How would you feel if I told you that our imperial federal government was going to set up a powerful national agency to bailout cities and states? Considering where the looter-in-chief and the Democrats are taking this country, it probably wouldn't surprise you. The man who orchestrated the financial rescue of New York City in the 1970s is advocating this type of agency. Felix Rohatyn says that Congress should consider creating an entity like the Reconstruction Finance Corp. that was created back in 1932.

Seeing as our government is doing such a fantastic job bailing out the financial industry or the auto industry ... don't you think that we should give the government even more power to bailout our cities and states? You know where this goes, don't you? The emasculation of local governments and the primacy of the federal government. Come on, folks. Can't you see this coming? We have a president who is completely and absolutely in love with government - a president that has no love for the private sector. Just where do you think this is going to take our country? Do you see those people driving around with Obama bumper stickers on their cars? Your children are going to have a lot to thank them for.

Speaking of bailouts ...

You knew this one was coming. Chrysler is not going to repay the taxpayers more than $7 billion it received in the form of a bailout. It has been confirmed with the Obama administration that this is included as part of its bankruptcy filing.

So there you go. Not only do secured creditors get the hind teat ... but so do the taxpayers. Who gets the front? The very union workers who helped destroy the American automobile industry. How wonderful. That's $7 billion ... gone. Poof. Never to be seen again by you or your children or grandchildren.

Democrats, including Barack Obama, don't like the idea of vouchers. Vouchers smell too much like freedom. Government knows what is good for us, so there is no need for us to exercise any freedom of choice. Government reasoning isn't hard to figure out. First we have the teacher's unions. Teacher's unions are the most powerful unions in this country, and teachers don't want the competition that would come from vouchers. If the teacher's unions don't like it ... the Democrat Party will kill it; guaranteed.

I bring this up because the D.C. voucher program is back in the news. Remember that Democrats essentially killed the D.C. voucher program. But Obama has decided that he is going to extend the program until all of its current participants have graduated from high school. So the students who are currently enrolled in the program will get to stay in the program ... but this opportunity will not be afforded to any new students or families in the future. There are currently 1,1716 students participating in the voucher program.

Now Obama has to become a salesman and convince Democrats to endorse the gradual phase out of the program, which would include granting funding in future appropriations bills.

So Obama has essentially taken the easy way out. He won't come out in favor of the voucher system; however he won't totally deny these students participation in the system. He will let it run its course and hope that this will appease the participants enough to get by for the next couple of years.

Depriving DC parents of school choice. Change you can believe in.

Aren't you just sick to death of me pulling these "change you can believe in" lines on you?

Do you think that Arlen Specter has had his "oh crap .. what have I done" moment yet? Considering the fact that he has lost all seniority in the Senate, I would say that moment is coming soon if it hasn't already. The amazing part of the story is that Senator Harry Reid apparently promised Specter that he would retain his seniority if he jumped parties. Angry Arlen trusted the cadaver? He didn't take into consideration the fact that government is all about power, and his fellow Democrats weren't about to give up any of their precious power just so they could claim another desk on their side of the aisle. Either way, Specter is confident that Harry is going to "work it out" and that his assurances on seniority "will be fulfilled." Keep dreamin, Arlen.

So what may have done it for the Democrats? Debbie Stabenow says that many of her colleagues were irritated when Specter told The New York Times that the Minnesota courts should "do justice" by declaring Norm Coleman to be the winner of the Senate race against Al Franken.

Here's why this seniority issue is a big deal for Arlen Specter .. it limits his ability to get pork projects, money and jobs for his state. See, Specter was a senior ranking member on the all-powerful Appropriations Committee. He says, "My senior position on Appropriations has enabled me to bring a lot of jobs and a lot of federal funding to this state." Without this, Arlen believes that he doesn't have the "power" he has accumulated during his 29 years in the Senate. Without power, he probably won't be re-elected.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

In the meantime ... does anyone see a Republican leader on the horizon? Yeah, I thought so.

Get an eyeful and an earful of the Talkmaster at a couple of upcoming events:

• Friday, May 8th in Naples, Florida I'll give my own State of the Union Address and more at this Boortz Bash
• Wednesday, May 20th in Kennesaw, Georgia I'll deliver my newly updated Boortz Commencement Speech to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Saturday, June 13th in Columbia, Missouri for the Midwest FairTax Rally

It has been 44 months since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. But the parasite culture is still living large. FEMA still has 4,600 trailers in Louisiana and Mississippi that are occupied. But as of May 1st, their deadline for sucking vital bodily fluids from the taxpayers expired. Now, the residents of these trailers are upset and fearful that they are going to be kicked out by May 30th.

OMG! How horrible! These parasites might actually have to go out there - after almost four years - and take care of themselves?

Housing advocates - that's a fancy way to describe people who believe that having a house is a right guaranteed by our Constitution - say that the people living in these trailers are the Gulf Coast's most vulnerable residents ... those would be the poor, the sick and the old people. So they want the deadline extended yet again.

Belinda Jenkins is a 53-year-old disabled resident of FEMA housing. She says, "I don't have no plan right now." Yep, that should about sum it up.

Remember: Don't feed the bears.

What an absolutely incredible column today from George Will. Read this and then call and tell us of the high hopes you have for the American automobile industry.

Today Obama is sending his 2010 budget package to Congress. The headline will be that he is cutting $16 billion from federal programs. They're not cuts. They're just reductions in spending increases. But we are talking about a $3.55 trillion budget.

The White House has changed its tune again ... now it looks like it WILL be releasing images of the NYC photo op. Actually .. one picture. Only one.

What we are currently seeing with Chrysler and GM should show us why government shouldn't have gotten involved in the auto industry to begin with.

Here's an interesting little tidbit ... who was the only Republican Senator to receive campaign donations from the UAW in 2008?

The Washington Post reports that former Bush administration officials are urging the Justice Department to soften an ethics report that criticizing lawyers who gave the OK for the government to use "harsh interrogation tactics."

This sounds about right for our government ... paying government school teachers not to teach.

When the budget gets tight, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declares that it's time to study whether to legalize and tax marijuana for recreational use.

I love this ... House Republicans are trying to figure out ways to handle slobbering Barney Frank.

The Oklahoma legislature has approved legislation claiming Oklahoma's sovereignty.

The governor of Oregon says that we need to scale back consumerism in order to save the environment.

The New York Post has a tip for President Obama: Next time you excoriate tax cheats, try to keep Rep. Charles Rangel's name out of the discussion.

How does the government plan on tracking all of this stimulus spending? Easy ... it is going to make you, the taxpayers, do it. That's because the government won't be able to handle the job of tracking how stimulus money is spent until at least 2010.

Rest easy. A Senate panel is currently looking into the plight of the newspaper industry.

Have you ever heard of a pika? Well it could be the first animal in the contiguous states to get Endangered Species Act protection because of climate change.

When a supermarket wouldn't sell an ambulance driver alcohol because he was wearing his uniform ... the man took matters into his own hands.

In which country do women participate in the "Miss Beautiful Morals" pageant? I'll give you a hint ... think penguins.