Monday, August 31, 2009

Blowing Smoke at Terrorists

Terence P. Jeffrey "Abdal Rahim al-Nashiri, according to the 9-11 commission report, was the mastermind of the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the U.S.S. Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors."...."CIA officers blew smoke in Nashiri's face, according to the report, and they used cigars."

Obama Goes After CIA to Gain Cover on the Left

Dick Morris & Eileen McGann "The exposures he is likely to make will dominate the headlines even as Obama disingenuously retreats from his campaign commitments on Iraq and on foreign policy in general." Says he.

An Ivy League Huey Long

George Will "In August our ubiquitous president became the nation's elevator music, always out and about, heard but not really listened to, like audible wallpaper."

TAXING THOSE EVIL PROFITS

Neal Boortz "Question: Who should make the decision as to when to buy or sell a stock? The government? Some union hack? Hey! Here's an idea! Let the person who owns the stock decide when to sell it! And let the person with money decide when to invest! I think there's a word for that ... "freedom," I think. But then we're talking about unions, aren't we?"

British courage, then and now

Ethel C. Fenig "The bomber served a week and a half for each person massacred on the Pan Am flight. More bleak hours for the country are to come as the consequences of this continue. Will we have to bail them out? Ah, but we are a different country also; while Gordon Brown is certainly no Winston Churchill, President Barack Obama (D) is definitely not President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D). "

The Two 9/11's

Kyle-Anne Shiver "So, there will be two 9/11's this year, but only one will really count. May the counterfeit 9/11 die quickly in the dustbin of history, where all good socialists return to the maggots from which they came." Amen. Keep preachin'.

Iraq: suspected bomber recently released by US

Google.com "The suicide truck bomber who targeted Iraq's Foreign Ministry in one of the most deadly attacks this year had recently been freed from U.S. custody, an Iraqi investigator said Sunday, raising fresh concerns that former detainees will return to violence." Duh.

Experts see double-digit Dem losses

Politico "...“the situation this summer has slipped completely out of control for President Obama and congressional Democrats.”"

'Senator High And Mighty'

Victor Davis Hanson "What has most hurt the leadership of the Democratic Party was its transformation into a ruling aristocracy, with entitlements of wealth and privilege that insulated it from the effects its advocacy of high taxes and government mandates have had on others less refined and blessed. But well before John Edwards, Al Gore, John Kerry and Nancy Pelosi sermonized one way while living quite another, Ted Kennedy had already mastered that paradoxical art."

Israel, Iran and Obama

WSJ online "Conflict is inevitable unless the West moves quickly to stop a nuclear Tehran."...."The mullahs understand that the only real challenge to their nuclear ambitions is likely to come from Israel. They've long concluded that the U.N. is no threat....They can also see that the West lacks the will to do anything, as the Obama Administration continues to plead for Tehran to negotiate..."

Princess Diana's Death Offers Lessons for Health Care Debate, 12 Years Later

ABC News "The horrific accident illustrated the difference between the French and U.S. approaches to emergency care -- a relatively small piece of the French medical system, but deemed by some people to be the best in the world and often cited as a model for U.S. health care overhaul."

Afghanistan is now Obama’s war

Financial Times "The issue has not yet come to the boil but Mr Obama’s position is as difficult as it could possibly be. This is now his war. He asserted ownership again only recently, calling the conflict for the hundredth time “a necessary war”, unlike his predecessor’s supposedly needless “war of choice” in Iraq."

Enough is enough, Harry/ Stop the childish bullying

Las Vegas Review Journal "For the sake of all who live and work in Nevada, we can't let this bully behavior pass without calling out Sen. Reid. If he'll try it with the Review-Journal, you can bet that he's tried it with others. So today, we serve notice on Sen. Reid that this creepy tactic will not be tolerated."

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Acknowledging the Obvious/ Is the mainstream media coming around?

Stephen Hayes "One key source is former CIA Inspector General John Helgerson, who acknowledged that two of the CIA’s “most powerful” enhanced interrogation techniques “elicited a lot of information." "Certain of the techniques seemed to have little effect, whereas waterboarding and sleep deprivation were the two most powerful techniques and elicited a lot of information," he said in an interview with the Post. "

Politically correct mumbo-jumbo in our schools

Las Vegas Review Journal "Young was discussing what she thought were the qualifications most important in a good teacher, and was asked where she would rank a teacher's knowledge of subject matter among those qualifications. Young said that actually knowing what you're supposed to teach ranked somewhere between fifth and eighth, far behind making kids comfortable in class, being able to understand their feelings, and being able to tell whether they're eating properly."

Cheney Urged for Military Strike On Iran

Atlas Shrugs "Former Vice President Dick Cheney hinted that, in the waning days of the Bush administration, he had pushed for a military strike to destroy Iran's nuclear-weapons program."....""I thought that negotiations could not possibly succeed unless the Iranians really believed we were prepared to use military force," Mr. Cheney said. "And to date, of course, they are still proceeding with their nuclear program and the matter has not yet been resolved.""

How a Detainee Became An Asset/ Sept. 11 Plotter Cooperated After Waterboarding

Washington Post "Speaking in English, Mohammed "seemed to relish the opportunity, sometimes for hours on end, to discuss the inner workings of al-Qaeda and the group's plans, ideology and operatives," said one of two sources who described the sessions, speaking on the condition of anonymity because much information about detainee confinement remains classified. "He'd even use a chalkboard at times." "

Cheney Slams Obama's 'Politicized' Probe of CIA Interrogations

Fox News "In blunt, unsparing language, former Vice President Dick Cheney accuses President Obama of setting a "terrible precedent" by launching an "intensely partisan, politicized look back at the prior administration," seeming to question Obama's fitness as commander-in-chief."

Lockerbie Lessons/ True Versus Misplaced Compassion

Mark Earley, Breakpoint "Should dying prisoners be released early on grounds of compassion? In some cases, absolutely. In the case of the Lockerbie bomber, that is a wholly different matter." Audio and text.

Glenn Foden cartoon

The Age of the American Lust Child

By Armstrong Williams ( Mr. Williams will guest-host for Rush Limbaugh one day this week) "Some would question why it matters. What does society care whether or not children are born to wedded mothers at all? After all if the parents are together but not married, or single but wealthy enough to support the child, then no big deal right? Wrong..."

Privacy and Obamacare (Remember Joe the Plumber?)

By Rick Moran "The Joe the Plumber example is instructive. Anyone who speaks out against the government - Republican or Democrat - could find their personal information plastered all over the news. Just the fact that such a possibility exists chills free speech. "

The Science of Islamic Terror

by Moorthy Muthuswamy "By understanding the roots and motivations of jihad, we can begin crafting strategies to defeat it."

Fake hate crime in Denver: Dems stand by smear, vandal’s story gets weirder

Michelle Malkin "Republican Chairman Dick Wadhams has condemned the act and said he doesn’t believe the Democratic Party had anything to do with it. But he said Waak’s suggestion that the vandalism was somehow connected to the health care debate was appalling. “It’s impugning anybody who is exercising their free speech and opposing the president’s proposal,” he said."

Race-baiter Democrat Rep. Diane Watson praises Cuban health system, Castro & Guevara who “kicked out the wealthy”

Michelle Malkin "She attacked Ward Connerly for marrying a white woman. She bragged about Washington, D.C. being a “chocolate city.” She polluted the Hurricane Katrina aftermath with race card-playing nonsense."

Ezra Klein's Confusion Over "Rationing"

Reason "But through the usual lack leftwing lack of imagination and a truly touching and naive faith in the efficacy of top/down government "solutions," Klein ends up advocating for government rationing and for imposing a government monopoly on health care, instead of for more competition and choice."

Lockerbie bomber 'set free for oil'

UK Timesonline "Gordon Brown’s government made the decision after discussions between Libya and BP over a multi-million-pound oil exploration deal had hit difficulties. These were resolved soon afterwards."

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Five Major Faults with the Health Care Bills

Heritage "The following five provisions are the cornerstone of the House and Senate bills and unavoidably result in legislation taking health care reform in the wrong direction."

The Soviet era memo showing Ted Kennedy working against American interests

Rick Moran, AT "...no major media outlet ever pursued the story which is significant in and of itself. Obviously, they were afraid of what they might find if they dug too deeply. ....It is also significant that not one major media obituary on Kennedy even mentioned it. Protecting the reputation - even after death - of a liberal icon appears to have trumped honest journalism once again."

Holder's Decision To Probe CIA Hints At a New Dynamic

Washington Post "Holder notified the White House that he was reluctantly leaning toward naming a prosecutor to review whether laws had been broken during interrogations -- the very thing Obama had said he wanted to avoid. And the word Holder got back, according to people familiar with the conversations, was that the decision was up to him. "

Eric Allie cartoon

America’s Influence Declining in Middle East

Pajamas Media "The new administration in Washington has projected weakness, resulting in many pro-Western Arab leaders moving away from the U.S. and towards the perceived “strongman” Iran and its satellites."...."American influence in the Middle East is in decline, and it threatens the global order."

Judging Ted Kennedy

Pajamas Media "But isn’t Kennedy then also responsible for the dark underbelly of the welfare state? The unintended consequences of his “compassion” led to a riot of disasters including the creation of a permanent underclass, the breakup of the black family, the disgrace that is public housing — this too, and more, is Ted Kennedy’s legacy of caring." ( The article is more balanced than this pull-out quote I chose would indicate. Ed.)

Will there be a “Wellstone effect” in Kennedy remembrances?

Hot Air "Concocting a “do it for Teddy” campaign assumes that most people admired him, which may be an arguable proposition even now."

BUSSED IN UNION GOON BOOED OUT of Rep. Tim Bishop's Town Hall Meeting (Video)

Gateway Pundit "Like they tried to do here in St. Louis, union members, many from outside the district, were snuck into the hall in an effort to stack the deck with a friendly audience.There are reports that as many as three busloads were brought in."

The Beck Boycott's unintended consequences

TV By-the-numbers "Though a little scandal might alienate advertisers, it’s pure ratings gold. Last night Glenn Beck had over 3 million viewers at 5pm, second only to O’Reilly for the night. But, Beck had more 25-54 viewers than O’Reilly (888K to 876K)."

Rep. Watson: Che and Fidel were right to 'kick out the wealthy'

American Thinker "Never underestimate the stone cold stupidity of a liberal."

The Get-Cheney Squad

By Pat Buchanan “Men sleep peacefully in their beds at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”.... "But why is Obama yielding to the clamor of a left that will not be satiated until Cheney and Bush are indicted as Class A war criminals? Is that in the national interest? Is it in Obama’s interest to tear his country apart to expose and punish these CIA agents?"

Cheney: Obama Team Should Be Debriefing CIA Interrogators, Not Investigating Them

Fox News "Watch the entire interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney on "FOX News Sunday," airing at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET on FOX News Channel. Check local listings for "FOX News Sunday" airing on FOX networks."

Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

CNET "CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft of S.773 (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency."

A military solution for Afghanistan?

BLACKFIVE "IN Kabul these days, those wishing to sound knowledgeable fire one phrase at visiting reporters: "This has no military solution!" One hears it from President Hamid Karzai, UN "experts" and diplomats. Yet they appear stuck when asked: What precisely is the "this" that has no military solution?"

Friday, August 28, 2009

Ted Kennedy's Soviet Gambit

Forbes "Kennedy proved eager to deal with Andropov--the leader of the Soviet Union, a former director of the KGB and a principal mover in both the crushing of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the suppression of the 1968 Prague Spring--at least in part to advance his own political prospects."

Update: More Than 700 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims

Senate.gov "The explosion of skeptical scientific voices is accelerating unabated in 2009. A March 14, 2009 article in the Australian revealed that Japanese scientists are now at the forefront of rejecting man-made climate fears prompted by the UN IPCC." How's this for a source?

Did the White House Green Light Lockerbie Bomber's Release?

Fox News "We are only seven months into this new administration. The early indications are not good that we have a seasoned and serious team manning the helm of the ship of state. For the sake of the country we all serve, let's pray they learn quickly."

New Jersey politicians say no to Qaddafi

Arab News "Opposition to his stay in a New Jersey suburb is so strident that the United States now says it is considering barring Qaddafi from staying on property owned by the Libyan ambassador to the UN."

On Health Care, ‘Obstructionist’ Charge a Big Miss

Pajamas Media "But the new definition of bipartisanship seems to be: “We get to write a controversial bill exactly the way we want to, and you get to say ‘yes’ to it.”"

Let's Celebrate Oil's 150th Birthday And The Value It Adds To Our Lives

IBD "Yet today people increasingly label oil a pollutant that damages rather than enhances our lives and, even worse, an addiction — likening our consumption of oil to a junkie's self-destructive heroin habit. This is profoundly ignorant, not to mention unfair to the petroleum industry that tirelessly innovates, year after year, to find more oil and extract it more efficiently."

Video: Beck interviews Limbaugh on the threat to free speech

HotAir "To pull off something like that would require a complacent right and a broad independent middle energized with Hopenchange fever. Thanks to ObamaCare, we now have the opposite."

No more privacy under ObamaCare

American Thinker "So much for the "Constitutional right to privacy" -- your privacy is only important when it serves progressive objectives, but worthless when they want to seize power."

Liberal at Huffpo thinks Mary Jo Kopechne didn't mind dying for Ted

By Rick Moran "Of all the millions of words, tens of thousands of articles, blog posts, and other scribblings by liberals over the death of Ted Kennedy, this may be the most amazingly shallow, myopic, and ultimately self centered sentence ever written. But it does highlight the liberal mindset quite well, don't you think? To left wing fanatics like Lafsky, human life does not belong to the individual, but to the higher cause of the collective good."

Eric Holder’s Hidden Agenda/ Transnationalism

By Andy McCarthy National Review= "But because the administration’s allies in the antiwar bar and the international Left will do the dirty work of getting charges filed, the American media will help Obama avoid domestic political accountability. Meanwhile, Americans who sought to protect our nation from barbarians will be harassed and framed as war criminals. And protecting the United States will have become an actionable violation of international law."

ABC, NBC Won't Air Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Plan

Fox News "The refusal by ABC and NBC to run a national ad critical of President Obama's health care reform plan is raising questions from the group behind the spot -- particularly in light of ABC's health care special aired in prime time last June hosted at the White House."

Court strikes down reference to God in state law

Link "In an 18-page order, Judge Thomas Wingate said the [Kentucky] General Assembly created an official government position when it passed a law requiring the office to acknowledge “the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.”

Why Democrats should not be allowed anywhere near Washington

Wall Street Journal "During the course of this review, a number of Agency officers expressed unsolicited concern about the possibility of recrimination or legal action resulting from their participation. . . . officers expressed concern that a human rights group might pursue them for activities . . . they feared that the Agency would not stand behind them." Another said, "Ten years from now we're going to be sorry we're doing this . . . [but] it has to be done."

Can Dems Rescue ObamaCare?

By Charles Krauthammer Real Clear Politics "And here's what makes [the new healthcare plan] so politically seductive: The end result is the liberal dream of universal and guaranteed coverage -- but without overt nationalization. It is all done through private insurance companies. Ostensibly private. They will, in reality, have been turned into government utilities. No longer able to control whom they can enroll, whom they can drop and how much they can limit their own liability, they will live off government largesse -- subsidized premiums from the poor; forced premiums from the young and healthy.

Richardson Probe 'Was Killed in Washington'

Fox News "The decision not to pursue indictments was made by top Justice Department officials, according to a person familiar with the investigation, who asked not to be identified because federal officials had not disclosed results of the probe." But we're still gonna get Bush and them guys who blew smoke into al Qaeda faces!

"BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS"

More Boortz "...there are problems with the delivery of healthcare. Those problems, however, were CAUSED by government .. and more government isn't the solution. The private sector can deliver these services in the most efficient manner possible - but only if government backs off."

MORE NAME-CALLING FROM THE DEMOCRATS

By Neal Boortz "...it's the evil right-wingers who are supposed to always be stooping to the nasty name-calling and ugly rhetoric. .... But just check into websites like Democraticunderground.com, Media Matters and ThinkProgress to see what gems come from Democrat keyboard whey they're talking about Americans who don't see eye-to-eye with them on the size and intrusiveness of government."

Thursday, August 27, 2009

A Communist in the White House? 1992 and 2009

By Ron Radosh "As David Horowitz has pointed out, from 1992 until 2002, Jones was a member of a radical communist group that was dedicated to “organizing a revolutionary movement in America.” Arrested during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, and briefly sent to jail, Jones met, he said “communists and anarchists,” and decided “ ‘This is what I need to be part of.’” He said that he spent “the next ten years of my life working with a lot of those people I met in jail, trying to be a revolutionary.”"

War — What War? We have public confusion about both wars: Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Victor Davis Hanson= "In October 2002, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, with plenty of Democratic support, voted overwhelmingly to authorize the Iraq War.Congress cited 23 reasons why we should remove Saddam. The majority of these authorizations had nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction."

Victory for Pro-Life Pharmacists

ACLJ "...the circuit court sitting in Springfield, Ill. issued a preliminary injunction in the case of two pharmacy owners, Luke VanderBleek and Glenn Kosirog. Both men have been fighting to protect their conscience rights. We represent the pharmacists in the case of Morr-Fitz, Inc. v. Blagojevich."

Dems Call for ObamaCare Renamed as Kennedy Health Bill

Canada Free Press "Byrd called for the official renaming of ObamaCare to the Kennedy healthcare bill. Of course it won’t hurt Byrd or anyone else in Congress as neither they nor Kennedy gave up (or will give up) their premium healthcare."

Cheetos (Poor People Need Fathers Not Government Programs)

By Victoria Jackson, formerly of Saturday Night Live BigHollywood "The people auditioning me will all be liberals. Should I hide my recent, passionate Tea-Bagging activities, if the topic comes up? Why should they hate me? I only want the best for everyone. My beliefs in the Bible, and freedom and capitalism are only ideals that bless people."

Media Diversity Czar: Mark Lloyd

NoisyRoom/ "Lloyd wants to control all content on radio, bankrupt Conservative and Christian broadcasting and give it to public broadcasting. He is playing the part of some twisted, fascist Robin Hood who takes from the right and gives to the left in the extreme and with the added benefit of wiping out conservative radio."

Brian Farrington cartoon

Townhall

Whose Medical Decisions? Part IV

By Thomas Sowell, Townhall "Obama even gets away with saying things like having a system to "keep insurance companies honest"-- and many people may not see the painful irony in politicians trying to keep other people honest. Certainly most of the media are unlikely to point out this irony. "

Obama Targets Medicare Advantage

By Karl Rove, WSJ "Medicare Advantage also has built-in incentives to encourage insurers to offer lower costs and better benefits. It's a program that puts patients in charge, not the government, which is why seniors like it and probably why the administration hates it. "

What Made KSM Talk?

Weekly Standard "The IG found that before KSM was waterboarded he gave up only a few intelligence reports and “much” of that scant intelligence was bogus. However, we know from other declassified reports released on Monday that KSM became a font of intelligence on al Qaeda, giving up his fellow terrorists and specific plots. That’s why the CIA’s June 3, 2005, report calls KSM the Agency’s “preeminent source” on al Qaeda in the title."

ACLU: Spying For America's Enemies

IBD "A terrorist manual seized in a Manchester, England, raid in 2005 advised operatives: "At the beginning of the trial . . . the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by state security before the judge. Complain of mistreatment while in prison." Jihadi commanders rehearsed the lines with their foot soldiers "to ensure that they have assimilated it.""

Payoff for releasing Lockerbie terrorist

Link "Libyan millions ready to pour into London. Libya is preparing to invest millions of dollars into London's property market in the latest sign of burgeoning business links between the two countries." More here: American Thinker

Obama and ‘Redistributive Change’

By Victor Davis Hanson NRO= "Forget the recession and the “uninsured.” Obama has bigger fish to fry."

Obama Allies Find Words Fail Them

WSJ "But Dr. Crittenden said no one anticipated the charges that the Obama program would include "death panels" or advocate euthanasia. Perhaps more important, said Lake Research head Celinda Lake, no one foresaw the intensity of protests at town-hall meetings."

Howard Dean: Democrats Left Tort Reform Out of Health Care Bill Because They Feared 'Taking On' Trial Lawyers

CNS News "There’s $200 million over 10 years in savings if we had tort reform and nobody loses but the lawyers,” said Tulino. “Why have we not even considered that tonight in the discussion sir? Tell the American people that.”"

FCC Diversity Chief Asked Liberals to Copy FDR, Take on Limbaugh, Murdoch, Supreme Court

CNS News "“A pro-big business Supreme Court aligned with Murdoch, Limbaugh, and Zell and ready to battle a progressive in the White House begins to sound a lot like the early years of the FDR administration,” said Lloyd. “Will progressives sound like FDR and commit to creating a media policy that actually serves democracy and promotes diverse and antagonistic sources of news?”"...."Lloyd relies heavily on the left-wing radical Saul Alinsky in explaining his strategy." More here:ACLJ Will "Fairness Doctrine" Return Under Another Name?

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Morale at CIA Plummets as Panetta Makes a Bad Situation Worse

Pajamas Media "Following previous scandals in the 70s and 80s, thousands of skilled analysts and operations specialists left Langley for greener pastures, leaving behind the hacks and politicians who presided over such intelligence debacles as 9-11."

Some important lessons from Ted Kennedy

Pajamas Media "Judge Bork recounts his incredulity at this tissue of malign fabrication. “It had simply never occurred to me that anybody could misrepresent my career and views as Kennedy did.” At the time, he notes, many people thought that Kennedy had blundered by emitting so flagrant, and flagrantly untrue, an attack. They were wrong."

Gazing at the Flag

Gazing at the Flag "Everyone there had a few tears hiding behind their smiles as this magnificent statue of PFC Tucker reaching out a hand to a young Iraqi girl was unveiled. It will sit on the corner of US Highway 97 until the new City Hall is built in the same location." Hat tip to Mudville Gazette

Saving the Obama Presidency

WSJ "By contrast, Mr. Obama's handling of the health-care debate—making villains out of cable television and insurance companies, questioning the motives of those who disagree, imposing artificial deadlines—suggests a rigidity typically associated with a lack of executive experience and responsibility."

Man collapses with ruptured appendix... three weeks after NHS doctors 'took it out'

London Daily Mail "'However, we would like to apologise if Mr Wattson felt dissatisfied with the care he received at Great Western Hospital.' " Fine; just don't let it happen again.

Liberal Lies in National Health Care: Second in a Series

Ann Coulter, Townhall "No wonder Democrats want to remind us that they can't be trusted with foreign policy. They want us to forget that they can't be trusted with domestic policy."

Remember ‘No Controlling Legal Authority’?

National Review= By Andrew C. McCarthy "The CIA probe shows once more that the law does not control this attorney general."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

IBD

Is Glenn Beck Allowed to Believe Obama is a Racist?

American Thinker "“Glenn Beck Loses Advertisers Over ‘Racist’ Remark,” is the news headline the left is relishing in. The animation over Beck’s remarks in stating that he believes President Obama has a “deep-seated hatred for white people,” is a little curious on a couple of counts."

Ted Kennedy dead

American Thinker "Ted Kennedy was the poster boy for redemption by liberal politics -- the sense that many on the left have that no matter how badly they behave personally, they have a claim on virtue because they support liberal policies. By mobilizing the power of the state to take money away from some to cater to the needs of others, they suddenly become great humanitarians."

Democrats smear anti-health care reform protestors in Denver

American Thinker "An act of vandalism at the headquarters of the Colorado Democratic Party was initially blamed on anti-health care reform protestors by the state's Democratic party chairwoman.Unfortunately for her, the perps turned out to be liberal activists."

Tort Reform Is Key To Health Reform

IBD "A 2006 Harvard School of Public Health study found that four out of every 10 medical malpractice lawsuits filed in America each year were "without merit." Nonetheless, defending against such lawsuits imposes costs on doctors, hospitals and insurers that invariably are passed on to health care consumers. Beyond the obvious costs of litigation, more subtle costs related to the practice of "defensive medicine" are contributing to runaway health care inflation."

SEIU's Andy Stern Named in Top Ten Most Powerful People in Healthcare

SEIU Straight from the union's magazine itself.

UNIONS VS. CEO OF WHOLE FOODS

Boortz "The liberals have had their thongs in a wad for weeks over this column by Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. For those of you who missed it, Mackey wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal on August 11th that explained his free market plan for healthcare reform. Ever since then, liberals have been in a war against Mackey for daring to go against Barack Obama or stand against the political leanings of so many of his customers!" See, leftists shop at Whole Foods.

Labor Leader Named Head of New York Fed

Washington Post "Completing the move away from having people from the financial world lead the New York Fed board of directors, Lee C. Bollinger, the president of Columbia University, was named deputy chairman on Monday. "

Chappaquiddick: No Profile in Kennedy Courage

ABC News "How could he be one of most trusted members of Senate -- and they trusted his word as good as gold -- be an out of control frat boy most of his life?" he asked. "Life is complicated and people aren't as simple as we'd like them to be."

Obama vs. Obama

By Victor Davis Hanson "Actions often have unforeseen consequences. Throughout the campaign and the first few months of the new administration, Barack Obama adopted a number of personas and positions that only now may be coming back to haunt him. Or in the words of the right Reverend Wright the proverbial “chickens are coming home to roost.”"

Obama Administration Releases Names of Secret Terror Suspects

Gateway Pundit "Why would the Pentagon want to keep their names secret anyway? "The Pentagon has previously said that providing information about these detainees could jeopardize counter-terrorism efforts."It would seem then, that Obama no longer cares about such efforts."

Cuban Generation Y Blogger Mocks Che T-shirt Wearers

Newsbusters "I am part of the counterculture, and the counterculture is growing, but it is very diverse. Maybe one thing we all have in common is that we don't wear Che T-shirts, like foreign kids who consider themselves counterculture do,'' she says. ``In Cuba, Che represents the government. In Cuba, only tourists and members of the Young Communist League wear Che shirts.''

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Huckabee: Evangelicals More Supportive of Israel than U.S. Jews

Christian Post Some evangelicals disagree, however.

CIA interrogation program highlights lack of moral courage

BLACKFIVE "Now we have reached a point where we have told our enemies that we are not willing to actively interrogate them if they are captured. We have abdicated our responsibility to prevent evil and when future acts of terror kill innocents we are guilty for that failure."

Lisa Benson cartoon

Townhall

Cheney was right; Obama's wrong

American Thinker "The activities of the CIA in carrying out the policies of the Bush Administration were directly responsible for defeating all efforts by al Qaeda to launch further mass casualty attacks against the United States. The people involved deserve our gratitude. They do not deserve to be the targets of political investigations or prosecutions. " Dick Cheney

Liberal Fascism is not a book anymore

American Thinker "The fog is clearing, and the Progressive path is becoming clearer. At his Liberal Fascism blog, author Jonah Goldberg starkly recapitulates the progress of the State under Obama:.."

Statement from Dr. Charles Krauthammer about his American Experiment Annual Dinner Remarks

American Experiment "This account is neither accurate nor authoritative. My views on Obama are well known. I’ve explained them in a series of five columns. "...."My views are clearly spelled out in that series of columns and subsequent writings. Anyone who wants to know my views should consult those and not this email. Charles Krauthammer"

Britain forced to fly in foreign doctors to fill in physician gaps

American Thinker "What happens to doctors under nationalized health insurance?They become like any union and negotiate for more money while working less. Doctors in Great Britain recently signed a contract that gives them evening and weekends off while paying them more. Of course, that leaves patients high and dry if they happen to need a doctor after hours."

Gary McCoy cartoon

Townhall

John Stossel's Take: Every Critic a Racist

ABC News "Come on. Every president eventually is criticized by the media – even one as “transcendent” as Obama. The President’s supporters should engage his critics with facts, not charges of racism."

Republicans Say Obama Administration Is Hampering U.S. Intelligence Efforts

CNS News "...Dick Cheney told The Weekly Standard, a conservative journal, that the decision "serves as a reminder, if any were needed, of why so many Americans have doubts about this administration's ability to be responsible for our nation's security.""

A WARNING LETTER TO AMERICA

UpPompeii "I am writing this letter to you in the hope that I can draw to your attention the dangerous route your country is taking, I am naught but an ordinary Englishman who is seeing the danger signs springing up in the country where my children live, below is what I see happening in America, and I would not like to see the USA going down the same disastrous route that the UK has been taken by its government."

Abortion: Which Side Is Fabricating?

FactCheck.org "Obama has said in the past that "reproductive services" would be covered by his public plan, so it’s likely that any new federal insurance plan would cover abortion unless Congress expressly prohibits that. Low- and moderate-income persons who would choose the "public plan" would qualify for federal subsidies to purchase it. Private plans that cover abortion also could be purchased with the help of federal subsidies."

Picturing The Enemy

IBD "Has there ever been a more outrageous trading of places? Those behind the attacks that murdered thousands are now the victims? And the courageous U.S. government officials who grilled them for the purpose of preventing further terrorist attacks are now the villains?"

Whose Medical Decisions?: Part III

Thomas Sowell, Townhall "That such a massive change of the entire medical care system, from top to bottom, was attempted to be rushed through Congress before the August recess-- before anybody in or out of Congress had time to read it all-- should have told us from the outset that we were being played for fools."

Straw Man Watch

By Karl Rove "The Straw Man fallacy involves the attribution or assumption of a position, which is then attacked or dismissed, The problem is that the position dismissed by the argument is not the real 'man' or 'person', but a caricature of the real position held."—Christopher W. Tindale, Fallacies and Argument Appraisal, January 2007 "

Divine Debt Trumps All

By Victor Davis Hanson "President Obama has put forth an ambitious agenda of radical health-care reform, cap-and-trade legislation, new energy proposals and expanded entitlements. But no matter how brilliantly the president describes his progressive agenda, it can't escape our fiscal fate: The country is broke and its ability to borrow ever more trillions of dollars is coming to an end."

Imputed Income? Not coming now, but Democrats have considered it before.

Link Just be aware that Democrats have considered this back in Clinton's time.

Eric Holder CIA Investigation Announcement Unleashes Kossack Political Bloodlust

Newsbusters "Liberals in the mainstream media may publicly pretend that the appointment of a prosecutor to investigate so-called torture in the CIA is non-political but to the members of the Daily Kos it is all about politics."

Obama White House v. CIA; Panetta Threatened to Quit

ABC News "Panetta was reportedly upset over plans by Attorney General Eric Holder to open a criminal investigation of allegations that CIA officers broke the law in carrying out certain interrogation techniques that President Obama has termed "torture." "

Monday, August 24, 2009

A Letter to America

Link "I am writing this letter to you in the hope that I can draw to your attention the dangerous route your country is taking, I am naught but an ordinary Englishman who is seeing the danger signs springing up in the country where my children live, below is what I see happening in America, and I would not like to see the USA going down the same disastrous route that the UK has been taken by its government."

Obama Sends Terrorist Murderer Home

Sweetness & Light "Lastly, as we have also already noted, Mr. Jawad confessed to his crimes at least twice – once to the Afghan police and then to the US authorities. There has been no suggestion that the Americans tortured him. But never mind all of that. One of the themes of the Obama regime seems to be ‘guilty as hell, free as a bird.’ Of course this is exactly what one should expect from a Justice Department headed by someone (Eric Holder) whose law firm defended Guantanamo Detainees – pro bono."

'Lethal levels' of anesthetic propofol killed Michael Jackson

LA Times Blogs "[Jackson's doctor] Murray has already acknowledged obtaining and administering propofol to Jackson the morning that the pop star died. In an interview with police, Murray told them that he had left Jackson alone under the influence of the medication to make telephone calls to his Houston office and family members. When he returned, he discovered Jackson was not breathing."

Whose Medical Decisions? Part II

Thomas Sowell, Townhall "But in the things that medical care can do something about-- like cancer survival rates-- the United States ranks at or near the top in the world. But that can change if we give up the real benefits of a top medical system for the visions and rhetoric of politicians."

Obama’s new exit strategy in Afghanistan

Pakistan Tribune "President Obama is considering the possibility of negotiations with the elements of the insurgents. A face saving formula may involve creation of conditions whereby Nato and the US can claim “victory”. This will not be a victory where the enemy is completely vanquished. The experience has shown that neither a Taliban re-conquest of Afghanistan is likely, nor can the Taliban be crushed in the foreseeable future."

Your Life Choices

American Thinker "Recently, the VA re-implemented a pamphlet known as "Your Life - Your Choice" dealing with end of life decisions for Veterans. I have briefly looked it over and here are a few pages to really pay attention to:"

Now There You Go Again -- More Whoppers from Obama

American Thinker "So do you believe him when he says "no", or when he says "yes", to the same question. The answer depends on whether its and odd day or an even day. "We know what a failure to act would bring: More of the same." More of the same best healthcare in the world, that is."

Politicization of the Obama Justice Department

American Thinker "Now we have Obama's Justice Department choosing to use its time to investigate acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marr Jr. for his comments regarding corruption in New Jersey, a heavily Democratic state whose Democratic governor, Jon Corzine, faces political problems."

When in trouble, feed the base

American Thinker "He is also in trouble with the rest of the American people for even proposing such a plan. But presidents can always rally their base by playing to their red meat, partisan sensibilities. And Obama has hit just the right issue to do it.His Justice Department is going to prosecute CIA interrogators according to this report by David Johnston in the New York Times:"

Senate Dems strategize healthcare endgame

The Hill.com "[Schumer] said those alternatives include “just getting 60 Democratic votes and maybe an occasional Republican here or there,” as well as the use of special Senate budget reconciliation rules that would require only 51 votes to move healthcare. "

The High Cost of Liberalism

Wall Street Journal "All told, the administration and Congress are pushing massive tax increases. Without a specific proposal we don't know how much taxes would go up if the Social Security ceiling is raised, but add the others up and we see up to $200 billion--and it could well be much more--in annual tax increases on businesses, individuals and the overall economy, which is already in recession."

"Obama's Plan to Desecrate 9/11"

American Spectator "The president signed into law a measure in April that designated Sept. 11 as a National Day of Service, but it's not likely many lawmakers thought this meant that day was going to be turned into a celebration of ethanol, carbon emission controls, and radical community organizing."

Iranians Seek Out Abuses By U.S.

Washington Post "Iranian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Sunday for a bill creating a $20 million fund intended in part to expose human rights violations by the United States, the ILNA news agency reported." They'll find plenty of moonbats here who will help them for free.

Department of the Obvious- More troops needed for A-Stan

BLACKFIVE "The question then becomes "What will the already beaten and bloodied Democrats in Congress do when a request for 25-25k troops comes?". I predict chaos, wailing and gnashing of teeth and a fearsome fight. Sadly we have to win it and it is time to prepare. Gladly, the left will be no more prepared for this than their "Betray Us" ad when we played this same game in 2006/7."

Financial Times Gets Afghanistan Wrong

By Max Boot, Commentary Magazine "Moreover, it does seem to reflect a certain mindset increasingly prevalent in our capital and the capitals of our allies, where too many people are willing to concede defeat in Afghanistan before our troops have begun to fight properly."

Afghan conflict serious, 'deteriorating'-Mullen

Reuters "...and I've said that over the past couple of years -- that the Taliban insurgency has gotten better, more sophisticated," said Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff."

Sunday, August 23, 2009

[Intelligent Design's] Unlikely Defender/ Seeking God in Science

Breakpoint "Unlike many others, he sees no reason to suppose--at least until proven otherwise—that ID proponents are mendacious conspirators. He argues effectively that opponents’ most frequently-stated dismissals of ID (“it’s purely religion,” for example, or “it isn’t science”) fail when subjected to thoughtful analysis."

Your Life Choices

American Thinker Matthew Fritch: "...I would have to say that this pamphlet is geared towards convincing you to make decisions you would not normally make and then filling it as part of your medical record. This is truly unconscionable and really needs to be done away with. Our Veteran's (sic) have done so much for our nation and it truly saddens me to see our government use them as guinea pigs in what I am sure will become the standard under Obamacare!"

Obama issues YouTube Ramadan message

Washington Examiner "President Obama, who skipped the National Prayer Day ceremony, has released a special message for Muslims, commemorating Ramadan. You can view it here."

Mullen worried over public support for Afghan war

Google "Arizona Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wants the military leadership in Afghanistan to use the same aggressive approach that Gen. David Petraeus used successfully in Iraq."

Video: Marine goes nuclear on Democrat over ObamaCare

HotAir "The Democrat in question is Brian “Brown Shirts” Baird, thus the pounding he takes here is extra gratifying."

Secular Saboteurs

By L. Brent Bozell Media Research Center ""the U.S. is more Christian than Israel is Jewish." And yet if this is so, why can’t we celebrate Christmas? Why can’t our children pray in school? How did we just elect a president who insisted the United States ought not to be considered a Christian nation?"

Outrageous negligence: First US fumbled case against would be terrorist, then lost deportation trial

Shawarma Mayor "Just like Ayers, who admitted to his terrorist actions but was let go on technicality, so does this guy - who had irrefutable evidence stacked against him - gets a free pass." "I'm a terrorist and I vote Democrat!"

Seller, beware: Feds cracking down on garage sales

McClatchy "The crackdown affects sellers ranging from major thrift-store operators such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army to everyday Americans cleaning out their attics for yard sales..." Hat tip to Rogue Government. They just can't leave us alone!

Mike Ramirez: another take on the Libyan bomber release

We Are the Children: Sing in Unison to Save a Dictator

Pajamas Media "Today, a new, democratic Iraq has become a force for good in the Middle East, having changed the region’s ideological balance in favor of democracy and freedom. And yet not a single vocal opponent of the Bush doctrine, including Barack Obama himself, has retracted his prior statements intended to prevent such an outcome."

Whose Medical Decisions? Part 1 of a series

By Thomas Sowell, Townhall [Zeke Emanuel] said, "the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out there." He added: "It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels. That is why you have to have some independent group (a panel? Ed.) that can give you guidance."

Who’s in Charge of Diplomacy?

by Victor Davis Hanson "I think the more we ponder the Clinton trip, the worse it is going to be appraised. We have hostages in Iran. An American soldier is being held by the Taliban. Our allies have hostages in North Korea. So what conditions determined the spouse of the secretary of state to make a special trip to meet demands imposed by the North Koreans kidnappers to release their hostages?"

Afghanistan and the Polls

By Max Boot, Commentary Magazine "The war in Afghanistan is shaping up as an important test of whether President Obama craves popularity above all or whether he is willing to make the tough, sometimes unpopular decisions that being commander in chief require."

The NY Times Draws a Map for al-Qaeda

By Max Boot, Commentary Magazine "Where, I wonder, is the scandal? Is the scandal from the Times’s viewpoint that our government is killing terrorists rather than reading them their Miranda rights?"

What Was Really Behind the Lockerbie Bomber’s Release?

Pajamas Media "The mass murderer's release may have been motivated by lucrative oil deals and anti-Americanism rather than compassion for a dying man."

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Throw Out The Democratic Health Care Sponge

Legal Insurrection "Even if the left-wing of the Democratic Party were to allow compromise, there is so much wrong with the current proposals, so many nuggets of bureaucratic deviousness hidden in hundreds of obscure, often cross-referenced, provisions, that it is like squeezing soap from a sponge. Every time you think it is all gone, another squeeze brings more of the mischief to the surface."

Henry Payne cartoon

Townhall

Lance Corporal Richard Weinmaster - Someone You Should Know

BLACKFIVE "In the heat of an ambush in Afghanistan's most lawless province, a 19-year-old Nebraskan jumped in front of a grenade to shield other Marines in his platoon.Richard Weinmaster was critically wounded by the blast. But the bloodied Cozad native stayed in the fight, firing his machine gun at the enemy position until he collapsed from his wounds."

Scottish Sympathy & Libyan Perfidy

BLACKFIVE "All felt the same as Congressman Hoekstra(R-MI) who stated “that Magrahi’s release shows what a bad idea it is to allow other countries to control the terrorists’ destiny. He stated to backfive.net that “it’s foolish to surrender the terrorists to other countries…why would we release some of the worst people in the world knowing as soon as we do we would lose control of them?”"

Fiscal Conservatism and the Soul of the GOP

Wall Street Journal "Another important reason [Gov. Rick] Perry believes the bill is flawed is because it ignores tort reform. "To talk about health-care reform and not talk about tort reform is like whistling past the cemetery. . . . In this administration's case, it's because they're bought and sold by the trail lawyers." The governor puts his cap back on, adding, "I'll be the pope before we get tort reform with this administration.""

The Angry White Liberal / He's back.

Weekly Standard "...Harry Reid referred to the town hall protestors as "evil-mongers." Senate finance committee chairman Max Baucus preferred "agitators." Congressman Eric Massa, Democrat of New York, accused Iowa Republican senator Charles Grassley of "treason" for criticizing the health care plan."

Meet Rahm Emanuel’s Brother: Dr. Zeke the Bleak

Pajamas Media "...The mere prospect that such people might someday, as Mark Steyn aptly puts it, “nationalize your body” should be enough to persuade anyone that any and all attempts at enhancing state power over our health care system must be stopped once and for all."

The Strange Case of the Obama Meltdown

Victor Davis Hanson/ Pajamas Media "In exasperation I think Obama’s supporters will revert to the race card more often still, which in turn will only take his popularity even lower. Because of his inexperience and unfamiliarity with political hostility, I think Obama will press ahead on the present course, heightening partisan tensions, dividing the country, and ultimately diminishing his presidency further still. Again, the voters wanted youth, charisma, competence, fiscal sobriety, non-partisanship, and are getting radicalism with an increasing edge to it."

A Deck Stacked with Race Cards/ The great irony of the Obama presidency.

Jonah Goldberg, National Review= "That’s not transcending race, it’s using Obama’s race to bully the opposition into acquiescence. Actually transcending race would require treating Obama like any other president. Which is pretty much exactly what conservatives have been doing. Seriously, if Hillary Clinton were president, would conservatives really be rolling over for the same health-care plan because she’s white?"

Palin: 'No Health Care reform without legal reform'

American Thinker "Why no legal reform? Why continue to encourage defensive medicine that wastes billions of dollars and does nothing for the patients? Do you want health care reform to benefit trial attorneys or patients?"

Charlie Cook: Dem situation has 'slipped completely out of control'

Politico "Many veteran Congressional election watchers, including Democratic ones, report an eerie sense of déjà vu, with a consensus forming that the chances of Democratic losses going higher than 20 seats is just as good as the chances of Democratic losses going lower than 20 seats."

Iraqi security forces collaborated with bombers

Breitbart "Zebari said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had ordered the arrest of 11 senior security officers on Thursday so they could be questioned on how a four-tonne truck had entered an area where even two-tonne vehicles were barred. "

Gov. David Paterson blames calls for him to step aside on race

NY Daily News "We're not in the post-racial period," Paterson said. "The reality is the next victim on the list - and you can see it coming - is President Barack Obama, who did nothing more than trying to reform a health care system."

Friday, August 21, 2009

Terrorists Go Scot Free/ The release of the Lockerbie terrorist is exactly what we should have expected.

By Andrew C. McCarthy National Review= "Obviously, the fecklessness of the Obama administration in response to Scotland’s release and Libya’s celebration of a terrorist who murdered 270 people, including 189 Americans, is outrageous. But the Obama administration is staffed with appeasers who all but ensure outcomes of this sort. What did we think the attitude of other countries was going to be when we put these folks in charge?"

Figures. Black Panther Who Threatened Voters In Philly Is a Credentialed Dem Poll Watcher

Gateway Pundit ""Mr. Jackson's MySpace page still lists one of his main 'general interests' as 'Killing Crakkkas.' Four days after the Justice Department dropped the complaint against Mr. Jackson, he again was named an official election poll watcher for the Democratic primary in Philadelphia's municipal election. How convenient." "

Passion Gives GOP An Edge In This Debate

IBD "This doesn't mean, though, that Americans look any more kindly upon the Republican Party — favorability for the GOP has been steady at 40% throughout the year, according to Pew. What it does mean, however, is that Republican efforts to obstruct, delay, confuse, stall, distort and otherwise impede the reform agenda that Americans voted for last November have had measurable success. "

Pro: Residential Wind Power Facts

alternative-heating-info "The mission of the American Wind Energy Association is to promote wind power growth through advocacy, communication, and education. Wind: Powering a cleaner, stronger America"

Con: A Problem With Wind Power

AWEO.org "On a small scale, where a turbine directly supplies the users and the fluctuating production can be stored, wind can contribute to a home, school, factory, office building, or even small village's electricity. But this simply does not work on a large scale to supply the grid. Even the small benefits claimed by their promoters are far outstripped by the huge negative impacts."

Lisa Benson Cartoon

Liberals attack Whole Foods

By Robin of Berkeley "Their tactics can be so cruel and chilling, that those of us with a conscience can be left hanging in the dust. Meanwhile, a la Saul Alinsky, the Left isolates, demonizes and destroys their "enemies," that is anyone who disagrees with them.When a person or company is the next target for Liberal Fascism, my plan is to contact the business and offer unconditional support and encourage my new friends to do ths same."

Ties that bind: Iran-Hezb'allah

American Thinker "Iran gave Hezbollah and Hamas full, comprehensive support, and that without it they would not have "won" the second Lebanon war and Operation Cast Lead. He said that ""we fully supported Hezbollah and took responsibility for Hamas during the [Israeli] attack [Operation Cast Lead] on the Gaza Strip."

Report from the Town Hall Front

American Thinker "I had the opportunity to speak with the other side and see their signs demanding healthcare now. Call me biased, but I saw no depth behind their demands other than "I want my Maypo." None of them cared a wit about our debt, only to blame Bush for spending money, but for Obama to spend twice as much mattered not. If you told them Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, etc are going broke they seemed to think the government will make it all good or your(sic) are just spouting talking points. Not one logical argument anywhere."

Detainees Shown CIA Officers' Photos

Washington Post "The Justice Department recently questioned military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay about whether photographs of CIA personnel, including covert officers, were unlawfully provided to detainees charged with organizing the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to sources familiar with the investigation." Remember this is the Eric Holder Justice Dept.

On Dishing It Out . . .

By Victor Davis Hanson "During the bleak days of Iraq, demonstrators carried swastikas and Hitler portraits of Bush habitually. Nicholson Baker wrote a novel in which characters are contemplating killing Bush. Films were praised imagining the assassination of the president. Michael Moore, courted by the Democratic elite, lamented that bin Laden on 9/11 had hit a blue state — and once compared the killers of Americans in Iraq to Minutemen."

The Kennedy Rule: No GOP Senators Allowed

Wall Street Journal "The Boston Globe now notes Mr. Kennedy's current request "puts lawmakers in a delicate position." They "are nervous about being accused of engineering a self-serving change to help their party" just a few years after ramming through a similar self-serving change."

The Truth About Death Counseling

By Charles Krauthammer RealClearPolitics "...So why get Medicare to pay the doctor to do the counseling? Because we know that if this white-coated authority whose chosen vocation is curing and healing is the one opening your mind to hospice and palliative care, we've nudged you ever so slightly toward letting go."

SHOOT AROUND

By Neal Boortz "Just some quick short attention span comments on the current crisis in government here in what may not be for much longer the greatest nation in the world."

Traffic Noise May Impede Sex Lives of Frogs

CNS News One more thing to worry about. Now watch for those "Save the Frogs" activists.

GOP Should Shut Down Senate If Dems Use Procedural Tactic to Ram Through Health-Care Bill, Says Conservative Leader

CNS News "Reconciliation is an option that was created in the 1974 Congressional Budget Act to allow Congress a way out of intractable budget battles.Wesleyan University government professor Elvin Lim said it was invented as a way to achieve a balanced budget--not to force through highly controversial legislation."

Post-Partisan Promise Fizzles

Wall Street Journal "Anti-Obama paraphernalia has hit stores in competition with the still-hot-selling pro-Obama accoutrement: "Don't Blame Me. I voted for McCain" on bumper stickers and "So...How's That Whole 'Hopey Changey' Thing Working Out For Ya?" on T-shirts. Three of the top five books on this week's New York Times best-seller list are anti-Obama tomes."

Obama: Republican conspiracy out to kill health reform

Washington Times ""I guarantee you, Joe, we are going to get health care reform done," he said to one caller. "I know there are a lot of people out there who've been handwringing, and folks in the press are following every little twist and turn of the legislative process, but having a big bill like this is always messy."" Or so he's been told by those with Senate experience.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

How to Influence a Liberal (But Not a Lunatic)

By Robin of Berkeley "For instance, if I say, "What in the world made you vote for Obama? Didn't you see all the warning signs," the person will get defensive and dig in his or her heels. But if instead I remark, "I think the media has been negligent in giving us the honest facts about Obama," or, "I remember voting for so and so and being sorry about it afterwards," then you help them save face." Well, I voted for Jimmy Carter on the same hopes, so its easy to understand those who voted for Obama.

MS-NBC’s Racist Lie Must Not Be Allowed To Stand

The Sundries Shack "...The whole “when will the angry white people take a pop at the brave black president” commentary went on for a couple of minutes. I’m pretty sure that more than a couple people walked away from the report honestly thinking that the anti-Obamacare protesters are a bunch of insane, racist would-be assassins. As it happens, that’s exactly what MS-NBC(sic) wanted." More here: with a picture of the "gun-toting racist. See why I spend zero minutes watching MSNBC.

Who Cares About Human Rights? Not the Obama administration.

by Elliott Abrams Weekly Standard "...handshakes and smiles for dictators are a bad policy for the United States, while support for democracy and human rights will ultimately vindicate our interests as well as our principles. The happier Mubarak was about his visit, the less reason we have to be about this week in Washington." If you like Castro, you'll love Mubarak.

Is Racial Profiling Racist?

By Walter E. Williams "...Should doctors and medical insurance companies be prosecuted for the discriminatory practice of routine breast cancer screening for women but not for men?"

GOP Should Shut Down Senate If Dems Use Procedural Tactic to Ram Through Health-Care Bill, Says Conservative Leader

CNS News "...“I think it goes to the heart of America. Think about it – what was the first political debate Americans ever had? It was about the state – how are we going to trust a federal government and how much power are we going to give to it. The health-care debate sits exactly on that tectonic.”

Health Insurers Fear Probe By House Dems Is Reprisal for Opposing Part of Obama's Plan

Fox News "In a move some fear is a reprisal for opposing President Obama's health care plan, Democrats sent 52 letters to health insurers requesting financial records for a House committee's investigation." More here: American Thinker. Why I left the Democrats, reason # 376.

'We are God's partners in matters of life and death'

Politico "...quoting from the Rosh Hashanah prayer that says that in the holiday period, it is decided "who shall live and who shall die."" That seems to be about the size of it.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Science vs. Hysteria

Powerline Blog "At the opposite end of the scientific integrity spectrum, we have the retiring head of Greenpeace, Gerd Leipold, admitting that his organization's claim that the Arctic ice sheet will melt by 2030 is untrue, but justifying it by saying that "we, as a pressure group, have to emotionalize issues.""

'Closing in on Rove'

By Karl Rove, Wall Street Journal "Why John Conyers, the New York Times and the Washington Post owe me an apology."

Glenn McCoy Cartoon

Townhall/ Glenn McCoy

Liberal Lies About National Health Care: First in a Series

By Ann Coulter, Townhall "The only reason most "pre-existing" conditions aren't already covered is because of government regulations that shrink the insurance market to a microscopic size, which leads to fewer options in health insurance and a lot more uninsured people than would exist in a free market."

Sex-Change-apalooza; By J. Matt Barber

California Chronicle "I got a call a couple days ago from a producer with MSNBC. He wanted a hard copy of a press release I sent out entitled: “ObamaCare Likely to Mandate Free ‘Sex-Change’ Surgeries.” In the release I addressed the likelihood that, under Obama’s monolithic socialized healthcare scheme, taxpayers may well end up funding elective and entirely cosmetic “gender reassignment” surgeries. I was happy to oblige and asked which program he produced. “Rachel Maddow,” he reluctantly divulged. I chuckled and joked, “Oh, I’m sure Rachel will give me a glowing review.” "

Obama's shallow comprehension of economics major cause for concern

American Thinker "The inimitable Gerald Warner at the UK Telegraph sums it up with no pulled punches: "President Pantywaist has been found out and it will get worse....Politicians returning to Washington after scrubbing off the tar and feathers acquired at town-hall meetings are bringing with them a blast of reality that has been absent from Obama's dreamland regime since his inauguration...There will be many more U-turns as reality overtakes Obama. His economic recovery plan, which cost nearly $1 trillion dollars and masked 9,000 pork barrels, has removed his halo for even quite gullible voters. This will be a one-term presidency."

Oliver Stone revealing 'Secret History of America' (Yeah Right)

Rogue Government "Subjects will include President Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, the origins of the Cold War with the Soviet Union, to "the fierce struggle between war and peace in America’s national security complex.""

IRS to be ObamaCare enforcer

American Thinker "The Senate bill imposes a new requirement that all persons who provide health care coverage to others must file a return with the IRS listing the names, addresses, social security numbers, and the coverage period for each person, and "such other information as the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] may prescribe." (Section 161(b) starting at page 107)."

Democrats see little chance for GOP cooperation on health care

Mercury News "Top Democrats said Tuesday that their go-it-alone view was being shaped by what they saw as Republicans' purposely strident tone against health care legislation during this month's congressional recess, as well as remarks by leading Republicans that current proposals were flawed beyond repair." Prepare for Armageddon on health care reform: American Thinker

Details of Clinton's visit to North Korea begin to emerge

Mercury News ""We didn't hear things that altered our perception on the North Korean attitude," one official said."

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Lisa Benson Cartoon

Townhall

What Went Wrong? Piling up debt, gaffes, and hypocrisy, Obama & Co. are sinking.

Victor Davis Hanson "There is foreboding that while apologies abroad are nice in the short term, they will soon earn a reckoning. And while the productive classes pay more of their income, and while government grows and entitlement expands, there is a sense that what follows will not be thanks for either taxes paid or benefits received, but even more anger that neither is enough and that much more is owed."

GM Plans a Compact for $4,000

Business Management "GM's move, meanwhile, will place their proposed vehicle into the rankings as the second cheapest low-cost car available in Asia, a commendable move given that two-thirds of GM sales were already outside North America in the first half of the year."

George W. Bush-by-proxy syndrome

Does this sound familiar? "Rule 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it. Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions ..." Hat tip to Neal Boortz Boortz.com

Climate bill would bloat federal agencies

Washington Times "The House-passed climate change bill, if enacted, would expand the federal government so much that it would take billions of dollars and thousands of new employees to implement."

Lisa Benson cartoon

Townhall

Change-up: White House sent unsolicited e-mails

Breitbart "Weeks ago, White House officials asked the public to share critics' e-mails so they could fight back and correct misconceptions about Obama's health care overhaul. Because those e-mails are official correspondence with the White House, they must be preserved—unaltered—for decades and eventually released to the public through the National Archives. "

Monday, August 17, 2009

Minister Herschkowitz: Some of Obama's policies are 'borderline anti-Semitic'

Jerusalem Post "Some of the steps [Obama] has taken, like giving a medal to Mary Robinson, are borderline anti-Semitic. Israel is an independent state. Relations with the US are important, but relations must go both ways. I don't know if Obama understands it, but most Americans believe that Israel is their only anchor in the Middle East."

The Panel

Wall Street Journal "Free people can treat each other justly, but they can't make life fair. To get rid of the unfairness among individuals, you have to exercise power over them. The more fairness you want, the more power you need. Thus, all dreams of fairness become dreams of tyranny in the end."

Aren’t They Getting Tired of Calling Obama Opponents Racist?

Pajamas Media "Liberals have always had a problem debating with conservatives. They don’t really understand conservatives’ attraction to individualism and honor and responsibility enough to be able to come up with coherent responses when people say they want low taxes and a small government. All liberals know is that they are very smart, and everyone else is very dumb for not seeing how smart they are and that they should run everything. So they come up with childish name-calling, such as “conservatives are greedy” and “conservatives are evil” to try and shut up what they don’t understand. And they find there is nothing better than the cry of “racism.”"

Our Ongoing Catharsis

By Victor Davis Hanson Pajamas Media "...And now the American public belatedly learns that the reaction to Bush is not balanced budgets, careful clear exegesis, but rather the Hollywood alternative of cap-and-trade, enormous tax increases, soaring deficits, nationalized health care, a general attitude that “they” owe “us,” and Europe is our model."

Crowley gets ovation from officers in California

Breitbart "More than 3,000 officers cheered Cambridge, Mass., police Sgt. James Crowley when he briefly spoke to kick off the five-day meeting. Dozens left their seats to take snapshots of him on the podium at the Long Beach Convention Center."

Overhauling health-care system tops agenda at annual meeting of Canada's doctors

Google.com "The incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association says this country's health-care system is sick and doctors need to develop a plan to cure it."...."We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize," Doing said in an interview with The Canadian Press."

New Movie Seeks to Refute Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’

CNS News "“Policy Peril: Why Global Warming Policies are More Dangerous than Global Warming Itself,” is a 40-minute documentary produced by the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), a free market group, which can be viewed online."

A doctor responds to Obama's NYT op-ed

American Thinker "We physicians live with our healthcare system, all day and every day. We care about being able to heal. We hate disputing with insurance companies, and especially with government bureaucrats. Certainly changes in insurance practices are needed, and would have occurred long ago, absent a government record of 60 years of meddling with the market. As you say, "...let's disagree over issues that are real, and not wild misrepresentations" such as those in your op-ed, "that bear no resemblance to anything that anyone has actually proposed.""

Could co-ops be a Trojan Horse?

American Thinker "I believe the American people have every right to be skeptical as to any abandonment of the public option, as a government-run health care system has long been a dream of the Democratic Party. Are Democrats going to abandon enacting their dream now that they control the White House, Congress, and perhaps soon the Supreme Court?"

The illustrated guide to Obamacare human props

Michelle Malkin "Little Julia Hall is just the latest in-the-tank questioner with Obama campaign/Democrat ties to turn up “randomly” at presidential health care forums. Here’s your illustrated guide to Obamacare human props."

Young voters should take another look at Obama

By: Michael Barone Washington Examiner "Dear Young Obama Voter, Congratulations. You have truly changed America."...."You voted, as your candidate and our president said, for hope and change. But I ask you to consider whether the policies which the president has proposed and in some cases pushed through really amount to that."

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Code Pink Tells Protesters How To Act

Sweetness & Light "As we have also regularly noted, Code Pink is a near constant disrupting presence in Congress and in Congressional hearings, where they are given access by John Conyers and other like-minded Democrats. And once again media reports of this actions almost never bother to mention the group by name or the minor fact that they are a small band of professional protesters. In actual fact Code Pink is just another ‘astroturf’ group that is paid for by Democrat (and even Hugo Chavez) money. They are in the tradition of ACORN, ANSWER and countless other professional America-hating groups."

Why We Need Health Care Reform

By BARACK OBAMA NY Times "We have the American Nurses Association and the American Medical Association on board, because our nation’s nurses and doctors know firsthand how badly we need reform. We have broad agreement in Congress on about 80 percent of what we’re trying to do. And we have an agreement from the drug companies to make prescription drugs more affordable for seniors. The AARP supports this policy, and agrees with us that reform must happen this year. " More here with comments .
Pat Oliphant, Washington Post

Allen B West: Column from Kandahar

Atlas Shrugs "One must find it comical that the same folks who brought you the professional community organizer President are attacking citizens organizing. We have seen anti-war protests by Code Pink, PETA tossing blood on individuals, left wing enviro-terrorist groups attacking SUV dealerships, ACORN and SEIU protests, and even voter intimidation at polling stations (New Black Panther Party, Philadelphia). Yet, concerned American citizens are called extremists?"

Woodstock: 40 Years Ago, An Orgy for the Quickening of America’s Fall

Debbie Schlussel "They, the rockers, and the hippies, yippies, and other numbskulls making up the boomer generation at this infest-o-fest brought us free love . . . and STDs and AIDs, single mothers and baby mamas, and a whole new hipness to out-of-wedlock births that has brought us crime waves, sensitive men a/k/a wimps, and a whole lot of other problems."

Axelrod's Crazy 8s

IBD "Health Care: After a presidential "town hall" with few, if any, critics present to question false claims, the top White House political strategist provided an odd follow-up: an e-mail to everyone promising everything."

Live or Let Die

American Spectator "...And suddenly life and death health decisions evolve from something that is between you, your faith, your family, and your doctor, into highly-politicized issues that are the business of government and your fellow taxpayers."

Obama's Montana town hall not quite the 'Wild West'

Washington Examiner "Bozeman, Montana is a college town with many resident yuppies and is a home for multi-millionaires looking to buy their own piece of the West."
Glenn Foden, Townhall