Seeing Stars: It's Not Illegal When Congress Does It

Everyone knows that Congressmen use their position to their personal advantages. It's now going public that they are using their privileged knowledge to game the market. In business circles it's called "insider trading" and is illegal.

Guess who got a huge payout on a special deal on the Visa IPO? Princess Nancy, herself. She blocked credit card reforms to drive up the stock price while sitting and a metric butt load of Visa stock.

It wasn't just Visa stock. Democrats (and some Republicans) were investing based on who would get TARP funds.

Colorado

• Colorado legislators are debating if state employees are underpaid. The salary is low but the benefits are generous which might make up the difference.
• Scott Tipton is challenging the Department of Agriculture's new rule that would transfer private water rights to the government. Few things are more valued than water rights in the West.
• Aspen is trying to get the Colorado Supreme Court to block the posting of anonymous ballots online. The move would limit transparency in elections.

Everywhere else

• Maybe it's just me but isn't it a bad thing for people to be able to remotely open all of the doors in a prison without the guards knowing?
• Medicare is pushing people to rent medical equipment rather than buy despite the much higher costs. Their excuse? "Some private insurers do it" and "because Congress said so."
• The Supreme Court is going to tackle ObamaCare this session meaning that there should be a judgement by July of 2012. Heritage has more on the questions facing the Court. On a related note, you can't just opt-out of ObamaCare.
• Well, well, well. Eighty percent of Department of Energy "green" loans went to Democrats. I'm sure it's just a coincidence.
• Obama is trying to bypass Congress again and spend $1 billion to bail out local governments by way of Health and Human Services. It's too bad apples don't keep politicians away from our wallets.
• I'm violating my self-imposed Occupy blackout to mention that New York businesses are planning a counter protest. The businesses have lost around half a million bucks thanks to the Occupiers.
• Speaking of beggars, Governor Jerry Brown is begging for more Federal money to pay for the high speed rail boondoggle in California.
• Anti-virus maker F-Secure has found malware in the wild signed with a valid certificate making it easier to bypass Windows security checks. (via Bruce Schneier)
• Not everyone is upset about the crash of the housing market. I kind of wish it had hit here a little more. I could use a bigger house.
• Is Newt the next not-Romney not that Cain is collapsing? I wish I had a better option besides Ron Paul. It's too bad Gary Johnson doesn't stand a chance.

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