions MORE in spending and tax hikes.

The new tea party members of Congress are the only ones who truly get it. They get how dire the fiscal crisis is. They get the need for deep, profound cuts in spending. They get the need for economic growth policies, like tax CUTS. They get that the Left is trying to smear them with old-school attacks about being "mean" and "heartless." They don't care about the attacks. They get that those cuts must be made, or they will be made for us, by foreign creditors, high interest rates, etc.

The tea party has the cojones to get this job done. No one else does, apparently. They're all papering over the reality and calling it "a good deal."

The tea party is phoning home. Will anybody else pick up the phone and dial us?

Stop...In the Name of All That is Good and Decent

A few people who need to cease and desist immediately:

1. The Democrats. The already out of control monster deficit spiked 16% in the first half of this fiscal year. STOP SPENDING!!!

2. The Republican leadership. Stop wimping out and fight for REAL, not imaginary, spending cuts. And oh yeah: STOP SPENDING!!

3. Nancy Pelosi. In a speech at Tufts University this week, the former House Speaker said this: "To my Republican friends: take back your party." In other words: give up your core principles and bend to our will. She continued, "So that it doesn't matter so much who wins the election, because we have shared values..." Just as she acknowledged when she ran the show, right? And finally, the kicker: "Elections shouldn't matter as much as they do." She didn't think that way in 2006 and 2008. The Founding Fathers might be surprised to hear her say that elections shouldn't matter. So might the voters in her district. If she thinks elections shouldn't matter, then she shouldn't mind getting voted out.

4. The Federal Reserve. The Fed continues to print money by the bajillions. STOP IT. Further, the Fed downplays inflation, when a measure used in the 1970's puts it today at nearly 10%. Stop fibbing to us about inflation, which we see in our daily lives, from food to T-shirts to gas.

5. President Obama. Today, he's set to tell us that he's found Jesus on spending and is committed to deficit reduction. This from a man who quadrupled the deficit and added $4 trillion to the national debt in 2 years. Stop taking us for dummies.

6. The United Nations. The serious: It's prepared to move to grant Palestinian statehood in an end-run around Israel. The ridiculous: It's considering granting "rights" to "Mother Earth," including to bugs and plants. Because, after all, bacteria has a right to life (but human babies don't.)

7. Middle Eastern regimes who are killing their own people. Iran, Syria, Bahrain, and Yemen: I'm talking to you. You may not have the U.S. president on your tail the way Muammar Qaddafi does, but you need to stop the killing. On second thought, why would you? You don't have the U.S. president on your tail.

8. Harry Reid. In citing the Pledge of Allegiance, he omits the words "under God." Thanks, Nevada, for inflicting this loser on us for another 6 years.

9. Katie Couric. Stop blaming everybody else for your low ratings and trying to convince us that you were "never a ratings-obsessed person." If your ratings were even halfway decent, you wouldn't be checking out from a $15 million a year gig.

Stop the madness. Stop the spending and the lies and the insults to our intelligence. We're on to all of you.

Laughing All The Way

So, what to make of this budget turd?

There are two big outcomes---apart from the laughably paltry "cuts"---that put the Republicans on the losing side of the latest budget war.

1. The Democrats have successfully termed the $38 billion as "cuts." By calling them "cuts," they could scream and holler about how the GOP wants to throw Grandma in the snow, make Grandpa eat cat food, and kill women. They could then appear to reluctantly go along with these "cuts" and get credit from a public desperate to see fiscal restraint and government shrunk.

These "cuts" were no such thing. A true cut is an actual reduction from actual previous spending levels. The $38 billion number is an amount being denied to AN IMAGINARY BUDGET NEVER ADOPTED. They were all working from President Obama's proposed 2011 budget, which clocked in at a staggering $3.7 trillion. That came after two previous years in which he so increased the spending baseline that he had everyone working from incredibly elevated levels. If I'm spending $50, and then I'm spending $100, and then I propose to spend $150....and then someone asks me to cut my budget, and I do by $10 so now I'm spending $140, is anybody buying that that's a true "cut?"

The GOP fell for this scam hook, line, and sinker. Shame on them.

2. The Republican leadership, in getting totally manuevered, also gave away their major weapon in the fight: the leverage they had in holding out the possibility of a government shutdown. Speaker Boehner actually said, "We'll never shut down the government." Never? Wow. What a Junior League mistake. This is Politics 101. And, frankly, War 101. You never tell the enemy what you will do, and you never tell them what you won't do. And the GOP just disarmed themselves, not just in this last battle, but in the big battles to come over the debt ceiling and the 2012 budget. Now the Democrats know that not only will the GOP not fight for serious budget cuts, they'll cave at the first sign of a possible shutdown.

The Dems got their budget, almost fully intact given the elevated baseline, and they saw the GOP run away like a bunch of scaredy cats.

On top of that, like the cherry on a sundae, Obama and his party get the benefit of the hilarious headlines saying the GOP "won." They know the GOP didn't win---and that's why they're happy to let them have their little "duh, winning" headlines.

Meanwhile, Obama and the Dems are laughing all the way to the Treasury.

The O'Reilly Factor---TONIGHT!

I'll be a guest with Bill O'Reilly tonight at 8pm and 11pm ET on the Fox News Channel. Please tune in.

The Jokes Write Themselves

No budget? No problem!

After a grueling schedule of doing nothing, President Obama is checking out for some well-deserved R n' R.

When it comes to the President of the United States being bushed, nothing should stop him from enjoying some time away with the family to recharge and refresh: not a budget crisis, or a debt crisis, or an unemployment crisis, or the Middle East in turmoil, or a U.S. military action in Libya.

Nothing should stop the man from a little vacay. And when it comes to this particular man, nothing does.

With a potential government shutdown looming, the Obamas are set to jet for a long weekend to Colonial Williamsburg to learn about early America and the Founders' era.

(I know. The jokes write themselves.)

When I first read that they were planning YET ANOTHER vacation, I thought we were getting PUNK'D. Surely the Bama wouldn't be so tone-deaf or arrogant AGAIN to fly the coop AGAIN in the middle of a crisis. And yet, apparently he is chronically both tone-deaf and arrogant.

He launched the war on Libya while getting a sno-cone on the beach in Ipanema, so why not preside over a government slowdown while strolling into Ye Olde Blacksmith Shoppe?

Speaking of Libya, the FAA has established a "no-fly zone" over Colonial Williamsburg for the duration of the Obama's stay. I guess to protect them from those wild n' crazy Revolution-era re-enactment rebels. By the way, that no-fly zone was done without UN or Congressional authorization. Uh-oh. Constitutional crisis!

Give the guy a break. He's had a rough two weeks since he got back from his last vacation. Making all of those gaseous statements about "coming together" for a budget is exhausting. He deserves another getaway.

And after all, hope springs eternal. Maybe while he's in Colonial Williamsburg, he'll put on a tri-corner hat and accidentally become a Tea Partier.