BALTIMORE: Today Mayor Sheila Dixon resigned, a month after her conviction for embezzling gift cards meant for the poor and needy families of Baltimore. It seems to be a theme with those on the left that while they talk a big game when it comes to helping the disadvantaged, they have little compunction when it comes to ripping those same people off.

After more than four years of investigation, and a month after a guilty verdict in the first corruption trial against her, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors Wednesday in which she pledged to resign from office…

Last month, in a separate trial, a jury convicted the mayor of taking for her own use gift cards donated for the city’s poor.

Under Wednesday’s agreement, prosecutors asked the court to strike last month’s guilty verdict and give Dixon probation before judgment – a legal status that means the mayor does not have a criminal conviction. She will serve no jail time, keep her $83,000 a year pension and after two years will be able to run again for office.  Christian Science Monitor

The NIP wonders if a conservative had been guilty of such egregious conduct whether he would have his record expunged, receive $83,000 per year for the rest of his life, and be able to run again for office in two years. Read more…

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

ST. BARTS & KAILUA: What’s up with Hollywood that it has such a fascination for dictators? Bill Maher articulated it often when he has shown his impatience with the US political process. He seems to be enamored with the efficiency of a despot’s rule.

Apparently we can add Microsoft founder Paul Allen to the list of starry-eyed admirers as he was seen partying last week with Beyonce and Libyan dictator Moammar Gaddafi’s son Hannibal:

Popstar Beyonce Knowles reportedly performed at a party thrown by Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi’s son Hannibal, notorious for violence against women, for almost an hour on New Year’s Eve, New York Post reported.

The 28-year-old singer performed five songs in a sexy black leotard at the Nikki Beach club on St. Barts in front of a crowd that included her husband Jay-Z, Usher, Microsoft founder Paul Allen and Lindsay Lohan…

Just a week earlier, on Christmas Day, Hannibal, 33 — also known as Moutassim — allegedly attacked his wife, Aline Skaf, in his suite at Claridge’s in London. Three of his security staff were arrested for obstructing police. Skaf was reportedly hospitalized with a broken nose while Hannibal was whisked away in a diplomatic car.  New York Post

Hannibal (well-named) gets whisked away with diplomatic immunity while his wife is hospitalized. Then a few days later he jets to St. Barts and parties with Paul Allen, Beyonce, and other celebrities.  Despotic rulers love their glamour and their luxury and celebrities love to party with them.

While we’re at it why not compare George W. Bush’s Christmas holidays at his own home with Obama’s Christmas holidays? For the last two Christmases Obama has vacationed at a $4,000 a night villa in Hawaii while he also rents two adjacent villas for his family and friends. Let’s not forget the transportation costs to and from Hawaii for his entourage, and housing for his security staff. Kailua is known as the most beautiful beach in Hawaii and a traditional vacationing spot for royalty. What a better spot for our own royalty to soak away their stress while we are being subjected to attempted suicide bombers? Surely none of his loyal subjects complained when he didn’t even bother to make a statement about the bombing for three days.

The left’s appetite for luxury is never satiated, along with their demand that the rest of us fund them in their extravagance.

WASHINGTON: Robert Gibbs yesterday refused to answer the White House press corps’ questions regarding C-SPAN’s request to broadcast meetings between Democrats as they hammer out their wildly unpopular healthcare bill. On December 30th Brian Lamb, CEO of C-SPAN requested from House and Senate leadership access to their negotiations (his letter here).

The NIP has drawn some heat for yesterday’s comment in our post thanking Joe Wilson for his honesty. In it we opined regarding Nancy Pelosi’s deteriorating mental health. We supposed she may be suffering from the onset of senility because she apparently had forgotten how rude Congress was previously to George W. Bush. We stand by our analysis, because how else can you explain her statement yesterday when describing the healthcare bill, “There has never been a more open process for any legislation”? We can’t just chalk it up to simple prevarication, because surely any sane person wouldn’t think that anyone in America would swallow such nonsense.

Robert Gibbs appears to be catching some of the same disease as you can see in the following video. He completely sidesteps questions from the press requesting that Obama honor his commitment and open healthcare negotiations to C-SPAN. We think though that in this case Mr. Gibbs still has his faculties. His evasion underscores the basic lie that was told to the American people during the Obama campaign. He might as well have said, “It’s our lie, and we’re standing by it.” Read more…

JAMES SIMPSON: Many are puzzled that Democrats persist in ramming unpopular and destructive legislation down our collective throats while seemingly unconcerned by their plummeting poll numbers. A widespread belief is that the Democrats are committing political suicide and will be swept from one or both houses of Congress with unprecedented electoral losses next November. But since Democrat politicians rarely do things that will not ultimately benefit themselves, this column asked two weeks ago: “what do they know that we don’t?”

We may have found out. It’s called universal voter registration. The Wall Street Journal’s John Fund described the Democrat plan recently at a David Horowitz Freedom Center forum.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Read more…

WASHINGTON: There are many who are digging into H.R. 3200, “America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.” (You can download entire bill here by right-clicking and save to disk. If you click directly on the link it may crash your browser.)

H.R. 3200 has a very interesting statement of purpose:

A BILL

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF DIVISIONS, TITLES, AND SUBTITLES.

SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009’’.

We wonder what those “other purposes” are? Could those purposes have something to do with Congress establishing control not only over 1/6 of our economy but over the very lives of every American?

It looks to us like Joe Wilson was right that illegal aliens will be covered under the plan, according to section 152. Section 152 prohibits discrimination in health care, “without regard to personal characteristics.” By giving illegals health care would one of those “other purposes” be to gain support among illegal aliens for Democrats? Read more…

WASHINGTON: Last fall Joe Wilson got in a bit of hot water for being honest. If you witnessed Obama’s address to the joint session of Congress you’ll remember what it was like. The President called conservatives liars, over and over again. Meanwhile he did some fancy prevaricating of his own. It was just too much to take. If you were watching it live you probably stood out of your chair like we did and called him on it.

Well, it was also too much for Joe. For just a moment Wilson thought he was in the House of Commons and just spoke his mind. Out loud. Do you remember the looks on the Grand Dame Pelosi’s face? Or Harry’s scowl? Both of them being partially senile*, they had probably just forgotten how rude this same body was to George W. Bush when the former President addressed them.

Now it’s time to show our support for Congressman Wilson. The Institute sent a formal letter to his office today, notifying him of Obama’s Prevaricator of the Year™ award. Perhaps if Joe had exclaimed, “You prevaricate!” instead of using the “L” word he might not have gotten into so much trouble. Read more…