Border Murder Highlights Administration’s Failure

Big Government "This outrage occurred just as the Obama administration plans on pivoting to the immigration issue, at the perfect time to try to create a wedge issue to scare Hispanics into voting Democrat in 2010 in order to mitigate the massive losses in Congress that Democrats are sure to suffer after more than a year of ramming through a far-left agenda with extreme partisanship."

We’re Learning ‘The Chicago Way’: Union Thugs Won’t Intimidate Anonymously Anymore

Big Government "When the [Congressional Black Caucus] marched down the middle of the protests on the day of the health care vote in the House of Representatives, there were hundreds and hundreds of hand-held cameras and cell phones that recorded the event. Here we are, ten days after the event and not one person has produced a video or audio recording proving anyone used a racial epithet."

Black Dem lawmaker says Steele won't survive latest slip-up

The Hill "Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) dismissed the notion that Steele won't be forced to resign because of the RNC's decision to reimburse a GOP consultant for a party at a bondage-themed nightclub in Los Angeles. When asked in an interview on MSNBC if she thinks race will preclude Steele from being fired, Waters repled. "No, I don't think so."

Dem Rep Cancels Town Hall Over Fears of Being Alone With Constituents

Gateway Pundit "The cancelation comes a week after many lawmakers received threats because of their votes on the healthcare measure."

Israel: One of Many

Victor Davis Hanson "Once the U.S. blinks, the floodgates open — that is the real lesson from the incremental, but unmistakable shift in U.S.-Israeli relations. Like radical shifts in thinking about healthcare, energy use, and amnesty, so too abroad Obama realizes that the difficult process of "change," in this case of becoming a neutral in the Middle East and deeming Israel's democracy unexceptional in the region, will require all sorts of dissimulation, denials, clarifications, and acrimony." The thought of shooting down Israeli planes is frightening as is the thought of America becoming Vichy France under the feckless Marshall Petain.

The Five Craziest Attacks on Tea Parties

Newsbusters "In case there are any residual doubts about how bad the tea partiers have been treated, here are the Top Five ways the left and the media have abused a grassroots movement. The coverage has been so hateful and so biased, it was almost impossible to narrow the list. Here they are in reverse order, just in time for the big tea party events April 15:"...

Study in Contrast: press treatment of anti-Bush vs anti-Democrat protests. (well, sort of)

Powerline Blog "Barone situates the Tea Party movement at one end of "an argument between the heirs of two fundamental schools of political thought, the Founders and the Progressives." Barone describes it as an old argument that has "been raised again by the expand-government policies of the Obama administration and Democratic congressional leaders." " Powerline Blog "...four minutes of nonstop examples of violent imagery and extremist rhetoric employed by left-wing anti-Bush protesters. He writes: "For some reason, despite it being well documented at the time by me and many others, the media chose to ignore it." "

Spinning Obama’s Foreign-Policy Flops

Commentary " “[Obama] is beginning to face a crisis of efficacy.” In other words, despite all the reverential treatment by liberal elites, Obama has yet to develop effective ties with allies or used public diplomacy to further American interests. His infatuation with dictatorial regimes, his embrace of multilateralism, and his willingness to kick allies ... in the shins have left America more isolated and rogue states more emboldened than ever before. "

Fmr Sec of State Lawrence Eagleburger: Obama a dangerous amateur

Shawarma Mayor You need sound for this gripping interview by Neal Cavuto.

War Against the Tea Party Part II

Big Government "Once again, Americans are being pitted against Americans, irrespective of the truth, at a level we have not since the Clinton era. The significant difference, however, is under the Obama Administration, instead of singling out individuals to target, smear and destroy; entire segments of Americans are under attack." Marinka Peschmann

PROTESTING FALLEN MARINES FUNERAL

Nealz Nuze "In 2006, Fred Phelps decides that he and his cult followers were going to show up to protest the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. The father of the fallen Marine, Albert Snyder, sued the Phelps and the cult claiming invasion of privacy and emotional distress. " Then the trouble began...

Welcome to the Real Revolution, Alinsky Fans: It Ain’t For Wimps Or Sissies

Big Journalism Will Collier has just explained in exacting detail the most probable explanation for how Nancy Pelosi ... could have staged their “confrontation” with Tea Partiers outside the capitol on March 20. Claims that the N-word and spit were employed as weapons by Tea Partiers have yet to be corroborated by a single witness or video recording."... Kyle-Anne Shiver

Henry Waxman: The Witch Hunter of Capitol Hill

National Review "If he isn’t meddling, he isn’t working. And if he isn’t using his powers to bully, bulldoze, or bankrupt his enemies, he is failing the gods of progressivism." Michelle Malkin

Next Battle: Immigration; How it will all play out

Victor Davis Hanson "We know the boilerplate well after a year of health-care acrimony. First, immigration policy — like health care, and cap-and-trade to come — will be cast as a civil-rights issue. That is, free access to the United States and, for some, its entitlement industry for millions of impoverished Mexicans will be redefined as comparable to ending discrimination in the South in the 1960s. Next, skeptics will be branded “racists” and “nativists,” as is being done now to the tea partiers. A few House members will wade through anti-illegal-immigration rallies, and within minutes the media will announce “racial slurs” and “a scary atmosphere” suggesting “violence” and “hatred.” This polarization is critical for the bill’s passage, since it does not have 50 percent public support — and won’t unless a series of constituencies can be united to see the issue in polarities such as us vs. them, whites vs. people of color, rich vs. poor. Blacks will be told it is Birmingham all over again. The Mexican-American middle class, highly skeptical of open borders, will be told that opposition to amnesty is “anti-Hispanic.” " Much more inside...

Obama to Open Offshore Areas to Oil Drilling for First Time

NY Times "Unlike the Bush plan, however, Mr. Obama’s proposal would put Bristol Bay, home to major Alaskan commercial fisheries and populations of endangered whales, off limits to oil rigs. Actual drilling in much of the newly opened areas, if it takes place, would not begin for years. " Many places, however are off limits. Via Heritage.

Liberal Bloopers: Iowa Town Renames Good Friday to 'Spring Holiday'

ABC News "Citing the Separation of Church and State, Davenport Nixes Holy Day." Bob Newhart had a great line he uttered in one of the "Newhart" episodes featuring a meeting full of local town characters: his character Dick Loudon said he'd never seen so much stupidity concentrated in one place. That comes to mind often when reading about progressive bloopers.

An Open Letter to Sean Penn

Newsbusters "The following is an open letter from actress Maria Conchita Alonso ... who penned this response to actor Sean Penn's recent remarks on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" in which the left-wing actor defended Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez." Hat tip to Jeff Hayden.

Political Cartoons by Wayne Stayskal

Townhall

We Are All Pods Now

Victor Davis Hanson "A year ago I had a vague idea that abroad to be democratic, pro-Western, capitalist, and friendly to the U.S. — a Britain, Colombia, Czech Republic, Honduras, Israel, or Poland — was considered good. And to be authoritarian, anti-Western, statist or communist, and anti-American was worse: a Cuba, Gaza, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Syria, or Venezuela was considered, well, in the words of Robert Gibbs, “problematic.” No mas."

Why the Health Care Bill Could Be Repealed

RealClearPolitics "1. This bill is substantively different than Social Security and Medicare.".... "2. This bill is more similar to government programs that Congresses have repealed.".... "3. This bill starts on a different footing than Social Security or Medicare.".... "4. Conservatives may have the votes to repeal the bill.".... Sean Trende

Chicago Does Socialism

Victor Davis Hanson "In any isolated circumstance, we are willing to give the president of the United States a pass on a particular disturbing decision. But after 14 months of them, the Obama particulars add up to a remaking of America that is now clear and consistent: Grow government; redistribute income; establish permanent political constituencies of dependents; increase entitlements; hike taxes; demonize “them” while deifying their supposed victims; seek global neutrality abroad; and always play fast and loose with the truth. What do we end up with? "

In Cantor Case, Media Fanned Flames of Violence: ‘There Will Be Blood’

Big Journalism "Norman Leboon, a convert to Islam, was charged today with making death threats against the House Republican Whip, Eric Cantor (R-VA), and his family. The threat came in a YouTube video that Leboon posted last Wednesday. In it, Leboon says: Remember Eric…our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you’re a Lucifer, you’re a pig, a greedy [expletive deleted] pig. You’re an abomination. You receive my bullets in your office. Remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abominations. " Pamela Geller

Democratic senator: Voting for ObamaCare was “political folly”

Hot Air "Oh, and if you’re still angry at your Blue Dog congressman for gifting your children with this costly new liability, here’s a fun idea: Send him or her a commemorative Barack Obama health-care certificate. With some bus money, preferably, so he/she has transportation out of D.C. in January."

Waxman’s Vendetta

NRO "Waxman, the liberal lion who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, is on the case. He doesn’t want to change the tax provision; he wants to browbeat the affected corporations. He has called the CEOs of AT&T, Caterpillar, and Deere to testify before his committee, accompanying his summons with a far-reaching document request lest the corporations miss the point: This is naked political harassment." Rich Lowry.

The Girl Scout Sex Guide

Washington Times "The present day Girl Scouts are not your older sister's Scouts, let alone your Moms (sp). Not by a long shot. They seem to have joined up fully with the anything-goes-ethos of the left-wing sexual buccaneers and for it they are lauded at the UN. Compare that with the Boy Scouts who have remained true to their founding vision and to traditional values and for it they are banned from using public buildings. " Austin Ruse.

Mike Ramirez cartoon

Townhall

Side Effects: Higher Health Insurance Taxes

Heritage "Rather than simply increase taxes to expand government health programs, Congress should replace the current tax exclusion with a fairer system: universal tax credits. Short of that, there are a number of practical steps Congress can take to expand private health insurance coverage and treat all citizens more equitably. It’s all explained here [3] by Heritage analyst Stuart Butler."

$1 Billion AT&T Headache is Just Obamacare’s First Side Effect

Heritage "...Today marks the end of just the first week of life under Obamacare and Speaker Pelosi has been proven right: we are just now finding out what is in it. This past Friday, AT&T, the biggest U.S. telephone company, announced that it would take a $1 billion charge against earnings thanks to tax changes buried in the 2,300+ page bill. $1 billion. That is a full third of AT&T’s $3 billion earnings for the fourth quarter of 2009."

Obama Steps Up Confrontation

WSJ "White House Seeks to Rally Supporters With Aggressive Tone Against Opponents."

Those Fallujah SEALS: Damn the evidence, full speed ahead!

Blackfive "All that remains now is the word of a terrorist, who is trained to fake abuse, and a Master-at-Arms Third Class who has given five conflicting statements. When the judge ordered the convening authority to grant immunity to the five witnesses, the alternative would have been to abate the trial (postpone it indefinitely)." Posted By Crush.

Pro-Life Speech “Upsetting” and “Not OK” for the Duke University Women’s Center

Volokh Conspiracy "Duke University’s Women’s Center has canceled an event about motherhood because the sponsor was engaging in pro-life expression elsewhere on campus. A Women’s Center representative told Duke Students for Life (DSFL) that “we have a problem” and an ideological “conflict” with the event, which was supposedly canceled to protect Duke women from encountering the event during the group’s “traumatizing” pro-life “Week for Life.” Update: Duke Reverses Exclusion of Pro-Life Talk from the Duke Women’s Center

Searchlight vs. L.A.: Rival Rallies Reveal Stark Right/Left Divide

Zombie "Now, if you had only the entrenched media as your sole source of information about these rallies, you might likely assume ...that the right-wing rally was an epicenter of hate, racism and craziness, whereas the left-wing rally was undoubtedly about peace, tolerance and rationalism. Luckily, we no longer have to rely on the mainstream media. In both cases, citizen journalist bloggers were on hand to document the proceedings with eye-opening photo essays:"

Our Long National Obamacare Nightmare is Just Beginning

Heritage "While it is unfortunate that the left in Congress believes our nation’s business leaders’ time is best spent being browbeaten by congressmen for not doing more to support their policy preferences, the American public should look forward to these hearings. The more information the American public is given about Obamacare, the more they will oppose it. The more they oppose it, the easier it will be to repeal it. We have a long road ahead of us, but eventually the Obamacare nightmare will end."

The Meaning of Exodus

Moshe Dann, AT "As if Jews needed a reminder about what a modern rendition of "Pharaoh's heart hardened," President Obama provides an example, emphasizing an important lesson: the Egyptian dictator/king was part of the process of liberation and, ultimately, of God's will and the destiny of the Jewish People. Despite Obama's nasty treatment of Israel's Prime Minister and unreasonable demands, Sec of State Hillary Clinton's hysterical condemnations' despite suggestions that Israel is guilty of war crimes, human rights violations, apartheid, and hindering America's war efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan; despite Israel's demonization at the UN and Arab/Muslim boycott and isolation, the Israeli government and the Jewish People are stronger and more united. Go figure."

The next move of the Alinsky left

American Thinker "The progressive media, doing their part for the cause, will appear at more of these events for the sole purpose of broadcasting the "proof" of Tea Party racism and/or violence. Those of us who intend to participate in these demonstrations need to do two things: 1) Do not allow yourself or another Tea Partier to be taunted or provoked into saying or doing anything that could be interpreted as racist or violent. Always be civil and act intelligently. You never know when you are being recorded. 2) Take a video camera with you and record the faces of anyone instigating or participating in any such incidences so that they can be identified later. Remember, to those on the Alinsky left, this is a war. Andrew Thomas

Detroit: “A once great city was brought to its knees by government bureaucracies and unions.”

Collins Report See the Video here. "The camera focuses on a big mosque carrying Crowder’s theme that 41 years of liberal politicians and policies have destroyed the city that once had America’s highest median income, and rapacious unions have drained out Detroit’s life blood, leaving wronged residents, uneducated youth, and unbelievable urban decay." Suzanne Eovaldi

PRIVATE COMPANIES TO EXPLAIN THEMSELVES TO GOVERNMENT

Neal Boortz "There seems to be some pesky little regulation out there form the Security and Exchange Commission that requires a company to restate its earnings projections as soon as the company learns of anything that could have a significant affect on earnings and loss figures. So, after the passage of ObamaCare, some companies are doing just that. Here is a list of companies that, just within the last week, have outlined how they expect to change their ways in order to compensate for Obamacare."

A Birthright? Maybe Not.

George Will "It is difficult to imagine a more irrational and self-defeating legal system than one which makes unauthorized entry into this country a criminal offense and simultaneously provides perhaps the greatest possible inducement to illegal entry."

REPEAL; Why and how Obamacare must be undone

Weekly Standard "And the repeal of Obamacare is essential to any meaningful effort to bring down health care costs, provide greater stability and security of coverage to more Americans, and address our entitlement crisis. Both the program’s original design and its contorted final form make repairs at the edges unworkable. The only solution is to repeal it and pursue genuine health care reform in its stead." Yuval Levin

Liberty and Equality: Are They Compatible?

Big Government "Perhaps the ubiquitous Reverend Al Sharpton who seems to insinuate himself into every high-profile controversy said it best on Fox as the infamous vote was being tallied. When rhetorically asked by the equally ubiquitous Geraldo Rivera whether he was concerned that the vote was a big step toward socialism, Reverend Al happily responded that when America voted for Barack Obama, America voted for socialism. And he was right…only most Americans who voted for Obama really didn’t know or believe that."

Let's All Passover

Warning Signs "It would be a great thing for the world if everyone, Jew, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist, sat down to celebrate Passover because a “chosen” people has given so much to the world and received so little thanks in return. You will note I did not include Muslims. Their track record is slim, their animosity to all other faiths is well known, and their current behavior worldwide is drenched in blood." Alan Caruba.

PSA: These are the People Calling Us Violent Racists...

Weasel Zippers "If even one protester at one tea party held one sign like any of these it would be front-page news. Safe to say we hold the moral high ground here...." Death Threats Against Bush at Protests Ignored for Years "Because this essay exists for one reason only: To prove beyond any doubt that explicit and implicit threats to Bush’s life were commonly displayed at public protests throughout his term as president. Below this introduction you will find dozens of examples of such threats — unaltered photographs from a wide variety of sources, along with links verifying their authenticity."

Howard Dean: Obamacare Is Redistribution of Wealth (Video)

Gateway Pundit "On Thursday Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) also admitted that Obamacare would correct the mal-distribution of income in America. Of course, neither one of these socialist tools are willing to part with their money… It’s only your money they’re interested in."

Fidel Castro: Passage of Obama’s Health Care Plan Is “A Miracle”

Heritage "As President Barack Obama embarks on a high profile campaign to bolster public opinion of his health care plan, there is one man who is already convinced that Obamacare is the right move for America – Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader and first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party."

Earth Hour tonight: turn all your lights on. That's ON

Heart Ache: Experts Say Tonight's "Earth Hour" May Actually Increase Carbon Emissions... Weasel Zippers "Don't forget, at 8:30pm tonight turn all your lights on to celebrate "Human Achievement Hour"... "

Deadly Obamacare Kills Businesses, Jobs

Big Government "You think Obama has been a nightmare? You ain’t seen nothing yet. That was just the preview. American business, the motor of the global economy, was dealt a deathblow by the Marxist putsch that the Democrat Party delivered in the form of the healthcare bill. Why wasn’t this made public before the vote? The numbers are staggering. It was revealed Friday that AT&T, the largest telephone company in the country, will take a one-billion-dollar hit in the current quarter as a result of this economic attack on America. The farm-equipment company Deere is looking at $150 million in new healthcare-related charges this quarter, and Caterpillar is facing $100 million. " Pamela Geller

Obamacare’s Consequence; A tarnished presidency

Weekly Standard "Henceforth Obama will be remembered as the man who accelerated America’s mad dash toward bankruptcy. He will be remembered as the leader who promoted a culture of dependency. He will be remembered as the figure who sacrificed a dream of national unity upon the altar of big government liberalism. It’s true: Obama is now a president of consequence. And almost all of those consequences are bad. "...."It has exposed him as weak: Despite 39 speeches on the topic, despite a huge investment of political capital, the health bill passed by a margin of five votes. Thirty-two Democrats defected. The public opposed this law." Matthew Continetti

Personal Income Drops Across the Country

WSJ "Personal income in 42 states fell in 2009, the Commerce Department said Thursday." Via Drudge.

No 'special relationship' between Britain and US: MPs

Breitbart "The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee said Britain should be "more willing to say no" to the United States and warned that London will probably not be able to influence Washington as much in future. " And here:

Poll: Most Want GOP to Keep Fighting on Health Bill

CBS News "The poll finds that 62 percent want Congressional Republicans to keep challenging the bill, while 33 percent say they should not do so. Nearly nine in ten Republicans and two in three independents want the GOP to keep challenging. Even 41 percent of Democrats support continued challenges. "

Mattera Goes Hunting For ‘Obama Zombies’

Big Government "Now, Mattera has a new book, Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation. It’s an exploration of just how the media, Hollywood, and liberal organizations like Rock the Vote helped turn young people into footsoldiers for a man they do not know and an ideology they do not fully understand. "

More Thoughts On Liberal Political Violence

PowerlineBlog "It is liberals, not conservatives, who rely on ad hominem attacks, outrageous allegations and violent imagery. We talked about this on our radio show today, and several callers reminded us of a particularly sorry episode of liberal violence that, for some reason, has not gotten much attention: the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul." Andrew Breitbart Describes Unhinged Harry Reid Supporters on the Attack (Audio-Video) "Andrew also witnessed these violent leftists attacking the Tea Party Express bus with eggs as it drove by. The Harry Reid supporters then swarmed him, harassed him, threatened him and made false statements to the police."

The Error-Ridden Obama Middle East Policy

Commentary "In a must-read analysis of the Obami assault on Israel, Elliott Abrams writes: 'Since the Oslo Accords of 1993, 17 years of efforts under three American presidents and six Israeli prime ministers have taught five clear lessons. Each of them is being ignored by President Obama, which is why his own particular “peace process” has so greatly harmed real efforts at peace. Today the only factor uniting Palestinian, Israeli, and Arab leaders is distrust of the quality, sagacity, and reliability of American leadership in the region.' " Emphasis added.

Book: "That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom: Team Obama's Assault on Tea-Party, Talk-Radio Americans"

Amazon "Graham, known for his searing wit and controversial comments, also explains who the tea party “activists” really are: ordinary, everyday citizens pushed into action by the threat of higher taxes and increased government intrusion. Tackling everything from the economy and education to health care and the housing market, Graham argues that it’s up to us to take control back from the government bureaucrats and to restore the home-spun values of hard work, fair play, and individual responsibility. That’s No Angry Mob, That’s My Mom shows us how." From The 921 Project

Obama Just Got His Private Army

RightTruth "…And no one seems to have noticed. It is buried in the Senate revisions to the health care bill."...."SEC. 5210. ESTABLISHING A READY RESERVE CORPS.Section 203 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 204) is amended to read as follows:SEC. 203. COMMISSIONED CORPS AND READY RESERVE CORPS.(a) ESTABLISHMENT–(1) IN GENERAL.–here shall be in the Service a commissioned Regular Corps and a Ready Reserve Corps for service in time of national emergency....Commissioned officers of the Ready Reserve Corps shall be appointed by the President and commissioned officers of the Regular Corps shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.(4) ACTIVE DUTY.–Commissioned officers of the Ready Reserve Corps shall at all times be subject to call to active duty by the Surgeon General, including active duty for the purpose of training."

A Brief History of Racism: The Clyburn Files

Daily Caller "As you know, if you disagree with a black person about Obamacare, you’re a racist. But did you know all the other reasons you’re a racist? Just ask House Majority Whip James Clyburn!"

Obama Continues Attack on Private Sector; Bashes Banks & Middlemen In Weekly Address

Gateway Pundit "Today Barack Obama defended his attack on the private sector in his Weekly Address. Obama insisted that having the government in control of student loan program will lower cost. It’s never happened before, but Obama believes it will now."

Va. county GOP's headquarters vandalized

WTOP.com "Albemarle County Republican Chairwoman Rachel Shoenewald says people are angry on both sides of the political spectrum. In November, someone glued the county GOP headquarters' doors shut on Election Day." Is this nation better off today than it was 15 months ago?

O’Keefe Deserves an Apology From MSNBC… At the Very Least

Big Journalism "Even today, MSNBC is negligent and deceitful in its “reporting” on this latest development. Their headline reads: “O’Keefe, others plan to plead guilty.” That’s their angle? The story is that federal prosecutors have reduced the charge to a misdemeanor instead of the felony MSNBC has been shouting about for months. But mention of the dropped felony charge is not made until the final paragraph of the story."

Heart Ache: Experts Say Tonight's "Earth Hour" May Actually Increase Carbon Emissions...

Weasel Zippers "Don't forget, at 8:30pm tonight turn all your lights on to celebrate "Human Achievement Hour"... "

CBO: Debt level will rise to 90% of GDP in nine years

Hot Air "Don’t expect that debt to come cheap, either. We’re already seeing signs that our interest rates will have to go up in order to sell more paper, which will cause the deficit projections here to actually fall short of reality. We could be looking at a collapse scenario where we can’t borrow enough to keep up with our interest payments by the time this decade concludes." People who are committed to Obama and Democrats must be totally unaware.

The Vat Cometh

Charles Krauthammer "American liberals have long complained that ours is the only advanced industrial country without universal health care. Well, now we shall have it. And as we approach European levels of entitlements, we will need European levels of taxation."

Bibi’s Predicament

Commentary "It should be clear by now that President Obama intends to pursue the “peace process” in the same way that he pursued health care — by ramming it down his opponent’s throat, in this case, Israel’s." Noah Pollak

Pete Wehner refutes the tired "Bush lied" line

Politics Daily "A careful analysis of several of these charges will reveal, I think, how remarkably weak and misleading is the case that supposedly "proves" George W. Bush took America to war based on a pack of lies. For more, read on. (Because of the unusual length of this response, I'm dealing with just five of Corn's main charges.)"

Demonizing Everyday Americans

Big Government "There appears to be a concerted effort among the political Left and many mainstream media people to demonize and marginalize the expanding citizen-based movement known as the tea party movement. This effort flows from both a fear of what these tea parties represent and a contempt for everyday Americans. But those ordinary citizens are poised to be the ones laughing when it’s all over, when democracy takes its course."

Political Cartoons by Michael Ramirez

Townhall

Accusations Fly Between Parties Over Threats and Vandalism

NY Times "Representative Jean Schmidt, Republican of Ohio, released a profanity-laced voicemail message left in her Ohio office in which the caller accused Republicans of racism for blocking the health care measure, said he wished Ms. Schmidt had broken her back in a car accident and said he would have shot anyone who spit on him during weekend protests at the Capitol. “We released this call to show that is not just Democrats receiving them,” said Bruce Pflaff, a spokesman for Ms. Schmidt."

Obama in extraordinary snub to Bibi

American Thinker "Our president, however, is out to change America. So when Obama turns that notion on its head and starts treating our friends like enemies and our enemies like old buddies, it came as something of a surprise. And being fairly slow on the uptake, I didn't grasp the enormity of the danger that such a poicy represents - until now."

When Will Liberals Give the Tea Party the Same Respect They Give Radical Islam?

American Thinker "Every time some Muslim blows up a plane, or a train, or kills innocent people, we hear from the Left how we should not judge all Muslims because of a few extremists. Our current President tells us, not to "jump to conclusions." Talking heads on TV try to calm us down and reassure us that Islam is the "Religion of Peace." Yet these same politicians and liberal media hacks are going on a rampage attacking their fellow Americans because allegedly a few used racial slurs at a Tea Party protest (with no corroboration from numerous video recordings). "

Another Partisan Push for Another 'Comprehensive Reform'?

Victor Davis Hanson "In response, the administration may trump the healthcare debate with another divisive issue — "comprehensive reform" on immigration — that is surely just as "politically unpopular."After the failure of the polarizing cap-and-trade bill, and the current blood-on-the-floor fight over "comprehensive healthcare reform," tackling illegal immigration right now would be a political nightmare."

Danger Ahead: Obama Jumped the Shark, But Didn’t Drown

Pajamas Media "What we have here in America today is a real-life jump-the-shark drama, starring a super-narcissistic president so desperate to create his own vainglorious legacy that he is willing to destroy his own political party and do enduring damage to his country in pursuit of his purely selfish ends. Standing in arrogant defiance of the will of the American citizenry, Barack Obama — Narcissus incarnate — pulled every dirty trick in the corrupt politician’s playbook to save his floundering presidency for the glory of the five minutes it took him to sign his ill-gotten prize."

As Predictable As the Sun Rising

Victor Davis Hanson "No, entitlements subsidize the good consumer life of both the poorer and the middle class. Go to the poorest section of a poor county in a bankrupt state (e.g., 2 miles from my residence), and the electronic and warehouse discount stores are crammed with the shopping “poor” "...

High Drama Amid ObamaCare Threats

Pajamas Media "Real threats, of real violence, certainly can’t be tolerated. But calling national press conferences to take advantage of what were, after all, pretty normal nasty phone calls, for purposes of political theater, doesn’t improve the situation. Instead, it exaggerates, it exacerbates, and increase the risk to everyone."

The Spit Heard Round The World

Jack Cashill "What Cleaver does not fully share with Milloy is that he turned and stuck his finger in the man's face, which may account for the man's continued anger. Not knowing this, Milloy recounts Cleaver's background as a preacher and compliments him for his magisterial restraint, "Have mercy. The preacher walks the walk." "...."And so, alas, it goes. The Civil Rights movement, which was born in tragedy, appears destined to die as farce. "

Was Obama's confrontation with Israel premeditated?

Yossi Klein Halevi "Though Palestinian leaders negotiated with Israeli governments that built extensively in the West Bank, they now refused to sit down with the first Israeli government to actually agree to a suspension of building. Obama's demand for a building freeze in Jerusalem led to a freeze in negotiations. Finally, after intensive efforts, the administration produced the pathetic achievement of "proximity talks"—setting Palestinian-Israeli negotiations back a generation, to the time when Palestinian leaders refused to sit at the same table with Israelis. That Obama could be guilty of such amateurishness was perhaps forgivable because he was, after all, an amateur. But he has now taken his failed policy and intensified it."

As usual, the hypocrite Left can dish it out, but they can't take it...

Weasel Zippers "When do Damnocrats condemn the violent actions of radical Left activists and protesters? When did they condemn their Leftist allies calls for Bush's assassination? When will Obama condemn his terrorist friend and mentor Bill Ayers?" Remember, Joe Biden-type language in this site.

Obtained: Federal Agency’s Memo Warning Of “Left Wing Extremists”

The Plumline "I’ve now obtained, however, an internal DHS assessment for law enforcement officials that sounds equally dire warnings about “left wing extremists.” And it broadly defines these extremists as including people who embrace some components of “anticapitalist” or “antiglobalization” ideas. You can read the whole thing right here."

Political Cartoons by Chuck Asay

Townhall

Let the Games Begin?

Victor Davis Hanson "I think the die is now cast and the message for both parties is: Get a president and a 51 percent congressional vote, and you can remake America in the most radical fashion, damning the polls, the opposition, and the traditional processes of government itself. It's a new arena and apparently the ends will now justify any means necessary. Good luck to that."

So, You Still Want to Close Gitmo?

Andrew McCarthy "Mohamedou Slahi is responsible for the murder of thousands of Americans. He was a core member of the 9/11 conspiracy — the recruiter of Mohamed Atta and the other ringleaders. If he’d had his druthers, even more Americans would have been killed: He is almost certainly the al-Qaeda middle manager who activated the Canadian cell that attempted to bomb Los Angeles International Airport. On the scale of war criminals, he edges toward the Khalid Sheikh Mohammed range, as bad as it gets. A federal judge has ordered that he be released."

Why We Fight: Cameron, Hanks & Damon Drew First Blood

Big Hollywood "Everyone plays a part – and the most important part is yours. Watching a TV show where the villain is – surprise – a businessman? Call it. Is a movie portraying our troops as nincompoops, psychos or both? Call it. Are your kids staring at the boob tube as some talking turtle busts out with a rap perpetuating the global warming fraud? Call it. When you join in and call them on it, then we’ve started taking our culture back."

EMPLOYERS

Neal Boortz "Hard time figuring all this out? Precisely. But the government will not have a hard time sticking you or your employer with the tab. In fact the mandate on employers alone is expected to generate $52 billion in penalties over the next nine years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Those penalties are expected to grow over time. Now considering all this ..... doesn't it seem laughable when Nancy Pelosi says that this bill will unleash the entrepreneurial spirit in this country?"

Senate Republicans Succeed in Returning Reconciliation Bill to House for Another Vote

CNS News "It appeared initially that deleting the provisions, dealing with Pell grants for low-income students, should not cause major problems for Democrats hoping to rush the bill to Obama and avoid prolonging what has been a politically painful ordeal for the party. Democrats described the situation as a minor glitch, but did not rule out that Republicans might be able to remove additional sections of the bill."

Sanctions That Nibble

Commentary "So we begin the process of watering down and then watering down some more the economic measures that are the Obami’s sole means now — they have in effect taken military force off the table and are uninterested in regime change – of persuading the mullahs to put aside their nuclear ambitions."

Farrakhan Says Outrage Over ObamaCare Encouraging Assassination of Obama...

Weasel Zippers "Where were these people between 2000-2008 when the visceral bloodcurdling hatred directed at Bush was unprecedented?..."

Thanks Barack… Obamacare Costs Caterpillar Inc. $100 Million This Quarter

Gateway Pundit "The Wall Street Journal reported: Caterpillar Inc. said Wednesday it will take a $100 million charge to earnings this quarter to reflect additional taxes stemming from newly enacted U.S. health-care legislation."

Bin Laden Threatens To Kill GIs Over KSM

Sweetness&Light "Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda chief, has in a new audio recording threatened to have American soldiers killed if Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, considered as one of the masterminds behind the September 11 attacks, is executed. The latest recording purportedly from the al-Qaeda leader was broadcast on Al Jazeera on Thursday."

Networks Already Forgot Obscene Calls and Threats to Stupak -- From Last Week

Newsbusters "Nasty protest signs inciting violence? The networks tend to miss those when the protest is on the left, as in Zombietime's photos from a 2007 "anti-war" protest in San Francisco. There are a few different ones here."

Anatomy of a Racial Smear

American Thinker "Lewis, it should be noted, is no slouch when it comes to race-baiting. During the 2008 campaign, he compared the McCain-Palin campaign to that of "presidential candidate George Wallace," whose comparable "atmosphere of hate" led to the fatal church bombing in Birmingham. So egregious were Lewis's comments that McCain called on Obama to "condemn" them. " Jack Cashill Then this: Call Off the Race Hustlers… The Black Caucus Members Lied .

38 States Poised to Stop Federal Mandate at the State Line

American Legislative Exchange Council : "In December 2008, ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act became model legislation. The model language mirrors Arizona Proposition 101, which was narrowly defeated in 2008. ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act protects the rights of patients to pay directly for medical services, and it prohibits penalties levied on patients for declining participation in a particular health plan. " Press Release (via Conservatives for Patients' Rights )

The United States of Venezuela

The Razor "It’s not uncommon for legislative bodies to do whatever it takes to please a leader. For example Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez demanded and eventually received the power he needed to turn Venezuela from a multi-party democratic state to a one-party communist state. Venezuela’s economy has gone from one of Latin America’s most vibrant to the zombie-like communist state the likes of which I thought we saw the last of when the Berlin Wall collapsed in 1989."

Oh, Canada!

Ann Coulter "If a university official's letter accusing a speaker of having a proclivity to commit speech crimes before she's given the speech -- which then leads to Facebook postings demanding that Ann Coulter be hurt, a massive riot and a police-ordered cancellation of the speech -- is not hate speech, then there is no such thing as hate speech."

Patrick Henry’s Fight for Liberty

Heritage "“I know not what course others may take,” he calmly professed then he paused. Slowly, deliberately, and in a firm voice, Henry concluded to the hushed audience, “But as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” Americans should remember his courage and strive to revive our commitment to liberty and self-government."

Hang ‘Em High: Obama’s Disgusting ‘Give Them Somebody to Hate’ Tactics

Lloyd Marcus "In his gazillionth, and most recent health care speech, Obama used the same “give ‘em somebody to hate” tactic against the insurance industry. Outrageously displaying behavior unbecoming to the office of the presidency, Mr. Obama, with no holds barred, attempted to make the American people hate, and seek political vengeance against, the insurance industry."

Putting Racism Back Where It Belongs... On The Left!

The Black Sphere Blog "We produce a series for radio called Great Moments in Democrat Racist History, audio clips that educate with humor and satire, that we plan to offer to radio stations all over the country. My team is working on a pilot TV show that lampoons Liberals, and we believe will do a lot to bring a younger audience to the network we will pitch."

Health Care Law Signals US Empire Decline?

CNBC "The passage of the health care law shows that the US empire is declining because it illustrates the fact that people expect the state to take care of them, David Murrin, the co-founder of Emergent Asset Management hedge fund manager, told CNBC."

A Weedlike Acorn

Investors.com "Is scandal-hit Acorn folding? Don't bet on it. With federal cash at stake, the enterprise is morphing into new groups to keep a hand in the pot. It's like a con man who changes his name and moves to the next town."

Lisa Benson cartoon, Townhall.

California AG probably won't join state suits against Obamacare

American Thinker Why not, you ask? Two words: Jerry Brown.

MSNBC Contributor Equates State Lawsuits Against ObamaCare to Causes of the Civil War

Newsbusters "Why miss an opportunity to inject racism accusations into a highly charged debate like health care reform that was recently signed into law by President Barack Obama given the opportunity?"

Warthog

Michael Yon "The Warthogs had to wait for a Reaper to roll by. No telling where Mr. iRobot would fly to. Do these go to Pakistan? I have no idea, but it seems like you can’t read the news without seeing where these robots have hit more terrorists. There was a time when the enemy thought terror was a one-way street. This place has gotten to be like a hornet’s nest of Predators and Reapers. A couple years ago, you’d see them every day, but now you can’t turn around without seeing an iRobot Terminator buzzing around to land or disappearing into the sunset or sunrise."

WATCH FOR THESE TACTICS

Nealz Nuze "Opponents of ObamaCare are nothing less than out-of-control enraged right wingers who need to be feared. ObamaZombies will paint the anger of opponents as a threat to public safety and will start making demands that something be done to counter or contain this anger. Click here for an example of this response tactic. "Right Wing Reacts with Rage." " Related: AND THERE ARE FOOLS OUT THERE WHO AREN'T HELPING "The left will try to hang these insane people around the necks of all who oppose a government takeover of health care ... just be aware."

Repeal and Replace — but First Reveal

Commentary "This does give a boost to the new Republican mantra “repeal and replace!” Part of the “repeal” effort will be the uncovering of all the special deals and a proper explanation of the impact on the deficit (calculated to go up $6B this year), the Medicare cuts (about $100B this year), and the regimen of taxes and mandates that await us if in fact the bill is fully implemented." Jennifer Rubin.

Stoned in Iran, Snubbed in Hollywood: How PC Buried 'Soraya M.'

Newsbusters "If you're an entertainment maven in Los Angeles or New York, what's not to love? Except that it's not set in Puritan New England or contemporary Texas. And the dignified aunt isn't played by Susan Sarandon. The dialogue is mostly in Farsi, so it lacks the southern drawl that helps liberals identify the bad guys."

Rep. Dingell (D-Totalitarian) Says ObamaCare Will Eventually ‘Control the People’

Weasel Zippers Video   "Let me remind you this [Americans allegedly dying because of lack of universal health care] has been going on for years. We are bringing it to a halt. The harsh fact of the matter is when you’re going to pass legislation that will cover 300 [million] American people in different ways it takes a long time to do the necessary administrative steps that have to be taken to put the legislation together to control the people."  Said he.

How to fight ObamaCare

Dick Morris "The Democratic victory on ObamaCare will prove the most expensive in the party’s history. It will lead to the eradication of their majority, the defeat of more than 50 of their congressmen, the switch of Senate control and Republican domination for decades. And, in the end, it will have done nothing to improve healthcare. But, fortunately, we can win the 2010 election to stop it from doing much damage."

Supreme Court Battle Quietly Brews Over Possible Future Nominations

ABC News "On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings to consider the nomination of Berkeley law professor Goodwin Liu to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The hearing is expected to be contentious, showcasing the differences in judicial philosophy between the parties, with conservative senators arguing that Liu's record on divisive issues puts him outside the mainstream of judicial thinking." He'll fit right in there.

Ann Coulter prevented from speaking on Canadian campus

Canada.com “Since I’ve arrived in Canada, I’ve been denounced on the floor of Parliament — which, by the way, is on my bucket list — my posters have been banned, I’ve been accused of committing a crime in a speech that I have not yet given, I was banned by the student council, so welcome to Canada!” And here: Right-wing U.S. firebrand Ann Coulter will file grievance with rights panel

How to Fight the Hollywood Left’s Fighting Words

Big Hollywood "Then we had Tom Hanks effectively saying that the Japanese and Americans wanted to destroy each other only because they were different breeds of racists. That intellectually vacuous statement not only slanders America’s most honorable record in the war against a genocidal Imperial Japan, it slanders the sacred memory of every US service member who fought and died in that conflict. As a Navy veteran myself, and the son of an Army veteran of Normandy Beach on D-Day? Fighting words." Language advisory.

Congressman Who Shouted 'It's a Baby Killer' on House Floor Says He Won't Apologize or Back Down

CNS News "Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) said Tuesday he will not apologize to the House of Representatives for yelling out “it's a baby killer” on the House floor Sunday night during remarks by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) just before the House finished its action on the health-care bill." Hat tip to Weasel Zippers.

Margaret Thatcher vs. Nancy Pelosi

Roger Kimball "As Ronald Reagan noted more than a quarter century ago, “One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project.” Sunday was a sad day for individual liberty and a sad day for America."

Dershowitz Throws Down the Gauntlet to Obama

Jonathan Tobin "...no one remembers that Neville Chamberlain was a successful reformer who not only helped restore Great Britain’s financial stability ... Instead, all history remembers is Chamberlain’s “failure to confront Hitler.” It is, he writes pointedly, “Chamberlain’s enduring legacy.” And if Obama does not act to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, anything he achieves on health care or the economy will count for nothing when compared to the impact of a failure on Iran."

Mike Ramirez cartoon

Investors Business Daily Subtle, very subtle. Ja catch it?

Breaking: 13 States Sue Federal Government to Stop Unconstitutional Obamacare

Gateway Pundit " “The Constitution nowhere authorizes the United States to mandate, either directly or under threat of penalty, that all citizens and legal residents have qualifying health care coverage,” the lawsuit says."

Is America’s AAA Rating in Trouble?

Heritage "A downgrade in America’s credit risk would mean paying higher interest on additional borrowing, thus making borrowing much more expensive. Just as importantly, it would signify a change in perception of quality about the American economy and by extension of the world economy."

Repeal; A one-word agenda for Republicans.

William Kristol "Of course that can’t be the whole message in 2010 and 2012. Of course there will be other important issues. And even on this issue, the message will have to be not just repeal but also replace--replace Obamacare with sensible reforms. What’s more, working out exactly how to repeal and replace the parts of the legislation that will already be in effect is an important task, one to which I know Paul Ryan has already given some thought."

Steps You Can Take Ahead of Changes in Coverage, Taxes

WSJ "Do your homework. This legislation will almost certainly affect your wallet and your health coverage, so you need to understand it. The Kaiser Family Foundation's site, kff.org, has a side-by-side bill comparison tool featured on the main page, and you can choose the Senate and reconciliation bills, selecting only the parts you care about." Here are ten benefits which come online within six months of the President's signature on the health care bill: Remember that entitlements are addictive.

OBAMA VOTERS: YOU KNEW WHAT YOU VOTED FOR

Neal Boortz "You took a man with no executive experience - a man with an expressed dislike for the free enterprise system - a man with a clear radical background - a man who gravitated toward Marxist mentors throughout his life --- and you made him president of The United States. Happy? Hope so. Your ancestors will curse your name for what you have done." I'm sure Mr. Boortz means that in a nice way.

Billboard of the Day

From Warning Signs by Alan Caruba.

US Communist Party paper: Health Care Is A Giant First Step

Sweetness&Light "As we have noted several times previously, the people behind Health Care for America NOW are the same people who fought the ‘surge’ in Iraq and tried to force our immediate withdraw[al] from Afghanistan and Iraq. They, the CPUSA, the unions and so many of the elements who rammed through ‘healthcare reform’ hate this country. So what does that tell you about ‘healthcare reform’? Emphasis added.

Clinton Pal Orders Release Of Terrorist

Sweetness&Light “...of the cases I had seen, [Slahi] was the one with the most blood on his hands.” And isn’t it odd how the Associated Press neglected to mention that? Indeed, the AP also somehow managed to omit any background on the judge who issued this preposterous and dangerous order. For the record, Judge James Robertson was appointed a United States District Judge by Bill Clinton in 1994, and he made an early career out of protecting the Clintons." Its good to have friends in high places.

Bibi Responds

Commentary "Bibi Netanyahu’s speech to AIPAC last night was in a very real way a refutation of the Obama policies and rhetoric. While thanking the Obama administration for its aid and opposition to the Goldstone Report and reaffirming the bonds and common foes of the two nations, Netanyahu’s messages were unmistakable: take care of Iran or Israel will act, and we are not to be bullied on Jerusalem. But he said it much more elegantly than that." ...."But the speech, I think, will be most remembered for the bold refutation of what has passed as the Obami Middle East policy. One question remains: how will the U.S.-Israel relationship weather the Obama administration, given the differences in outlook and approach? That’s far from clear." Jennifer Rubin Barack Obama won’t allow any photos taken of him with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. " So, will he make him leave out the backdoor by the garbage, too?"

Indiana Dem Senatorial Candidate Down 18 Points After Voting For Obamacare

Gateway Pundit "Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN) finds himself down 18 points in the Indiana Senatorial race to replace Senator Bayh after supporting Obamacare on Sunday. 63% of Hoosiers oppose Obamacare. 35% approve of the legislation."

Stupak Hits Historic Low

Infidel Bloggers Alliance "There have been few more disgraceful, even pathetic, moments in politics than the speech by Rep. Bart Stupak (D.-Mich.) on the floor of the House of Representatives last night in which he called a Republican motion to recommit "disingenuous". "

Happy Hour Roundup

WhoRunsGov "* Uh oh. Senate parliamentarian declines to rule for now for on GOP’s first stab at killing reconciliation. Dems and GOPers alike tell me they aren’t sure when he’ll weigh in, and any delay suggests he may be taking the GOP’s complaint seriously." More points as well.

Issues of the Day

Victor Davis Hanson "Whether Israel and the Palestinians, or the British again in the Falklands, or the Columbians, or the Hondurans, or the Poles and Czechs, there is no particular advantage in being a pro-American democratic ally; attention and outreach instead come from being our antithesis."

Obamacare Isn’t Inevitable

National Review Online "The Democrats had no mandate to take these steps. In 2008, the president campaigned both against forcing people to buy insurance and against taxing their benefits. The legislation runs counter to the campaign on both points. The president promised to change Washington. He has made its stench more noisome, winning this vote by using every kind of deceit and (legal) corruption, and over the objection of a bipartisan coalition representing most Americans."

Preparing Legal Challenges to Health Care

American Center for Law and Justice "There will be several areas that will be challenged - including the individual mandate - the language requiring Americans to purchase health coverage - even if they disagree with the pro-abortion aspects of the law. That violates the Commerce Clause of the Constitution and one of the key areas that will be litigated. As many as 35 states - including Virginia and Florida - are poised to file lawsuits once the measure is signed into law. There are significant issues involving the rights of states which this health care package violates."

Repeal

Heritage "This is why opposition to this bill will only grow. Supporters of this bill argue that popular hostility will recede upon its passage. But, rather than cementing our descent into a European-style welfare state, last night’s passage of Obamacare is best seen as a historic turning point, a true catalyst for real change. I write to reassure our supporters, the conservative movement, and the American people at large that The Heritage Foundation will do all within its power to keep this issue alive in the public square and make the intellectual case for the repeal of this act. We will bring all our resources to bear on behalf of those who believe America is and will always remain the Land of the Free."

Is ObamaCare Headed for a Supreme Court Smackdown?

Michael Filozof, AT "But Conservatives and Tea Partiers despondent over the fact that liberal Democrats just passed a massive encroachment on our liberties over their massive protests should take hope. James Madison saw this coming, and his forethought will give opponents of ObamaCare one last shot at killing it. In Federalist #10, Madison wrote "Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." (Boy, did he ever get THAT right.)"

AN AMERICA WITH OBAMACARE

Neal Boortz "Are you impressed how the Democrats managed to create two new entitlement programs and yet still decrease the deficit with their healthcare bill? At least, that is what they claim. But anyone with an ounce of brains knows that this is simply too good to be true. So considering all of the gimmicks and new taxes, The Heritage Foundation sums up with America will look like in the aftermath of Obamacare." Then this: Obamacare will haunt Democrats for years to come .

Political Cartoons by Gary Varvel

Townhall

Obama Pays More Than Buffett as U.S. Risks AAA Rating

Bloomberg "While Treasuries backed by the full faith and credit of the government typically yield less than corporate debt, the relationship has flipped as Moody’s Investors Service predicts the U.S. will spend more on debt service as a percentage of revenue this year than any other top-rated country except the U.K. America will use about 7 percent of taxes for debt payments in 2010 and almost 11 percent in 2013, moving “substantially” closer to losing its AAA rating, Moody’s said last week. " Pay attention to this; great upheavals can lurk in the murkiest of reports.

Stupak Announces $726,409 For Airports

Sweetness&Light "It’s just a coincidence, no doubt. And there is surely a lot more to come. At least we like to think that our politicians aren’t being bought and sold at such low prices. By the way, have we mentioned lately that there is no such thing as a ‘moderate Democrat’? There are just Democrats." And here: Bart Stupak, Cheap Suit, Congresscritter of Easy Virtue, Rube, Hogarthian Trollop "...He traded principled resistance for the fig leaf of a useless executive order." And here: Stupak was for the bill all along

Hidden Deep Within ObamaCare, Racial Preferences

Pajamas Media "...the bill specifies that the secretary of Health and Human Services, “in awarding grants or contracts under this section … shall give preferences to entities that have a demonstrated record of … training individuals who are from underrepresented minority groups or disadvantaged backgrounds.” The bill doesn’t say what would qualify as a “demonstrated record,” so if ObamaCare passes you can expect that medical schools and other training institutions will do whatever they can to get away with training as many people as possible from so-called “disadvantaged backgrounds.” "

We’ve Crossed the Rubicon

Victor Davis Hanson "So we are in revolutionary times in which the government will grow to assume everything from energy use to student loans, while abroad we are a revolutionary sort of power, eager to mend fences with Syria and Iran, more eager still to distance ourselves from old Western allies like Israel and Britain. There won’t be any more soaring rhetoric from Obama about purple-state America, “reaching across the aisle,” or healing our wounds. That was so 2008. Instead, we are in the most partisan age since Vietnam, ushered into it by the self-acclaimed “non-partisan.” But how could it be anything else?"

What Freedom Demands

Hot Air "Tonight, the Democrat Party declares war on the American middle class. They are gambling on the forced creation of an entitlement we’ll be too exhausted and weary to reject – no matter how poor its quality, corrupt its inception, or unbearable its cost. We do have one last chance to strike this down. There is no reason any Democrat up for re-election in 2010 or 2012 needs to retain their seats. They don’t own those seats, any more than the Kennedys owned Massachussetts. There’s no reason the Democrats need to exist as a viable political party after 2012. Obama can be their last President." But it has to happen before we become addicted to this government-controlled life.

Voter Backlash Beyond ObamaCare

Rosslyn Smith, AT "Voter anger is building on issues beyond ObamaCare. The large group of people already angry over runaway spending and ObamaCare are now being joined by those angry at the EPA for moving forward with controls on greenhouse gases without congressional action -- and without considering the economic impact on the economy. Like the Tea Party movement, this group cuts across geographical and political lines. "

Where Were You When the Republic Died?

Matt Patterson "The Republicans? Assuming the GOP can take back both houses of Congress and the White House in the next couple of elections (by no means a sure thing), can you name one gigantic entitlement enacted by liberals that Republicans have successfully repealed? Or even made serious effort to repeal? Ever? Anyone? "

GAME OVER ... LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Neal Boortz "Taxes, of course, go up immediately."...."Businesses will hunker down even more than they have been."...."As health insurance premiums rise - as people start clogging doctors offices - as the quality of care gradually declines - there will be more and more cries from the dumb masses for the government to "do something." "

Sharpton: “Americans Overwhelmingly Voted For Socialism When They Elected Obama” (Video)

Gateway Pundit "This is another example that every once in a while, a democrat forgets his talking points and speaks the truth. Barack Obama explained it this way last night– “This is what Change looks like.” "

The Stupak Mystery

Slate "Here's what I suspect. As of yesterday, the White House was willing to promise Stupak an open-ended ban on abortion funding in the exchanges. But today, either because of blowback from pro-choicers* in Congress or because Stupak lost some leverage as the health reform bill acquired more votes, it was not. So a basically meaningless executive order was issued to help Stupak save face. Just a guess, but I bet I'm right." And here: AWESOME: Anti-Abortion Susan B. Anthony List Group Will No Longer Honor Stupak With Their 'Defender Of Life Award' On Wednesday "The anti-abortion Susan B. Anthony List group announced tonight they will strip Rep. Bart Stupak of the "Defender of Life" award that he's received several times."

Krauthammer: ObamaCare 'Will Be the Law of the Land as of Tonight and We're Going to be a Different Country'

Video from Weasel Zippers

Silver Linings

PowerlineBlog "With Stupak's collapse, passage of the Democrats' government medicine bill is assured. This is a dark day in American history; one of the darkest. But there are many reasons for optimism. Here are a few:"...

20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms

Investors.com "Of course, the overhaul is supposed to provide us with security. But it will result in skyrocketing insurance costs and physicians leaving the field in droves, making it harder to afford and find medical care. We may be about to live Benjamin Franklin’s adage, “People willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both.” The sections described below are taken from HR 3590 as agreed to by the Senate and from the reconciliation bill as displayed by the Rules Committee."

"Resist" logo from Weasel Zippers

Canadian University Provost Wants to Send Me to Jail… For a Speech I Haven’t Given Yet

Ann Coulter "I was hoping for a fruit basket, not a threat to prosecute:" Click on this link to see a screen shot of the email Ms. Coulter received.

Happy Dependence Day! Updated

Mark Steyn, NRO "Well, it seems to be in the bag now. I try to be a sunny the-glass-is-one-sixteenth-full kinda guy, but it's hard to overestimate the magnitude of what the Democrats have accomplished. Whatever is in the bill is an intermediate stage: As the graph posted earlier shows, the governmentalization of health care will accelerate, private insurers will no longer be free to be "insurers" in any meaningful sense of that term (ie, evaluators of risk), and once that's clear we'll be on the fast track to Obama's desired destination of single payer as a fait accomplis." Paul: Stupak's Deal ‘Unconstitutional Outrage’ and this: Pence to Stupak: You traded 30 years of pro-life law for a promise from the most pro-abortion president in history

Iran is training the Taliban; Obama grovels

Rick Moran "Not that it matters much to Obama. He's still seeking that elusive "outreach" that has made him a laughingstock from Damascus to Tehran. His latest foray into this useless diplomacy is a message to the Iranian people on the occasion of the holiday Nowruz where he begs the mullahs to open a dialogue with him."

Liberals Getting a Taste of How ‘Balance’ Feels:

Amity Shlaes "At its most devilishly aggressive -- and whatever lines it inserts about church, state, hip-hop or the Alamo -- the board will not restore true balance. It will merely manage to make the curriculum a little less skewed to the left."

Hundreds of Israelis Protest “Obama Infitada” in Gush Etzion

Gateway Pundit "Protesters at Gush Etzion told reporters, 'Obama is an enemy of the state of Israel… The American people are on our side. They oppose what Obama is doing… We are telling the Prime Minister to ‘Crush the Obama Infitada.’ ”

Bill Clinton Mocks Goracle: "It's the Start of Spring, Otherwise Known to Al Gore as Proof of Global Warming"

WSJ "So he got loosened up at Saturday night’s white-tie dinner with a joke at his own expense: “I have been waiting to stand in for President Obama for a long time,” he said, “ and since they turned me down for Dancing with the Stars, I had nothing better to do.” He said President Obama called to asked him to fill in because the current president was busy in the White House “polishing up his Nobel Peace Prize.” Obama, he said, asked: “You’ve got one of these, don’t you?”..."

You Won’t Believe This One

Jennifer Rubin "Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) said Sunday morning that he is close to striking a deal with the Obama administration on abortion provisions. “We are close to getting something done,” Stupak said in an interview with MSNBC. Stupak said he engaged in talks late into the night on Saturday night. The possible deal would focus on an executive order that would specify there would be no public funding for abortions in the healthcare bill." Do they have the votes? Update: Nye a nay; Update: Stupak Dozen member caves; Update: Stupak says a deal is close via Hot Air.

The Take: Historic win or not, Democrats could pay a price

Washington Post "The lengthy and rancorous debate has inflicted considerable damage on the president and his party. It helped spark the grass-roots "tea party" movement and generated angry town hall meetings last summer that led to some opponents painting Obama as a socialist and a communist for advocating a greater government role in the health-care industry. The issue now is whether final passage of the legislation -- Senate leaders say they will take up the reconciliation bill this week -- will cause more harm or begin a turnaround in the Democrats' fortunes heading toward the November midterm elections."

Video: Ryan vs Slaughter on Medicare reform

Hot Air "This clip is getting a lot of attention on Twitter, and for good reason:"...

Obama recalls bunker-buster bomb kits to bar Israeli strike on Iran

DEBKAfile "Shortly after Vice President Joe Biden's Israel visit ended on March 11 in high dudgeon over the approval 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem, US president Barack Obama ordered a consignment of Joint Direct Attack Munition- JDAM already on its way to Israel to be diverted to the US Air Force base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. This step, the pointer to a US arms embargo for preventing Israel attacking Iran's nuclear sites, is first revealed here by debkafile's military sources."

Boehner to Speaker Pelosi: “Every Member Should Stand Before the American People and Announce His or Her Vote”

GOP Leader "It appears the House of Representatives will proceed with plans to vote this weekend on President Obama’s health care legislation, despite the well-documented objections of the American people to both the contents of the bill and the manner in which the Democratic leadership hopes to pass it. This weekend’s votes will be among the most consequential votes we will ever cast as Members of Congress. As such, it is my belief that every Member should stand before the American people and announce his or her vote as the final decision is made."