A media darling one day, an unperson the next. Eric Fuller's moment in the spotlight was very short. The Associated Press did a story a week ago Friday (1/14) on the charge Mr. Fuller made on an obscure left-wing radio program (Democracy Now!) that conservatives were responsible for the shooting spree in Tucson that left six people dead and 14 others -- including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- injured.  It was a major topic of discussion on MSNBC that night. "It looks like (Sarah) Palin, (Glenn) Beck, Sharron Angle and the rest got their first target," Mr. Fuller said. Mr. Fuller made this charge days after it was clear the shooter, Jared Loughner, was mentally ill, didn't listen to talk radio, had a grudge against Rep. Giffords that predated Ms. Palin's arrival on the national scene, admired the Communist Manifesto, hated President Bush, and opposed the Iraq war.  A former classmate described Mr. Loughner as "a left-wing pothead." So why did some journalists play up a disproved charge made by someone you never heard of on a radio program few listen to?

We begin with an important announcement: The dates of the Vegas Rendezvous are Friday, May 6 to Sunday, May 8. Miko is nailing down the best hotel - although he says he'd like to know if you prefer one Downtown (less expensive) or on/near The Strip.  Let him know at [email protected]. We'll have details soon.  But we wanted you to know the dates so you could begin planning.  See you in Vegas! *  *  *  *  * There's little doubt about who is the HFR Hero of the Week, right?  Who else but Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio, along with all 174 members of the Republican Study Committee, "the caucus of conservatives" in the House, proposing budget cuts of $2.5 trillion. They are going to teach Americans a civics lesson that will be the most memorable in modern history. This is the lesson of the great legislative asymmetricality enshrined in the Constitution only rarely taught.  Finally, this supreme example of the genius of the Founders will be learned, to the enormous benefit of America and to the utter anguish of the Left.

No nation has placed greater emphasis on wind and solar energy than Spain.  On eight separate occasions early in his presidency, Barack Obama cited the "green" policies enacted by Spain's socialist government as the model for what he wants for America. President Obama doesn't talk so much about Spain anymore.  When Gabriel Calzada, an economist at a private think tank in Spain, issued a report which said each wind energy job the government created cost Spanish taxpayers $1.4 million in subsidies, and destroyed 2.2 jobs in the private sector, it prompted panic in Obama appointees in the Department of Energy, who worked with wind energy lobbyists to craft responses to the study. "What this shows is a shameless politicization of what should be a professional bureaucracy," said Investor's Business Daily in an editorial.  "Instead of staying objective, they sought to scupper facts for ideologically motivated junk science." I suppose it is natural for politicians to be attracted to wind power, since so many of them are blowhards.  But if you think wind energy could replace a substantial amount of the fossil fuels we use, you must have slept through physics class in high school.

Whoa.  Let's hope the rest of 2011's weeks aren't as intense as this one.  Here's one key focus.  Remember two weeks ago (12/31/10), the HFR predicted that 2011 would see Black Swans of the Right? That "black swan" game-changing events out of the blue precipitating a crisis, which the left specializes in using to expand government power, would now turn in our favor instead? That's what happened when the Loughner Left jumped the shark with the Arizona Massacre.  The very term "Loughner Left" has gone viral on the Web.  The label I gave the Enemedia on Tuesday (01/11) has stuck and quickly.  What didn't stick is the Enemedia's grotesque attempt to blame the Arizona Massacre on Sarah Palin, the Tea Parties, and all conservatives in general.  The great majority of Americans laughed at the accusation - and so did John Boehner and the Republicans in Congress. Thus Boehner & Cantor are proceeding with the straight up-and-down vote on HR 2, to take place next Tuesday (1/18).  They even shrugged at the Dems' demand they change the bill's name due to it's "violent" rhetoric.  It remains entitled: Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act. Note the word:  repealing.  As we saw in Making Boehner's Bones, Boehner intends to repeal ObamaCare outright, not just defund it piecemeal.

Do you think your tax dollars should be used to fund organizations that advocate higher taxes on American citizens? Well, that is exactly what has been happening. The new Republican-controlled House of Representatives, in addition to reducing big, wasteful and unnecessary spending, also needs to go after and defund those programs and activities that are downright destructive. Here's a handful of examples: