The democrat-controlled U.S. House has just killed an investigation into lobbyist-lawmaker ties.

The House voted Wednesday to kill a resolution calling for an ethics investigation into potential quid pro quo between lobbyist campaign donations and lawmakers.

Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., sponsored the proposal that would have forced the House Ethics Committee to launch a probe into ties between the source and timing of campaign contributions by lobbyists and subsequent legislator requests for special projects or earmarks.

While open-ended, Flake’s resolution was a direct response to the ongoing federal investigation into the PMA Group, a lobbying company accused of making fraudulent donations to lawmakers using names of people who did not exist.

The firm, which has contributed millions to politicians in the last decade, has close ties to senior Democratic appropriators including Reps. John Murtha D-Pa., and Pete Visclosky,D-Ind. The FBI raided PMA’s headquarters in November and is investigating the group’s founder and president, Paul Magliochetti, a former Murtha aide.

“Whereas numerous press reports and editorials have alleged several cases of influence peddling between members of Congress and outside interests seeking federal funding the House of Representatives should respond to such claims and demonstrate integrity in its proceedings,” the resolution read.

The House decided to set aside the proposal by a mostly party-line 226-182 vote, though 17 Democrats joined Republicans in support of considering the measure.

Which is, coincidentally, pretty close to the margin of democrats in the House who voted against the Spendulus bill.

Promises, promises, promises.

And fuzzy math:

Q Robert, you talk about honest and transparent budgeting and I wanted to come back to Chuck’s question about the $2 trillion figure that the President used last night of savings over the next 10 years. We were told last night that that basically referred to two things. One is the expiration of the tax cuts on the wealthy that would happen next year. And two is a reduction of what we are currently spending in Iraq —

MR. GIBBS: I think that’s a — I think that’s certainly a decent part of it. I don’t know, not having seen — or at least not having in front of me the formal documents to know whether that’s 100 percent.

Q Okay. But let me ask — is it transparent to say that tax increases are part of savings? And is it transparent to say that we’re going to be saving that much from Iraq when nobody expects that 10 years out we would be spending what we’re spending today in Iraq? Even the previous administration agreed to get out of Iraq by 2012. And that’s the baseline you’re culling savings from.

MR. GIBBS: It isn’t — I mean, if we’re not spending the money, and the money doesn’t go out the door, and the money doesn’t increase the deficit, and the deficit decreases by some amount, ultimately getting you to the President’s goal of having a $1.2 trillion to $1.3 trillion deficit in his first four years in office —

Q But nobody expects to spend 10 years from now what we’re spending today in Iraq. And if we use that as our baseline, saying, oh, we’re saving because we’re not spending what we did 10 years ago, I mean, isn’t that sort of setting up a funny money comparison?

The answer to that is “yes”. So, naturally, Gibbs answered “no”, because when discussing Obamunism, honesty is most certainly not the best policy if your hope is to get re-elected in 2012.

This is part and parcel with the Obama assertion that his policies will create or save some millions of jobs…its the or save part which is important, because it allows Obama to cook the books any way he wants and claim to have carried out his program with 100% success, even if unemployment is at 14% in 2012. Its all part of a rhetorical shell game which is designed to gull the fools in the Democrat base and allow as few handles as possible for the GOP to hammer Obama upon – Obama hopes to have never answered a single difficult question in a straightforward manner by the end of this term – and, so far, his plan is working as the MSM – in spite of this rather trenchant line of questioning – is not showing itself up to challenging Obama directly.

The hardest task the GOP will have over the next few years is to speak the truth without sounding like we’re being mean or just knee-jerk in opposition. Obama and his handlers are masters at framing the debate into a “heads I win, tails you lose” set of propositions. This is why as we oppose Obama, we must do so with care and find the two or three issues which we can present most favorably to the American people, demonstrating that Obama is a fool and that his policies will fail…and once they do fail, we’ll then reap the electoral benefit. We can’t really stop Obamunism – Obama has the votes in Congress to pretty much do what he wants – but we can delay it, and set the stage for a swift repeal of it, once we are returned to power.

Dinesh D’Souza answers:

If you really look at the motivations of contemporary atheists, you’ll find that they don’t even really reject Christian theology. It’s not as if the atheist objects to the resurrection or the parting of the sea; rather, it is Christian morality to which atheists object, particularly Christian moral prohibitions in the area of sex. The atheist looks at all of Christianity’s “thou shalt nots”—homosexuality is bad; divorce is bad; adultery is bad; premarital sex is bad—and then looks at his own life and says, “If these things are really bad, then I’m a bad guy. But I’m not a bad guy; I’m a great guy. I must thus reinterpret or (preferably) abolish all of these accusatory teachings that are putting me in a bad light.”

In this Lenten season – when we’re supposed to reflect on how we fall short and what we may do to be better people – it is very appropriate, I think, to bring up this observation. You see, the hardest thing anyone can do – the thing non-believers balk at – is the admission of what a bunch of rotters we are. I mean, really, we’re creeps most of the time – but people don’t want to admit to this creepiness, preferring to note that there are worse people and, hey, I’m a pretty nice guy and I don’t think I’m a bad person, yadda, yadda, yadda…meanwhile, said self-satisfied individual spreads gossip, gets angry at those around him who fail as if he never fails, is envious of someone who got the better job, eats to his heart’s content without a thought – while eating – to those who have none, etc, etc, etc.

What people like to do is to tell themselves – and others – that the lousy things they do are not lousy, or are at least excusable. It is easier for us to give ourselves a “Get out of Hell Free” card rather than confront our errors, repent of them and seek to make amends. And for people holding such self-issued cards, the worst thing which can happen is for someone to come along and try to spoil the illusion…such as a devout Christian, Jew, Moslem or what have you pointing out that, really, repentance is absolutely necessary. And thus the battle – not over whether Christ is the Son of the Living God, but over whether cheating on your wife is really all that bad a thing to do.

And now, have at it.

How to stop the worst of the Obama train wreck is something we conservatives need to figure out – Bill Kristol notes this oncoming day of reckoning:

…Obama’s aim is not merely to “revive this economy, but to build a new foundation for lasting prosperity.” Obama outlined much of this new foundation in the most unabashedly liberal and big-government speech a president has delivered to Congress since Lyndon Baines Johnson. Obama intends to use his big three issues — energy, health care and education — to transform the role of the federal government as fundamentally as did the New Deal and the Great Society.

All of those GOPers and conservatives who hopped on the Obama bandwagon in 2008 had better take note – your moderate, sensible guy who will govern from the center is an out-and-out social democrat who intends to make America as socialist as he can. And he’s going to do it because he believes it is the best thing to do – we’ve got a charismatic, popular, media-savvy uber-liberal who wants to remake America. The question for us conservatives: do we wish to fight this?

One would think that the answer is obvious – we’ll fight. But, its not. It is in the nature of things that Fallen man’s normal preference is for servility. Turned away from the one thing we should kneel before, we choose to kneel, instead, before anyone who appears able to take life’s burdens from our shoulders. It is hard to stand as a man or woman, dependent only upon God and willing to take life’s challenges as they come. Anything can be explained away or rationalized – because we prefer to be excused.

The people, as such, will not come to their senses – the reason there are leaders is because leaders are needed. There are tens of millions of Americans who are looking on with dismay as Obama proceeds to destroy that which made America great…but they won’t do anything about it unless people step out in front and lead. And when such leaders do emerge, it isn’t for us to sit back and allow them to take the load – those who are unwilling to lead but who also fully understand must accept their responsibility for helping the leadership to advance the cause, not issue childish dissents because someone isn’t doing 100% of what one would prefer.

America stands on the brink – on one hand we have Obama, heir to Wilson, FDR and LBJ, who is leading us to a point where a majority of Americans will be dependent upon government for their living. It will be a poor and nasty living, to be sure, but fear will keep dependent people in line; fear of losing the little they have. On the other hand stand the heirs of Washington, Lincoln and Reagan – dismayed, confused, wracked with doubt…but yet those who must defend what patriots have died to create and sustain: a nation of free men and women who look to God, family and self, not to government, for help with the burdens of life. How we conservatives behave over the next two or three years will tell the tale.

I am blogging from Buffalo-Niagara International Airport… On my way to Dulles Airport via JFK in New York. I will mostly be posting updates via my Twitter account (@mattmargolis) so you can see how things are going there.

And a timely warning, too:

Canadians packed St. Basil’s Church in Toronto on Monday evening to hear Archbishop Charles Chaput speak about how Catholics should live out their faith in the public square. He warned that in the U.S., Catholics need to act on their faith and be on guard against “a spirit of adulation bordering on servility” that exists towards the Obama administration.

The public lecture by Archbishop Chaput took place on the campus of the University of Toronto at St. Basil’s Church and was attended by an overflow crowd of more than 700 people.

After giving a sketch of the basic principles in his New York Times Bestseller “Render Unto Caesar,” the archbishop offered his insights on the need for an honest assessment of the situation of the Church in the public square.

“I like clarity, and there’s a reason why,” began the archbishop. “I think modern life, including life in the Church, suffers from a phony unwillingness to offend that poses as prudence and good manners, but too often turns out to be cowardice. Human beings owe each other respect and appropriate courtesy. But we also owe each other the truth — which means candor.”

The Denver prelate then provided his critique of President Obama.

“President Obama is a man of intelligence and some remarkable gifts. He has a great ability to inspire, as we saw from his very popular visit to Canada just this past week. But whatever his strengths, there’s no way to reinvent his record on abortion and related issues with rosy marketing about unity, hope and change. Of course, that can change. Some things really do change when a person reaches the White House. Power ennobles some men. It diminishes others. Bad policy ideas can be improved. Good policy ideas can find a way to flourish. But as Catholics, we at least need to be honest with ourselves and each other about the political facts we start with.”

The Archbishop is being a very good Christian when he says that the adulation of Obama is “bordering” on servility. My concern is that it has, at least for some, gone way beyond that. I never thought I’d see such miserable slaves in my life as I see in some of the people who nearly worship Obama, as if he were other than a snappily dressed, well spoken product of Chicago’s hopelessly corrupt Democratic machine. He’s just a man, and not that great a man, into the bargain. Morally he might be splendid (I cannot peer into his soul, of course), but in his public actions, he’s not done anything which warrants anything more than mild approval of the fact that he hasn’t screwed up royally at this point.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and Catholics will go to Mass and have an ashen cross traced on their foreheads – with the words, “Remember, man; dust thou art, and unto dust thou shall return”. I urge the Obamaniacs, Catholic or not, to attend Mass today…you really need to get a grip on the reality of the situation.

Geesh:

Fox News was the ratings leader during prime time and total day during February 2009 — its 86th month on top. FNC averaged more Total Viewers than CNN and MSNBC combined in prime time and total day.

FNC had nine out of the top 10 programs in cable news last month in Total Viewers. The O’Reilly Factor was #1 for the 99th consecutive month, and was up 33% in Total Viewers compared to February 2008. The other top programs included Hannity (up 38%), Glenn Beck (the 5pmET hour was up 100%), The FOX Report with Shepard Smith (up 30%) and On the Record with Greta Van Susteren (up 24%).

But our liberals says that the American people have finally woken up from their BusHitler-inspired stupor and now realize that Fox News is part of the GOP Noise Machine, right?

Discuss such things as how many times Obama lies, exaggerates or otherwise tries to pull the wool over our eyes.

UPDATE: Well, he’ll stop those nasty, mean, EVIL corporate bosses…I’m thrilled at the courage!

UPDATE II: Anyone else creeped out about the way Democrats cheer Obama’s fire and brimstone rhetoric about corporate bosses? I mean, the corporate bosses are Americans, aren’t they? And humans, right? And what about Nancy and Joe behind Obama and their portion of responsibility?

UPDATE III: Obama credits government with all the good we’ve ever done…so, Barry, mind ‘splainin’ why our currency has lost 99% of its value since government started interfering in the economy?

Interesting:

A fund of hedge funds run by two members of Vice President Joe Biden’s family was marketed exclusively by companies controlled by Texas financier R. Allen Stanford, who is facing Securities and Exchange Commission accusations of engaging in an $8 billion fraud.

The $50 million fund was jointly branded between the Bidens’ Paradigm Global Advisors LLC and a Stanford Financial Group entity and was known as the Paradigm Stanford Capital Management Core Alternative Fund. Stanford-related companies marketed the fund to investors and also invested about $2.7 million of their own money in the fund, according to a lawyer for Paradigm. Paradigm Global Advisors is owned through a holding company by the vice president’s son, Hunter, and Joe Biden’s brother, James.

The fund has offered to turn over the $2.7 million investment it received from Mr. Stanford’s firm in 2007 to a court-appointed receiver in the SEC’s civil fraud case involving Mr. Stanford, according to Paradigm’s attorney, Marc X. LoPresti. The fund terminated its relationship with Mr. Stanford’s companies after the SEC filed civil charges against them last week, Mr. LoPresti said.

Just part of the nexus of money, influence and power in Washington, DC and the larger financial world – nothing much to write home about, unless VP Biden turns out to be directly involved, but it does show that by picking Biden, Obama was not at all bringing us real change we can believe in.

It grows, its on Facebook; and it is happening in Tennessee, Houston, Washington DC, St Louis, San Diego, Atlanta, Orlando and Kansas City.

This looks to be growing like wildfire and given the way that Obama is doing everything he can to kill the economy entirely, I can’t see any end to it this side of 2012.

UPDATE: 54% say “no” to bail outs, says Rasmussen.