DCExaminer Morrning Email Blast

Michael Barone - It's a wonderful life working for the government
It looks like a happy new year for you -- if you're a public employee.
The unemployment data shows that this recession has had a much greater effect on private-sector workers than on public employees, on men than on women, on blue-collar workers than on white-collar employees.
It sounds like public- and private-sector employees are looking at different Americas. And they are.

Timothy P. Carney - GM rehires lobbyists -- and taxpayers foot the bill
GM, the failed carmaker whose $400 million in monthly losses is borne mostly by U.S. taxpayers, has in recent months hired high-priced K Street lobbyists to petition Washington for subsidies, special tax breaks and other government favors on top of the $52 billion in aid the Treasury has already provided.
In June, GM began firing its outside lobbyists as part of downsizing its entire $10 million-a-year lobbying operation. As company spokesman Greg Martin told Roll Call, "We have begun notifying our outside consultants that we will be terminating their contracts." But GM has since rehired two of its old K Street firms, the Duberstein Group and Greenberg Traurig, and picked up new representation in the firm GrayLoeffler.

Mark Hemingway - Democrats need to stop blaming GOP for TSA failure
A bizarre new line of attack is emanating from congressional Democrats reeling from concerns the Obama administration may not be doing enough to keep American air-travelers safe.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Janet Napolitano's bizarre "the system worked" statement regarding an Islamic radical who smuggled powerful explosives on board a U.S.-bound flight was swiftly condemned. Following that public debacle, Democrats are trying to blame the Transportation Safety Administration's total failure on Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C.

Fireplace fascism in California
Burn wood in the Bay Area, and your neighbors will rat you out and send inspectors to your door who will slap you with a fine. Even on Christmas Day.
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