Saturday, October 31, 2009

Palin on Scozzafava’s withdrawal: Now we must unite

Hot Air "Totally true, and precisely Gingrich’s point in endorsing Hoffman so quickly after Team Dede threw in the towel this morning."

Blogging Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals: Prologue

Pajamas Media "Self-absorbed, [Alinsky] seems completely unaware that during the social upheaval of the 60s and 70s, millions of people were leading quietly ordinary — and often sacrificial — lives: getting married, working, raising families. They thought themselves happy, productive, and satisfied. But what did they know?"

Truman and the Principles of U.S. Foreign Policy

By Victor Davis Hanson "President Obama often invokes the supposed mess abroad — especially in Iraq and Afghanistan — left to him by George W. Bush. But Mr. Obama's inheritance is mild compared to the myriad crises that nearly overwhelmed the rookie President Truman."

Unfortunately, Failure Is an Option

Weekly Standard "Barack Obama faces a choice in Afghanistan. The safe middle ground may be the most treacherous."

McChrystal Lite / How to lose a war by splitting the difference.

Weekly Standard "The biggest problem, though, is that a half-surge cannot produce a meaningful result in a timely manner; we should remember that the McChrystal plan proceeds from his assessment that the next year--several months of which have already been lost--is critical to regaining the initiative from the Taliban. "

The Vietnam moment

Financial Times "To put it another way, splitting the difference and announcing 20,000-plus new troops might look like the least risky choice. But it would satisfy neither liberal nor conservative critics of Mr Obama back home. And it may do little to convince the Taliban that America is in this fight for keeps."

White House visitor records

WhiteHouse.gov "As part of President Obama's commitment to government transparency, we are providing records of White House visitors on an ongoing basis online. "

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Townhall

Felines, Nothing More than Felines

By Mike Adams, Townhall "I’m looking for three cats that have been discarded by their owners because they were either unable to afford them or because they were just generally inconvenienced by them. It is my preference that you provide me with two white cats and one black cat. " Oh boy, here it comes...wait for it.

Obama Lifts Ban On HIV Entries To US

Sweetness & Light   "The law effectively has kept out thousands of students, tourists and refugees and has complicated the adoption of children with HIV. No major international AIDS conference has been held in the U.S. since 1993, because HIV-positive activists and researchers cannot enter the country. Obama said lifting the ban "is a step that will save lives" by encouraging people to get tested and to get treatment."

Pelosi Health Care Bill Blows a Kiss to Trial Lawyers

Big Government "Section 2531, entitled “Medical Liability Alternatives,” establishes an incentive program for states to adopt and implement alternatives to medical liability litigation. [But]…… a state is not eligible for the incentive payments if that state puts a law on the books that limits attorneys’ fees or imposes caps on damages." Emphasis added.

Tricked by UNICEF

National Review "UNICEF has been a major financier of Palestinian “summer camps” which encourage children to become suicide bombers. One such camp is named for Wafa Idris, a female suicide bomber." Hat tip to The Lid

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: Soros, Ayers, Acorn, SEIU - White House Coup

Atlas Shrugs The White House has been barraged with requests to release the names of its visitors. Today they release the first 500 visits, all from the period of Jan 20-July 31. Some of the Names you can find on the list are Bill Ayers 2x, George Soros 4x, Michael Moore 8X, the head of the ACORN affiliated Union the SEIU Andrew Stern 20x,Jeremiah Wright, GE/NBC head Jeff Immelt 5x, Jesse Jackson 6x, John Edwards2x, Al Sharpton 2x, and of course television goddess Oprah Winfrey. And how many times have his generals been there? However...

Obama Must Listen

UK Guardian. h/t to Watching America "Ultimately, Obama's decision will shape not only the outcome of the conflict in Afghanistan, but also the moral character and strategic position of the United States, Britain and Nato. For these reasons, it is critical that Obama chooses the counter-insurgency option."

Hollywood Comrades / Why the Soviets were such lovable movie villains.

Reason.com "Recently, MGM reopened the question by announcing its intention to remake the one film everybody agrees depicted the Russians as thoroughly bad guys: John Milius’ Red Dawn (1984), in which Soviet and Latin American communists conquer the United States through force of arms."...."But against this record are countless screen depictions of the Russians as OK folks who are just stuck in a bad system. Sometimes they were lovable lugs..."

Friday, October 30, 2009

Three Envelopes/ Afghanistan is Obama’s problem.

By Charles Krauthammer "It’s as if Obama’s presidency hasn’t really started. He’s still taking inventory of the Bush years. Just this Monday, he referred to “long years of drift” in Afghanistan in order to, I suppose, explain away his own, well, year-long drift on Afghanistan."

Reid’s bait-and-switch tactics

By Dick Morris "Will this tactic work? It all depends on the political environment outside Washington. If the bill is only marginally unpopular (the current 40-55), it will probably pass. But if public opinion moves another five or so points (to, say, 35-60 against), then the moderates will probably refuse to cave in."

J Street and Judge Goldstone: the plot thickens

Thomas Lifson, AT "It is a letter purportedly written by Judge Richard Goldstone, of the notorious UN Goldstone Report, condemning Israel but not its opponents in Operation Cast Lead. "

UN Update: The Truth About Defamation of Religions Resolution

Jay Sekulow, ACLJ "I want to bring you an update on our efforts underway at the United Nations to oppose a dangerous resolution that will be introduced soon by the Organization of the Islamic Conference that targets Christianity and makes it a crime to speak out against Islam." Related: EDITORIAL: Restricting speech: "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday criticized an attempt by Islamic countries to prohibit defamation of religions, saying such policies would restrict free speech." Related: Obama ditching the First Amendment to curry Moslem favor

Three things to know about the 'Affordable Health Care for America Act'

American Thinker "Although Nancy Pelosi’s health care bill is over 1,900 pages long, there are only three things Members of Congress need to understand before they vote on it:"

Top political contributers by industries

OpenSecrets.org ...and their political leanings. Few surprises here.

The Scooter Standard/ Libby was hounded, Villafuerte is to be promoted — but why?

By Andrew C. McCarthy    "On the current record, it would be irresponsible to confirm Stephanie Villafuerte as U.S. attorney for Colorado. An agent’s career has been ruined, the administration of justice in Denver has been politicized, and the FBI has been toyed with."

A Self-Sacrificing Soldier, a Self-Interested President

Pajamas Media The Audacity of Image: Obama at Dover "Honoring the fallen is his sacred duty as Commander in Chief, a job for which Obama is so monumentally unqualified it pains me to write it. On this issue however I was tempted to give him some credit, but then I realized while looking at a picture of him saluting a passing casket, there were for the first time in my memory, cameras at that solemn transfer."

Levi Johnston Is Trash, Plain and Simple

Pajamas Media "If Sarah Palin had been a Democrat, no show more credible than Jerry Springer’s would be giving Levi Johnston a chance to spread scurrilous gossip about her."

Zelaya returns

PowerLine "...thanks to American diplomatic pressure. It is perfectly fitting that the signal diplomatic triumph of President Obama's first year in office is the restoration to power of the lawfully deposed Honduran thug and friend of Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega and Hugh Chavez. " Related: US crams Honduras agreement on return of Zelaya down government's throat "The Honduran Constitution no longer rules that country. It has been replaced by US bullying, and our backing of someone who has openly sought to emulate the regime of Hugo Chavez in Venezu[e]la."

Allan Grayson,um, site

MyCongressmanIsNuts.com/

Culture of corruption: Democrats Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson under investigation

By Michelle Malkin "The committee said it is investigating whether Rep. Maxine Waters used her influence to help a bank in which her husband owned stock, and whether the couple benefited as a result. Separately, the panel is investigating whether Rep. Laura Richardson failed to disclose required information on her financial disclosure forms and received special treatment from a lender."

It's alive! End-of-life counseling in health bill

Breitbart "The legislation would allow Medicare to pay for a counseling session with a doctor or clinical professional once every five years. The bill calls for such sessions to be "completely" voluntary, and prohibits the encouragement or promotion of suicide or assisted suicide. "

Did White House pressure NYT into changing Dover story?

Hot Air "So who changed the story, and why? The original Zeleny report with that paragraph gave credence to the accusation that Obama made the Dover trip for a photo op, picked up by bloggers to criticize the White House. Its mysterious disappearance post-publication indicates that someone was unhappy..."

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Kerry Does Afghanistan; Suddenly, the nation-builder isn’t so sure about nation-building.

By Andrew C. McCarthy "President Obama selected General McChrystal and had him conduct a soup-to-nuts study of Afghanistan precisely because it was understood that the rudiments of governance were lacking. The general was not sent to deny al-Qaeda safe haven and topple the Taliban. We already did that — eight years ago."

Guantanamo Laureate; Obama threw many stones at Bush, and now lives in a glass house.

By Victor Davis Hanson "To perpetual candidate Obama, there were no tragic choices, no hazy areas of human frailty, no recognition that well-intentioned public servants were doing their best under trying circumstances to keep Americans safe, and to do so as humanely as possible. Instead, the so-called “war on terror” became an easy target for a demagogue worried more about scoring political points than about understanding the plight of his country at war."

ObamaCare: The public option and liberal fascism

Hot Air "House Democrats are planning to unveil their version of ObamaCare this morning, without a “robust” government-run insurance plan, which would slash reimbursement rates to some variation on Medicare rates. This has bloggers like OpenLeft’s Chris Bowers wondering whether the House can pass any ObamaCare bill:"

I'll Pass on "Opting Out"

By Ann Coulter "It's like a movie theater offering a "money back guarantee" and then explaining, you don't get your money back, but you don't have to stay and watch the movie if you don't like it. That's not what most people are thinking when they hear the words "opt out." The term more likely to come to mind is "scam." "

Guantanamo torture songs

David Paulin, AT "...a Washington-based independent research institute, has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking the declassification of government records that may reveal what songs were blasted at prisoners -- for hours and even days at a time -- as part of interrogations or punishment."

Health Care 'Reform' and Afghanistan: A Study in Obama's Priorities

American Thinker "Everything you need to know about Barack Obama is being revealed from his decisiveness and indecisiveness on the respective topics of health care and war."

WaPo editorial: Iran is playing Obama

Rick Moran in AT "This whole thing is getting more and more depressing. The world's inability to deal with Iran may lead to a general war in the Middle East. And the blame can be placed at the feet of the American president."

Where the Meltdown Started

Powerline

Limbaugh Gives NB His Opinion About NFL Commish's Testimony

Newsbusters "...Republican Congressman Steve King of Iowa grilled NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Wednesday about conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh being denied ownership in the St. Louis Rams despite pop artists Fergie and Jennifer Lopez having minority interests in the Miami Dolphins."

Have Fox and the White House Declared a Truce?

Newsbusters "With Fox's ratings soaring as a result of the incursion, and the White House looking more and more foolish, one has to wonder what the Adminstration could have offered to make this deal possible."

What's Bad: Obama's New Photo-Op...What's Worse: Using Photo-Op As Cover For The Unveiling Of The House's Version Of ObamaCare . . .

Weasel Zippers We regret the salty language. If we find another site that covers this, we'll replace this article with it. TD

Tom Cotton: Why we need more troops -- now

Powerline "Tom was an infantry officer on active duty from 2005 to 2009 during which he served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since he completed his active duty earlier this year I've been asking Tom if he would write something for our readers on the current issues confronting the United States in Afghanistan. Tom writes:..."

Hillary Prays At Shrine of Muslim Saint & Bashes Bush in Pakistan

Gateway Pundit "Hillary also bashed Bush while she was speaking to university students.The AP reported, via NewsBusters:"

Schwarzenegger Gives California Legislature A Hidden Finger

TechCrunch See it here...

Clunkers: Taxpayers paid $24,000 per car

CNN Money.com "Auto sales analysts at Edmunds.com say the pricey program resulted in relatively few additional car sales." These people want to manage your health care?

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

France to launch national pride campaign in battle against Islamic fundamentalism

UK Daily Mail "France is to adopt a series of measures to 'reaffirm pride' in the country and combat Islamic fundamentalism. They include everybody receiving lessons in the nation's Christian history and children singing the national anthem. " What's happening here? Obama has made the US France and France has become America!

Obama redefines White House relationship with top field commander

LA Times ""There is no division" between Obama and McChrystal, said a Defense official, one of several speaking on condition of anonymity when discussing the relationship. "It is just an absence of a relationship."" Why would someone with Obama's background have an interest in any general?

Barack Obama has failed to defeat conservatism in America

UK Telegraph blog "The Gallup survey also reveals a distinctly rightward shift in public attitudes since the Obama administration took office, with a growing backlash against the US government’s support for big government solutions to the country’s economic woes, as well as a marked rise in public support for socially conservative views." But...but what about Bruce Springsteen?

The next GOP civil war: Cheney backing Hutchison over Rick Perry

Hot Air "You know what this means, don’t you? Dick Cheney on one side — and Sarahcuda on the other. For grassroots conservatives, this is like watching a knife fight between Reagan and Thatcher."

Hannah Giles, Co-Star of ACORN-Busting Videos, Poses Some Great Questions the Media Aren't Asking

Newsbusters "Since these journalistic dinosaurs expressed so little interest in these videos as they were first revealed, it should come as no surprise that they have not pursued the Cornucopia of questions that they raise about ACORN's hooker-helping practices. Many of which Ms. Giles cogently lays out in her BigGovernment.com essay today." Click the link to read Ms. Giles article.

NAACP Invites Jeremiah Wright to Speak at Awards Dinner, Black Businessman Being Honored at Event Refuses to Attend, Calls Wright a "Racist/Bigot"....

Weasel Zippers ""I am happy for your honor, however, I cannot support an organization that would have a racist/bigot such as Mr. Wright as (its) speaker," one of Ealim's friends wrote to him." All honor to these people of principle who will be trashed as "Uncle Toms"

Carter Redux

By John Stossel "The parallels between the first years in office of Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter are striking, according to James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation. Like Obama, Carter followed an unpopular president. Carter's Year One was invested in diplomacy and image-making." Year two, the big problems began...

Cross-Like T-Shirt Design at Penn State University Sparks Controversy

Fox News "A blue, cross-like design emblazoned on T-shirts at Penn State University has some critics seeing red."

FIFTY PLUS ONE STRATEGY

Neal Boortz "[Democrats] reason that if they control your health care, they control your vote. All they have to do is tell you that if you vote for the evil Republicans you will be on your own when it comes to your next hospital visit."

New Yorkers are fleeing the state and city in alarming numbers -- and costing a fortune in lost tax dollars, a new study shows.

NY Post "More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy. It was the biggest out-of-state migration in the country. The vast majority of the migrants, 1.1 million, were former residents of New York City -- meaning one out of seven city taxpayers moved out. "The Empire State is being drained of an invaluable resource -- people," the report said."

DC sniper Muhammad set to die by lethal injection

Breitbart "Muhammad is scheduled to be executed Nov. 10 for the October 2002 slaying of Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station during a string of shootings. The three-week killing spree in October 2002 left 10 dead in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia."

UN Human Rights Investigator Says Obama Violating International Law With use of Drone Airstrikes to Carry out "Targeted Executions"....

Weasel Zippers "The UN undermining US war effort? Say it isn't so...." As always, in this site the language can get a bit, well, salty. But we're grown-ups, right?
More here: UN calls missile strikes “summary executions” Hot Air

Majority of Americans Say US Is on the Wrong Track Under Obama

Gateway Pundit "For the first time this year a majority of Americans now believe that the US is on the wrong track.52% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track. Only 36% believe it is on the right track.Politics Daily reported, via Free Republic..."

BARNEY SPILLS THE BEANS

By Neal Boortz "Well ... considering the type of people we have running the show, aren't you looking forward to all that government moving into your personal life? And remember ---- it's the corporations, not government, that are evil."

Krauthammer: Obama attacks on Bush “disgusting”

Hot Air "I want to point out one thing about what Obama had said when he talked about “the long years of drift.” There is something truly disgusting about the way he cannot refrain from attacking Bush when he’s being defensive about himself. I mean, it’s beyond disgraceful here."

Silence of the Lambs

By Robin of Berkeley "Part of the extreme fringe of progressivism? Progressivism is an extreme fringe. Liberals want a kinder, gentler version of the American Dream. Leftists want to slash and burn it. Leftists are liberals on steroids. This is why many progressives will sacrifice their children to unsafe schools even if their kid gets a black eye. And why they'll support policies to let their granny die. This is why they allow the streets of Berkeley and San Francisco to become a filthy netherworld where law abiding citizens are preyed upon, including themselves."

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Morning Bell: A Whole New Health Care Ball Game

Heritage "You have to read all the way to page A-25 in today’s New York Times to learn about it, but the Senate took its first floor vote on Obamacare yesterday and the White House lost. Big."

Photo from Patriot Post

What if Bush had done it?

Hot Air "In other words, the press has a story line that they have to defend. If Obama gets exposed as a flop, and worse as a typical Chicago pol, then it makes their failure to properly vet Obama during the primaries that much more clear. In a sense, they created Obama, and his collapse would be their collapse as well."

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Zinni: Don't Delay Decision on Afghan War

CBS "He warned that the battle over an Afghan strategy is not just about militants, but also about neighboring India and Pakistan. "We have two nations out there with nuclear weapons, one of which had the Taliban 65 miles from their capital. We have the Taliban and others trying to provoke some sort of conflict between these two nations. We also have a Taliban that is stretching their influence into Central Asia.""

Dismantling America / Will the country wake up before it’s too late?

By Thomas Sowell "Nothing so epitomizes President Obama’s own contempt for American values and traditions as trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year — each bill more than a thousand pages long — too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question — and the biggest question for this generation."

Obamacare’s False Dawn

By Rich Lowry, NRO "Eventually, Democrats will have to settle on a final bill and won’t be able to sweep its weaknesses under the rug of the next drafting process. Whatever its final form, it will raise taxes, cut Medicare, and — in all likelihood — increase insurance premiums. If the past few months of polling are any guide, it will be under 50 percent approval. Its benefits, such as they are, won’t kick in until 2013, while the taxes will start immediately."

Pelosi wants to 'rename' the public option

By Rick Moran in AT "What is it about liberals that they think they have to fool people into supporting them?Run as a nice, safe moderate only to become screaming leftists once in office. It really shows they have no confidence that the substance of their ideas can stand scrutiny much less win out in a fair fight with the right."

Decline is a choice. But is it America's choice?

By Charles Krauthammer First of two parts. Tomorrow: Retreat abroad begins at home. "Decline is a choice. Two decades into the unipolar world that came about with the fall of the Soviet Union, America is in the position of deciding whether to abdicate or retain its dominance. Decline -- or continued ascendancy -- is in our hands."

Fox News Channel's Ratings Soar After White House Attack

Newsbusters "In fact, since Anita Dunn's now infamous appearance on CNN's "Reliable Sources" when she claimed Fox isn't a real news network, the cabler has seen HUGE gains in overall viewing AND in the important demographic aged 25 to 54."

The Race Against Nothing

American Thinker "We have busied ourselves in a race between technology and nothing. Huge amounts of money and effort are being spent to develop an approach to address the hoax that is man-induced global warming, arguably the definition of nothing."

John Kerry's Afghan war speech; Foreshadowing Obama's decision?

LA Times Blog "...People want to know, why stay in Afghanistan? And especially, why consider an increase in troops? First, we start from the premise that Al Qaeda remains at the center of our mission. They still want to attack us, they are still trying to attack us, and we have interrupted plots globally over the last few years. But it’s an awful lot harder to plan new attacks when they are boxed in, harassed, and living in fear. We are, as we ought to be, committed to hunt Al Qaeda wherever they go. Bin Laden and his deputies in Northwest Pakistan haven’t gone far, and to keep them on the run, we must prevent the Taliban – with long-standing ties to Al Qaeda—from once again providing terrorists with an unfettered Afghan safe haven, just across a border that many there view as mere abstraction."

Panic Button

Daily Pundit "In the recent past, we have watched the White House and its branch offices gaze glassily past Iran, the Taliban, North Korea and Moscow in hot pursuit of their real enemy, which appears to be the dissenting media. Economic policy...is now directed by a Chicago-hood playground pal named Valerie, and its focus is on the compensation levels of 200 people."

First U.S. Official Resigns Over Afghan War

Fox News ""We took his letter very seriously, because he was a good officer," Holbrooke said in an interview with the newspaper. "We all thought that given how serious his letter was, how much commitment there was, and his prior track record, we should pay close attention to him.""

IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING ELSE TODAY, REMEMBER THIS

Neal Boortz "Politicians don't increase their power by cutting spending. They can get elected by promising .. but they won't stay in office by [not]delivering. Once you're enthroned in Washington you quickly learn that you buy votes to stay there."

Monday, October 26, 2009

Mr. Salazar, Tear Down This Cross

Weekly Standard "The Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments in Buono v. Salazar, a case in which a retired National Park Service employee, Frank Buono, is demanding that the government--specifically Ken Salazar, the secretary of the Interior--take down the cross."

Pat Oliphant Cartoon

Yahoo News

President Obama’s Foreign Policy: An Assessment

John Bolton in Imprimus "We need a president who is going to provide us with leadership in international affairs—not one who believes that America should simply come home. And we need a president who believes that the best place to defend our interest is overseas rather than in the streets of America. "

What Are We Teaching Our Kids?

Chuck Colson "As Christian parents we need to make sure we are passing on our religious heritage to our children. We can't rely on the public schools; what they teach may even be a distortion of history—like what Charlie learned about Thanksgiving.So today don't assume everyone knows why you are gathering together over turkey and cranberry sauce today. Make a point of teaching your children and grandchildren that generic gratefulness isn't enough."

The Kitty-Cat Who Roared

by Victor Davis Hanson "...even the French are exasperated that Obama still sounds like the king of the jungle but acts like a purring house kitten. And no wonder that Iran and its patron Russia seem to be calculating that Obama will figure that a nuclear Iran is less troubling for him than the consequences of offending Vladimir Putin, spiking oil prices or using force in the volatile Middle East."

NATO Defense Ministers and UN Official Back McChrystal Before Obama

Weekly Standard "The White House took offense at Vice President Cheney’s statement this week that the president was “dithering” on Afghanistan. Friday’s NATO defense ministerial should put this issue to rest -- even the Europeans have acted with more fortitude than our president." More here:

A Closer Look at the Uninsured/ Why the “46 million” figure is profoundly misleading.

NRO "We must also distinguish between having health insurance and having access to health care itself."

Goldstone Agonistes

Pajamas Media "The tough-on-Israel, easy-on-Hamas UN report on the Gaza war isn't exactly playing out the way its author may have hoped."

Obama Heads to Oslo for Nobel, but Too Busy for Berlin Wall Ceremony

Pajamas Media "In December, President Obama will fly to Oslo to receive in person the Nobel Peace Prize he was recently awarded ...President Obama, however, will miss the November 9 celebrations of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the event symbolically marking the end of the Cold War. “Barack too busy,” reports Germany’s Spiegel."

14 Americans killed in 2 Afghan helicopter crashes

AP News  "In the first crash, a helicopter went down in the west of the country after leaving the scene of a firefight with insurgents, killing 10 Americans - seven troops and three civilians working for the government. Eleven American troops, one U.S. civilian and 14 Afghans were also injured.  In a separate incident in the south, two other U.S. choppers collided while in flight, killing four American troops and wounding two more, the military said."

Iran FM plays down threat of pre-emptive IDF strike

Haaretz ""There is the time that Israel will offer us before reacting, because Israel will react as soon as they know clearly that there is a threat," he was quoted as saying. "

My Open Letter To The President....

Blackfive "...We fight to win, or we don’t fight at all. If you are unwilling or you are unable to fulfill your role as Commander in Chief, then you should tender your resignation. Many veterans will not forget what was said by many in your party about our efforts to defeat this enemy nor your failure to fully support our soldiers on the field of battle. Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way…. Deebow"

Sunday, October 25, 2009

WH: We're Happy To Exclude Fox, But Didn't Yesterday With Feinberg Interview

Talking Points Memo "But the White House isn't backing down from its feud with Fox. "This White House has demonstrated our willingness to exclude Fox News from newsmaking interviews, but yesterday we did not," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest." Related: More childish obsession with Fox from the White House.

The Axis of Idiots

J. D. Pendry (hat tip to Clark Best) "Our country has two enemies: Those who want to destroy us from the outside and those who attempt it from within. Semper Fi, J. D. Pendry - Sergeant Major, USMC, Retired "

Obama's Minions Are Ingrates / The Bush administration did leave a plan for Afghanistan.

by Stephen F. Hayes "... Why then, as Obama again nears a decision on the way forward in Afghanistan, would Rahm Emanuel pick a fight with Republicans--the very people who gave the president his most ardent backing the last time he announced a new strategy? Could it be that Emanuel hopes to foreclose one of Obama's options--the one Emanuel opposes--before the president makes his decision?"

Saturday, October 24, 2009

America’s Obama Obsession

By Victor Davis Hanson "Yet Obama has given no credit for the good that Bush did, and therefore must remain mum about the other “Bush Did It”s, like quiet in Iraq; the homeland-security protocols, from renditions and tribunals to wiretaps and intercepts; AIDS relief for Africa; friendly governments in Britain, France, Germany, India, and Italy; and domestic safety since 9/11. If Bush is at least partly responsible for all these things as well, were they therefore bad?"

Mister Tough Guy

By Mark Steyn , NRO "The most recent whine — the anti-Fox campaign — is, apart from anything else, unbecoming to the office. President Obama is the chief of state of one of the oldest free societies in the world, but his official White House website runs teasers such as: "For even more Fox lies, check out the latest ‘Truth-O-Meter.’”"

Nato backs McChrystal in snub to Biden plan

Link "...Robert Gates, said he was at the summit "mainly in a listening mode" with his Nato counterparts. Significantly, he added: "Many allies spoke positively about General McChrystal's assessment.""

Fighting The Wrong War

Strategy Page , Mudville Gazette "American intelligence has compiled a list of nearly 500 Taliban and drug gang leaders. If all these guys were to suddenly disappear, the violence who swiftly change to internal battles within the gangs, as lower level men fought for control of dozens of leaderless Taliban and heroin producing gangs. While you can't destroy the gangs, you can greatly reduce their effectiveness."

Sarah Palin Strikes Back

Pajamas Media "However, most of the time she’s talked to the people via social media. ....This has had the benefit of letting the press know that she does not need them. Rather than go the Obama route and deny what is perceived as the one “enemy” to her aims, Sarah denies nearly everyone. And why not? The press trashed her with risible lies. Why give a dying breed ratings when she can reach the people herself?"

High price of Obamacare

Dick Morris "Will a young, healthy, childless individual or couple buy health insurance costing 7.5 percent of their income, as required by Obama’s health legislation? Not until they get sick. Then they can always buy the insurance, and the Obama bill requires the insurance companies to give it to them. And if the premiums come to more than 7.5 percent of their income because they are now sick, no problem. Obama will subsidize it."

Obama's military problem is getting worse

Keep America Safe "The crash has not yet happened and is avoidable, but it also foreseeable. Of concern, the latest reports out of the White House suggest that Obama's team is not yet fully aware of the dangers. If it happens, it will be a problem entirely of Obama's own making and it could have a lasting impact on the way his administration unfolds."

Give McChrystal a Fighting Chance

Weekly Standard "Next to the combat outpost is a brand-new district center built with foreign aid money. Inside we sit down to chat with the district governor, Mohammed Yasin Lodin, a natty man with frizzy black hair and a thin mustache, and the police chief, Colonel Amanullah, who is (unusually for an Afghan) clean shaven. Yasin is overflowing with praise for the improvements wrought by the Americans. The Americans later tell me that the governor, for his part, is doing a good job, spending far more time than he used to in the district (his family lives in Kabul) because it is now safe to do so. "

Now We Know Why He Passed on the Dalai Lama

by Victor Davis Hanson "Mao killed anywhere from 50 million to 70 million innocents in the initial cleansing of Nationalists, the scouring of the countryside, the failed Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, Tibet, and the internal Chinese gulag. Dunn's praise of a genocidal monster was no inadvertent slip: She was reading from a written text and went into great detail to give the full context of the remark."

Worrisome softness on radical Islam

By Ed Lasky , AT; "This past week I wrote a column regarding how Obama chose people with checkered histories as members of his Office of Faith-based Initiatives, and speculated that there was potential that he would use this Office to fulfill a political agenda."...."...a Muslim member of the Office, Dalia Mogahed, recently participated by phone in a BBC show hosted by a representative of Hizb uu-Tahrir, a group the State Department has condemned for its anti-Semitic , anti-Western ideology that officials said might generate support for terrorism."

Obama Will Attend Opening of New Solar Panel Plant That Will Power 3,000 Homes at a Cost of $50,000 Per Home

Gateway Pundit "The state of Florida is completing the final touches on a solar panel plant that cost $150 million to build and will only power 3,000 homes.Barack Obama will visit this solar-paneled cash dump next week."

Priceless. Protest Breaks Out at Massive Wisconsin Flu Shot Line

"The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted this photo essay showing the HUGE lines of people being forced to wait outside in the rain for flu shots."

Friday, October 23, 2009

CNBC silencing criticism of Obama?

Hot Air "The host asked Gasperino about the pay czar situation, and Gasperino basically said it’s difficult for companies to know the full reach and ramifications of this new anti-Constitutional and illegal czar because Obama himself is a community organizer and a socialist. The host then cut him off saying, “this is a trading show.”" From the Comments section.

First, they came for Fox News...

Ethel C. Fenig in AT "Barack Obama, (D) the first African-American president in the history of the US, added a dubious first to his presidency--for the first time in the history of the US the president banned an entire network from the White House press pool. Which network? Why the one the administration is futilely trying to delegitimize but is only helping--Fox, of course."

Not socialism; Gangsterism

Rick Moran in AT "How about another one? Well [Obama] threatened to send the IRS to audit officials from Arizona State University who refused to grant him an honorary degree, citing his lack of experience...""I think a big problem about countering this administration is that most of us are in a state of shock that an American president would use such tactics - and as Strassel says - use them so openly, so brazenly."

Imprison Here, Release Here

By Andrew C. McCarthy "If Guantanamo Bay is closed, scores of trained jihadists, committed to killing Americans, will be released to dwell among us: It is that simple."....

Alice's 'hell house'

World Magazine "At the root of Cooper's transformation was his becoming a Christian sometime before he recorded 1994's The Last Temptation, his last recording for a major label (Epic) and his first to leaven the macabre with a biblical understanding of spiritual warfare. It's a mindset that has continued to affect his work, particularly Brutal Planet (2000) and Dragontown (2001)."

Obama's 'National Resource Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Elders'

Washington Examiner "HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced plans to establish thenation's first national resource center to assist communities across thecountry in their efforts to provide services and supports for olderlesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals."

Political Cartoons by Glenn McCoy

Poll: US belief in global warming is cooling

AJC, h/t to Neal Boortz The press seems upset by this. Americans increasingly skeptical of global warming alarmism By Michael Barone "To what do I attribute this decline in belief in global warming? ....that the election of Obama and a Congress with larger Democratic majorities has raised the real-world possibility of legislation that could inflict serious damage on our economy in order to avert a danger predicted by global warming alarmists’ computer models for the far distant future."

MSNBC Anchors Lash Out at Cheney; Wonder If He’s of a ‘Rational, Healthy Mind'

Newsbusters "MSNBC certainly does nothing to negate its image as reflexive defenders of everything the President does. Shuster and Hall seemed to take great offense at Cheney’s offense of speaking out. "

The Price of Prop 8

Heritage "Publicly available sources, including evidence submitted in a federal lawsuit in California, show that expressions of support for Prop 8 have generated a range of hostilities and harms that includes harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry."

Olbermann Bashed Bush Administration for Criticizing NBC in 2008

Newsbusters "So, when the Bush adminstration pushed back on NBC, the person responsible was listed as one of the worst people in the world. And when Sen. McCain pushed back on NBC, Olbermann called him a whiner and told him to grow up. " Yet, when the Obama administration goes after Fox, Olbermann sees it as good news."

Obama's Thuggery

Powerline "Maybe Obama thought everyone in Washington would be his great friend. Having encountered un-Chicago-like dissent and disagreement, he has responded with classic Chicago brass knuckles. We'll see how far this kind of thuggery gets him." Related: Obama's 'Chicago-style politics:' Boehner

Sequel: "Attention Righteous Atlas Activists: Israeli Doctors Will Be Allowed to Attend Susan G Komen Cancer Research Conference in Egypt"

Atlas Shrugs "Let me thank each Atlas reader who wrote (and cc'ed me), called, and withdrew his or her donation to the Susan G Komen Foundation for sanctioning Jew hatred. I salute your greatness. Sufficient pressure was applied and the decision has been reversed. I was just advised by Doctors Against Racism."

The Obama administration -- no class, bad character

Powerline "But the rank, opportunistic dishonesty described by Cheney demonstrates an affirmatively bad character. And an administration craven enough to engage in it is a dangerous, potentially thuggish administration -- the kind that probably would think nothing of developing and acting upon an enemies list, for example. One wonders what the limits of this administration's bad character are. So far it's not clear that any exist. "

Obama Whined About FOX News to Leftie Reporters at Private Meeting

Gateway Pundit "Speaking privately at the White House on Monday with a group of columnists and commentators, including Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann of MSNBC and Maureen Dowd, Frank Rich and Bob Herbert of The New York Times, President Obama himself gave vent to sentiments about the network, according to people briefed on the conversation…"

White House attacks worry moderate Democrats

Politico "POLITICO reported earlier this week on an all-fronts push by the White House to cut the legs out from under its toughest critics, whether it’s the Chamber, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck and the rest of the Fox News operation."

Matthews: Religious right in US most like … the Taliban

Hot Air "That must be from all of the times the Religious Right throws acid in women’s faces, or bars girls from attending schools, or beat barbers in the streets for trimming beards. Right? Because when the Religious Right set up their dictatorship in America, they were just like the Taliban, according to Chris Matthews."

Gore Vidal: Obama 'Too Intelligent' for America; Vidal Adds He Wanted to 'Murder' Bush

Culture Media " “We have the worst educated population of any first-world country,” Vidal said. “And I hope you’re listening and I hope you know that your lack of education is the joke of the world. This is not a very nice joke.”"

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Obama College Thesis: 'Constitution is Inherently Flawed'

Obama Thesis Raises Doubts "However, the President also singled out the American Constitution: "... the Constitution allows for many things, but what it does not allow is the most revealing. The so-called Founders did not allow for economic freedom. While political freedom is supposedly a cornerstone of the document, the distribution of wealth is not even mentioned. While many believed that the new Constitution gave them liberty, it instead fitted them with the shackles of hypocrisy.""

Is There a Middle Way?

TNR Hat tip to Max Boot : "Western combat units that provide on-the-job training, mentoring, confidence-building, fire support, and stiffening in actual combat. And this requires Western troops, in large numbers, living and fighting together with Afghan forces at all levels of command. The faster the Afghans are to be fielded, the more Western combat forces are needed. If a large Afghan military is to be raised, then many tens of thousands of Americans will be needed, and those Americans will be exposed to combat, and to casualties."

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: War On Fox Alters Checks And Balances

Investors.com "...And chief of staff Emanuel told (warned?) the other networks not to "be led (by) and following Fox." Meaning? If Fox runs a story critical of the administration — from exposing White House czar Van Jones as a loony 9/11 "truther" to exhaustively examining the mathematical chicanery and hidden loopholes in proposed health care legislation — the other news organizations should think twice before following the lead."

The Grating Communicator

By Ann Coulter "But I think the administration should have picked someone other than David Axelrod to deliver thBolde claim that Fox News is "not really news," inasmuch as Axelrod was behind the leak of scurrilous allegations in Jack Ryan's sealed divorce papers when he was running for a Senate seat against Obama. Talk about vicious personal gossip."

Obama's Fox News offensive: Has it worked?

MinnPost "With its concerted campaign against Fox - including not sending administration members to talk to Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace - the White House has stepped up an unusual campaign on a major media organization. The boycott came after Fox News broadcast an undercover investigation of ACORN..."

Obama Effect already working to embargo Fox News story

American Thinker "This is clear evidence that the White House is targeting Fox News for reporting straight stories that could damage the administration and in doing so it has scared the rest of the national media off of the story. And it is working all too well."

Text of the Speech Geert Wilders MP / Columbia University

Atlas Shrugs "The ambassador of these Muslim nations told Thomas Jefferson and John Adams that Muslims find the justification for their slaughter and enslavement of kafir in the Koran. Now I ask you, dear friends, could it be that Thomas Jefferson did not keep a copy of the Koran because he admired Islam but because he wanted to understand the ruthless nature of his enemies?" Wilders film "Fitna" Here: Part one. See what the fuss is over.

White House Emails MSNBC During Broadcast to Correct Them

Gateway Pundit "White House emails directions to MSNBC…The Obama White House emailed MSNBC during a live broadcast to “correct” them on their coverage of the administration’s attacks on FOX News."

Two on the Cheney speech

Real "Hope" and CHENEY Atlas Shrugs "It is pathetic that while Obama slams Bush on Afghanistan, they are adopting the very strategy that the Bush team devised. Worse, Obama asked Bush and co. to keep the plan quiet .... and they did. So Obama takes it as his own and simultaneously slams Bush. This is one ugly demagogue." Cheney Honored By Policy Center For Security. Obama Left Scratching His Head Gather.com "...the former Vice President indicated that the administration’s own lack of experience, direction, inability to make hard decisions and their reluctance to commit themselves to a war in Afghanistan that they admitted to be necessary, has chosen to make the previous administration a scapegoat."

The Kitty-Cat Who Roared

By Victor Davis Hanson "The loud reformer Obama himself proves even emptier in his promises than Bush."

Spc. Flores couldn't make it to Fiesta Latina

American Thinker "Regardless of his ethnicity, Flores likely would have preferred Obama spend his night concentrating on making a quick decision about a troop surge. Instead, the President chose to spend precious time delighting guests while making sure to not step on Thalia's toes "...who lured him onto the dance floor." "

Obamanoia/ Little Hope, Less Change

By Victor Davis Hanson "Right now to save America we need some steady leadership that reassures businesses of lower taxes, less government spending, no new regulations, educational reform to improve the work force, and confident expansionary energy exploration and development. Instead, we get a prescription to terrify private enterprise: Mr. President, every time you besmirch someone as greedy, lying, and unduly rich, some business, somewhere, pulls in its horns."

Karl Rove: Obama Goes Wobbly on Afghanistan

WSJ "It's vital that the president build this coalition because without decisive American leadership, international support for confronting terrorism will soon dissipate. The unraveling of Afghanistan and nuclear-armed Pakistan might not be far behind."

Big Voting Rights Drama in Small Town

Pajamas Media "Given the absurdity of the reason [Acting Assistant Attorney Loretta ] King gave to deny Kinston clearance for the electoral change, one would hope that the town would mount a constitutional challenge. Apparently, it is the only entity under the Act with standing to do so, but it appears the town will not. King, therefore, will have her way for the moment, though one wonders how much longer Attorney General Holder can afford to keep her in this position. She has a penchant for making moves that are not capable of rational explanation except as examples of hyperpartisanship, which diminishes respect for the law and the Justice Department."

Hoyer Says Constitution’s ‘General Welfare’ Clause Empowers Congress to Order Americans to Buy Health Insurance

CNS News "He added that Congress has “broad authority” to force Americans to purchase other things as well, so long as it was trying to promote “the general welfare.”" Related enough for me: Medical Malpractice Reform Needed in Health Care Bill, Senator and Doctors Say: "If Democrats were serious about getting rid of junk lawsuits, I’m sure they could have found room in the 1,500-page Baucus bill … Unfortunately, they did not.”

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Text of Dick Cheney's National Security Speech at AEI

Fox News "Former Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a speech at the American Enterprise Institute addressing the critical issues of national security and providing a blueprint for keeping American safe in the future."

Liberals never learn

Lloyd Brown, AT "qWhen you are on an ideological jihad to reshape a nation, facts nor logic, nor past experience, can be allowed to intrude."

US Org. Hosts Cancer Meet, Israelis not Welcome

Israel National News "Israeli doctors were invited to the event as well, and several had planned to attend. However, on Sunday night, the doctors received brief notices telling them that they were no longer invited to the conference, by order of Egyptian Health Minister Hatem el-Gabali."

Cheney: Obama's Afghan War Strategy 'Bears Striking Resemblance' to Bush's

Fox News " "It's time for President Obama to make good on his promise," he said. "The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger." "Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries," he added. "Waffling, while our troops on the ground face an emboldened enemy, endangers them and hurts our cause.""

Nine Months Into Obama's Presidency, Hillary Clinton Still Citing ‘Inherited’ Problems

CNS News "From the time he entered the White House, President Obama frequently has spoken about having “inherited” an economic mess, and he has been criticized for it. But the expression arguably has been used even more often by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Nine months later, it is a theme she returns to regularly at home and abroad."

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Krauthammer Rips 'Repulsive Audacity' of White House for Fox News Attacks

Newsbusters "Look, it's one thing for the government, the administration to attack opponents, institutions, media," Krauthammer said. "It is another to go out to try and delegitimize them and destroy them."

Voting Present Is Not an Option

Victor Davis Hanson , NRO "...Given the above, and given that George Bush made a far more difficult choice that saved Iraq, it is hard to figure out why Obama can not make a simple decision to send troops requested by commanders on the ground."

MoveOn demands that Democrats stay off Fox News

Michelle Malkin "A reader just sent this fresh missive from the Fox News Deranged-foot soldiers at MoveOn:"... "The petition says: “Democrats should support President Obama’s effort to call out FOX. Please stay off FOX for as long as he does. Democrats often appear on FOX in hopes of reaching out to conservative viewers. But FOX cuts off their mic, distorts what they say, or runs biased headlines at the bottom of the screen.4 In the end, Democrats always lose on FOX."

ANOTHER MAO ADMIRER IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Boortz "Let's do a little recap here: 1. Obama writes of his gravitation toward Communist student groups and Marxist professors in college. 2. Obama appoints an avowed Communist to be his green jobs czar. 3. Obama's communications director sings the praises of Mao 4. Now we have Obama's manufacturing Czar citing Mao and calling the free market "nonsense"."

"The Problem of Evil": interview with Michael Ledeen

NRO "...Is there still an Axis of Evil?" "MICHAEL LEDEEN: Yes, and it’s growing. It lost Iraq, but now counts Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Russia." LOPEZ: Are we an “Accomplice to Evil”?" "LEDEEN: That’s the whole point of my book. We have once again failed to see evil — Iran is the prime example — when it was right in front of us, and we have deliberately blinded ourselves to the war that the Islamic Republic has been waging against us for 30 years."

Terrorism? What Terrorism? About babbling academics.

Pajamas Media “...the academic advising or exhorting action will most likely appear a learned fool, babbling of he knows not what.” What academics don’t “babble” about is equally troubling. Scarcely a word can be found in their voluminous tracts concerning the bellicose initiatives of the expanding terror cartel involving Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and North Korea, with America in the cross hairs."

Attack on Fox News right out of the Alinsky playbook

SenseOf Events "The other media may expect to be flattered as "real" reporters and news organizations who are actually the ones being "fair and balanced." The more a White House reporters and editors toe the White House line, the greater access they will be granted, especially to power figures such as Rahm Emmanuel, David Axelrod and, ultimately, Barack Obama himself, whom we may expect to give a one-on-one interview with the biggest suckup reporter gaining Dunn's favor. Reporters who don't fall into place will discover they are being frozen out of access and will have to rely exclusively on press briefer Robert Gibbs, which is the kiss of death to a White House reporter." h/t to Instapundit.

Giving Credit to Obama When Credit Is Due

by Ryan Mauro, Pajamas Media "From these observations we can conclude that the most critical factor in appealing to the world’s audience is Western values. If the world sees the U.S. as contradicting these values, then our reputation will fall." If we had opposed Hitler's plans before 1939, would our reputation have been tarnished then? But how many people would not have been gassed and cremated? How many cities would not have been destroyed?

Radical Leftists Shut Down Geert Wilders’ Talk at Temple University (Video)

Gateway Pundit Student protesters stand outside as Dutch politician Geert Wilders speaks at Temple University, Tuesday, Oct.. 20, 2009, in Philadelphia. Wilders has outraged Muslims by comparing their holy book, the Quran, to Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ and for his calls to end Muslim immigration to the Netherlands. (AP/H. Rumph Jr)

National Sovereignty, Climate Mysticism and You

Roger Kimball Quoting Lord Monkton:"It is a privilege merely to stand on this soil of freedom while it is still freed. But in the next few weeks, unless you stop it, your president will sign your freedom, your democracy, and your prosperity away forever. . . . But it is here that perhaps at this eleventh hour of the fifty-ninth minute and fifty-ninth second you will rise up and you will stop your president from signing that dreadful treaty, that purposeless treaty, for there is no problem with the climate. . . ."

When Late Night Attacks: Left Worries Obama Becoming Punchline

Big Hollywood "White House’s deputy communications director Dan Pfeiffer told the New York Times, “You ignore [the late night comic's] influence at your peril. They are often leading indicators of where the narrative is headed.” Cowboy humorist Will Rogers noted long ago, ‘When people start taking the comedian seriously and the politician as a joke, everything changes.’ And so it goes with the ‘Change’ many once believed in."

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Excuses wearing thin for Obama, media pals

Chicago Sun-Times "CNN prostrated itself by fact-checking the ''SNL'' comedy skit. But that's harmless compared to the virulent campaign against Obama critics carried out by the denizens of MSNBC. Its Obama acolytes seek to demonize opponents of Obama's policies by focusing on most marginal corners of right-wing politics like, for example, the "birthers" who deny Obama is a natural born citizen. The larger scheme is to imply Obama critics are racists."

Get Nasty or Go Home

Foreign Policy.com "The only way to create a less threatening Taliban is for the Obama administration to admit defeat and turn over Afghanistan to Mullah Omar, knowing that he will allow bin Laden and al Qaeda to stay in place and that U.S. defeat will have an enormous galvanizing impact on the Islamist movement around the world."

Actor Richard Belzer: Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck 'Fascist Stooges'

Business & Media Institute Still like watching "Law & Order; SVU"? This is consistent with that show's often anti-conservative, anti-business, anti- wealthy, pro MSNBC dialog. You hadn't noticed?

Sir Christopher Monckton: Copenhagen treaty eviscerates U.S. sovereignity

Washington Examiner "He's also a very close reader of the proposed UN Climate Change Treaty President Obama is expected to sign along with other world leaders in Copenhagen in a few weeks. Monckton says that 200-page treaty cedes U.S. sovereignity to the UN, mandates a massive transfer of wealth from the U.S. and Europe to pay our "Climate Debt" to the Third World, and creates a new enforcement mechanism to make it all happen."

As the Commander in Chief Deliberates, Frustration Builds Within the Ranks

NY Times "A number of active duty and retired senior officers say there is concern that the president is moving too slowly, is revisiting a war strategy he announced in March and is unduly influenced by political advisers in the Situation Room. "...."A retired general who served in Iraq said that the military had listened, “perhaps naïvely,” to Mr. Obama’s campaign promises that the Afghan war was critical. “What’s changed, and are we having the rug pulled out from under us?” "

Don’t strike deal with Ahmadinejad, pleads leader of Iran’s Green movement

UK Times "A leading opposition figure has expressed fears that the West will abandon Iran’s pro-democracy movement and strike a deal with the Tehran regime over its nuclear programme. “We are concerned that the West will betray us — and its own principles of liberty, democracy and human rights,” said the man, an Iranian academic and a leader of an underground cell. He cannot be identified for fear of retribution. "

Obama to skip anniversary of the Fall of Communism

Rick Moran "Perhaps the president is also still enamored of the idea that if he doesn't offend the Mighty Putin, he can entice the iron man of Russia to support sanctions on Iran. One can imagine what the former KGB official thinks of these celebrations. By staying away, Obama once again grovels at Putin's feet, looking for favors that will not be forthcoming."

WHY IS FOX NEWS CHANNEL UNDER ATTACK?

Boortz "During the presidential campaign I challenged my listeners to come up with an example of biased reporting in any of the NEWS content on Fox News. They couldn't. The left is so accustomed to controlling the media they just can't stand it when someone strays off the reservation.. and does it with such devastating effectiveness. Remember, Fox News has ratings way and above those of CNN. It's no wonder the left is upset."

Obama dragged into university race row after student is crowned first white beauty queen

UK Mail "She was the first white woman to win the title at the university. But the backlash began almost immediately, with some of the audience walking out of the auditorium as the announcement was made. In a traditional winners' photograph, two of the black runners-up are seen scowling into the camera. The next day Ms Churchill was heckled at a university football game. "

Obama the Graceless/ Bush will be Obama’s eternal foil.

By Rich Lowry ,NRO "Bush’s support of the ideologically uncongenial TARP legislation, together with Bernanke’s expansive actions at the Fed, rescued the system. But Obama takes the credit, while pretending Bush heedlessly let the economy burn — a tack that is in equal measures petty and dishonest."

A Lesson in Unintended Consequences for Our President

Pajamas Media "By refusing to join hands with Mr. Obama, Putin gave a big gift to the mullahs: the gift of time. More time to develop nuclear materials, leading to nuclear weapons capability. It’s the Putin Grand Stall; a gift that he may just keep giving to the Iranians if he can pull it off. By a degree of separation, though, it was really Mr. Obama’s gift to the Iranians. The president’s unilateral capitulation on missile defense telegraphed to Putin that he’s a Grade-A patsy. All Putin did was re-wrap Mr. Obama’s offering." Re-gifting, as it were....."So, what President Obama is getting in return isn’t cooperation from the Russians, but a lesson in the often merciless law of unintended consequences. His ill-considered gesture toward the Russians makes a nuclear-armed Iran more likely, not less."

First They Came for Fox News…

Claudia Rosett , Pajamas Media "These are people paid out of the public purse, and speaking under the imprimatur of public institutions — in this case the White House. Here they are, urging White House-favored news outfits to follow the White House lead, and ostracize a specific news outlet the White House doesn’t like. This is Banana Republic stuff, a stock tactic of pressure and intimidation. The effect of such stuff, as a rule, is not to promote accurate news coverage, but to cover up stories the government doesn’t want aired, and shut up critics."

Good Grief… ANOTHER Mao-Praising Obama Czar Caught on Tape (Video)

Gateway Pundit "How many commies have invaded the White House?…We may never know. But here’s the latest Obama Czar praising mass-murderer Mao Tse-Tung in a speech:"

Roman Polanski, Child Rape, and the Shifting Sands of Cultural Morality

Big Hollywood# "As Jefferson pointed out, God has the power and right to force his beliefs on us and yet made us free, the government has not that right, and yet seeks to wield that power over every aspect of our lives. The media seems obliged to help. One thing is certain, if we ignore the former, then as Washington warned, we will be slaves of the latter."

Monday, October 19, 2009

Defending the invincible

Hot Air "The events of the past week were about more than simply thwarting Limbaugh’s desire to buy into a football team. There was the naked greed of parasites like Al Sharpton, desperate to maintain his relevance in a world that has wisely stripped him of the power to destroy a man’s life with a phony rape allegation, or launch murderous riots. There was the blind personal hatred of Limbaugh..."

Political Cartoons by Glenn Foden

Future Prospects for Economic Liberty

By Dr. Walter Williams; Imprimus "To see the extent to which liberty is yielding and government is gaining ground, one need simply look at what has happened to taxes and spending. A tax, of course, represents a government claim on private property. Every tax confiscates private property that could otherwise be freely spent or freely invested. At the same time, every additional dollar of government spending demands another tax dollar, whether now or in the future."

Obama’s Theorems/ The people don’t believe any more.

by Victor Davis Hanson "...And if General Petraeus was right about the surge in Iraq, and candidate Obama, who wanted to clear the country of American combat forces by March 2008, was quite wrong (“the surge is not working”), then why would we assume that Petraeus is now wrong on Afghanistan and Obama right? After all, the former has been proven wise and consistent, and the latter wrong in the past and erratic in the present."

The Power of the Plaintiffs’ Bar

By Edwin Meese III & Hans A. von Spakovsky= h/t to NRO "Why Democrats are avoiding medical-malpractice reform at all costs." Also here: Heritage "The Trial Lawyers' Earmark: Using Medicare to Finance the Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous"

Racism – If Wishing Made It So

By Roger L Simon "...In fact, being a racist has become genuinely creepy, like having a form of extreme social halitosis that makes you a pariah. Most people recoil from racists. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this question: When was the last time you heard someone sound like a genuine racist in private conversation? And what was your reaction...?"...."The root of this “wish” for people like Al Sharpton – who has a “business interest” in the preservation of racism or, more exactly, the preservation of the illusion of racism – is obvious."

Mike Adams: "Environmental Swine"

Townhall "But the solution begins with a call for the White House to take the lead on reversing federally mandated use of corn to produce ethanol fuel. Imagine how many jobs we could save if we turned away from ethanol mandates and towards drilling in ANWR. "

The War in Afghanistan: Why Britain, America, and NATO Must Fight to Win

Heritage "It is an unavoidable fact that we are in Afghanistan out of necessity, not choice. Were we to lose and be forced out of Afghanistan against our will, it would be a shot in the arm for every jihadist globally; would send out the signal that we did not have the moral fortitude to see through what we believe to be a national security emergency; and would suggest that NATO, in its first great challenge since the end of the Cold War, did not have what it takes to see a difficult challenge through."

US condemns suicide bombing attack on Iran's Revolutionary Guards

Thomas Lifson AT "No, this is not satire from The Onion. If only it were, we could laugh instead of cry."

The Obama Way: Eliminate Competition of Ideas

Aaron Gee , AT "The administration, in conjunction with Democrats in Congress, have worked to keep Republican sponsored ideas and legislation off from the floor of both the House and the Senate and out of the headlines. Obama and the Democrats have steadfastly refused to seriously address ideas like tort reform even though such measures lowered costs in Texas and increased the number of doctors practicing in that state. "

Destruction Of Healthcare Delivery System Underway

The Bulletin "If you want to understand why Aetna, Independence Blue Cross (Keystone), and other insurance companies are dropping some, though not all, of their Medicare Advantage policies, you have to understand the way these plans have been tainted by President Obama and the Democratic proposals for Obamacare in its various forms." Also: Harry Reid's disingenuousness on health care reform: "The Senate Majority Leader is pulling out all the stops to get health care reform passed. And the way he is trying to do it is just plain dishonesty."

All-male college cracks down on cross-dressing

CNN.com  "Bynum said the policy comes from the vision of the college's president, who wants the institution to create leaders like notable graduates Martin Luther King Jr., actor Samuel Jackson and film director Spike Lee. Senior Cameron Titus applauds the change.  "The policy is just saying that you have to show more respect in how you dress and there are things that are just not acceptable at Morehouse," Titus said. "We have a legacy that we are trying to uphold.""

Is Obama a fool? Yes, if one gives him the benefit of the doubt

Powerline "I reported, based on sources in Russia, that the Russians were amused by Obama's high living while in Moscow and delighted by his willingness, and even eagerness, to make concessions. When I wrote "Part One," I already had Part Two in mind. There, I would discuss how the Russians apparently now have stiffed Obama by refusing to support sanctions against Iran."

Nationwide Rallies: Marching Against the Media

Atlas Shrugs "There is a little known movement afoot that gives me great hope. Folks across the country have taken to the streets to protest the corrupt and biased activist media. It's about time. Media malfeasance has been criminal. They have destroyed this country in their messiah worshiping coverage of the enemy in the White House. ..." Also this: "White House boasts: We 'control' news media"

Now We Know Why He Passed on the Dalai Lama

By Victor Davis Hanson, NRO= "So where do all these people, so intimate with our president (Dunn is the wife of his personal lawyer), come from? A right-wing attack machine could not make up such statements as those tossed off by a Dunn or a Van Jones. There seems to be neither a moral compass nor even a casual knowledge of history in this administration."

Rove: Obama building an enemies list

Hot Air "In this clip, Rove — who knows a thing or two about being in a beleaguered White House — answers Terry McAuliffe’s defense of Barack Obama that a little demonization is perfectly acceptable in order to get health reform passed:"

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Joe Biden: the worrying rise of Barack Obama’s Mr Wrong

UK Telegraph "On all the big questions, he has been – to put it politely – on the wrong side of history. In 1990, he voted against American forces expelling Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. He voted for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, and advocated splitting it into three states along ethnic lines. He opposed the Iraq troop surge of 2007 that pacified the country and rescued the US from the jaws of defeat. Now, Mr Biden is pushing a policy of what he terms "counter-terrorism plus" ..."

Confessions of a Cultural Drop-out

By Victor Davis Hanson "The usual themes—some evil corporation is destroying something (fill in the blanks: the environment, the neighborhood, the small town, etc.), some CIA conspiracy is out to ruin a crusading heroic journalist, or some brave professor or writer is exposing a massive cover-up—are, well, boring, even with the sex, the blow-em-up explosions, and some nice scenery."

As Spokesperson for Black America, Al Sharpton...You're fired!

Lloyd Marcus in American Thinker "Final confirmation came when I opened my email. In response to my article supporting Rush someone wrote,"Lloyd Marcus you are a dumb a** Uncle Tom! Here is what Rush Limbaugh said..." Then, the ill informed emailer repeated the false Rush quotes spread by Sharpton and the shameless characterless liberal media."

HUNDREDS Protest Media Bias at Channel 5 KSDK in St. Louis

Gateway Pundit "Sharp Elbows has loads of pictures.Here’s a video:"

Sharpton threatens suit against Limbaugh

CNN Political Ticker "Reverend Al Sharpton and his lawyers say they are preparing to file a defamation lawsuit against conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for an op-ed published Saturday, which Sharpton alleges "erroneously" characterizes his (Sharpton's) role in a string of violent incidents in New York in the early 90's."

White House Science Czar Advocated FCC Forcing Broadcasters to Air Enviro-Population Control Ads

CNS "Holdren is President Barack Obama’s top adviser on public policy issues pertaining to science and technology. At the time Ecoscience was published, he was an associate professor of energy and resources at the University of California-Berkeley" Berkeley seems to be the left's farm system

NOW President Takes on Polanski, Letterman

CNS Bill Clinton too? Um...no.

Suicide bomber kills 29 in attack on Iran Guards

Yahoo News Wait! How's that again? Then there's this from the Wall Street Journal:

Saturday, October 17, 2009

A Tale of Two Soundbites/ Which one sounds “divisive” to you?

Mark Steyn, NRO= "Rush Limbaugh is so “divisive” that to get him fired leftie agitators have to invent racist soundbites to put in his mouth.But the White House communications director is so un-divisive that she can be invited along to recommend Chairman Mao as a role model for America’s young.....“Mao’s responsibility for the extinction of anywhere from 40 to 70 million lives brands him as a mass killer greater than Hitler or Stalin.”...."Rush Limbaugh’s remarks are “divisive”; Anita Dunn’s are entirely normal. But don’t worry, the new Fairness Doctrine will take care of the problem." Emphasis added.

Rush Limbaugh: "The Race Card, Football and Me"

WSJ By RUSH LIMBAUGH "...There is a contempt in the news business, including the sportswriter community, for conservatives that reflects the blind hatred espoused by Messrs. Sharpton and Jackson. "Racism" is too often their sledgehammer. And it is being used to try to keep citizens who don't share the left's agenda from participating in the full array of opportunities this nation otherwise affords each of us. It was on display many years ago in an effort to smear Clarence Thomas with racist stereotypes and keep him off the Supreme Court. More recently, it was employed against patriotic citizens who attended town-hall meetings and tea-party protests. "These intimidation tactics are working and spreading, and they are a cancer on our society. "

Why Does Our Dear Leader Talk Tough When It Comes To Insurance Companies, But Votes 'Present' When It Comes To 'Man-Caused Disasters'? (video)

Weasel Zippers "Mr. President, I think you brought along the wrong teleprompter. Your focus should be on the Afghanistan War and our boys and girls dying under your LACK of leadership. If you don't take care of that, then your socialist agenda won't matter.We Will All Be Dead." Language advisory in this site. As in navy barracks language.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Confusions of the Age

by Victor Davis Hanson "But with the Limbaugh matter, the entire Potemkin edifice is exposed. The race mongers Jackson (‘hymie-town”) and Sharpton (“white folks was in caves…”), the latter whose incendiary antics defamed a DA and led to rioting and death, talking of decorum is like, well, NFL players talking about proper role-model behavior. And are proper politics now, in this brave new world of government control of an increasing number of businesses, criteria for private enterprise?"

Three from American Thinker on Rush Limbaugh

1. "What you can do to protest the NFL's attitude toward Rush Limbaugh :"...." If you want to take action Molten Thought blog has already started a Facebook group." 2. "Limbaugh Targeted By Obama Official"...."With control over banks, insurance companies, car companies, media (sports media included) and unions (like the NFL players union), Obama tentacles seem to penetrate into nearly every corner of the nation." 3. "Letter to Rush Limbaugh "....So hang in there my brother. Thanks for being you. We love ya man! God bless, Lloyd Marcus, (black) Unhyphenated American!"

White House Fox News basher names her favorite philosopher: It's Mao

By Rick Moran "Beyond ideology is the idea that the Obama White House must "sell" his radical agenda. Mao used the barrel of a gun. Obama uses soothing rhetoric and staged presentations to hide his far left programs, thus making them more palatable for people to digest. Either way, it spells disaster."

George Floyd Revisited: Derek Chauvin Was Wrongfully Convicted

  The American Spectator | USA News and Politics Derek Chauvin and his colleagues did not murder George Floyd. Chauvin’s prosecution and tri...

https://spectator.org/