{"id":22359,"date":"2013-09-09T21:13:12","date_gmt":"2013-09-10T01:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=22359"},"modified":"2013-09-09T21:17:23","modified_gmt":"2013-09-10T01:17:23","slug":"the-daily-gouge-tuesday-september-10th-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=22359","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge, Tuesday, September 10th, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>It&#8217;s Tuesday, September 10th, 2013, and we&#8217;re bound for the Land of Fruits &amp; Nuts for our annual pilgrimage to perhaps the greatest sporting event on the planet: the Bob Hope Invitational at Lakeside Golf Club in Tolucca Lake, CA.\u00a0 It&#8217;s an outstanding event at what we consider the best private golf club we&#8217;ve ever been privileged to frequent&#8230;and as Chris Wilson&#8217;s monthly bills can attest, we <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>do mean<\/em><\/span> frequent!\u00a0 We&#8217;ll be gone for the better part of a week, but hope to get another column together for publication late Sunday.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In the meantime, here&#8217;s The Gouge!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>First up, courtesy of Katie Pavlich writing at <em>Townhall.com&#8230;<\/em><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Possible Voter Fraud Crops Up in Colorado Recall Election<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fZTTxqi2Rjk\" height=\"235\" width=\"420\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8220;Possible&#8221;?\u00a0 That&#8217;s putting it rather nicely, particularly in light of Liberals&#8217; undeniable track record of election chicanery.\u00a0 Though with one of modern<\/strong><strong><strong> Progressivism&#8217;s sacred cows in danger of slaughter, no degree of duplicity should come as a shock.<\/strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Meanwhile, back in Washington, Der Obafuhrer must have no sense of irony whatsover:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"header\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">W.H. Sends Out Rice, Who Misled on Benghazi, to Make Case for Syria<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image013.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22367\" alt=\"clip_image013\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image013.jpg\" width=\"250\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image013.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image013-223x300.jpg 223w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But why have just <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>one<\/em><\/span> unequivocal liar purporting to peddle the &#8220;truth&#8221; when you have <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>two<\/em><\/span>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Hillary: If Assad Gave Up His Chemical Weapons, &#8220;That Would be an Important Step\u201d Forward<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/hilklaryBosniaImage1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22392\" alt=\"hilklaryBosniaImage1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/hilklaryBosniaImage1.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/hilklaryBosniaImage1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/hilklaryBosniaImage1-300x208.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made some brief and widely anticipated remarks today at the White House about the ongoing crisis in Syria. In short, she reaffirmed her support for President Obama\u2019s proposed resolution to launch limited airstrikes against the Assad regime &#8212; <span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong>but also said that if the Syrian dictator gave up his chemical weapons, that would be an \u201cimportant step\u201d forward towards resolving the situation peacefully.<\/strong><\/span> CNN reports:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she backs President Barack Obama&#8217;s push to take military action in Syria. <\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><em>If Syria&#8217;s government immediately surrendered its chemical weapons stockpiles to international control, &#8220;that would be an important step,&#8221; Clinton said Monday during an event at the White House. &#8220;But this cannot be another excuse for delay or obstruction. <span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>And Russia has to support the international community&#8217;s efforts sincerely or be held to account.&#8221;<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\"><strong><em>Seven months after leaving<\/em> <em>her post as the United States&#8217; top diplomat, Clinton said she discussed the latest developments in Syria with Obama on Monday.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>And as the combined miscues&#8230;er,&#8230;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>efforts<\/em><\/span> of Kerry, Clinton and Rice prove woefully inadequate to this President&#8217;s destructive designs, he is left grasping at straws:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"Obama Says Russian Proposal A Potential Breakthrough\" href=\"http:\/\/townhall.com\/news\/politics-elections\/2013\/09\/09\/obama-says-russian-proposal-on-syria-a-potential-breakthrough-n1695672\" class=\"broken_link\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Obama says Russian proposal on Syria a potential &#8216;breakthrough&#8217;<\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yeah&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/yeahright1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22394\" alt=\"yeahright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/yeahright1.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"184\" \/><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>In light of the latest posting at the Facebook page of one of The Obamao&#8217;s new-found &#8220;allies&#8221; amongst the Syrian rebels&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/congress-500x375.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22362\" alt=\"congress-500x375\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/congress-500x375.jpg\" width=\"425\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/congress-500x375.jpg 425w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/congress-500x375-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;his desperation is understandable.\u00a0 After all, with friends like these, who needs Al-Qaeda?\u00a0 Wait a minute&#8230;they ARE Al-Qaeda!!!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Then again, as this forward from Jeff Foutch describes, the complexities of the Middle East may well be beyond even a Harvard-trained constitutional lawyer&#8217;s grasp:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/jefffoutch.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22405\" alt=\"jefffoutch\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/jefffoutch.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/jefffoutch.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/jefffoutch-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>In a related item, courtesy of <em>Commentary Magazine<\/em>, Jonathan Tobin puts into words what Inquiring Minds have known all along, no matter what Barry&#8217;s apologists in the Press may claim to the contrary:<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">Doubts About Obama\u2019s Iran Resolve? Plenty<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/commander_obama1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22383\" alt=\"commander_obama1\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/commander_obama1.jpg\" width=\"250\" height=\"245\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>For those Americans who wonder whether Barack Obama\u2019s bumbling response to the crisis in Syria is an indication of what he will do about Iran, Jeffrey Goldberg says not to worry.<\/strong><\/span> In an article published in Bloomberg last Wednesday, Goldberg makes the argument that the president\u2019s feckless behavior on Syria that culminated in his shifting of responsibility to a divided Congress shouldn\u2019t inform our expectations of what he will ultimately do about the Iranian nuclear threat. Though a firm supporter of the president, Goldberg has at times been rightly critical of his behavior on Syria, so that, along with his good sources in the White House, gives him some credibility on the issue. While, as he notes, the administration has itself made the argument that America\u2019s willingness to step in on Syria will have an impact on Iran\u2019s behavior, Goldberg argues such an assumption is mistaken. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>According to the writer, the president always viewed the Iranian issue as a fundamental threat to U.S. security and therefore should be trusted to act accordingly no matter how uninspired his leadership proves to be on Syria.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>But while Goldberg is right when he cites the fact that Obama\u2019s strident rhetoric on Iran has left little wriggle room for him to be able to punt on the issue, asking us to believe the president\u2019s Hamlet-like inability to bridge the gap between his words on Syria (\u201cAssad must go\u201d and the use of chemical weapons constituting a \u201cred line\u201d) isn\u2019t indicative of future problems <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>strains credulity<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> It\u2019s not just that the spectacle of an administration that spent two years dithering about Syria before deciding on action and then shifting the decision to Congress will reinforce Tehran\u2019s belief that Obama is a paper tiger. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>It\u2019s that over the course of the past five years the president\u2019s actions on Iran have been as disconnected from his words as they have been on Syria<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> Even before the president choked when he could have legally ordered a strike on Syria, everything he has done with regard to the nuclear issue has given the world and the ayatollahs good reason to believe he will be equally unable to order action on Iran\u2019s nukes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/reaching-out-to-iran-obama-cartoons.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22385\" alt=\"reaching out to iran, obama cartoons\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/reaching-out-to-iran-obama-cartoons.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/reaching-out-to-iran-obama-cartoons.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/reaching-out-to-iran-obama-cartoons-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Let\u2019s stipulate that, as Goldberg argues, the president has always been clear about his view that an Iranian nuke constitutes a direct threat to U.S. interests and the security of its allies. Obama said as much during his first presidential campaign in 2008 and went even farther in 2012 when he explicitly rejected \u201ccontainment\u201d of a nuclear Iran as an option and even said in one of his debates with Mitt Romney that any deal with Tehran would be predicated on the end of the Islamist regime\u2019s \u201cnuclear program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #008000;\">But he has also spent his time in office also making it clear that confrontation with Iran is something that he will go to virtually any lengths to avoid.<\/span> Ignoring the history of Iran\u2019s diplomatic deceptions <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>he has wasted precious years on equally futile efforts at engagement that did nothing but buy them more time to get closer to their nuclear goal<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span> The administration was slow to move to tough sanctions and only did so at the insistence of Congress. Though the president continues to talk tough, his willingness to ignore the repeated failure of the P5+1 talks and to invest more months, if not years, on outreach to new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and to buy into the spin that this veteran of the Islamist regime is a genuine moderate presages more indecision to come.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/ObamaIran.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22384\" alt=\"ObamaIran\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/ObamaIran.jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"303\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/ObamaIran.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/ObamaIran-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>But the problem here is not just that there is a pattern of behavior here that cannot be ignored. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">It\u2019s that, as Goldberg rightly concedes, when the moment of truth on Iran arrives (if such a moment on Iran ever arrives before Tehran is able to announce that it has a viable weapon) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>the evidence will probably be more inconclusive than the open-and-shut case that currently exists about Bashar Assad\u2019s use of chemical weapons<\/em><\/span>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Even though we know that Iran has been amassing large amounts of enriched uranium that could be quickly converted to military use while Obama delayed and talked, the Iranians have moved their massive nuclear program underground into hardened bunkers that shields their contents from scrutiny as well as possible attack from the air.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\"><strong>That means the same pressures and doubts that caused the president to repeatedly stumble on Syria will be even greater if he is ever able to admit that diplomacy has conclusively failed on Iran.<\/strong><\/span> Like the administration, Goldberg continues to insist that there is still plenty of time for diplomacy and sanctions to work before the use of force on Iran should be contemplated. That is highly debatable. <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>But even if we were prepared to accept this dubious assertion, everything the president has done on both Syria <i>and<\/i> Iran would lead a reasonable person to conclude that decisive U.S. action on the nuclear threat is highly unlikely.<\/strong> <\/span>While Goldberg may still believe in Obama\u2019s promises on Iran, the ayatollahs and their intended victims in Israel cannot be faulted for drawing the opposite conclusion.<\/p>\n<div id=\"stcpDiv\" style=\"position: absolute; top: -1999px; left: -1988px;\">Treasury: Debt Up $0 in August; CBO: But Deficit Was $146B &#8211; See more at: http:\/\/cnsnews.com\/news\/article\/terence-p-jeffrey\/treasury-debt-0-august-cbo-deficit-was-146b#sthash.uuq5M00u.dpuf<\/div>\n<p><strong>Seriously; Tel Aviv <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>and<\/em><\/span> New York would have to be smoking, radioactive ruins before the Manchurian Muslim&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/3416601062_ed4dfabb0c_o.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-22382\" alt=\"3416601062_ed4dfabb0c_o\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/3416601062_ed4dfabb0c_o-300x288.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/3416601062_ed4dfabb0c_o-300x288.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/3416601062_ed4dfabb0c_o.jpg 556w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8230;would even <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>consider<\/em><\/span> striking Iran.\u00a0 For the record, we&#8217;d feel a lot sorrier about Tel Aviv than New York.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>As Bret Stephens notes in the <em>WSJ<\/em>&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"The Obama and Kerry Have Made\" href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424127887323623304579059571477464750.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">The Bed Obama and Kerry Made <\/span><\/a><\/h1>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a title=\"The Obama and Kerry Have Made\" href=\"http:\/\/online.wsj.com\/article\/SB10001424127887323623304579059571477464750.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop\"><span style=\"color: #008080;\">America&#8217;s way of war: from shock-and-awe to forewarn-and-irritate. <\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/2076jrn.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22400\" alt=\"2076jrn\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/2076jrn.jpg\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/2076jrn.jpg 250w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/2076jrn-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong>&#8220;&#8230;Say what you will about the prospect of a U.S. strike on Syria, it has already performed one useful service: exposing the low dishonesty, the partisan opportunism, the intellectual flabbiness, the two-bit histrionics and the dumb hysteria that was the standard Democratic attack on the Bush administration&#8217;s diplomatic handling of the war in Iraq.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong> In politics as in life, you lie in the bed you make. The president and his secretary of state are now lying in theirs&#8230;&#8221;<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Or, in the case of Obama and Kerry, simply <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><em>lying<\/em><\/span>!\u00a0 As Rush so eloquently&#8230;and accurately&#8230;observed, we&#8217;ve traded &#8220;shock-and-awe&#8221; for &#8220;shuck-and-jive&#8221;!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Since we&#8217;re on the subject of shucking and jiving, it&#8217;s time we turn to the Financial Section, and more fuzzy math from the most fiscally-challenged Administration in American history:<\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><b>Treasury: Debt Up $0 in August; CBO: But Deficit Was $146B<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/JACK-LEW-AP-PHOTO-crop.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-22379\" alt=\"JACK LEW-AP PHOTO-crop\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/JACK-LEW-AP-PHOTO-crop-300x244.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/JACK-LEW-AP-PHOTO-crop-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/JACK-LEW-AP-PHOTO-crop.jpg 521w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"stcpDiv\" style=\"position: absolute; top: -1999px; left: -1988px;\">Treasury: Debt Up $0 in August; CBO: But Deficit Was $146B &#8211; See more at: http:\/\/cnsnews.com\/news\/article\/terence-p-jeffrey\/treasury-debt-0-august-cbo-deficit-was-146b#sthash.8t55asrQ.dpuf<\/div>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">The federal deficit increased by $146 billion in August, according to a report released today by the Congressional Budget Office. <span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>But, at the same time, according to the U.S. Treasury, the federal debt did not increase at all during the month.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Total federal receipts were $185 billion during August, according to the CBO, while total federal outlays were $331 billion. Thus, the Treasury was forced to engage in $146 billion in deficit spending. <span style=\"color: #008080;\"><strong>Despite this deficit spending, the Treasury reported that at the close of every single business day in August, the federal debt subject to a legal limit by Congress remained exactly $16,699,396,000,000.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><strong>That is approximately just $25 million below the legal limit on the debt that is $16,699,421,095,673.60.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Yeah, and it&#8217;s been at the same figure every day since last May 17th!<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"stcpDiv\" style=\"position: absolute; top: -1999px; left: -1988px;\">\n<p>The federal deficit increased by $146 billion in August, according to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbo.gov\/publication\/44552\" class=\"broken_link\">a report released today<\/a> by the Congressional Budget Office. But, at the same time, according to the U.S. Treasury, the federal debt did not increase at all during the month.<\/p>\n<p>Total federal receipts were $185 billion during August, according to the CBO, while total federal outlays were $331 billion. Thus, the Treasury was forced to engage in $146 billion in deficit spending.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this deficit spending, the Treasury reported that at the close of every single business day in August, the federal debt subject to a legal limit by Congress remained exactly $16,699,396,000,000.<\/p>\n<p>That is approximately just $25 million below the legal limit on the debt that is $16,699,421,095,673.60<\/p>\n<p>If the federal debt had climbed by the same $146 billion that the deficit climbed in August, it would have exceeded the legal limit by almost $146 billion.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, according to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fms.treas.gov\/dts\/index.html\">Daily Treasury Statements<\/a> that the Treasury publishes at 4:00 p.m. on each business day, the debt subject to the legal limit has remained at exactly $16,699,396,000,000&#8211;or about $25 million below the legal limit&#8211;every day since May 17.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; See more at: http:\/\/cnsnews.com\/news\/article\/terence-p-jeffrey\/treasury-debt-0-august-cbo-deficit-was-146b#sthash.aA81UNjC.dpuf<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Which makes this next graphic courtesy of Carl Polizzi and <em>Zero Hedge<\/em> even more intriguing:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/20130908_obamanixon_0.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22361\" alt=\"20130908_obamanixon_0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/20130908_obamanixon_0.png\" width=\"550\" height=\"583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/20130908_obamanixon_0.png 550w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/20130908_obamanixon_0-283x300.png 283w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>On the Lighter Side&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/130906didntdoitRGB20130909032752.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22374\" alt=\"130906didntdoitRGB20130909032752\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/130906didntdoitRGB20130909032752.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/130906didntdoitRGB20130909032752.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/130906didntdoitRGB20130909032752-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/bg090913dAPR20130909024512.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22375\" alt=\"bg090913dAPR20130909024512\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/bg090913dAPR20130909024512.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/bg090913dAPR20130909024512.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/bg090913dAPR20130909024512-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090913dAPR20130909044517.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22372\" alt=\"gv090913dAPR20130909044517\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090913dAPR20130909044517.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090913dAPR20130909044517.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090913dAPR20130909044517-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090813dAPR20130909044512.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22371\" alt=\"gv090813dAPR20130909044512\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090813dAPR20130909044512.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090813dAPR20130909044512.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/gv090813dAPR20130909044512-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Shoot-The-Messenger.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22373\" alt=\"h5D4E34F0\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/h5D4E34F0.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/h5D4E34F0.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/h5D4E34F0-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22363\" alt=\"Shoot-The-Messenger\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Shoot-The-Messenger.jpg\" width=\"525\" height=\"256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Shoot-The-Messenger.jpg 525w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Shoot-The-Messenger-300x146.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 525px) 100vw, 525px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image006_0003.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22369\" alt=\"clip_image006_0003\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image006_0003.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image006_0003.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/clip_image006_0003-300x270.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>And coming soon to a Prius near you&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/comingsoontoapriusnearyou.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22366\" alt=\"comingsoontoapriusnearyou\" src=\"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/comingsoontoapriusnearyou.jpg\" width=\"462\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/comingsoontoapriusnearyou.jpg 462w, https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/comingsoontoapriusnearyou-300x124.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px\" \/><\/a><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Finally, a view of the D.C. government&#8217;s latest brainstorm from <em>Townhall.com<\/em> which should have occurred to us: <\/strong><\/p>\n<h1 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Washington DC Considers 24-Hour Waiting Period on Tattoos and Piercings\u2014But Abortions are Available on Demand<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Yet another Sign the Apocalypse is Upon Us!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Magoo<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s Tuesday, September 10th, 2013, and we&#8217;re bound for the Land of Fruits &amp; Nuts for our annual pilgrimage to perhaps the greatest sporting event on the planet: the Bob Hope Invitational at Lakeside Golf Club in Tolucca Lake, CA.\u00a0 It&#8217;s an outstanding event at what we consider the best private golf club we&#8217;ve ever [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1988,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1988"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22359"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22407,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22359\/revisions\/22407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}